Reading Rainbow

I never thought about organizing my bookshelf, let alone color coordinating it, but this looks incredible!

Now I'm going to have to fight the urge to buy all my books based on their outward appearance. Talk about judging a book by its cover (I couldn't resist that one)..

Inspiration: La Dolce Vita

A little space, please

Where do you go to be alone, to gather or to let go of your thoughts? If you're anything like me, a little quiet self-reflection time is necessary. Growing up in what used to be a small town, I had my own special place to go to and think while taking in the ocean or a sunset. Now, our little beach town is packed with people, and all those little secret places have been outed. But while we can't control some things, I still think it's important to have a space you can truly call "my place."

My latest goal is to make my bedroom into more of a haven like these inspiring spaces

I’m feeling calm, inspired, and creative all at the same time just by looking at these photos! :)

Inspiration: paper n stitch, Design Delights, Loving.Living.Small., {frolic!}, Amy, A Cup of Jo

Sending some spring your way

It might be sunny and 75 degrees in California, and I might be poolside as I type this, but it's not spring everywhere just yet. I bet someone living back east would enjoy one of these postcard gardens right about now..

London-based A Studio for Design has cleverly combined Postcard + Gardens to create these awesome Postcarden designs. Who wouldn't enjoy a little mailbox love and a mini living garden in one?

Inspiration: That Unreliable Girl

No green thumb, No problem

Spring has definitely sprung in Southern California, and one of my favorite things of the season are the lush gardens that begin popping up everywhere. The trails that I run were nothing but dry weeds and dirt a few weeks ago, but now are bright green with wild flowers blooming.

My mom is an excellent gardner, but the green thumb gene must skip a generation, because I seem to (unintentionally) kill every plant I'm asked to take care of (insert apology to the tomato plant that didn't survive the summer). But despite all this, I'm determined to plant something that survives this spring. Enter the succulent.

For someone who loves all things colorful, I really like this plant. There is a house in town whose front yard is full of them, and it looks so unique and well, rad.

I like the earthy nature of the succulent, and how each variety is so different. And it doesn't hurt that they are likely to survive, even with little water.

Because a cactus is a type of succulent, and well, cacti survive in the desert, I figured I might have a shot at success. I found some inexpensive plants at the farmer's market, and with a bowl and some cactus mix, here's the before and after:

Granted, I just potted these guys this morning, but so far so good! ;)

On a side note, I want a vertical garden like this one

Florist Flora Grubb sells kits for these vertical succulent gardens in her San Francisco shop. Happy Spring!

Inspiration: A Cup of Jo, Mossiere, Fresh Dirt, Project Wedding

That's a hoot

Yesterday was my sister's birthday, and she really likes owls - they seem to be a pretty popular bird lately. So when I saw these cupcakes, I decided to try and make them for her. I was a little unsure of how they would turn out, but I think they're kinda cute and they actually look somewhat close to the ones from my cupcake book:

It was really easy to do, you just need a few things:

I used a makeshift piping bag to create the feathers (I added cocoa powder to the frosting to harden it up so that the feathers would stand up-right). The hardest part was separating the Oreos (or cheaper "Kid-O's" brand that I found at the store..) evenly, so I microwaved them for a few seconds to soften them up.

If you are a cupcake freak like me, I totally recommend this book - it has the coolest ideas, like these for April Fool's Day

or this if you're really ambitious

YES, those are cupcakes. Crazy huh.

Hope you have an inspiring weekend!

..When I'm sixty-four

A friend of mine from college is an a-maz-ing writer and has a first-rate blog. I was recently inspired by her idea to write a letter to herself that she'll open in 5 years.

If you've ever found an old wallet from high school or maybe a letter you never opened, you know that feeling of re-finding something from the past. When I was a kid, I once found an arrowhead in a field by my house, and was thrilled to find something no one had discovered in who-knows-how-long. I love an unexpected find, and have always wanted to bury or dig up a time capsule. And, truth be told, I'm also secretly fascinated by all the old men who roam the beach with metal detectors.

So naturally, when I saw Leah's post about writing a letter to your future self and receiving it in 5 years, I was into it. I wrote out my hopes and goals for my 29-almost-30 year-old self, sealed and self-addressed it to Rachel Katz-Gyllenhaal, and mailed it off to Leah in San Francisco.

It's nice to know I've got a hand-written letter coming to me in 2015 - hopefully email won't have completely taken over by then. Above all, I can't wait to see if what's important to me today still stands in 5 years. Hope you're inspired to do the same. Thanks Leah!

Feels like..

summer!

(superbomba)

A Thousand Words

You know what I love about photography?  It's that we can all look at the same exact sunset, and yet, I bet if we each took a picture of it, they would all turn out a little different from each other.  Perspective is what makes each of us unique, and that truly comes through in photos.

These fantastic photos were taken by a friend of mine who has documented her day-to-day life for the past 4 years.  With her camera, Jessie has managed to capture amazing detail in simple, everyday things.  Her thoughtful project has inspired me to slow down and to look again, maybe from a different angle, at what I ordinarily pass by.   Here are a few more of my favorites:

"I find beauty in these little details of my everyday life."  Thanks for inspiring us, Jessie!

Chalk it up to..

Ever since I saw the movie, 500 Days of Summer, I've wanted to have a wall like this to draw on, write inspirational quotes, and jot down thoughts.

There's also something liberating about having the freedom to draw on walls again, since most of us haven't done that since we were 5 years old and armed with crayons.

I plan to make a calendar like this one.  And it looks pretty easy to do, thanks to the genius of Martha.

Every month you can just wipe the slate clean.  Love that.

