sonoma

spent the day in sonoma. another good friend is getting married in august at this private estate in sonoma. it is a family compound that has been in the same family since the mid 1800's and my friend happens to be friends with the generous owners. its going to be a pool party....and talk about a pool (see photo above).

it was a day of measuring tables and benches, crafting ideas and plotting out the decor plan. i don't do weddings, but this summer happens to be another one of those summers for weddings and we all happen to be in the crafty industry and would much rather be practical than wasteful. it must be our 30's (and some of us 40's) sensibility.

after a day like this we are feeling like we need to revisit real estate in sonoma again. the ups and downs of buying a home. it just happens to be a bit more tricky when looking at listing prices :o).

last note: we started the day having brunch at the fremont diner in sonoma. i had the buttermilk waffles with fried chicken and maple syrup. oh....holy cow it was good.

please advise

your thoughts.

here is the top contender for the weekend getaway. 2 bed, 1 bath and almost one acre. has been in the same family for 90 years and has a wonderful history. only 90 some miles from the city and right in that sweet spot price range.

of course, this one we did not see in person as i found it online after our day of cabin hunting with our friend and real estate agent in the woods. BUT i have a hunch from the other photo's of this place that we might have made an offer that day.

more to come, but in the meantime...what do you think? share all if and when you have time this weekend any experiences or knowledge you have about log cabins.

high spring

bud left this earth yesterday, and i know awaiting him was the woman he always called his bride, maxine. i can't imagine with all my heart and mind a sweeter reunion than them being together again.

these photo's reminded me of grandpa's favorite past time, his vegetable garden and his rose beds. if he wasn't reading the paper with is cup of coffee at 7am, he was out looking at and tending his soil and crop..and whistling away.

today was an exceptionally beautiful day in sf, and i couldn't take my mind and heart away from the memories of laughter and pure joy spent in the garden with bud. priceless indeed.

oh the stories

can you believe this. it is like treasure island...oh, the stories of the finds could surely fill up a whole book.

i could maybe fill up 5 shelves of this wall with my finds and i can tell you where i found each piece and that would take at least a full day to tell.

hope this finds you all ready for a cheerful and restful long weekend. let the treasure hunting begin.

off to the woods now.

cabin fever

after 5 months of looking for that perfect perch in the city and 2 "give it all you got" offers, we have returned to our original plan: keep our apt in the city and find a cabin north for easy weekend getaways.

it is brutal in the sf housing market and i just don't think the time is right for us and our hearts are still set on napa valley, redwoods, rivers and quiet. B-mo needs woods to roam and chase his woodland creatures. for him, a fertile smelling round.

we are heading up to look at 3 cabins tomorrow. fingers crossed again that that little rustic and original hobbit home is waiting with our names written in the pine.

photo's found on skona hem

a happy place

it just can't get much better than this for me.

i don't remember who's blog led me to emerson made, but i am sold. she has that simple, elegant sophistication that is so effortless and loads it with charm.

you have to check out her refreshing pov. click here emersonmade.

and the winner is part 2

that darn, affordable carnation. another little way to brighten up your already wonderful day. $6.00 and this time they came with some amazing greens with broad leaves.

old trophy, too good of a bargain to share online.

yay, its thursday evening...i think i will have a full glass of wine to ring in the weekend a bit early.

ps...i'm getting nervous as the copper tags have not arrived for the wedding bottles...if they don't arrive tomorrow i will have to go forward with plan b (no copper tags)

phase one

i'm helping a friend this weekend with her wedding/reception flowers. she wanted to use these milk bottles she has been hanging onto for several months (she drinks the milk) and i think she made the right choice. the location is rustic and in the headlands right on the other side of the golden gate bridge....

when you are on a budget the creative forces can be intense, and this is something i wanted to take off her plate as she has more important task to manage (family, hair and stuff)

so, this is the first phase. wrapping my favorite utilitarian vice (TWINE) around the neck. then... i am awaiting copper hang tags (used for gardening), which i will fasten around the knot on the twine... their names and the date will be embossed with a sturdy pen. usually this is something i do for a gift, but why not transfer it right to a bottle...

then the wild flowers take center stage.

i'm keeping my fingers crossed these hang tags make it by tomorrow...please keep yours crossed too. if they don't, its our secret and magic must ensue immediately.

dreamy indeed

my new friend at 24 corners found this great post on cote de texas, to give me more hope and inspiration for the "hoof" lamp. well, it worked and i am inspired...this photo is intoxicating and takes me to a time i am so curious about...the 18th century, in the country side.

this is a photo from Chateau Montgeoffroy in the Loire Valley, France.

