Rose & Radish

drool. drool. drool. note to self - go to Rose & Radish pronto.

when you have a few hours to kill...

Check out The Beholder - it's a great art site with gorgeous paintings, drawings and photography. Of course the 3 pieces I fell in love with already sold (arghhh!) but I think I'll check in from time to time. These sweet images are by Klea McKenna, and I love them, not only because they're yellow, but they're also very calming & dreamy.

Kooba or Tano? that is the question

I really need (want) a new fall purse in either black, brown or burgundy. I love Tano bags and know I'll be happy with one, but then I saw a Kooba bag that blew me away. All buttery and soft - and $625(eeek). Which do you prefer? Keep in mind that I'm a freelance graphic designer so my budget doesn't exactly warrant the Kooba...

simple yet scrumptious

WHY does this pasta look sooo delicious? Maybe it's because I've given up wheat (yes, again) and delving into this giant bowl of unbleached wheat flour would be very naughty, but oh so heavenly at the same time.

{which are you?} apricot, pumpkin or orange

In honor of my friend Kelly who is getting married this weekend (she loves herself some orange), I decided to find out what shade of orange I really am. I came across this fun little quiz on how about orange, and guess what - I'm just orange. Not apricot or tangerine, just orange. Here's what it says about me:

Bright and intense, you embrace the world and all its opportunities.
Change does not intimidate you, even if it's a complete life overhaul.
You're a very real person. You aren't scared to show the world who you are.

I like it! Not so sure I agree, but I like it all the same. Your turn!

Craft, Inc.

I am SO excited for this new book Craft, Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco of Design Library. I am in the process of designing a line of wedding invitations to begin my own business and this book looks like the perfect tool to guide me along. I'm ordering it now on Amazon, and all you crafty gals out there should too!

Minnie & Scarlett

Since I don't live in Los Angeles or New York, having a star sighting is still exciting for me and makes me all giddy for the rest of the day. It's the little things, I suppose. So, in the past 3 weeks I've seen Minnie Driver at the market 4 times and once hiking around Mill Valley - don't you think that's odd? I'm guessing she's renting a house here or something like that. Then I get an email from my friend Dave in New York who's had a star spotting of his own - but this is a big one - Scarlett Johansen. This is what he wrote, which just made me completely laugh out loud:
Today I saw Scarlett Johanson at my local Whole Foods. She was buying fruit and was wearing a white dress and flip flops. I was also purchasing fruit. I could tell she totally wanted to go out with me and be with me and stay with me forever as her life partner, but I showed her my basket which was filled with diapers and organic children's snacks and she realized I could never be her forever life partner.

I Heart Hot Moms

Well, last night was girls-night-out in the city and it was a great
(and memorable) evening! First off, we are all moms so we thought this guy's shirt was kind of great. We met up early for some shopping on Chestnut
Street (I LOVE Paper Source), then off to dinner at A16. This
restaurant is SO darn cute with a wine bar in front and an outdoor
dining atrium in the back. We shared a bit of everything: pumpkingnocchi, tri
-tip, sausages (strangely presented on a skewer like a lollipop),
roasted eggplant and deserts. Next was off to a wine bar down the
street where we met the I Heart Hot Moms guy - note to ALL single men -
go buy this shirt - it's better than a puppy. Ladies were flocking to
him, moms & not-moms alike, like crazy. What a fun night! I can't
wait for the next one.

Megan & Brian 9.21.07

We went to a beautiful wedding at the Marin Art & Garden Center in
Ross for Megan & Brian. The bride & groom were just beaming and
the entire event was so pretty, all rustling autumnal trees, fantastic
food and agreat DJ that had us all out dancing for hours. So much fun, congratulations you two!

Vineyard Hike

Whenever I have a day off I'm usually taking this hike up in the
vineyards. From the very top, looking down on all the rows of grapes
throughout the valley, it looks just like Italy. If you're ever inSonoma and want to take a beautiful walk/hike email me and I'll give you directions!

Feist - 1234

I love Feist - she rocks! She's coming to SF in November and I'd LOVE to go see her. Check out this video from the Letterman show, SO good, she puts me in a fantastic mood, without fail, everytime I listen.

Dwell Baby Bedding

If I were to have another baby, I'd be ALL over this Dwell Baby bedding. Modern and clean but still fun and kid-like. That crib is pretty nice too...

Cash Cab (tivo it!)

