The Summer Garden

Did everyone have a happy 4th (and hopefully, a long weekend)? Adam and I tried to put a three-day break to good use. On Saturday we hiked 5 miles through a redwood forest, on Sunday we walked the rows at Alameda in 80º heat, and on Monday we could hardly get our exhausted, aching selves off of the couch! 

If you stopped by Maggie Rose to see my tablescape last week, you probably noticed (and perhaps oohed/ahhed over) the bunch of freshly cut flowers decorating my Mom's table. Gorgeous- and merely a sampling of what's blooming in the back yard. Now that I'm back to my weedy plot in Berkeley, I thought we might all enjoy a walk through my family's garden.

Ah, if only there was one more day in the weekend. I could use a relaxing afternoon in the shade to recuperate!

Today my Facebook and Twitter followers will get pictures of my favorites from the Alameda Flea... are you following?

Tablescaping at Mom's House

Hello friends! I've just returned from another whirlwind trip to Washington state. This time around I had a tasting, a basketball tournament, two photoshoots, and a brand new nephew- so I came home with a menu for the wedding, freckles, approximately 700 pictures, and a raging case of baby fever!

While I was home, I got to work up a tablescape with my Mom's beautiful array of dishes. Come on over to Maggie Rose and check it out!

I'll be back to regular posting tomorrow, and I've got a lot to show off: a newly blue bedroom, a totally vegan recipe, and a column concept I'm trying on...

Some Girl Time

This post and its comments vanished during Blogger's technical difficulties- I'm reposting as much as I can recall. A good reminder to all of us to back-up our work!

If you were wondering about the conspicuous lack of Mother's Day well-wishes on the blog, never fear: I was delivering them in person! I flew up to Seattle for a girls' weekend with my gorgeous mom herself...

We drove down to Portland for a baby shower (congratulations Samantha & John!) and some quality time with my Uncle Craig (who's officiating my wedding!), my Aunt Amanda, and their boys, my littlest (and thereby current favorite) cousins. I even got to raise a glass with my lovely bridesmaid Kalin, the witty voice behind I'm an Eating Machine. 

Of course, no girls' weekend would be complete without a shopping excursion... or without doxie gals Ella and Paige. I think Miss Paige enjoys hunting for pretty things just as much as I do! 

It might have been an impromptu visit, but it certainly was a productive one. We managed to whittle down the wedding checklist: shoes, ribbons, trimmings, Mom's dress (stunning, by the way), and decor, just about done! I also made a major decision about our invitations. Hope you liked my save-the-date cards, because I'm designing a whole suite!

What a wonderful trip- I miss you already, Mom!

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

Blue Mood

No, not sad- I'm quite happily immersing myself in all the colors of the Northwest, especially the chilly blue of the Puget Sound.

 I wake up in this gray and blue bedroom, just the shades of the waves outside my window. 

(Doesn't my Mother have lovely taste? I'm tempted to make this a permanent vacation...)

These pale periwinkle hydrangeas were begging to be photographed in downtown Edmonds.

So much prettiness, and it's so nice to be home.

I promise I won't let the blog get too quiet,

Elizabeth

Away From My Desk

Hi all, I'm currently away from my desk...

And blogging from the Ace Hotel in Portland! I'm going to be here through the weekend for my ex-roomie's epic wedding / college reunion. Naturally my camera chose yesterday to breathe its last dying breath, but I'm hoping I can capture some of the week's events with my iPhone... this hotel is one design epiphany after another, so I can't wait to share!

For now, keep your eyes on the blog, we've got a few tidbits to share while we're off galavanting in my second-favorite city on earth.

XoXo from Portland,

Elizabeth

A Clever Display

While picking out our Christmas tree at Sky Nursery, my parents and I couldn't help peeking around at their other offerings. Ornaments galore, a greenhouse full of wintry blooms, and these very inspiring displays:

What a great example of thoughtful merchandising. These doors will be easy to paint and keep fresh for a year's worth of ideas. After all, the massive selection of this nursery can be a little overwhelming for the amateur gardener or for those of us who rent. Not everyone has a front yard, but all of us have front doors! These displays show how to create a welcoming doorstep using coordinated colors and practical container gardens. Forget about landscaping, this is porchscaping!

Images Taken with my iPhone

Thanksgiving Left-Overs

Such a busy Thanksgiving holiday!  Baking pies, watching the Dog Show, shooting guns, eating left-overs, playing with a new puppy, watching the Huskies thoroughly demoralize the Cougars, and most of all... smothering Adam with attention when he flew in for the weekend.

