Girl About Town: A Final Resting Place

The ashes of Jack and Charmian London (deceased in 1916 & 1955, respectively) lie together on a wooded knoll, beneath a massive stone pulled from the ruins of Wolf House. It's a secluded spot, beautifully green with none of the oppressive claustrophobia of a modern cemetery. But neither is it lonely.

Steps way from the Londons' memorial are the mossy headstones of David and Lillie Greenlaw, a brother and sister, the little children of a pioneer family who settled on the land in the 1870s. 

How much it must have stung their poor mother's heart to leave her babies behind when the family moved on. Jack London is purported to have selected a gravesite next to the children to feel less lonely in death- but think what a kindness he did in ensuring that their tiny graves would be tended to as well. It's an act of intentional generosity that I found very moving.

That wraps up my tour of Jack London State Park... I've shown you some of my favorite vignettes from the large estate (the country kitchen, a sentimental display, and many more on the Shock the Bourgeois facebook page) as well as Jack's dream house that never was- but there's much more to see for yourself. If you're a resident of Northern California, I encourage you to visit before the park closes permanently in July of 2012. 

Girl About Town: Wolf House Ruins

Walking through the grounds of Jack London's Beauty Ranch, it's easy to see why he wanted to build his dream house there. The landscape is lush and varied, suitable for farming and ideal for peaceful reflection. Nestled in the Valley of the Moon, it's close enough to San Francisco for lively social calls, far enough away for a writer's solitude.

With a dining room large enough to seat 50 guests, and a private writer's retreat in the treetops, Wolf House was designed to accommodate every aspect of the London's lifestyle. It burned in 1913, mere weeks before they were to move in.

It's an impressive ghost, even reduced to a skeleton of lava rock and metal. Built to last, stone archways and  beautiful brick fireplaces gape eerily above the hollow structure. Now swathed in moss, it remains a dream of a house.

If you're just joining in now, we started our walk through Jack London State Park yesterday with a look at the cottage kitchen, interiors from around the estate, and a dining room with inspiring significance. This afternoon we finish our tour at the London's grave site.

Girl About Town: Jack London's China Cabinet

Well, Charmian London's, to be exact. This is the dining room in The House With Happy Walls, a home built after Jack's death. It currently exists, per Charmian's wishes, as a museum at Jack London State Park to showcase her husband's adventures and accomplishments. The house is a gallery of photographs, publications, and prized possessions from their worldly travels. My favorite part was the oddly extravagant dining room, with an indoor fountain, a massive bank of windows, and three walls of cabinets specifically designed to display a very special set of dishes.

If you look closely, you'll notice that the cabinet knobs are off-set.

Look closer still and you'll realize that the hardware and cabinet trim have been painted to match the china within. The floral shape of the knobs emulates the leafy ornaments on the serving pieces, and both are given an illustrative quality with green outlines.

I love the idea of decorating to celebrate an heirloom or beloved artifact. Even more, I love the significance of these plates and bowls to their owners: Jack London purchased the set from the estate of Robert Louis Stevenson, a man he greatly admired but never met. 

Today I showed you Jack's enviable kitchen sink and some of the interesting interiors on the property. Tomorrow I'll take you on a hike through the grounds...

Girl About Town: Jack London's Kitchen Sink

A few weeks ago Adam and I drove up to Glen Ellen to cross something off of our "Things to do While Living in California" list: we visited Jack London's house, now known as Jack London State Park. Being hikers, English majors, and people who will never pass up an opportunity to tour wine country, it's been at the top of our list- especially since we learned that this park is scheduled for permanent closure due to lack of funding. That's a shameful thing, because this park is a gem.

It's a park that offers everything and the kitchen sink: trails skirting a sweet-smelling (and tasting, shhh) vineyard, a giant redwood tree, a romantic ruin, a murky lake, and (beneath layers of silly museum staging) a glimpse into the quiet moments of an incredible life.

Being that this is a design blog, let's start with the kitchen sink. 

Tell me there's not some inspiration to be had here...

Today I'll be sharing some of the property's decorating details here on the blog, and also on the Shock the Bourgeois facebook page. Tomorrow I'll conclude my tour with the portions of the park that truly struck a chord with me: the remains of Jack London's dream house (consumed by fire before he'd even moved in), and the mossy knoll that is his final resting place.

Girl About Town: Rockwood Bakery

With three projects on the table and a flurry of Summer events approaching, now is not a good time for a lapse in inspiration- but I'm feeling drained and dull nevertheless. I need a change of scenery. I need a slice of pie and a cappuccino from Rockwood Bakery. I wish I was back in Spokane!

The warm raspberry walls and sunlight filtering through ivy-covered windows, the pleasant ambiance of kitchen sounds and hushed chatter, the aromas of espresso and baked goods... it is my perfect place.

Do you have a favorite retreat?

Wicked Plants

Last Christmas I was lucky enough to get a signed copy of Wicked Plants, a fascinating tome that grafts together some of my favorite topics: history, horticulture... and murderous intrigue!

Wicked Plants has been a major inspiration for some jewelry pieces to be debuting soon at my Etsy shop. After all, Rappaccini's Garden is named for a gothic tale about... you guessed it, a deadly flower. Since I've loved the book, I'm excited to see how the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers has brought it to life with their current exhibit...

There could be no better place to display these alluring poisons than the Conservatory with its dramatic Victorian stylings. The exhibit runs until October, but I'm scheming to visit this weekend. Between this, the Yellow Owl Workshop book signing tomorrow, and the rescheduled Alameda Flea Market on Sunday... my weekend (and my camera's memory card) should be quite full!

