HAPPIEST FATHER'S DAY to my wonderful dad! x0x0x

June 15, 2025

(my handsome dad in high school)

when i was little my dad seemed larger than life. he could do magic tricks with the windshield wipers and make them turn on by snapping his fingers. he could prevent airplanes from crashing by making sure we all ate an airport hotdog before boarding. he would zip us around in various sports cars so that my hair went flying behind me. he could charm his way in or out of any situation so it felt like the possibilities were endless. he could eliminate bad guys with his terrifying glare or slicing words. he could entertain rooms full of people with his hilarious (mostly true) stories. he could do math tricks and word games that astounded me. he could throw baseballs or hit golf balls with a precision that drew applause. (he always loved an audience.) he would serenade me with songs and original poems so that i never questioned how much i was loved.

wonderful to be back in california! x00xx

June 12, 2025

what's in a name? x00xx

June 10, 2025

(i was in third grade when i became “jenny”)

i was born (and still am), jennifer ann rhode. my middle name is for my mother, also ann. my parents chose “jennifer” because they thought it was beautiful and clearly it was in the zeitgeist of 1968 as it was the 4th most popular name in america, topped only by “kimberly,” “michelle” and “lisa.” (i always assumed it was the MOST popular name as there were typically three to four jennifers in all of my elementary school classes, but apparently, it didn’t make number one until 1970. i definitey didn’t know that many kimberlys, but there WERE a lot of michelles.)

DELIGHTED to be back in california! x0x0x

June 05, 2025

i have been enjoying this frozen yoghurt since i was a little girl… the absolute BEST! x0x0x

june's FEATURED QUILT of the month, by my mother, ann rhode! x0x0x

June 03, 2025

(night garden 2020 by ann rhode, 68W x 45L”)

the design of “night garden” was inspired by the layering technique of paper collage artist, raymond saa. he is known for layering squares and rectangles with slight overlap to create his pieces.

the palette for this quilt is anchored in the black, green and teal floral print that is used for the night flowers. the piece is grounded by the stripes and geometric prints that serve as the earth and the graphic lime and black and white fabrics represent the sky.

twice a year, ann goes to “quilt camp” where textile artists from all over bring ideas, fabrics, sewing machines and treats. any fabrics or blocks people are done using or don’t need, get thrown “under the table,” literally. those pieces may be claimed by any camper. ann found the four pieced blocks using the same fabric as my flowers under the table and was glad to give them a home.

machine pieced and hand appliquéd. machine quilted. all cotton fabrics.

jennifer rhode design is now in california! x0x0x

May 22, 2025

ANDERSEN'S PEA SOUP! x0x

May 20, 2025 in family, travel

(we DID stll get a photo with “HAP-PEA” and “PEA-WEE,” even though the restaurant was closed in 2021 because of corona)

i think with the world absolutely upside down, i am feeling nostalgic. today i was so HAP-PEA when i noticed canned andersen’s pea soup in my safeway. we always used to stop at andersen’s on the way to my grandparents’ house when i was little. i loved seeing the big windmill and all of the carved and painted danish furniture inside. and, of course, the soup was DELICIOUS! during the pandemic, on one of our many roadtrips i brought my kids to andersens and we were so bummed (or I was bummed) that it was closed down. over winter break, lucy, hank and i drove down to LA and on the way back we made a stop at the OPEN andersens. the soup was just as yummy as i remembered and now i don’t have to go all the way to santa nella, i can just pop over to my market! x0x

jennifer rhode design has come to california! x0x0x

May 15, 2025

my BOULDER house! x0x0x

May 13, 2025

(this “double wedding ring” quilt made by my mother has hung in my bedroom for more than two decades)

* i don’t think i’ve ever posted my boulder house in its entirety… of course, this space is wholly representative of my design beliefs: continuity and consistency in the finishes, carefully edited, colorful and full of art, books, collectibles and photographs that tell the story of my family and the adventures we’ve been on. when we moved to california it was exciting to find new places for our various pieces (also a great opportunity to reevalulate whether we needed to keep everything - we did NOT!) hopefully in the not too distant future i will be able to share where all of our stuff landed in the new house. x0x0x

