figure drawings

I've been going back & forth (a specialty of mine) deciding on a print for over the bed. I think the bedroom should be warm & cozy, nothing too bold, a place to relax and not be too distracted. I've always loved figure drawings and sketches, and these by Ego Schiele, have such pretty muted colors that I think I've found it! The poster is inexpensive, I just have to find the right frame, natural, white or dark espresso? See, still going back & forth, told you I was good at that, I think I have commitment issues.

backyard birthday {for the whole class!}

Yesterday I helped my neighbor throw her daughter a fabulous seventh birthday party. And the best part - she didn't want anyone to feel left out, so she invited her entire class! There were 23 kids and it really went smooth, the only minor mayhem was trying to gather that many kids and getting them to focus. Once they were wrangled in the garden, they all took a seat at the craft tables, girls decorated mini purses, the boys painted airplanes. We played red-light, green-light on the street, fed them homemade pizza, had a beautiful princess cake and sent them packin'. Fabulous job, Rene, job well done!

pretty clothes alert! {Tucker by gaby basora}

Sometimes I see see a fabulous new line of clothing and just drool. Tucker, by Gaby Basora just might leave your mouth gaping; her fabrics are light and airy, the patterns are not blinding and the lines are so feminine. I'm on board, now I just have to find them in stores.

the right spot {for daydreaming}

Thursdays are my day off, the day I spend working on my soon-to-be business, the day for being footloose & fancy free. But when the sun shines on this chair on my garden, I stop whatever I'm doing and take a seat, read a mag, daydream...I'm heading there now, have a great day!

$700? It's just not worth it.

My friend Susannah emailed me this ho-hum, slightly mid-century coffee table this morning, with a list of justifications on why she had to have it. Never mind the $700 price tag, but it's just plain ok, no?

After explaining that I was siding with her husband on this one (the husband who would still be sleeping on zebra sheets from 8th grade, if it were not for her), she challenged me to find her one. And so the hunt begins...

Eliptikal Coffee Table $170
Danish Modern $200
2 Drawer Coffee Table $319
West Elm Table $349
Note: The tables I found are in no way a replacement of that exact table, just more bang for your buck if you ask me)

getting creative {with my veggies}

The cleanse has sparked some creative cooking ideas, which is always good if you're in a cooking slump. Here are some healthy, yet still hearty & flavorful, recipes to try out.

{just like} a little ray of sunshine

These Frye sandals will be a must in my Spring/Summer wardrobe. They also come in cream, so I'm torn, but would you just take a gander at these beauties? Adorable!

no wheat, no dairy, no sugar {no fun}

Dave and decided it was time to do a cleanse before we depart for Kauai in 2 weeks. I've done these before, and boy do they work! My skin clears, I shed a few pounds and everything seems just a bit brighter. We're only a day in, and it the one thing we notice is how much being on a cleanse makes us think about food. I haven't quite figured out breakfasts, but lunches have been soup and veggies, and dinners are grilled fish or chicken, and a salad chock full of nutritious goodies. If anyone has any tips, please share! There are some great blogs and websites just for this type of cleanse, so that's been really helpful. Now if I can only escape those ever-abundant pesky office sweets, I should make it through ok.

just another day in the vineyards

Living in Sonoma, we are surrounded by beautiful world renown vineyards and wineries, but rarely do we stop in for a visit. Yesterday, we went with a group of friends for a private winery tour & tasting at Schug winery located at the end of a mountain road surrounded by mustard flowers and bare vines just getting ready to bud. I know so little about wine, except for which tastes bitter or smooth, but we all got a good education along with the tasting. It was a fun rainy day excursion, and we followed it up with big plates of truffle-oil fries (to die for!) at EdK sitting around a cozy fireplace.

center for the arts {I tied the knot here}

Located in the coastal wetlands of the Sausalito Headlands is a grand old white building (formerly an army barrack) that will always be special to me; The Headlands Center for the Arts. It's available to rent out for weddings, parties, and art shows. The rooms are eclectic and pretty darn amazing, the dining room chairs are all mismatched, there are no two alike, and check out the tin ceiling tiles! HCA provides an environment for artists and the development of new work and ideas. They offer artists' residencies and public programs, and teach the appreciation of art in society. Hooray for celebrating art!

