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.

A Natural Wonder

If I had a large wall to decorate, say, in a hip live/work loft in the city, you better believe I'd rasterbate this piece to giant size...

Posted at Trailheads in Redwoods Park

My weekly hikes with Adam are an incredible source of inspiration- but who would've thought I'd find such a graphic gem off the beaten path?

300th Post!

Indeed, this is the 300th post on Shock the Bourgeois! I have to type this rather sheepishly, as a blogger who has neglected her readers for two weeks...

From flitting between wedding appointments in rainy Seattle to flickering power in stormy Berkeley, March has blown the blog off course. It's been a productive month for the wedding and my design projects, but today's clear skies and clear schedule were a welcome relief! Finally, time to edit photos and wade through my inbox. To those of you who emailed such sentiments as, "I am having blog withdrawl!  FIX!!!" please allow this to serve as my response: I'm back, I promise!

Yes, the butterfly is real. I found him outside my apartment, unable to fly and looking bedraggled on a particularly wet and fiercely windy morning. I haven't seen any other swallowtail butterflies yet, so perhaps he too was blown off course by this wild Spring weather. I had a Stephen Maturin moment (nerd alert!) and brought him in, where he seemed content to sit on my hand and be photographed. The last picture, however, was all the bug's idea. As unnerving as it was to have a giant insect suddenly decide to climb up my hair and perch, I suppose I can't complain about how it turned out.

Tomorrow I'll be truly back to blogging with an honest-to-goodness decor post: my new naturalist themed art arrangement, as inspired by this butterfly!

Springing Forward (a little early)

Northern California can't seem to get its act together, seasonally speaking. We put up with a chilly Summer and a very summery Autumn. Our tree didn't start turning colors until Thanksgiving and didn't lose its leaves until after Christmas. It seems like Berkeley, in an attempt to get back on schedule, has skipped over Winter and gone straight into Spring in January. Fine by me.

After many months of inattention, our landlord sent out his landscaper (read: sullen teenager in headphones) to tidy up the yard. He managed to miss the tangles of ivy encroaching the path to our door, but he was very thorough about weed-whacking the many large stands of paperwhites. *sigh* I went out with a shovel (read: serving spoon) and rescued some of the most at-risk bulbs. They're now quite happily blooming and perfuming our apartment. Spring is in the air, indoors and out- and it's heavenly!

Spring has a reputation for stirring people into action- to get outdoors, to clean house, possibly to act on their New Year's resolutions. For me, it's time for a fresh start. Time for new projects, new looks, new motivation, and hopefully, new collaborations...

Our First Christmas Tree!

After 5 Christmases spent moving, traveling, in tiny apartments, or in separate states, Adam and I finally got to bring home our very own tree. We chose a noble fir that's just my size. Really- just over 5 feet tall! We tucked it into a formerly dark corner of our kitchen & dining room, where it can be appreciated from all over the apartment. Doesn't it sparkle?

We haven't yet acquired any sentimental ornaments, but luckily I had a stash of simple bulbs purchased at post-holiday sales- small and gold, vibrant chartreuse, and huge crackled silver. Instead of hanging them with wire, I used little snippets of green and lavender ribbon to add more color to the tree. Sprigs of glittery leaves catch the light, and acrylic crystals are a glamorous (yet cat-safe!) adornment. I topped off our tree with a curious pair of wintry owls.

I might shop for a few collectible ornaments to add as we get closer to Christmas, but for now the tree is decorated entirely in things I already owned. Affordable, easy, and a perfect fit for my existing color palette!

Here & Now: Fading into Fall

Hello Readers: I'm experiencing some technical difficulties, so Adam's Kitchen Chemistry will go live tomorrow morning! For now, I offer you tomorrow's post today...

Autumn seems to come with its own photographic filter, tinting everything with pale silver and antique gold. My camera is full of Fall. The pumpkin on my doorstep, a basket of apples, foamy caramel lattes, leaves kicked and scattered on long walks.

Fall Tablescaping: Plaid & Patinated

The table is all set for Adam's second Autumnal Soup post tomorrow. Without giving away the chef's secrets, I'll just say I was inspired to create a warm and rustic tablescape to compliment the ultimate comfort food...

Soup's on, and we'll serve it piping hot tomorrow!

Summer-Fall Shift

In only a week I'll be visiting my family in Seattle. My mother informs me (with a grumble) that I should pack my raincoat. I'm actually looking forward to true Autumn weather!

I've discovered pluots this week, and it occurs to me that they're the perfect symbol for the Bay Area September, a Summer-Fall hybrid. Super ripe, deeply sweet, exactly the color of dappled red leaves. 

Thank you for your wonderful comments on my dining room! I'll be taking advantage of the lovely filtered sunlight this weekend so I can give you more images of my home next week...

Until then,

xoxo 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...

Berkeley Flora (and Fauna)

In a past life I was a Victorian Era naturalist- the sort with the straw hat and sketchbook who traipsed around the countryside in a poufy skirt to collect specimens for her cabinet of curiosities. I'm fairly certain of this, because I'm doing pretty much the same thing here in 21st century Berkeley (with a camera and a slightly more practical wardrobe). I figure old habits die hard.

Adam and I visited the Berkeley Rose Garden over our long weekend. There were varieties in every color, and I can't even imagine how intense the park must have been in its prime Spring months.

There are days when I crave the lush Northwest- the smell of rich soil and evergreens, and so many shades of green. The California landscape still feels foreign to me with its spiky and untouchable succulents. I am very often homesick. I've noticed though, that since getting my new camera, I've had a new appreciation for my surroundings. There's something about peering through the lens that reminds me that things are beautiful, and that this is an adventure.

I took this photo in a moment of unusual bravery.
Anyone who knows me will understand what I mean.

Happy Long Weekend!

I hope you all have exciting plans for Labor Day weekend! As for me, I'll be beading and typing as fast as my little fingers will allow- because there's only a few more days until I open the gates to Rappaccini's Garden on Etsy!

This photo from Vogue makes me think of Beatrice in the garden... quite the specimen, no?

I'll be listing items all day on Monday, so I'll have a full shop ready by the time you all get back from your vacationing! 

Thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement of my new project. As a token of gratitude, my lovely online friends can receive a special discount on purchases at Rappaccini's Garden during my grand-opening month. I'll give you the scoop on Tuesday!