View other photos by Sparrow Hall on Flickr >

I like wine, but I don’t feel like I’ve entered the wine stage of my life. The part where I drive a vintage Jaguar and spend my days doing soul-fulfilling philanthropic work. However, every so often I come across a wine that is good enough for me to make a note of it. One such wine is the 2004 Burch Hall Reserve Syrah from Suncrest Vineyard.

I can’t recall the details of the wine, except that it was well-balanced, and that I kept it beside me for the better half of the night. Try it out and let me know what you think. And if you’re a wine expert, please let me know what makes it taste so good.

I’d like to be the music expert who knows that The Runaways were one of the most influential girl bands of all time—but to be honest, when I saw this trailer, I was like, wait, Joan Jett was in a band with Lita Ford??

If the preview has anything to say about the film, this is definitely a ride I’m going to want to take—regardless of the fact that I find Dakota Fanning creepy (and far too evolved for her own good)—or that Kristen Stewart hasn’t shown any talent since Into the Wild.

The good news? Michael Shannon is in it, and if you don’t know who that is, you should check out a little known movie from 2007 called Shotgun Stories.

I can’t wait for The Runaways to hit theaters. From the way people dressed in 1975 to the cars they leapt in and out of, this is the kind of film that makes me yearn for summer.

She directed The Hurt Locker, Point Break AND a New Order video. So I guess my only question is: “Is Kathryn Bigelow single?”

I can not tell you how happy I am that she won the Oscar for Best Director and Best Picture for what is clearly one of the greatest war films of all time. For a movie centered around explosives, The Hurt Locker is incredibly quiet, close and personal. It’s a story about losing your identity in exchange for another—and coming to grips with it, whether you like it or not. The visuals read like a poem, and the characters become hauntingly familiar—people that could live next door to any of us, thrust into a situation bigger than themselves.

It would be nice to think that we live in a time where women are recognized for their talent, vision and leadership—where emotional intelligence, candor and grace are regarded as a professional standard. But if we look around, it’s easy to see we still have a long way to go. In that regard, Kathryn Bigelow’s achievement has moved us one important step forward, and has opened up new opportunities for women’s voices to be heard. The fact that she’s 58 and radiant as ever is a testament to the light she carries within her, and that which she shares with all of us through her work.

For every music scene in every generation, there are always a few bands with a few great songs that time will inevitably forget. For 90’s Brit rock, Airstream would be one of them. If you were a teenager living in Manchester in 1994, packed into a car on your way to an outdoor Stone Roses concert, “Fortune” is one of the songs that would have surely shown up on someone’s mix tape. This song was basically built for Spring. Chiming guitars, bright harmonies—it makes me want to throw on a pair of Campers and an oversized yellow t-shirt.

Leave it to the people of Finland to pull it out of the crate and toss it up on iTunes.

Preview and buy the track on iTunes Finland >

Loving these boat shoes by Rogues Gallery.

And their Mud Green Canoe Moccasin.

An unexpected blend of preppy and military standards.

See more at Rogues Gallery >

A brilliant campaign developed by Grey New York that I keep going back to. I’m sure you’ve seen at least one of these. You can view the entire series on the E-Trade YouTube page.

“The Sandpit” is a brilliant short film by aero director/ VFX artist Sam O’Hare shot as a series of stills on a Nikon D3.

Thanks to graphic designer David R. Head Jr. at SuperKonductor for pointing this out.

View in HD and full screen for best effect.

The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

Read an interview on how O’Hare made the film >

Ornately carved doors from India lead to the master bedroom / Photo by Verne

Table in the summer apartment / Photo by Verne

A summer home is nice, but what about a summer apartment? Swiss architect Jonathan Leitersdorf went for the best of both worlds when he designed his home in New York – located on the top floor of a former hat factory on Broadway. He bought the building in 1995, put in all new wiring, plumbing, windows and elevators and reserved the top floor for his home. He expanded on the space by building a second level on the roof, thereby creating a “summer apartment” above and a “winter apartment” below.

I love everything about this space, from the gently vaulting ceilings, to the re-exposed brick, to the broad, open floors. Details have been incorporated from different times in different places, and they pull together harmoniously into one common history, and a restful feeling of sanctuary.

To learn more about Jonathan Leitersdorf’s home and other beautifully reclaimed spaces, pick up a copy of Ros Byam Shaw’s Old House New Home: Stylish Modern Living in a Period Setting. A great place to find ideas for any apartment or home, no matter what your budget.

Once you’re ready to do some remodeling, do a Google Maps search for antique stores in your area. The further you get out of the city, the better the prices and the finds. A tip: when you’re doing a search for antique stores, look for “antique centers,” or “multi-dealer shops”. These are usually much larger that your average antique store, housing a number of different sellers in one place. If you don’t like one aesthetic, you can move right on to another. In New York State, look for these multi-dealer shops in Dutchess, Ulster and Columbia counties. One of my favorites is Ole Carousel Antiques in Stamfordville NY (friendly, knowledgeable staff). And if you get hungry while you’re out there, stop at Sonny’s for a quick bite (amazing parmesan subs), or Wild Hive Cafe in Clinton Corners (Look at the size of those scones! You’ll see what I mean).

Wild Hive Cafe / Clinton Corners, NY