permanent vacation

after a long drawn out bout with the flu-sinus-sickly-sick, nick & i are ready for a proper vacation! we'll be traveling to the coast of northern california, with stops in point reyes & mendocino to soak in nature, empty beaches, rain, cheese, oysters & fermented spirits. we'll return to southern california on saturday with lots of photos & stories to share. until then, take care & have a wonderful week!!

image via wet behind the ears.

oh oh, it's magic

in case you needed a little bit of magic to pull you through. xo

lovely day

in LA the weather has been perfect lately, and today is no exception. today i'm baking a pie for my sis & making a trip to see her, purchasing some new frames for 2 lino reductions i've just finished (stay tuned), and hopefully taking a late afternoon stroll. where are you & what are you up to today?

image via we heart it

for les...

happy bday! i love you.
your big sis,

nina

image via ffffound

the soda pop (beer and old school gum) stop

a few weeks ago, after a wicked good brunch at larkin's, we stopped at Galco's (est. in 1897, i might add) to pick up a few sunday afternoon supplies (beer, beer, and some old school gum). i loved the vintage signage & check out counter (50's light blue formica with chrome edging). the vintage candy display seemed to go on for days. beer & wine from around the globe. we chose the Raging Bitch IPA which was excellently hoppy & with a slightly sweet note. and the most expansive selection of soda pop you've even seen.

how to beat flu-like symptoms: visions of yellow

fresh daffodils


lanvin sp. '09

baked acorn squash


rachel comey sp. '09


more fresh daff's
suggestions are welcome. yellow or other. hope you are well.

hello, darling in camo/moss green

NEW!! hello, darling cards in camo/moss green. brighten someone's day with a special note via airmail (do you remember what that is??). folded card is blank inside for your own special message. hand-mixed ink means you might never see this color again! printed on fancy italian stationary. available here.

also, here is a super sneak peek of a little something i have been working on for months. it will be available for purchase, soon. exciting, exciting, exciting!!

lover sp. 2010 will help

simple, smart & perfectly styled, lover's sp. '10 lookbook is killing me!! p.s. i swore i would never ever wear head-to-toe-labels, but i think i'm rethinking. envisioning: fancy yet relaxed dinners on the patio with friends, spiked lemonade, homemade lemon tarts & backyard movie screenings.

lover lookbook via refinery 29

here comes the sun

i do this every year -- i somehow forget just how hot it gets in our part of los angeles during the summer months. today gave us a glimpse of what's to come... weird, though, that snow can still be seen on nearby mountains.

case studies

furry face therapy -- halo

i recently read: people with dogs are happier people. since we're not quite ready to invite a new pack (um, yeah, we're thinking, eventually, 3 smaller-ish ones) into our lives permanently, we'll have to settle for frequent furry face visits throughout our 'hood.

so, meet halo! she is so cute, i can't stand it. look at those kinky curls near her ears. you can't see it in these pics, but she's managed to create one dreadlock behind her left ear (yes, she is a dirty lil hippie, but it's not her fault they leave her outside!). monday was the first day she really recognized me -- she wagged her tail upon seeing me and hearing me say "hi, hay." my day was made.

la espanola inspired pizza

last week, the hubs discovered a spanish gem located in the south bay, not too far from his work location. you see, spain is a place near and dear to my heart for many reasons: i studied abroad in spain, traveled throughout it's lands & savored it's delicate-yet-absurdly-impactful foods long ago. upon my return to the states, i was (this) close to smuggling in a couple ounces of their precious jamon serrano so my family could see & taste some of what they were missing. so, needless to say, for the last 8 or so years, the hubs has heard me go on an on about spain's wonders to the point where his interest has piqued. on top of that, being the pbs geeks that we are, we've (well, mostly me) been slightly obsessed with jose andres' show "Made in Spain," "On the Road Again," with mario batali, bitty, claudia & gweneth paltrow, and any tiny spanish-related segment on gourmet's show "Diary of a Foodie." if you haven't been able to afford the luxury of being in spain, eating bocadillos with luscious jamon serrano for days on end (yes, days & days, it's that good), or willing to travel to the westside to sample the jamon at a number of trendy restaurants, then you should venture to La Espanola Meats. they have a few different kinds & will sell you an entire leg if you wish. trust me, i'm already trying to figure our how/when we can make such a splurge ($800-$1400) without breaking the bank or turning into pigs ourselves. any ideas?

last night, after finishing our share of iberico, we made a pizza with slices of the chorizo picante (also available at La Espanola Meats) strewn about on top. i don't know how they make the sausages so tender and smooth? nitrates??

stay gold limited edition letterpress print

stay gold...
a reminder to stay forever young, true to yourself, open minded & connected to the small things in life. inspired by Robert Frost's poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" & "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton.

this is an 8.5 x 11 inch print of an original hand drawn design, hand carved linocut by lil ol' me. limited edition of 12 in meyer lemon -- signed & numbered. individually fed through a vintage Vandercook letterpress. you can see more images & details at my etsy shop.

finding ways...

to stay gold.

rad girl, rad coat

the ethereal (now fashionista?) joanna newsom in comme des garcons.

images via mister mort.