At Home in Alaska

Thought I'd share some pictures of my family's house in Alaska. They built the house 28 years ago and, as you can see, it's made of logs. The inside is warm and comforting and filled with artwork and textiles from their travels abroad: afghanistan, mexico and asia.

It was perfect for my second trip up to Alaska, due mainly to the fact that E and I are breaking up after 5 years together. I went up to be taken care of, to be outside and to be comforted. It was a lively house with all 3 of of my cousins, aunt and uncle, 2 dogs and 3 cats. I'm glad I took the time to indulge in trip #2.

Alaska

I took so many pictures in Alaska that it might take me the next year to get through them. I was only gone 10 days but I managed to ride in a float plane, catch a couple sockeye salmon, see bears almost every day, go off the grid, collect a lot of pretty rocks, ride in a lot of boats, see a lot of daylight, sea kayak, shoot some guns, hang out with three of the best dogs ever, meet some manly wilderness men, hang out with family, hike in places that maybe no one else has walked before.

It felt like summer camp. I laughed. I got wet. I got dirty. And reluctantly, I came home.

All the wilderness stuff was in Bristol Bay on Lake Ilimana at this amazing lodge: The Alaska Rainbow Point Lodge mainly known for its proximity to and expertise in fishing, but its situated so that it's essentially in the middle of some of the most breathtaking wilderness ever. (Also, this area is being threatened by a proposed copper mine that could destroy the entire ecosystem).






I promise to post more pictures and more details about the trip as I get through the photos. But if you're planning a trip to Alaska, email me, because I have a lot of information!

Mexican Hot Chocolate

The cousins have all left and I'll admit that I miss them. The house has been bustling for the last two weeks with multiple pots of coffee brewing each morning, laundry humming away, beds in the living room, lots of people eager to play with hazel and no shortage of fun things to do.

But what they left behind (besides, obviously, some great memories and seeds planted for future reunions and trips, etc.) is some Mexican Hot Chocolate. Lily and Owen have been traveling the world the last 3 years and they came here from a month long stint in Oaxaca. So they brought the most delicious hot chocolate with them and we enjoyed it (oh did we enjoy it) and luckily there's plenty left to fill the the new quiet in the house.





For those that have never had Mexican Hot Chocolate it is an incredible blend of chocolate and spices that makes for a much more grown up flavor than traditional cocoa. The Aztecs and Mayans considered it a sacred drink and it was brewed and consumed unsweetened as part of ceremonies. Ours was premade, we just melted the bars of chocolate into milk on the stove. But if you aren't as lucky, you can follow this recipe which calls for cloves, nutmeg, chili peppers and cinnamon.

Framed Paintings

I noticed this simple idea at my dad's house. He has quite a collection of smaller thrift store paintings up around the house. Recently he put some of them in simple Ikea Ribba frames, floating without a matte.

I think it gives them a lot more presence without any of the fuss of 'framing' your artwork.

Back from Vacation

Just spent 5 days in Oregon for my cousin's wedding. It was a nice break, but I'm slammed with work now. This image will have to make due until I can post more. The events leading up to this were: 3 days of drinking and dance parties on decks on a lake, lots of fried food, pinch hitting as a bridesmaid, 7:30 wake up for hair and makeup, taping boobs, taking a lot of pictures and then, finally, a lengthy conversation about lazy eyes.

It is going to be busy, posts will continue to be light, please come back and see me though. I like you.

Moments in the sun

She's been doing a lot of sleeping in the sun. I pet her, she does her best to purr. These are the moments I will remember. I love seeing her giant ears backlit by the sun. I love the fawny color of her fur. I love that she lets me cradle her head in my hand and then shows me where she wants me to pet her. I will miss her enormously.

Update: I let her go today. Thanks for all the kind words. It does actually help.

Here are the real reasons

Yes, the house I'm in is beautiful. There's no doubt about it. But what makes it really killer is that there are parts that are totally unfinished! Full of possibility! Something I could really get into....know what I mean?

