vignettes

sick day

2011-10-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

I spent today at home with my sweet little Harper Lee. It was so good to snuggle her after them being gone with their dad for a few days. Here's how we spent our sick day together.

1. some tulips that I kind of like better dead than I did alive
2. got all fancy with my nails
3. we saw a rainbow. and then a double rainbow. I was actually under rain when I took this and then it was sunny a few feet away.

We also watched lots of Garfield on Netflix, ate soup and giggled a lot. I also sold the kids' crib today. I tried not to shed a tear thinking about how time has flown so quickly that they don't even need a crib anymore. My sweet little babies are sweet little children who are growing too fast. Sutter even lost his other front tooth yesterday. Oh time, sometimes I wish you stood still.

xo,

chelsea

Hanging on to summer

2011-09-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Summer,

Please don't leave us yet.

Thank you.

"Golden Tree" by Martin Brooks from Ninian Doff on Vimeo.

[found via Anthology Mag]

xo,

chelsea

The Animal Print Shop

2011-09-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

these adorable baby animals portraits by Sharon Montrose put a huge smile on my face when I came across them a few months back. It was a very pleasant surprise to find them on Fab.com yesterday, so it was hard to resist picking up a few for our home and a few as gifts.

Kinda perfect timing since the kids were just asking for a pet monkey! Check out the sale on Fab, or head on over to The Animal Print Shop to see even more sweet little animal faces.

xo,

chelsea

bravo whitney deal

2011-09-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

Ooohing and Ahhing over the recently-discovered dress collection from Whitney Deal.

Floral bridesmaid dresses sound like an 80s disaster on paper, but she's managed to make them sweet without being cloying. Would you have a floral-bedecked bridal party?

(EDIT: I've updated the post to include the link to Whitney Deal's website. I guess that's what happens when you post late at the end of the day!)

xo,

chelsea

it's September what??!

2011-09-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

I had a really enjoyable time posting random iPhone photos during the August Break, and I had all intentions of returning to regular blogging activities. Which I guess, for me, regular means posting whenever I get a chance or inspiration strikes. I really do keep meaning to be a better blogger, but it just never seems to happen. Maybe if I had a nanny, or a driver, or a maid. But then my life just wouldn't be my life, and that won't do.

I realized this evening that I haven't uploaded photos from our camera since the beginning of June. When I did, I found this photo Carl took of me crossing the street in San Francisco. Kind of made me feel like I had my own paparazzo.

Happy Friday!

9

2011-08-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

finishing out the August Break with my lucky #9.

7 and 8

2011-08-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

6

2011-08-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

xo,

chelsea

4 and 5

2011-08-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

Posts 4 and 5 on my August Break.

xo,

chelsea

put a bird on it

2011-08-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

Post #3 for August Break.
this sweet little birdy arrived for my birthday from the fam in Oregon.

xo,

chelsea

Nordiska

2011-08-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

August Break: take 2. I plan on making something fun with this fabric this weekend...if I can ever finish the kids' new drapes.

Happy Friday!

xo,

chelsea

August Break

2011-08-11T16:37:00.001-07:00

I decided to join the fun at the August Break as a way to push myself to blog more regularly. While I love blogging, holding down a full-time job and semi-single-mothering usually take precedent over putting together blog posts that I deem worthy of publishing. Instead, I usually publish something that's a half-hearted version of what I truly envisioned. That, or I just go weeks without posting a thing.

I love the idea of a simple photo a day. So here goes...

It was my birthday on Tuesday. And this is what I wore.

xo,

chelsea

tickled pink

2011-08-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Birthday Fairies,

I love hot pink. I love this bag. And I'd be tickled pink if this somehow magically arrived for my birthday. Just sayin'.

xo,

chelsea

Rocks

2011-08-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

Currently loving all the geode inspired designs being created out there. Images via my Pinterest.

xo,

chelsea

Sköna Hem

2011-08-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

Digging floor to ceiling subway tiles in this Swedish kitchen. Also, I think I spy some Josef Frank in the nursery. Such a sweet story about the cradle, that has been used by many generations, found here.

xo,

chelsea

Fancy Friday - 7.22.11

2011-07-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

I had the following Post prepared to run today, but it feels silly to finish it after hearing about the horrific events in Oslo today. My heart goes out to all the families there who have lost loved ones. I can't begin to imagine how frightening the scene must be at the moment. Luckily we've heard from our family and know that everyone is safe.

Here's the original planned post...

I went into shock as I typed the date in the title of this post - how is it almost the end of July already? While the end of July can signal a close to summer for a lot of people, it's sort of just beginning around here. June and July tend to be foggy in the mornings...but August and September are really beautiful!! August is kind of my favorite month...and not just because it's my birthday. I have always looked forward to Fiesta and there's usually some pretty amazing concerts at the Santa Barbara Bowl to look forward to. There's nothing quite like that venue, I love it! It also marks Back to School - which is very exciting this year since both my littles will be now be in Elementary School. It's crazy to even begin to think about that!

Things have been pretty snoozy around the ole blog, apologies for that. We had a nice little vacation in Portland, full of eating and site-seeing and of course some rain. I always think I'm going to blog more on break, but it just never happens. I've spent the last week trying to get back into a routine, but I've really been just blatantly ignoring house work and stepping over piles of stuff. I'm hoping to get some house projects completed over the weekend and get my head put back on straight.

Here's a quick little list of some things I fancied this week.

Saw Beginners last night. What a fantastic movie. Have any of you seen it? What are your thoughts?

Had dinner at Clyde Common, the restaurant attached to the Ace Hotel Portland, over the weekend. Delicious! It was simple and inventive at the same time, with really fresh, local ingredients and great ambience and decor.

Happy 113th birthday Alexander Calder!

A gorgeous dress I came across while searching for something to wear for an upcoming black tie wedding.

Kinda in love with the saturated colors of fall via J.Crew.

Dreaming of sitting outside and sipping an agua fresca.

Has anyone checked out the sales on Fab yet? Today they are featuring some Penguin Books which would be a fun addition to anyone's book collection!

Happy Weekend everyone!

What are your big plans for the weekend??

xo,

chelsea

Independence Day

2011-07-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

A few quick snaps from our 4th of July...

xo,

chelsea

lofty

2011-06-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

How awesome is this loft with lots of beautiful light, a fantastic pop of blue and plenty of found objects?

found here

Happy Thursday everyone! Today has been so beautiful outside. I enjoyed a little lunch date with my honey in Santa Barbara's amazing Courthouse sunken gardens. Now I'm off to get in a little workout and enjoy a picnic this evening for Concerts in the Park.

What are your holiday weekend plans?

xo,

chelsea

parade perfect

2011-06-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

I found out yesterday that my sweet little Harper Lee was picked to walk in the 4th of July parade with some of her summer camp gals at Girls Inc. During "morning celebration" at her first day of camp, I was told she took the mic and told a knock-knock joke. She made quite a few friends that day.

For today's Wardrobe Wednesday I thought I'd put together a little dream outfit for parade watching this coming 4th of July.

1. Red, White and Blue all in one adorable Lauren Moffatt dress

2. Protect those peepers with some retro Super Lucias.

3. Shade yourself from the blazing sun with a cool and casual Panama Hat.

4. Keep hands free for clapping and waving with a cross-body bag.

5. Wearable sandals for chasing little ones.

6. Star-spangled nails for fun.

xo,

chelsea

san fran by blur

2011-06-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. We had such a great, but all-too-short time in SF. Here's a quick snap of all the sightseeing (and eating) we managed to get in!

xo,

chelsea

san francisco

2011-06-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

[source]

This evening we will descend upon The Bay for a fun-filled weekend. I haven't been back to SF in a few years and I am beyond excited for our little road-trip north. San Francisco has always been one of my favorite cities in the world and I can't wait for delicious food, delicious drinks and delicious times with friends and family. I have lots of great memories of San Francisco throughout the years and I can't wait to add some more to the list!

