Feet First

Friends, I'm leaping off into a long 4-day weekend and I'm not ashamed to say I feel about as excited as the people in this photo. I've been working my behind off around here. Speaking of...

Those close to me will appreciate this image. It recalls to mind the Memorial Weekend four years ago when I decided to do a little cliff diving myself. I lacked something in my form and came down onto the water awkwardly, pretty much breaking my behind.

No cliff diving this weekend people. Just don't do it.

Otherwise, enjoy some time outdoors over the next few days. I know that's what I'm going to do.

*Image Via

Swept Away

I've been swept away by this photo shoot entitled "Windswept", featuring model Camille Rowe, shot by photographer Tim Barber for Marie Claire. In just a few stills, it's amazing how together they brilliantly captured the essence of summer. Looking through these, I can easily feel a salty breeze whipping through my hair and the warmth of the afternoon sun against my cheeks.

I gotta say, the anticipation has been building. We're right on the cusp of Memorial Day weekend here in the States. So despite what the calendar says, it's feeling like a whole lot of summer around here already.

Via

{Fresh Ideas} French Connection Home Catalogue

British retailer French Connection recently released it's first Home Catalogue. At just 12 pages, it's a finely edited collection of organic textures, small home accessories and furniture set against a minimalist color palette. It's perfectly grounding and offers the subtle suggestion that we could quite possibly live very happily with just the bare essentials.

Some new twists on bedding and artwork certainly caught my eye, as did the juxtaposition of slick white floors set against chunky knits and rustic wood accents.

Simplicity without forsaking thoughtful details.

Dive into the full French Connection Home collection here.



 

For Lazy Days by the Pool

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THE LIST

Last week, we decided to take a long weekend- in part because it was our anniversary and also to give us a couple of extra days to focus on getting some things done here. We have this punch list- actually we call it "THE LIST"- where we've detailed out all of the things we are hoping to accomplish on the house by the time summer officially rolls around. 

So our time off these past few days was in fact spent staining fences, laying sod, hanging blinds and planting vegetables. Yes, in fact you now know I'm about as un-hip a Hipster as they come these days. In the interest of keeping it real around these parts, I'll even make another confession. Despite copious amounts of hand washing, I feel like I have had a perpetual line of dirt under my fingernails- hell, in my ears and up my nose even- for months now. The Mister looked at me on Saturday night and informed me that he purposely let me walk around with a dirt mustache all day because he thought it was cute. I guess I'd have bigger problems if he thought it wasn't.

But I've digressed... my real intention of this post is to simply say that while house projects typically equal relaxation for me, THE LIST is giving me anxiety. With Memorial Day weekend coming up, our deadline is fast approaching and it feels like it might not all get done like we wanted. 

We may have to re-think our deadline. Or just bust our asses to get it done. The jury is still out on which way that will go. We'll see where we are at after the muscle fatigue wears off over the next day or two.

*Image Credits Via / featuring the work of Lettering Artist Alison Carmichael 

Happiness is Here

Today is the day, I married my sweetheart of 13 years. We drove away to this beautiful house in the desert and had ourselves one amazing party, where at least 10 different things didn't go as planned. Life has been a lot like that ever since. Despite best intentions and all the determination in the world, so much in the years that have followed have not gone as we planned. But just as it all worked out in the end that day, with a beautiful sunset, the champagne flowing and lots of laughter and dancing, I'm pretty confident we are going to realize every dream we've ever set out to make together. There's so much to be grateful for already. Because happiness is already here.

The House We Eloped To

This week has me reminiscing about the weekend The Mister and I eloped to the desert. Of course we brought 150 of our nearest and dearest and had one hell of a party. But in my memory, that adventure started out with just the two of us, rising early to load up a carload of carefully packed boxes and suitcases, then smiling with excitement as we pulled away from our home to go seal our fate.

I think I've honed my design palette on many beautiful spaces over the years. But there is one influence that really stands head and shoulders above the rest. Perhaps it's because of the memories I made over the three days our families bunked up together preceding our wedding day. Perhaps it was set in motion much earlier than that even- during the planning, scheming and dreaming in the four months that preceded that stay. But the house we were married in, will forever be the house of my dreams.

The four bedroom, five bath modern-regency style house was built in 1967 and is situated on a winding street of old money estates, built by the likes of Palmer, Kriesel and Alexander, in the Vista Las Palmas neighborhood in Palm Springs.

I always wondered about the home owners. I wondered how they could even temporarily share such a magnificent space with group of total strangers ready to get their party on. I thought they must be crazy to willingly open their palatial front doors and allow a crowd of wedding crashers to do "the lawnmower" and "the shopping cart" across their beautifully polished terrazzo floors.

I know I could not do it.

If it were mine, I wouldn't share it with anyone... except maybe 150 of my nearest and dearest.

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