HAPPY, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! x0x0x0x

May 11, 2025

(both of my babies 2010…)

these two were not easy to get. i went through a multitude of treatments from both eastern and western doctors in the states and in the netherlands over many years, getting needled and cupped and eating restrictive, pro-pregnancy diets that left me frustrated and unsatisfied (and did NOT include scotchmallows or pinot noir or even fresh fruit), having blood draws and getting probed with all kinds of instruments, injecting myself with so many hormones that at times i truly felt out of my mind. and i am sure i was. but i would not trade any of that because it led to the creation of my darling children. ultimately, they are both from the same IVF batch, even though i did more than one… lucy was just frozen for several years. i think that is why they look so much alike. lucy contends they are technically “twins,” theo believes firmly they are not and that he is definitely older. regardless, bringing these children to life has been the most difficult and rewarding project i have ever attempted. and it’s not even over…

celebrating my wonderful mother! x0x0xx

May 11, 2025

(high tea with lulu)

this is the first mother’s day in decades that we are all in the same town to celebrate… even my big boy is back from college! i am so very grateful. wishing my mama everything wonderful and looking so forward to adding to our collection of fun adventures in the coming year! HAPPIEST MOTHER’S DAY to my favorite mama! x0x0x

jennifer rhode design is now open in california! x0x0x

May 08, 2025

featured quilt of the month (by my mother, ann rhode): FLORAL BANNERS

May 06, 2025

(floral banners, 2021 by ann rhode 55W x 48L”)

the inspiration for this quilt was a photograph looking down at a busy seol street with banners filling the air on both sides of the road.

jennifer rhode design is now in california! x0x0x

May 01, 2025

my winter park project was featured in a HOUZZ article! x00xx

April 29, 2025

i am always so thrilled when my work is included in a houzz article. THANK YOU to georgia madden for showcasing my winter park project in her story about getting your home ready for summer. thank you also to berly gavin and natalie warady for the beautiful photo and superstar styling. and of course, thank you to my fantastic clients for such a great opportunity! x0x0x

jennifer rhode design has arrived in california! x0xx

April 24, 2025

(the most gorgeous theatre in the bay area…theo and i just saw minecraft there! the inside is incredible!)

gorgeous santa fe! x0x0x

April 23, 2025 in art, family, travel

(these sconces were hung down all the hallways of our hotel: inn on the alameda)

five years ago, when my daughter was turning ten, we were supposed to take a girls’ trip with my mother to santa fe. that plan got kabashed with the pandemic and this spring break we were finally able to make it happen. i have never before been to a place so concentrated with art museums and galleries and beautiful shops in a relatively small geographic footprint. it was absolutely exhilirating to be exposed (inundated?) to so many pretty, innovative, inspiring, engaging works of art literally EVERYWHERE we went. and the food was outrageous too… so YUMMY! here are some of my favorite discoveries…

jennifer rhode design is now in california! x0x0x

April 17, 2025

(my high school girlfriends took me on a hike in tilden park and THIS is what we saw!)

REPOST: easter brunch

April 15, 2025 in family, holiday, recipe

* this is the first year we will be in california for easter since i was really young… i am not sure who is going to make the buns and the quiche - me or mom - but i am so happy to be able to celebrate with my family. unfortunately, TT will be back at school but i have a direct line to the easter bunny so i know that theo will still get his basket in the dorm. HAPPY, HAPPY EASTER everyone! x0x0xx

HAPPIEST 15th BIRTHDAY my darling lu! x0x0x

April 11, 2025 in family, holiday

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dearest babela bu! this will be the FIFTEENTH time we’ve celebrated you and that feels like a LOT but also like it happened in a blink. i LOVE you so my beautiful, hilarious, SPICY girl… you keep me (and most everyone else) on my toes delighting and surprising me with your fierceness, your out of the box thinking, your creativity and your absolutely GIANT heart! wishing you a year full of love and peace and good books and early bedtimes (just what every teenager wants!) i love you higher than the sky is high and deeper than the ocean is deep! x0x0xx