Just One More...

images via design sponge

If, by remote chance, you aren’t already reading Weeder’s Digest on d*s, you should be… Sarah is rather brilliant and insanely funny.

Blogger’s Favorites – Lovely Cousin Erin

I've tried to write an adequate intro to this blogger's favorite post three different times, but, well... I'm failing. Apparently I love my cousin Erin so much, it’s hard to find words perfect enough to describe her...

How about this -- She’s insanely lovely and kind and smart and funny and creative and talented and pretty much my third sister. Check her out here and here…

Herewith Erin’s favorites. Enjoy and happy Friday!

When Joslyn asked me to do this the first thing I did was go back through and see what all the other bloggers wrote as their favorites. What I found was a million of my favorite things. In fact, my apologies if I am being redundant in some of my faves… but great minds think alike huh? I read Joslyn’s blog religiously not only because I am related to her but because well…she just rocks!! I find endless amounts of inspiration from her and her awesome recommendations. I know all of you would agree it is an honor.

1. Rosebud Salve- I got hooked on this when I was 15 before it even came to Sephora. My aunt (J's mom) got me hooked on this miracle salve. I seriously catch myself slathering it on everything, lips, cuticles, nose (in the winter).
   
2. Accessories- My personal mantra is to dress up the drab with a few accessories. You can turn any plain black tee and jeans into elegant brilliance with a statement necklace and some groovy shoes. **this works for the home as well :) or at least I am banking my job on it!**
   
3. iPhone- This silly little gadget has become my world. I travel alot, it basically replaces my computer with email, GPS, internet, suggestions for dining, metric conversions, blogging, calendar, really anything you can imagine, this lovely little device has been there for me... oh yea and it's a phone too.
   
4. Manolo Blahnik by Francesco Clemente limited edition (of 21) boots- My uber stylish mom got these for me at an amFAR event. I can count the times I’ve worn them on one hand… but they make me smile every morning when I open my closet.
   
5. Moleskin sketchbooks- I always have one with me for notes, sketches, scraps. The thick paper doesn't bleed and well they are just functional.
   
6. Books- also another thing I always have with me. Classics, trashy novels, enlightening novels, educational novels, trendy novels... I don't discriminate, just gimme a book to read.
   
7. My camera (but more importantly my photos)- I'd say I have a favorite... but I don't. (I have also messed a few up in my day) However, I do find it absolutely vital to life to always have some sort of camera in my possession. Currently, and for the last 4 years, which is a record, I've had the Sony Cybershot. It simply won't die!
   
8. Food- I love cooking food, eating out, eating in, trying new things... basically just food. (total fat girl statement, I know).
   
9. ADVENTURE- this is my top favorite thing ever. I love adventure, small and large. Since I can remember I have come up with crazy ideas to try a new adventure. Adventures like traveling to Finland in the dead of winter for 3 weeks to build snow installations, to packing my bags and moving to Manchester for a semester, to signing up for something as geeky as hand bells so that I could travel to Puerto Rico, Switzerland and Vancouver. My next adventure is to Japan to visit my little brother... so excited.

A Little List

Six* things I’m (especially) fond of today, in no particular order...

* Because six is really so much more fun that five, no?

This ensemble from Urban Renewal...


Sherrie’s handmade French clay soap

This recently stumbled upon blog …great recipes, very lovely.

This Ikat slipper chair…I can’t help it, I still love Ikat.

Cue’s little book of optimism, featuring cut-paper illustrations. Send them a self addressed stamped envelope and they’ll send you one for free.

Ten dollar drawings... Genius.

A Few More Things...

I'm selling some more goodies on ebay. Take a peek here if you're interested.

Goals

When I obtain mad sewing skills, these lovely things from Hijkids are exactly what I’d like to whip up for the girlies…

For you experienced seamstresses out there, how hard do these things seem?

Guilty as Charged…

images via house beautiful

I was flipping through an old House Beautiful (September 2007) last night and profusely declared my love for the above spread to Bryan.

“You’re obsessed with white” was his seemingly harmless response.

I vehemently, emphatically denied this. White dishes notwithstanding, I am not obsessed with white -- I love color, I love wallpaper, I love pattern...

After about ten minutes of mild stewing, I finally admitted that ok, maybe I’m a tad bit obsessed…a smidge, but it's not a 100%, full-blown obsession.

But then I was daydreaming on my way to work about what I really wanted to buy right now (sad, I know), and much to my surprise, it wasn’t anything frivolous or fun or, well...colorful. No, it was all just a bunch of white stuff… a stack of new white towels, a white Le Creuset casserole, a couple of Urban Outfitter’s comfy white slips that do double duty as nightgowns and extra-long layering pieces.

So yes, it appears I might actually be obsessed.

I hate it when Bryan’s right…

Spending Hiatus Support Group – Week Six

Some scenes from the weekend

Can you belive we're six weeks in?

And this was my easiest week yet -- by far… I must be in a groove, or maybe we were just busy...

