Gunther, Christine and Otto

The original Van Life: A 26 year tour, through 195 countries in a Mercedes G-Wagen (with 549,000 miles on it) named "Otto" = the definition of an epic adventure.

Read all about it here.

Via

Chateau de Gudanes

I couldn't slip out of town without posting this amazing story first. An Australian couple, Karina and Craig Waters purchased the Chateau de Gudanes, a decaying mansion in the Midi-Pyrénées in 2013 and have started a blog to document the rehab process. A team of 6 are currently working on the dilapidated property which was originally built to host lavish parties for French nobility.

 

I'm obsessed with following along on their Instagram feed, especially to see all the mysterious discoveries they've made as the renovations come along. Like the "hole" they discovered...with vaulted ceilings, currently being excavated.

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PS-Don't forget about our altered shipping schedule for July! Get all the info here. West Coast here we come!

Blood and Champagne

All images via my new favorite blog lurk, Blood and Champagne, (who I just now realized I've been stalking on pinterest for quite a while now).

POV

I just had to share this amazing video shot using a GoPro camera, strapped to an eagle. 1) I have no idea how this was made 2) I want to be able to fly 3) I need to visit the Chamonix valley of France's Mer de Glace, apparently.

Travel Light

File this under genius-ideas-I-wish-I'd-thought-of: A carry-all beach towel AKA a plush, cotton terry cloth beach towel with two zippered pockets to hold your sunscreen, keys, money, etc. Whoa.

ArteMare

Selfie

I generally hate selfies but there's something about the Tuva Malmo blog that is captivating. Maybe it's that I love her style, or maybe it's just the beautiful photography that makes me love her style. Or maybe I'm just impressed that she takes most of her photos alone with a remote. Or it could just be that any photo taken in that amazing room will make you love style and photography. It's very confusing.

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Joanne Arnett

 

I discovered the American textile artist, Joanne Arnett, via Rackk and Ruin and wow. Just wow. How is this even possible?!

Arnett "weaves large scale portraits with wire so the face is visible when light bounces off it. The images shift, like a giant daguerreotype from positive to negative depending on where the viewer stands, or sometimes they completely disappear into the plane of fabric."

The Jealous Curator

The Fastest Girl Ever

Check out French rally racing badass, Michele Mouton, "the fastest girl ever." Although I would recommend watching this video muted as the music is horrendous.

Leather Skulls

I snagged this picture off of Studded Hearts but couldn't tell you who made them or where they came from. I know, bad blogger. But I had to share. How rad are these?!

Babes on Bikes

I know these pics have already made the fashion-blog rounds, but since one of my new years resolutions was to ride more bike (one week in and still going strong!) I thought it appropriate to post them here too.

The January Free People's catalog was shot in bike-friendly Amsterdam and supposedly marks the introduction of their new line of bike accessories: hand-tooled bike seats, embossed handlebar grips, hand-painted bike stands and more. I've searched the site and have found no evidence of such things, but I'm really excited to see the goods once they make their debut.

In the meantime, how cute are these pictures?! I'll take that Lace-Up vegan leather jacket please

The Art of the Lurk

I'm a blog lurker. There. I said it. But honestly, can you blame me? From wood whittlers to photographers and DIYs to celebrity gossip (don't judge), there's always something fun to look at when I make the nightly rounds of my favorite sites. And also during the day. I'm not above lurking while I work.

Here's a little round-up of my favorites. You're welcome.

Dart Photographie

 I'm not sure how I stumbled upon the D'art Photographie blog but boy am I glad I did. Her photos are always so warm and inviting and I think she does a great job of capturing the beauty of simple living. Stop by for beautiful pictures of good clean food, interesting people and road trips. Lots of road trips.

Wiksten

 As someone who always has a thousand ideas swimming in her head at once, I tend to be a little scattered. Who has time to make one piece to perfection when all these other things need to be made, like, NOW. Wiksten is the opposite. It's all about the details for Wiksten designer Jenny Gordy...and it shows. Visit for cozy knits, well-made patterns and the occasional studio photo. My personal favorite.

Oh, and she's the cutest thing ever.

My Edit

 There are 10 million fashion bloggers living in Manhattan, buying designer shoes and posting pictures of themselves every day. And then there's Jentine of My Edit. She's a landscaper, living in Ontario, who spends her days covered in dirt and her evenings styling her thrift finds. She's a pretty great stylist and all that but who cares...I just think it's all very refreshing. Visit My Edit for thrift finds, cute kitties and a discussion or two on shopping addiction. Seriously.

This Isn't Happiness

 This Isn't Happiness is one of my absolute favorites. I'm not sure what else to say. Follow this Tumblr for daily eye candy, humor and snarkiness. Lots of snarkiness.

Oh, Pioneer!

 Another one of my favorite Tumblrs is Oh, Pioneer! This collection of photos makes me want to marry a mountain man, move to a cabin in the woods and spend the rest of my days curled up by a wood burning stove, wearing plaid and sipping tea. Ok, so that's what I always dream about...but even so, Oh, Pioneer! makes my vision that much stronger. And that's how The Secret works. So it's really a win-win.