a spring in my step

There's just something about these shoes that makes my day. I'd wear them with trouser jeans and a fitted tunic top, and stare at them all day long. Plus, Form and Fauna uses sustainable and renewable materials, so, as I'm staring at them I can rest assure I'm helping the planet as well.

tea tins {so pretty!}

I love this idea of using old tea tins as vases, they look especially great in clusters filled with pretty spring flowers. Image from Domino.

wedding invites {jobs in the works}

I've been a busy bee lately, I have 2 wedding invitation jobs and yet another on the way. Luckily, both are for very different couples, one super elegant letterpress and the other more modern & simplistic, but both (strangely enough) have the same color palette: gray & yellow. Must be the color du jour, but I do enjoy working with the two. These images are just a snippet of ideas, but stay tuned for more to come...

giddy {but bordering on lust}

When the new Domino arrives each month I get giddy, ultra-excited, and slightly lustful once I've turned the few first pages . One might compare this feeling to a man who's star-crush suddenly appears nude in Playboy. Just pure, natural, decor home-style beauty; porn for women if you will. I pour a glass of Chardonnay, cozy up with a super soft throw, and become one with the glorious pages until I've scoured every picture (reading the articles comes after). Do you think I have a condition?

rooms {inspired by} collections

I love when people have fun with decoration. It should reflect you, your travels, your loves and passions. Sometimes I get caught up in what a room "should" look like, but I tihk what's most important is how it makes you feel. These rooms, from Living Etc., make me happy; they're real, cozy and liveable.

Giada {the whole package, in person}

I'd like to say that I spend my evenings painstakingly cooking from the French Laundry cookbook, and that my kitchen is stocked with each rare and hard to find ingredient listed, but truthfully, if I use a recipe it's usually by Giada de Laurentis. I Tivo her show Everyday Italian and love to watch her create simple Italian-inspired meals in about 30 minutes. She's fun, she's cute, and she her husband is a designer for Anthropologie so her clothes always rock.
Anyhoo...she'll be at the Crate & Barrel in SF this Tueday & Wednesday for book signing and cooking demo. I may take a long lunch tomorrow and head over (and not to be a stalker, I swear).

dinner idea {lentil soup}

Friday nights are all about easy, simple meals for us. We like to have dinner, some wine, and watch a movie before our weekly woes catch up, leaving one of us catching flies on the sofa. Tonight I'm going with lentil soup and warm, crusty bread. This recipe looks hearty, and it's so so healthy. Mmmm. Happy Friday!

oh, DvF {how you tease me so!}

Diane von Furstenberg (circa 70's wrap dresses and just about everything beautiful on the racks) has a fab new Spring line. The patterns are bold and the cuts are just right, and anything made of silk jersey has got to feel like heaven. All available at Bloomie's.

cupcake lollipops {a good thing.}

How fun would these yummy little morsels be at a party? Love the idea of lollipops, and anything involving a cupcake is allright with me, so I'll have to give these a try. You could get really crafty with the decorating, too.
via hostess with the mostess/bakerella

modern trailer trash {our project has begun!}

Dave and I have always loved camping - the stars, the s'mores, the early morning coffee, it's all so romantic. He surfs, and I love the being anywhere near the ocean, so we've always taken our trips along the coast; Oregon, Washington, Vancouver, Big Sur, Carmel, and all of Southern California right on into Mexico. There are some amazing campgrounds along the SoCal coast - Malibu and Santa Barbara have just about the nicest spots imaginable (palm tree lines beached with cozy camgrounds nestled right on the beach). So, instead of spending mucho dinero on swanky hotels along the way (I still enjoy this, of course), we thought we'd mix it up and buy a tent trailer.

We found ours on Craigslist, and it's so cute, 2 queen beds, a mini fridge, stove and sink, and even a breakfast "nook" with bench seats. We're in the process of a remodel, more of a gutting really. We tore out the cabinets, ripped up the linoleum and have already laid bamboo flooring. Next, we'll either fix up the cabinets (sand & paint them), or buy new ones at IKEA, and then it's on to the textiles (my personal favorite). Also, I'd like to put in all new stainless appliances (even though they are all mini versions, but still).

