If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know I can't really resist blogging about bar carts. I love the new Circa Bar Cart by Roost ($1,309) made entirely of sheet and cast aluminum and looking straight out of the Jet Age. Roost products in particular seem to get knocked-off by places like Pottery Barn and West Elm with great speed and quantity, and I usually cringe a little when I see that, but maybe in this case it wouldn't be the worst thing to bring that price tag down to something more at the Made-In-China level?

I've been really been taking advantage of outside time this summer. I'll do work in the park, eat on the roof and go to see outdoor music as much as possible. I'm thinking a few of these foldable stools ($12) would be great to add to our collection of portable outdoor furniture which consists of one broken Crazy Creek chair. They're made of heavy-duty canvas and steel and weigh 1.5 lbs.

Matt and I spent a good portion of Saturday watching Wimbledon. The key, I think, to watching tennis is to open all the windows to get a little breeze going through the house so it feels more like you're there in the stands. Ralph Lauren is sponsoring the tournament this year, so I was checking out some of their cool Wimbledon hats and shirts this morning when I came across the above "Grove Beach" checker set ($95). It makes a great summer gift and completely represents a lazy summer day.

I love this hanging votive jar ($16), made from a glass bottle that you could hang outside for dinner or just as easily leave on the ground. I found it on Urban Outfitter's website of all places!

Had to take a break from work to bring this to the blog. The Finland-based design company Tunto is making the best-looking swing I've seen in a long time. No plastic, no chains, just old-fashioned wood and rope. Amen. Available here in light blue and red for $250.

I can't believe Memorial Day Weekend is here and we're already kicking off summer. Matt and I have been eating al fresco every day this week and it was especially Summery last night when we made a summer salad using local farm fresh corn and tomatoes. Yum yum. These wasp catchers are so simple and great looking (and cheap!); and I swear they'll be the smartest thing you'll buy this entire season. Fill the wasp trap with sweet liquid or sugar water, hang it from a tree branch or put it away from the table and the wasps will immediately be attracted to it leaving you to eat your meal in peace. Get them right here ($5-$10).

One of the best parts of realizing that Summer is an approaching reality is invitations for social gatherings that revolve around seafood. "Maine Lobster and Clam bash"? I'm there. "Maryland soft shell crab being flown in"? I'll bring the Old Bay. Anything with pinchers really, and I'm excited, edible or not. I really love these new Thomas Paul melamine dinner plates ($36 for four), perfect for outdoor summer festivities.

I gave my mom a tournament-quality badminton set for Mother's Day this year and we had a lot of fun yesterday playing each other 'til we could no longer stand. I got to thinking about Badminton style and realized that Jack Purcells, the iconic canvas sneakers, are actually named for and designed by a champion Badminton player!

Purcell was the 1933 Badminton World Champion. A few years later he helped to design the Jack Purcell sneaker originally introduced by the Canadian footwear division of B.F. Goodrich. Converse acquired the Jack Purcell trademark with its purchase of the B. F. Goodrich rubber division in 1972 and continues to manufacture the simple canvas shoe with the light blue rubber sole. I guess I have no choice but to purchase some JP's or else I fear my Badminton game will suffer. I like the J.Crew editions ($65) that are slightly distressed, but I might have to get the real deals ($55) to be a purist.

I've been daydreaming about dining rooms lately (probably because I don't have one) and I love the idea of an open, casual eating area with big long table. There are so many options for chairs and the mixing of chairs and bench chairs that I feel like making a decision on a dining chair would be paralyzing. I love Tolix chairs and think they always look great at the table, but are they too summer housey? Too outdoor cafe chair? Just right? You can get Tolix chairs in the U.S. at DWR, Pottery Barn (yes, Pottery Barn), The Sundance Catalog and at Conran. But if it were me I'd search for some vintage numbers. Check out my November '07 post for more info on the history of the iconic French cafe chair.

It's finally almost bike season in Chicago, despite the fact that the weather forecast called for snow last night. Srsly, Chicago, WTF, let's go, this is getting really dumb. Everywhere else magnolia trees are blooming and the sun is shining! If I had any choice in bikes I think I'd get my mitts on a Swedish designed Skeppshult. The company claims there are many reasons people love Skeppshult. Some appreciate Swedish design, some like the upright seat positions, some prefer Skeppshult for the easy to operate gear shift and brake system, and then there's those who choose Skeppshult simply because a good looking bike inspires them to ride more often. That would be me. The downside is of course the prices start at around $1800 and work there way on up from them. Click here for more info.

