Twilight Walks.

> Lately we have been taking an evening constitutional walk around the neighborhood. They have turned out to be a great time to relax after a long day and actually talk to each other. There are no tasks to do - just walk and chat. It's nice. It doesn't hurt that this is our neighborhood...
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birds and jars - together!

my new glass bird jar - from Pottery Barn. 

detail of the silly bird on top.

Those of you who know me - either personally or through reading this fluff bucket of a blog - are aware that I have an odd obsession with glass jars and strange birds. I even have small glass birds that I keep in large glass jars. It drives my husband crazy.  But I guess he loves me because for our 6 year dating anniversary (April Fool's Day) he gave me the ultimate glass jar - a bird jar! That's right - it is a glass jar with a bird on top. Boo-ya!!
I'm not sure what I am going to put in it yet - I just know that I love it and I love him.

Happy Spring.

B.L.E.

p.s. - I gave him tickets to see David Sedaris on Easter Sunday. We always listen to his books on tape when we go on long car rides so it will be quite a treat to see him in person. I really really hope he tells more stories about his time in France....

Spring Cleaning.

It finally stopped raining! In fact - it has been unseasonably warm and sunny. Adam is out of town this weekend (at a funeral - it's been a rough year) so I took the opportunity to do some spring cleaning and house maintenance. Here are my accomplishments - feel free to applaud - I'm pretty pleased with myself.

Biscuit enjoying the sunshine.

1. Washed Biscuit's bedding. Good lord that dog has a lot of designated places for sleeping! I washed the cover for his couch (also his special seat for the car so he can see out the window on long trips - it looks like this). I also washed his crate pad and his bed that he keeps in front of the radiator. Shhhh don't tell Biscuit but that bed is actually a cat bed.
2. Did all of our people laundry - including sheets and towels. 4 loads - done and done. 
3. Processed and bagged up an online return that has been sitting in the laundry room for weeks. That's $86 back in my pocket.
4. Put away all the shoes. Every last pair. This required getting rid of 4 pairs of shoes. Buh bye running shoes from three years ago.
5. Cleaned out the fridge. Then washed the five gross Tupperware containers with expired food in them. By the way - the Rubbermaid stain guard food storage containers are amazing. We have had the same set - with gray lids - for four or five years now and they hold their shape, never stain and never take on the odor of what you stored in it - regardless of how long you let it fester in the fridge.
6. Washed the garbage can - outside in the sun - with Biscuit. Obviously this turned into a water hose fight since Biscuit tries to bite at the nozzle whenever I use the hose.
7. repotted a plant.

My gorgeous braided trunk tree - before re-potting. Notice the bird in the back from a previous post?

8. Emptied, loaded, ran, and emptied again the dishwasher (I did have all those tupperware leftover containers from the fridge).
9. Swept and mopped the kitchen and bathroom.
10. Cleaned and organized the laundry/sun room. This included getting rid of (or hiding in the garage) a random assortment of games, old yoga mats, a vice, expired soda water and bloody mary mix, a dead plant, numerous empty cardboard boxes and on and on.
Ugh - this was the biggest and most time consuming project since this is the room we squirrel away purgatory items - all in neat stacks and such but still it is all crap. It is where everything we do not need but feel guilty throwing away goes to die. It is also the room where most people enter and exit our house so it is kind of embarrassing to have it be such a crap free-for-all space.

Look! A flat surface in the laundry room uncovered in crap. Such a beautiful site.

