Spring has arrived in February this year, and I have totes on the brain. I have always carried some sort of tote. I think the obsession either started with ballet bags or later with my first ESPRIT bag...where is that thing? I just love nautical stripes and bold patterns, and the simplicity of the natural woven bag. Totes are the best because they are so preppy and multipurpose; they look fabulous with both my top-siders and my gold flats.
Read MoreMy child dragged these branches from the furthermost corners of our property for several days to create this. Isn't it beautiful?
Read MoreJust in case you were wondering, this is my brand of humor. So, I am super duper bummed that I can't go to the West Elm/Etsy event curated by SFGirlByBay this Saturday in Emeryville. I love West Elm and want to sleep there at night. More importantly, Etsy is eventually going to figure in to my "empire" strategy and I want to become better acquainted with successful local Etsy artists. I also really wanted to meet Victoria, the prolific local blogger putting this group of designers together. Whatcha gonna do? In honor of the collective, I am featuring one of the local artists as my Etsy find of the week. This print is by Drywell. The artist behind the pig is Alyson Thomas, whose bio says she is an attorney turned artist with no formal training and a love of meat. She's my kind of gal.
Read MoreWhat do you do with your pretty calendar when the year is over? It seems a shame to toss it out. Today I got out the old paper cutter and made some note cards from last year's Snow & Graham calendar. Thanks to the rather large envelope collection I amassed a few years ago while making wedding invitations I was able to create 20 note cards. Way to upcycle and declutter! I can't wait for next year. Who knows what will come of my Jonathan Adler travel posters...
Read MoreMy friend Becky writes a blog and runs a brand called Deluxe. Her slogan goes like this:
Make Your Home Your Happy Place. It really resonates with me...I think that's what I try to do with my space. I have creative, messy kids and an open space house. I kind of have to embrace the small child thing when keeping house and decorating. Here's some pages from my rulebook:
Read MoreMake + Haus is the new name and online home for the blog Poppy Haus. Established in 2011, the blog archive now contains hundreds of original design projects and whole food recipes, many featured on the likes of Apartment Therapy, Martha Stewart, Design*Sponge, Curbly, and Epicurious.