I stayed up far too late packing last night, but I'm too excited for the tiredness to phase me. It's next to impossible to sit still while I wait for the work-day to end and the road-trip to begin.

If anyone has any can't miss suggestions, I'd love to hear them! We've got quite a few places in mind already, but I love to hear about the places people love - so feel free to share!!

xo,

chelsea

leah duncan

2011-06-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered the work of Austin-based artist, Leah Duncan. Totally loving the geometry and soft pastel colors in her drawings. She's also got a great blog too where she shares peeks of her life in Austin and lots of pretty studio shots.

That last pillow up there may or may not be finding it's way to my couch soon. Ok, it is...

Head on over to Leah's shop for a nice dose of awesome.

xo,

chelsea

summer house

2011-06-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

I could imagine having a great summer at this simple, beautiful home in Denmark. Found here.

new suit

2011-06-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

[found: here]

I'm totally obsessed with this look and can't stop day-dreaming about finding an awesome chambray suit to pair with my chucks this summer.

xo,

chelsea

goodnight.

2011-05-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

'Cause some days, you just feel like this.

xo,

chelsea

Citti

2011-05-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

Well, you could definitely hear the crickets around this blog lately. A very busy few work weeks and the end-of-school-year madness for the kiddos have left me with little time for blogging lately. In my moments of spare time I have been spring cleaning (office - you'll not get the best of me!!) and dreaming of squeaky clean interiors that feel springy and fresh.

We've had a particularly difficult time finding the right piece for our entryway...or lack of entryway. We don't really have one, the door just opens right up into our oddly-shaped living room. We've got a fireplace in the corner, a giant picture window in the front and the space doubles as our living and dining room. The fireplace and picture window aren't really much to complain about...they just make for an odd furniture arrangement. But back to the topic at hand. ENTRYWAY. The errant chair from our dining set and a table that is too big and gets slammed every time the door opens; well, it just ain't workin'. We've drawn up some plans for a piece we'd like to build. BUT. Instead I'll take one ticket to Sweden so I can pick this up from Zweed.

Does it get any better than a customizable, changeable, colorful and sleek piece like this?

I'll also take that loft with the whitewashed floors and very sexy white/cork light fixture. Thank you very much.

I've been somewhat obsessed with this blue/yellow combo lately - especially after seeing the blue cabinet/yellow faucet combo. But I wouldn't think twice about this awesome grey number also...

[I also spy the unfold lamp that I've had my eye on.]

With an array of customized colors and configurations, I could find a use for one

in every room.

Sigh. The Swedes really got my number.

What room gives you most decorating grief?

xo,

chelsea

friday sleepyhead

2011-05-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

[image source]

I had every intention of putting together a Fancy Friday post today. Truly, I did. But after a very hectic week and the launch party for WinWin Living last night aboard the Tamsen yacht, I really am just too sleepy to put together anything that will actually be readable.

Instead, I just sort of wish I was escaping to this tent with lots of books, wooly socks and snuggly kiddos. Of course I'd be too exhausted to actually erect said tent, so I'd need some sort of tent set-up assistant or something. Luckily, it's Friday and we have lots of relaxing with friends on the schedule.

Where would you like to escape to?

xo,

chelsea

L ♥ V E

2011-05-11T16:22:00.000-07:00

I had a great little Mother's Day lunch today at Harper's pre-K class. It was so incredibly sweet hearing all the children talk about their mommies. We were each presented with portraits of us as drawn by our little ones and stories of how much they love us and what they'd buy us with $100. Harper says she loves me to Infinity and she'd buy me a wedding dress, long to the floor with her $100.

My girl also helped me getting dressed this morning. I thrifted this skirt last summer, but for some reason every time I pulled it out it wasn't quite right. I finally realized it needed to be dressed down for juxtaposition. Sometimes all you need is a little simplicity.

All that pink made Harper happy. And that made me happy.

[skirt: thrifted, t-shirt: gap, shoes: jessica simpson, bracelets: street vendor, ring: a merry mishap]

xo,

chelsea

trash collector

2011-05-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

The saying goes that "one man's trash is another man's treasure". Looking around my home, I'd have to say that's true for me. With the exception of the couch that Carl purchased from IKEA and some other finds, most are craigslist, hand-me-down or sidewalk treasures.

Here's a peek at some tossed out treasures having a second life in our home...

The neighbors put this out on trash day...mainly because of the broken glass, but it was also in need of a good sanding and some new stain and polyurethane. A little elbow grease, and a good excuse for Carl to buy some power tools, and now it's the perfect place to stash all our books, doodling pads and other pretties. [note to self to clean out the fireplace already...]

This dresser was a hot, brown mess when I saved it from the next dump run. The drawers are still a bit wobbly, but the new coat of white paint turned it from icky brown to our shiny new bar.

Even our dining table was once destined for the landfill. Little did I know it was a Drexel Heritage Profile set that I saw online through a dealer for about $6500. I've been dying to re-upholster those chairs, but they've been on the back-burner forever. This summer. Pinky swear.

What found treasures are in your home?

xo,

chelsea

happy mama's day!

2011-05-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

I hope all you mamas out there are having a wonderful day that makes you feel as special, awesome, amazing and wonderful as you are!!

xo,

chelsea

color. blocked.

2011-05-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

I am totally in love with all the color-blocking out there. Lucky for me, my closet is practically bursting at the seams with color. A whole bunch of impatient color that had been stuffed in the back during my winter-time fascination with blacks and neutrals. If the 80 degree weather is really here to stay, I expect this to be the first of many brightly outfitted days!

ps - please ignore my wrinkled linen...

[skirt: ann taylor; old, blouse: thrifted, kork-ease flatforms: jcrew via ebay,

necklace: thrifted, sunnies: thrifted]

And one of my favorite fashion photographer

xo,

chelsea

three squares

2011-05-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

I had a rather busy weekend, and I will say that 1 day of weekend-time is definitely not sufficient. I did at least take full advantage of my one free-day. Sleeping late, snuggling, a biking adventure that ended with a broken chain at the furthest-away point, errands and cleaning were how I spent my Sunday. How was your weekend?

I'm still trying to play catch-up, but I've got a little bunny with a fever, a busy boy and a whole lotta work to do.

Lucky for me, The Honey was home for the last week, which has meant I've been eating well. It's been so nice to enjoy the simple things like having lunch together or a cup of tea after the kiddos are asleep. Unfortunately, he's back to travelling so my lunch-dates are on pause for now.

Here's how I've been getting my 3 squares a day:

[breakfast of champions: ultrasimple smoothie, green tea, blogging]

[delicious salad with greens and radishes from our little community garden plot. deeelish!]

What are the little luxuries you appreciate most?

xo,

chelsea

fancy friday - almost May

2011-04-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday folks!

I can't believe how quickly this week zoomed by. The Honey and I started the week off right with a little anniversary celebration on Sunday at the most amazing restaurant - Seagrass Restaurant. We went all out and got the 7-course tasting menu, which was just insane.

I had quite a gruelling work-week that has left me in a bit of a daze. I'm looking forward to our Live Jazz cruise on the Double Dolphin this evening, soccer for the kids Saturday, a day of fun moonlighting at Consilience Winery and a day of rest on Sunday. Here's my little list of things I Fancied this week.

