pin it forward

good morning, chickens! the baton has been passed from ashley-nicole and today it is my turn to share 'what home means to me'. been wondering what that 'pin it forward' badge is all about over there? well i am lucky enough to be part of a project conceived by the lovely victoria at sfgirlbybay and the folks at pinterest, the online software that let's you bookmark your favorite images and catalog them--it. is. awesome. so let's get this party started. these are the things i dream about...

lots of light, a big family table and a place of my own to work, make things and dream.

a big oak tree to sit under with family and friends, some great food and drink and beautiful flowers (that i don't have to take care of).

a little kitchen with open shelves, a vintage stove and, of course, lots of green.

a dutch door and possibly a cow (but not sidney greenstreet).

my boys (big and small).

there is of course more. and i am lucky enough to have many of these things already. the truth is home is where i keep my heart. things are just things, but those 3 boys are what home really means to me (sappy, huh?). if you want more, you can check out my pin board here--adding stuff all the time. and get yourself a pin board, you will love it.

now it's time for me to pass the baton to justnoey for tomorrow's installment. don't miss it! and be sure to enjoy your day(:

almost here

the weekend, that is! and, boy, am i ready for it. a couple of things on my mind...

relaxing poolside at this hampton's retreat.

gorgeous new 'marigolds' gift wrap from paper-source. thinking about framing a sheet and using it as art.

wearing one of these pretty kurtas from rickshaw.

literally obsessing over these snakeskin wedges from tory burch. the picture absolutely does not do them justice--they are PHENOMENAL (that's for you, court) in person.

what are you dreaming about?

lobster love + no. 200

wow! this is my 200th post! for a girl that doesn't get to this space as often as she'd like, this feels like quite an accomplishment. anywho, talking lobsters today. don't like to eat them, but love them as design motif. llbean's got a ton of it this season. these are my favorites. i MUST get those pj bottoms and flip flops. and possibly the belt. or the clogs...

oh my god

this.

and these.

i'll be back with actual content next week. promise. until then, happy, happy.

miscellany

feeling a bit scattered but also relaxed at the end of this week. i only worked 2 days this week and i could REALLY get used to that. i was able to clean out the playroom (i even snuck some toys and books to goodwill) and re-organized my craft supplies/books in the office. now i am hoping to actually get some stuff designed, produced and in the shop for easter!

this weekend i am going to work on sprucing up this blog a bit--re-organizing a little and updating the blogroll. i am also thinking a lot about my postings and wanting to get more up each week. i am considering organizing the week by topic. anyway, there is a lot in my little brain, so you will definitely see some changes around these parts--but don't expect them by monday!

in the meantime, these are the things on my mind as we enter the weekend...

loving this girl's hair. image found here.

i've made this granola recipe two weeks in a row now and it is fabulous. it's a very flexible and easy recipe. we skipped the coconut both weeks and used dried apricots, apple, cherry and date the first week and skipped the date (i'm not a big fan, matt loves them) and did apple, raisins and dried blueberries the second week. yum!

this is my FAVORITE new blog! so much fun. an extravagant take on 'un-mom'. i can't stand how much i love that shell basket purse.

i've been collecting artwork for the house and my office and i am looking for a matisse drawing. thinking about this one.

happy weekend, lovelies!

brilliant!

i love straws, but i do feel guilty for throwing them away. i have to get these. seen here. purchase here.

white kitchen/open shelve love

love the modest simplicity of this. all the deets and more rooms from this house here.

it's official | fall 2009

click me, I get bigger!

Living in California makes it hard to believe that it is now fall. Our seasons tend to be subtle. Like today for instance, it's about 99 degrees. But it is, nonetheless, the autumnal equinox and being a "fall girl" I had to post some goodies I've been thinking about lately. I just finished doing a major purge of my closet and I am desperately in need of some new clothes. I won't, however, need many of these items until about the end of November. But a girl can dream!

