weather dictates

we have been so lucky with 70's and 80's the last month and that has forced me to the outdoor projects (twist my arm..i would rather be outside with the birds any day).  anyway, i have had a major bee in my bonnet to get the front of the house fully painted, so we can live with it a bit to determine if we are ready to tackle the whole place in this color.

it has been so therapeutic as the progress at hillside seems to have taken the back burner in life.  the kitchen and bathroom are still waiting for their day, there are so many unpainted walls, the floors still need to be stained...and on and on.  this exterior paint job has allowed for a little hope.... and to me, the change is dramatic and just enough to feel a bit accomplished and not totally lazy.

all done by a brush...no sprayers on this property (although it might not be the most efficient way), no rollers...just elbow grease and a very sore neck.

i also included a photo of our country retaining wall.  part of the hill has been sliding...ever so slowly and our local friend and landscaper Jermillo has been working on this for us.  all rocks and logs from our property and his approach is old school and just my style.

i promise to get back on the wagon of blogging soon.  i am hoping the moment of crazytown is passing.

this ones for you donna

a friend is working on his kitchen and wants to paint the cabinets and we have been discussing colors. we finally landed on something very earthy and mushroom like...with some grey hues...but muted.

story boards are so easy, so fun and approachable for all of us. gets those creative juices flowing. just grab some favorite images within your color scheme, slap them on the board and then layer some color chips. it brings it all alive and makes it feel official for some reason.

of course, when i was putting this little story board together for him i thought of my friend Donna at a perfect gray.

hoping to get her stamp of approval. i just realized i am missing a few of your recommended colors donna...i'm on it.

color story

a phrase i hear almost every day....what color story or pallet will this accessory marry back too... is neon still trending for the 2013 spring collection..and so on.

well, when it comes to our own color stories..it can get complicated. i wanted to show you our first stab at exterior color for hillside...actually our second (the first was a deep grey..charcoal...dark and beautiful, but not right for this little cabin).

i wanted dark and rich on the outside (to mimic a deep, seaside shingle) and found this Encino Willow from Benjamin Moore. For me it was love at first swatch card. there is this wall of color cards and i immediately went to this color and have been sitting on it for 5 months....waiting for just the right moment.

well, it was in the 70's this weekend in Sonoma, the birds were chirping, the wind chimes gently singing and it was time to paint a bigger section.

what do you think? the trim will change to a creamier white or a charcoal grey..jury is still out on that too. it is only monday and i'm itching to get started again.

keep it simple

heading out to hillside for a 3 day weekend with lots of "to do's" in store. i get way ahead of myself and have a project list that is beginning to way me down. i just have to remember to take it one at a time and find joy in each little accomplishment, besides....its about the journey..right?

this great home that is also in NorCal really brought me back to reality. keep it simple, nothing fancy, nothing complicated...just enjoy the space and the simplicity. it really feels like a home to me...

have a wonderful weekend..i hope to have some progress reports to share with you next week.

images found here

Sprung

spring has been here for the last 2 months...and we missed winter all together...until last week that is. winter sprung up in the beginning of spring.

well, the rains came and do did the blissful music of the creek that runs through the backyard. when we got there Friday night it was raining and it sounded like a freight train was driving through our back yard...i was so excited i immediately went out back and the stream had become a raging river...brown water and all.

well, by 8am and blue skies it had calmed a bit, but all the windows remained cracked so we could hear the falls...all i wanted to do was lay down and take a nap...a dream state.

a little instagram filter

over crowding

i am as slow as molasses when it comes to furnishing rooms. i have learned to be patient and wait for that "just right" item..and of course it has to be at the "just right" price....... and these days it is not as easy as the days of past, or maybe my expectations have changed :).

finally found a dresser small enough for the "cozy" guest room and boy oh boy is it just right..in every way.

this little room is finally finished...well, maybe not totally finished, but at least there is a new place to store "stuff". the funny thing is, i am so used to no clutter that it is starting to feel crowded.

happy sunday.

pinned

i have been abducted via the "world wide web"...hee, hee (thanks for that one dad). i am officially in a program, self prescribed, to curb my new addiction to pinterest. can anyone identify with me?

well, i have givin myself 15 minutes per day to browse and gather images and i am having way too much fun. it is funny though, work has been a real beast of late, and at times i just collapse when i get home and the only thing i can rally to do is go to pinterest :). we are a no tv family (bmo must focus on his responsibilities) so browsing can be just as addictive as plunking down in front of the old boob tube.

well, here are a few of my collected images from pinning. piles that is, just like the ones i will focus on this weekend while we take a retreat to the city....hee.

images found here

space trade

so, i am contemplating a big interior shift in the city apt. we currently live in a 900 square foot edwardian/victorian combo apartment in the mission district of sf. it is technically a one bedroom, but by sf standards it is considered a 2 bedroom as they call the front living room a bedroom. maybe because it has a non working fireplace and they can get a bit more money out of the space. (good thing our landlord was calling it a 1 bed in 2006 as we got in at the one bedroom going rate...which by any other standard could afford you and estate in sun valley, idaho).

anyway, i am thinking about turning our living room into a den/office. we would still keep a sofa in the room for those frequent guests, but would also trade out some of the current furniture for a big farm table that could be used as the desk/working space. god only knows i own my share of farm tables and could open a nice diner with enough seating for 40.

this would get all the computers out of the bedroom for good. i have a habit of lounging on the bed with my laptop rested right on my lap (bmo at my side) and we can literally sit for a few hours just browsing stuff. good once in a blue moon, but several times a week can create guilt.

i am one of those people who believes the bedroom is really a place of respite and discovery. all distractions out of sight and a place to lay my head down and day dream away...with no phone or computer in sight. BUT, i have lost my way and succumb to technology attack. ha, ha...

so, after finding these photo's i am officially considering the change.

all photo's found here

moody

what a spot...it feels like a place i want to explore and smell the history of the wood burning fires and listen to the stories of holidays and gatherings.

the light is so mysterious and moody...and the charm is just right. image found here.

dear john

i must admit, john derian does it every time for me. i could move right in and feel right at home in his ptown cottage.

he has captured my attention for years...i cannot even remember how or when i heard about john, but it was well before he opened his shop in nyc. i imagine it was some publication with his work, but whatever or whenever that was....it made a lasting impression.

i actually used to stock him when i was living in nyc and would head down to his lower east side shop in hopes he would be working. on the few occasions he was actually working, i was too star struck to strike up a conversation. shoulda woulda coulda.

anyway, his style is so scavenger find with the strong hand holding onto minimal elements. perfect constraint.

fine dining

i would sure love to belly up to this table, eat a comfort food meal, and then walk a few steps and sit in that lovely chair in the corner.

love this image, the mix of woods and textures always turns me on.

reading room

this has to be the best window seat around. can you imagine? all those great books surrounding the window, that great old window itself, a space that seems to have limited foot traffic and that breeze that i know comes and goes all summer long.

the rustic feeling is so apropos for the current climate of our culture. the little luxuries of life that have been bi-passed for decades, due to our need to build bigger and better. we seem to have lost touch with priorities. i am trying to keep this personal and not political...i just continually find myself longing for simpler times and this image evokes that.