• Truth in Advertising: A Novel

    by: John Kenney • view
  • Flight Behavior: A Novel

    by: Barbara Kingsolver • view
  • Rabbit, Run

    by: John Updike • view
  • The Happiness Project

    by: Gretchen Rubin • view
  • Mamas Bank Account

    by: Kathryn Forbes • view
  • If It's A Choice, My Zygote Chose Balls

    by: Jeremy Hooper • view
  • The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

    by: Deb Perelman • view
  • Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients

    by: Matt Lewis • view
  • Home Vegetable Gardening

    by: F.P. Rockwell • view
  • Classic Zester

    Microplane • view
  • Hand Blender

    Cuisinart • view
  • Blade for 5-Quart KitchenAid Mixers

    New Metro Design • view
  • Cut Kit Tray

    Hydrofarm • view
  • Seedling Heat Mat

    Hydrofarm • view
  • Grow Light System

    Hydrofarm • view
  • The History of US: A Novel

    by: Leah Stewart • view
  • The Hungry Ear: Poems of Food and Drink

    by: Kevin Young • view
  • A Prayer for Owen Meany

    by: John Irving • view
  • Edible Selby

    by: Todd Selby • view
  • Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect and Inhumane Treament..

    by: Gail A. Eisnitz • view
  • Twain's Feast: Searching for America's Lost Foods in the Footsteps of

    by: Andrew Beahrs • view
  • Meatless: More Than 200 of the Very Best Vegetarian Recipes

    by: Martha Stewart Living • view
  • Pure Vanilla: Irresistible Recipes and Essential Techniques

    by: Shauna Sever • view
  • American Beauty: Renovating and Decorating a Beloved Retreat

    by: Thom Filicia • view
  • Cookie Cutter Set

    Wilton • view
  • 60-Ounce Utensil Crock

    BIA Cordon Bleu • view
  • Jumbo Spoon Rest

    BIA Cordon Bleu • view
  • Stainless Watering Can

    Blomus • view
  • Copper Watering Can

    Master Craft • view
  • Stainless Steel Pinwheel

    Blomus • view

Wear in the World

For this week’s Five Beautiful Things I wanted to incorporate the element of travel, given Brent’s and Josh’s involvement in The Amazing Race. Hopefully everyone tuned in to the season premier to see them repel from a 300-foot bridge in California, play ping-pong with a Chinese junior champion in Shanghai and scarf down heaps of frog fallopian tubes – part of an Asian dessert called Hasma. Our intrepid young goat farmers placed seventh in the first round and will continue on to the second leg of the race. Watch Sunday’s episode to find out where in the world they go next!

My search for lovely travel imagery was all pretty pedestrian (palm trees, sunsets, beaches and mountains) until I started thinking about how we find these places in the first place: maps! Artist Elisabeth Lecourt is a French artist who lives and works in London. Her series “Les Robes Géographiques” (Map Dresses) really intrigued me. How many of us really look at the artistry involved in map illustration? Certainly, the level of detail and imagination has declined over the centuries; maps today are pale comparisons to their early predecessors, which were replete with graphic renderings of forests and cities, including illustrations of the beasts and beauties that inhabited them. Still, there isn’t a map out there that does not provide at least a modicum of interest for the curious eye.

Elisabeth Lecourt’s carefully folded and arranged map dresses imply the memories of places and spaces we have seen or long to see, carried with us in hope and memory. Click here to see more of her work.

 

All artwork by Elisabeth Lecourt

 

 

Andrew Ritchie is the creator of Martha Moments, a blog devoted to Martha-Stewart related content and her community of supporters. He lives and works in Toronto, Canada, and has been a longtime friend of Brent & Josh, Beekman 1802 and Sharon Springs. Each week he’ll scour the world (wide web) to find the 5 most beautiful things to inspire you. Follow Andrew on Pinterest.

 

 

Comments1

  • By: nlforst

    Love those dresses and shirt! It would be a great way to keep memories of places traveled.