Sunset mag

Every month when I open the new Sunset I think, I seriously need to do a post on how much I love this magazine. And then I promptly forget once I've read through the pages and dog-eared half of them. I had to email myself last week to remind me to do this post.

In a few words, it's pretty much a perfect magazine. And now that Gourmet is gone (though perhaps making a comeback?), it's even better. It has most everything I love about life: food, gardening, backyard patios, home decor, living in California, little trips around the west, and a smattering of trendy ideas, like airstream trailers and gourmet ice cream shops. It doesn't have any fashion or make up tips or relationship advice, thank god. It's so relevant to my life at this moment, which is exactly what the perfect magazine should be. Yay Sunset! You've seriously stepped it up in the last year.

Let me show you around the latest issue:



It's the national park issue, which couldn't have been more perfect timing considering when I picked it out the mailbox we were just packing for Yosemite.



Best river float: the Merced, through Yosemite Valley. It IS pretty awesome, though we couldn't partake this year with the babe. Here's a little secret, the Merced is actually more beautiful up the in Yosemite backcountry, about a day's hike out of the valley. But you can only enjoy it if you're backpacking. One day we'll backpack again.



Glacier... one day we'll go there too.



An awesome little spread on repurposing found objects: a shutter succulent garden,



Sewer pipe planters,



And a gate made from old oars. Pretty genius.



A pretty, wine-racked kitchen.



A rustic cabin modern remodel. Yum.



A family of pioneer caretakers in Montana.



I love a good set of raised beds.



Gastrique. A balsamic vinegar, fig cocktail mixer. I will be making this at some point this summer.



Peak season recipes.



And party ideas.

Plus the Sunset website has all sorts of great stuff too. Like a summer canning guide (we all know how much I love to can), growing and eating tomatillos (yay! I have tomatillos growing out back), and a photo gallery of modern cabins.

I could go on, but I will let you explore a bit on your own.

Ruth on Fresh Air

Not to keep coming back to Gourmet, but allow me this one last post (no guarantees). A sweet reader, Cinnamon, pointed out that Terry Gross just did an interview with Ruth Reichl on Fresh Air. I love Fresh Air. Terry Gross is such a good interviewer, isn't she?



So I listened to it this morning and it's so lovely. You should most definitely give it a go if you're as sad as I am that I've officially received my last issue in the mail. And mystery solved via the interview: the last issue is great, but it's not like a LAST ISSUE all stops out sort of situation. And Ruth's letter doesn't even hint at a farewell. Which makes sense when you learn that the November issue was all set for print when she found out the magazine would be closing immediately. She must have been crushed. I'm going to go out on limb here, but she was probably more crushed than the rest of us.

So anyway, you can listen to the interview on NPR's site right here: Ruth Reichl on Fresh Air.

I'm SO making the pumpkin soup in a pumpkin that she describes at the beginning of the piece. Using one of these beauties, of course. That giant cinderella should do just fine.

need this garden

Did anyone else see this in July's Martha?

I nearly fell off my chair.



But then again, how could you possibly eat all of that food? we can barely BARELY give away all the stuff coming out of our garden right now. Though I should mention that most of that stuff is squash and really, people can only eat so much of it.

Next year I will turn our ENTIRE BACKYARD into raised beds and get a stand at the farmer's market and live a fruitful life of food growing and cooking.

A homemade life

Finally reading it.



I'm notorious for saving things like books and gift cards and special jams and oils until the perfect moment. For instance, Harry Potter 7? Still on my bookshelf waiting. I'm terrified for the series to be over, so I'm just not reading the last book. NERD.

And Molly's book. I'm only just beginning, but I'm forcing myself to read slowly, maybe only one chapter per night. And already it has reduced me to tears on multiple occasions. Such a sap I've become in my advancing age. Anyway, it's beautiful and makes me feel like I have no purpose in life. Only scattered hobbies and a job. Le sigh.

But it's softly, passionately inspiring. Maybe I need a trip to Paris to fully understand my calling? Yes. Mostly likely that is it. Looking at tickets now...

(I'm labeling this as "buy handmade." Even though she didn't technically make the book herself, she did make all the lovely words and I think that's just as good).

old paper is real pretty

From Papier Valise. We posted on her shop and flickr stream on 100 Layer Cake this morning, but I couldn't resist posting a few more things.