Once in a while a new show comes along that's "under the radar" that knocks my TV socks right off. Cash Cab is a game show taking place in NY in a cab, where the passengers answer trivia for money until they reach their destination. It's great, I'm telling you, totally addicting, too. The best part? The show is chock full of fun facts, so it's not only entertaining but educational as well! It's on the Discovery channel, set your Tivo's!

currently rocking my world:

These 4 items are currently rocking my world:
1. Rachel's Organic Yogurt (flavors like Plum honey lavender & Pomegranite Acai)
2. The Waterpik Ultra (gets in all the nooks & crannies - cleanest teeth in the world)
3. The Stapleless Stapler (have yet to try, but sounds cool)
4. Personalized Maps (I adore these for weddings & parties)

The Best of the Emmy's

I'll admit it, I'm a fiend for award shows, and Sunday night was the big kick off of the season - The Emmy's. The dresses were g r e a t, the show was pretty good, too, but really I just watch purely for the fashion, also to see if anyone messes up on their thank you speech. So, my picks for the best dressed are...

Katherine Heigl in Zac Posen & Rebecca Romijn in vintage Guy Laroche

These dresses are both pieces of art! Both timeless and gorgeous in white. All images from Style.com

perfect popcorn bowl

My husband is a huge popcorn fan - he loves to curl up to a movie with a bowl of hot buttered corn. He doesn't fool around with the microwave stuff, either, we like the organic white corn from Whole Foods best. This bowl might be the key feature for our next movie night.

a pre-holiday top

I'm always looking for cute tops to wear with jeans, and this one, from Fred Flare, has just the right amount of fanciness for a holiday dinner or a night out on the town. I kind of love it.

Pretty Baubbles

These necklaces by Littlebird Studio are very sweet, I like the wrapped wirework on the stones and the vintage feel. They use vintage text from the 1800's, cover with a thick resin layer to preserve for an "organic" feel. Coming soon are French vintage text jewels - oui oui!

Bodega Bay

We spent a wonderful weekend with our friends, Alex & Travis, in a charming little beach house in Bodega Bay. The home had steps to it's very own private beach below, where we spent our days collecting seashells, building sandcastles, looking for sea creatures and just enjoying the beauty of the coast. We made some great meals, the biggest crowd pleaser? Bubbling hot potatos gratin with a crispy top (recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence). What a dream, to have a cozy getaway to escape to when you want to leave the rest behind. Thank You!!

Birds & Blossoms

This wedding theme, from MS is just too good for words (but you know I have some). Fully nature inspired, everything can combine to make this look come together - invitation, table settings, color and cake. I adore it!

Beach Bottles

I was just talking to my friend Alex about collecting vases - she wants to start an all-white collection and I thought I'd go yellow. But now, I see these and I'm thrown. These are cool, and beachy and would look so pretty with little sprigs of wildflowers in each bottle, clustered in the center of a table. Can't decide which way to go...guess I'll have to wait until I find my first bottle/vase to purchase.

The Art Farmer

These prints from The Art Farmer are so much fun! I like this big LOVE print because it remind me of those old "Love" stamps from the 80's, do you remember those? This site has so much to offer - there's great kid's room ideas, the Sock Monkey is my favorite. The original designs are silkscreened and printed by hand with soy based inks onto cotton and cotton blend textiles that are stretched around hardwood frames, ready for hanging.

Oh to Have a Garden Shed

Wouldn't it be great to have a garden shed? I love how this one (from Martha) is filled with sunlight and has a metal sink for quick clean up. Imagine a full day of gardening and then the tools, soil, seeds, and gloves all end up neatly in the shed.

Anthropologie email blast

I was working away, diligently today, when an email blast from Anthropologie swept across my screen. My first thought? I shouldn't even open it, I can't afford a thing right now, but do you think that stopped me? Nope. And it's such a pretty, inspiring image, too, that I had to share. Feast your eyes and enjoy all that is Anthropologie.

Giant Cupake Anyone?

This big 'ol cupcake cake is pretty impressive and so cute for birthdays, even more so with some long skinny birthday candles. But, if you ask me, the allure of the classic cupcake is it's size - the perfect bite-size morsel of cream & cake. No need to cut and no need for a plate, a perfect desert, really.

The Malm Bed

I've been looking for a bed for our office/guest room and I keep coming back to this one. It's a bit low to the ground, but I think it just may work. I'll need to find some pretty Indian/Moroccan patterned bedding to make it all cozy for guests.

Cutest Cake Stand E V E R

I've said it before, but I'll say it again - I love cake stands! Here's my dream: I walk into an unknowing thrift shop and come across beautiful vintage stands like this, from Miette but alas, I know they've all been snatched up and are all on Ebay...

Tantalizing the Tastebuds 101

Last night, Matt & Michelle served up a Mediterranean inspired feast! Mind you, this was their idea of "whipping something up", while it would take me a good week to plan and execute a meal like this. A very nice evening to catch up & delight the senses. p.s - she's giving me all the recipes in case you're salivating from the pictures...

