scenes from the weekend + signs of spring

mushroom and beet green scramble



chai tea from soap making extravaganza



a visit to dandelion ranch



pretty pink flowers on the peach tree



tiny fall pomegranates gone to seed



one of many... see below


Spring is not my favorite season. I like it in theory, the little buds appearing on fruit trees, weedy flowers and clover carpeting the otherwise untended parts of the backyard, artichokes, longer days, getting home before dark... that's all great. But isn't it just such a tease? It's windy and sort of warmish if you stand in the sun with a sweater on, but really it's still cold and my feet turn purple when i insist on wearing sandals to work. arrg. i need summer. now. and it's months away.

I do love snooping around neighborhood gardens this time of year though. And smelling orange blossoms at night when the bedroom window is open. And figuring out what to do with the colony of baby artichokes forming outside the kitchen door.

Any ideas? I need easy baby artichoke ideas.

more spring, this time heath

I'm pretty positive you all are tired of hearing about my ongoing material obsessions. But I have to share these anyway because they're so nice.





Oooh. I know. See, you're glad I posted this. Because most people don't stalk the Heath site waiting for their seasonal collections to appear, so I'm guessing your haven't seen yet. I'm feeling desperate for the bud vase set. But I will wait because I have self restraint. Even though it doesn't appear that I exercise it all that often.

spring protea family blooms

I've mentioned before my love of all members of the protea family. Remember that cool wreath from christmas? well my same friend at the farmers market has a whole mess of spring pretties right now, in bright flaming colors and textures. Which means that I could not possibly walk away yesterday without buying an entire armful of spiny flowering things.









I love them in the vintage french flower bucket.

If anyone is looking for DIY, or should I say buy-it-yourself, wedding ideas these can be purchased at flea markets very inexpensively. Mine are old and ratty, but you can find really beautiful ones with flaking paint and pretty patina too.

things we did over the weekend...

that I recommend you do too. If possible. If you live close-ish to palm springs.

Stayed here:




Had drinks in their awesome bar, the Amigo Room:



(tabletops made from mexican bank notes! their design details are excellente.)

Went running through the desert:



Looking at wildflowers:




Watched lots of this:


(that's Federer, btw. Yes I'm a big tennis nerd)

Saw the Wayne Thiebaud exhibit (which was amazing):



And popped into the new, terrible-for-bank-account-but-excellent-for-new-additions-to-your-home DWR Annex.



Disclaimer: we said before we set foot inside this craven home of modern design items that we were ONLY going to look for one thing. A particular bed we've (I've) been eyeing forever. And we said this knowing there was like pretty much no way the exact one we wanted was going to be there. Except it was. Brand new, never been out of the crate, returned by the original purchaser even before unpacking, but couldn't be sold as new. (SCORE!)

We like to think that we're doing our part to stimulate the economy. At a ridiculous discount.

I'd also like to mention that we usually only accomplish a fraction of the above when we're out in the desert. Our normal agenda includes running, drinking coffee, reading the paper, laying by the pool, maybe playing tennis and then settling in to cocktail hour. So we're feeling pretty proud of ourselves. We went to a museum!

feel good photo for monday

from the Ace Hotel, palm springs...



I love escaping the misery of LA winter with a little desert warmth. Got home late last night, to work early this morning, more interesting posts to resume tomorrow.

i think i might need some ninu

Or else i'm just being tricked by the beautiful Italian girl who makes these things?

Ninu on Etsy.

find these oranges

soon. I keep forgetting to post about these because they are just oranges, so how interesting could they really be? VERY interesting, if you must know. Interesting enough that I've been eating at least 2 per day for the last month and a half.




The Cara Cara.

Aren't they pretty with their rosy fruit? Pretty is all good and fine, but pretty isn't the point. They are so amazingly delicious I cannot stop thinking about them. And here's the sad part: limited season. You can only get them this time of year at our markets, (jan, feb, march), so you'd best be locating them soon. I'm going over to the farmers market at lunch to fill my baggu with our weekly supply. Actually semi-weekly supply because we just bought a bunch on Sunday and they are gone.

I've seen them at Whole Foods too, but if at all possible try to get them from a farmer. I don't want you to be disappointed when you taste the Whole Foods variety and think they are just the same as regular navels. I assure you they are not. They are super sweet and super tangy at the same time. Literally perfection.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. Yay!

I was going to find a pretty picture of balloons or cakes to post for her... but she's not, like, wildly interested in balloons or cakes.

She likes birds.

Mom, here are some neat vintage hungarian matchbook birdies for you.



neat, right?


from flickr

Confections I would eat if they were not paper

The Paper Nut has really freaked me out this afternoon. These cakes especially. Ask Amanda. I went into an utterly manic state when I saw this suite today and repeated "cake" (over IM, of course) more times than could ever be considered necessary or even sane.



I want to make little cakes and surround myself with perfectly styled whimsy at all times. I love how the lines aren't perfect and the circles are a little wobbly and organic. I might need to buy these samples just so I can pet them when I'm feeling sad.

via Black Eiffel's guest blogger, Jeanie Nelson. She may or may not fall into the same unmentionable category as those girls from yesterday.

chamomile flowers and sparkly vintage tulle

At least I think those might be chamomile flowers. and I think that might be some sort of netting. But chamomile and tulle sound so much better for a title.



Summery wedding attire? But don't wear those exact sandals. I don't like them with their monogram C's. I'm, in general, anti obnoxiously branded apparel and accessories. There are certain exceptions of course, but these sad little C's are not it. And there are many lovely flat sandals that would do perfectly in their stead.

I'm sorry Coach. I like your supple leather and occasionally your handbags, especially when I purchase them at your outlet store in Mammoth, but right now I'm just using you for your photo stylings.

Also, I'm digging that pinky nude polish.