halloween highlights

We had a great trick-or-treat evening - heavy on the treats and light on the tricks this year!

(succu•lent) la

Here is one of those brilliant ideas that makes me think, "now, why didn't I think of that!?". Succulent LA, a succulent arrangement delivery service was started by Samantha Mathis (an actress - think early 90's movies, and also River Phoenix's girlfriend at one time), looking for environmentally conscious ideas for landscaping. What makes a succulant arrangement so briliiant is that they use so little water and will keep multiplying, unlike a floral arrangements that last a few days and then croak.

happy halloween!

the Harvest Party!

Carmel apples, pumpkin bread pudding, potato's gratin, a roast chicken
(from heaven), quiche, and oh so many other mouth watering delights.
The Harvest Party was SO much fun, wonderful friends & people we
love all under one roof - it was warm and the trees were golden, I'm
still smiling. The kids played pin the leaf on the tree, and the pumpkin ring toss, while the adults partook in a raucous, heated version of The Three Legged Race. That had to be the funniest thing to watch, couples barreling down the street, trying to synchronize their stride and make it to the finish line. Congrats to Jeanette & Joe for coming in first place, it was a close one, next year we'll know - practice, practice. The evening ended as we sat atop the kitchen island, as a family, devouring every last bit of the chicken like rabid beasts, it was good fun. Happy Harvest everyone!

vintage cupcake toppers

ok. I am a fiend for cupcakes. You may already know this, but it never
hurts to drive the point home a little further - I just really L O V E
them. How adorable are these vintage cupcake toppers? They look like the same sweet ballerina that greeted me when I opened my very first jewelry box. These are too cute
to pass up.

happy friday!

I'll be busy with the Harvest Party, and will have all the details come Monday!

Image from Real Simple.

exhibit {wow}

How amazing would this exhibit by Kirsten Hassenfeld be in person?! The images are one thing, but I'd LOVE to see this up close. Looks like her shows and installations are only in New York...sigh.

ahoy!

Anchors are cool. I love the whole nautical, red, white & blue thing, the look is fresh, clean and classy. Here are some anchor-inspired things that caught my eye...
1. landlocked postcard
2. anchor charms
3. green anchor card
4. baseball tee & bag
5. anchor print

purdy, purdy fabric

I'm looking for a beautiful piece of fabric to cover my " big idea book". I came across PurlSoho and...jackpot! So many great patterns & colors. I can't decide, I
may have to get a few and use the leftovers for something crafty.

Currently Rocking my World.

The new Fall catalogs are brimming with goodness. Has your mailbox been overflowing with new catalogs like mine has? They make for such good reading, really, all glossy and thick, you can tell all the big bucks go into making these issues. These are some of the items that I can't stop thinking about.
Velvet Jacket - from Boden
Perfect Boots - from TopShop
Marc Jacobs Tableware - oh yes, very nice.
Pumpkins - so much fun to decorate with!

the many moods of Ruby

I'm not sure if you know this, but I have to hold myself back from posting daily pics of my daughter, so once in a while I can't help myself, and I let one slip. I took a bunch of photos Sunday morning when the sunlight was at it's prettiest in the kitchen. She was being a ham, and I was loving every minute of it!

Vintage Maps

I just framed these two vintage (circa early 1900's) maps that I got in Ashland. After much indicision (my specialty) I ended up with Paris & San Francisco, and they really compliment eachother well. The colors are very vintage-like; pink, olive green and parchment yellow. I don't think I'll ever tire of looking at them, studying each town and monument and seeing how each has changed since they were made. And they look fabulous in the guest room over the bed!

I won, I really won!

I had commented about a pair of earrings, by Liz
Love,shown on Outstanding Occasions, and the next thing I
knew I had won them! Aren't they great? Check out her site, she has all
kinds of great baubles.

happy friday!

Doesn't get any cuter than this, now does it? Image from Martha (of course).

rainy day project - family tree

Explore your past and document it while you're at it! I've always wanted to do one of these, and now that Martha Stewart makes this free template, I have no reason not to!
I think it would look great framed in a hallway or mudroom. It's also nice if you have kids, they can study it and see where they came from!

Nightstand Dilemma {please help}

Our guest room/office is just about complete. A while back I did a post showing the Domino cover (of Ione Skye) in the room that I have been trying to copy (or at least somewhat emulate, not copy exactly, of course). I'm having some trouble finding just the right nightstand/side table, though. The one pictured is modern and cool in green, any ideas where I can find something like this? I found similar lines, but it's a white, on Overstock.com.

