i can’t remember when i started making gingerbread houses… it’s probably an extension of my love of my childhood dollhouse. i do know that making them with my children is one of my favorite christmas traditions. they are messy and sticky and my kitchen gets a thorough dusting of powdered sugar every year, but the extra mopping and wiping is worth it. we eat way too much candy, lick loads of frosting off our fingers (i always tell our recipients not to eat them, just use them as decoration!) and we usually feel a bit sick afterward. some years are more structurally successful than others - more than one house has had to make due with a cardboard wall as a result of a “kitchen earthquake.” the candy roof design has evolved as well. in the early days they were a kaleidoscope of random candies and today there is careful thought put into the layout of licorice squares, lifesavers, gumdrops and mike and ikes. the recipe is the same as the modern one we did last year… just a more traditional pattern.
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REPOST: a christmas miracle (around the HOLIDAY CARD!)
in hank, holiday, photography, family
every year, we send out a holiday card featuring the kids smiling and laughing together. they DO laugh and smile together pretty frequently, but hardly ever when we are shooting these photos.
“FEO, FEO” lucy (when she had no teeth) yelled downstairs in alarm a few years ago, “the christmas clothes are out… i fink we have to do the card today!” then a series of loud groans as they commiserated together.
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eating it up in california! x0x
(not many things better than a late night run to IN-N-OUT!)
december's FEATURED QUILT of the month by my mother, ann rhode! x00xx
in quilts
(fuchsia 2021 by ann rhode, 42W x 43L”)
this quilt started with an inspiration photo of fuchsia blossoms with bright green stems. ann wanted to capture the intensity of the lush, vibrant colors.
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thanksgiving GRATITUDE! x0x0x
(THANK YOU dad for teaching me the importance of a good NAP! x0x0x)
in addition to stuffing and cranberries and baking pies, thanksgiving is, of course, a time of gratitude. 2025 has been pretty tumultuous for me with the loss of my darling father (and how BANANAS our whole world has become!) but on this holiday, i am intensely GRATEFUL that my father was in my life for fifty-six years. i know that many people don’t get that kind of time with their parents and it was truly a gift.
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my FAVORITE thanksgiving recipes! x0x
(hank LOVES dressing up for thanksgiving!)
even though the corona is STILL effecting us all (nearly TWO YEARS later… HAY SEUS!) the pandemic has made me really grateful for a lot of things i took for granted PP…
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just DELIGHTED to be home in california! x0x
i LOVE new orleans! x0x0x
in travel
i first went to new orleans during theo’s junior year of high school when we were checking out tulane. it took me about thirty seconds to fall in love with that city. i have been back three more times (he’s a sophomore there now!) and each time i love it more. we are fresh off a visit and here are some of my new orleans FAVORITES:
PRETTY HOUSES (lots are even PINK!) with wrought iron railings and balconies.
so HAPPY to be back in beautiful california! x0x
(sculpture garden at oliver ranch in geyserville)
REPOST: dellwood family home
* now that i am relaunching my business in california, i wanted to share some of my favorite projects. this dellwood family home was a wonderful collection of personal mementos, interesting art, a variety of textures and complementary elements and deep, vibrant colors. it was really exciting and fun to pull it all together! x0x0x
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so INSPIRED to be back in california! x0xx
november's FEATURED QUILT of the month by my mother, ann rhode! x0x0xx
(violet garden 2021 by ann rhode, 68W x 45L”)
ann describes creating “violet garden” as an exercise in designing an intermittent “fence” or grid that allows you to see the florals behind it. she liked the idea of looking through something to view the unexpected.
violet garden is machine pieced and machine quilted. fabrics and batting are all cotton.
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RELAUNCHED in california! x0x
(california live oak tree! x0xx)
interviewed for BOLD JOURNEY! x0x0x
i was so thrilled to be included in a series for BOLD JOURNEY. here is a link to the full article. thank you bold journey for this wonderful opportunity to participate and share my story! x0x
my chautauqua project was featured in BOULDER MAGAZINE! x0x0x
one of my final projects in boulder was this super colorful, vibrant, whimsical family home in chautauqua. it is so exciting to have it included in this month’s boulder magazine. THANK YOU to heather shoning for the wonderful article, heather burns of HBK photography (as always) for the beautiful photos, sarah kinn, whose art is seen throughout the house and to my adventurous clients who were so much fun to collaborate with on this project. here is a link to the article! x00xx
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come to a POP-UP ART SHOW featuring sarah kinn's work (and to celebrate jennifer rhode design launching in california!) x00xx
come to a POP-UP ART SHOW featuring sharon wheat's soft sculptures (and to celebrate jennifer rhode design launching in california!) x00xx
come to a POP-UP ART SHOW featuring jess parker's pots (and to celebrate jennifer rhode design launching in california!) x00xx
come to a POP-UP ART SHOW featuring ann rhode's quilts (and to celebrate jennifer rhode design launching in california!) x00xx
in family, quilts, photography, art
* i am reposting this story i wrote about my mother’s quilts a few years ago, in preparation for one of her shows to explain her design process. i am so excited for you all to see what she is sharing at our pop-up on october 17th x0x
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