1. I've been madly in love with my Polaroid 600 for many years. I'm loving the Impossible Project's re-release of all kinds of cool instant film. I just ordered the limited edition pack featuring package design by Maurizio Galimberti - who created the awesome collage above.

2. I'm on the hunt for some Creme de Violette so I can sip on a purple-hued Fizz a la Violette. I love old-fashioned drinks and a pastel potion sounds right up my alley.

3. A great way to use up old fabric scraps and perk up kids (or my) sneakers for spring - braided laces

4. The new S/S Stella McCartney kids line is so adorable - I'm wishing it came in mama-size.

5. Bodie and Fou owner Karine Candice gave readers a peek inside her London home last Friday and it is to-die-for. Her leather sling chairs, taped up mood board and simple white walls all add up to a beautiful, modern space. I picked up the Feathers poster so I can recreate some of that goodness in my own home.

It's sort of a wimpy list this week, but there hasn't been much time for blogging with work being crazy, The Honey working from this week, milestones being reached, and me forcing myself to get to bed before 11 this week. Next week is sure to be one of catching up and carving out some me-time. It is Mother's Day after all, and I plan to milk it for all it's worth!

What are your weekend plans?

xo,

chelsea

growing up

2011-04-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

This big 4 and a 1/2 year old girl of mine learned to tie her shoes yesterday. I was incredibly impressed when she got it down in about five minutes flat. She was so proud this morning she asked Carl to take a picture to send to Amma, Farfar and Aunty Friday in Norway.

She also chose to go head-to-toe Hello Kitty outfit to celebrate.

She was so pleased that I couldn't help but share. I love that girl so much. It's also nice that we live in an age where I can document all these milestones digitally. I'm not much of a scrapbooker so someday I'll just have to say, "see, Mommy blogged it".

xo,

chelsea

gee-ode

2011-04-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

I've been a reader of A Merry Mishap for quite some time now. Her curated finds of simple, clean interiors always makes me feel soothed and relaxed. Plus she's got some serious thrift karma; need to make note to check out thrift stores when in Idaho...whenever that may be.

When I saw her post on some new jewelry she'd made and posted up on Etsy, I scooted over there and snapped some up right away. My first thought was that they were unique and cool. Now, I just can't stop wearing it! I had to head over and pick up some of the bright stuff too - some purple and neon yellow earrings are heading my way soon. Why stop the berry binge?

xo,

chelsea

Berry Bright

2011-04-20T22:07:00.000-07:00

I'm always happy when springtime rolls around and the bright colors hit the stores. It's ironic, I finally warmed up to the layered neutrals trend, and now it's bright and bold everywhere I look. I'm always a fan of a colorful life so it's all fine and dandy by me!

Apparently I can't get enough rich berry colors, as evidenced by some recent thrifting loot. Silky, sorbet blouses seem to be hot on my radar. Can't wait to mix these into my warm-weather wear.

A little sneak peek at the new bed I picked up on Craigslist. I'm constantly amazed at the amount of stuff I can squeeze into our little 2-door Honda. All 8.5 feet of this headboard monster fit INSIDE the car. Amazing. I've dubbed it the little Honda That Could. Some new bedding, a decision on those drapes above the bed and I would say the bedroom could be certifiably done. That is until I have another hair-brained idea. A week before finding this bed I look at live-edge wood slabs to make a headboard and then went a full 180 after this showed up on CL. It's safe to say my guy thinks I'm nuts. Although he's rather pleased with the Plycraft Lounger I also just picked up...so it's a fair trade - he deals with me being wacko, I bring home kick-butt furniture.

And this sweet face. It melts me each and every time. He lost a tooth last week. I can't believe how wonderful he gets with every day.

And this absolutely silly girl.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I can't wait for Thursday - it's when my love comes home from his weekly work trip.

What are your Easter plans?

xo,

chelsea

goodbye Grandpa Boppy

2011-04-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are on another Monday and I completely neglected blogging all last week.

It's not that I haven't wanted to blog, but I felt like I would be remiss in going on blogging like normal without saying a few words about Albert Locatelli. We lost Al last Friday, April 8th. He was a loving father, grandfather and friends. And although he's technically my "ex-father-in-law" we are still family. He was the most wonderful grandpa to these kids and I know they will miss him terribly. As sad as we are to have lost him, he wasn't well and he had made peace with the fact that it was his time.

In the last few years of his life, an interest in Buddhism grew into a deeper study. He had Taken Refuge at some point in the last year or so and planned how he would like us to commemorate his passing. A beautiful ceremony was organized at the Hospice House where he had spent his last days. It was an intimate and intense feeling to be in the room with his body, mere hours after his passing, surrounded by all his loved ones. I had never been part of a ceremony like that and it was very overwhelming - in a very positive way.

This is my first experience dealing with the passing of a loved one that was so intimately involved in my children's lives. As difficult for all of us as the experience has been, I feel fortunate that they are surrounded by so many people that love them and have supported them through this time and beyond.

Grandpa Boppy - we love you!!

If anyone else out there has experienced a similar situation with their little ones, how did you deal with it? I'd love to hear others' take on how they handled it.

Thanks and Happy Tax Day!

xo,

chelsea

holli zollinger

2011-04-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

Wandering across the interwebs today looking for some fun Chevron fabric for a project or two, I came across the work of Holli Zollinger. An artist from Utah, Holli's textile designs are fun without being overly cute or kitschy. I love the scales of her patterns and the colorways. I'm mostly drawn to the naturally inspired prints. Check out a few favorites:

I can't help but think of Florence & The Machine when I see this one.

I love that the fabrics are offered in several different weights and finishes. They're the perfect small touch to add color to a room, although I could see an entire upholstered piece looking amazing in one of these.

I picked up these two for a fabric bin I plan to whip up for our living room. I say "whip up" as if I'm fast on the sewing machine or something...

Happy Friday All - I hope you have a fantastic weekend planned!

xo,

chelsea

Braided and Plaited

2011-04-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

I'm having a continued love affair with braids. They're the perfect answer for a messy hair day. They dress up, they dress down and look darn good doing it!

Some recent plaited pretties:

(source)

And check out this awesome how-to from B. Jones Style - she does some seriously amazing hair posts!!

Braids, love or hate them?

xo,

chelsea

KiddoCraft - money magnets

2011-04-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun little DIY craft project I put together with the kiddos on a rainy weekend. It's a great way to display and use coins picked up from foreign travels and for holding up those reports cards and art pieces on the fridge.

What You'll Need:

Pair of Scissors
Magnet - we used the roll variety but the small dots work too. If you go with the magnet dots, you'll need some strong adhesive as well. I wouldn't recommend Super Glue for a kid project, but any craft store should have the right glue to get the job done.
Money!! I had some coins collected from our trips to London, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The Scandinavian coins have some very cool and graphic looking minting on them.

(looks like Sutter snuck a dime in there too!)

1. Begin by cutting your magnet strip into sizes small enough to fit on the back of your money. Sutter was super precise about getting them all the right size!

2. Decide which side you want facing out, flip it over and stick your magnet strip to the back!

3. Voila! Money Magnets. Something fun and pretty to look at in just a matter of moments.

This was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy as the kids like to say.

