I love weekends of futzing, filled with combination of idle time and a few hours here and there cleaning and reorganizing. I’ve been washing sheets and duvets, dusting and discarding, all with the windows open and sunshine streaming in. Matt spent the day power washing and pulling weeds, it was one of those weekends where…
Greetings friends, today I’m in Interlakken, Switzerland, I haven’t been here for over two decades. I was here in my early twenties when I spent a few weeks living on the cheap and out of a backpack traveling around Europe. It’s good to be back and it’s still just as scenic as ever. While it’s…
Tomorrow I’m taking the ocean ferry to Key West with some girlfriends, they are very excited since they’ve never been before. We spent yesterday exploring the little islands near my house, it’s so nice to be able to share this lovely part of the country with my sweet friends. I have a patio project in…
Yesterday’s artisan market was a big success, it was a beautiful blue sky day that brought a crowd. I’m so pleased! It’s bittersweet to be saying goodbye to this space that I leased for a year but it taught me valuable lessons on how to run a retail shop and I met so many wonderful…
There’s a big storm happening where I’m at so I’m spending more time indoors, but thankfully I have my ceramics studio to escape too. I’m spending extra time throwing clay on the wheel this month to improve my skills. My studio has a great big barn door that we open to get fresh air, it’s…
I’ve seen a lot of botanical gardens in my life but none quite so enchanting as Claude Monet’s home and garden in Giverny. On my last visit to Paris in September, I set aside an afternoon to take the train to visit Monet’s home and it was worth the journey. These gardens served as a…
I changed my ways several years ago and decided to make December about slowing down and enjoying the season. It meant I had to remove the pressure of perfection and people pleasing by dramatically shortening my to do list, and it’s made all the difference. I used to send out dozens of holiday cards, deck…
The asymmetrical mantel display has been trending for a few years, those garlands that are off center and swag to the left or right. This year I created an asymmetrical garland in my living room and I love the way it turned out. Mine is a combination of mixed real garland (fir and juniper) and…
I’ve been working extra hours in my community ceramics studio getting ready for holiday markets coming up next month. I’ve become more skilled at throwing clay on the wheel and now have a collection of decorated and glazed vessels that will be available for sale in my local shop. I’ve also agreed to participate in…
Wow it was a hard week of processing the news, it’s a heartbreaking situation happening in the middle east. It’s difficult to focus on decorating and blogging when so many people are suffering in that part of the world. What did make me feel good was a visit from my cousin who is the same…
Autumn greetings! It definitely feels like fall here in Northern California as the trees are slowly shedding their leaves. I gave myself a few days to recover from my trip to Paris and Amsterdam and now I’m feeling back to normal. I ordered supplies for a few DIY projects I have planned for the holidays…
I leave for Paris tomorrow, I’m excited to be showing it off to a friend who has never been. After a few days we will be in the Netherlands exploring that country. I’ll be posting about in on Instagram stories if you want to see what those places look like in autumn. We’re starting on…
I am famous among my friends and family for booking cheap flights to Europe in the spring and fall. I stay away from the continent in summer but when I see a deal pop up, I clear space in my schedule to go! I prefer to visit European countries in April, May, September, or October…
The floors in our California home are finally done after three long weeks of waiting, starting with their repair and ending with a rich dark finish. Hardwood floors, while beautiful, are not good for spaces with water (bathrooms and kitchens) and our recent toilet overflow proves it. However, now that the floors are done and…