weekend to do

stay dry and cozy!

around the house
clean out shoe cubbies and front closet
clean clothes washer
catch up on mending and ironing

rain rain

california is experiencing the worst drought in recent history. with rain in the forecast we are celebrating - but also cautiously aware of the dangers that can come with it. we are lucky to live in a very safe spot - with no fear of flooding or mudslides. our ground is thirsty - and the rain is quickly absorbed. we need it so very badly - and know that even a full few days of rain will not be enough. water conservation is at the forefront. we have worked with our local school to reduce the asphalt substantially to have the little rain we get enhance groundwater levels. at home, we have removed our lawn and replaced it with drought tolerant native plants.

and in anticipation of the rain, we have installed a rain barrel on one corner of the house. (the first of a series we hope to install.) it is convenient to our bedroom patio, where i have my collection of potted succulents. the goal is to use this convenient captured rain to water them. it will also help offset pooling in the chicken run, adjacent to this area. (we wouldn't use this water on edibles. i'm not confident about what other particulates might be captured, along with the water, off our tar and rock roof.)



we purchased this kit, and were gifted a food grade barrel from our friend john, an expert in water-wise systems.

installation was easy. d completed the project in about 20 minutes. (installation instructions can be found on the la stormwater site.)

in theory, we could capture 3,738 gallons of water with this storm! (roof footprint sqft x rainfall inches x 0.623) in our dreams, we install these.

now bring on the rain...






how to capture rainwater

rainwater harvesting

bedding for a horse-crazy girl

h&m

did you know that h&m has bedding available on their website? cute too. we added this to k's list of bedroom "upgrades". (and we're considering this for e - maybe to try and do some hand-printing on?)

weekend to do

take in cushions to be reupholstered
violin examination recordings!
play in the sun
sew new oven mitt

around the house
trim back shrubs in front yard
think about cut-flower bed
finishing sanding and prime master bedroom



btw i'm loving this maple blueberry scone recipe from joy the baker!

mattress shopping

we are pretty set on purchasing a "natural" mattress - or at least a "hybrid". i thought we'd go with the dwr sonno versa mattress, but then i started reading about polyurethane and other mattress "ingredients" and decided we weren't in a big rush (our bed frame is back-ordered to april), and this deserves more investigation. after all, we do spend a lot of time in bed.

did you know that a polyurethane, aka memory foam mattress, loses half of its weight in ten years! that's half its weight going up as dust in your bedroom as the chemical components in the bed begin to decompose. yikes! there are "eco-friendly" PU mattresses out there, including the aloe versa from dwr, which we are considering.

of course we are taking price-point into consideration. and i am bemoaning we didn't do this prior to purchasing the girls' mattresses. (really it came out of our consideration of a memory foam mattress, which we hadn't considered for the girls.) we bought them "conventional" mattresses - coils and foam. And in hindsight, I don't feel too guilty about our choice. Simmons touts itself as "the first mattress manufacturer to have all polyurethane foams meet strict environmental, health and safety standards and states the mattress is free of phthalates, formaldehyde, methylene chloride, CFCs, PBDEs, mercury, lead and heavy metals with low VOCs for superior air quality."

some frightening reads:

motherjones

the huffington post

Safer Chemicals Healthy Families

even goop...

some "green" mattress options:

Keetsa

Palmpring

Natura

Naturepedic

Vivetique

a couple of you have recommended these to me. (thank you!) any other experiences out there? i admit to finding it a bit overwhelming!

wash day

with e in her own room, she is exercising much more responsibility, including an active interest in doing her own laundry. d set up a hamper that fits right into her closet and i posted a list of laundry steps in the laundry room. so far so good!


found this cute print that would be a perfect visual aid from the caravan shoppe

12 hikes :: february :: stoney point park

december we hiked on the island.

january, we revisited a favorite spot.

now back to the task at hand...










Stoney Point Park
Topanga Canyon Boulevard & the 118 Freeway
Los Angeles, CA 91311
Neighborhood: Chatsworth

Proximity: 8.5 miles from our home
Hike length: about 1.5 miles
Bonus features: Really a spot for climbing more than hiking. Amazing natural rock formations and giant boulders. Fun look at Stoney Point as captured in old films.
Tips: We parked on Topanga - but it was very busy so beware. An alternate would be to park on Chatsworth and follow the bridal trail to the park. We brought a picnic lunch - but there really wasn't a spot to eat - and it was a pain carrying the backpack and trying to climb. Next time we will start earlier and have lunch after. This is a busy spot for climbers. so lots to watch as well as some fun scrambling up the mountain.

* * * * *

K: I'll give it a 9/10. The climbing was amazing. We found bones and could see the whole area. It was so so so so... so FUN!!!!!!!!! The only reason I gave the hike at Stoney Point a 9/10 instead of a 10/10 was that there was not a creek or stream or river. That would have been a lot more fun.