Last night I went to the preview of Jayson Home & Garden's European Flea Market which is happening only for this weekend through Sunday. They have a wonderful mix of antiques, furniture spanning multiple eras, rare finds—like old swords, hotel silver, and vintage oil paintings. I could barely pair down which photos to post because everything was great. Having lived in Europe as a kid, I can say they absolutely nailed the outdoor European market feeling, especially with the aroma of Belgian Zücker Waffles filling the air next to an alley of fresh flowers. If you're in Chicago you have to check this out, and if you're not, consider booking a flight in. You can stay with me. 1885 N. Clybourn Ave.

In the parts of the world where waves meet land, surfboards are not only part of a sport and a lifestyle—they're also part of the decor (and I'm not talking about that surfboard bar from your fraternity). My friends Lisa and Michelle both stack their boards in their patios and it adds a wonderful sense of SoCal style. Surfboards are cool-looking, no denying it. What would a Venice bungalow be without a towering long board leaning somewhere in the garden? The above hand-painted surfboard designed by James Victore exclusively for DWR ($3,000) is just an example, but more of a collector's item than something for actually shredding. Click here to view some of Victore's other "fearless" items which include tabletop items, posters, jewelry, and more surfboards.

I love Beckel Canvas bags. The Portland company is most famous for their canvas tents, which have given shelter to people everywhere from the Willamette River to Kamchatka, Russia. Beckel makes me wish I was an Oregonian. But, what doesn't? It's basically he coolest state in the country. I'm especially eying some of their "practically indestructible" luggage like the War Bag ($56)—ideal for a weekend away. But then there's also the Possibilites Bag ($50), which makes an ideal gym bag. Decisions.

While we were in L.A. last week Matt and I popped into our friends Heather and John's new house that they are in the process of renovating and decorating. I asked about their paint selections while we went out for the best fish and chips west of the Mississippi because their colors are perfect—they're fun yet subtle, bold but not overpowering, elegant yet laid back. Usually when someone shows me a newly painted home there's a comment like "this room needs to be repainted because it turned out neon green". But Heather and John said Farrow & Ball made it really easy because their selection is already highly edited—everything they offer is great. In fact, I believe the collection consists of only 132 paint colors—which really does take away that overwhelming feeling of looking through those brick-sized booklets. What's even better about F&B is that their paints are some of the most environmentally friendly on the market and they do not use ammonia or formaldehyde in any of their interior paint formulations. Farrow & Ball have stockists and showrooms in most major cities in the U.S. as well as around the world. Click here to find your nearest retailer.

I just came back from breakfast with my friend Lisa, who used to be my neighbor when I lived in L.A. We got to talking about how the architecture of a building is essential for creating community and how open layouts with courtyards are brilliant for that. Lisa told me that one of our other neighbors found this book Courtyard Housing in Los Angeles ($35) and apparently it includes my old digs, "Villa del Fuente" built by architect H.C. Nickerson, Jr. supposedly for Cecille B. DeMille's starlets in 1929. If I am not mistaken the building on the cover is "Villa DeMille" which is on corner of Franklin and Grace in Hollywood, my friend Nena used to live there. I'm headed back to Chicago tomorrow morning, but I'm going to buy this book today so when I get back I'll have some eye candy when I'm feeling a little homesick.

When we got to L.A. Matt asked me if I was going to check out any stores while here. I answered, "I just need to go to Lost & Found". I think it's my favorite store, it's no doubt in my desert island top five. And since they don't have a website (although that may be changing soon), when I'm in town it's a must-visit. The mix is incredible. Owner and buyer Jamie Rosenthal often travels over seas to bring in unbelievable pillows, fabrics, beads, shoes, clothes, and jewelry—she also owns the incredible gallery next door and the children's clothing and accessories one door down from that that will make you say "so damn cute" at least nine times. After lunch Matt and I went with three friends—and we all got so excited when we parked that we forgot to put money in the meter and ended up with tickets—maybe because we stayed for over an hour. Seriously, if you live in L.A. this is a gem. It's been open for 9 years and it always amazes me how under-the-radar it still is. 6314 Yucca Street (cross street: Vine), Hollywood. 323-356-0921.