12 hikes :: march :: calabasas peak

i wasn't prepared to go on a hike today. there were a million things to do at home. but when i got the invitation - and i realized it was the last day of march - i decided it would do us all a bit of good.

i took so many pictures. the sky was a perfect blue, and the interior canyons of the mountains were so much greener than i expected. alas, on our descent i finally noticed the message on my screen "NO CARD". damn. luckily i'd captured a few with my phone. we will be back to take more another day...











Calabasas Peak from Stunt Road
1699 Stunt Road
Calabasas Highlands, CA 91302
Neighborhood: Santa Monica Mountains

Proximity: 11.6 miles from our home
Hike length: 3.6 miles roundtrip
Bonus features: Beautiful views of Cold Creek Canyon and Red Rock Canyon Park, in the interior of the Santa Monica Mountains. Spectacular rock formations to admire and scramble up. Cool ocean breezes! Dog friendly. Free parking along Stunt Road.
Tips: Moderate incline (1000 ft elevation gain) on well-maintained fire road, so good shoes a must. No shady spots. Park in the cleared area to the side off Stunt Road and cross over through the white gate to the fire road (Calabasas Peak Motorway).

* * * * *

K:

E:

open house

d and i have admired this house, just two short blocks from us, for years. in fact, d visited its owner, rudy, when we were planning the wall at the front of our house. he was generous with his time, and d used the wall around his home as inspiration for ours. when he passed last year, we waited with baited breath to hear what would become of his home. rudy's granddaughter had her wedding in the backyard before it went on the market this past week. you feel that it is a house full of memories.





rudy and his wife were original owners of this palmer and krisel; part of phase III of our corbin palms neighborhood. when the house was severely damaged in a fire in 1970, rudy, an architect, rebuilt with sensitive and thoughtful changes and additions. walking through, you know his careful decisions some 40 plus years ago keep this house timeless and ready for a new owner.






we often joked with our neighbors that there'd be a bidding war if this house became available. now my only hope is that it goes to someone who appreciates its history.


full listing here.

(but if you're interested, my friend and all things sfv mcm architecture expert craig is your realtor!)

weekend to do

research rug for e's room
check out planting options for around the fruit trees
ranch work day
local hike (long weekend!)

around the house
restock our earthquake kits
prep for bed arrival!

Trina Turk SS14

a great treat to attend this fabulous fundraiser - and to check out Trina Turk's summer line, inspired by a California road trip...



i'm a big fan of Turk's simple line and fun, modern aesthetic. (and also of her decorating savvy!)

thanks sam xo

weekend to do

teen trip to the movie on opening weekend
tomatomania!
fashion show

around the house
clean oven
start seedlings

::4::

i had to double check that k had it right and this sweet pup of ours is in fact 4 years old today.


this past winter

doesn't seem possible, until i look back at pictures like this...


when she first arrived!

(sweetness overload!)

happy birthday moxie xo

tic toc

looking to replace our old clock radio in keeping with the bedroom redo.

options to consider...



one
two
three
four
five

any other suggestions?

weekend to do

research bicycle repair options (to get this baby up and running)
visit here - and support our neighborhood high school at the same time!

around the house
bring out deck chairs and cushions
trim back california sunflowers
shred!

throwback Thursday!

2001


today

our Penny

a closer look at our friend and neighbor's inspiration for Penny Peterson of Mr. Peabody and Sherman! (framing it for her wall.)

weekend to do

take in this movie with the girlies. (a character that - not by coincidence! - looks like one of them! i'll let you guess...)
taxes!

around the house
paint wall with wallpaper primer
plant cut flower bed
clean out coop and chicken run. sadly we lost our sweet sweet girl chick-a-dee. sigh. many great memories. we have decided to take a chicken-keeping break, returning rhoda to her previous loving home. i'll keep you posted. xo

crumby by the pound

this cake caught my eye in a recent sunset magazine. and it didn't disappoint. committing it to memory...

