Night At The Races

(Image by Star Tribune)

Attended "Buck Night" at Canterbury Park with a group of friends on Thursday. The horses were gorgeous!

Green Mini Golf

Checked out 14 green-themed holes of Artist-Designed Mini Golf at the Walker Art Center today (with the hole shown above, sculptor Zoran Mojsilov cut a groove into the branches of storm-damaged trees to serve as a track for the ball). Hurry if you haven't yet played --the exhibit ends September 7th.

Dress Your Desk For Success

Add perk to your workday sans the caffeine with bold binders, files and stationary from russell+hazel's. The company's passion for stylish organization finds its ultimate expression with the newly expanded Minneapolis store on 43rd and France.

Lovely Paintings

...by Minneapolis' Jennifer Davis.

Tasty Treats

What better way to brighten someone's day than with a warm batch of chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven? Tank Goodness, a family-owned company in Minneapolis, will deliver a batch for you along with ice cold milk. Yum!

Happy Creations

Originally designed to make “as many people as possible happy,” Walter Bosse’s collectible brass figures have been reintroduced in exacting detail at Design Within Reach. For those in Minneapolis, check out the local studio on 29th and Hennepin for more fun finds.

To Be By The Shore

Today's cloudy skies evoke the feeling of these stunning poloraid pinhole photographs of Lake Superior near Duluth, Minnesota.

Enjoying Etsy

Loving these prints by Minnetonka's Studio Mela. Perfect for a home office, they can be found on Etsy, the place to buy and sell all things handmade.

Cards To Say Hello

With e-mail and e-cards taking over our daily correspondence, it's refreshing to get snail mail from a long-lost friend or even someone you see everyday who just wants to say "hi." I discovered cards from the Boston-based Curly Girl Design in Linden Hills' Bibelot shop the other day and can't get enough!

The Superb State Fair

The Minnesota State Fair kicked off last week, and what better way to celebrate the festivities than with this brilliant work of art by Minnesotan Michael Birawer?

Minnesota Nice

(Image by MeetMinneapolis)

The New York Times' David Carr introduced the rest of the country to the phrase "Minnesota Nice" last week with his story on "36 Hours in Minneapolis-St. Paul." According to the article, "Minnesotans take pride in their humility, but make an exception when it comes to showing folks around. There is a depth of cultural amenities to Minneapolis, and its not-so-twin city St. Paul, that will surprise a first-time visitor. And please remember, when they ask you at the coffee shop, 'How you doing, today?' they really want to know." U betcha!

Cup of Love

Spotted this lovely personalized mug set by Jessica Rust in Mpls St. Paul magazine and had to share. Inspired by Minnesota birch trees, the four-piece set would make a great wedding or house warming gift for a lucky couple. A very sweet way to sip your morning cup of joe or hot cocoa!

On Cloud Nine Up North

(Image by D. Bjorn)

Spent a few blissful last days of summer with friends at 8th Crow Wing Lake (near Nevis, Minnesota) this weekend. It was wonderful!

Bonjour, Minnesota

(Image By Wolfgang Staudt)

Two years ago, I was living with my then-boyfriend in southern France when he asked if I would relocate to Minnesota, the "land of 10,000 lakes" and place where he grew up. Originally from Rhode Island, I had always thought I'd return to the East Coast following our European adventure but decided to give the Midwest a try. Fast forward to a couple of moves, an engagement and a marriage later and I'm finally starting to feel settled in my new surroundings. I'm ready to embrace influences from near and far that I experience everyday and document with them with this blog, including:

1. All things Minnesota. 2. Being newlywed. 3. Odds and ends related to shopping, art, fashion, home decor and just plain cool stuff -- found locally and elsewhere. 4.Tasty treats that bring family and friends together to enjoy. 5. Travel that expands our horizons yet makes us cherish the familiarity of home when we return.