dovetailer.

  A small, dark town in Norway beams in the sun.

This is what an  icosikaitetragon looks like.

  The stark beauty and simplicity of mapped sentences.

  Cleanly is like Uber for laundry service.

  A new bio of Meryl Streep.

  Breathtaking ice caves of Lake Superior.

  HIP (High investment parenting) marriages: it’s about the kids.

Yoga for bad people looks warm and inviting.  

This animation artist brings NYC photos to life.  

Elbow announces their North American tour.  

  Beautiful building facades.

  Marriage 101.

  Darth Vader has a Look Back video.

  Mesmerizing b+w images of epic storms.

  11 jobs found mostly in romcoms.

  42 years married and still taking selfies.  

  What kind of mother are you?

  A sweet Disney short about finding love.

  Raising kids to be vegetarian.

  You can buy a Sochi ring shirt here.

  Dumb Starbucks coffee.

  Go see the Little Prince in NYC before he leaves on April 27th.

  Healthy red velvet donuts for Valentine’s Day.

Inspiration is everywhere, you just need to look for it. Yesterday, while biking over the Manhattan Bridge, I intentionally slowed my pace and vowed to enjoy the scenery and enjoy the moment of being exactly where I was.

I stopped occasionally, taking photos on the way - cool grafitti here, or wire cables there, and then I spotted it. The Fruin water tower. Or water color tower, if you will.

Not knowing if this was part of the high profile water tower art project that had kicked off in the city recently (http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/painting-the-town-wet-the-water-tower-project-coming-to-nyc),  I did some quick research to get the story. Turns out that local artist Tom Fruin is behind this gem. Using reclaimed materials, he erected the tower on his own rooftop, which is on Jay Street in DUMBO. This is part of his  “Icon” collection, a series of sculptures that celebrate architectural gems in cities around the world, including a similarly colorful rendering of the Obelisco in Buenos Aires. For this Brooklyn piece, Fruin is quoted as saying that he went with a structure that is, “everywhere and beautiful and silently overlooked.” I've only seen it in the daytime, but apparently, the tower has timed lights that shine out from the inside, creating a gorgeous stained glass effect for locals to see. I'll have to return to see it after the sun has set.

Mayor Bloomberg has publicly voiced support for a building full of mini-apartments in the Kips Bay area of Manhattan. With a maximum square footage of 270-300 feet, these “micro-units” would be rented out for under $2K per month. While this spacing could feel extremely tight to some, I think it’s a great option for people like me who prefer to live in smaller spaces with just the bare necessities. Bloomberg says that there’s a huge shortfall of affordable studio and one-bedroom apartments in the city, and he’s not wrong. An option like this provides a viable living option for individuals who prefer to live alone or are just starting out in NYC. Location can’t be beat, and neither can the price. Would you live in a space this small? Inquiring minds want to know.

ROUND-UP: Did you miss ICFF? Worry not. The NY Times offers a slideshow of some of 2012's most exciting creations to debut. I'm particularly in love with the Studio Dunn console table and Belle Air Faucet from Lefroy Brooks, but nearly all exhibitors deserve credit for creating original, captivating wares. Here are just a few to fawn over:

If the Lorax were to ever actually award a "Certified Truffula Tree of Approval" to a moving vehicle, it'd be a lot more likely to go to a garden-toting truck that brings farms to schools than to a Mazda SUV.

A literal "food truck," Truck Farm Chicago is a nonprofit organization that uses a 1994 Ford F-250 named Petunia to chauffeur a miniature farm. The project, which revved into gear on Earth Day, is a collaboration between sustainable development nonprofit Seven Generations Ahead and eco-friendly book-printer Green Sugar Press, a recent GOOD Maker finalist whose co-founders Shari Brown and Tim Magner were inspired by King Corn director Ian Cheney’s first truck farm in Brooklyn, NY.

While Truck Farm Chicago is one of about 20 truck farms sprawled across the nation, it's set apart by its focus on educating Chicago youth and families about healthy eating. Visits to the truck typically last an hour and consist of a short tour of the farm, plant identification, taste tests, and sensory exploration. Off-truck activities include planting a seed in a newspaper pot to nourish at home and painting their favorite lessons straight onto Petunia.

"I was excited about this project as a fun, unique and creative way to bring gardening and nutrition education to children all over the city—especially those who may not otherwise get to see how food grows up close,” Brown says. "Making healthy choices can be challenging, especially when good fresh food and education about why it's important and how to cook it is not always accessible. Truck Farm is trying to do our part by using our exhibit to spark these discussions, give youth the tools to make healthy choices, and inspire them to use their own creativity to encourage healthy changes in their communities."

SPOTTED: BEYOND THE CROWDS AT WANTED DESIGN

Friday night's opening gala at Wanted Design (11th ave @ 28th St) was a swarm of activity, bodies and new design. The beau and I arrived shortly after the opening time and were faced with a mass of folks who intended to get inside as quickly as possible (either to get out of the cool temperatures or closer to the open bar, or both). The showcase was impressive, and featured a nice array of designers presenting everything from bathroom fixtures to re-purposed furniture, denim jean tailoring, jewelry, and more. My favorite items from the evening were furniture/interior pieces (typical) and moved me for various reasons.

One new wallpaper pattern from Jill Malek, Voyageur, is a representation of flight patterns across the US. Stunning in its busy-ness, the yellow-gold hue lends a fun, mod personality to it, which I think could work really well in a variety of interiors, especially a child's room or workspace. www.jillmalek.com

I was moved by the simplicity and forms of the Secto design pendants, which are handmade in Finland. Simple and natural in their state, these birch lights immediately reminded me of hoop skirts and french panniers. I find the form appealing, and think this style would work wonderful in over a long dining table in a farm kitchen. www.sectodesign.fi

LIVING WELL IN SMALL SPACES: Small living captured in today's NY Times!

The founder of Treehugger, like me, lives a pared down life. Check out Penelope Green's great feature on small, simple living in today's Home section of the NY Times.

Living Well in Small Spaces: Apartment Therapy's 8th Annual Smallest Coolest Home Contest

If you've needed more proof that living well in small spaces was possible, all you need to do is look through the numerous entries for this year's smallest coolest home contest. As you'll see from the albums of pictures, there are lots of other folks who, like me, find comfort in dwelling in a small spaces. Click through to see picture after picture of small yet inspiring living areas and the design tricks and ideas that make these homes personable, comfortable and downright cozy. 

Gritty. Undergoing revitalization. Off the beaten path... Crown Heights is all of these things, but not for long. In fact, traffic there -- foot, bike, car, pedestrian -- is higher than ever (as is the, ahem, crime), which means it's only a matter of time before Crown Heights becomes the next Park Slope or Pro-Heights. I've been to a handful of these eateries, most recently Chavelas. They offer an incredible veggie Don Platos sampler platter of delicious nibbles including beans, guac, spanish rice and more. It's $12 and perfectly portioned for two, so a very affordable meal. Get the cactus tacos if you go - there's nothing like them.