Plugging away

I'm just three long days away from once again having a partner in parenting and life. My husband is at the tail end of his epic business trip and let's just say we are all looking forward to his safe return. He has a blog up on Huffington Post about a few of his memerable experiences from the past three weeks, which took him from Shanghai to South Africa. Please do check it out.

Lady power

Photo by Celine Kim via Make Something.


If there is one thing this blog world is long on it's creativity. I am all too often lost in a sea of beautiful photography, inspired by people who spend precious free time creating lovely things and sharing them among wide-eyed followers. While I eagerly eat up the visual inspiration, I get a real charge reading supportive comments and genuine posts that celebrate the success of another's project. It is beyond refreshing to read encouraging words.

This idea of growing a supportive community and focusing on the positive aspect of creativity, rather than the competitiveness or other generally yuckiness that can plague groups of women has been knocking around in my head for months. Based on these recent posts, I know I am not alone. Check out this Yard Sale Trunk Show, this Craft Night event and this Trunk Show. When I first read about these events my gut reaction was jealously because I would love to take part in anything that remotely resembles these activities. But at my core I am just happy for all the people who were able to participate. And then I read Joslyn's post about supporting one another's efforts rather then tearing them down and it tied all these recent activities together for me. I mentioned in the comments that we ought to start a revolution of women who raise each other up at every opportunity. I'm serious. Anyone with me?


So in an effort to bring more of that to my little part of the world, last Friday night, two of my best girlfriends came over for cocktails to celebrate the studio. Together we riffled through my remnant stash and made this sweet little owl tank. It was fun. Much better than me alone with my fabric choices (you know I'm not great with a choice, right?) Anywho, I want more of that creative time with people who want nothing more than to see those around them succeed. Wanna join my club?

Studio update

Vintage trims and fabrics from my Grandmother's stash. Seriously, it's like a box full of candy.
Still can't get enough of those African stars.

Vintage Heidi Golden Book bunting.

And this painting. Well, really this frame. No, maybe the frame and the painting. Nostalgia is a dangerous feeling for a hoarder. It hung in my Grandparents' living room my entire life. The more I look at it the more conflicted I feel about possibly painting the frame and discarding the painting. Any thoughts, friends?

Confessions of an eternal teenager

The boy band craze completely passed me by. I had plenty of shameful obsessions. Read: Corey Haim - RIP, purple eye shadow, multiple swatch watches on one wrist, etc. But I missed the boat on the synchronized dance routines and pretty boys singing. This, however, I totally get. It pretty much sums up what I would like to accomplish at work today. Enjoy.



First spotted on Little Brown Pen.

Banned in Beijing

My husband is one week in to an epic three-week trip for work. I'm working hard to hold down the toddler fort. If I tried, I couldn't count the number of times I've heard "Daddy on my airplane?" over the past seven days. Because you know everything is "MINE" now. And that's fun, but not the point here.

Last night, Tom texted to inform me that this here little blog is banned by the Chinese government. I'm curious, what do you think of that?

I wanted him to check on all my favorite daily reads to see who made the cut, but he was waiting to board an airplane to South Africa. I spent the evening wondering about the offensive content on this blog and then I tried to imagine living in a country that could dictate what I read and worse, what I wrote. And, wow, not having access to this community would leave me sad, to say the very least.

Happy Monday, friends. Enjoy the taste of freedom today. It's delicious and indulgent, indeed.

A few things

I am a big fan of the lovely Alexis from Fern and Feather. She's been a daily read for a while and her Art Barn was a driving inspiration behind the Great Hoarders' Garage Clean Up of 2010. So you can imagine my reaction when she invited me to take part in her Friday Take 5 feature, right? Totally honored. Please do check it out.

Thank you, Alexis. This was super fun.

Photography 101

I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty sure that were there actually a National Radish Council they'd lobby hard for my, um, photography skills*.

I challenge you to find a more adorable home grown edible root. This sucker came straight from my backyard, I pulled it from the earth with my own two fingers and I ate it. And it was so spicy my mouth burned for 10 minutes.

*Someday I vow to learn shutter speed, lense focus and f-stops. Obviously not today, but you know, one of these days.

Blissed out

Emerson and I broke in the "good" art supplies this weekend and spent hours painting, sketching and coloring in the backyard. It's one of those experiences I've been thinking about since I was first pregnant and it totally delivered. To say it ignited an obsession in me would be an itsy-bitsy understatement. Can you imagine a paint brush producing anything as magical as Ms. Persson's work? I cannot get enough of her portfolio.

Breathtaking watercolors by Stina Persson.

