{scratching post}

Some of my very best memories growing up are at Phoenix Lake, in Marin County. This is where it all went down, long walk & talks with friends, break-ups/fresh starts, and big life decisions. I took Ruby there on her birthday as few weeks ago, where she jumped in pools of fresh water with little girls wearing rainboots and bikini's, and then carved her name inside a super cool old log cabin (currently the best play house around). I feel so lucky to be able to still come back here, every step is like a memory.

paper lanterns {as art}

This weekend we went into a great little children's shop with a display of painted paper lanterns hanging at different lengths from the ceiling. The lanterns were all different patterns, but looked gorgeous together. I'm doing this in Ruby's room - it's such a simple way to create a fun, arty room. LOVE!
image: farm2.static

happy friday!

I'm plum fresh out of ideas today...have a lovely weekend!

summer reading {the list}

Summer reading is all about dreamy, carefree writing about women finding their way and happy endings - I save the heavy stuff for Fall and Winter. Here's my list of beach/vacation/lazy Sunday reads for this Summer:
Girls In Trucks
Whacked
I Was Told There'd Be Cake
Chasing Harry Winston
Certain Girls
Love The One You're With
Belong To Me
Lovehampton

I've made it. {sans the white luggage}

My friend David told me you know you've really "made it" in life when you own a set of white luggage. Perplexed? Ok, his theory is this: should you own a set of white luggage, chances are you're traveling in serious style; ie not waiting at the baggage carousel as hundreds of anonymous ribbon-tied suitcases pour out sporting scuff marks and dents. With white luggage, no doubt someone is hand carrying these on and off of your private jet/yacht without as much as a shift in the contents.
luggage image via this is glamorous

pure beauty

I can't remember where I found this gorgeous image, but I can't stop staring at it! The colors, the lighting - it all combines into one dreamy, pinky, sensual tone. Love. via coco+kelly

cooking club {wannabe}

I'm not in a book club, or any other club for that matter, but what I'd really like to be in is a cooking club. Something where friends gather and create with food. I'm not sure how it all comes together, like if the "host" cooks everything, or just picks a theme and everyone brings a dish within that theme, but I do think it would be so much fun. Cooking can be so creative and such a treat for the senses, it can only be better spent with a group of friends ready to eat! Anyone interested?

chalkboard door {sooo clever!}

Great for little fingers and grocery lists, I think this is sun a fun idea for a kitchen or pantry door. This one was painted with chalkboard paint.
via apartment therapy

I blew it {a carbfest weekend}

I blew it big time, my wheat-free, sugar-free "cleanse" went out the window this weekend. From the big burrito on the beach, to the delicious grown up-mac 'n cheese last night at The Fig Cafe (it was SO worth it). It's back on, of course, but weekends are hard and my self control is almost non existent...what to do?
If you feel like really going for it, here's a great recipe.

peacock bedding {on sale}

This pretty peacock bedding is on sale at West Elm. It looks great in this shot but I wonder if it's a little too wild for my usual all-white bed...

a {gorgeous} day on the bay

Saturday was another scorcher in Sonoma, so we headed to the city for a bike ride and picnic on the beach. It was gorgeous! You never know what you're going to find once you cross the golden gate, usually being greeted by the thick summer fog. Today was one of those amazing SF weather days with just-right breezes blowing off the water, a good dose of the sunshine and a sailing regatta to top it off. Happy weekend, everyone!

{swingtown} so 70's - sooo good

It's official, my new favorite summer show is Swingtown, from the director of "Big Love" and "Rome," we just finished off episode 3 last night. The crazy 70's plaids, polyester halters, the decor and nights at the Bunny Club are reason enough to watch. Remember Grant Show from Melrose Place? Well, he and his wife are swanky swingers trying to convert the new "squares" on the block. It's fantastic. The food is truly comical - as a housewarming appetizer they made pickles, coated in cream cheese, wrapped in bacon, fried and sliced - can you imagine? If you have a few hours to spend in swanky Swingtown, catch all the episodes here, it's so worth it!

Sienna's been around the block...

