Resolution: Wake Up Earlier

Not a resolution I'm thrilled to be sticking to after a long and lazy vacation. Oh, caffeine and pretty things, please get me through the day...

Starbucks Cinnamon-Infused Ground Coffee & Bodum Chambord French Press

Molly Hatch Menagerie Glass from Anthropologie, Retro Coffee Print from Etsy

"Coffee" Lettering via Pinterest & Vintage Continental Raymond Loewy Script Coffee Pot from Etsy

Chanteclair Chihuahua Print

Happy Easter Weekend

It's Easter, and Adam couldn't resist a well-priced (and downright enormous) hunk of ham. What the heck, let's host a luncheon. Last year I did the pastel garden party thing- pretty, but predictable. I've invited over some thoroughly modern friends, so I thought I'd put together a tablescape to match. 

The mod runner is a fabric remnant that plays well with my caned chairs. Keeping the palette black and white lets me feature rabbits and fanciful details without getting too frou-frou. My tiny pedestal dishes add some height to each place setting, and if I get truly motivated tomorrow, they'll each hold a colorfully dyed Easter egg. Perhaps as place cards, like so?

So that's what I'm up to this weekend- tidying up the place and cooking a ham I can barely lift! What are your plans for Easter?

Until Monday,

Elizabeth

Here & Now: Rabbit Multiplication

My collection of white ceramic rabbits is multiplying like... rabbits. You've already seen the little bunny hidden in my kitchen, and I've got my rabbit soap dish out again. Here are the newest to join the brood (luckily they're pitching in around the apartment).

I spotted this roly-poly rabbit at Pottery Barn and wheedled my Mom into buying him for me. She couldn't say no to this face (the rabbit's, not mine). He has the very important job of dispensing licorice jellybeans. If he could keep Adam out of them, he'd be much more useful.

This one was a Christmas gift from Mom, who (having been in cahoots with Adam) knew that I was getting something sparkly. He very sweetly wears my ring on the rare occasions when I take it off!

Who's joining the family/collection next? Hopefully this guy, who's on our registry...

Apilco Hare Casserole Dish from Williams Sonoma

He'll fit right in, but as far as utility goes- he's going to have to find a new occupation, because it's highly unlikely I'm cooking rabbit anytime soon.

Kitchen Chemistry in the Works

Our kitchen has evolved into a truly efficient workspace. The marble surface of my beloved kitchen island allows me to spread out all of my ingredients- and I still have room enough for a "basics station."

I've tried to design our kitchen to cater to good cooking practices (like remembering salt & pepper) so I established a permanent spot for the most basic seasonings. Now, while we're consulting a cookbook, we can also grab a pinch of salt, fresh-ground pepper, or sugar. We've got one of these beauties on our registry, but for now we use the mortar and pestle to grind roasted peppercorns (and we get a little exercise while we're at it!). The tray is actually an Ikea pie pan with a ruffly shape that appealed to me. I intend to try a quiche in it eventually, but at the moment it's catching loose salt sprinkles and keeping the counter neat. 

I prefer all-white ceramics for kitchen and dining, which allows me to mix and match interesting shapes, including some with floppy ears...

This weekend I'll be testing out a new gingersnap recipe, but that's not all that's cooking at Shock the Bourgeois: I'm going to be hosting my first ever giveaway! It's a good one (like, I wish I was eligible to win) and I can't wait to give you the details.

Until next week,

xoxo

Elizabeth

Renegade Weekend

We had quite an artsy-craftsy weekend at...

This was our first trip to Renegade, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd hoped to do a bit of networking, but alas, the classic rock was pumped up so loud I could hardly manage more than "hello" and "love your work!" at each booth. Luckily, I did get to meet the lovely Lisa of Violet Swan and the blog Le Petit Cadeau (remember her?), whose pieces are somehow even more romantic in person.

My favorites included sweet and simple plates by Rae Dunn and a bunny tea towel by Flock Home. Naturally this graphic print by Nora Aoyagi captured my heart (it would be fantastic against the dark walls in my kitchen, fyi).

We had a great time- we even embraced the oh-so prevalent hipster 'stache trend. I sported a "Mr. Gloucester MT" (thanks to Old Tom Foolery), and Adam decided to try out a new look...