So there's this giant room above the living room that is sort of like a barn. In an awesome way. And right now there's just random stuff stored in there and then a little bed for when my uncle visits. I mean seriously, how many awesome things could you do with this space?


And then, the real piece de resistance, is what I've been calling the nest. It's up on the third floor with vaulted ceilings, skylights and just enough room to have a nice big desk along the wall, a bedroom and a bathroom. the place is flooded with light all the time and has a KILLER view.


Here's a kind of confusing collage of the space:



And then as an aside, just wanted to noted how freaking cool my grandmother is. Not only does she lounge in an Eames Lounger that she's had for years and years, but she has so much cool furniture that her ghost chair and rad fan/flower lamp are just sitting in the big room being stored:

The Kitchen

This is where I'm sitting now to share more pictures with you all. It honestly couldn't be more beautiful. The house is in Provence and more specifically is in a village called Goult. My dad bought the house recently to move my grandmother from Paris closer to the rest of the family. So technically it's for her, but really it's for the family because she only lives downstairs and there's a lot more to the house. It already feels like home to me. I look forward to visiting for many years to come.

And because if I shared as many pictures as i wanted to I would bore you all to death, here are pictures of the kitchen:









The kitchen is the heart of this home. It is the most beautiful, has the nicest view of the garden and gets the best light. I have so far spent a lot of time here.

Let's start with this, shall we?

The house is even more amazing than I had imagined. Much more to come. Including pictures of the equally enviable town the house is situated in. If I wasn't so jet lagged I'd be in absolute heaven.

Beyond the Lawn

I've been reading Attack on the Front Lawn, so stumbling onto Yvette Roman's blog Beyond the Lawn is perfect. She's basically created an entire vegetable garden in her front yard in Mar Vista and it's stunning. She also made apricot jam recently and I'm totally inspired (it's the whole boiling the jars part that I get hung up on).

I found her through Design Sponge, here are some pictures of her house:




Also, did I mention that Yvette was my photo mentor in high school? She even gave me her twin reflex camera when I graduated. I still have it! She's always been an inspiration to me, I'm going to email her now to get back in touch!

Happy Weekend!

Hope you have a relaxing weekend. Check out my gramma's garden for some nature downtime on the computer.

Tuesday Morning Breakfast with my Dad

Be There for Me

Great poster from little paper planes that kind of says it all!

Family Influences

My family has been a huge influence on me in terms of style. On one side I've got old school California, on the other I've got hard core Parisian. Check out Apartment Therapy for a peek into my grandmother's apartment in Paris. I love her helter skelter style. She surrounds herself with things she loves and always makes people feel warm and comfortable in her home. She's a natural entertainer.

On a side note, this apartment is being sold for her to move to the country to be closer to my aunt, etc. Hopefully I'll be going to see that house in person coming in June to help organize and decorate (yay!).

Silhouette Bowls From May Luk Ceramics

Silhouettes have been a big deal in the design world for sometime now. It may have all been started by Karl Johnson the self proclaimed master silhouette cut out artist, but now it's taken on a life of its own. Just look at all that has been blogged: how to make your own custom silhouette, silhouette madness, we will become silhouettes, etc. It's clear. We love silhouettes. Maybe it reminds us (or me for that matter) of early trips to Disneyland, or maybe it's a harkening back to things made by hand, things that took skill, and things that are utterly personal.

Well I'm certainly not immune and am racking my brain for who (besides myself) I can have one of these bowls made for. It's a silhouette hand cut from your photo and applied to a handbuilt stoneware bowl. Your choice of turquoise or pink. We think they're too nice to just eat on and would rather form a collection and put them up on the wall. Would a pet silhouette be extra?

I can't wait to do some camping

or have a slumber party.

Returning Home and Rearranging

As I mentioned on AT today, I traveled pretty light through China and got a little obsessed with keeping things to a minimum. So when I came home I started rearranging and purging. Here is a during and after of my desk/office area. The after only shows the part I'm happy with. The desk itself, well, you'll have to use your imagination for that. Hint: It might involve a 'yikes!'.


These were the best homecoming gift. My mom brought me two stems from the orchid she inherited from my gramma.