I guess we're not exclusive; it seems that my soft and subtle summer fling, Sienna, has been known to have a tryst or two before me. While looking for images of the purse, I came accross this Flikr site of outfits created solely around Sienna! So crazy. Seriously, I ask you, where do people find the time?

please meet Sienna {my new bag}

I just now ordered this Kooba Sienna bag in cream,
and I think we'll be very happy together. Sienna is like my summer
fling; we'll go out to dinner together, maybe watch a few sunsets on
the beach, surely go out on the town in the city, and we might just end
up at a museum or two -something cultural for sure. I am counting the
days until it arrives...and I have a feeling there will be high pitched
happiness squeals as I'm opening the box!

{introducing...} Whish invitations

It's finally happening, my invitation line is coming to life! I'm still working on my logo, but this is what I have so far - the dandelion will be used throughout the website and overall design concept. Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? It really is so much easier designing for other people!

sugar cookie cakes {sweet favors}

This favor idea might just be one of the cutest ideas I've seen in a while. You could personalize these in so many ways - a sticker with the couple's initials and date, or even an insert that fits directly behind the cookie cake with a poem or a picture...so many ideas.

bamboo chairs {so beachy}

I'd love to find a pair of chairs just like these for my bedroom. I'd recover them with some fabulous fabric and put a nice little table in between the two.
image by Jean Allsop

miss print {london}

Miss Print London has some great graphic collections - I think they're wallpaper and vinyls are pretty darn adorable. Would you look at those daisy's?! These would add a smile to any room!

{needed} low slung pants

I'm in the market for some low slung, wide waist pants that are not, I repeat, not jeans. They must look cute with flip flops and also with flats or wedges for work. These cuties fit the bill, and I love pants by Sanctuary. Too bad they're out of my size - the search continues!

crab+avocado+lime = goodness!

We had a delicious dinner at Joe & Aubrey's house this weekend - we had a fantastic, refreshing appetizer - crab stuffed endive. She used this recipe from Food & Wine, and put her own twist on it bystuffing the crab salad into endive. Take it from me - it was simply mouthwatering, cool, crisp, and not super filling, just right for an appetizer on a warm night.

tagged again!

Better late than never! I was tagged a week or so back by Fifi Flowers Design to answer a few questions about moi, so here goes:

1. What did you do 10 years ago?
I received my BA in Advertising Design, packed my bags and did a work abroad program in London with my friend Cara. We lived in a hostel, quit our jobs after a week and ended up working as barristas at a coffee shop, it was an amazing experience!

2. Five items on your to-do list Today
• look up recipes for wheat-free, sugar-free foods, because once again, I am going on the "no" diet as I like to call it, but this time Dave is joining me.
• work on birth announcements for Rosalie (I'm pretty sure it's not too late)
• call David's Bridal to make sure I ordered the right size bridesmaid dress for the July wedding in Long Island
• begin sketching for my fairy godmother's business card (she's an amazing milliner - hats to die for)
• finish up my logo for my business, Whish Invitations & Design...I'll have a debut very soon!

3. Snacks I like...
I'm a total snacker, and I like salty over sweet. Chips & salsa, cinnamon sugar pita chips, Havarti dill with apple slices, mmmm, all good.

4. What would you do if you were a Billionaire?
First off - party like a rock star for a year, live on a sailboat eating fresh fish and tropical fruits, have a personal yoga instructor, private chef and masseuse. We'd live the life of luxury inviting friends to travel the world and stay in the most luxurious locals. And of course, all of our friends & family would get a lavish gift of choice (home, yacht, business...). When (and if) reality finally set in, I'd probably open an amazing yoga studio/cafe overlooking the ocean somewhere.

5. Places I would live-
Del Mar (San Diego), Mill Valley (Marin County), Montecito (Santa Barbara), or St. Martin.

happy friday!

I'm having a bit of a gloomy day, but this picture kind of makes me happy. Back on Monday, A

the graduate

Ruby had her graduation from pre-school and performed a solo act (yes, there were tears in my eyes!). She did her version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and it was sweet (as in sa-weeeet), I was so darn proud!

summertime salad

I made this colorful summery salad the other night and it was so flavorful and tasty - it may just be my new favorite summertime dinner. I used romaine lettuce, mangoes, sugar peas, shredded carrots & broccoli, radishes, and tossed with a lemon/olive oil vinaigrette. SO good (and it photographs really well, too!).

invitations are d o n e! {melissa & bryan}

The invitations for my cousin Melissa and her fiance Bryan are finished, resting soundly in a tissue-filled box headed overnight to NY. M&B dreamed of something fancy, and similar to an invite I'd done and posted here. I used a vintage flourish, cleaned it up a bit taking out the flowery parts and replacing them with more scrolls and swashes. The layout is one I love; it's a tri-fold that folds into a neat 6x6 square and the r.s.v.p is an attached (perforated) postcard (love that). This is the third yellow & grey invite I've done in the past few months - I think this may be the wedding color theme of the year!

