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.