Move over, Faye Dunaway

Speaking of pointing and shooting: I had the special treat of borrowing my Mom's primo DSLR camera to document the events. Ugh, I'm hooked! I suppose if I abstain from coffee for let see... (I'm mathing here) ...the better part of a year, I can buy one of my own. Though I'm quite proficient with my vintage SLR, it's going to take a lot of practice to get me up to speed with this glorious technology.  So, let's go easy on the images and focus on my Mom's beautiful tablescape!

Some finds from the autumnal landscape.

A crisp fall day.

Great-Grandma's silverware shines on Crate & Barrel linens.

The feast!

Proof that I'm not the only one who leaves her Halloween decor up year round!

Blog-Met-Blog

Hi Friends,

Hope you're all eating up Adam's Thanksgiving Solo-Show (it's lunchtime, I'm staring at those potatoes, my stomach is rumbling, and my left-over pizza is not looking as good).

While Adam was slaving away at the hot stove (my angel in the kitchen), I was off partay-partaying... meeting local bloggers at Blog-Meet-Blog!

I will admit, I got the nervous jitters walking in the door- but it certainly didn't last long. It was such an amazing treat to interact with so many creative minds, to share ideas without pressing "post," and to GET to know all of the people that I PRETEND to know online!

Also a great opportunity to talk about some changes for StB in 2010...

I was so busy gabbing that I forgot to do my bloggerly duty and take pictures (oops). If you'd like to see the beautiful people that made it to BoConcept for Blog-Meet-Blog, peruse the album here (I'm the girl in the chartreuse conversation piece), check out pictures by Anna Marie at Last Days of Light, or watch this video from visualnoisetype!

For a truly lovely write-up about the event, flit on over to The Jaunty Magpie (and you better just read her whole blog while you're there, it's enchanting!)

Thanks so much to all the sponsors, and to Kam of needle + thread and Rebecca of The Clothes Horse for hosting!

Here's a little love for some of the Seattle bloggers that I met...

Cassandra of Coco + Kelley (enviably fabulous and totally engaging, this girl)

Zaara of KittenChops (an artist whose merchandise illustrations I have been ogling forever)

Courtney of CopyStrands (a fellow word nerd & Zag fan!)

Carrie of Girl and Coconut (who's going to be an incredible Bay Area guide)

Maggie of Magchunk (so fun to meet her, finally!)

Laura Marchbanks (talented photographer and quite possibly the sweetest girl in the room)

Can't wait to see you all again- soon!

Blog-Meet-Blog

Happy Friday, all!

I'm so excited to kick off the weekend with a fantastic event tonight...

I can't wait to get something sparkly on, sip a cocktail, and meet the people behind my favorite Seattle blogs!

Back to Future Shack: A Recap

After a stroll through the past at the Sunday Flea Market, we hopped on a bus to the future.

Future Shack, that is!

In preparation, Adam and I spent the afternoon in feisty discussion about modern architecture- and I wish we'd seen the same spirit out of the Future Shack panel. It became clear that the two juries had polarized agendas for the future of our city, but they tiptoed around their differences very politely. To hell with polite! These are issues of major import- something worth of throwing punches raising your voice over.

Despite this, we really did learn a lot. In most cases we found ourselves siding with the public jury, who placed a greater value on maintaining Seattle's aesthetics than maximizing density. They acknowledged the need for a variety of housing- and that one-size-fits-all needn't be the solution for dwellings. They even admitted to preferring a more traditional style of construction. (I wanted to high-five Knute Berger when he said he had liked an old house that had been torn down better than the project that had replaced it!) I thought the overall attitude of the public jury was appreciative... but hesitant. The heart of the issue? While the jurors admired the innovations of the modern projects, they didn't want to live there.

Adam and I found the social engineering aspect of many of the projects to be disconcerting. I feel that a home should be sculpted around its occupants, not the other way around. The size of your home should be based on your needs and means, not based on the lowest common denominator of the community. And it's not immoral to require a parking space!

So, the program reaffirmed to us that we aren't really new house types. But, all my ranting aside, we were inspired by what we saw: buildings constructed conscientiously and creatively, even if they didn't appeal to our taste.

I've already mentioned my admiration for House for a Mother and Daughter. Here's a few other submissions that earned my non-professional approval...

Impluvium by Roger H. Newell was the only multi-unit building that I would have seriously considered living in. The exterior was completely inoffensive to the surrounding neighborhood- and I think that's the highest compliment that an apartment building can achieve. I could actually imagine this building becoming more attractive with age.

Photo by Jennifer Jenkins - Vista Estate Imaging

Danielson Grove by The Cottage Company really got us thinking. I wasn't thrilled by the execution, but I was inspired by the concept. The project is essentially a mini-development of small-scale detached homes, designed to appeal to people like Adam and myself. We won't have the budget for a full lot for quite a while, but sharing walls with our neighbors has become very tiresome. I'd love to see a similar project in which the homes sported a little more variety and were plotted out in a more organic (and less grid-like) way.

