(artwork: aaron alvarez)
* i am reposting this story because our summer time in california has come to an end. we ate and ate as much as we could. this summer we were forced to explore new spots because cesar, one of our favorites has closed…i am still SLAYED about that. here are some of our new places:
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* i am reposting this story because it includes the recipe for plum cake… a few summers ago the plum tree at our cottage went bananas with fruit. early each morning i went out to harvest (i DO have farming roots) enough to make plum cake. sometimes i gave it to someone, but most days we ate it. they are so DELICOUS! unfortunately, i totally over plum caked lucy and i don’t think she will ever eat one again. that is truly unfortunate. (i also did that to her with scrambled eggs - a big bummer both because i make AMAZING scrambles and because i think they are such a healthy way to breakfast.) today when i popped over to my parents’ house the yummiest smell was wafting around… mom was having her quilt friends over for lunch and had made the coveted cake. i was beside myself so, of course, i stayed for lunch! ENJOY! x0x
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(hank likes to ride shotgun!)
due to some poor planning on my part i had to interrupt our california holiday with an expedited road trip back to boulder with hank. usually i make this drive over a minimum of three days but prefer to extend it to a week so i can stop in LA and see friends. this time we powered through in TWO DAYS! we were like true truck drivers. i am proud to say i didn’t get lost once and was super vigilant about refilling the tank whenever it was half empty because last year lu and i came uncomfortably close to running out of gas in the middle of nowhere. so logistically, hank and i did quite well, but it was boring as SHIT! we stopped midway in a town called “wells” on the nevada border. there was literally nothing in this town except our hotel, a mcdonalds and two gas stations. so we had dinner from the chevron shop (across the board, everyone has told me i should have had a big mac instead of a gas station sandwich, which is probably true), holed up in our room and left at the crack of dawn. hank was the perfect companion - we didn’t argue about when to stop or what snacks to get or which podcast to listen to… we were always aligned on that stuff (teriyaki beef jerky and “fly on the wall” with dana carvey and david spade interviewing anyone from SNL). i left hank in boulder with first husband and lu and i am safely back in california now. i MISS my sweetie hanky… i felt teary eating a banana alone this morning (we always share) and haven’t been sleeping as well without his soothing, snorey white noise.
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(barbie lives at the end of an incredible cul de sac surrounded by all of her friends)
last weekend i went to see the barbie movie (with my seventeen year old son - it was VERY sweet of him!) and it was just as pink and plastic and campy and delightful as possible. i was beside myself. i would LOVE to work on a project like this. the houses were all open plan (and open walls) with mid century architecture and furnishings. the details were impeccable. it was so much FUN! x0x
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(the literal QUEEN of the wave!)
when my kids were in elementary school there was a grandma on the “i” street who was almost always sitting in her front window as we drove to school. we started waving to her and after a bit she began waving back. we were beside ourselves. when the pandemic hit and school was closed we incorporated the “i” street into our dog walks (hank wasn’t best pleased about this as we live between the “c” and “d” streets and FIVE blocks is quite a haul for him!) we got so much JOY out of this wave exchange with the little grandma we never formally met, especially in the midst of all the stress and worry of the corona.
my dad has always been a big waver (his is really more of a salute.) he waves at drivers coming toward him or at people who happen to be on his route when walking rosie. he takes that extra beat to connect. three months ago he had a tough fall and was first in the hospital and then in a rehab facility. a lot of the other clients in rehab were non verbal (some were REALLY verbal) so when we took walks through the halls with dad he waved and waved and waved at the people in their rooms. i started waving too. it seems like such a small thing, but then i happened upon an interview where the guest was a scientist who studies the benefits of “weak/casual interactions”… turns out that each of these waves sends a surge of serotonin (the feel good stuff) right through you.
