more of that please

why, oh why am i always on the prowl for inspiration. is it because i cannot find satisfaction in my own surroundings? is it because i am not grateful for all the blessing? these are the questions i ask myself often...as if my thirst is never quenched.

i must confess the above is far from the truth. i simply am addicted to dreaming and creating and living a bit outside of my reality. aspire...not for more or better or even beauty...just an enormous appreciation....

there, now i have let go of the guilt of spending the last 30 minutes just looking at images...maybe because i got my fix. i mean come on...can one ask for just a little more texture :).

images found here

oh what a feeling

i can imagine the forging and gathering it took to find these special pieces in these rooms. a reminder of simple and effortless living (at least it looks that way to me).

i think i am going to head up to hillside, find some stumps & branches and make a table, sailboat, something...well, maybe not this weekend...but i will definitely think about it for spring.

images found on made a mano website. stunning tile in europe.

RIP Elizabeth Taylor

we watched national velvet over and over when i was a kid and Elizabeth Taylor will forever be etched in my memories and heart. so many movie classics like cleopatra and giant......too many to recall. it feels like old hollywood is quickly vanishing. RIP Elizabeth.

opposites attract

here i sit, the inspiration coming from every direction and my indecisive self makes a grand appearance. good thing there are more important things happening in life right now and we do not need to make a decision right now, but i am still unsure what color direction hillside will end up taking. too many elements to consider at this time, but i do love these images...and they do keep my mind churning.

2 plus weeks

the better half is away on a work trip....far far away. sri lanka to be exact. well, i guess being away from home for over two weeks can be tolerable when retiring after a long day at this beach side resort.

i'm thinking this seems more like spring break than "work trip" and next time i want to go on this work trip..for the ride of course.

hang tight loops, only 6 days to go. photo taken on assignment by loops.

so close

it seems to be the rainiest winter since i move to sf in 2005 and for the last month, the rain suddenly appears on the weekends. what is up with that? all i am saying is, i am ready for spring...and the fragrant and sunny morning walks.

first image found at shanna murray blog

2nd and 3rd found on dave coote

don't get too excited

so, here they are..painted floors. i can't seem to capture the warmth of the color with my camera. i will tell you that in person this color really has a warm, almost mushroom hue to it. you will just have to come and see it for yourself.

and the big bummer is the state of california has a ban (lead content) on lacquer and oil based paints. of course i wanted high gloss to reflect even more light, but this will have to do for now...until i get to oregon or canada to smuggle some in :) or maybe i could score some favors/trades?

now the guilt sets in as i really want to be better at protecting the earth and environment. every little bit helps and if i need to use a latex based paint to do my part, well so be it. just hope the come out with high gloss, environment friendly sooner than later.

anyway, sorry there is not more life in the photo's....

desperate

i'm revived for a moment and thought i would do what i needed to do.....post something, anything. i have been in an inspiration slump of late. mostly due to the taxing reality that mon-friday brings. the routine seems to have taken a sharp turn, completely bypassing the inner "wanting" to be creative self.

i happened to have a weekend to myself out at hillside, with the grand goal of painting the front guest room floor. well, i did it...i achieved 2 coats of paint application (will post results tomorrow or the next day). aside from that i ended up eating lots of good bad food, drinking drinks i never drink (but love) and taking long walks with mo in the sunshine, while hoping he hasn't lifted his leg near or on poison oak.

the rains came in late this morning, so i decided to take a few photo's, do another load of laundry, clean up and head back to the apt. luckily, a few of the dozens of photo's i took actually made the final cut (thank god for digital...i delete more than i could ever admit).

happy sunday evening all, or monday morning or whatever day this post reaches you. since i am home alone for 2 plus weeks, i'm having a friend over for a no meat meal tonight.

ps. b-mo misses you loops

on the block

if you have been to san francisco you know there are only a handful of other cities in the world with such a diverse and constant collection of architecture. literally, within a one block radius i can see myself living in 90% of the homes........ each one is unique in its own special way and most in my neighborhood were here before the 1906 big earthquake. oldies but goodies.

we are not heading up to the cabin this am as we have a b-day party, so i decided to bring the camera along during b-mo's morning walk.

here are 2 of my favorite front doors in the block radius....more to come too. i think we all have a bit of obsession with front doors..they say so much about the experience of the home, they are similar to a great smile when greeting someone.

neat and wow shout out

shout out to StyleKouncil. my friend kat and her business partner kelly have taken san francisco by storm with their smashing new and practical approach to fashion for the masses...and some of san francisco's finest. and here are some of the current trends interpreted by these two masters...using their vintage finds and mixed with off the rack pieces. so proud of you both and continually inspired.

here is a little snippet from the article in 7x7 magazine. check out the full article here.

snippet: Kat Yeh and Kelly Sparks’ business cards are printed on old-fashioned garment tags and list a couple of curious services: closet curation and retail adventures. The fashion-industry vets, who met in 2002 while working at Levi’s (Yeh as a brand manager and Sparks as a designer), are bringing their personal-styling moxie to the masses by overhauling San Francisco closets one tattered, ill-fitting, and passé garment (think wide collar shirts and baggy jeans) at a time. They’ll preserve important personal style elements (your vintage Nirvana concert T—safe!), while updating entire wardrobes with iconic essentials tailored to each client’s taste.

last but not least...shout out to loops for his on set assistant stylist work..skilz baby, skilz.