Hundred of butterflies are released to commemorate the life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez

There have been a few too many memorial services in my life these past few months, which is never fun. But it can be a profound reminder of our fragile place in this universe. Or just a reminder that we’d better get organized lest the state inherit everything when we’ve gone.

Because oh lordie just look at what is going on with Prince.

To help give you an idea of what we’re up against, I give you the business of death as an infographic.

Turning your loved one’s cremains into a tree might seem a bit crazy but is profoundly beautiful at the same time

The delicate art of obituary writing, explained by the pros.

Hundreds of butterflies created a beautiful memorial for one of the most poetic authors of our time…

OK I am outing myself as a trekkie here, but this may be, in my humble opinion, one of the most moving death/funeral scenes ever filmed.

Or actually maybe John Hannah (as Matthew) reading Auden’s “Funeral Blues” in Four Weddings and a Funeral takes the cake. I challenge you not to cry…

This danced out version of the exquisite corpse game we played as kids is mesmerizing and beautiful and a crash course on who’s who in contemporary dance. (Plus our good friend and local action hero Elizabeth Streb is there at 2:49!)

This is an incredible, mind-blowing reality checking interactive chart about World War II.

If I were in charge, the Encyclopedia Britannica entry for OCD would most certainly include a photo of these tiny, perfectly cut and strangely beautiful cubes of food.

Yes, there is a blog out there called The Pen Addict.

There may actually be help for the junk drawer that lurks in each and every one of our homes (except for maybe Martha Stewart’s…)

How to make your own cucumber kimchi, according to the great David Chang.

And lastly, for all you Grace Coddington fans out there, this NY Times slideshow is a captivating survey of a remarkable life in fashion. Which, by the way, seems to be constantly evolving and growing even now, well into her seventh decade. There is hope for us all.

Unlike the horrible Batman vs. Superman, this new Captain America movie (Civil War) is actually good. If you’re into loud, totally unrealistic, action-packed superhero movies like I am, that is…

Evidently drinking bitters is a time tested way to wake up the digestive system, a bodily function that we often take for granted until it malfunctions. This recipe for grapefruit bitters makes a perfect base for a festive summer cocktail (and it’s good for us to boot!)

Check out this group of artists who twist thousands of Rubik’s Cubes into massive murals.

I’m thinking we might make this Moroccan spiced soap for teacher gifts this spring. We’ll let you know how it turns out!

Who doesn’t immediately want to start reading any article called The 5-Step Skin-Care Routine Everyone Should Be Following?

Design Matters, the podcast of the inimitable Debbie Millman, is the perfect way to dive deep into the world of design and begin to understand why… well… design matters.

I am most certainly going to make these brie and grape crostinis a part of my memorial day entertainment situation.

This was one of the best days we had last summer… picnicking with friends on a tiny island in Maine…

First up, the change of seaons is the perfect time to get that closet under control. For inspiration and guidance, check out Apartment Therapy’s Spring Closet Cure.

After the closet comes the bank account… Refinery 29 helps us get it together (and save $500!) with this 30 day money challenge.

Uh oh… the kids are about to be on summer vacation aka back in your world full time. Fun! Keep them busy and away from those playstations with the help of these 25 best kid art supplies (according to The Artful Parent).

Bathing suit season is only a few weeks away! As we are all strapped for time, might I point our attention to this 7 minute workout that I am hoping will do the trick.

Rather than go on a 2 week long juice fast, my new thing is to do one day of cleansing per week. Which is easy if you’re getting your juices, etc from Brownie at the Shanti Shack in Williamsburg.

It’s time to get planting (if you haven’t already!) Check out these ideas for how to turn a tiny urban-style outdoor space into a miniature paradise…

Ah yes, America. Or at least, the eastern seaboard…

So I’m writing this to you guys from the DC bound Amtrak train which is currently carrying my sister and I to the funeral of a close family friend. We’ll be meeting my parents there as well… and we’ll all be sharing a hotel room. Just like old times! Sort of. I think I’ll be making good use of this meditation app that my husband turned me on to.

Nothing like a 3+ hour train ride to catch up on some reading. This is a beautiful essay about breast cancer by the inimitable kate Bolick.

And I don’t think I could ever read enough about Louise Bourgeois…

The New York Times finally FINALLY calls out Donald Trump for what he really is.

Some really cute Japanese-meets-euro style kids clothes that I really want to get my hands on…

If you want to see a truly touching, beautiful and heartwrenchingly sad expression of what it means to lose a friend, watch this elephant.

Oh and last but not least, please PLEASE do not go to see Batman v Superman. It is horrible. And this is coming from a person who really likes superhero movies. Check out this review on Rotten Tomatoes if you need more specifics.

See? Look! More and more people are buying vinyl records every minute.

Vinyl is back!! I just knew there was a reason why I never got rid of my records…

Turns out if you reveal your math anxiety to your kids while trying to help them with their homework, it’s worse than if you don’t help them at all.

They say that calling yourself a “feminist” is old school, but lots of us disagree. Take this quiz to find out what kind of feminist you are.

So I finally succumbed and got myself a pair of reading glasses… And then I watched this video of Dr Mercola giving advice on how to naturally improve your eyesight… which led me to this more informative video about the Bates Method of improving eyesight (which I watched despite the slightly odd vibes of the narrator). That video led me to this potentially more practical video filmed from a mountaintop in North Carolina, which is the last video I watched on the topic. Not because I don’t love going down the YouTube rabbithole, but because I had to go pick up my kid from school.

My two favorite fashion blogs for grown-ups are Girls Of A Certain Age and Accidental Icon, almost more for what they write about than for the clothes they promote. (But don’t get me wrong… I like the clothes too.)

Wait a minute… there is such a thing as pelvic floor physical therapy?

You might not be able to tell from the photo, but this is a video of Chris Rock’s opening monologue from last night’s Oscars where he rips into the Academy for the absence of Black nominees this year.

Who knew that eBay has a style blog? Well I do now, and here’s what they have to say about Black History Month Sneakers. (Which, by the way, I didn’t realize were a category all to themselves…)

Listen to the Voices from the Southern Civil Rights Movement by checking out the huge archive of radio shows and interviews collected by The American Archive of Public Broadcasting.

Time Magazine for Kids has a great online resource of articles, photos and videos about African American History for the younger generation. Because the more our kids know, the less likely they are to repeat the same mistakes again and again… and again.

10 little known (and yet highly significant and super interesting) Black History facts.

TED put together a playlist of 11 talks to celebrate Black History Month.

And last but not least, Morgan Freeman finds the whole concept of Black History month ridiculous. With good reason.

The photo (and instructions) for how to make this lovely magazine holder come to us from Design Sponge.

First off, NY Times’ Florence Fabricant show us how to cook salmon.

Since we’re in the kitchen, here’s how to season a cast iron skillet.

And now that your skillet is properly seasoned, here’s how to keep it clean.

Keep your reading material organized once you’ve made your own canvas magazine holder.

While we’re on the topic of reading, here’s how to educate yourself (aka how to learn basically anything you might learn in school at home, online, for free)

It’s winter, and we all suffer from time to time with chapped lips. Here’s how to make your own lemonade lip balm.

And last but not least, how to spot a sign from the universe. Because who doesn’t want to know how to do that?