2.28.2011
Some Scenes From The Weekend...
2.25.2011
Blogger's Favorites -- Alix and Dottie of Modern Kiddo...
Do you ever meet someone and they just, well...instantly make you smile? You know, there's sort of an immediate feeling of happiness that overcomes you just by the simple act of making their acquaintance?
That's what happened to me the first time I met Alix and Dottie. They were lovely and magical and warm. I walked away from that first meeting instantly smitten...and happy. A full year passed and I encountered them again, and the exact same thing happened. It wasn't a fluke; they were genuine happy-makers.
We need more happy-makers in the world, don't you think?
I'm so excited to share their picks with you guys this week. Without further ado, herewith Dottie and Alix's favorites, Enjoy and have a splendid weekend!
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2.24.2011
Decorating for the Long Haul
As I’ve embarked on my little living room "revamp" project and Operation Simplicity, I’ve been thinking a lot about this idea of decorating for the long haul…this notion of design longevity.
When I flip through the pages (which I do almost every single day) of Handcrafted Modern, I’m struck by the utter timelessness of images. Most of the spaces that Leslie Williamson documents haven’t been “touched” in years, many, in fact, are exact replicas of how the owners/designers inhabited the space in the 60s, and yet, I’d happily move into any one of them today without changing a thing.
I had this same sense when Nelya sent me the images above of the home of California architect Ray Kappe… He and his wife have lived in this home (that he designed) for over 40 years, and it is still completely and totally relevant…beyond relevant even.
So while I’m busy switching up pillows, I’m careful not to let myself be seduced by what’s merely "of the moment" or (just as important) turned-off by something just because it feels a bit "overplayed" in the design blog-world (Jenny wrote a great post about that topic). I’m trying to follow my gut and my heart, to create a space that is a true (and somewhat timeless) reflection of our family.
Oh and I want cool pillows too. Just sayin.
2.23.2011
Some Fear (and Frustration) Embraced...
I’m about to state the obvious… Ready?
Ballet is hard. Really hard.
But it’s not hard in the way that I expected it to be hard -- my body isn’t crying; rather my brain is. See (for me) it’s hard in the way that the New York Times crossword puzzle is. It’s a bit of a brain tease. I can’t remember the moves I’m supposed to be doing, I can’t get my feet to do the right thing at the right time, I am furrowed in thought and concentration (and frustration) during the entire 90-minute weekly class...
The upside of the situation is all that mental angst makes me forget that I’m actually exercising, which is a bonus given my history of hate re: the exercising. I’m all about being active, I just don’t really want to be reminded that I’m being active while I’m being active, so I lean toward the family bike ride, the living room dance party…all the things you sort of get lost in and forget that you're actually (yes) exercising.
So the mental gymnastics is good for that, but for my ego, well…not so good. I’m not sure what it is about my personality that expects I’ll “get” things right away. I am frustrated easily, and then I’m not very nice to myself. Remember "the summer of self-improvement"? Yes, making a Polish chandelier is hard too. If it was easy everyone would be doing it. We’d have a glut of Polish chandeliers out there waiting to be snapped up. But it’s hard; it takes work, that's what makes it special…a good thing, yes?
Last Saturday at my second (!) class (and I’m not sure why I felt I should be channeling Natalie Portman in just my second attempt ever at ballet, but alas I was), during a particularly tricky series, I was quietly chanting under my breath, “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t…” I’m a real positive girl, clearly.
The incredibly lovely and graceful (and much older) woman standing next to me in class (and who is very much a beginner but somehow far more zen about the entire enterprise) leaned over and whispered, “say you can, embrace your inner-ballerina”.
Now a statement like that would have normally made me giggle and maybe even roll my eyes, but she was right, if I’m going to do this thing, I need to do it. After all, for the past year and a half, during the girlie’s classes, I’ve been watching the adult ballet class intently (albeit the advanced class) longing to be doing what all those amazingly graceful, strong people were actually doing (not thinking about doing).
So next class I’m embracing the inner-ballerina friends, full on. I’m not afraid...
2.22.2011
Loving...
And for the rest of the week, she's donating 30% of all sales from her shop to charity... Go buy a poster!
2.21.2011
Some Scenes From The Weekend...
Audrey and Bryan went on a father/daughter camping trip this weekend, so Millie and I were left to our own devices and managed to have a pretty rockin' go of it.
We had a girlie dinner with lovely cousin Erin + our friends Sara and Ava (and Sara's major trooper of a hubby, Todd) at La Duni where the littles frolicked in the lawn in the crazy lovely spring-esque evening.
Afterward we cruised through the mall a bit where I discovered that Millie is a natural shopper. She would scan racks and lovingly pick out her selections and insist on a "try on" in the dressing room. We had a weekend packed full of fun and when I asked her before bed last night what her favorite part was, without missing a beat, she answered, "buying those beautiful shirts at the mall". (For the record the "beautiful shirts" were two cotton, short sleeve t-shirts from H&M...one white and one light pink, totally embellishment free).
She scares me a little, I'm not gonna lie.
Saturday we had our respective ballet classes (more on my ballet progress later) and then got a lesson in making pie crust from scratch from our buddy Nicole. Yes, I had never made a pie crust from scratch. Shameful, I know. It was a revelation...so easy and satisfying. I am now a homemade pie crust convert. Just thought you should know.
After our culinary adventures, we went out for another great meal, this time at Park with Lucia and Pete and baby Oliver (and lovely cousin Erin who joined in on our antics all weekend) and then a quick jaunt to see an exhibit at Bows and Arrows where we fell into some serious melancholy over "the golden pig" (pictured above). I want that pig...I've coveted it for some time in fact. But when I casually mentioned my desire to Erin, Millie went, well...sort of ballistic (calmly ballistic). She did not want me to have the pig. No matter what. After quizzing her a bit on what was bothering her about the pig, the only explanation she could come up with was that Bows and Arrows was not a "buying store" (not sure where she got that notion, and hope that it didn't somehow put bad juju on Alicia and Adam's genius establishment).
I still want the golden pig. She and I are working through it.
2.18.2011
Blogger's Favorites -- Erin of Apartment #34
When I first spotted Erin in the bar of the Grand America during Alt, I'm not going to lie, I was intimidated.
First there was the matter of her height. She's tall...like goddess/supermodel tall. She's also incredibly stylish, and lovely and blond. Yep, she scared me. Is that bad to admit??
But then we hung out a bit, and chatted (and chatted some more) and shared a meal, and all of the sudden all that crazy intimidating (tall) loveliness was totally eclipsed by how funny and smart and kind she was. She's good people that Erin.
And as soon as I asked her to do a favorites list for us, I know it would be all kinds of cool (given her editorial prowess over on her blog), and it is. She's just got such an amazing eye...I'm smitten with every single image she sent over.
So without further ado, herewith Erin's 2011 favorites. Enjoy and have a splendid weekend!