our blossomy time

The clouds have disappeared for now and the bulbs and flowering trees have burst--here are some favorite spring blooms in our front garden on this beautiful sunny morning.

painting trim

Can you see the trim around our windows? It is original--our house was built in the 1930s--and is one my favorite things about the house. So now I am working on repairing the cracks & chips and then priming and repainting. I keep pushing myself to do more sanding, a real chore, because these moldings deserve the best treatment!

assembling an emergency kit

After watching a lot of CNN's earthquake coverage and seeing many times the graphic of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" that California is part of I am beefing up the disaster kit I keep in my car. You see I have the usual: change of clothes and shoes, small first aid kit, a couple of plastic ponchos and realize it is incomplete (where's the flashlight/energy bars/extra cash...?) In the house we have an emergency kit but it too needs improving. So that's what I'm doing. Am also painting but more on that later.

lotus bleu

On San Francisco's Hayes Street, this sliver of a shop calls out a welcome from half a block away with brightly colored awnings, front door and delightful window displays. Once inside you will start thinking that it's time to chuck the cool white decor and go with guaranteed-to-make-happy yellow/orange/greens/reds: felt rugs from Nepal, wool and cotton rugs from Madeline Weinrib, handmade alpaca throws from South America, heavenly cotton bedding & napkins & dishtowels, fabulous ceramic lamps and as you see here vintage furniture reupholstered in delightful high-spirited fabrics. The store's design team is always ready to help with custom orders -- you want to re-cover your craigslist dining chairs in shocking pink, they can turn them into show stealers!