studio project

I'm thrilled to be doing a short contract with a wonderful painter, who at 93 is still going strong. working in an artist's studio is still my favorite thing.



when I was in my teens i wanted to be a painter.
when I was in my 20s I wanted to be an art conservator.
when I was in my 30s I wanted to be a mom.
in my 40s, I love what I do. all I've ever wanted mixed together perfectly.

blessed.

weekend to do

breakfast at gjelina with sam!

around the house
sort through k's dresser drawers & storage bins (she's had another growth spurt!)

local fuel

adding to our list of favorite local spots...

gasolina cafe serves up spanish influenced, farm-to-table cuisine as well as a good variety of coffee, tea, and sweets.

i had the (very tasty) breakfast stew, a traditional Spanish garbanzos con espinacas topped with a perfectly poached egg and crispy toasts. the latte was perfect as well. (coffee comes from Poway,CA roaster James Coffee Co.)

this is Chef Sandra Cordero's first brick and mortar venture and she wanted to open something close to home (lucky us!). she was in the house - prepping for a photo shoot - and took time to stop and chat with us.

even thought it was an overcast morning, it was nice to sit outside at the colorful tables and watch woodland hills go to work.

will definitely be returning.





gasolina cafe
21014 ventura boulevard
woodland hills, 91364

more in the sfv...
local peasant
pedalers fork

weekend to do

around the house
hang pictures in dining room
hang bulletin strip in office


make plan for pool deck and call for quotes(!)
fill out high school registration packet (!!!)

sit out

looking at some outdoor seating for our bedroom patio. i keep changing my mind. chair with ottoman? bench? match what we already have, or something new?

here are some thoughts...



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weekend to do

*

around the house
clean out 2012 files


chatsworth day of the horse




*we did an impromptu family date night last night. (a school night no less!) Dinner at Lemonade Venice (chat with chef Alan Jackson , and share of kid pics), sunset from the boardwalk, Enrique Martínez Celaya at L.A. Louver (see this show!), and taking the long way home with the sunroof open to the stars and everyone singing along to the White Stripes on the stereo . ‪#‎goodlife‬

form & function

my favorite finds are those beautiful items that i use every day. (i came back from our d.c. trip with lincoln's gettysburg address captured on a tea towel.) these little bowls exemplify this. i use little bowls daily, for snacks and toppings & condiments at the table. (i love a well set dinner table, with pressed napkins and nice serving pieces. it gives a sense of completion & pleasure as we gather at the end of our day.)



these little bowls have been collected from trips we have taken (apt ware from france and terra-cotta from mexico as well as the heath factory in sausalito); trips taken by others (my sister-in-law knows my weaknesses); and lucky studio pottery thrift finds. the latest addition, sweet little thimble cups from pigeon toe ceramics (found for a steal off their instagram sale!).

their form is perfect. (who can argue with a bowl?!) and their function threefold: to pretty our table; and to hold sustenance and memories!

easter (monday)

such a treat to have today off. technically, it is because today is ceasar chavez day, but it is also easter monday, and i am reminded of the holidays of my own childhood.

we try to keep it simple. baskets filled with a few high quality sweets and something that they'll use. when the girls were little, a small toy or game, but now that they are older, a book, or last year a ceramic mug and this year a sweet monogrammed ring dish. (the bunny brought me the gin truffles!)



yesterday felt springlike and full. quiet time together, very good eating, noisy friend-filled traditions, and time with their horses. perfect.


hope you had a wonderful weekend. xo

weekend to do

unpack & laundry
bring out & clean outdoor cushions

good pesach, easter, spring! xo

day 5

independence hall (philadelphia, pa)



national constitution center

reading terminal market


benjamin franklin's gravesite at christ church



franklin court



"rocky steps"




home.




oh what to say? it has been an AMAZING 5 days with these 27 AMAZING kids. we crammed as much US History into our days as possible - and had a lot of fun doing it. I learned so much about this nation - my adopted home - and its ideals of Freedom & Liberty. and so much from these kids, who impressed me to no end, and once again gave me faith, as these ideals are realized in them.



(and recalling my last trip with them, 2 years ago. what changes!)

day 4

gettysburg* national military park




hershey chocolate world



*this was likely the highlight of the trip for me. we had an amazing guide through the park service who told the story with all on the edge of their seat - and led the kids in a bayonet charge! helped too by a beautiful spring day.