You'll see the pearls here again because, well, they are just so pretty. I'm unofficially calling this grouping "Betty Draper meets the Preppy Handbook". I'm digging all of the ladylike and school boy looks that are happening right now.

Enjoy!

clockwise from left in a swirl:

campo bag :: j. crew :: $298

men’s timex watch with leather bracelet :: timex.com :: similar $40–$80

must have moccasins in frog :: bodenusa.com :: $138

frances stripe ruffled tuxedo shirt :: j. crew :: $89.50

anna von diederitz coat in red :: modcloth.com :: $83.99

the amy bag :: modcloth.com :: $74.99

mac and jac crop pants in black :: nordstrom :: $49 a la laura petrie!

city style sharkskin pencil skirt :: nyandcompany.com :: $34.95

sophisticate skirt in saffron :: modcloth.com :: $72.99

top notch idiom bangle in navy:: kate spade :: $78

dream turtleneck sweater in black : j. crew : $62.50

spotty scoopneck in damson :: bodenusa.com :: $88

lauren by ralph lauren long glass pearl necklace :: macy’s :: $58

wool school boy blazer in navy :: j. crew :: $178

reta platform pumps in grey from the Merona Collection :: target.com :: $32.99

pardonne-moi pendant :: shopthelook.net :: $18

french cafe hook

Beautifully styled shots like this make me warm and toasty inside. Is that weird? I don't care. And that gray green paint color? Sublime...thinking lower kitchen cabinet color. What's that you say? This from the crazy girl who is always posting pictures of all white kitchens? Well, the upper SHELVES will be white--along with the subway tile and the gorgeously gray-veined carrera marble countertop. To dream, to dream.

Have a great weekend(:

Oh yeah, photo from here.

back to school/back to work

if you click on me, i get bigger!

I'm feeling a little envious today. It's Jackson's first day of school. As a kid, one of the best things about starting school was the new school supplies. I still love the feel of a college-ruled notebook and the smell of a freshly sharpened No. 2 pencil. So I got to thinking, I don't get to go back to school but maybe it's time for some new office supplies.

calendar :: paper-source.com
This calendar is super cool because on the back of each month there is a printed template to make the heavy weight paper into everything from a file folder to a gift box. Love that!

books :: amazon.com
Back to school always meant a new reading list. These are two that I have been dying to read: The Designful Company by Marty Neumeier and Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath & Dan Heath. Time to hit the books!

pretty file folders :: papersource.com
Can't take those icky manilla numbers. Makes keeping all of the those reports and meeting notes a little less of a chore when you have something pretty to put them in.

sharpie pens :: officemax.com
These are new. They are Sharpie. They rock. Enough said. (Also heard a rumor that they now come in purple and orange).

vintage child’s blackboard :: similar at etsy.com
I detest whiteboards. But I like to keep track of projects on the wall so I can quickly reference what's going on. Also helps me not to forget what I need to do when it's staring me in the face. Love the idea of a little chalk board for all of that necessary info.

stripey tool box :: alicesupply.com
As a designer/art director I use lots of tools and being in a corporate environment I use lots of tools that fellow employees don't understand. Sometimes, they need to be locked away. Plus this is just fun to look at. Good place to hide candy, too.

5 days a week mousepad/notepad :: knockknock.biz
The folks at Knock Knock are comic geniuses which is why it is one of my absolute fave's. I am always making notes on scraps of paper. This could serve as scratch pad and mousepad. Multi-tasking!

bento box lunch box by gastrokid :: plasticashop.com
No more sack lunch for this girl. I think this would make my sandwich taste better, don't you?And, if I put sushi in it, I'd be just like Molly Ringwald's character "Claire" in The Breakfast Club.

Midori D-clips in crocodile :: amazon.com
Forget those boring clips. I like getting my inner-preppy on with these croc-shaped lovelies. Just be careful--if you give a co-worker a stack of papers secured with one of the beauties you might not get it back! Another good item for the toolbox.