What's your go-to rainy day craft?

xo,

chelsea

a birthday

2011-03-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

We threw a little impromptu birthday party for my sweetie last Friday. His real birthday was somewhat derailed by tantrums and bad weather, so we wanted to make it up to him and surprise him after a long work-week out of town. I stayed up late Thursday night baking (somewhat unsuccessfully) a frozen Daim cake, making banners and hanging streamers. The kids were so excited they were shouting surprise before we even got in the front door.

(that fan...it's just hideous. If this were not a rental, it'd be gone in a heartbeat. ok, I digress)

A homemade birthday banner

a little strumming on the guitar. This was my mom's guitar way back in the 70s. When I took lessons from one of the nuns at my Catholic school, this is what I learned on. Now we're working on cleaning it up so either me or one of the kiddos can learn on it again. I love having some kind of instrument in the house.

Some homemade Daim cake. Not the best attempt, but I'm making a promise to make it again and perfect it! I got the recipe from Carl's mother and it's a birthday favorite of his.

I love this little photo that Sutter took (you can see the shadow of his head in the foreground). He loves learning about the camera and he was super anxious to capture the pizza in all it's glory. We tried our hand at making Shaman Bread inspired by one of our favorite restaurants, Full of Life Flatbread. If you're ever in the Central CA area, it's a must-try - and don't forget to save room for their homemade s'mores!

All in all, it was quite a successful little party. We played records, strummed the guitar, ate pizza and cake and played until it was late. So much fun that we even found my little man asleep on the floor in his jammies.

Happy Wednesday everyone!!

xo,

chelsea

thrifted and new

2011-03-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

A few peeks from around the house lately...

Thrifted a little enamel pot with wooden handles and a Dutch pewter pitcher with wooden handles. Hoping to shine up that wood a little, but they're nice for now.

The leftovers of a fun St. Patrick's Day bouquet. I could stare at lilies all day. They are so beautiful and erotic.

My new bag from Fabric & Handle. It's even more gorgeous and versatile in person and Salinya was such an absolutely lovely person to work with! It's quite perfect.

Some potatoes we started on St. Patty's Day. The heart-shaped one is so cute! Now I have something nice to look at while I do the dishes.

The kiddos are on Spring Break this week which makes for some chaos. Sutter gets to go to camp and Harper gets some extra time with family including my mom who is sure to spoil her rotten. Sutter asked me last night why I don't get a Spring Break from work. Good question, kiddo. At least I get to take Friday off so we can go camping...can't wait!!

Is anyone else on Spring Break? What are your plans?

XO,

Chelsea

Fancy Friday - 3.25.2011

2011-03-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! I, for one, am extremely happy it's Friday. Not for any particular reason other than I'm excited to relax and create this weekend. I'm not sure how most people are, but it takes me some time to get in my creative groove - but then once I'm there I feel like things really flow. Now I see why people in creative jobs come up with amazing things. Carl says the same is true for coding. You need the music right, the mood right, food at the ready and a solid chunk of time. In any case, I'm hoping to "find the zone" this weekend.

Here's some things I fancied this week...

Some great around-the-house uses for vodka, if you're not drinking it that is.

Peach and mint never seemed so good together. I've been obsessing ever since I saw this pairing.

I made this pretty garland today and I love the way it turned out. Simple but sweet.

Thank goodness for Google Translate! Now I can read Annaleena's Hem without dragging Carl in the room to translate. Her home is beautiful and chic and her DIYs are perfection.

This Pantone magnet DIY is fun and cheery. Perfect for spring's colorblocking madness.

A fun ode to brown-baggin' it for lunch.

Is anyone else as obsessed with Pinterest as I am? Find me here.

Besides my get-creative plans for this weekend, I'm also excited for Spring Cleaning! Is that weird - that I look forward to cleaning? It's calming for me and always makes me feel like it's easier to get through the week with an organized (if not full to the brim) home. Plus, spring is time for changing things up around the house and making things feel shiny and new!

What are you up to?

XO,

Chelsea

Dressed - gray sidewalks

2011-03-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

This has been a pretty wet week for us California folks. Unlike most everyone else - who seems to be beckoning spring like a siren at sea - I'm holding on to the winter. We rarely get what I call "weather" around these parts and it's nice to have a change once in a while. Plus it gives us a chance to break out the sweaters, boots and jackets that are usually saved for "cold" places. Yes, we are kind of sissies in California. But the silver lining is that the thrift store run amuck with cold weather goodies. I scored this awesome sweater the other day and couldn't wait to break it out. I was so excited to wear it, that I enlisted my favorite little photographer for some impromptu snaps.

(sweater - thrifted,

pants - j crew minnie,

boots - sam edelman - amazing LF stores sale!!)

Not to be left out, this little miss wanted to show off her rainbow brights. I'm pretty sure her outfit picks these days deserve their own fashion blog.

And Sutter wanted to be in front of the camera for a bit too! Showing off all his mad karate skills. Hi-ya!

I hope you are having a lovely week! I'm very happy that tomorrow is Thursday and this long week is coming to an end. I'm looking forward to a relaxing, craft-filled weekend!!

XO,

Chelsea

ultrasimple eating

2011-03-21T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hi folks. I suppose, yet again, it's been awhile. Try as I might, life just seems to be getting the better of me lately. I can't keep up with it and posting at the same time. I'm changing that now. For reals. Lots of changes are happening in fact. Starting with my dietary habits. I'm feeling more energized than ever thanks to some cleaner eating habits.

I put my honey and I on the UltraSimple Diet and I honestly haven't felt this great in a long time. I know everyone and their mother is doing a cleanse, detox, whatever right now, but I love that this is real food, real eating, real changes that make for better habits. I tried it about 2 years ago, when Harper was about 2 and my metabolism was just at a standstill. It was amazing what it did for my body, my mind, my energy and my skin. These days I'm looking for some added energy - being a full-time working mama of two can wipe you out! And the slimmer waistline won't hurt either.

Last night's dinner was the end of week 1. There isn't technically a week two, but lots of tips about how to make the transition off the cleansing portion. We had butternut - coconut soup which I adapted from a Clean Eating recipe for pumpkin coconut soup. Unfortunately the soup isn't on their website so I thought I'd share it here!

Butternut-Coconut Soup

1 tbsp Coconut oil
1 chopped onion
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp chile powder - I used this amazing ancho chile powder we bought yesterday!
1/2 ground cumin
pinch nutmeg
3 cups low-sodium broth (I used veggie even though the recipe said chicken)
2 - 12 oz packages diced butternut squash (or real squash if you can find it!)
1 cup coconut milk
fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
raw pumpkins seeds to sprinkle on top

Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan and saute the onion until softened. Add the butternut squash and saute lightly. Add the spices and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly to coat the squash. Add the broth, cover and simmer until the squash is cooked through. Transfer to a blender, or use a stick blender, to blend the soup. Bring it back just up to a boil and then remove it from heat. Stir in the lime juice, the coconut milk and salt and pepper to taste. Serve it up into your bowls and garnish with some pumpkin seeds. Deeelish!! This soup was so great I had it a second night in a row, although I swapped out the pumpkin seeds for pistachios and that was even better!! I served it all up with a side of Moroccan Roasted Carrots and Chickpea Quinoa Salad, which is a mouthful of a name but an amazing dish.

Please feel free to share any great recipes, I'm looking to build up my recipe box.

Here's to happy, healthy eating!!

XO,

Chelsea

minimarket SS 2011

2011-02-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

Minimarket teamed up with photographer Carl Kleiner for a supremely Scandinavian lookbook that is to die for. You may have seen Carl's work in the awesome IKEA Food book that came out last year.

I totally adore the simple styling of this lookbook.

One ticket to Sweden please! See the rest at Minimarket.

