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So get thee to melindaisnot.com and follow along there. Please and thank you.

Onward.

finding the hansons

It's another 'flashback Friday' on the blog, and I've been searching for the Hanson brothers.

Not these Hanson Brothers:

These Hanson brothers:

There was an excellent article about Isaac, Taylor, and Zac on yesterday's WSJ blog. Now purveyors of coffee, chocolates, and beer, the Hansons still have a sense of humor (always appealing), and seem to be all grown up and doing quite well for themselves and others. Curious as to how my 'flashback' included the brothers? Don't ask. Really. But all fingers point to The Husband. And apologies for the 'mmmbop' earworm.

More of my 'flashbacks' from this week:

Seth Godin :: 'Fearlessness is not the same as the absence of fear'

Amanda Neville @ Forbes :: 'How Forgiveness Can Save Your Business'

With a Wimbledon nod, Tom Perotta in the WSJ :: 'Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Tennis Pros'

A Cup of Jo :: 'What British People Say v What They Really Mean'

Continuing the 'triple-m' theme, mmminimal :: 'Toboggan Chair'

Massive nerd-out at the Design Museum 'Designs of the Year 2013' awards

Elizabeth the First Wife (Lian Dolan)

And lastly, a purchase-of-the-week 'flashback':

find it at Farfetch.com

Onward.

a treblemaker

I've been on a bit of a music binge recently, downloading everything from London Grammar to the Punch Brothers to Daft Punk. What keeps coming up on shuffle, however, is the ebullient soundtrack from the 2012 movie 'Pitch Perfect'.

I know. But have you seen it? Here's a tease:
                   

Hilarious.

The entire cast rocks. ('Aca-believe it!') Something about Skylar Astin reminds me of the amazing actor/artist/performer Mandy Patinkin. And Rebel Wilson, what? Adore her. I've decided to watch her entire filmography this weekend.

So, what say you? Are you a 'treblemaker'?

And what have you been listening to?
Do you download more music in the summertime, like me?

Aca-Onward.

perfect grammar

Just discovered this band and am entranced. A lot has been written about them recently. If you're interested, a quick search will reveal what the critics and nodding heads have to say. (Apparently, they're pretty excited.)

Scroll down for a link to the band site; you can find tour dates, et al there. By the way, their new album - 'Metal and Dust' - is out now. Enjoy.

:: London Grammar ::

taking a sabbatical

A few years ago, I read enviously about Design Mom's decision to move to France. 'One day,' I thought, 'we will up sticks to foreign lands.' The Husband has always been game for this as well; we've been discussing it since we were dating. But doing it? Another discussion entirely, especially after The Husband and I became parents.

Ah, parenting. Those years when you get settled into a routine, a schedule. It's convenient and altogether pleasant. And you nurture and provide and do laundry with dye-free, perfume-free detergent for tiny clothes. You get comfortable. Mostly.

Then you decorate and run errands and freelance and drink coffee at playdates with other women who are doing the exact same things. And happily await the arrival of Baby Two.

And then the itch happens. Maybe it's been seven years, maybe not. Perhaps it's an itch that never went away really. Perhaps you got good at ignoring it. Regardless, you itch.

Eventually I scratched. And we upped sticks to somewhere else in the lower 48. Not technically 'foreign lands'. Technically. And once again, routines were established, memories were made, time marched on. And we were comfortable. Mostly.

Because the itch has returned. I can't place the blame squarely on Mrs Blair's shoulders as that would be dishonest. But I will admit that her post got me thinking. And the discussions with The Husband about moving abroad began anew. We watched 'House Hunters International', setting the dvr for episodes we missed. We became enamored with 'Location, Location, Location' - and its subsequent iterations. Then, jobs were offered, schools were contacted, and twitter friends responded with DMs of encouragement. The itch was spreading.

And then I saw the Blairs' house hunting episode in France on 'HHI'' : view it here. That house captivated me. It seemed that behind every door, around every corner awaited another fantastic surprise. And it was a rental. That's right: a rental. Design Mom and her family were renting an amazing house in a foreign country. And everything about it seemed believable, doable. Huh.

Ever the consummate professional sharer, she posted some particulars, photos and the like. But the most important detail, to me at any rate, was that the house was listed on a website for house swaps - Sabbatical Homes. Like in 'the Holiday'. I was familiar with the airbnb app and already used VRBO; adding Sabbatical Homes to my arsenal just intensified the itch.

So as The Husband and I - and now The Children - begin another, more serious round of discussions on moving to foreign lands, I will have my laptop on and tabs open to the wonderful advice of 'Design Mom' Gabrielle Blair. And the Sabbatical Homes search engines will be working overtime. Watch this space for updates. And, if you're reading this from said foreign lands, do let me know about that lovely property 'for rent' near you; it just might be our next house.

Onward.