3 little ditties

1) a trip to berkley and we came home with roses from one friends garden and the most amazing eggs from another friends city chicken coop.

2) french tea cup with many cracks, but still holds water

3) 1930's small oil on canvas with a few small flaws, $20.

all in all a nice little threesome.

nyc

the pillow (new york pillow), the chair, the floors. need i say more.

missing NYC lately.

from flea to flashy

when i moved to sf 5 years ago my first and most important task was to find all the best flea markets in the area. i was willing to drive and drive if needed, but soon found the once a month alameda flea market in the east bay.

it was HUGE and felt a bit rough around the edges back in the old days (2005), just my style. well, 5 years later it is called "antique sale" and it is still HUGE and now if you show up at 9am you have to park so far out you need to catch a shuttle. ;o(

i went last weekend for the first time in the last 6 months and i was so overwhelmed by the changes that i wasn't able to focus enough to even consider buying. i left empty handed this time, but i am going to be fully prepared and armored next month. i will have to show up at 6am and wearing my running shoes. (most of the items i gravitated to were sold)

am i shady??

so, on my recent visit to idaho, i stopped at the local ranchers market to pick up the best dried fruits in the world. i know you would all love this market. its right in the middle of almost nowhere, there are barrels of dried beans, every vegatable seed you could ever imagine, local eggs, and ton's of dried fruits and honey's. simple the best small town market you can find. i used to ride my bike here as a kid and get their fresh apple cider slushies...

well, the owner sold one of his many ranches and brought a batch of his treasures to the market to sell in a little antique corner in the market (new since my last visit a year ago).

i arrived in idaho on a friday morning, stopped by the ranch market, bought my usual dried fruits and homemade fig newtons and noticed this new antique corner addition. i spotted this right away, took a look, admired and walked out telling myself it was crude to consider owning something like this.

well, let me wrap this up for you as i know i am really rambling. on my way to the airport on sunday i stopped in to get some more friut to bring home, walked over to the corner, asked how much the lamp was (no one knew because it actually wasn't for sale), negotiated with the owner and walked out the door with it and scrambled to find a place opened that would ship this.

it was a great find, but after shipping it back to san francisco, the cheap thrill wore off. anyway, can you blv this shade, how did they do this?

i will post in a few months after i save some pennies, get a new shade made and get it re-wired.

please tell me if you were to see this in someone's home, would you be disturbed?? tell the truth.

living under a big rock

wow, wow, wow! am i the only one who didn't already know about this great blog called a perfect gray? i always feel like i'm living under a rock when i find these wonderful blogs.

i just found this blog (or she found mine first) and just recieved that shot of new inspiration that i desperately needed. you know it is good when you look through all the old post...get to then end...and want more. now i will go back and read them, since my visual stimulation has been satiated. a perfect gray has a very fine tuned perspective and it took no time for me to drink her cool aide. check it out when you get a moment.

both images from her blog.

top image from peppermint bliss. i love this image for the whimsy of the striped curtain, to the formal-primitive feel of the shutters and then there is the contrast of the mid-century chair with the pop of chartreuse in the pillow.

bottom image from bohemian shoebox. this image evokes the artist in us all. we all need a room like this where we can hang inspiration, pile the books and have the option of a romantic fire when in the mood to create.

stacks of piles

i am a composed and organized hoarder and stacking dishes on shelves in the kitchen is the most organized i'm gonna get. don't get me wrong though...everything does have a home.

each little dish/cup found = under $10.