Happy Wednesday!!

XO,

Chelsea

Rolling Huts and Hello Again!!

2011-02-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

Well folks, its been a while. I think its been roughly a month and a half since I actually wrote a blog post. Busy holiday travel and a new job have kept me from blogging for the most part. Oh yeah, and two kiddos, a travelling man and trying to keep my head above water!

I hope everyone has been enjoying the New Year so far. 2011 is proving to be pretty awesome so far and even though it wasn't too long ago that we left the frigid cold of Norway, I'm already dreaming of the snow again. I know its sounds crazy since us California folks have been enjoying some summer-like temperatures, but I saw these amazing huts on Sunset today and now I can't stop thinking about being in the snow again.

Apologies that these aren't the best quality shots. But you get the idea. I could seriously run away to one of these right. about. now.

Has anyone joined Pinterest? I've become quickly addicted and can't stop pinning and repinning all over the place. Come on over and get pinned with me.

Other than the usual, there are some fun new updates around the house that I can't wait to share. I've been resisting the urge to thrift since I have a garage full of projects and I can't wait to get started. Now if only there were more hours in the day.

What are you working on?

XO,

Chelsea

covet

2010-12-15T14:03:00.000-08:00

Is it possible to be madly in love with a cabinet?

If so, I want to swear 'til death do us part' with this baby.

Although, admittedly, I'm in love with more than just the cabinet. The all-white backdrop and the mixed use of the cabinet are all pretty amazing. Bar, check. Books, check. Giant paintbrushes, check. And fabulous art too. Swoon.

shared via From Scandinavia with Love

all fear the jegging

2010-12-10T15:49:00.000-08:00

While I have been known to don the jegging a time of two, I know a lot of people who just plain have some issues with them. Come on, ladies, you know you love them. But loving the word "jegging", not so much.

Check out Conan sporting the most unforgiving of all pants on his show when he had Tim Gunn as guest.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend planned!

XO,

Chelsea

linen love

2010-12-07T16:24:00.000-08:00

Apartment Therapy recently had a post about Studiopatro's fabulous line of tea towels, aprons and linen bags.

I've become extremely addicted to tea towels of late and these beauties fit the bill.

Gray (grey?) and orange are definitely a favorite color combo and these graphic prints are beyond awesome.

My faves are definitely these two, sold in a set.

Lo and behold, I was tipped off that these are currently on sale at DesignStory. I had not heard of DesignStory before, but it turns out they have awesome sales for anyone who is design-obsessed. Scoot on over to DesignStory and check it out for yourself!

XO,

Chelsea

etsy crush

2010-12-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

Don't you love it when you come across an etsy shop where you just LOVE every item in it?

I recently stumbled across Kyle Anne Metals' shop in etsy and fell head over heels with just about everything in it. Turns out she's in my hometown too!!

This gorgeous green ring is stunning and simple.

Some beautiful conflict-free diamond options there too - black, chocolate and mossy.

Yosemite Turkey Day Trek

2010-11-29T21:34:00.000-08:00

In a moment of what I'd now like to refer to as brief insanity, I agreed to spend our Thanksgiving weekend camped out at Yosemite. We spent last Thanksgiving camping in Big Sur and although it was chilly and rained a bit, we have great memories with the kids from that trip. This year, the kids were spending Thanksgiving with their dad. So a romantic weekend in a tent sounded harmless and fun. A great time to get away, connect with nature and each other, get in a few hikes and come home rested and rejuvenated.

The sign of snow on the side of the road and the required chains warning should have been my first clue. Lets keep in mind that I am a born-and-raised California girl. And although I spent a few seasons living in Lake Tahoe, I certainly didn't spend my days and nights seeking out the cold. A long (almost 10 hour) drive later and we arrived at Camp 4. There was snow. Everywhere. Carl could not have been more thrilled. I, on the other hand, was in total shock that we were actually planning to sleep in this stuff. There was only one site left that was shoveled out (yes, there were actually other people with the same crazy idea!!) so we picked our spot and set up camp. At 1. In. The. Morning. Setting up went fairly quickly and as soon as I regained the feeling in my toes and put on my layers - one pair of silk long john, flannel pj pants, two pairs of wool socks, a thermal shirt, a fleece, a hooded sweatshirt and an earflap cap - we climbed into our ONE sleeping bag and snoozed away.

Waking up was beautiful. The sights of Yosemite are breathtaking. And even though it was still freezing-buns cold and there were trails of yellow snow from our neighboring campsite, I was still excited to get in a great hike. Just as soon as we both climbed back in the tent, in our jackets, for another hour of sleep. Or two.

A belated campsite breakfast and we were ready to trek up Yosemite Falls. 3.5 miles in the snow. It was beautiful and sketchy, but well worth the view.

Lets keep in mind that this picture was taken 30 seconds after Carl stated that it looked like things were flattening out. Riiiiight.

And this is after the trail where other people had hiked ended and Carl decided that we should make our own tracks. In thigh-high snow.

That road came to an abrupt end when we could no longer tell what was rock and what was snow that would give way to nothing underneath.

Unfortunately, our trek back down the falls wasn't nearly as pleasant. Melting snow turned to ice as soon as the sun started its ascent down the sky.

Carl was certain to keep a weapon on hand in the event that we met with any bears or mountain lions.

Promises of a hot shower soon turned to tears when the showers we did find were closed for the winter. We took shelter in the laundry room where we quickly changed into dry clothes under the watchful eye of a bat that kept swooping closer to us. Believe it or not, I could've cared less about the shower and was far more interested in what awaited at the Lodge. Thanksgiving dinner. A well-earned turkey dinner. We waited in line for what seemed like an eternity. I threatened to swipe a cornbread muffin to nosh while we waited in line. I thought it was my imagination and hunger that made it seem as though the line wasn't moving. In fact, it wasn't. There were about 20-30 people actually waiting, WAITING, for stuffing. As soon as the man called out, "anyone who doesn't want stuffing line up here!" I bolted. Carl actually gave me a look as if to say, "but I really want stuffing", but I'm pretty sure I shot daggers at him so that cleared up that pretty quickly. I was literally shaking from exhaustion, cold and hunger by the time we sat down to eat. I almost lost both my milk and my chocolate mousse from shaking and trying to walk with my warped food tray.

Leaving the warmth of the Lodge was a pretty difficult task, but my aching body needed to be in a horizontal position. I fantasized about the great night of sleep ahead (how wrong I would be, more on that later!). We capped off the evening with a warm mug of Tuaca and apple cider, packed our goodies away in the Bear Box and tucked into our one sleeping bag. Yes, one sleeping bag. I was feeling very thankful for that one sleeping bag at the end of my Thanksgiving.

The rest of the trip for tomorrow's post.

How was your holiday?

XO,

Chelsea

fancy friday

2010-11-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

So, it would appear that the weeks are slipping past me and the only posts I can manage are about what other people blogged about this week.

So be it.

Here's what I fancied this week:

Hilda's book clocks are pretty high on the GOTTA HAVE list right now. Go visit for her awesome book clocks, stay for her breathtaking photography.

Maria over at Lulu Letty looked so incredibly fantastic in her 70's nod, that I had to scoot on over to asos and pick up that cape pronto. I went for the camel version, though.

Hot chocolate on a stick? Done and done.

The H&M Spring 2011 Lookbook is all kinds of pretty. Part Halson, part day-glo Mad Men - I'm smitten!!

Liberty London and Apple team up to make some awesome laptop bags and sleeves. I'm feeling the sleek embossed leather versions.