Powdered Sugar Pound Cake

Ingredients
3/4 pound (1 1/2 cups) butter
1 pound (3 1/2 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
6 large eggs $
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
1/4 cup sliced almonds (I omitted these this time - for my almond sensitive girl.)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 300°. Beat butter in a large bowl with a mixer until creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture.
2. Heavily butter and flour a 10-in. (12-cup) plain or decorative tube pan; add almonds, then tilt pan to coat inside with nuts. Scrape batter into pan and smooth top.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Let cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then run a knife around edges of tube to loosen cake. Turn out onto rack and let cool at least 1 hour. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, cut into thin slices.
Make ahead: Up to 2 days, airtight at room temperature.

perfect crumb. and perfect for my elevenses...



(and a peek at my beautiful cotton & flax tea towel that arrived this week. thrilled to see that this piece will now be available at cb2! congratulations erin!)

we got mail!

i am so lucky to call so many I've met through these blog pages my friends. i connected with rebecca & family many moons ago. and we all look forward to dropping in on them when we can (and vice versa!).

i was thrilled yesterday to receive this care package. reb took on a month of making - recording it on her blog (this screen blew my mind!) - and i am tickled that we are recipients of some of her creativity, and generosity!



beautifully crafted ceramic house numbers (in a favorite typeface no less!)

and silk bunting for the girls' rooms





thank you rebecca! (your timing was perfect. i needed a little pick-me-up!) we hope to see you all soon! xo

a bit of a zoo

the girls' friends are always excited (even the teenagers!) to spend some time with our wee menagerie. currently, we have two chickens - a rhode island red aptly named "Rhoda" and a buff orpington (from our original flock!) who answers to Chick-a-Dee; two red-eared sliders (Giselle and Juliette); and of course our pup Moxie. i spent this morning cleaning ponds, coops, treating a sour crop and conditioning a turtle shell. we don't take pet-ownership lightly - and this little zoo has had its ups and downs - lost loves and all. i have taken on ailments i never dreamt of (some the stuff of nightmares!) and am proud of the lessons e and k have learned through the journey.

i often wonder if i'd do it again.

the dog - most definitely.

the turtles (who came to us as rescues)- most likely.

the chooks (a mix of raised-from-chick and rescues) - harder call.

i love them dearly. chickens have so much more personality than i ever imagined. but i am a lousy farmer. i get too attached. and their care has been the most demanding. the girls adore them. we all do. especially Chick, who at six, is now an old lady hen, no longer laying and preferring to go to bed at 3:30 in the afternoon these winter months. (chicken life expectancy runs about 8 yrs, sheltered from predators and illness.)



i've written about backyard chicken keeping here and here.

and a bit on dog ownership here.

i imagine there could well be a horse in our future. i have one very passionate rider on my hands. and i do believe these home-zoo experiences will have prepared us for much.

the love and companionship of an animal - big or small (e used to play hide-and-seek with her goldfish!)- as well as the lessons of responsibility and care outweigh any downside in my book.

so chooks then - yes. i'd do it again, happily. i'll temper that with when we started was the right time in our lives. i'd do it again with young kids. (i don't think i'd start again now.) but who knows. bolstered by what our "zoo" has taught us all. there may be more ahead.

hot

based on the pattern in Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing


starting a bit back with quilting the fabric - and taking advantage of the rainy day today, i checked this little project off my list. (i had burnt a big hole in our oven mitt - and decided on making the replacement instead of searching for a mitt i liked.) i am trying to use up my stash of japanese fabrics (this one 'Pear Branch' by Yumeji Takehisa and Yurio Seki) - as well as some yardage of insul-bright i can't recall why i bought (though i have a strong recollection it had something to do with melissa ...). it was simple. and thus rewarding. i was pretty proud of myself getting it done. i should focus on more of these little, do-it-in-an-hour projects.