Sweet Bike Basket

This basket is pretty darn cool, and handy if you're riding to the grocery store, it even has a shoulder strap so you can take it into the store with you.

Hooray for Whole Foods in Sonoma!

We live in the town of Sonoma, a small wine-country town surrounded by vineyards and eucalyptus trees. It's straight out of a movie, really, with the town square in the center and bike paths running the length of the town. One thing has been missing though, during the 5 years that I've lived here, a great organic grocery store, and now my wish has come true. Whole Foods opened yesterday and I'm pretty sure it was the biggest thing to happen in our town in a long, long time (except for the Sonoma Jazz Festival which is a pretty big event). Anyhow, it's gorgeous & grand, the food is amazing and my favorite part - no need to read labels while shopping!

Not All People Are Nice

On the way home from our trip, our car packed to capacity, I convinced Dave to stop at the mall since I'm never in that area, plus it was still early. We locked our car, locked up the bikes and shopped for about an hour and when we returned, our car had been broken into. Among the items taken were my luggage (clothing, beauty stuff, etc.), my daughter's luggage, my digital camera (which I adored) and both mine and my husband's cell phones. All gone. Even with a carseat in the back and a Barbie bike strapped on top, the thieves were relentless. I just keep telling myself they really & truly needed my North Face jacket and a collection of Cinderella dvd's. In the end, it's just stuff, really, but it creeps me out to no end to know someone else has it all. So, if anyone sees a girl wearing my favorite jeans...please let me know.

Sea Ranch {is all good}

We just returned from 5 wonderful days with our family in Sea Ranch (about 3 hours North of San Francisco). What a fabulous place! Serene & rugged coastline, private beach coves and cypress tree laden trails. Here's the clincher - no cell service and not one of us brought our lap tops (eeeek!). However, being without those modern amenities, here's what I found; A) taking a walk along the ocean is more fun than checking email, B) coloring with my daughter is better than texting friends or checking voice mail, and C) playing Pictionary by a crackling fire is a great way to spend an evening.

Dream a Little Dream Tent

So after I posted the "outdoor spaces" I found this great tent from Urban Outfitters that would be perfect for creating an outdoor area. Love it!

With Jeans!

This dress/tunic is so cute! I'd wear it with jeans, and either wedges, flip flops or leather sandals like these. And the price...I'm placing my order, pronto.
I first heard of LaRedoute from my friend Susannah - it's one of those hit or miss type of sites. I check it out from time to time, and usually end up with something "of the moment" that I have to have.

On My Wishlist

What I really want is a ring or necklace by Becky Kelso. Her jewelery is intricate but not overdone and the stones she uses look so elegant. Her designs are featured in pretty much every magazine I've ever read, so chances are you've seen them. Kind of pricey, but perfect for a special occasion. Check out Moondance Jewelery to see her collection.

Outdoor Rooms

There's just something about being outdoors...maybe it's the vitamin D, but it just makes me really happy. These spaces are pretty great, I love the Moroccan lanterns, billowing fabric and cushions. Kind of magical, and totally inviting.

Angel Island is great

We took the ferry from Tiburon to Angel Island yesterday, along with our crusiers. and a great picnic lunch. So much fun, if you ever have a free day, it's such a treat.

Happy Father's Day

Off to Angel Island today for some bike riding, beach combing & picnicing. Happy Father's Day to my dad and to Dave, the best father's E V E R.

Garage Sale Today

Our block is having a big 'ol garage sale today. Hopefully I will sell my old stuff to make room for new-improved stuff. "One man's junk is another man's treasure"...hope so!
I made these signs to post all over the neighborhood.

Skin Trip

If it happens that you're not feeling so summery just yet, you may want to try Skin Trip to transport you directly into sweet summertime. I've been using this lotion forever, and it never fails, people LOVE the smell. It's pure beach, but not too overwhelming, just right. Just try it, you'll see. You can find it at Whole Foods.

Curry with the Neighbors

Honestly, I don't know how we ended up with the best neighbors in the world, but we just did. And to top it off, they have great family as well! Rene's parents are in town from Vancouver and each night our senses are overwhelmed with the scent of delicious Indian spices. Luckily, we got to partake in the festivities and enjoy an evening with friends & family. Thank You!

Pretty Summer Dresses

I have a couple summer weddings to go to and these new dresses all look so perfect. Pretty pricey, but the styles are gorgeous. I love being a girl. Check them out at net-a-porter.com.

Stop & Smell the Daisies!

This photo has summer written all over it! It just makes me smile - what about you?

Super Talented Friend

Alex is my friend who is an amazing artist, yes, truly amazing. Her work is prominent in our small town, and she's getting her name out there pretty quickly. She has a booth at the upcoming Marin Arts Festival on the lagoon at the Civic Center. This weekend - June, 16th & 17th 10am-6pm, she'll be at booth #134e (Alex Cole). Check her out!

belle & boo

I just ordered these 2 pieces of super sweet art for Ruby's room from belle & boo (formerly millymollymandy). They are from a series titled "My favorite spot" and there is one for each season - I got Spring & Autumn because the colors are just gorgeous and the little girl seems carefree & curious like Ruby.