Here are a few examples of the treasures found during this flurry of weekend cleaning activities --
1. We had four board games we never even opened. Plus 6 decks of cards and 3 decks of Uno cards.
2. 4 of Biscuit's tennis balls under the laundry table.
3. An unopened pack of bobby pin also under the laundry table.
4. A parking ticket from November that I really hope one of us paid. 
5. 4 spray bottles of Method all-surface cleaner - all partially used.
6. Two dozen half full mini bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion etc. from fancy hotels. You would think we were running a hostel for dwarfs with the amount of these bottles we had on-hand. 
7. A box sent to us from Adam's parents at Christmas that we somehow never opened. It contained a Superman Snuggie for Adam, a festive Christmas print one for me and some sort of Christmas cat plush toy for Biscuit. Seriously.
8. A jump rope. Eh?
9. A Dora the Explorer kite and a container of bubbles. I'm hoping these were from my niece and not how Adam entertains himself when I am out of town.
10. We have three tool sets. None of which have a standard sized Philips head screwdriver in them. One did however have a Transformer arm in it. 


For your enjoyment I included some photos of the gorgeous spring time weather this weekend. I assume y'all will find these more entertaining that an interior shot of the dishwasher.

Cheers!
B.L.E.

YARN - the perfect hat.

I love knitted winter hats. They are cozy and warm and there is something very delightfully wintery about them that seems almost festive. Living in San Francisco also means that unlike a city like say New York - hats are never required to avoid frostbite on the way to the subway but are just nice to wear to feel and look bundled up. I lost my favorite North Face beanie a few years ago while visiting New York and immediately replaced it with the same one - then lost the replacement somehow. I guess it was just not meant to be. This past fall - I started my hunt for the perfect hat. A hat that was super soft, not the least bit itchy (my forehead turns red immediately with itchy hats), looked casual and (holy grail) could be taken on and off all day without any negative hair ramifications. Why not a beret do you ask? This was the suggestion of my mother and two different yarn store staffers. Well - the answer to that is that despite my sometimes unhealthy love of stinky cheeses, croissants, baguettes and red wine - I am not French and certainly not old or eccentric enough to pull off a beret as a statement piece. Plus - I think they are dumb looking - like a yarn mushroom fell from the sky and landed on your head. Plop plop. 

the inspiration hat from purlbee.

I found my perfect hat on my all time favorite knitting/sewing blog the purl bee and is called - aptly enough - the simple pleasures hat. It is made with silk and cashmere and is divine.


Can we stop for a moment and just give an appreciative contented sigh for cashmere?? How is it that yarn spun from the underbelly of some special goat can be so scrumptiously soft and warm and light and silky? Anytime I am feeling meh and don't want to go out to the grocery store or to work or to anywhere besides on my couch with my sweet puppy - I'll wrap myself up in a cashmere scarf. Living in San Francisco - I can pretty much do this all year round without giving myself a heat rash or looking like a crazy person.

Back to the hat...what totally sold me on the pattern was the first photo on the post. In the photo - the hat is obviously very casual and soft but it is also perfectly loose in the crown, making it unable to smoosh hair! I made a special post-work trip to my local boutique yarn store - Greenwich Yarns and picked up some wonderfully silky smokey gray yarn to make the hat. Given that I was flying to New York that week it was going to be a great plane project - something portable that did not require too much counting. Besides running out of yarn less than an inch from the top (arrggghhh!!) meaning I could not finish until I got back home - the pattern was super simple and the hat turned out great. For awhile this winter - I was wearing it close to 50% of the time I went outdoors. It was really obsessive but I loved it so...

my much used and loved (and stretched out) hat.

I got a lot of compliments on the hat. My favorite one being "Where did you get it?" This means it did not scream HOMEMADE which I am always afraid of. I want things to look unique and hand crafted but not like some sort of shoddy home-ec project. I think it is one of the many many reasons I splurge on the better materials (Irish linen, cashmere, alpaca etc.) and stay away from anything acrylic. My mom loved the hat - despite it not being a beret - so I made one for her for Christmas to replace the one I made last year that she destroyed through overuse and love. Here she is below wearing it proudly with a great coat I got for her 10 years ago when I worked at Gap. It has lime green silk lining (the coat, not the hat). I always regret not having purchased one for myself...

my mom wearing her christmas hat.