Hope your weekend is just as delightful!

xoxo

Elizabeth

Girl About Town: Bountiful Home

For those of you who missed this post in its Facebook album form while Blogger was down, enjoy! If you're not yet a fan of the Shock the Bourgeois Facebook page, head on over and click "like" for access to photos that don't make it on the blog!

I know, I've posted about Bountiful Home before. If it seems like I'm gushing, I am! Not only is this one of my favorite places to shop when I'm visiting in Washington, I'm also trying to convince Todd that he needs an assistant... (haha!).

Todd certainly has the knack for styling. Something rusty, something romantic, something a little kooky (just check out that mouse in the party hat!). Bountiful Home & Nursery is a visual treat indoors and out. The garden is lush with Spring blooms, the 100-year-old house is furnished with reworked vintage pieces, and every surface sparkles with mercury glass. I want one of everything.

Working with Todd to decorate my wedding has been an absolute pleasure. Thanks to his recommendation, I've selected Maxine's Floral for bouquets and centerpieces. Things are coming together beautifully- and I'm loving this opportunity to collaborate with such creative people!

Girl Around Town: Side

What was it that lured me into Side, an up-cycled furniture boutique on Berkeley's San Pablo Avenue... could it have been a glimmer of aqua blue, or perhaps the enticing aroma of fresh paint? 

The Side business card bears the Sister Parish quote, "innovation is often the ability to reach into the past and bring back what is good, what is beautiful, what is useful, what is lasting." Apt, because that's precisely what owner Carolyn Pickell is doing. While so many contrive to make new furniture appear old, Side celebrates vintage furnishings made young. The tiny shop features an ever-changing assortment of meticulously refinished antiques wearing unexpected paint colors and clever detailing (even pinstripes!). Every surface is laden with treasures, natural curiosities mingling with gilded accessories.

Side has the eclectic aesthetic of a flea market- refined, edited, and styled flawlessly. It's a new Bay Area favorite!

Anthology Launch Party Wrap-Up

We made it to the Anthology Magazine Launch Party! We sipped, mingled, and saved! We stood like, an inch away from Victoria and Grant K. Gibson! We basked in the design glory!

Okay, I'll be honest. I shopped a little for me too. Congratulations to the brilliant women behind Anthology! The party was incredible, and I'll be poring over Issue I allllllll weekend.

As you probably noticed, Shock the Bourgeois is undergoing a little makeover. I'm finally shaking some of the recurring problems that came with my old design, and aiming to make the blog more readable (and welcoming to new followers). I'd love to have your feedback! Shoot me an email anytime at shockthebourgeois@mac.com

Happy Weekend,

xoxo Elizabeth

Rainy Day

I missed out on the last Alameda Flea when I was out of town, so I had been looking forward to November 7th for months. We pulled into the lot to find it largely empty (I had a fleeting moment of elation thinking of the prime parking spot we were going to score), but we soon realized that the Flea had been canceled! Drat! California clearly has a looser notion of "rain or shine" than we Seattleites are accustomed to.

We headed over to the auction house instead. We didn't get involved in the bidding, but I thought this hand-colored etching was awfully fun...

Sorry for the glare on the photo- I haven't been able to find an image of this print online. 

(Though, in googling I discovered that the artist, Thomas Rowlandson, was a bit better known for his xxx-rated etchings... so search with care!)

Our extra hour was spent puddle-jumping and leaf-kicking up on College Avenue, where we stumbled upon an estate sale and visited a few favorite shops (where I scored an excellent find, which I'll show off later!). I was glad I'd brought my camera, because everything was Autumn-colored and glistening... and it almost felt like home.

What did you do with your extra hour?

Postcard from my Vacation

Hey all- just checking in before I'm off to Ballard to browse my favorite shops with my Mom. I'm taking so many pictures that I'll have blog content for weeks. But, until I'm back in Berkeley on Tuesday night, I'll be spending most of my time with Paige here...

Can you blame me???

Back soon,

Elizabeth

Chomp!

Yesterday I visited Chomp, the carnivorous plant exhibit at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. It was fun to tour as an adult, but it made me wish I was still a nanny! The exhibit was definitely geared towards kids with comic book styling, displays outfitted with magnifying glasses, and of course, the "ewww, gross!" factor. I was hoping to capture a venus flytrap in action, but they apparently weren't hungry. I did, however, get beautiful shots of strangely alien pitcher plants.

As cute as the Chomp feature was, I fell in love with the more traditional Victorian aesthetic of the main Conservatory exhibits. I can imagine spending several hours there with a macro lens, and the steamy greenhouse climate would be a welcome vacation from blustery winter weather!

My favorite part was a pond dotted with enormous lily pads, touted as strong enough to hold my weight. I can't tell you how tempted I was to test that claim.

Fresh Picks from Rappaccini's Garden

Hello my lovelies... Today I'm off to Chomp, an exhibit of carnivorous flora at the Golden Gate Park Conservatory of Flowers. Sinister plants??? Can you think of anything more perfectly calculated to delight me?

Speaking of, there's only about a week left to receive up to 15% off of your purchases at my new Etsy shop...

A Glass Half Full Weekend

Monday already? It can't be. Adam and I spent our weekend in the company of amazing people and many glasses of wine, and I can't believe it all went by so quickly (especially the wine).

It's not often that we've got such a full social calendar, with two separate visits from college friends in one weekend! On Sunday we drove up to Sonoma for lunch at the Coppola winery and a taste (or two) of what wine country has to offer.

Naturally I'd like to take an extra day off to recuperate. Today I'm enjoying a quiet house, catching up on the shop, putting the finishing touches on some blog posts for the week... and eyeing the bottle of port that we brought home as a souvenir...