I want to surround myself in a cloud of vintage paper ephemera and drift off to a land of crafting this afternoon. How cute are those old alka seltzer bottles? They would make an amazing spice rack, me thinks. And Chinese lanterns. Oh I do love those.

Word of warning: be prepared to spend a LONG time looking through her sites. They will suck you in... like cement.

Originally from Uppercase

an urban farmer blog

My mom sent me this awesome blog last week and though I'm not sure how many of you darling readers are actually turning your backyards into vegetable farms this summer, perhaps there are a few who would benefit:

Diggin Food

It's a Seattle-based vegetable garden and food blog written by Willi Galloway, and stuffed full of awesome backyard farming tips. Like:




How to make a super simple and inexpensive squash teepee. Making it this weekend, for sure.



How to grow your beans up the side of a fence.



Plus she posts an excellent backyard chicken resource. Did I mention we're getting chickens? I'm so excited. Sometimes I think we already have them, but really I just have their names picked out. We're actually waiting on our nifty modern henhouse to ship from the UK. Only a few more weeks...

ANYWAY, check out her blog. It makes me want to abandon all professional goals and dedicate my days to growing things up the sides of fences.

the jewels of new york

GAWWW.

Just the name is killing me. This site is freaking me out it's so perfect and pretty. Do you think they need an upaid intern? I will move to New York and live in a youth hostel and sell... something... for food money and never shop again if they will let me into their circle of trust.



The Jewels of New York.

My friend Amanda and I have a special category that girls like this fall into. But I can't tell you because we've gotten mixed reviews on whether or not it would be acceptable in the greater blogging community. We mean it as the utmost compliment of course.

Maybe I will divulge our little game one day.

via Saipua

100 Layer Cake surprise for monday morn

The blog is live. And much sooner than we'd planned! But we had such a great response after our first announcement that we decided to go ahead and launch our blog before the rest of the project is ready.



We're kind of nervous... like we're sending our child off to the first day of kindergarten, so do let us know what you think. We want it to make friends and everything.

100layercake.com/blog

oui monsieur

Thank you for asking. I would love a trip to the Cote d'Azur of yore. And maybe some diamonds for when we go out on the town?

Research for a little save-the-date project in the works... seriously, who doesn't love vintage French tourism posters?



STB sister-in-law Melanie's wedding has a working theme of 50's Monte Carlo. (we get to wear GOWNS as bridesmaids... yessss) So we're doing a French Riveria inspired postcard for their save the date. C'est tres amusant pour moi! (I have french CDs in my car! can you tell?)

I love making cute projects that do not involve the internet. Unless I am blogging about them.

(i think most of these are from enjoyart.com).

the biggest day

From our honeymoon, Gertrude Street (our FAVORITE street) in Melbourne.

See, everybody has been waiting for this day. Not just us. I can't possibly sum up how important today feels in this quick post before the speech. Plus there are other blogger friends out there who have probably prepared something lovely, so I'll leave the heartfelt analysis to them.

I will just say that my happiness cup runneth over. And it's coming out my eyes.

PS. I happen to LIKE Michelle's outfit. Not many people can rock that color. Did you see her neat green gloves?

in my early dreams...

this is what our wedding was going to look like. We were going to get married in Mammoth (in the sierras) or Napa and have a rustic, warm, vintagey fall wedding.

i miss it a little.



I mean I like our wedding and all. But then Kathryn has to make this and remind me...

Somebody should disconnect my internet, for realz.

sweet chairs and general design skills from creme design

My friend Amanda sent this link over this afternoon during one of our therapeutic interoffice IM sessions. Love these multicolored plaid chairs at Distrito in Philly.



And the warm, rustic feeling of the front of Forge in NYC... makes me want a glass of red wine. now.



Lots more inspired interiors at Creme Design.

shepard fairey solo show for lucky san franciscans

People up north have it all. For starters, they live in the bay area which is reason enough to be jealous, er envious. AND they get to go to the opening of Shepard Fairey's new show over the weekend. Hrrrrumpf.



I love his work, love love love. and he's an extremely talented, thoughtful, inspiring, creative guy. I heard him speak at a design conference last year and was like, "Whoa." This guy is legit.