Anyhoo - there are a few things to note about this project in case you want to try one on your own. Here it goes --
1. splurge on the materials noted in the pattern - cashmere and mohair with silk. It really makes all the difference - especially if it is going to be your winter staple.
2. If you are even a slightly loose knitter - you will need to go down a needle size or two. The first hat I made was straight to the pattern and it is super loose now. If I shake my head - the hat falls down over my eyes.
3. While you are knitting the pattern will seem odd. While 6 inches is usually half a hat with most patterns - with this one - it's just the ribbed brim. Then the crown seems to go on forever. But do not worry - it will all come together and make sense in the end.


Happy knitting.

B.L.E.

p.s. - I'm making a navy cashmere version now too! It will probably be my stand-in for the gray one now that it is so stretched out. The gray one will become part of the always gorgeous dog walking uniform. 

Aloha and mahalo.

doesn't Adam have great teeth?

view from our room.

Ahhhh - a little end of year bliss. After a long year of triumphs (new babies to love, marathons run, weddings, journeys abroad) and trials (bad car accident, sick parents, too much work traveling) we rang in the new year in one of the most relaxing places on earth, Kauai. Here are some (very) belated New Year's vacation photos from our trip to Kauai.

Mahalo.
B.L.E.

flying elephants.

We are a ways away from seriously thinking about having kids but this wall mural is too good to pass up!

Lately I've been on a circus kick. I have always loved shiny things, tutus, stripes and animals dressed as people - so naturally - the circus is like my heaven.

If/when we have kids I think we will do a vintage circus theme. Think more old-timey big top, less clowns and caged animals. 

Thoughts?

B.L.E.

rainy day. part III.

pretty purple tree after the rain.

It was the storm of the year this weekend - high winds, broken trees, power outages, thunder and lighting oh my! This weekend also happened to be my sister's birthday so we loaded up our ark/car and headed northeast to Davis. Davis is the cute little college town where I grew up (well - high school on) and where both my sisters, niece and parents all live. Davis prides itself on its vet school, being ranked as the #2 most educated town in the United States, bike friendliness and being an early adopter of curbside recycling.

pretty purple tutu that matches the tree.

Here is what I remember from growing up - there was no place to buy underwear, my parents kept gross rotting trash in a bin in the kitchen (composting made NO sense to me then) and the two highest points in the city were the overpasses (hence all the biking). But I loved the place - it was cool to be smart and creative and it was so pretty with craftsman style houses downtown, lots of trees and big green yards further out. Every fall it would smell like spaghetti sauce for weeks when the local Hunt's factory was canning up all the local tomatoes.

What I think I appreciate most about Davis is how pretty it is right after a rainstorm. Enjoy these two post rain pics.

Stay dry.
B.L.E.

rainy day. part II.

Hunter Boa Boots. Mine!

The other silver lining for a rainy day (and it has been a very very rainy winter here in San Francisco) is the opportunity to wear my new boots. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that these are my second pair of Hunter boots (the other pair is classic navy) but when I saw these I had to have them. Here is my reasoning --
1. Umm look at them they are amazing!
2. Despite what one may say - navy does not really go with everything - it just sorta goes with a lot of stuff.
3. The shiny and the croc print (Yes - I am calling it croc, although a boa is a snake I hate snakes, so it is croc. Humor me here.) make them look fancy. When it is raining and cold and wet it is too easy to just give up and just throw on whatever. To counteract this I am a big fan of boots, tights and skirts or dresses for rainy days. And since I tend to sit one leg under the other at work (not ergonomic but so comfortable) this outfit choice also solves the problem of the soggy pant legs that turns into the wet butt marks.
4. They were on sale at Zappos - usually $240, reduced to $150 and they only had one pair left in black and it was my size. It was meant to be.
5. They were waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper than my true lust rain boots - the Jimmy Choo/Hunter collaboration with almost the same effect - black, shiny, croc. All that is missing is the leopard lining - a nice touch but not enough to spring for the $425 price tag. You can view those gorgeous boots on the Saks website here.

Cheers! I'm off to jump in puddles in my fancy boots.
B.L.E. 

rainy day.

my niece leila.

