little lovelies : forrest clearing

lovely, arent they?
cast in porcelain from vintage doilies. Not only do i love the aesthetic appeal of these pieces, but thinking about the metaphorical layers behind the work has me captivated.

once handmade, they are like little monuments to the first maker reinvented using clay the second time around and then remade. Given a place of importance through their new material, but in the same breath a greater fragility.

An interesting balance is struck for me between the place of the traditional craft/its maker and its current form. somehow, its new form is both more concrete and speaks to the precarious state of this once widely known skill and its decline into something of obscurity, and all the while these pieces retain the most quite and delicate presence.

interior inspiration

lately i have been thinking of getting rid of "stuff" mostly in the closet department. i would love to get my clothing down to 20 or so essential pieces. though im not sure this can be done...

these two photos found via the amazing Emma's designblogg are full of the simplicity and understated elegance i seem to be craving at the moment. how a few simple things can indeed be just perfect.

i got jumped

by the SF Chronicle. The lovely Chantal Lamers did a perfect little article about depression-era floral frogs and was kind enough to feature a few comments by me and photos from Cottage Farm. I was also thrilled to shared the page with the lovely Kim Ludy of Trampoline and Mary Grace Thomas of Test of Time

Thanks very much Chantal.

simple sundays

its black mission fig season here. not only are the stunning to look at, they are oh so tasty. A very large basket of them arrive in my produce box on wednesday and i took a little time out to capture their beauty before partaking in their deliciousness. Enjoy your Labor Days!

a collection

thought i would start to share a few of the things that i collect....random, few and far between. this is the most extensive collection (with the exception of vintage tablecloths) that i have. I dont see them all that often but when i do i will nearly sprout wings to get to them quickly. french, creamy with a hint of yellow, gorgeous lion's heads and as i understand it for filling with yummy pates at the market

i use them for butter on the table, jam, and spice.

for the dogs

Scotland.... and SOS doing his very best Freidlnander. edinburg to be exact, a romantic old city with lots of little streets to walk, castles to visit and shops to peruse. but my absolute favorite thing involves, what else food. yes, i do have a tendency to get hyped up over restaurants but THE DOGS is soo worth the hype. lets put it this way. i was so enamored with the food, atmosphere and decor i didnt take a single picture inside. but i did have the very yummy ox tongue terrine and the coley, a lovely white fish over a big dollop of minted fresh smashed peas.

YUMMMM! so youll just have to trust me and go if you are in edinburg scotland anytime soon, or ever. I will be returning thats for sure!

simple sundays

fall is coming...and its beautiful.

Cape Light - Joel Meyerowitz

its finally summer here in San Francisco - most of us were thinking it wouldnt happen, but here it is!


yesterday on sfgirlbybay, victoria took us on a tour of martha's vineyard. it made me long for my childhood summers on the cape and islands. i swear there is something magical that exists only there and no where else.

photographer Joel Meyerowitz captures my feelings for this place so well. his photos from the series Cape Light serve to satiate my longing...at least for now.

hope you enjoy

a few more sights from amsterdam

a few more sights from amsterdam....the last and first photos are from the flower market...its fun to walk through but i would recommend any of the other food markets ... where the cut flowers are more plentiful and incredibly inexpensive.

and who could resist those giant puffy clouds of meringue??? i couldnt! definitely check out Patisserie Kuyt while you are there and on the same street find the cute little cafe (fantastic coffee with a scrubbed scandinavian atmosphere) pictured 2 photos below. the whole street is lined with wonderful clothing shops, design collectives, the best butcher and cheese monger youll ever find! right off Rembrandtplien

loved this pretty delicate door knocker ...its a bit cheeky too dont you think?