True Love Forever

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True Love Forever

I moved into a home with a formal living room and a family room. Coming from a smaller open plan house, I didn't have and enough furnishings  for both.  This formal living room has sat mostly vacant, save for a few boxes, for the better part of a month while I cobble it together on a budget.  The majority of our home is kind of "modern farmhouse", not my first design choice, but ultimately what works best with the architecture and our location.  We reserved the formal space, along with the dining room, to be kid friendly, but for adults, with more of a mid century influence. This is where we will host our swanky holiday parties, if we ever meet any new people up here. I was really excited when the giant Dwell Studio circus stripe rug finally arrived, but nothing will ever compete with the restored Eames rocker that I found on Etsy.  It wasn't free, but I know I will have it forever.  The parchment color is timeless and will always work even as my tastes change. I highly recommend CoMod.  

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Make It Happen

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Make It Happen

I got an email from Ayesha Reynolds, of Homespun Parties+Events asking me to share a brilliant idea with you. Inspired by her experience volunteering at a Boston shelter, she and her husband have decided to convert a rundown Airstream into a mobile studio for people to come together to create, making art accessible to everyone, especially those most in need. The project is called Make Mobile: Vehicle of Change. They are finalists in a contest to make this dream a reality and need the votes to get the funding.  

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Be Prepared

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Be Prepared

I picked up my copy of the Design*Sponge print edition over the weekend and am now longing for the days of summer camp. They chose this year's theme in part because it is the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts. You can imagine the badges that I collected over the years. Chock-full of camp inspired DIY, activities, recipes, and a feature on Camp Wandawega which looks like it's out of Moonrise Kingdom, the print copy is every bit as cool as the blog, plus you get to hold it in your hot little hands. The summer newspaper is available exclusively at Anthropologie stores for $5.  

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Parks and Recreation

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Parks and Recreation

My favorite places to take photographs are playgrounds, parks, pools and beaches.  I love muted color backdrops and when my kids are running around playing I get their most natural expressions...this is what I want to remember about them.  I like to frame my pictures in such a way that they are the subject, but not necessarily the focus and I take most of my pictures with Instagram, because my phone is so portable, and because they are square which I find most pleasing. I save the images without a filter, so that i can edit them later to get them right. I've even been known to take high resolution photographs with my Canon and then put them through Instagram to keep the mood consistent, and avoid the time spent editing. Here are some of my faves...

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Summertime Rolls

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Summertime Rolls

I'm feeling really lucky to not know what day it is right now... I have the summer with Adam home to take day trips to Guernville, to travel the Bohemian Highway, to figure out the endless maze of short cuts and country roads in western Sonoma county.  We've visited a handful of regional farmer's markets and today in Santa Rosa I found my flower lady.  She sells huge bouquets of zinnias in coffee cans for $5.50 (you get to keep the can).  We also picked up this crazy heirloom cauliflower, so beautiful I think I'll have a hard time eating it. Wanting to grow a bounty of our own we've been busy in our backyard trying to get our summer garden established, and today we hung cage lights from the renovated barn for a little ambiance.  I guess you could say I'm embracing my inner farm girl...

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