One more thing - these are pictures of the actual meal, no stock photos here. I've been asked if these are from Bon Appetit!

cauliflower gratin {OMG}

Last winter, Rosalie and I were wandering the isles of Whole Foods at lunchtime hoping for something to jump out at us and say "eat me", but sadly it was all the usual fare. When we came upon the bubbling casserole dish of cauliflower gratin, fresh from the oven, we gave it a shot. Not only was it the yummiest thing we'd ever tasted (even more so due to the rainy weather), but we went back for more! I was cruising around Chocolate & Zucchini and found this, so the next time it rains, let's all try this recipe.

clean lines~pretty chair

I keep looking at this cool chair from Urban Outfitters, it's such a steal, too. I like the clean lines of the chair and the green block print pattern is darling. My only worry is that I like patterns so much will this look too crazy with the pillows on my sofa - do I keep everything solid? Hmm. Will consult with the husband on this one. Thoughts?

One Word Says It All

These tags are too cute. I'm ordering them for topping off gifts - birthdays, holidays, weddings...there's nothing better than getting a super wrapped gift, it's such a treat, and these are like the cherry on top!

The End of Summer??

I can feel it in the air already, it's that crisp little breeze that begins just as the sun sets, it's the end of summer. Why is it that when we're young the summer feels like forever?? After a full summer vacation of camp, family travel and lazy days, we came back to a new school with so many stories to tell and new clothes to wear and a new boy to start a crush on... So, now somewhat older & wiser, I seem to notice the little things, like the leaves that blew into my car window, or the cozy cardigan I grab on my way out the door, or even that I'm craving warm creamy pasta for dinner instead of cool salads. While I welcome Fall with open arms, my fingers are crossed for a long Indian summer...

Everyday Etiquette

Do you ever find yourself asking proper etiquette questions? Lately (and oddly enough) I have. Like what to bring as a hostess gift, or how many forks do we actually need to put at a place setting, or what exactly does "creative formal" mean?. Lucky for me, Emily Post has her very own website dedicated to these types of life quandary's. Apparently, the rudest thing ever is to bring an uninvited guest to an event, but she also addresses lipstick at the table, do's and dont's at the gym, and office party no-no's. A good book to have around for life's little curveballs & challenges all along the way.

Cedros Design District

Near Del Mar is a small town called Solano Beach, home the the very cool shopping street of Cedros Boulevard. It's now become known as the "Design District", the streets
lined with huge warehouses (airplane hangers?) housing modern shops,
art galleries, plant & garden supplies, etc. One shop I couldn't
seem to tear myself from was Solo, their visual merchandising (dare I
say this) actually rivaledAnthropolgie. I took lots of pics because I wanted to remember each unique display. I bought a few goodies here, an ocean painting and a giant piece of sea
coral, but I had my eye on a $500 orange Moroccan leather ottoman that was SO cool, but really too expensive for a big cushion...

The Road Trip {in a nutshell}

We took a much needed road trip to Southern California last week,
stopping to gaze & relax all along the way. It was a complete
open-road, wind in our hair adventure. We hit gorgeous weather,
flawless beaches and discovered some great little coastal towns. Here's
the lowdown on each: LAGUNA BEACH - sand, sun & surf pretty much sums up this
town. A free open-air trolley rides all day throughout town until 11pm,
so no need to drive the entire stay (a nice little bonus after the long
drive down). Nachos & margaritas at a beachside restaurant while
watching the sun set each evening.DISNEYLAND - I was 12 the
last time I visited the land of Disney, and I wasn't that eager to
return. To my surprise, they've really brought it up to date, really
modernized it, super impressive. Ruby was the happiest of course, and
as she had her hair sprayed with glitter at the princess salon, she
said with bright eyes "this is a dream come true!". That made it all
worth it. DEL MAR - we've been coming to this coastal wondertown
for about 10 years now,staying at Les Artistes,a quaint little artist-inspired hotel just steps from the beach. Days spent in the ocean and in the evenings we'd have wine and pizza on the lawn overlooking the beach for the breathtaking sunset. Dave surfed all day long on his new board, Ruby made friends on the beach, and I had a moment to read & enjoy the view. It's worth a trip to Del Mar (about 25 minutes from downtown San Diego) just to stay in this unique hotel. Road trips are g r e a t!!

Rosalie & Greg 8.25.07

Friend's, family and even some pets gathered for Rosalie & Greg's backyard wedding last Saturday. The wedding was
just beautiful, magical really, set in their pretty park-like
backyard. The decor was fresh & simple, au natural, just as she had wanted. My
favorite part was watching all the beautiful dresses set against the woodsy
backdrop, Ruby's flower girl dress just glowed. A wonderful time was
had by all.