Birthday Wishing and Hopping

I've got an August birthday coming up, and thanks to Oh Joy!, I've started my wish list. 

I understand that 25 is a little old to be asking for stuffed animals. That's why I'm asking for the Picnica "Bunny" Tote Bag instead! This little cutie unzips into a practical shoulder bag, just right for picking up produce at the farmer's market (perhaps a bunch of carrots?). 

What's not to love about a useful tote in a grown-up neutral palette that just happens to have kicky little feet and a pair of floppy ears?

Ending Monday on a High Note

This keeps making me smile, so I had to share.

Afternoon sun and a bunny of another color.
(Thanks, Mom!)

Setting the Table: Easter Weekend

Adam and I spent Easter celebrating a completely different religious holiday: the resurrection of baseball. We went to our first game at Giants' Stadium in San Francisco to watch the Mariners play. The few fanatics who turned out for the game huddled under the upper decks for five innings of pouring rain, freezing wind, and very sloppy baseball. I said a secret hallelujah when the game was called!

Easter is the one day each year when my obsession with rabbits is in the least bit acceptable. Luckily we held a Good Friday dinner at our apartment and I got to indulge in a bit of Springtime decorating. 

The bunnies were out en masse.

I went for a picnic look with lots of flower pots.

Great Grandma's pretty party napkins.

Some finishing touches.

Fresh greens and pastel colors in Adam's salmon alfredo. 

We've been having awfully blustery weather in the Bay Area, so I'm doing my best to bring a garden party feel to my dining room!

Hope everyone had a happy (and dry) Easter! I'm sure this Monday morning found you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, right? Ha. If you're feeling anything like I am, you're wishing you could skip out of work and hop right back into bed...

PS: For a few more bunny posts, try here and here and here!

A Little More Bunny Love

While I've been online shopping for basics for the new place, I've found it hard to keep my focus. I go to Anthropologie for a shower curtain, and the next thing I know I'm dreamily clicking through sumptuous sheet sets and furniture that wouldn't even fit in the door. I'm also loving that the animal decor trend is continuing- you know I go ga-ga over this stuff! However, since we're making a move to a rather expensive locale, my budget has constricted (and so has the size of my apartment).

No matter how cute they are, I am not allowed to buy these rabbity things.

Not even if they remind me of Christmas as a kid...

West Elm's White Jackrabbit Snowglobe

Not even the cheeky little guys would be so perfect peeking out among my children's book collection- just right for a nursery someday.

Painted Cast Iron Bunny Bookends at Venucci

And not even if I've wanted them for a reallllly lonnnnng tiiiiime, and they're finally back in stock.

White Bunnies, also from Venucci.

I will resist. I will resist. I will resist...

Flights of Fancy

We sure have been jet-setters lately, Adam and I. Last week I made the short hop across to Idaho, the previous week sent Adam allllll the way over to Florida, and next week we're headed to San Francisco!

With all of this flying about comes the obligatory hour-long pre-boarding boredom. We're getting to know Sea-Tac pretty darn well.

Luckily, our airport has actually got a lot to offer. Beyond the traditionally overpriced salty snacks and magazines, Sea-Tac has restaurants (to serve you that much needed pre-flight frothy beer) and fairly upscale shops. My Mom and I did some browsing at Fireworks, one of our favorite places for creative gadgets and local art and jewelry. As always, there was temptation lurking around every corner- I think we were lucky that our carry-on bags were already pretty full.

Here's just a few of the things I spotted...

These flutter-bys are made of painted feathers.

The looked great in this large cluster, and I imagine that one strand of white & silver butterflies would be charming on my sun porch.

This "Bottle Bunny" is so cheeky!

I'd love to have him around to open my grape sodas.

My Mom spotted this great storage idea.

You know how stuffed animals always seem to end up in monstrous furry piles in kids' rooms?

Why not keep them "hanging around?"

My favorite baby gift will always be Robeez shoes. And now, my favorite pair will be these knighted foxes. There's something about them that makes me giggle a full octave higher than usual. Eeee!

I'm a little bummed I have no small-footed person to buy them for!

I saw this mirror in a design mag and thought, "it can't possibly be that cute in person." It is.

I wist for it.