Think Different Apple posters :: ebay.com
When I worked in a design firm we had the best art. But the corporate environment can be so sterile and, well, beige. These are inspirational but not too edgy for the office. All of the Think Different posters are amazing, but these are my favorites. I am thinking of framing them together as a tryptich.

locker basket letter trays :: seejanework.com
Those standard issue smoked plastic contraptions must die. Love the vintage vibe of these. Plus you can SEE what's in there.

pencil cup in net with silver pencils :: susyjack
Susy Jack's stuff is amazing. She has such a great aesthetic and she assembles all of her items by hand--everything is eco-friendly.

moleskine notebook :: thedailyplanner.com
New Moleskine necessary for important tasks, to-do lists and perhaps mid-meeting doodling.

Stanley Bostitch deluxe hand held Stapler :: amazon.com
I guess it's a holdover from my days working in a dry cleaner, but I love this hand held stapler--it's small, strong and, best of all, hangs nicely on a pencil cup so you always know where to find it.

weekending

still thinking about the weekend...and dreaming of something like these for my very own.

1 via design*sponge
2 + 3 via it's mary ruffle

gorgeous grace

If only this painting came as a print (of course, I would love the orginal oil with its "furry" textures). I need it for my dining room. See more of Linda St. Clair's work here.

Photo from House Beautiful.

i can't stand...

...how much i love this green fridge (and this fun story that goes with it. thanks, decorno!)


and this bedroom (from here).

summer 2009

click to see larger image

things i am particularly fond of at the moment: durham ranch tent cabin, keswick caning bangle, red geraniums, raw silk skirt, hand-painted silk parasol, perrier, green olive + pistachio tapenade, durham ranch pool, clement tablerunner, strawberry-rhubarb gallette, iron wire baskets, tuberose shave soap, tretorn canvas sneakers. enjoy!

french connection

French women just get it. I went to college with a beautiful woman from Peru who had this kind of style--so effortless, so elegant, so unexpected. She could wear a scarf like no one else. Her scarves were extensions of her body. Sublime.


This yellow coat takes my breath away.

Images from here via here.

stuff i love | makool loves you

L O V E this blouse.

front porch makeover | more doors

A little Photoshop magic allowed me to try out the house in charcoal gray (not planning on painting any time soon, but a girl can dream) and a few different door colors. So fun. Here is the 'Pasadena' from Crestview Doors in bright yellow and turquoise.

The thing is I've always wanted a dutch door. Maybe not super practical for valley weather, but they are so sweet. I'm trying to bring some more modern design touches to the house, but these designs feel slightly forced to me. I hate to admit it, but I think this style looks better with the house.

I think if i got frosted or reeded glass I could solve the privacy problem. I could also hang a shade on the inside which I would be willing to do for the right door (I guess what I am saying is that the current door hasn't felt worth it...also, I am lazy).

Jackson's pick is the dutch door in blue. He hated the more modern selections. I trust him. What do you think?

porch makeover | step one

Matt has done such an amazing job on the landscaping in the front yard that I am feeling the porch really needs a makeover. I've been dying for a new front door since we moved in. The one we have now is the boring builder grade kind from the dreaded big box store. It has zero personality and that white molding crap around the windows drives me bonkers. I do really like the light that the windows provide the entry and dining areas, but the lack of privacy is a drag. I am thinking that the replacement needs to have the windows but that they should be obscured.

I am in love with the amazing products from Crestview Doors of Austin, Texas. I don't live in a cool mid-century modern 'dwelling,' but the house is a true ranch. Crestview has an amazing program on their site that allows you to 'try on' their doors. These three are the ones I like the best, with the 'Pasadena' being the front runner. Ignore the black. I picked that because the other colors were distracting too much from the design and looked phony.

What do you think?

click image to enlarge

when i grow up...

i want this to set my cocktails on

and this for my patio, perhaps through the french doors from by bedroom?

and these to sit in while i sip said cocktails.

All from here.

this is what i'm after

Photo from this glorious blog.