road trip!

The surboards are packed, cooler, sunblock, magazines - we're off on a road trip down to Southern California. Back in a week to tell all of the adventures we endure...

Martha Rules

I'll just say it like it is, Martha Stewart is the queen of all craftiness, and deserves full admiration. An uber "crafty pioneer" if you will. Sure, her assistants, stylists and art directors have something to do with it, but for now I give her full
credit. She has all these new lines out right now, but number one is her PaperCraft line at Michael's. Just give it a browse - it's pure crafting inspiration at it's best.

yummy sweater

I think I need this Free People sweater in every color! How about that big wood button and gorgeous coral color? Love it. I'd wear it with jeans and boots in the Fall/Winter, or over a little dress with boots. Yipeee, Fall shopping has begun!

ooooh.

These images are from Sarah Kaye, who represents photographers & stylists. Emma Cassi styled these, and just looking at these ultra feminine shots makes me happy to be a girl, and the warm yellow lighting and dreamy props make me want to jump right in!

Crafty Friday

R's wedding is tomorrow so today I'm getting the last minute things together, before the rehearsal dinner tonight. This morning I made signs for the drinks that will be in glass jars, and labels for the favor tins. I will take MANY pictures tomorrow so you'll see the full effect...

In the Pit!

Finn's birthday was so much fun! Mollee & Dennis had it at a gym,
filled to the brim with gymnastics equipment for kids & adults. As
you can see, we mostly hung out in the pit, filled with huge foam
cubes. Here's how it works: you stand on a big platform (shaped like a
mushroom), hang on to atrapeze and fly in to the pit. Once you're in,
it feels like quick sand, it's so hard to get out! Lots of fun had by
all (especially the dads!).

party in the park

Frankie's birthday was so sweet, held in the park on a sunny afternoon. Lots of silly girls in party dresses, flying rocket balloons and good friends. And for the party finale, Lyla made a great Hello Kitty cake!

currently obsessed

I am currently obsessed (yes, it's now elevated to an obsession) with Vanilla Lavender Latte's. That's right, they're at Whole Foods and make for the creamiest, dreamiest afternoon treat. Just writing about them makes me want to get in line for one right now.

Marie Claire Maison

I've found a new love - it's the French Marie Claire Maison. Chock full of the most gorgeous locations, styling and COLOR. So much color, it was addicting. I wanted to paint large walls of color after I devoured it, that sort of color. The main spread (all in French, so I navigate to the websites) was shot at a resort in Mexico called Las Alamandas (soooo romantic), and yes, crazy colorful. Pure magic, I hope to find myself here one day, soon, possibly celebrating a birthday or going with a group of friends or family.

New Line from S&H - Sprouts!

Smith & Hawken has a new line out just for kids called Sprouts "you're never too young to have a green thumb". Pretty great for all you moms & moms-to be out there. The entire line of tools and outdoor furniture is designed for children and features bright colors and the strength to stand up to the elements and whatever havoc your kids are capable of wreaking as well.

simply put!

This invite is so cute - simple and to the point. If I ever have a free weekend again I would love to have a dinner party to use this. Maybe in the Fall...

super birthday weekend

4 wonderful kids had their birthdays this weekend, so happy HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Frankie, Phoebe, Finn & Kristina!

Dreamy Photography

I stumbled upon Nordljus
today and wow - her images of food, flowers and beyond are incredible.
Everything is so bright and luscious, so tempting. A site to return to
for sure.

Block-printed lamp

We've been looking for a new lamp to hang over our dining room table. I'm loving this Smokebush Lamp from Room & Board, but will continue to search for other contenders. The linen drum shade is supposed to create a soft ambiance (sounds like I may have a winner!).

My Kind of Comfort Food

This week has been an emotional roller coaster. I lost my freelance
(graphic design) job, and then got it back again, all within 3 days.
After the news had hit on Tuesday we had dinner at my parents house-they made a fabulous Spanikopita, my most favorite meal of all times, and I've been
thinking about it ever since. If you like Greek food like me, it's really the
ultimate, all that flaky crunchy filo with the savory spinach & feta
oozing on the inside. SO good. Thank you!! Tyler Florence has a recipe where he assembles the whole thing inside a cast iron pan and then bakes it in the oven and serves it right in the pan. I've made that one and it's delish!

Could you cut this?

I've been looking around at wedding cakes, only because I have a few weddings on the horizon, and who doesn't love reading a fresh issue of Martha Stewart Weddings? Some of the cakes are truly works of art. I cameacross these on StyleMePretty and they are by Cakegirls (such a great name!). The cherry blossom cake is hands down the most elegant cake I've seen in along time.

Chocolate: sweet & pretty

I am one of those rare breeds that does not like chocolate, just never have. But, I do like a pretty package. Charles Chocolates has great packaging, the colors pop and the artwork looks kind of hand-done. They also put together some nice gift packages.

I can't stop listening to Feist

Have you heard Feist?? So refreshing, mellow and sultry, but she also rocks out. The song "Mushaboom" is especially great, I can see listening to it on vacation or even by a fire on a rainy night.

{inspired by} the color green

Lately, it's everywhere I look. Green is fresh and healthy and represents "new beginnings" to me. The cover of Saveur is a big ripe avocado. The silky dress in the window at Anthropologie is green. And, let's not forget, the new Sarah Jessica Parker perfume "Covet" comes in a lovely green bottle. Go green!

Guilty TV Pleasures...

