Grow

With the first harvest of the season finally here, we are so excited to make dinner tonight with food from our own garden.  After the stress and worry the last six months have brought- the creative drought, leaving my job, going back to school, working tirelessly to find the next path in life; it is a good feeling to finally be able to enjoy what we have been cultivating together as a family.

Spring Break

Spring is Mother Nature’s way of re-inventing herself.  A time of rebirth & renewal when all that has lay stagnant for months, hidden under the cold harsh grays of winter is finally able to s-t-r-e-t-c-h its arms and re-enter the world.

There is so much beauty that I want to share in this space in the coming months.  But I first need to find the time to clean out some cobwebs, dust away a few layers and sow some new seeds.   To regain the focus that I have lost in all of the cold and muted months of winter.  And so I will be taking a short break from here.  But just like the seedlings that have been planted, I will be back very soon- emerging from the soil, thirsty for life, & reaching up, toward that bright orange ball in the sky.

Weekend Design Love

We spent this past weekend doing so many wonderfulhappyfabulous things!

1. John built the retaining wall for our garden.  (My hero!!!)
2. We completed a bunch of little projects that had been put off for months because we were waiting for just the right time (A DAY WITH MORE THAN FOUR HOURS OF UNINTERRUPTED SUNSHINE.) 
3. Then on Sunday during an impromptu trip to a local flea market, the heavens opened up, choirs of angels began to sing and somewhere between a paperback copy of 55 Reasons To Shave Your Own Head and JUMP! : Skydiving Made Easy, this appeared before my very eyes:

That price tag in the upper right corner? 

$3.50.

THREE DOLLARS.

AND FIFTY CENTS. 

(First editions in similar condition sell for upwards of $200.) 

“The last time a selection of home stories from the Times Magazine was published in book form was in Norma Skurka’s 1976 volume, The New York Times Book of Interior Design and Decoration. The book, which is now eagerly collected by design aficionados, offered a comprehensive and astute look at – and a valuable photographic record of – the work of the best designers of the time. “

– From Pilar Viladas’s 2005 book Domesticities: At Home with The New York Times Magazine

Hello, Spring!

It seems we’re not the only ones excited to be feathering our nest today..

An All-Star Room Makeover: Guest Bedroom + Office Nook

When we began work on this room last Fall, it had it all- bright yellow walls, a baseball ceiling fan and a sports wallpaper border (that was eerily still visible on the wall even after being peeled off.)  It was the catch-all room we never used- left over from previous owners.  Using pieces of furniture & art from around the house, we managed to pull off this remodel on a surprisingly low budget.  Below is the transformation from dingy and cluttered to bright, fresh modern guest bedroom & office nook- the perfect addition to our little nest!

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Resources of Note:

FURNITURE
   – Bed made by John’s Grandfather
   – Nesting tables- hand-me-downs
   – Dresser, wooden chair & bedside table- thrift store finds
   – Modern Stacking Chairs- Target

LIGHTING
   – Pendant light- diy (original lamp from Target)
   – Desk lamp- Good Works Furniture
   – White stick lamps- Target
   – Antique lamp on dresser- thrift store

ART
   – Recent Sculpture, January 1967, Pace Gallery, New York by Ernest Trova
   – Orange and Red on Red by Mark Rothko, 1957
   – Make Art Not War poster by Shepard Fairey
   – Color Panels by Lisa

PAINT
   – Benjamin Moore, Simply White

Shelter from the storm

I often find myself caught up in my own little world. Concerned over earth-shattering dilemmas such as finding just the right paint color. Then I turn on the news and a country a world away has been devastated by disaster.  And I realize not only how incredibly blessed I am to be safe and surrounded by those I love, but how inconsequential most other things really are.

While you hold those you love just a little closer tonight, please remember this:

Just because we may be in another corner of the world, doesn’t mean we can’t help. 

You can text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief Fund.
Or visit Etsy shops that have pledged to donate part or all of their profits to assist those suffering from this terrible tragedy.

Plan A (1/2)

Our new kitchen chairs from Target’s Home Collection arrived this weekend.

We had initially planned to go with Arne Jacobsen’s Type A Dining Chair,
but decided on the Home Collection’s version for the wider range of color options.  Their arrival inspired FOUR straight days of re-nesting (master bedroom, guest room + office nook & kitchen.) 

Fortunately, we are so happy with the chairs & with all that we’ve done to the house this past week. I’ll be back next week with some of the updates.  From our nest to yours, happy weekend!

Blu Dot Swap Meet

Blu Dot’s Swap Meet is officially in full swing. Here are just a few ideas, you know, in case you’re the kind of guy who loves his girlfriend sooo much that you’d be willing to trade that bottle you found in the dirt right outside The Frank Sinatra Bungalow in Hollywood that was probably even owned by Frank Sinatra himself for a One Night Stand Sleeper Sofa.

For the rest of you furniture aficionados, head on over to Blu Dot and see what you can get in return for your talents, devices, oddities, deeds or taxidermy.

must be love.

What can I compare you to?
A favorite pair of shoes?
Maybe my bright red boots
if they had wings.

(lyrics from The Weepies “Take It From Me”)

Then I opened the birthday card from my mom…

In her defense, twenty seven years is a long time to remember something.