I was excited when I found out that chalkboard paint is inexpensive, and that you can make it in a variety of shades. I was thinking that all I needed was a blank wall to create my own chalkboard canvas, UNTIL I came across these photos that inspired me to think outside the box..

I'll never mistake parsley for cilantro again. Crisis averted!



The possibilities are pretty much endless.  If you prime your wall or door with magnetic primer before applying the chalkboard paint, you've got a magnetic chalkboard.  So, what would you do with a can of chalkboard paint?



Inspiration: Martha Stewart, Design Sponge, Apartment Therapy, Urban Jane, Restart My Heart

If walls could talk

I don't know about you, but I'm a little suspicious of this whole Kindle, electronic book business. What are you hiding in there? When I go to the airport, I want to be able to see what you're reading, and to make decisions about you based on your literary choice. Is that so much to ask?

In all seriousness, I like to keep all the books I've read, not so much for anyone's benefit but my own. It's sort of like a memory book (pun intended) - scanning my bookshelf takes me back through different phases in my life, and I can remember where I was when I read each particular one. They're memories in themselves - funny quotes, great wisdom, unforgettable people. I'd love to one day have a bookshelf like this:

There's something about this photo that says, "I've read a LOT of books." Something to aspire to.

Which bookshelf best suits your genre?

Inspiration: Mossiére, A Cup of Jo, Clever Spaces

Wouldn't it be nice

Potholes seem to be popping up all over the place lately, ever since all this bizarre weather we've been experiencing. Wouldn't it be nice if, instead of chunks of missing pavement, every pothole looked like this!

Inspiration: Pete Dungey

Light-en up

I think lighting is really important in creating a space. And lately, I've been seeing some amazing, unique types of lighting using exposed, bare lightbulbs that I thought I'd share. Like this chandelier...

I love the vintage look and the eclectic mix of bulbs. And these...

Inspiration: 100 Layer Cake, Mossiére, Domestic Adaptation, Vic{Lost}

Color Coded

When I give people a hand-knit hat or headband, sometimes they ask me how I got the yarn to change colors, as if it's magic. Well, the truth is, it IS magic. Secret's out.

Learning how to seamlessly change colors in knitting was one of the most important things I learned to do, right up there with casting on and knitting in the round, and it's actually really simple. One of my friends asked me to make him a rastafarian-colored headband (creative of him, no?), so I thought I'd take some pictures as I changed colors along the way to show you show I do it. Hopefully this sheds more light than it does confusion, but you can't say I didn't try!

First,

pick your colors.

Next, knit with one color for a few rows until your stripe is as wide as you want it to be before you add the next color.

Time to change colors. It's the same technique you'll use when you run out of yarn and need to start a new ball. A helpful hint: change colors at the BEGINNING of a new row, not right in the middle. It will look much more cohesive.

Cut the old yarn, leaving about a 6-inch-long tail, and let it hang. Hold the beginning 6 inches of the new yarn (shown here in yellow) with your left hand, and just start knitting with the yarn (see visual steps below). The first stitch will be a little loose, but don't fret, you can fix it later.

To secure the new yarn: knit about 6 stitches or so of your newly colored row, stop, and tie the ends of the old and new yarns together in a nice little square knot. Later, when your piece is finished and it's time to work away the ends, you can untie that knot. Easy peasy!

Then, continue to knit your new row, and here's what you should start to see:

One more thing for those of you switching back and forth between two colors. If your stripes are only a few rows wide, it will get tiring having to start new yarn over and over again. Instead, you can just let the yarn you aren't using hang along the side of the piece. Then, every time you get to the side where this yarn is hanging, just twist it once with the yarn you are currently using to knit. When you're ready to switch back to that color, start knitting with it again. Sorry I don't have a picture of this, yet!

Here's the finished product. I kinda like it! What do you think?

For a fantastic how-to knitting book for novice to advanced knitters (complete with very helpful step-by-step illustrations), check out Stich'N'Bitch

We're all mad here

"But then, shall I never get any older than I am now? That'll be a comfort, one way -- never to be an old woman -- but then -- always to have lessons to learn!"

Recently, all of the blogs that I find inspiration in have been posting photos of 'Alice in Wonderland inspired' mad tea parties. I love the idea of a whimsical tea party that celebrates youthful fun, complete with vintage tea cups, paper garlands, colorful sweets, and flowers everywhere.

I think a tea party would be a fabulous way to celebrate a March birthday, which incidentally marks the start of the most wonderful season, Spring!

Inspiration: Sweet Designs Wiley Valentine Oh Happy Day Green Wedding Shoes You Are My Fave

What We'll Remember

What do your favorite memories consist of? A special day, relaxing vacations in remote tropical locations, perfect sunsets, those times you laughed until you forgot what was so funny...for me, I know that when I look back on my life, I'll remember, among other things, good times with dear friends. Last weekend, my friend Rachael and I made a small dinner for our friend Brittany's big 2-5. Good conversation, endless laughs, and tasty appetizers = a successful soiree.

Signed Sealed Delivered

When was the last time you picked up a pen and your trusty inkwell, hand wrote a note, took it to the post office and actually (gasp) mailed it to a friend? No, I'm not referring to the obligatory thank you card to grandma. I love sending and receiving hand written notes. You have to appreciate the effort that goes into them, especially when we click through hastily composed emails day in and out. That being said, here is some stationary I made for my friend, Brit.

I found inspiration in my mom's friend, Jan, who puts Martha Stewart to shame (if you know Jan and the things she does, you know that's not an exaggeration). This is a super inexpensive project that you can really take in any direction - all you need is a few different colors of construction paper, scissors, a glue stick, and imagination. Let's bring back the written word, people!

I like these pieces because they are the note and envelope in one. What a fun way to say hi to an old friend!

Inspiration: Cricut Expression