darling miss rosie is FIVE tomorrow! in the six months that she has been with my parents she has stolen all of our hearts and given everyone so much JOY. she is just a tiny peapod of sweetness and is definitely the reigning principessa of the house. we’re sending you loads and loads of BIRTHDAY LOVE miss rosie! x0x
interact brand design studio
in commercial interior, art, office
(the lounge area of the office complete with vintage ads)
interact is a strategic brand design studio that works to solve brand challenges with effective design by driving consumer understanding through data and by changing how brands interact with culture. their roster of clients includes local weather sports drink, widmer brothers craft brew, boxer six tailored cannibis, stem ciders, nestle rallies, nestle hot pockets and country archer jerky among others. when they moved from a large loft into a more intimate space in downtown boulder we wanted to be very thoughtful about how to best design the rooms to allow their team to be able to work creatively and effectively for their clients.
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REPOST: keukenhof (coo-ken-hoff)
* unfortunately we will not be able to visit keukenhof on our christmas visit, but it is a MUST SEE if you go to the netherlands in the spring! x0x
the dutch east india company was founded in 1602 and monopolized both asian and european trade for two centuries, a period known as the dutch “golden age.” a wealthy dutch merchant class was established and the netherlands was the center of some of the greatest achievements in art and academia (think rembrandt, vermeer and hals, the invention of the pendulum clock, the discovery of bacteria, the first modern stock exchange…) at the start of this era, tulips were imported to holland from the ottoman empire. these brightly hued flowers with petals growing in the shape of elegant teacups completely captured the dutch and became highly valued. the “tulpiere” vase was designed to hold individual stems, as each blossom was considered so precious. by 1636, the tulip bulb was the fourth leading dutch export, following gin, herring and cheese and “tulpenmanie” was at its height. tulips became so expensive that they were treated as a form of currency and a speculative frenzy ensued. it is said that one canal mansion was offered in trade for just ten rare bulbs. in 1637, the tulip market crashed after buyers in haarlem refused to show up to a scheduled auction and make good on payment. some believe that the haarlemmers stayed home because the bubonic plague was going around and they didn’t want to stand around in a big, infected crowd. since this was long before purell’s product launch in 1988, it is completely understandable. the burst of the “tulip mania” bubble did not have a lasting impact on the dutch economy, but it did effect the dutch psyche and is considered a reminder to stay grounded when making financial decisions. tulips continue as a beloved and iconic symbol of the netherlands (as do gin, herring and gouda, also popularized during the golden age) and today’s dutchies still love to chat about the period in history when a country the size of maryland fairly dominated the world.
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REPOST: nijntje (nine-cha)
* this little bunny is one of my FAVORITES! i just can’t wait to see her in her hometown! x0x
i moved to amsterdam when i was three months pregnant with my first child. i had never spent any time there and like many americans, i associated the netherlands with wooden shoes, tulips, marijauna “coffee shops” and the red light district. i was leaving behind my family, my pacific ocean and my super-fun job styling the windows for banana republic. the whole move happened so quickly i barely had time to process what i was getting myself into and what i was going to do with myself when i got there, besides being pregnant. one of my favorite work friends suggested i start styling the red light windows. i could rework them every season with different themes like we did at banana and dress the women in something beyond tiny, white bikinis that glow iridescent in the intense red lights.
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REPOST: pompadour x0x
* whenever friends are planning a trip to amsterdam they always reach out for my favorite spots… i have a list of my favorites but the one place i insist they CANNOT MISS is pompadour… it is the loveliest place in the world! x0x
i moved to amsterdam in august, but you wouldn’t have known it was summer because of all the rain. there is the general misting present most days that you can still walk around in and then there are the serious downpours where you need to go inside. one of my earliest rain-evading discoveries was the chocolate shop, pompadour. this “gezellig” (dutch word for cozy, but meaning so much more) patisserie was located just around the corner from my apartment. it was almost a holy place for me. the interior is beautiful…rich, intricate, rose-colored wallpaper with warm, carved wooden moldings cut for the town hall of mortsel in 1895 and imported and repurposed, striking light fixtures evoking wild flowers or some kind of nature and inviting little marble cafe tables. there was just about no trouble that couldn’t be soothed away by having a cup of mint tea at pompadour. the tea was served in a large, clear glass of hot water with a couple of fresh mint stalks tucked in, accompanied by a delicious almond cake on the side. and i haven’t even gotten to the gorgeous chocolates and little cakes that looked like works of art.
