high gloss...

july/august 2011 issue is live! go here to read it.

almost the weekend....

what's on your agenda? i think i'm going to start this book. i hear it's good... i'll let ya know.
and oh, how i wish i was reading it here. in a lounge chair, by a pool, with sunshine. smelling the peonies. with a cold drink. interspersed with naps and dipping in the pool. and perhaps even a butler will appear with lunch so i can dine al fresco. wouldn't that be lovely. can you tell i need a vacation?

via

speaking of books, have you seen this website, what should i read next? simply put in a name of a book you liked and it recommends similar books. genius. i found out about the site here. and if you're still stumbling to find your next book, you can read thru the 338 (at press time) comments from her readers about their favorite books!

have a good weekend!

summery bright

i got an email from pieces. you know... that ultra chic store in atlanta with all the cool stuff you want to buy. they're having a sale.

so i popped over to their online shop and put together a board of all my favorites, in bright, summery colors. click to enlarge. um, yeah, i could live with any of these in my home. and everything else in their store. maybe i should just live in their store.


what do you like?

the backyard

it's the first day of summer and for once seattle weather does not disappoint! after a drizzly, cold weekend, we finally have bright blue skies, lots of sunshine and a gentle breeze. i stepped out back with my trusty sidekick a little while ago to share it all with you.

let's start inside. the dining room. with a view of the beautiful french doors that steve put in last year. there was a window there first. (click on photos to enlarge.)
steve built this patio roof. post and beam style. i love it and will hate, hate, hate to leave it when we move.
one back corner of the yard.
lion's head maple.
the other back corner.
wildflowers at the tippy top.
and then there's this thing. you can't step out back without her and her obsessing over her tennis ball. that look says "i'm gonna stare at this thing until you put down that camera and toss it for me."
"see. i'm still staring."
"and still."
"thank you. now i'll rest over here in the shade with it for just a little while. but get yourself prepared to throw it again, cause i'll be back at your feet in a minute."
peonies! just about to bloom. i've waited 3 years for these to bloom. this year's the year.
honeysuckle.
"i'm getting ready to head your way."
succulents.
i love this pillow from pottery barn.
those french doors.
"thank you."

raw berry pie

seleta posted about this pie the other day. raw berry pie. i love a berry pie. especially in the summertime. she found it on this food blog, whole family fare. here's your fair warning... do not read this blog when you're hungry. you will jump through the screen. her photos are breathtaking. i've never seen even lettuce look so scrumptious.

but, back to the pie.... here's the recipe. i think i'll make it this weekend. made with almonds, cashews, coconut, honey, and berries. it's healthy. i won't feel so guilty when i eat the whole thing.

photo from whole family fare.

my baby

her daddy's been out of town so we send lots of pictures so he doesn't forget us. here we are leaving the dog park after some serious, and i mean serious, ball throwing and fetching.
straight from the dog park i took her to the self serve dog wash at the pet store. here we are before we went in. i told pixel to smile for daddy.... and she did!
here's pixel all clean and fluffy and smelling like roses after her bath. nothing like a nap when you're all clean. we miss you, daddy.

living abroad

i watched house hunters international on hgtv this past weekend. i never watch it. but i did this past sunday. it was an episode about a family of 8 (!) moving from denver to normandy, france. i recognized them.... it's gabrielle's family! gabrielle blogs at design mom.

this is a photo of the exterior of the house they are renting for a year in normandy. look at that wisteria! the house is a dream house. an artist's house filled with character. just check out this treehouse in the backyard.
you can head over to design mom for more photos of the house. (see her sidebar.) and to read about their adventures abroad.

the episode got me thinking about living abroad. the fact that gabrielle and her husband ben relocated themselves and 6 children to france for a year is astounding to me. (i'm struggling with the logistics of moving a dog and 2 cats cross country shortly!). could you live abroad? would you want to? could you deal with the language barrier, if there is one? a different culture? being away from family and friends?

glassybaby

have you heard of glassbaby? the colorful, hand blown votives made in seattle? here are they on the cover of the june 2011 real simple. bottom shelf. aren't they pretty?

they come in an array of colors.
and you don't have to use them just as votives. fill them with pencils.
ice cream!
pretty flowers.
use them in your centerpiece.
pop over here to read how founder of glassbaby lee rhodes started the company.

ms. rhodes also made an appearance on the nate berkus show.
i purchased my first glassbaby a few weekends ago at their university village store in seattle. this greeted me when i walked in, one of 3 or 4 similar displays. how possibly is one supposed to decide which color?? i ended up buying my go-to color.... aquamarine. and i got a dark taupe for my sister. i'm thinking about which color i need next. the greens are taunting me.
and.... glassbaby has certain "goodwill" colors that if purchased, 10 % of the proceeds go to a specific charity. love that.

photos taken from glassbaby.com or their facebook page here.

ombre bandwagon

ombre, meaning shading. i was seeing it everywhere. from celeb hair like alexa chung'sto fashion
to furniture, via here.
from cakes, via here

to curtains, via here.so, what's a gal to do. but jump on the ombre bandwagon herself. and create ombre chevron calling cards. now you each can join me on the ombre bandwagon.

they come in green.
and pink and aqua.and yellow.
and grey and purple.
a total of 6 colors.
you can purchase them here.

sunday morning in the suburbs

a little tennis action.
which prompted our own tennis ball action in the backyard. do you think she's possessive of her tennis ball?
a little coffee and a book. like my coaster? i got it here.
and a little gazing at the peonies i bought at the farmer's market saturday. i think i got the vase idea here.
and, on a side note.... hostas amaze me. they die back in the winter but somehow manage to grow leaves 2 feet long in a matter of weeks.