dad is home from rehab now. he likes to sit in the sun on the front porch and WAVE at the various people walking by, raising the serotonin levels of all his neighbors! x0x
the backyard of my hawthorn project was included in an article on houzz all about properly irrigating your yard. i don’t actually know anything about irrigation but i do love designing pretty outdoor spaces. here is a link to the full article. THANK YOU to writer, marrianne lipanovich for including my project and also to heather knierim of HBK photography for the lovely photo! x0x
(lucy and me on the fourth of july years ago - lucy is wearing a sweet, smocked flag dress handed down from dear friends)
wishing you all a SAFE, happy fourth of july! x0x0x
i am so PROUD of my girlfriend, chris chandler, for writing this WONDERFUL book: stay sweet, tales of quirky southern love. it is a collection of charming, hilarious, heartwarming stories from her childhood in georgia that introduces you to a whole cast of delightful characters: her grandmothers, a GREAT grandmother (my favorite!), some grandpas, her parents and lots of aunties and uncles. some of these stories i have heard in our weekly writing group (and i’ve made her tell them over and over), but so many were new and surprising… all of them make you wish you could meet these southern grandmas. CONGRATULATIONS chris on this incredible accomplishment! stay sweet is available here! x00xx
(the cartier chiefess by kelly degnan)
the “beaver den” is a new build set under the james peak mountains along the fraser river in the scenic mountain town of winter park, colorado. this four bedroom family home was designed for relaxation and entertaining in all seasons of the year and easily accommodates lots of guests. the convenient location allows for easy access to skiing in winter and hiking and horseback riding during the milder months.
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it is so exciting to see this project in print… on the stands now! x0x we had a fantastic team for both the design and build of this home as well as the shoot. THANK YOU to architect scott munn of ma studios,
the builders of bishop built construction, christopher awadalla for kitchen design: sanctuary kitchen design, photographer: kimberly gavin of kimberly gavin photography, photo stylist: natalie warady, super talented artists: sarah kinn, kelly degnan and of course my WONDERFUL clients! x0x0x
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throughout my childhood, my dad frequently spoke about his “all time dream car”… i would share it with you but it was an ever shifting parade of beautifully designed automobiles that my dad described with great reverence (also, i can’t remember what they were called, as i am not really a car person, but i can picture them perfectly.)
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(just LOOK at this city!)
this is the time of year when all of the TV shows are having their season finales and we have to consider how we are going to spend our evenings until they start up again in the fall. like most of the world, one of my favorites is “ted lasso” about the american football coach from kansas who somehow lands a job in london coaching “futbal” for AFC richmond. while there have been many heartwarming episodes over the past three seasons, my most favorite aired in december and detailed when the team had a “friendly” with the dutch ajax team. * SPOILER ALERT if you are behind in your TL viewing!
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(the boulder creek fest)
every memorial day weekend in boulder there is the “creek fest” which features lots of food trucks, bouncy castles, bungee jumping, henna, face painting, artsy vendors and “bossy” vendors who give nutritional, political, environmental, parental, etc advice. every year i think i like the idea of a festival and every year i forget how fucking HOT it gets. this year we were obligated to go because lucy’s awesome dance troop, streetside, was performing.
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(theo celebrating his third birthday with a chocolate cupcake)
my son turned seventeen a few months ago. while i am no longer planning big themed parties with magicians or puppet shows or the olympics or pajamas i do still decorate the house, make his favorite breakfast (poofy pancakes) and plan SOMETHING. i love doing this and get super excited at the approach of these celebrations, even though he only begrudgingly poses in a birthday hat for photos now. but this year i was bummed in the same way i get when one of my own “big birthdays” arrives (40, 50, 60 - sixty hasn’t come yet, PRAISE JESUS! but i am already dreading it.) it hit me that next year will be his last birthday at home before he goes off to university and i just felt gutted.
