This just in: she can rock the scarf. How very Parisienne. Also, check the color palette--Mouse wouldn't have thought of it, but it's a delicious little combination.

Happy weekend!

Michelle and more photos here.

Mouse has a new perfume crush. Hermes Un Jardin Apres La Mousson is based on the smells of a garden in Kerala after the end of the monsoon rains. It smells like ginger and flowers, spicy and mysterious without smelling at all like food. Soft and lovely. Go sniff.

Bye. Mouse is running away to live in a gypsy caravan. I will make my living reading tarot and casting runes, and telling people little snippets of truth. I will also be a private detective on the side.* Ta.

Awesome tiny caravan from here.

*Mouse has been watching too much Veronica Mars.

Could someone please tell the tooth fairy or someone that this bag really wants to come live at Mouse's house?

This is pretty cute.

I know I already gave you some Muppets this week, but today calls for them. By the way, Mouse strongly advises NOT putting "muppets" in YouTube when you're in a procrastinating mood. Um...here are a few more Muppets for good measure. I like this guy because I want to do this when people sing "You Are My Sunshine."* **

*Ever listen to all of the lyrics of that song? It's damn creepy.

**On the other hand, I do like a scrappy insurgency, even if they have a stupid anthem.

Previously undiscovered photos of Marilyn Monroe, before she made it big, from Life. More of them over here. These were taken about two months before her first notable film role, and a few years before she made it big. Sort of amazing how she looks like a real person, rather than an icon.

This yarn ball has me in stitches. Get it? Ha ha ha ha ha...

Spotted on Black*Eiffel.

Oh, my. Did you see this photo over at Style Files? I love everything about this photo--the stairs, especially, but also the woman's bag, her orange shoes, the baskets, the beams, that little cubby inset in the wall...and then I read that this is all in Formentera, a Spanish island, which means she's probably on her way back from the market and she's going to make some bocadillos and a big torta de papas and dammit, I want to be there!

There are more photos, by the way, and the rest of the house is just as good.

Mouse likes the look of this tiny cottage in Iceland, photographed in the midnight sun...

Tiny Niece, who is five and a half, just learned how to sing this (minus the improvisational bits). We did a duet on the phone. It was fantastically fun.

Sorry to get manahmanah stuck in your head.

Look at this sweet print! Mouse saw it over at Love You Big, a lovely lovely blog that's doing BOOK THINGS this week. I love book things! You must pop over there and look at her photos of card catalogues. Mouse loves card catalogues. And if you want a lovely book poster, it's over here.

Woohoo! Box in the mail from Mouse's mom full of bulbs from her garden! Mouse went directly to plot and planted iris (purple and yellow), Japanese iris, verbena (we think), day lilies, and lily of the valley. All the childhood favorites. If the iris take, I hope she will send me this incredible variety called "tuxedo," which is nearly black.

Yay!

There was going to be a photo of this, but Mouse wasn't quick enough. Had to bring something to the yoga potluck, and the yogis turned out to be veeeeeery hungry. It was yummy and easy, though:

Spicy Black Bean and Corn Salad

Two cans of black beans, rinsed

Two large, good-smelling tomatoes

Three ears of sweet corn, peeled and boiled

1 clove garlic

1 handful cilantro

Dried jalapeno pepper to taste (I use LOTS)

4 Tsp olive oil

7 Tsp lime juice (or lemon juice, or combo)

-Seed tomatoes. Put goopy middle part in blender, cut up firm part.

-Blend: goopy part of tomatoes, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno pepper (until smooth).

-Cut corn off of cobs and separate into bite-sized pieces.

-Toss beans, corn, and tomato in blended dressing.

-Let sit overnight (or at least 45 minutes) and serve cool or room temperature.

This is where Mouse wants to be reading today. Seriously, a swing that's a bed! Awesome. Do you think my ceiling could support one of these? Or are they only nice when accompanied by a tropical breeze?

From Style Files, which is back online now. Luckily. Because I was having some withdrawal issues.

Busy weekend, mostly neglected garden. However, developments:

1. Marigolds, Zinnias, Lupines, Dahlias have germinated.

2. Red maple looks happy.

3. Magnolia tree thought dead is making new leaves.

4. Three teeny tomatoes. Boyfriend is designing a squirrel-proof cage. Ha ha.