This shot from a mountain cabin in Kvitfjell, Norway has me eagerly anticipating our holiday trip. We'll spend some time at a friend's cabin in Norefjell, and I just can't wait to see Norway in the winter!!

This weekend we're looking forward to spending some time cozied up inside since the forecast is calling for 4 days of RAIN! We get to spend Saturday eating, drinking and nodding out in a turkey-haze thanks to Friendsgiving. Sunday will be reserved for recovery and recovering. I'm assisting a friend with a little re-upholstery project and I can't wait for a craft day!

What's your favorite rainy-day activity?

XO,

Chelsea

fancy friday

2010-11-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

So, um, oops. Its Friday. As in, I didn't post all week, had a million ideas rolling around in this head of mine, the days rushed by and nows its Friday. A rather hectic week indeed with the kiddos being out of school on Veteran's Day, my office moving to a new office upstairs, a friend's fabulous new job and us prepping to start P90X (YIKES!!!!!!!) this Sunday.

So here I am, on Friday, rounding up my favorite "fancies" of the week. First. Post. Of. The. Week.

Sad. But I just have to chalk it up to life being, well, life. Pinky swears that next week will be more fun around here!

I may have not been posting, but I've been doing some reading. Does anyone else's Google Reader constantly say 1000+? I just cannot seem to catch up on all the wonderfulness that's out there in bloggy world. I did, however, manage to round up some things I fancied this week:

Check out this super cool Venice surf-pad, which has me dreaming of outdoor showers. We had one across the street from our little house in Laguna Beach when I was a baby.

Everything Vanilla Sugar whips up is mouth-watering, I-need-it-right-now delicious. I've got a can of Organic Pumpkin just waiting to make these fancy pop tarts.

Bromeliad posted an awesome DIY knotted necklace from the fabulous ladies at http://honestlywtf.com/.

A beautiful and inspiring little roundup about branch centerpieces has me almost wishing I was cooking a Thanksgiving meal this year. Almost! Instead, we'll be taking in the beauty of Yosemite.

I've recently become obsessed with The Brick House and every fabulous thing in that house. Here's a fun terrarium DIY for anyone itching to get in on the trend. I've done one myself, but I'm totally in love with the cool succulent version!

I've been dying to find a cape ever since last fall when I stumbled across a fabulous one that was unfortunately too big. Seeing Julie nail this cape and plaid look has re-invigorated my craving.

Mr and Mrs Globe Trot have me seeing green with envy. Their photographs are breathtaking and their story is totally inspiring.

Miss Modish's new kitty photo Friday has me missing having a kitty in the house. Babe, are you reading this???

ps - here's some fun little press snips from our gig as Dream Angels for the Dream Foundations benefit last Saturday. We got to pose with David Archuleta and Andrew Firestone and his gorgeous wife. We saw Dan Akroyd, Rob Lowe, Bill Paxton, Priscilla Presley, Kimberly Locke, and David Crosby. It was so fun to be a part of something so amazing.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend planned. I'm working. And attending a baby shower. For which I need to whip up some sort of fantastic homemade gift.

What are your plans?

XO,

Chelsea

fancy friday

2010-11-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone!

It was a long post-Halloween week and I'm so happy the weekend is here!

I'm super excited to get in some down time tomorrow visiting our Farmer's Market, crafting and volunteering as a Dream Angel at the Dream Foundation's Celebration of Dreams. The kiddos and I get to attend the My Pretty Fashion show on Sunday and tonight Carl and I are super excited to attend this amazing show.

For today's Fancy Friday, here's some things I loved on the www this week:

Dan over at Manhattan Nest nails yet another awesome DIY

Luvinthemommyhood posted an amazing cardigan tutorial that I can't wait to make

Totally crushing on Jen's organized and modern desk space at A Merry Mishap

My chair love is no secret. I picked up this awesome calendar as a constant reminder of how much I love everything Eames.

This pug's dress-up as Anna Wintour is too hysterical.

In love with everything they come up with over at Weekday Carnival, but especially these awesome notebooks!

The cutest braided crown tutorial from the sisters over at mucho mucho bueno bueno

It took me a few tries, but I finally got my hands to do what my head was telling them - here's a peek of me this morning before I jumped on my bike and headed to work!

What are your plans for the weekend?

XO,

Chelsea

a david stark christmas

2010-11-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

There was a lot of internet/blog buzz about the new West Elm holiday collection when it debuted last month. I personally prefer a much more "collected and curated" look for my holidays, but there are quite a few things over there right now that have caught my eye - and some pieces that have enough power to stay up long after the New Year has rung its bells.

Some things I'm loving over there right now

of course I'm a sucker for hearts. Ok, a really, really big sucker. But I'm actually very smitten with this marble diamond. Free shipping and the proceeds go to St. Jude.

These origami ornaments would look at home on a tree, a mantel or your window. And I'm thinking they would spruce up a wreath or garland and look sweet year-round

So, I'm also kind of a sucker for mushroom decor, which is why these babies caught my eye. Cute as they are, I'm thinking DIY is the route to go.

These sweet little birds can perch at my place any day.

I'd love to pop one of these banks in the kids' room.

And while we're looking at that fantastic clock...I suppose I should mention how much I love it!

It feels a little silly to be thinking about holiday decorations in the midst of our 90 degree heat wave, but that's what the holidays in California are all about! Our weather has an identity crisis.

What's your holiday decorating style?

XO,

Chelsea

Halloween!!

2010-11-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

Halloween definitely has to be one of my favorite holidays. My mom always made our costumes as a kid and I have continued that tradition throughout my teens/young adulthood and now as a mama. I think its so much more fun and special to source or make your own costume than to just go with a packaged one. Its all about getting creative, which I love!!

Our Halloween weekend was mighty hectic. Both kids had parties at school on Friday, we had an office Mad Men party and then we hosted a spooky kid-friendly cocktail party at our house. Bleeding heart martinis, shrunken head cider, blood soup with eyeballs and bat wings were all on the menu!

They performed a sweet little poem at Harper's school. I'm loving her one Tink slipper and one sparkly shoe. She's such a silly girl!

Lunch at Sutter's school, plus craft time in the classroom. He was the cutest little muscle man at school on Friday. His real costume wasn't exactly ready for the class.

Saturday was a whirlwind of last minute costume assembly for Carl (who became Magnum PI) and getting the last of my own things for my transformation into Lady Gaga along with about 7 other of my girlfriends who were different versions of the Gagaloo. It was a pretty insane gaggle of Gagas we had running around an adult party at the rooftop party of the Canary Hotel.

This photo is missing the drop-dead sexy red-hooded Gaga in our clan, so I have to include an additional shot of Alison looking fabulous as Lady G.

Sunday was the final stretch as I finished up the kids costumes, did a major cleanup of our house and then discovered that our garage had leaked in the rain and a bunch of my books were ruined :(

But nothing can stop the force that is Halloween

This is Harper doing what she called the Pippi-stand. And Sutter, as Atreyu from the Neverending Story could not have his chest puffed up more. The blood was even his idea. Those kids crack me up!

Trick-or-treating was an insane adventure. A pirate house that looked like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, another Pippi and an awesome zombie bride made for a pretty fun evening.

When we got home, the kids got set to sorting out their candy, cleaned up and crashed out hard at bedtime.

It was quite the whirlwind weekend. I'm kind of glad to get back to life as usual, but secretly I'm already planning for next year!!

How was your Halloween??

