we used to have an ocean.

but now we have a garden, and mas says we can get chickens, and i even have a bee keeping lesson on the horizon. our walls are still not painted, but we've been spending so much time out of doors i *almost* haven't noticed (my studio is painted crisp white and i have twinkle lights in here so that too helps). north carolina, you are starting to feel a bit like home.

sneez and wheeze.

this spring thing is shit. our porch table is covered in pollen, our cars are covered in pollen, our grass is covered in pollen, every little surface inside our house is covered in pollen (we had the windows open). we tried escaping to the coast for an evening, but that was negated by our biking to yoga the next day. dear spring, can you be done spewing your yellow dust please?

back home.

the time has come to head back to the part of the world where my husband resides, and while i cannot even tell you how excited i am to do that, i must say that it makes me a tad sad. i like california more and more with every visit. which is funny because when we first moved here and were living on the beach i couldn't wait to leave.

ps - that is a paper airplane, i spent a fair amount of time this past week making them and putting a few up in the window. it was fun.

kitchen inspiration.

so things on the home front are getting serious. we are actually planning a trip to the paint store, you know in a couple of weeks, when things calm down, will they ever calm down? first on our list is the living room, the green walls are garish and driving us both out of the room. second is likely the dining room, or bathroom, but then third MUST be the kitchen. it is going to be a serious undertaking. it is easily the worst laid out kitchen either of us has ever seen, and the counter tops are tile ... i will never understand why people think tile kitchen counter tops are a good idea. anyway THIS is what we need. nice and open and pretty and white.

{images by way of this is glamorous}

things.

heath. pretty, pretty heath via the new mom.


apparently you can make peelable wallpaper out of fabric and corn starch, i'm so very tempted. via dandelion & grey.


urban outfitters is getting into the wedding industry? i know it is the place to be, but really? i'm intrigued ... or confused? {image not from uo but from here instead}

our front door.

i want, no NEED it to be this color. when we have time to paint (who's life am i living that i don't have time to paint!?) i am going to insist .. or plead, whichever works.

{door to this lovely's studio, yeah i'm a wee bit jealous}

diy projects.

has anyone ever reupholstered a couch? we inherited a nice big comfy couch from mas' parents and while it is nice and big and comfy, it is not what you would call - our style. it is kinda green and gold and fits in to a much different life than we live. i'm thinking it needs to be grey canvas. maybe i'll cover the cushions with simple pillow covers (thing giant rectangles), but what about the rest of the beast? staple gun? i don't want to ruin it, but i do want to be able to buy this pillow and have it not look disgusting on our couch ... thoughts?

ps - mas thinks i am certifiable on this one ... kinda want to prove him wrong.

daisuke hiraiwa

plastic spoons as chandelier .. i'm in lust.


by london based japanese designer daisuke hiraiwa. found here.

holy layers.

we have a smallish piece of burlap hanging in front of our porch door in the living room. it was put there for one reason but has been left there because it really adds a bit of homeyness to our otherwise kind of sterile room. currently drapes for us are not a feasible option (boo to apartments that are new and lack character ... no i don't want plastic strips that open and shut) but if they were ... or maybe when they are .. i will so dream of these. i mean how could you not???

by designer ritva puotila, go and check her woodlands site now, like right this very minute. originally found here, a new blog that has some AMAZING potential to be my new obsession.

we are officially central coast residents

last night mas and i attended our first pick up party for our first winery club and let me tell you it was fantastic. in case you were unaware the central coast is a little beach and a lot of wine. and with a lot of wine comes a lot of wineries which means ... there are an awful lot of wine clubs you can join.

our first membership came to be just a couple of weeks ago while we were out on a sunday wine tasting excursion. we signed up they sent us a letter and then we went for appetizers and tastes before picking up our four bottles of wine last night. did i mention that is was fantastic? well now we are going to begin collecting wine at a ridiculous pace and mas and i are the type of people that don't own a wine wrack.

so i am thinking a small section of wall (or counter top) covered in a few of these ...

{felted wine rack available at horne}

my very own iccle!

i mentioned these little guys a bit ago and then yesterday i received one in my mailbox! (thanks mom!) can i tell you how much i love him? no i don't think i can. in fact i am having a hard time grasping the concept myself. he just makes me so happy with his wee little body and button eyes. he is now named omar after omar little from the wire (my favorite character EVER ... please i am not done with the series so if you know of omar's future i don't want to hear it!) and hanging on our wall.


{little iccle from abigail brown's etsy shop}

aren't they splendid?

{nesting dolls by handle and spout via simple lovely}

so i'm thinking they would make a nice little addition to my desk. one for staples, paperclips, and who knows what else.

have you heard?!?!?!

orla kiely is coming to a target near you! i. can't. wait. read all about it right here.

{thanks sfgirlbybay for info and pics}

for the love of missoni

{images via auto}

it is hard to deny these poufs a place in my home, but... one day if my decorating budget allows for such extravagances they are mine, at least a few of them. available here (start on the first page and just keep going)