Category Archive: personal work
Finally Thawing Out
This winter was brutal. Oh my goodness. I’ll admit it, when the first snow fell, it was really beautiful and I was excited for the twins to experience their first snow storm. But when we lost electricity for three days, I was over it. So over it. On top of that, everyone was getting sick and spring just couldn’t come fast enough. Well, spring kind of got robbed a bit by this long winter but summer is right around the corner and I am so psyched for some warm beach weather. Despite the long, dark, cold days we endured, we still managed to get out and enjoy ourselves quite a bit. We went to the beach in star pants and moon boots, we fed the animals at the farm down the street, we played at the playground and visited the ducks at the park in town. One of us even got his first haircut! So long winter. See ya next year!
Finish each day…
Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. This day is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on yesterdays.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
A Fête For Friends
We have the best group of friends out here in San Francisco. We have celebrated their birthdays. We have watched them get engaged and then married. We were there when they had kids. We have been there when they quit old jobs and landed new ones. We have seen them go back to school and watched their business grow and grow, always following their dreams. They are a part of our family when we live so far away from our immediate families. They deserve to be celebrated so that’s exactly what my hubs and I did. We threw a party in their honor to let them know how much they mean to us. Because no matter where we are or where we all go, we will be always be family. XX
Guerneville
Where do you go when you want to find a house that can accommodate 11 adults and 6 children ages 3 and under? Why Guerneville of course! We recently took a weekend getaway with friends to this lovely area located in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. We had zero agenda and it was so nice to hang with everyone and not have any plans or try to be anywhere. We cooked up great dinners at night and hung out at the house during the days. And of course no weekend getaway in Northern California is complete without hitting up at least one winery. Our friends just happened to stumble across the Porter-Bass Winery on their way to the house so we made a reservation and brought the whole gang. Porter-Bass is a family run vineyard practicing organic and biodynamic practices in wine making. You definitely need to check them out if you are ever in the area.
Tahoe Donner
Another perfect holiday weekend getaway this time to Tahoe Donner. I love all the cool places that exist right in our backyard.
Backyard Plums
We have this plum tree in our backyard that makes two different kinds of plums. Half are super sweet, like candy, and the other half are still tasty but better for baking. We get so many plums from the tree that we usually end up giving most of them away. In addition to the plum tree, we also have a lemon tree that produces super juicy lemons. Eating the fruit you grow is such a simple little pleasure. I’m certainly no gardener so thank goodness these trees don’t need a lot of maintenance! I hope I will always be able to grow some kind of food, wherever I am. It definitely makes our house feel more like home.
Back to Weekapaug
Our trip back east was short but so very sweet. Summers in Rhode Island are incomparable. If you have been here, you know. If you haven’t, you must visit NOW! You will not be disappointed. If you can’t make it, don’t worry! I am happy to bring Rhode Island to you. Check out these select prints on sale right now!
Somedays…
I wish I could spend ALL day in my crib.
Off the Grid
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I LOVE wine country. It is one of my absolute favorite places to visit and we are so lucky to have this in our backyard. Over memorial day weekend we decided to head to Anderson Valley and rent a house with some friends. What’s great about this area is that it’s not super touristy or overcrowded like Napa or Sonoma or even Healdsburg. It’s super laid back with no lines or hefty tasting fees. Just what we were looking for. One of my favorite wineries that we visited on this trip was Goldeneye. This place was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous! We sat out back by a picnic table and roamed through the vineyard sipping on the 2011 Goldeneye Vin Gris of Pinot Noir. So delicious! The whole entire weekend was pure bliss. I can’t wait to go back.