Artist Susan Goodwin states that her Pools of Light collection was inspired by Edwardian & Victorian era jewelry trends. Enough said.

I loved these...

And this...

And I'll be pointing this one out to Adam while we're in the airport on Tuesday.

Just in case he's interested.

Secret Garden

As amusing as it is to watch a bunch of bedraggled children hunt for Easter eggs in the pouring rain and muck, I wish the sun would come back.  We were teased with shorts weather for three days, but we've been shivering in sweaters since.  Utterly unfair.

It's even more unfair that when Spring finally comes to stay, I won't have a yard of my own to enjoy it in.  Ah, the woes of a renter.  "Might I have a bit of earth?"  Only in my dreams.

1  I saw the ideal garden trellis on Craig's List... and I missed it.  So it goes!  Keep searching, or splurge on this gorgeous specimen from Smith & Hawken ($319).  It's traditional without being stuffy, and it would be beautiful wound in ivy.  

2  I've been yearning after these yellow & gray outdoor pillows ($24.95) from Crate & Barrel for a while now... and of course, I still don't have any outdoor place to put them!  They're both floral and geometric, with a diamond pattern that mimics the trellis.

3  This handsome free-standing lamp post would cast a romantic glow over a dinner al fresco.  The antique bronze finish makes this fixture look expensive, but you could bring it home for $90 or best offer.

4 & 10  These and other vibrant dahlia tubers are being offered up at only $1 a piece!  Planting them now will give you something bright to look forward to in summers to come.  

5  There's nothing better than a French bistro table and chairs.  For only $100, it's like a vacation in your own backyard.  (Just don't expect your boyfriend to adopt an accent and answer to "waiter," you'll still have to brew your own cafe au lait.)

6  A regal pair of potted shrubs for $100 will give an element of formality to a young garden.  Over eight feet tall, they're almost architectural.

7  This acrylic pitcher from C&B ($14.95) has a great shape, and it's practical for outdoor use.  It's perfect for pouring yourself a glass of cool lemonade on a warm afternoon.  If you'd rather serve up spiked punch for 20 friends on a Saturday evening, check out this lot of unbreakable tumblers for $85.

8  How could anyone not fall in love with a luscious white peony?  These are the flowers of elegant garden parties- very Portrait of a Lady or Room With a View.  Swishing petticoats, tilted parasols, coy comments to admiring gentlemen.  *Sigh*  Anyway.  Pick up a bunch for $3.

9  I've already acknowledged that I adore rabbits.  I'm not looking to start some crazy collection (seriously, collections breed like... well, you know), but this rabbit lantern ($34) from Smith & Hawken... oh, he's just irresistible! He'd certainly add a little flicker of magic to your patio or cobblestone path.

A lot of greenery for a little green- under $800!

Things That Make Me... Hoppy?

I've had, for a while now, a leeetle obsession with bunnies.  The problem started when I read the book Marshmallow (winner of the 1943 Caldecott Medal).  It wasn't just the soft, delicate illustrations that captivated me- the story follows the friendship of a cat and a tiny baby bunny.  And it's not just a bedtime story: it was actually based on the author, Clare Turlay Newberry's own pets.

C'mon, how cute is that?

The owner of a desperately lonely little cat, I have since dreamed of bringing home her fuzzy best friend.

  

  

Matilda wants a honey bunny!

But, alas... I rent.

So, until I'm the mistress of my own domain, we'll settle for imaginary friends.  I snagged a set of four running bunny desert plates on sale at West Elm.  They look so cheeky dashing around amongst my traditional white place settings!

Sweet graphic impact!

The Bun-Bun necklace by Seattle jewelry designer Kimberly Baker has topped my wish list since I first spotted it in her Fremont shop.  It would look great nestled in with tougher jewelry.  *Sigh*  That certainly would put a little spring in my step... hint hint, eh boyfriend?

I'll keep batting my eyelashes for this one!

I nearly jumped out of my chair today when I discovered the Venucci website... and this charming trio.  I'm counting down days until they're back in stock- right in time for Easter.  They'd be a perfect centerpiece for Sunday brunch, but I'd keep them out year round!

So real you can practically see their noses twitching

Boy, oh boy, I could sure use some creature comfort right now... since my Bulldogs didn't do so well :(