the Dîner en Blanc

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This summer, for the 23rd year, thousands of Parisians convened at a secret location somewhere in city for a very private dinner set in two very public locations.

At 9 pm on the evening of the dinner, the site was announced and 4,400 guests dressed entirely in white arrived at the plaza of Notre Dame; 6,200 more in front of the Louvre. Covertly transporting their own dinner, tables, linens and cutlery, the guests neatly assembled themselves according to a meticulously planned seating map and began their picnic. Dining was followed by dancing; then, at the stroke of midnight, almost as mysteriously as it began, the guests packed up their things and disappeared into the anonymity of the night.

This year, on August 25th, New York city will have their own "Dinner in White." The location, of course, has yet to be announced; however, those wishing to attend can sign up for the waiting list here.

Some goods for a dinner in white:

1. Fine Dining Placemats 2. Candle 3. Sunglasses 4. White Dress 5. Travel Journal 6. LadyPouchette 7. Necklace

Spring Green, WI

If you ever find yourself in need of ribbon in rural Wisconsin, Convivo is the place to be.

This delightful little store is located in Spring Green, a small town just west of Madison. (For the architecture folks, it's also in the same area as Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesen Estate.) Convivio has a surprisingly vast selection of patterned ribbons, hand-dipped candles, cards and table decor. Of all their goodies, the ribbon takes the cake.

The beets are my favorite.

It Gets Better

Last year, a horrific series of adolescent suicides prompted Seattle Stranger writer, Dan Savage, to record a video with his partner, Terry, giving a message of hope to young people being bullied for being or simply appearing to be gay. The idea was to show these 13 and 14-year-olds that although life may seem impossible when you are outcasted or ridiculed for being different, life can and does get better. That video evolved into a movement. Now, the It Gets Better Project, seen at itgetsbetter.org, has thousands of videos from all kinds of people and organizations sending the same message, to hold on and believe that it does get better.

You can see messages recorded by all kinds of celebrities from President Obama to Kermit the Frog, but I found the most moving ones to be from Fort Worth Texas City Councilman Joel Burns, Pixar employees and the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles. I suggest watching those three in that order.

It's a truly beautiful project. Way to go, Dan Savage.