A few things I'm loving lately:

1. I suppose there are worse things to which to be addicted, but I cannot seem to get through a single day this summer without at least one glass of this refreshing drink. A kick of jalapeño, a bite from the citrus, all tamed by mango's sweetness, over ice in my favorite tumbler. (No tequila needed - it's a treat on its own.)

2. Though this series arrived on Netflix in April, and it's been on my list since then, it wasn't until a cross-country flight a few weeks ago that I had a chance to check out one of my favorite actors in her latest role as an American diplomat to Great Britain. (I've loved Keri Russell since Felicity, along with her wonderful work in Waitress and August Rush - she even wore a pair of Elva Fields earrings in her series Running Wilde back in 2011 with one of my other favorite actors, Will Arnett.)  The Diplomat is smart, suspenseful, and highly entertaining...and I'm already waiting for the next season.

3. Maddie is the beautiful human we are all pulling for; she is endearing, painfully self-aware, and entirely herself, and I found myself cheering her on every step of the way. There aren't many books that are exponentially enhanced by experiencing their audio version, but Maame is certainly one of them: the narration is splendid, and brought Maddie to life with heartfelt honesty.  

4. I had the pleasure of meeting Suzanne, the owner and founder of One Love Organics, several years ago at The Southern C's Summit, and I instantly connected with her and her company's focus on clean ingredients, outstanding quality, and thoughtful production here in the U.S. (In the Golden Isles of Georgia, to be specific.) I've adored everything I've tried from OLO, but this cleansing oil just hopped to the very top of the list. It removes my daily sunscreen in one pass, smells amazing, and leaves my skin refreshed, clean and moisturized. I snagged mine from Credo on sale a few weeks ago, but it's on sale now on One Love's site - no code needed. 

5. A car passed me on a walk a few weeks ago, and I caught a few notes of a song I hadn't heard in years. I was immediately transported to one of my favorite concert moments ever: a surprise confetti drop in the fourth-ish row of a tiny standing-room-only venue with a beautiful friend. (Love you, Amy!) My love of early 2010s electro-indie-pop has since resurfaced, but I've also thrown in some hints at bluegrass, folk, and a bit of soul for our latest Spotify playlist. Happy listening! 

A few things I'm loving lately, Paris/France-inspired:

 1. I've loved Heather Clawson of Habitually Chic's blog for many years - her unabashedly Upper-East-Side updates from New York gave me the dose of Manhattan I missed after moving home to Kentucky, but our shared love of Paris might surpass that of the Big Apple. She's there now, and j'adore following along on Instagram as she makes her way stylishly around the city. Even better, she offers what MANY reviewers/travelers/readers/those in the know say is the very best city guide to Paris. She updates it often, includes everything from hotels and restaurants to shops and museums, and you can download it (for a reasonable fee given the depth and detail included) to plan your next bon voyage!

2. I have many favorite teas, but this one feels both decadent and inspiring on a morning when both may be lacking. (Which honestly just confirms for me that everything feels/looks/tastes/sounds/is better in Paris.)

 3. My dear friend Allison and I met in college as French majors, both of us spending fall semester in Paris our junior year (though she stayed the entire year!) Her dedication to France and its language continued in graduate school and she is now a college professor herself, sharing her love and passion for all things French with lucky students at Centre College (in my hometown of Danville, Kentucky!) Her beautiful blog is full of thoughtful writing and interesting musings, and she documents some of her favorite recipes, books, and - maybe best of all - often-overlooked spots on her travels in France, including Marie-Antoinette's château, Le Petit Trianon. 

4. Another way to travel vicariously (and to score some beautiful vintages and antiques, too) is to follow Lily's Vintage Finds on Instagram. Based in Houston, she's just returned from two weeks in France, shopping all of the country's best flea markets and antique shops to fill a crate of beauty that will head stateside soon. And good news for those of you who might want to follow in her footsteps: she's just launched a Patreon account where she promises to share her best tips and tricks on sourcing those vintage French goods, where to stay/shop/eat in France, and how to negotiate with vendors here in the US and abroad. Thankfully the vintage and antique jewelry I found on my trip to the Paris markets fit in a suitcase - no shipping container required - but seeing the amazing furniture and accessories she found definitely made me want to return. 

5. I couldn't talk about France and leave out the fashion - and if I were headed to market in the summer, this skirt is no doubt what I'd be wearing. Stripes toujours!

6. And, bien sûr, I have to include the inspiration for this whole lovely list: one of the vintage French souvenir bracelets from Paris in our latest By Hand + With Love update. (In golden brass with scenes from the City of Lights, it's sure to be a forever favorite.) Also a joyful souvenir, a vintage souvenir compact from Paris shows La Tour Eiffel among other cherished spots and opens to reveal spaces for pressed powder and lipstick. I turned the compact into a pendant and paired it with vintage and antique glass beads from Nigeria for a colorful statement style. (And it's on sale, mes amies!) 

Bonus: One of my favorite French albums - now over 20 years old - but never seems to lose its appeal. 

Our third offering in our By Hand + With Love series is a small curated collection of the most beautiful handwoven textiles from West Africa. I've been gathering these for a while (honestly, almost every time I've sourced glass beads over the last 20-plus years from my longtime friend and vendor of African designs who hails from West Africa himself, I added a textile or two to my own collection) and I'm thrilled to share a few with you here! 

Most of this collection is vintage, though some are more contemporary examples of African fabric. Each is entirely spun, woven, or sewn by hand and dyed with organic materials, all in an ancient tradition by richly talented craftspeople, the result of which is honored and celebrated for its beauty, quality, usefulness, and meaning. Some of these cotton creations hail from Mali, others from the Ivory Coast, and still others from Burkina-Faso. The texture, colors, details, imperfections, and hand-crafted character of each textile tell a remarkable story and bring an authentic artistry to any setting.

A few ways I enjoy them:

They can also be turned into pillow covers (with the help of someone who sews!) or even used as upholstery fabric (I have big plans to cover my great-grandmother's sofa with a few of them soon...) hung as a tapestry, or stitched together for a bed coverlet. I'm hopeful you'll appreciate and adore them as I do, and I can't wait to see which ones catch your eye.