This photo reminds me that a rainy day is not something to dread. It's just another opportunity to put on a tutu, grab an umbrella and go shopping.

a few things to refresh the palace.

After moving in a year and a half ago - I have been trying to do some slow room by room upgrades. It has been a long process but things are really coming together and it seems like the littlest things make a big impact. Here is a short list of recent additions --

1. new bathmat & hand towels in silver sage (middle)

1. new bathmat and hand towels in the bathroom from Restoration Hardware - in silver sage. Good lord - Restoration Hardware can be absurdly overpriced for super everyday stuff but they really do have some great colors...

We also purchased a print of a silly old-timey boxer to hang in the bathroom. The new towels and the print - along with a recent paint refresh from bright white to light gray (aka bog) were just enough to give the room the chill but quirky spa look I was hoping for.

2. velvet pillows from Anna Maria Horner

2. Blue velvet pillows for the living room couch to go with the "new to us" yellow mosaic rug. The pillows were from Anna Maria Horner whose work (fabric design, fab blog, awesome sewing books, etc. etc. ) I adore. The blue and green in the pillows are a great off set to the yellow in the rug. Did I mention they are velvet?? So soft and a fun addition of texture to our standard mocha micro suede couch.

3. San Francisco is for carnivores print

3. This absolutely ridiculous but amazing print (ours is framed) that I purchased at the annual San Francisco craft fair Bazaar Bizarre. It break down the neighborhoods of San Francisco into different parts of a pig. We currently live between the ear and back fat. Our kitchen really was not complete until this gem was in place.

I also framed a pair of photos of Adam and me as children. In mine - I'm about 3 or 4 years old and have on a pair of fake glasses with a giant nose and mustache attached. In Adam's (taken the same year) he is wearing a cowboy outfit over a superhero t-shirt. The silliness and off-beat sense of humor started early for both of us.

Cheers.
B.L.E. 

Weekend Playdate.

Lately it seems that all our friends either have babies or are single. There is a serious lack of couples with no kids left in our circle of friends. And while babies are adorable - they do change ones ability to do anything impromptu and seem to take a lot of my friend's time and attention. Conversations that used to be about delightfully superficial things such as celebrity gossip and the new perfect gray shade for nails (for us girls) and which superhero is most likely to turn evil (for the boys) are often interrupted by a baby doing something breathtakingly cute or really upsetting. Single friends are fantastic but hard to bring Adam along on our outings given that he has nobody to talk to about superheros and he has very little interest in  nail polish.

In an effort to expand our circle of friends - we reached out to another set of D.I.L.D.O.s (double-income-little-dog-only) and scheduled a playdate for their furry child Hammee and our sweet Biscuit. Here are the visual results of our day at the beach.

Enjoy.

Lucky for us - this was the last even semi-sunny day in quite awhile. Rain is forecasted for the next eight (yes eight as in one more than a full week) days. Sigh.

Cheers and happy Valentine's Day to y'all.
B.L.E.

A birthday delight.

I've always had a thing for hippos. It started when I was a kid and we would go to the local zoo. The hippos would spend the entire day in what accounts to a giant bathtub. People would wait patiently just for a glimpse of them. That's my kind of living - to lounge about in a pool or tub all day while my mere presence is eagerly anticipated.

This year for my birthday my sweet husband gave me the most enjoyable silly delight of a hippo. It's by the company Zuny - whose whimsical animals are most often seen in the nurseries of elite babies as bookends.

 I've decided to name him Horace. He currently resides under the lamp (getting a little sun) on the side table in the living room. He is luxuriously heavy and solid and quite the attention grabber.

One day we will have a budget and a house that might accommodate this hefty guy from Jonathon Adler. Don't let the photo fool you. This handsome hippo is actually a 33" long footstool.

I imagine him in my future library with the built in bookshelves and the fireplace. Wouldn't he fit in perfectly?

Cheers and Happy New Year!

B.L.E.