Photo by Ross Chapin, Triad Associates, Northwest Property Images

Boulders at Greenlake by Johnston Architects was a fresh take on high-density living. Knute Berger put it best when he described it as having the feel of "urban Paganism." There's something that gets my romantic little heart beating! The finishes, while modern, were very characteristic of the Northwest. My favorite part of this project (other than that worship-worthy tree) were the peaked roofs. A refreshing departure from uncountable boxy, flat-roofed dwellings!

Photo by Will Austin

Our verdict? We hope they ramp the discussion up next year and find a way to involve more audience participation. I think this is an excellent forum for intelligent and active community members to interact with design professionals. Adam and I are eager to come back in 2010!

Busy Weekend!

We Seattleites enjoyed an unexpectedly fantastic weekend- two days of sunshine and a win by our Huskies (!!!!). What more could we ask for?

On Saturday we held an impromptu dinner at our house with our favorite foodie friends. We took on a couple bottles of wine and completely decimated our food budget... good times! Adam prepared stuffed salmon, and he's preparing to post it this Friday!

Due to a sort of unpleasant dog-sitting episode (I'll just say that the event necessitated a bath for both the dogs and myself), I didn't make it out to the Greenwood garage sales.

Soooo, I got my scavenging fix at Sunday's Fremont Flea Market. It seems to be hitting a high point in these last days of summer- the streets are packed with shoppers and literally overflowing with finds. I ogled a hundred pairs of vintage cowboy boots (Adam wrinkled his nose and said, "would you actually put your feet in those?"), a bumblebee placard, a sumptuously soft fur stole (sorry animals...), and so many other lovely bits and pieces:

I always enjoy this vendor's booth- selling all the necessary parts for industrial-chic.

The no-nonsense displays are perfect: raw and appealing.

These caught my eye- cool for soap dishes or lipglosses?

I'd never be able to pick out just one letter- I want the whole tray!

Wouldn't this make a sweet bar set-up? Or a tub-side toiletries display?

I walked out empty-handed, but that's only because I came in with an empty wallet! Trust me, I'll be back next week...

Future Shack 2009

How is it that a long weekend makes the following week seem even lonnnnnnngerrrr?

I'm definitely ready for my weekend. I'll be:

• Hitting up Greenwood Garage Sale Day to see if there are any finds to be found.
• Enjoying the 80º weather while it lasts!
• Attending the AIA Seattle Future Shack event...

You might recall my post this summer about the house on my street that I have a little crush on.

I admire it each time I walk by. It's modern without feeling sharp, it's compelling without being jarring. It's a home, not an experiment. Remember that I wished for more information on the project?

Well, happy birthday, myself: turns out that this house is amongst the projects submitted for Future Shack, and we can all take a little peek inside!

Image by Frank Jenkins

Image by Hutchison & Maul Architecture

What is Future Shack? This is a competition started this year by the AIA and the Seattle Times to celebrate architectural projects that approach urban living from a progressive angle. The projects have been reviewed by two separate juries- one made up of community members, the other of design professionals. Selected projects will be featured in Pacific Northwest Magazine.

You know that I'm a girl who loves all things vintage and quirky- but I'm intrigued by the approach that Future Shack is taking with modern architecture. One of the criteria for submissions was "Past Forward: designs that incorporate the historic fabric into a forward-looking housing solution." Whoah. They had me at "historic."

Sunday's event will be a discussion between the juries and the audience about the merit of these projects and their impact on our city. Can modern innovation work around the constraints of city living without being sterile?

If you're a Seattle resident who plans on twiddling their thumbs this Sunday evening, I suggest you head on over to Future Shack! For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit the AIA website.

If you see me there, say hi! I'm hoping for a lively debate!

Bumbershoot 2009

Another excellent year at Bumbershoot... and yet another reason I love living in Seattle! We saw...

• Dyno Jamz
• The New Mastersounds
• Katy Perry (yikes, I know)
• Natalie Portman's Shaved Head
• Say Hi
• Matt & Kim (yayyyyy!)
• The Black Eyed Peas
• The Old 97s
• The Long Winters
• Franz Ferdinand
• Modest Mouse

See, we had fun!

And Drew had... too much fun.

We got treats.

Drew was apparently the only one who was sweet on Katy Perry.

We goofed around plenty. And got lost?

We ALL got to use our Bumbershoots!

Best of all, I got to see The Long Winters again...

I had the perfect view- front row center for my favorite band.

And did I mention that I met the band? Because I met the band. I should probably also mention that I completely geeked out and forced them all to sign my schedule and take photos with me. Long Winters, should we meet again... please don't remember me.

Usually I'd be embarrassed to post a picture where my face looks so large and white... but that's John Roderick standing next to me.