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THANK YOU to MEET THE ELITE who produce podcasts featuring small business owners. i was interviewed last week for a segment introducing my design work. this was totally out of my wheelhouse, but lots of fun. here is the link for the short but sweet little interview! x0x0x
(my dad in the early 60s)
* i am reposting this story about my dad that i wrote for his 80th birthday… i LOVE my dad. i love his wild humor, his naughtiness, his creativity with words, the crazy faces he makes, his immense confidence, his VERY quirky habits and his ENORMOUS heart. i love that he has told me, “i love you higher than the sky is high and deeper than the ocean is deep” my entire life.
recently, my father had a fall AND came down with covid… the illness probably triggered the fall. he is currently in rehab rebuilding his strength, making faces at the nurses and charming everyone. his popularity is topped only by ROSIE who comes to visit every day… she just curls up in her donut on his bed and naps with him when he is tired from all of the physical therapy. i am so PROUD (but not surprised) of my father for facing this challenge with his typical grace, determination and humor. please send him your best healing wishes! x0x0x
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i was so honored to be interviewed by eric garcia for bold journey. THANK YOU eric for including me in this series! here is the link to the full article. x00xx
(this bedroom is from a project that was SUPER fun to work on!)
i am generally a very efficient person. i hate to waste time (unless i am watching tv and then i can do it endlessly.) i set the table as i’m unloading the dishwasher (even if the next meal is HOURS away) because i never want to put dishes away that just have to come right back out. if i am making a green smoothie in the morning, i also make a veggie plate for dinner since i am already chopping stuff up. i frequently get on my tread in my jams because they already need to be washed. i put things on the stairs that have to go up so i can do it on my next trip. i stack my meetings or source fabric or tile or whatever for multiple clients at a go if i am already at the upholsterer or the tile shop. i read once that chefs are trained to make their movements as minimal as possible because they are typically working in small spaces and want to conserve the energy they expend while working. i think about those chefs all the time as i am planning my days.
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* lucy’s bat mitzvah festivities kick off tomorrow… while the lead up has not been without some unfortunate situations (hank had to have BACK SURGERY and lucy’s face blew up from an allergic reaction to all the crazy products she learns about on tik tok, my house and my car are intact [KNOCK WOOD!] and the tailor [elegant tailor right next to village coffee shop] did an impeccable job altering our dresses… we did NOT go to the one who destroyed theo’s pants.) i am reposting this story about what was going on just before theo’s bar mitzvah with much gratitude that we’ve had an easier time this go. PRAISE MOSES!
in early december i got an email from my girlfriend in LA with the subject line, “have you heard about this coat?” she attached an article from the strategist that detailed the popularity of the orolay amazon coat among moms at pick up on the upper west side. it was sold out, of course, because it is the coziest, most comfortable, best priced coat in the world. i stalked amazon until it came back on offer and it was well worth the wait. i LOVE my amazon coat! it has tons of pockets that are straight up and down so that stuff doesn’t slip out of them AND they all have zippers, just in case you are carrying around something super special. the hood is lined with fuzzy, warm stuff and the inside is a bright, cheery orange. you can get it in black, navy and army green (putty too, but that colorway is not nice.) i was so delighted with my coat that i planned all my christmas travel outfits around it (no dresses, just boots and jeans because the amazon coat is too casual for a party dress.) i had to wear it on the plane because it is too bulky to put in a suitcase, but i pulled that snuggly hood up and had the best airplane nap of all time, despite the fact that i was sitting between my two children. the hood also seems to be noise cancelling. so i thoroughly enjoyed the holidays with my amazon coat and then my life became a series of shit fuck events that snowballed into my nearly falling completely apart… but praise jesus, i had my amazon coat. i just crawled into that coat and added my pizzeria pom pom hat and i have hardly taken them off (even indoors) for the last three weeks. because overlaying all of these horrendous events has been planning my son’s bar mitzvah. i am so PROUD of my son for his dedication and earnest commitment to learning, but planning a bar mitzvah (especially for a shiksa mama) is no small endeavor and despite all of my hyper-organized lists and spreadsheets, i still felt desperately behind three weeks out. following are the events that sent me diving into the safety of my amazon coat:
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my dearest, darling lucy is THIRTEEN today! she has been full of surprises ever since our doctor called with the news of my very much desired but completely unanticipated pregnancy. she arrived with a bang and has been upending our lives and our thinking and our hearts ever since. lucy - i cannot begin to tell you how proud and GRATEFUL i am to be your mama. wishing you a thirteenth year full of joy, adventure, SLEEP, snuggles, GOOD BOOKS and loads of LOVE! i love you higher than the sky is high and deeper than the ocean is deep! x00xx
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