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2022 holidays x0x
for some reason the holidays feel more hectic than usual this year… possibly because after several years of the pandemic and toning down the celebrations i am totally out of practice. and we didn’t even leave town for thanksgiving. we had a nice, quiet one in boulder with all the grandma turkey plates and glassware and recipes from my mother (i didn’t even make a turkey - i picked up a cooked one up from whole foods… i can roast the crap out of a chicken, but turkeys terrify me) and we watched the macy’s day parade (we just LOVE those rockettes!) while we made pies (blackberry, apple and pumpkin - we need to overdo it so we can have pie for breakfast in the days following.) mariah carey was the grand finale and honestly, no one sings about christmas like that gorgeous diva did in her red mermaid dress and CROWN… the BEST! but the highlight of the day was definitely the national dog show, won by none other than winston, THE FRENCHIE!
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REPOST: jip and janneke (yip and yawn-a-kuh)
in family
* we are spending christmas in amsterdam this year and i am just beside myself. in anticipation i am reposting stories about some of my favorite dutchie things. jip and janneke are two adorable little friends beloved in the netherlands… x0x
jip and janneke are two little dutch kids who met when they saw each other through a hole in the hedge that separated their houses. in the celebrated story by annie m.g. schmidt, jip was peeking through…
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weekend with dad and rosie x0xx
(roșie hanging out with me in the bed… my favorite place to be!)
earlier this month i went home to spend a few days with my dad (and ROSIE)… my mom was on her annual trip with her sorority sisters (they have been friends for over FIFTY years - so sweet.) dad and i like our father/daughter time when mom is away… we turn the heat right up, we eat chocolates at breakfast (after our scrambled eggs), we watch the news, we check the weather and we take a lot of naps. it turns out rosie likes to do all of these things too (except the chocolate - we did NOT give her any scotch mallows.)
we had a very relaxing schedule… i took the first walk shift with rosie because i am a rooster and dad is more of a teenager in terms of waking times. mom left me a hat with a light on it (like a minion) so i would be able to see rosie’s “sticks” and pick them up in the early morning dark. (rosie has PINK poop bags by the way - they match her harness and leash.)
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repost of my mother's WILD RICE STUFFING recipe
(hank LOVES dressing up for thanksgiving!)
* i am reposting this delicious rice stuffing recipe from my mother - HAPPY THANKSGIVING! x0x
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my annual repost for RAISIN-FREE cranberry sauce
there are few things in this world as disgusting as raisins. they look like droppings, get stuck in your teeth (marring your smile and causing cavities) and are notorious for popping up in all kinds of baked goods (scones, muffins, cookies) that should only have chocolate chips. and unfortunately, because of their size and color, raisins sometimes appear to be chocolate, which is a terrible surprise for the unsuspecting consumer.
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the power of plants
(lots of greenery in this entry space)
here in boulder we had the MOST spectacular fall, but now everything has “fallen” and all of the trees are bare. i know that technically autumn carries on until december 21st but it already feels like winter with the brown landscape and the bleak, empty branches on the trees.
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today is the day...
2020 felt really important, but now it seems like our whole democracy is hanging in the balance! if you haven’t already, please get out there and VOTE! x0x
da doo ron ron
in family
(i LIVED for this magazine and was over the moon when my favorite hardy boy graced the cover)
one of the best things about lucy teaching me how to use spotify is poking around on there and rediscovering songs i haven’t thought about it in ages. a few weeks ago i stumbled upon shaun cassidy’s “da doo ron ron” and i was just beside myself. i was a HUGE shaun cassidy fan… i had his signature album, of course, that i played ad nauseam and i also had his poster on my wall that i kissed whenever i entered my room. he is ten years older than me and i was sure that when i became the appropriate age our paths would cross and i would sail off into the sunset with him. we DID have a brief correspondence at the height of my affections… i sent him this heartfelt letter and i got a postcard back with his autograph (stamped, not actual) so i felt like he knew i was out there waiting for our lives to begin.