XO,

Chelsea

technicolor tulips

2010-10-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

My grandmother uses email. Frequently. And she knows how to attach pictures. This is a feat neither of my parents have yet to master. And she knits. And bakes. And throws a mean party. My gramma is pretty cool. She does, however, suffer from email-forwarding-syndrome. So when I see cute bunnies in my email, I usually delete.

These images, however, took my breath away. It is currently tulip-planting season in The Netherlands. Personally, I love the anticipation in Fall and Winter of what awaits in Spring.

How fun would it be to plan a trip there in May??

Have any of you ever been to The Netherlands?

XO,

Chelsea

Happy Happy, Joy Joy

2010-10-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today I gave birth to a beautiful, sweet, strong-willed baby girl. She has changed my life in so many wonderful ways. I am so proud that I get to be her mama.

I ♥ you miss Harper Lee!!!!

yearning for yarn

2010-10-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

A lingering cold and some rather blustery days have me hunting for warm, knit goods.

source

I'm dying to learn how to knit an Aran throw

source

or perhaps a chevron throw in black and white

source

I'm loving the sideways chevron on this coffee cozy

source

knitting, felting and braiding - oh my!

source

This headwrap is gorgeous and even looks feasible to recreate!

source

I'm feeling very inspired to pick up my needles after a summer's departure from them!!

XO,

Chelsea

feeling dilly

2010-10-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

My posting has been back to the bare minimum this week. Fighting a cold and working full time is no picnic in the park! I did have a great weekend and the joy of that has carried me through this week and moving full-steam ahead in preparation for next weekend!

Last weekend we had a great trip to the Farmer's Market. I love when the seasons change and there's a fresh crop of new goodies to explore!! There are still some remaining signs of summer - and I snapped up some cucumbers after recalling a quick pickle recipe I recently spotted.

I'd never made pickles before and I figured it was now or never.

I did a little internet research for a recipe I liked. I had some criteria: it had to be easy and it had to incorporate what I already had in my pantry. Lazy much? Yes.

What I wound up with is my own recipe based on various others found online. Keep in mind that I wasn't really exact with my measurements. Again, lazy. The following recipe made me 4 - 8oz. jars of pickles.

Quick Dill Pickles

Jars, rings and lids
6-8 small cucumbers
4 small carrots
handful of beans - I used dragon's tongue beans, a fave in our house
fresh dill

peppercorns

head of garlic

3 cups water
2 3/4 cups white vinegar (I used a combo of rice and brown rice vinegar, but use what you have)
pinch or two of sea salt
sprinkle of celery salt

Prepare your jars rings and lids. I did this by boiling the jars and rings in a shallow pans of water. The lids just need to be dunked in some warm water so I waited for the water I had used on the jars to cool down and plopped the lids down in there for a few minutes.

Slice up your garlic - or leave it in whole cloves. Its entirely up to you! Place the garlic cloves, along with some of the peppercorns down in the jars. You could also sprinkle in some chili flakes for heat or chopped chilies for more heat!

Prep your veggies. I cut the end off my cukes and carrots and sliced them in spears. My beans I just cut the ends off. I did not cook my beans, but I'm thinking that I maybe should have. Once you have all the veggies sliced, assemble them in the jars. Pull off a handful of the fresh dill and stuff that in with the veggies.

Boil together the water, vinegar, salt and celery salt. You could also add fennel seed, cumin, coriander or celery seed. Once the salt is dissolved, distribute evenly amongst your jars leaving about 1/2 inch at the top. I used a ladle to pour in my liquid but you could also use a funnel just as easily. Put on your lids and rings then allow the jars to cool a bit. Once they are cool enough to handle, pop 'em in the fridge and try to resist sampling them for about 2 weeks. I failed that test and tried one the next day. They seem to be coming along quite nicely!

I was totally in love with this entire process and hope to do some more pickling in the future!!

Have you ever tried pickling anything?

Please share any favorite recipes or experiences with pickling.

XO,

Chelsea

mini hideaway

2010-10-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

there are definitely some days I feel like I want to just hide away, read, think, drink tea and take five without someone calling out, "MOM, where are you!!! I'm hungry/wet/cold/hot/thirsty/on fire". I'm incredibly jealous of whatever kid gets to call this place home. I'd like a grown-up version to call my very own.

Thank you very much.

Where do you like to hide away from it all?

XO,

Chelsea

sew happy

2010-10-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was sort of a long, sleepy day. With the gray and the rain, it was hard to be motivated to get all I needed to done. With a couple tired, cold-coming-on little ones and one too many nights of poor sleep for me, we were a wiped out lot by the end of the day. I was thrilled, however, to arrive home yesterday to some post.

I ordered some Andy Warhol prints for the kids room. The whimsical kitties made us all feel pretty happy!

I've finally made friends with my sewing machine. I've had it for quite a few years and I've used it for lots of hemming and repairs. But lately we've been getting to know each other much better.

I whipped up a few pillows recently. Both projects couldn't be further from each other on the difficulty scale.

For the zinnia pillow, I used Amy Butler's Midwest Mod pattern with some Amy Butler fabric that was on clearance. I'm pretty fond of the end result, although I see all the things I would do differently now. It was a lot of cutting. But it was my first attempt at following a pattern and it definitely boosted my confidence in the technical arena of sewing.

The other pillow I stitched up so fast I was amazed with myself. I scored the "80's tetris" pattern in a thrift store pile and followed this simple yet wonderful pattern from Chez Larsson's blog. I love all Benita's DIYs and this one was so easy and fast, I just couldn't stop marveling at it. I want to use the rest of the fabric for our office curtains...if I can get the Mr's approval.

I also recently upgraded our curtain sitch in our bedroom. I think I mentioned before that we had some serious red glow going on in our bedroom. When I came across this fabric at the thrift - an entire bolt of Kaufman no less - I knew it would be perfect for our bedroom.

I was afraid at first that they might be too busy. But after getting them up and living with them awhile, we both agree that they are awesome. Still need to finish the ones for the window above our bed however.

I'm definitely looking forward to getting to know my sewing machine better. Lots of plans for Halloween costumes and holiday gifts already swirling around in this head of mine.

Do you like to sew?

What have you made lately? Post your links and share!

XO,

Chelsea

rug hunting

2010-10-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

As we get more settled into our (not-so-new-anymore) abode, I'm finding myself craving a nice rug for the living room. I'm already envisioning cozy evenings curled up on the floor in front of the fireplace reading and watching movies on the projector. Only two - make that 3 problems with that equation - we only lit the fireplace once last winter (well, we moved in February), the projector is currently on the fritz, and there is no rug. Hey, its my daydream, no one said it needed to be rooted in reality!!

So, I took to the nets to gather some inspiration for the floors.

I've had my eye on this rug for quite some time. I especially fell in love when I saw the black/white goodness going on in this room.

But a certain man wasn't feeling it.

Perusing IKEA for some more inspiration, I came across this new lovely.

A flatwoven version in gray...

Or a plush one in blue...

And since I'm already , how about this

I'm loving the tribal meets chevron pattern in this one.

Perhaps something a bit more bohemian is necessary to counteract the modern sofa

More inspiration found while persuing flickr

I think I'm in love with this entire room

What are you looking forward to this fall?

XO,

Chelsea

new addition

2010-10-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

So...I have been a terribly bad blogger lately. Blame it on the over 100 degree heat in our neck of the woods. Blame it on the fact that my honey has been home all week which has meant lots of family time. Blame it on me just not having the energy to get it all done. I love blogging. I really do. I have a zillion ideas and inspiration floating around in my head at all times. But working full time, raising two kids and trying to be a good partner sometimes just takes all I've got and doesn't leave much time for blogging. Sometimes I guess its just good enough to be thinking about the blog - rather than actually blogging!!

