Wednesday, August 31, 2011

wednesday note

Love this. Simple and true. Cheers to the half way point my dears and to keeping the art in earth.


via piccsy

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

around the table

This time of year, as the rain dumps on us and we say goodbye to summer (sadly, much earlier than most of the rest of the country), we spend more time at inside dinners around the table with friends and family. The fast pace of summer slows, and there is time to make a slow cooking pot of soup, linger over fresh salmon caught when the weather was better and just catch up with each other. It is certainly something worth savoring during this not so savory time of year. On that note, here are a few lovely and cheery dining spaces to counter the dreary state that is often fall in Southeast. Enjoy!



via au coin du monde


via french by design



via my ideal home

Monday, August 29, 2011

a long walk

So, as some of you already know, Rosie and I spent part of last week camping at the Fred's Creek cabin and hiking the Mt. Edgecumbe trail. The trail is 14 miles round trip and the goal is to reach the summit of Mt. Edgecumbe volcano (which is inactive of course). We did it in one day, spending the night before and the night after at the cabin. The trail wanders through some beautiful country on the way there. For both Rosie and I, this was our longest hike ever. It felt good to reach the top, although I apologize I have no good photos of the top and the one I have of the beginning of climbing the summit is not great, it was so windy it was hard to keep the camera still. A camera malfunction, followed by freezing cold fingers due to heavy and cold winds at the top, kept me from getting any summit pictures beyond that of peoples feet (which do make me laugh very hard). Nonetheless we all made it up. Rosie walked about 13 of the 14 miles. My friend Joan scooped her up for a bit, as did I in my pack. But neither of those were by her choice, she would have gone the whole way, I am quite sure. However, a couple of breaks were probably a good thing for her tiny legs. Here are few photos of our trip.


Rosie with Mt. Edgecumbe behind her.


The beginning of the longest .6 miles stretch of a hike ever. This is where the wind started to really blow and it got very cold. Note Rosie, hunkering down. I think this part was easier for her than for us. But she was cold at the top, and when we all got our extra clothes on, she got a coat too. That and a leash, so she wouldn't be blown away.


The alpine vegetation was lovely.


Rosie was not too thrilled about getting off the trail for a bit, but she did take a good snooze in my pack before she wanted to get her feet back on the ground.


A successful crew, about three miles from the cabin. Mt. Edgecumbe in the background.


My tiniest, furriest, most amazing little friend, all tuckered out from a very big day. So glad she came along and so glad she is a part of my life every day. I could not be more thankful.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

an early friday

Signing off early this week to do some camping and hiking (for my real job no less). I hope to have some pics of a wee wilderness adventure to post next week. In the meantime, here's a fun photo. Love that chair, and the little dolls of course. More soon my dears. xo


via au coin du monde

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

a swedish torp

In Sweden, a "torp" refers to a little house, such as a cottage, with a small leased area for farming. I think this place is so cute! How fun would it be to spend a summer in this adorable little torp?









via my scandinavian retreat

Monday, August 22, 2011

take chances

Happy Monday, my dears. Here is a little reminder to start the week off. I love this and I think it's a great thing to keep in mind on a Monday. Are you taking any chances this week?



via Piccsy

Friday, August 19, 2011

friday photo

It's been a long week my dears. To stay on yesterday's theme of peaceful, here is a photo I took in the south of France. A warm evening on the pebbled beach eating sandwiches and drinking wine with my sweetie. So perfect. As my friend Bill used to say to me when things got hectic, "Calm blue ocean, Jorden. Calm blue ocean." So, here is to a weekend of calm blue oceans for us all. See you next week. xo


Thursday, August 18, 2011

floating

Today I wish I were doing this in the sunshine. Love this pic. Feels so peaceful. Cheers to that. xo


via au revoir paris

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

a useful DIY

As you know, I love chalk boards and chalk board paint. I had been trying to figure out a way to manage my overflowing spice drawer where we keep all our spices that are not on the magnetized rack on the wall, as it was getting quite out of hand. I thought of my favorite thing - chalk board paint! It was an easy project and now things are so much easier to find. I think I will definitely make some more. AND I learned (thanks to my brilliant husband) that chalkboard paint comes in spray cans, making this project much easier and likely come out better, as I am not sure the brush would have had the same smooth final effect. Anyway, here's what you do:

1. Pick out jars that will fit in your drawer (or spice rack).
2. Prime them with two layers of primer made to stick to metal surfaces.
3. Paint them with two layers of chalk board paint. I used spray paint and let them dry for 24hrs in between.
4. Fill with your spices and label with your favorite color chalk (I used white cause that was all we had and someone with better handwriting surely could make them much prettier than mine).
5. Feel stoked that your spice drawer is no longer a disaster!

Here are some photos of my project...





Tuesday, August 16, 2011

another fun work space

I love this, especially the big poster! Work hard and be nice to people. Pretty good motto for a work space for sure. Just a quick pic today, but I am working on a fun DIY at home that I hope to post for you tomorrow. Until then, work hard and be nice to people.


via my ideal home

Monday, August 15, 2011

norwegian lovely

I love the earthy tones and clean design of this Norwegian mountain cabin. Although I can't imagine a skeleton pillow in my own home, I can appreciate it here. I especially love the use of reclaimed wood for the kitchen cabinets, so beautiful. Hope you enjoy it, have a wonderful week!







via My Scandinavian Retreat

Friday, August 12, 2011

friday photo

And just like that the end of the week is here. Here is a photo of some Ranunculus I took in Paris at a street side flower market. Don't forget to take some time with the flowers this weekend, it's always a good idea...just like Paris. xo







Thursday, August 11, 2011

a beautiful barn

This barn in Sweden just looks like the most wonderful place to relax on a warm summer evening. Look at that bed. LOVE it! As rainy fall draws near, things like this make me dream of living someplace where warm summer evenings creep into September and crickets chirp in the night. Heavenly.







via La Maison d' Anna G.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

oh julia

I have always been a little in love with Julie Child. Yes, even before the movie. Growing up, whenever a cooking question came up in our house, my dad would often say "Well, Julia says..." in his best Julia Child drawl. Last summer, Bret and I were able to visit her kitchen, as it is preserved in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. It was lovely and cleverly arranged, for a tall woman, which of course I took a liking to right away, but mostly it was a bit of her, right there in front of me. As I have grown up, I have come to appreciate more about Julia, first it was her food, then it was her food and her joy for life and now - as I find myself at 35 years old and still not quite sure what I want to be when I grow up - I am drawn to Julia because she found her true passion at 37 years old, and she followed it, with all her heart. I admire her for that and I am thankful, that one roasting hot summer day in DC, I was able to drown out the crowds and forget the heat for a moment, and spend a little time with her.


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

a modern loft

Pink is not a color I decorate with much. That being said, I really appreciate the look of this place. The steel and the painted brick are softened by the wood in the ceiling and the white washed wood floors, balancing the space nicely. I especially love the bedroom, which feels serene and peaceful. A little modern for my day to day taste, but very hip and fun to look at, nonetheless!








via ideas to steal