Busy with school, busy with work, busy with a fun new project (more on that later), busy with nasty head colds all around, basically too busy to shop, to think about shopping, to find stuff that I’d like to shop for… You get the idea.

Then we made a quick weekend trip to see sweet new baby (Adelyne) and visit cousins, and we kept so busy eating homemade tamales and cooing over the baby and drinking key lime margaritas and laughing and well just having an altogether lovely time that shopping was way, way off the radar.

And honestly, it was a pretty great week (even with that nasty head cold).

How did you guys do?

Blogger’s Favorites – SF Girl by the Bay (Victoria)

Ok this list is a smidge sentimental for me.

SF Girl by the Bay was the very. first. blog. I ever read.

I stumbled across it while on maternity leave with Millie and spent many an afternoon during M’s naptime browsing through Victoria’s insanely pretty finds, reveling in the gorgeous pics of her (and my) beloved city and lusting over her light-filled, ever-evolving apartment.

So it goes without saying that I’m especially excited to share Victoria’s list with you this week... You're going to love it!

Herewith Victoria’s favorites. Enjoy and have a splendid weekend.

Thank you so much to Joslyn for including me in her Blogger's Favorites post. I am really so happy to be included among such other wonderful bloggers, and to be asked to share some my favorite things - what fun! I hope you'll see something here that perhaps inspires, or that you love, too. Thanks again, Joslyn!

My Camera Collection -- I take a camera with me everywhere I go, just running errands around San Francisco, the flea market, cafes, on my travels. Simply everywhere, because I never know when I might see something that catches my eye and I'll want to shoot it. You never know what you might capture, from the random sublime, to an intimate moment, to a candid portrait, or perhaps a gentle still life.

Flea Markets -- I love going to the flea market, and am most always in attendance at the Alameda Flea Market on the 1st Sunday of the Month. It's massive, and takes hours to get through, but I love everything about it. From the great vintage and mid-century modern finds, to the people watching, to the feeling I get when I score a really great vintage find at a really great deal.

Flickr -- I am an addict. I am simply and utterly addicted to browsing around flickr and seeing all the amazing and talented photographers and artists out there. I get inspiration there every day.

San Francisco -- I love living here. I came here as a child with my parents every summer and even as a young girl, I related to the people, the environment, the vibe. It is just my 'city by the bay'. I love that is a fairly small city (7 miles x 7 miles) and very much feels like a small town. I love how I can drive across the Golden Gate Bridge, or visit the Presidio or Golden Gate Park and be immersed in nature within moments. It is a city with something for everyone.

Blogging -- I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to call this my job. It started out as a hobby, but I found that it perfectly combined my three loves: writing, design and photography. It feels like a perfect fit for me and I love doing it, and I love being a part of the design blogging community - it is incredibly supportive and I have made some amazing friends through it. The blog is so much fun to do, so if someone gets some kind of inspiration out of it, it makes it all the more rewarding.

NPR. National Public Radio -- I listen to it each and every day while I blog and it is my main source of news, culture and music. I listen via iTunes on our local radio feed, KCRW. I don't own a television so I depend on NPR for my daily connection to the world.

Mid-Century Modern Furniture -- Eames, Saarinen, Nelson...I love them all. I love the excellent sense of design, sleek lines, and I love to mix up these pieces with vintage and contemporary pieces. I love the contrast they add to other furnishings, and the fun, eclectic look I get with them.

Vintage Portraits -- I have a family of them. I write stories about them and they are completely cheesy and endearing to me. I find them hilarious, and I like decorating with a bit of humor.

Sushi -- I could eat it every single day. I love the Japanese tradition, the etiquette, and ritual of it.

Books -- I am a book junkie. I can't just buy one, and usually buy three at a time. I love art and photography books. And I love reading a good novel. There is no greater escape than a wonderful read. Catcher in the Rye is my absolute favorite.

Small...

I especially love this spread from the spring Small magazine.

So moody and lovely...

Who Do You Love?

During my recent ode to Domino, I mentioned that Ione Skye was one of my girl crushes; I’m also rather smitten with (in no particular order) Parker Posey, Catherine Keener, Maggie Gyllenhaal -- all those dark haired indie girls.

But at the very tippy top of my list is Sofia Coppola…I’m in awe of her style, her talent, her movies, her taste…her new bags for Louis Vuitton (below). She’s just extremely, extremely cool, no?

So who is your #1?

All images via bag craze

Robyn Glaser

A line up of images I love from stylist Robyn Glaser’s portfolio. (via simply photo) I’m especially fond of that cornucopia of coffee makers… my heaven.

p.s. it looks like she does a lot of styling for my beloved Roland Bello.

Dressing During a Recession

My friend Buck sent me a link to this Bill Cunningham slide show last month that was pretty fun/interesting. The clothes are absolutely stunning. Gorgeous.

If I Were Shopping...

I'd track this bag down like a mad woman... I am such a sucker for a monogram. (via m a belle)