Room for Children is our new favourite book. It's pages are full of beautiful, fun and sophisticated children's rooms. Here are a few of our favourites!

We came across Oxo tots at the gift show this week and are crazy about their products.  Our favorite was the Sippy cup set.  In the beginning, the baby uses the Sippy Cup with Handles.  When they have mastered the handles, you can just pop those off and still have the grippy sides to hold on to. When they are ready to use a regular cup, just take the sippy cup top off and replace it with the training cup which has small perforations around the edge to control the flow of liquid.  If they over-tilt the cup or tip the cup over, they don't loose as much of the liquid, minimizing messes during the learning process.  For the last stage you can just pop out the training lid and have a regular cup.  Brilliant!

I have been staying in Venice, California on the canals and it is simply delightful! It's making me yearn to visit the canals in Venice, Italy. I was looking up some Venice information and found these lovely paintings. I hope to go there soon... 

So, I've been logging in A LOT of hours by the pool reading.  What a treat it has been!  To begin with, I read The Help by Kathryn Stockett, which is an absolutely amazing book.  A best seller and movie rights sold to Dreamworks already.  Way to go Kathryn.  

Next, The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, one of my mother's all time favorites.  She gave it to me a few Christmases ago and I'm just now getting around to reading it. It was on the New York Times bestseller list for 30 consecutive weeks back in 1988 and was made into a TV series movie twice.

Last, Little Bee by Chris Cleave, which I haven't begun, but will in the next few days.  It has received rave reviews from Oprah and the rights were bought by Nicole Kidman who will produce and star in the film version.  

If you have any favorite summer reads, please let us know!

Next week I will be in LA and can't wait to visit one of my favorite little spots- La Grand Orange.  Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, they serve everything - strong coffee, fresh squeezed juice, eggs, tacos, sushi, hamburgers, salads, wine, delicious desserts... you name it, they have it. And, all of it tastes so fresh and healthy.  I think I'll ride my bike there a few times next week!