All About Ashland

I just returned from a fabulous trip to the charming & lovely town of Ashland, Oregon. It helps that it's Fall and the trees were the craziest of vibrant colors, but I have a feeling this town is great all year long. We saw 4 plays, ate the best food, shopped at great places like Prize, hiked through Lithia park and just plain relaxed! I'm going back next year without a doubt!

Tag, I'm It! {green style}

Well I've been tagged. Can't say I know what it means, but I'll just play by the rules of my tagger, ten thousand only. I've been asked to provide 3 ways in which I am trying to minimize my impact on the environment. I wish I could say something profound here about my utter dedication to personally saving the environment, but the truth is, I just do what I can. So, here goes:
1. I bring my trusty green bag to Whole Food with me so that I don't need paper or plastic.
2. At the office, instead of throwing away all the paper wasted on big poster jobs, I bring it to Ruby's school for murals, they love it.
3. I ride my bike to the market (when it's not pouring rain) to save on fuel.

harvest invitations are d o n e!

I'm kind of getting in to this whole autumn thing, when usually I'm all
about summer, summer & more summer. So, I thought why not celebrate
with friends, and have some delicious food while we're at it, and it's
right before the holidays really get going in full swing. These are the
invitations I made and, yes, I sewed them, and the tiny save-the-date
is just because I wanted to throw something cute in with twine. I have
to say, I LOVE making invitations, I actually get a natural high from
it - no joke - I was up sewing paper at midnight and I had more energy
than ever.

Going to Ashland (anyone been?)

I'm going with my mom and her 2 best friends to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland on Friday. I've never been to Ashland, but I hear it's a very cute town. Has anyone been, and would you recommend any restaurants or shops?

Gwyneth's Summer Home

This home is g o o d stuff. Gwyneth's summer home on Long Islands East End is freakin' awesome. This house, featured in House & Garden is fit for a star through & through, but still looks comfy enough for a "regular" gal like myself to enjoy. Gotta love the personal yoga & pilates room, and how about that kitchen? All very dreamy, and a great article, too.

feeling flat.

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I'm a wedge girl, sometimes a heel girl and always a flip-flop girl, but this season I desperately
wanted to be a flats girl. So, I did it, I took the plunge and here I
sit checking out my new flats that I've worn all of one time, the flats
that I agonized over, here they are. I tried on my friends' flats at
work, I tried on every brand atNordstrom, but when I wear the flats I feel just that - F L A T. Maybe short girls just aren't made for flats...

say it like you stamp it!

I saw these at the Curiosity Shop in SF this weekend - I really want "you make me crazy sometimes" for my husband. Click on the image to see the wording close up, very witty and cute.

haystacks, pumpkins & pigs

What a gorgeous time of year it is! This Saturday the sun was shining
and almost everywhere I looked there was something "Autumn-ish" to ooh and ahh over. What better way to indulge in Fall than to go to a Harvest Pumpkin
Patch?! The Stanley Lane pumpkin patch is right on the corner of 121
and 29 and is brimming with gorgeous gourds, purple corn, white
pumpkins, a haystack pyramid, and yes, even pigs. I bought 20
mini-pumpkins to use as soup bowls for an upcoming Harvest Party
(invitation post to come!). Oh happy autumn.

currently rocking my world

Isn't there always something rocking our world? I hope so. I love this new segment of my blog (not to toot my horn by any means) but I find myself so inspired by various objects in daily life that I really look forward to sharing with you.
Fiore Del Mar Table Lamp - let's out pretty warm light
Floor Pillows - a nice alternative and great textiles make all the difference
Harvest Colors - burnt ornages, deep reds and yellows, so autumn!
This Scarf - very flowy, very Fall, very good.

Kelly & Jim {a perfect autumn wedding}

There's no such thing as perfect, I know this, but Kelly & Jim's wedding set high upon a beautiful hill in Sebastopal was pretty darn close. The vows took place at 4:30, just as the late afternoon sun turned every tree and mountaintop golden. No detail was missed; handmade table runners, matching cocktail napkins cut with pinking shears, pear name place settings, and the handmade paper flowers. Martha would be so proud. Kelly looked stunning in an orange gown, custom made by Yugala and Jim looked dapper himself with a chocolate suit & orange striped tie. Wine was poolside, and fabulous BBQ in a wine country setting that was the perfect backdrop. Truly magical!

The House at Hautefage

What was once a ramshackle French farmhouse is now the ultimate place to go for a 6 day cooking course. The House at Hautefage was designed as a place to relax for writers, musicians and film-makers, and there's also a pool and gorgeous scenery to help get the creative juices flowing. How much fun would this be to do with a group of friends?? I've added this to my "to-do someday" list.

think pink!

It's national breast cancer awareness month, so everyone please think pink and be conscious about finding a cure.

cupcake card by printmakerjenn