E: 7/10. I liked climbing where I could. I wish we could have climbed more.





thinking of my dad today. what better way to celebrate his memory, than being outdoors. he would have loved this. loved his granddaughters and their sense of adventure. loved the feel of being in "the old west". loved that it was 78 degrees F in February.

room to grow con't

we are still working away on e's room. converting from home office to bedroom has had a couple of challenges. first off - what to do with all the books that were stored in this room, and two - how to maximize the small space to allow her to have room to hang-out and study. when d first started with this room, he tore out the closet to add built in book cases, and an area for a flat file. you can read about it, and see it here. (2006!!!) he now has converted the flat file space with drawers so e won't need a dresser. it is perfect.

here are some in progress shots before we get to the big reveal. soon!

weekend to do

help with garden at the ranch
long weekend play date
say goodbye to gramma
play catch-up after a very busy week

around the house
hang art in girls' rooms
help transfer items to e's new "dresser"
patch, putty and sand bedroom walls
wash windows
install e's window treatment

...for like ever

k made these for her class - while e did some hand lettering for her "bffles".

for the girls, d and i ordered these...


banquet workshop fluoro heart print via mlle





for like ever pink & red poster by super rural


d framed them in lovely, simple white frames. can't wait to see them in their new rooms!

happy valentine's day!

local fare

we took gramma to dinner at one of our favorite spots. the local peasant has been open for about a year now and still feels like the place where the cool kids are hanging out. it has a fun, hip vibe, without being pretentious, the cocktail & beer selection is great, and the food, seriously good.

my favorite thus far, the pan roasted salmon. the girls go for the burger with onion rings. and flourless chocolate cake for dessert - while i hold out for the jelly donuts with a coffee in an anthora cup .

(k gives it a 20 out of 10!)

the patio is fun. the interior is a little dark and loud - especially the later you're there (they are open until 2 am) but we didn't mind. (not great for picture taking though.)







it is great to see places like this popping up in the 818. we can only hope to get something within walking distance of us soon! (i feel a valley renaissance coming on.)

weekend to do

around the house
strip old wallpaper
clean turtle ponds
build drawers for e's "dresser"
finish frames for girls' valentines

research chairs for girls' rooms
go for a hike (and enjoy the clean air! thank you rain!)
visit the saddlery sale
class valentines for k

field trip :: L.A. Louver

work took me down to venice and i spent some quality time in the gallery with these lovely pictures and more. (leon kossoff at L.A. Louver through 01 march 14) a lovely sense of london light and energy by a favorite of mine from the "school of london".

weekend to do

around the house
paint e's room
put together e's bed
go sheet shopping
vacuum and dust
tackle pile of ironing that has been neglected

superbowl!
pick up gramma from the airport!

field trip :: norton simon museum

i joined e's 7th grade class for a visit to the norton simon museum. i forget how lucky we are to have so many world-class museums so close. this trip was a treat. and lots of fun to watch these kids too. my how they've grown in a quick year.















(e's favorite picture was this one.)

San Fernando Brewing Co.

we had a fantastic time attending a fundraiser for the venture of a good friend. san fernando brewing company should be in production quite soon.



FYI their irish red is amazing and the sonora wheat sourced from NoCal.



in the meantime, follow them on twitter / Facebook.

master piece

i am dreadfully behind in posting. lots in the queue...


for our bedroom I had a vision of a crisp, clean space that felt bright and airy. but after reading your wallpaper comments, I hesitated, and was pulled in to the idea of a cozy refuge from the rest of the house. I've come around again though, and am back to embracing the nature of our house - large bright open spaces and going with my original plan.



one
two
three
four (this one is no longer available)
five
six

d has hardwired two lovely tolomeo wall lights on each side of the bed (bought years ago at an artemide parking lot sale), and we are taking advantage of the dwr bedroom sale to order our new bed. (any advice on mattresses?) the desk, bedding, and chair are already all in place. this lounge chair is on the wish list for the patio off the bedroom.


I think we are close. I'll caveat that though, with the fact that I haven't yet ordered the wallpaper! so here we go...

weekend to do

join in the fun of our newly opened Community School Park*
fundraiser for a fantastic new local brewery

around the house
bake cookies
finish clearing out e's room to be!
electrical in master bedroom
decide: yard sale vs. online sale? (any thoughts?!)







*this is the "soft opening" of our schoolyard opening up as a park on Saturdays! it is a longtime dream of a few neighbors, and we are excited this day has arrived. the road here deserves a post on its own.

:::

pulling together a collage of images as we finalize our bedroom - and feeling a bit lazy this morning - i did a quick internet search for our dresser only to discover this second-hand store find was indeed a good investment.


image via 1stdibs

d and i purchased this almost 13 years ago - when we first bought the house - at a little shop on abbot kinney, before abbot kinney was hip. it seemed like a huge outlay of money at the time, but the quality of materials, construction and the unique design, sold me. and now seeing it sell for over twenty times what we paid for it, reenforces our decision to put our money into items that will last and to think carefully about what we bring into the house. (and learning more about the man who designed it and the company that made it was fun too!)

in a house full of heirlooms, hand-built items and carefully considered purchases I feel good about where our money goes, and in the knowledge that these items will last for future generations to enjoy.

closet case

our bedroom closet is the last in the house to be customized by d. as part of our bedroom redo, and moving e to her own room, it moved to the top of the queue. it is almost finished and i couldn't resist sharing this shot. i wish i had a before of the chaos that was. needless to say, i'm not in a huge rush for him to finish and hang the new doors. (the original sliders are worn and limit access. d is replacing them with two sets of beautiful double-hung doors that will allow up both to get to our stuff at the same time.) here's our inspiration. (as much as i love pinterest, i am still a victim of paper and files full of inspiration shots that i've been carrying around for years. its lovely to see that pile dwindle as projects get checked off the list!)



thanks for the wallpaper input. of course, i thought i knew what i wanted but you've made me reconsider. final decision this weekend! (and in cleaning up around here, found this old post with original choices. glad to see we haven't wavered much!)