In the mail today I got one of those complimentary travel magazines. I usually don't bother with them too much, although today the cover caught my eye. They had a whole section on "The California Craftsman Home revival". So I started flipping. (As per my usual magazine perusal...I always go through the pages backwards.)

I came upon this picture (see above) of a bright white kitchen, with piles and piles of old Bauer, and Fiesta pottery...and was thinking "gee, that reminds me of my neighbors kitchen...whose piles and piles of pottery I so---- covet!". I flipped two more pages and THERE IT WAS, a picture of my neighbors posed in front of their bungalow, dressed up to mock the painting "American Gothic". I was just so tickled by that. Over the past year I've watched how much passion they have about restoring things to the way they originally were in the early 1900's (Something I could hardly ever imagine doing, because my style is much too ecclectic to have those sort of boundaries. Yet concurrently, is also why I SO respect their keeping with the American Arts and Crafts Movement style).

It's so funny to me, because the last time we were visiting with them I was saying "Your house is like a museum. It should be featured in a magazine!"

It just so happens that today in the mail, it surprisingly WAS.

Lately I've become obcessed with old postcards. Especially those from the early 1900's, of European women dressed in asian inspired clothing. A few years back I went to an exhibition at the Modern Museum of Art, in Los Angeles...that was all about "Japonism in Fashion". The gowns were unbelievable. They ranged from the bustled gown in embroidered kimono fabric, 1920's flapper dresses with asian influence, to modern haute couture. So much history enveloped the room.

These are the same fabrics that captivated the Europeans since 1639, after the Edo shogunate ended its policy of seclusion from the outside world. Japanese goods made their way through Holland...it's apparent in these European postcards just how fascinated people became.

A few months back I started off with just a few packets of seed from Renees garden company, and some old wooden orange crates filled with planting soil. (I know there is a more methodical way of growing things from seed, I've seen people do it...but I'm one of those hap-hazard right side of the brain thinking people. So all of that good logic goes out of the window, and I do whatever works for me.)

Every morning I go out there with my cup of coffee and peer down the driveway garden. Little guy freckles...hops along with me, and jerry waits in tow. This morning I took a few pictures, and thought I'd share.

That old adage "you reap what you sow", really holds true when you are a gardener. I can't recommend it enough. It's so rewarding to actually experience eating something right off the vine. Believe me when I say, "you can taste the sunshine".

Last night we had mesculin mix salad with colorful sliced cherry tomatos, and grilled zuchinni---grown from our garden. Yum!

My submission to the mirror project.

For some reason I felt like Alice through the looking glass, so hence the description.

pin me.

Last week I was in the stationary store Papyrus, buying some wedding accoutrements.

This pink silk flower (by Marcel Schurman) hit my eye. I ended up buying two of them, one to place on the top of the wedding gift...the other to make into a pin. This is such a simple project. All you need is a glue gun, a hair clip, or pin...and voil�...instant accessory.

You could use silk orchids, roses, or daisies, whatever your heart desires. Pin them onto jackets, purses, skirts, dresses...etc. Or use them as flowery hair clips that promise not to fade or get brown in the summer heat.

Even further adorn them by gluing on small rhinestones, or sewing on seed beads.

Here are a few links for more ideas:

hairflowers.com

silkgreenhouse.com

lacis millinary flowers

A designers cunundrum.

New picks.

Here's to New beginnings and Celebrating DIY diva-ish-ness!