If you live up there, or happen to be up there, I highly recommend stopping in to see his work at the White Walls Gallery on Larkin Street.

Anyway. I will NOT be in SF, sadly. BUT, I will be frolicking through the vineyards of Santa Barbara with my girlfriends for my Bachelorette party! Which, okay, is totally worth missing the show. (i think). And after we drink wine, during the day, for like 4 hours, I intend to somehow get to the Four Seasons in Montecito to have another of their insanely delicious dirty martinis with truffle cheese-stuffed olives. I shall report back on the hilarity that ensues.

zoe bradley flowers for very crafty brides

Saw these while trolling d*s yesterday. Incredible. Seriously, if I was more able with paper and scissors and also didn't work and could have spent the last 6 months making huge paper flowers, these would be covering our reception area. or ceremony. EVERY INCH OF SPACE.



Look at the plum, taunting me.

You should definitely check out her site. Everything is very cool. Esp the paper dresses. I am coveting her job.

snippet & ink board of our wedding!

Okay not really. But it's pretty close to ours! We're having a "vintage california garden party" in late october in palm springs, and our colors are black, white, and all shades of vintagey green. I'm so excited to see a similar idea on one of her beautiful inspiration boards.



Now I must go through all my favorites of hers and revisit for new inspiration.

martha's real weddings

oh, this is outstanding news. (I'm sure i'm late on this train, but still) Martha Stewart has posted real weddings. FINALLY. i mean seriously, what was the hold up? it's all we really want to see. and of course we've seen these in the mag already, but still. i like being able to visit them from the comfort of my computer.



These are some good-looking groomsmen, if you ask me. And their suits are amazing. I love how stylish they all look. I'm so over the rented tuxedo. Isn't that Vince from Entourage there in the middle?

when the wedding binder fun has past...

...there is the home inspiration binder! YES! this is brilliant. because while we are in no position to be planning/styling/collecting inspiration for our "new home," I still keep scraps of niceness for a later date... like in 20 years when we can afford to build a custom, rustic, modern, beautiful, perfect home of our own. And mine might look similar to hers:



I love the style files. Such a great blog, seriously. Except that (as I mentioned 2 seconds ago), we are not in a position to use much of her gorgeous findings for home inspiration. there's always eventually.

dear crate & barrel...

I may owe you an apology. It's just that you know, EVERYBODY getting married registers with you. And I just want something unique, perhaps made by hand or by a timeless artisan of craft. So I apologize for saying that I wouldn't ask my guests to buy your things. Esp when you sent such a cute email today:



Look at you, alluding to your support for local food and reusable bags! I love the green and white stylings, the 60's-pyrex-inspired designs, and the light an airy kitchen you promise. I'm not changing my mind at this point, but I do remember that in a time before weddings dominated both my creative energy and my vacation days, I did like a good stroll through your brightly lit aisles. I did enjoy the anticipation of a more thoroughly organized kitchen that the pages of your catalog so seductively displayed. And I love that you, with your home decor prowess are maybe making a more conscientious way of life just a teeny bit more mainstream. Truce?

job-related angst

I am tortured by this on a regular basis:



I can't help but acknowledge that if I didn't design one of my projects, someone else would.

Secretly, I wish I was an NPR correspondent, asking smart, thought-provoking questions to people doing interesting and important work/research and then having the perfect follow-up to their answers every time. Does everyone struggle with this question of "Why?" when it comes to their profession... I wonder.

poster via a cup of jo

paint chips are your friends

In the struggle to pick a "palette" for our wedding (ugh, who wants to be chained to one group of colors?) I became quite good friends with our neighborhood paint stores. Talk about the most excellent free resource out there. HUNDREDS of shades of hundreds of colors. Home Depot will work in a pinch, but swing by a real paint store and 1) your options expand and 2) the paint chips get bigger.



We are settling in to vintage floral greens, black, off white, and yet to be determined support colors. See my vintage flower frogs (which match my paint chips perfectly)? I have ~70 of those and we're using them for our escort card display. I was beside myself with happiness when I came up with the idea. Never seen it done before! I now know why. I have fought long and hard on ebay for my collection and between you and me, this hasn't turned out to be an inexpensive DIY project. But I am too committed to turn back. And they are so cute. I'll be selling them after the wedding if anyone's interested.