Garden notes

Every so often I am reminded like a brick to the head how spectacular life in Northern California can be. Filoli is a 20 minute drive from my front door and it's where I had lunch on Friday. Its 600 plus acres are meticulously groomed and surrounded by oak trees. It's hard to imagine it was once home to one fortunate family.

There are rose gardens, ponds, terraces, orchards, cutting gardens, vegetable patches but below is always the highlight for me. A carpet of herbs as far as the eye can see. Literally living art. If we were living in our "forever house" I would totally kill my lawn and try this at home.

En français s'il vous plaît

Photo found on jojosroom.

Do you suffer from re-occurring dreams or nightmares? The one's that only come to remind you of your worst anxieties? Mine pops up a couple times a year and last night I found myself pacing the campus of my high school, unable to find my French class, because I had not attended all year long and didn't know where it was located. Naturally, it's the day of the final exam and I am a puddle of tears over verb conjugations. Yeah, me and the Langue Française have some solid issues to work out.

Then I wake up to a sweet little comment from Lilouka, whose blog is entirely in French and apparently dedicated to the styling of children's bedrooms. Utterly charming. Especially the image above. Tell, me, is there any situation that a set of twinkle lights does not improve?

P.S. I think the universe is sending me a message.

Invitation, please

Photo found on P is for Party.

This photo shoot is just ridiculous. Could not imagine walking into this scene. Do check out the rest of the photos. It's pretty much my dream environment.

Photos by Jenna Kageyama.

Monterey love

A recent weekend in Monterey rates as one of the best family getaways to date. The weather was exceptional, we slept with windows wide open to the ocean and took a silly little bike/trolley excursion along the coast with Emerson co-piloting in the front. That's where we spotted one of the only non-tourist/chain eatery spots along a bike path. We pulled over for some iced tea, sat on a heated stone bench, surrounded by a vertical succulent garden. It was pretty much perfection.

Icelandic poppies growing on the second floor of the tea house.

This place was full of charm.

Coffee tastes better in Heath

It's true. I'm thrilled with my little bits of Heath. And visiting the Mother Ship in Sausalito did not disappoint, although I would not recommend browsing with a curious two-year old. Thank goodness for Melissa and her sweet little Crumb, who met us there. The three of them made fast friends outside on a picnic bench while I power shopped. It was all gloriously overwhelming. So many choices of "seconds." Discounted for their "flaws," these pieces are really just imperfect by design.

The woman at the register asked "is this your first piece of Heath?" I half expected her to slip it across the counter with a wink and a nod. Just as a drug dealer would - confident I would return soon for another hit. Sadly, no. She wanted to be sure I knew how to properly care for my cups as they are in the shade of "linen" and may get marked up by silver. No worries if they do. The marks come right off with a little Bar Keeper's Friend.

So lovely are my Heath cups and saucers. But even lovelier was the afternoon I spent with Melissa and Gaia. We proceeded to their second home of Cibo for lunch (if you are in the North Bay it's a must and especially now as Melissa's husband's gorgeous photography is on display this very moment), toddler wrangling, delightfully unexpected gift exchanges and catching up. The way you catch up with an old friend, but this was our first face-to-face meeting. Funny how this blog world works. We spent the remainder of our date watching our girls play at a local park, exchanging life stories and planning our next adventure together. Can't wait.

Star gazing

A little garland of stars made from a 1950 map of Africa. Seriously, sewing paper is fun and I did not see that coming. Now I want to string miles of the stuff across every open expanse of my house.

Karla's lemons

Karla from Enrouge made my Monday a few weeks back when she let on that I had won her recent giveaway. A set of postcard prints of her lovely paintings, along with words that lately feel so right to me.

"If life hands you lemons, make a centerpiece." Yes, indeed.

If you are needing a touch of pretty today than do check out her etsy shop. And for some inspiration I recommend visiting her blog. She's a painter, a concert pianist (how I wish I could hear her play) and an aspiring song writer. Read this and tell me she didn't just pull you straight into her world?

Love this, want this

Nuzzles by John Christenson and spotted on Grain Edit.

Check out his work at your own risk and don't you dare say I didn't warn you. Doesn't appear that he has a shop and damn, don't you just want all sorts of words crafted into a custom wooded puzzle now? You are welcome.

Inspiration

Little by little, projects are coming together in the studio. It's all very much a work in progress. I did, however, finish what I hope will be a very inspired board. Went with a glossy white for paint and covered a foam board with a layer of cork and then a section of a recycled burlap coffee sac. If I'm being completely honest, I'm not convinced the burlap works. I'll sit with it for a while and see how it feels. I also made a few fabric wrist corsages from my remnant stash. Those, I'm quite pleased with, if I do say so myself. Wink, wink.