Right now, it appears that every room in the house has some unfinished project lurking about. The kids new a new dresser/clothing receptacle. The bedroom needs curtains and a decent duvet. In fact, every room needs some new curtains. I've got a garage full of furniture I'm meaning to refinish/reupholster. You get the idea...

Our newest addition is no different.

We added an old wine barrel to our cellar. Plans are in the works for moving some junk out and into the garage, adding some stools and hanging up various posters I've collected from some wineries we've visited.

Looking forward to getting it squared away and then giving the full reveal.
Speaking of which, I've been asked to share a little house tour on a friend's blog and I'm hoping to get a few little projects done to make it photo-ready.

What projects do you have lurking around?

XO,

Chelsea

I'm falling...

2010-09-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

Indeed. I'm a summer girl pretty through and through. But for some reason, I'm really looking forward to Fall this year. Perhaps since we didn't have much of a summer, I'm just excited for some sort of season change. Santa Barbara stays pretty temperate all year long (us Cali folks freak out at the slightest bit of rain). Our only real signal that fall has arrived is the shorter days and changing leaves.

I'm already thinking of Halloween, an adventurous Thanksgiving and travels for Christmas.

Perhaps I'm most looking forward to a fresh crop of deliciousness at the Farmer's Market. I'll take any excuse to try a new recipe. Or two. And any excuse to eat hot food and sit by a fire!

I've been trying to find a way to style this silk romper ever since I thrifted it. I found it in summer and definitely thought it had summer appeal. But for some reason, I picked it out on a rather cool and gloomy day. I thought the color was pretty perfect for the first day of Fall though. In typical crazy California weather fashion though, the forecast call for upper 70s the rest of the week.

(dressed:

thrifted silk romper,

old target cardi,

old steve madden wedges)

What do you love most about the changing seasons?

XO,

Chelsea

break out the spandex

2010-09-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

Christmas came a bit early for me this past weekend! I'd been hunting for a road bike and finally found just what I was looking for. We had checked out a few bike shops so I knew what size I needed and of course, Carl knew exactly what else I needed. A week spent trolling craigslist and look what I found:

My own pink lady!! Apparently this bike previously belonged to someone in the ladies cross country cycling club called the pink ladies. She's painted black with pink handlebar wraps. Very cute. But the pink will probably be nixed in favorite of some white tape to keep her sleek looking.

We spent Sunday cleaning her, I learned how to change my bike tubes and even took a test spin (and of course some gratuitous photos). I can't wait to get to know this bike. And yes, I will be purchasing those oh-so-sexy spandex shorts with all the padding in the butt. I feel an awful lot like Debbie Hunt in the movie Singles when she gets all suited up in spandex and winds up kissing pavement.

Getting a bike has been high on the wish list for a while. So I'm quite smitten. With the bike, and the sweet guy who made Christmas happen in September. Thanks honey!

What's on your wish list right now?

XO,

Chelsea

what's new around here

2010-09-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful, lazy weekend! I seriously wish every weekend could be like this.

We got the kids up extra early on Saturday morning (in the dark!) to grab some delicious Mexican pastries and head down to Butterfly Beach to watch the sunrise. We all bundled up in sleeping bags and laughed while we ate our delicious treats. Unfortunately, it was a foggy morning but no one seemed to notice!

Other weekend awesomeness included a day at a lovely watering hole watching the kids play in the water and some sun-soaking by the adults, a stop-off at Cold Springs Tavern, a delicious dinner at home, spending a day in bed watching movies and giggling like kids and a nice long walk to a friend's new home to round out the weekend.

A recent little visit to my favorite place...

Why does Anthropologie have so many irresistible things?!?! I had a little birthday gift card to use up and couldn't help but add a few more bowls to the latte collection, a sweetly-hued blouse, the most amazing smelling (and looking) candle in sultry black and possibly my new favorite thing to read at bedtime - a book about macarons! I'm hoping to try my hand at making them again since my last endeavor fell apart - literally.

How was your weekend?

XO,

Chelsea

a friday DIY: painterly shirt

2010-09-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

I've said it before, I'm addicted to stripes. I've never met a stripe I didn't like.

Feeling inspired by some of the painterly stripes I've seen out there, I set out to make a DIY version. I'd never worked with fabric paint before (those neon puffy paints from the 90s don't count), so this was a fun experiment.

the summery inspiration from J Crew

DIY Painterly Stripe T

materials needed:
plain t-shirt
fabric paint - make sure you pick the right paint for your fabric
paint brush
ruler or straight edge
tailors chalk
some sort of dropcloth

1. make sure you start with a clean, washed t-shirt. I had an old tar-jay T-shirt that I knew was clean already.
2. Lay out your dropcloth. You may find it easier to work if you have the dropcloth taped down. I didn't because I'm deathly afraid of ruining the hardwood floors. My landlord put the fear in me when we moved in.
3. Slide a piece of cardboard or paper bag inside the shirt. You don't want to paint through to the other side!

4. Using the tailors chalk and your ruler, make lines to your desired width. I went for about 3/4 " lines with about an inch between each stripe. I wanted some extra space between my stripes so I went wider but you could certainly make your stripes bigger or smaller to get whatever effect you prefer!

5. Start painting!! I was extremely surprised by how quickly the fabric absorbed. The first line was definitely a bit more saturated then I had planned but I started to get the hang of it by about the third line. If I was smart, I would've painted a few lines on some scrap fabric first, but I have zero patience so I just went for it!

6. Wait for the front to dry. Mine took about an hour to dry to the touch.
7. Flip your shirt over and repeat the process on the back.
8. Once both sides are dry, follow your paint manufacturers' instructions for setting the paint. Mine called for ironing for 3 minutes on the reverse side. I decided to keep my cardboard inside while I ironed and I'm glad I did because some excess paint absorbed into it.

9. Turn your shirt back to right side out and you've now got a fun, painted T-shirt that you did yourself for a fraction of the $70 price tag.

I really like the way this turned out. The blue was quite a bit brighter than what the bottle and sample in the store showed. Next time, I think I would like to experimenting with mixing some of the colors to come up with something more custom. I also think this could be awesome with darker T-shirts and lighter colors or some metallics on top.

What do you think?

XO,

Chelsea

fancy friday

2010-09-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe that Labor Day is actually here already! It definitely feels as though summer has breezed in and out way too quickly this year. In my neck of the woods, summer was a mild affair. I think we were all hoping for some more heat, but the last few days have proved to be plenty warm once the morning fog burns off. I love Indian Summers and although everyone seems abuzz with talk of Fall, I'm still hoping for warm days spent basking in sunshine.

I'm definitely pumped to work on lots of projects in the long weekend ahead. A little family time, some time in the great outdoors and going to see David Gray and Ray Lamontagne are topping my list!

Here's a little roundup of what I fancied this week:

Dreaming of this peanut butter tart ever since I saw the post. Does anyone else obsess about certain foods? Recently a friend told me about some salted caramel ice cream and I couldn't stop thinking about it until I got some.

This adorable idea for gifting money. So much more creative than an envelope.

Drooling over Hilda's $4 thrift find. Her photography is also amazing. Check out her color vignettes.

These beautiful key-print blouses from Snoozer Loser's F/W Collection.

Playing this song over and over. And over.

Here's to hoping you all have a fantastic loooong Labor Day weekend!

Do you have any traditional ways of saying goodbye to summer?

XO,

Chelsea