Peacocks, flowers & straw, oh my!

You know when you go to Target and you see something cute, but you have to think twice because you are at Target? Well, I did a double take when I passed these bags the other day, and ended up buying the flower & straw one in yellow (not shown). Perfect for the flea market or a day out shopping with the girls. Look at the peacock! Maybe the rhinestones are a bit much, but the wood handles make up for it - and the price too.

Juice Beauty Night

My friend Johannah works for Juice Beauty, a company that produces all organic beauty products (she even ate some in front of me, so I guess I believe it). 5 of us girls got together to do a "before & after" photoshoot using Juice Beauty products. Dennis had all his fancy photo equipment set up, so it felt like the real deal. We all had the green apple peel and then had our lovely "before" pictures taken. Next, we each got a goody bag of products that we'll use for a week, then come back for our "after" photos. My skin is already glowing, no joke! So much fun, I can't wait for next week. And of course, Ruby & Finn had a photo shoot of their own when we were finished.

Ahhh, just relax!

After a long week of party planning I am so ready to grab a good magazine and lay under a shady tree. This hammock looks just about right, I love how the bright textiles look with the greenery, very inviting!

Crafty Friday

I love crafts and all things about being crafty. My friend Kelly, another designer I work with, coined the term "crafty friday" so we'd have something to look forward to during the work week. It all started with Jordan's flower pom-pom's; Kelly wants them for her wedding and I wanted them for Ruby's b'day party. And so, the crafting began. I think they look great - each one seems to get better with practice. For the how-to from Martha, check this out.
I also did goody bags & cupcake flags for the party. Hooray, Ruby is 4!

The Graduate

I know it's only pre-school, but Ruby's graduation was beyond sweet. Congratulations, Ruby!

Ruby is movin' up!

Today my little munchkin is graduating from pre-school and heading to the bigger classroom, pre-K. We are attending a ceremony followed by a talent show this afternoon, should be pretty cute! I hope they don't play that graduation music, it always make me cry.

Olive Oil Favors

My best friend Rosalie is having a garden wedding in August and has asked me to help with all the planning and decor. I'm SO honored and SO excited. I think these little bottles of olive oil would be the perfect favor, especially with the olive sprig tied on, bringing the garden into it. To personalize them, we could add a pretty printed tag with their names & the special date on each. Very cool.

Cute Bakery Alert

My friend Jenny is great mom and a fabulous pastry chef. I totally envision her opening a shop just like Sweet Mandy B's in her future. The old fashioned bakery is located in Chicago, but I may just have to travel there to sample their famous creme-filled cookies. Yumm! Read more in the June Cookie.

Trailer Eye-Candy

Dave & I used to go camping all the time before we had Ruby. Then the thought of sleeping on the ground started to lose appeal, and we opted for hotels instead. This cute little trailer may be just the answer! The interiors have blond beech cabinets and cushions upholstered in 1950's patterns. So cool! Read more about them in this month's Sunset magazine.

Mmmm...Peaches!

Peaches taste like pure summertime. I bought some peaches the other day and they are sweet, juicy and perfectly ripe. I think I'll make a crisp.

A Note for Every Season

My mom just returned from New York and brought me these sweet little notebooks from Anthropologie. Pretty great for stashing in your purse for random notes, thought, ideas, or, in my case, for obsessive list-making. Thanks Mom!

Vintage Inspired Paperie

OOOHHH! I'll take one of each, please. The Paper Princess sells gorgeous paper items on Etsy and all at beyond reasonable prices. Check her out, I've added her to my favorites on the Etsy site.

Endless Summer (for the wall)

I'm married to a surfer, so I've seen a few broken and abandoned surfboards littering the beaches. I've seen the surfboard coffee tables, but this is a new one! I'm assuming they chopped off half the board to mount it on the wall. I'm loving this idea for my office/guest room that we're currently setting up. I'm envisioning framed pictures of Ruby on the beach along with some vintage art topping the shelf. Now I just have to find a broken board...

Sweet Slumber

A couple of weeks ago we stayed with some friends in San Louis Obispo. When we got the tour of the house I almost gulped out loud when I saw the amazing bedding she had. It's a beautiful shade of orange and it really pops in a white room. Lucky for me (and you) it's from Ikea and was only 19.99, run - don't walk! I washed it twice for extra softness, and now it's perfect. The set includes a duvet cover & 2 shams. Gotta love Ikea.

Cozy Summer Garden

I love this garden.
Don't you just want to curl up with a fuity beverage and good book?

Today marks the first day of my blog. A few months ago I didn't know what a blog was, nor did I care to investigate. However, my friends introduced me to a blog that I couldn't get enough of, I checked day & night and always left my computer feeling inspired and motivated to be a better, more creative person (and sometimes I need that little push). It's also so nice to know that other people exsist with such similar tastes in design, clothing, food, and just general fun-stuff. I'm still a novice, but I'll give it a go, I welcome all your feedback!