I know, I know, I shouldn't like this crap, but I do! Maybe it's
because I grew up with Beverly Hills 90210, who knows but I just love
it. There's so many new shows starting. The Hills & Newport Harbor (rich, spoiled, teenyboppers at their worst), and some new ones are coming soon; Gossip Girl(created by Josh Schwartz from The OC) sounds like a good bet, and Lipstick Jungle(created by Candace Bushnell) has my vote hand down. There's also The Cashmere Mafia (created by Darren Star from 90210). They say it's the next Sex in the City, but we'll see about that. These shows are really just filling my time until the big boys (Survivor, Lost) start in the Fall...at least that's what I keep telling myself!

Packaging Extraordinaire

I'm a sucker for great packaging, and really, it's the first thing you see, so it's not my fault. I saw these candles in a paper shop in San Loius Obispo a few months ago and just found the images I took today. I want to do my next wedding invitation in this color scheme. I just love everything about these actually, who knows if the candles are any good, but I'd sure buy them!

Vines & Flowers = pretty bedding

I was looking for tablecloths recently and tried Urban Outfitters to check their selection. I did find these pretty bedspreads that could very well be used as tablecloths, but would probably look their best on a bed. I'm partial to the one in the upper left hand corner, very happy.

frolicking fairies

What could be better than a Fairy Birthday Party?
When you're turning 4, this pretty much tops the list! Ruby's friend Bella Rose
turned 4 yesterday and had a super crafty, fairy party in the park. All
the little girls arrived with their wings on, and then made magic
wands, flower headbands and treasure boxes. Well done Yoli & Michael! Oh to be 4 again...

{inspired by}...peacocks

I've been noticing all things peacock lately, and what's not love, really, all colorful and blooming open like a flower. I put together a collage just in case you're not feeling the peacock vibe just yet.
Necklace - The Art Fund
Dress - by Lucas & Lilly
Card - from Etsy

Arty CD Packaging

These CD packaging kits are very cool - I'm thinking as favors or just for storing design jobs. The price isn't too bad, either, 25 labels, sleeves & stickers only $10.85!

Eternal Sunshine

I've finally found the dress I'm wearing to Rosalie's wedding! I had one stipulation from the bride though, that the dress had to be yellow (which was fine by me since I adore all things yellow). The search has been long (there are SO many shades of yellow out there right now), and it was starting to get down to the wire, but I'm so happy with the final choice. It's from J. Crew and was on sale! Emily from Emilystyle gave me so many great hints - thank you! And I even had my friends working as personal shoppers to find the perfect yellow dress. Now shoes & accessories are next - any suggestions?

No. 756!

Not that I'm a huge baseball fan by any means, but living in the Bay Area you can't help but get excited about Barry Bonds making history last night. Forget the steroid controversy surrounding the poor guy, he now holds the world title. Check out the picture my friend took at the game - all these folks are in the water hoping to catch the lucky ball. They're saying it's worth $500,000, but the last one (hit by Mark McGwire) fetched $3.3 million - go figure!

Joe Rogan - live & up close

Last night we went to see Joe Rogan perform at Cobb's Comedy. It's been years since we've been to a comedy show and we forgot how great it was - we laughed for 3 straight hours.Joe Rogan was witty and hysterical, and what I liked the best was how he performed - nothing was planned or (too) scripted, it was very well done. Sometimes I felt nervous for him when it was quiet, or there was along silence, but then I realized that was part of his gig - what a hard job! Can you imagine standing on a stage trying to make people laugh for hours on end? I completely recommend seeing him the next time he comes to town, it was a great evening out!

Julienne? No problem!

Carrots, potato's, cucumbers - the possibilities are endless! It's always s fun to add a little pizazz to a salad or stir-fry, but such a darn hassle to cut each carrot in a tiny little stick. This crafty tool actually works! I bought one this weekend, and I was skeptical I'll admit, but it really did the trick. Are you still reading this? Go Julienne something!

Invitations are d o n e!

I've been working on Rosalie's wedding invitation day and night and they've just come back from the printer. Yeah! I'm always nervous when I send anything to print (ecspecially a wedding invitation), but when I get to hold it, see how it turned out, it's a good moment. The "theme" of the invite is dogwoods (her favorite) and guitars (he plays), it will be a backyard wedding at the end of this month. She's pleased with the finished product, and I can breath a sigh of relief.

Thank you Melissa!!

My cousin, Melissa, is too cool for words. Today I received a big 'ol
box from New York filled with goodies that she thought I'd like, as
well as things she loves and wants to share with me. What a great idea,
I think we should all do this sort of thing! That's what I love about
having a blog, it's so easy to keep in touch about the everyday things
that would otherwise go unspoken...thank you a million times over,
Melissa!! Check out all the goodies she sent, it's like Christmas.

I work for great people

Last week at work was crazy - the entire office was racing around, frantic to get everything printed and ready for a big conference in the city (SF). Well, it was all worth it because yesterday I came home to a huge flower delivery to thank me for my hard work. How nice is that?! The flowers ("nectars of paradise" is what they're called) are insane & huge, I feel like I'm in the tropics, it's so wonderful. If you really want to make someone's day, and not with the usual ho-hum roses or tulips, go to www.kauaiflowers.com for a super fresh, out of this world flower delivery. They are family owned & operated and the flowers come straight from the farm to your door. I've been staring at them all evening, thank you Reed, David & Heidi!