Last Touches for Kitchen

My parents came to visit and were here for close to 5 days. With their help we were able to put some final touches on the kitchen! I am so excited that we finally have these shelves in place. It helps give a little extra counter space. Michael and my dad worked on setting up the studs for the shelves for a few days. They had to cut the wall out and reinforce with wood! And I am sooo excited that we finally finished the counter extension behind the stove. With some tips and pointers from my dad I was able to give this piece of wood Michael and I found, a natural stain and several coats of a water based satin finish seal. For the legs we had purchased several different legs to try from IKEA but none seemed quite right and I just couldn't get the idea of using the galvanized plumbing pipes out of my head. After a little elbow grease, a lot of measuring, and trips to home depot I think we got it just right! We were even able to make a foot rest for when you are sitting at the bar. (That was my mom's idea). My dad thought of the cute idea to use the reducers as feet! I love the end result!! I'm already thinking of new things I can make with the plumbing and have a little list going on in my head.

Happy Fall!

It's finally here. Fall. The best season ever! Spotted these old bottles in a window in St. Helena today. I love their autumnal palette. More fall pictures to come.

Let there be Light!

After close to a year, we finally have lights in the kitchen! The wiring was super wonky here but in the end it worked out and i can't believe they are finally in place!

Just South of Big Sur

Pacifica, California

Today Michael took Sadie and I to Pacifica Beach. It was so foggy you could barely see 5 feet in front of the car. It cleared a little when we got to the water but the waves were pretty big and the surfers were out in masses. This shot is actually Rockaway Beach, one beach up from Pacifica. We did go to both today though, it was a beautiful afternoon.

Justin Hawkins and Urban Weeds

I took this picture of my friend, Justin Hawkins, many years ago when I used to live in Seattle! I really like the bright colors he was wearing contrasted with the beautiful fall foliage. I just came across a new picture of Justin, while I was browsing this blog, Urban Weeds, about street style based out of Portland, Oregon. 8 years later his style has changed a little but still looks like Justin!

Mario Testino

To say that Mario Testino is a photography idol of mine would be putting it mildly. He is a genius portrait maker! The way his photographs and subject matter come to life and the beautiful rich and vibrant tones of the photographs are spectacular. This series in particular , which may possibly be one of my favorites of all time, from British Vogue -10/2008 is particularly captivating to me. Not only has he shot one of the most iconic models of our time, Kate Moss, but he has also managed to give a quiet portrait of the equally stunning location: The Master Shipwright's House. The rich tones of the walls and the layers of colors have been given just as much attention. In my opinion the pictures come alive because of the character of the backdrop. I absolutely am in heaven!

details of the walls:

all images by Mario Testino

Color Spectrum

I love how vibrant these flowers are. Almost as bright, possibly brighter, than these lights in a certain downtown SF window...

Happy Thursday

Dreaming of the East Coast....

New Photo Book

A few days ago I purchased the new photo book released by Scott Schuman, aka The Sartorialist. The book is filled with many beautiful and inspiring photographs. I also like how it is just a little bit bigger than a paperback, although very thick, making it highly portable. I couldn't resist adding a picture of this beautiful coaster as well!

Gardenspiration Tuesday

I took these images in and around the Bay Area. Our garden is currently a patch of dirt and dried up grass. I hope to soon have some green growing out of the ground. We have started with a pink jasmine vine and some beautiful grasses. I'll post some pictures when they have grown a bit.

Happy September and Fenspiration Tuesday!

Happy September! Fall starts trickling in now and I couldn't be happier! As much as I have loved this summer and all the beautiful weather the East Bay has provided, I am a fall girl at heart! I'm kicking off lovely lovely September (one of my favorite months)with a new feature all about inspiration! Today is Fenspiration Day (fence+inspiration). Michael and I are hopefully going to be putting up something in our yard soon and I have definitely been getting a lot of fenspiration walking around Berkeley. I am partial to the horizontal fencing myself, what do you think? More 'spirations to come....