Honeydew Lime Popsicles

We're having a bit of a heat wave here in northern California - last night it was 90 degrees at 8pm...needless to say, I'm craving popsicles, fruity and refreshing. I went to the farmer's market on my lunch break today and bought the makings for these frozen treats. Mmmmm. Here's the recipe, if you want to give it a try!

petunia faced girl

My good friend Susannah had the unthinkable happen - her blog was accidentaly deleted (eeek!). So, for all her readers, please see her new blog at Petunia Faced Girl.

coming clean {corners I don't covet}

The word "perfect" is not in my vocabulary, in fact, I've never been a fan of the word. At times in my life when I've caught myself thinking "wow, things are just perfect", something goes very wrong to knock my life out of whack, and so, no more perfect.

That said, I think I may have misled you. I received a comment the other day on post I'd written about fresh flowers I'd just picked. The comment, which has been resonating in my head for the last 3 days, said "wow, your life seems so perfect!". And I literally laughed out loud and wrote back that it wasn't the case. But then it hit me, this blog of mine is such a small snippet of me, a "pretty-things" blog without all the nitty gritty that makes up real life.

Last night I saw Sex and the City with my friends Rosalie & Susannah - it was fantastic by the way - but why I'm bringing it up is the closet scene. The big, light filled closet that Big had built just for Carrie. It made me think, right then and there - could I even keep a gorgeous closet like that clean?

And so, I've decided to share with you my dirty little secret, the corner of my home that I really don't covet, that I'm actually pretty embarrassed about- my closet. It's a mystery to me, how I can keep a clean, organized home, but then refuse to clean my closet...even my friends agree!

* Please note, not even one item was moved in order to create a pretty picture. The mess & disaster you see here are real, it's a real mess that I'm sharing with you.

Ruby's 5th {garden of butterflies}

Ruby's butterfly birthday party was too cute - all those little one's clutching their butterfly wands, pitching bean bags through the butterfly toss, and mmmmm those delicious butterfly cupcakes. Happy 5th Birthday, to my little flutter-fly! xo

corners I covet {my home}

This corner, on the ledge above the kitchen sink, makes the daily dish debacle a bit less of a chore. I usually find myself spacing out during this time, or meditating if you will, but it's usually a nice quiet time. The beachy bottles were a gift from my husband, after I'd blogged about them a while back. Sometimes I stick flowers in each bottle, but mostly I just leave them as-is, each one is a little different and neither one is perfect.

fresh cuts {from the garden}

I went on a little "chopping spree" in my garden this morning and made these colorful arrangements for every room in the house. I love the garden.

happy anniversary {daisy chain}

It's been a whole year since I sat down to write my very first post here on Daisy Chain. Joining the world of blogging has opened me up to so much beauty and inspiration, it's kind of like being in a really creative art class with the best feedback.
So, dear blog friends, I've confided in you, showed you my silly side, confessed a few things, talked food & recipes, delighted in everyday beauty, shared my clothing wish-lists, and even opened my home. And now, I'm hoping you'll share your thoughts with me by letting me know what it is you like (or dislike), love, or want more of in your daily dose of Daisy Chain. Constructive criticism and me go way back, we're like this (fingers crossed)!
Thank you for reading, and for sharing a little bit of you with every comment, I really do take each one to heart!
xo, Amber

garden luminaries {magical}

Let's take a trip, shall we? Close your eyes and picture this: it's a balmy summer evening, an occasional cool breeze makes the trees rustle, the palms sway, bringing out the scents of the gardenias, plumeria, and jasmine. A glass of chardonnay gathers condensation while you lay reading a magazine filled with pretty little things. You take your time looking at the stars, each one different, trying to connect the dots to find the little dipper. It's quiet and peaceful, the garden is magical, you can open your eyes now.
images by David Tsay

mexican garden neckace

This necklace by Tortilla Girl is so so pretty, and has a very sweet story about peackcks and weddings to go along with it.