New Addition

Now that I have successfully kept alive two large plants for over 2 years I thought it was safe to add a new one to the family!  I love the beautiful colors of the leaves.  Plus, a gorgeous huge chunk of Mica that I found while hiking many years ago in New Mexico.  (The colors are very warm in these pictures due to the time of day).

In the Garden With: Tracey Dupre

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to spend an afternoon with Tracey in her beautiful garden!  Her and her partner in crime, Jim have created a magical space in their backyard and are truly the definition of urban farmers.  Tracey, assisted by cute little Parker, gave me a tour through their garden and I discovered many surprises at every turn.  On top of being the most gracious host and making one of the best tasting pizzas I have ever had with ingredients straight from her garden she has also agreed to a little mini interview (a first for my blog)!

How long have you been gardening for and do you have any advice for urban gardens?
12 years. From a porch in Boston with Astro Turf and plastic flamingos to L.A. container boot camp (it's a desert!) to a lovely yard in the east bay! Don't be shy, you can fit a lot of plants in small spaces!

Which three words best describe how you feel when you are in your garden or gardening?

Contemplative, relaxed and hungry!

What is your favorite thing about your garden?

The sense of fulfillment on all levels.

How many different varieties of fruits/vegetables are you growing (roughly, I know you have a lot!)?

Just a hair over 50 edible varieties!

How do you get your hair to be sooo shiny??!!! ( you don't have to answer this :))

Life force of Magpies!

Tracey also runs a beautiful blog and makes beautiful things! Thank you so much Tracey!!!

A Preview

More from this to come later today!
(Update- I will be posting more from this tomorrow instead!)

Vintage Photos

Anyone that knows me knows how obsessed I am with animals, dogs in particular, but I really love them all.  One of my favorite things to find when out and about are old photos of dogs.  To find pictures where families have included their beloved animals tells me how dear they were to them.  I have found some photos over time and some have been given to me by friends.  When I saw this beautiful book dedicated to old dog photos I knew I had to bring it home and was happy to find a kindred spirit.  All the images in the book were collected by Catherine Johnson.  She works in the photography field and has been collecting images since she was a little girl.  I love what she writes in the book stating having pets today is part of our need and desire to stay connected to the purity of the natural world and that these frozen moments in time make the dogs, the people and the photographs endearing and magical.  I couldn't agree more.

PS. Doesn't that cute dog in photo #8, bottom left hand corner remind you of a certain "someone"? 

Top five photos from my own collection.

Bottom five photos from Dogs Collected by Catherine Johnson.

Outerlands for Brunch

The Outerlands is one of my top favorite spots for brunch.  I love the whole experience from driving out to the Sunset to the look and feel of the place itself.  It is filled with warm wood accents and delicious smells from the kitchen.  It is the perfect cozy spot to step in to after waiting outside in the cool foggy weather or on a warmer day sitting outside on the sunny sidewalk.  My absolute favorite item is the french toast which is infused with orange and made from the bread that is made in their own kitchen.  Delish!!!

Glimpses

Some shots from a recent fashion show....