before...and after to follow

i found this great little herb kit at one of my favorite, quirky SF home stores, stumasa. this little kit is made from recycled cement bags and each one is so unique and special. i really wanted to buy 10 of them and line center of the kitchen table, but couldn't make a decision on which ones to choose, so i just bought my favorite. i have this feeling i will be heading back there really soon.
this is before the growth....i will post another picture in about a week.

breaking up is hard to do

my good friend patti requested that i keep an eye open for any great ironstone bowls or platters. well, i was in idaho this last weekend and hit up a couple of great antique shops.
wouldn't you know it, i fell in love with this platter as soon as i spotted it. i pushed my way through a crowd of retired school teachers who were oohing and ahhing over shabby chic painted furniture and snagged this beauty without them even knowing what was going on. after the grab they all acted as if they were contemplating this purchase (i really didn't plow through...but like the added drama and imagery.
to me, this is one of the essentials for casual/elegant entertaining. this can serve as a cheese platter, a turkey-ham-lamb platter or just about anything you want to present to your closest friends and loved ones.
now i have to figure out how to actually part with it and hand it over to its rightful owner. i have a feeling it might be a process. (just joshing ya patti)

latte bowl addiction

i have to out my friend pam and one of her addictions. she is addicted to french latte bowls and she is also a latte bowl hoarder. if i was a little more brazen i might try to sneak one bowl every visit and put my life in danger, but with the eagle eye watching over these, i think i will just admire up close.
this mixture of both cool and warm yellows is just one of her color ways. she has a blue one (big collection), green one, pink one, red one and on and on.
i liked the look of staying focused on this little tray sitting on a great rolling table, in her kitchen. so carefree and yet useful.
every single item in this photo is a found item and quite old. i love the mellow, yet bright pallet of the of the coastal scene oil painting and the pale blue of the table, along with the old wooden tray. i wish i could say these were all bargain finds, but i can only say they were all great finds.

hot and sticky buns...all day long

well, this is Ina's (barefoot contessa) new version of the sticky cinnamon bun. she uses puff pastry instead of making your own dough with yeast.
can i just say i could eat these morning, noon and night. As a matter of fact, when i got home from my trip to seattle, i had 2 for dinner. you can find the recipe in the new barefoot contessa back to basics cookbook.
had to add this as this was a taste bud "ah ha" moment.

a clue to the motherload

this is what i am talking about. when you are in seattle, go on the hunt for this bag. it will lead you to the land of good and plenty.
i spent 3 hours at red ticking last weekend and left with inspiration and a hankering to place an order.

Pining the cones

i don't subscribe to the pine cone only being a holiday decor thing...seriously. i remember going on pine cone hunts with my grandma on road trips to the mountains and maybe that lends itself to the nostalgia that causes me to love this year round. now i have to have pam hook me up with one of these.
to me this is the perfect example of how this can be a year round part of your home. another great shot found in seattle.

honk for the horns

if this basket were driving down the street, i would honk my horn for it. much like the newlyweds from days of old.
i spent the weekend in Seattle with my good friend Pam (she is the one with the shop i dream of..red ticking). anyway, there were so many blogging opportunities when i got to her casa, i started spinning in circles.
this basket in particular was so true to one of my motto's "keep is simple, but keep the texture", that it will play as the interlude to this rash of blogs.

twist my arm

you wouldn't have to twist my arm to throw a little color in a room if....it happened to be this exact room and that exact depth of chartreuse green drape, i would do it happily.
wow, for a guy who thrives on monochromatic natural colors, this green really adds that wink surprise.
to me, this designer could have totally turned this into a "no window covering room" or a "clean linen, airy, floor length drape", but instead chose to pick a great color and refined textile to soften this modern, non-inviting sofa (which i do love), and the sleek sitting chair.
I'm inspired.

grey doors

to me, this space incorporates almost all elements of texture--i should say hard surfaces. you have a stainless table, wood chairs, brick wall, steel staircase, glass/crystal chandelier and on. but, that grey door in the back of the room drew me right in. i want to open that door in hopes of finding a petite garden....i could only dream.
dream on....

watered down version

i loves me this room. everything about it from the little lamp, to the tufted linen sofa, to the modern lacquered looking white stool and the great photo...oh, and how can i forget the little yellow canary.
what i don't love is that is spilled a glass of water on this page from the frenchie magazine, but i still couldn't resist.
this look is totally doable on a budget, it is the total prescription for casual, elegant living...with that hint of great finds (lamp, oil painting, shells and rocks) and a few essential basics (sofa and great photography).
please forgive the water damage and please take in the freshness of this look.

no jail time

i recently got back from Tulum, Mexico. it was total magic and the beaches were full of little pieces of coral (dead and broken off of course).
i couldn't help myself though, every step i took on some sections of the beach were covered like carpet with this washed up coral and i just started hoarding and filling my pockets.
i don't know why i keep loading these plates with found objects, maybe my body is telling me i am deficient and need to eat them, but for now i will enjoy the memory of walking these beaches every time i see this coral.
by the way...i made it through customs with a gallon bag full of these little gems and did not get arrested. shwew!!

dinner for 2...on a budget

so, it had been 4 weeks since my last flea market excursion. no excuse as it is only a few miles from home, but scheduling was not on my side. it wasn't one of those days where i jump up and down and look around to make sure no one else heard my outlandish deal.
well, here is my find. 2 little chairs, total nick knack, clutter makers...but a clutter i can manage for a month or so. they also came with a little ottoman, but there was no room on the plate for that piece.
$5.00 and no looking back.