I will continue to post updates as we go along. And, we'll be booking our campsites along the coast soon! (this image is not actually a tent trailer, but it's so cute I had to post it.)

spring watercolour

I clipped these out of an Anthropologie email blast, but are they not so, so pretty?? I'm thinking of making them into wall hangings for over my bed.

luna bazaar {party goods}

Luna Bazaar is a great source for lanterns and all other kinds of party goods (parasols, fans, tea lights). The prices are G R E A T, too.

daisy ring {I want, I need}

I love daisy's like you wouldn't believe. They oooze happiness, springtime and simple pleasures. Carla Nuis makes these beautiful, fragile little daisy rings.
via oh happy day & bb blog

unique nightstand ideas

Wouldn't you know it, right after I buy a set of matchy-matchy nightstands I find this great article on non-tradtional nightstands. Don't get me wrong, I adore my new lamp, book & cup rests, they're made of dark wood with the cleanest of lines, but I've got to mix things up a bit. I love a simple, romantic, un-fussy bedroom. It seems I have some work to do. Oh, and I'm really digging that wooden starburst above the bed.

purdy styling

This image stopped my in my blogging tracks, what a pretty little space, all turquoise and patterns. Image via Bluelines.
Cluster Lamp from Michele Varian
Wallpaper by Wook Kim
Pattern: "Diana"; Style: "Luna"
Vintage table from Shabby Chic
Painting by Penine Hart of Penine Hart Antiques

twig yoga mat {just right}

I don't know how I could ever justify the $170 price of this ultra cool Orla Kiely Yoga Bag, but isn't it just the best? I'm also thinking this would be a great sewing project, using oil cloth or even felt, and I'm sure there must be patterns out there somewhere. I'll just add that to my to-do project list...maybe it'll be done by next winter?

valentine sweets

Some sweet romantic goodies to add a bit of spice on this Valentine's Day.

from Crate & Barrel

williams sonoma

sur la table

V O T E {and be heard!}

Don't forget, today's the day!

it's all about the jeans.

I'm a bit of a jeans addict...jeans make up about 80% of my daily wardrobe, I'm afraid. I so want to mix things up, wear something other than jeans, maybe a pair of dress pants or a skirt to shake things up a bit. For now though, I'm in need of a new pair...

The top contenders:

Rock & Republic 'Kasandra' Bootcut Stretch Jeans (Alpha)
7 For All Mankind® 'Ginger' Wide Leg Stretch Denim Pants (Mercer Wash)
7 For All Mankind® 'Dojo' Stretch Trouser Jeans (Indigo Wash)
Citizens of Humanity 'Kelly' Bootcut Stretch Jeans (Colorado Wash)

SF MOMA {light fantastic}

We trudged through the rain and gusting winds to go to the SF MOMA on Saturday, and it was well worth it! The Olafur Eliasson exhibit is super tactile and full of color and light, my daughter loved it and said "woooowwww" approximately 45 times. The "mood room" was a bright white room filled with constant color-changing light, said to effect your mood. The room went from harsh reds fading to sunny yellows to cool springtime blues to bright snowy day whites. Other installations we loved: the rippling water/reflections caused by creaky floorboards, and the giant silver prism that we could walk into and see 5 billion reflections - so rad.

Sarah Silverman {rocks my world}

please watch this...it's hi-larious, and has been stuck in my head all day long.

{ouch} I've been tagged

I've been tagged by Calie from Nohea Lookbook. What does this mean, you ask? Here's the deal:

List 7 weird things about yourself.
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post.

So, here goes...

1. I used to be mildy obsessed with the video game Tetris. It's the only one I've ever played, but it was SO satisfying. I read that it's common for women to be addicted to this game because it signified order and organization. Weird.

2. When I was 16 I hiked Half Dome at sleepaway camp in Yosemite, it was a huge accomplishment and I can still remember standing at the very top, it was such a rush!

3. I love cottage cheese & tortilla chips, together, mmmm.

4. On one of our first dates, Dave took me to a Warriors game, and I got picked to make the free-throw shot at half time. He was so proud, even though I tossed it no where near the basket.

5. I love taking drives & walks at night, and no, not for the excersise...it's kind of voyueristic, but I've always liked to see into people's homes, all lit up. The bigger & fancier, the better.

6. I just started teaching yoga again on Saturday mornings, after a 4 year break. For my certification, I lived in a yurt in the mountains of Santa Barbara for a month and a half.

7. I'm 34 and I bite my nails, there, I said it, and now you know.

Your turn: M&Co, 10K Wedding, and Midwest Modern Girl