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middle school bedroom
in art, family, hank, quilts, residential interior
the summer before my lucy started middle school she wanted to buy new school clothes. in the past, i typically just dipped into the girls’ section on a target run and picked up dresses and leggings and tees in bright colors that featured unicorns, rainbows, hearts and glitter. i loved selecting happy outfits for her and she was always delighted with what i brought home. this time, however, she wanted to come along and weigh in on everything. at first i thought it might be fun.
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yom kippur (repost)
(theo at his bar mitzvah)
i am reposting my story about yom kippur on this sacred jewish day… l’shana tov! x0x
this week is yom kippur, the day of atonement in the jewish religion. while i never converted, i am raising my children in the faith of their father (with santa and the bunny thrown in) and i have spent more time in temple than i have in any other religious setting. i have hosted loads of seders, rosh hashana dinners and break fasts (i can cook all of the holiday food, except brisket - my brisket is TERRIBLE - so we have roast chicken instead), i know a fair bit of the prayers, or at least the tunes and i have a general understanding of the fundamentals of the religion.
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brasserie ten ten UPDATE!
in family
the summer before my lucy started middle school she wanted to buy new school clothes. in the past, i typically just dipped into the girls’ section on a target run and picked up dresses and leggings and tees in bright colors that featured unicorns, rainbows, hearts and glitter. i loved selecting happy outfits for her and she was always delighted with what i brought home. this time, however, she wanted to come along and weigh in on everything. at first i thought it might be fun.
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happy, happy new year! x0x
(hank contemplating the sweet new year…)
on the jewish calendar, the new year, rosh hashanah, is celebrated in the fall. this timing has always resonated with me as it is the start of the school year and a change of season into fresh, brisk, invigorating weather (although here in boulder the school year now starts in mid AUGUST which is just bananas!) wishing you all a bright, peaceful new year… l'shana tova! x0x
the 2022 emmys
i have always had a bit of trouble telling time - my mother thinks it’s because i was out with chicken pox when mrs. stemley taught it in first grade and i was never able to catch up. it’s unfortunate because i HATE to be late and ironic because i LOVE a cuckoo clock but i cannot risk living only with my cuckoo because i don’t always read it correctly so i have to have back up digital ones too. until recently, my challenge was mostly with hours and minutes but the pandemic has exacerbated this problem to include days, months and even whole YEARS! HOW old was lucy when she got her ears pierced? WHEN did we go to NY for thanksgiving? HOW many years have i had my car? i just don’t know.
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the grandmas
in family
we lost our gg in february 2020 … just before everything shut down with the corona. attending her service was the last “normal” thing i did before we all bunkered in and started leaving our mail out to degerm, soaking ourselves in off brand hand sanitizer because people were hoarding purell (AND toilet paper and rice and flour and sugar), wearing hazmat suits to costco and walking our dogs seventeen times a day. i am eternally grateful gg missed all that, along with the fear and heartbreak and isolation. but losing her was still devastating.
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the ROSIE REPORT!
(roșie în one of her donut beds)
i stay in pretty close touch with my parents… i typically call home each morning after dropping the kids at school so we can chat on my ten minute drive home. we do a quick check in on what’s going on with my work or my children or hank or the bananas weather of boulder or what’s happening in the bay area. but for the last month these calls have been dominated by the “rosie report.” i hear about how the night went - did rosie stay in her donut bed or sneak out and rest her head right next to my father’s on his pillow? did she do both kinds of business on her first walk of the day or need to make another potty after breakfast? did she get on her hind legs and dance before dinner the night before or keep all four feet on the floor? which neighbors did my parents run into on her various walks and what are they up to? how many times did she nap during the day and where? (she has her special spots: curled up on the blue upholstered sofa in the living room when my father is reading/napping there, my mother’s lounge chair in her sewing room where rosie waits for mom to come in with her morning coffee, on the cool tiles of the fireplace hearth when it’s super warm, on the fuzzy blanket between my parents on the sofa in the TV room when they watch the news before bed…)
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