DIY chandelier...

I did it. Awhile back I mentioned this DIY chandelier bit. It's been complete and was installed weeks ago. I have been either too busy or too lazy to get it together and write this post but here it is. I made some minor adjustments to the piece {I added an additional light bulb and used a brass rod for the hanging support rather than the cloth covered cord it called for}. I love how I am more amped on our homemade chandelier than our fancy store bought one. I also feel like a badass for pulling this off and making an actual light fixture. There are future fixtures brewing - these hands want to get dirty!

Cafe con leche...

I am a total coffee freak - It was muy difícil for me to quit while pregnant yet, I switched to decaf in order to appease the taste buds. There are a couple of amazing roasters here in sunny CA that I would love to quickly give a shout out to.

First, Verve Coffee Roasters, located in my old stomping ground of Santa Cruz - my all time favorite.  Verve has won a ton of awards not only for their coffee but also for having extremely talented baristas. Some in which have placed high in national competitions. Did you even know that baristas compete? My go to roast is the Street Level Espresso - so, so good.

The second player is Intelligentsia Coffee - also award winning for their beans AND in 2010 one of their barista's took home the world title. Intelligenstia started in Chicago and has expanded to three facilities nationwide {Chicago, LA and NYC}. My favorite blend : Agua Preta. If you are a coffee nerd like myself and have not been fortunate enough to try either of these - do it now. Order up a lb. or two and break out that French press.

And to get to where I wanted to be {the true force behind this post}...the great debate: Filtered vs. Unfiltered...which way do you brew? First, you must throw out that ridiculous 'coffee maker' and invest in the real deal - hand drip that cup of joe!

The contenders...

Beauty - Chemex : shown sans filter

Classic - Bodum French Press : unfiltered

Elegance - Donut Coffee Dripper : Japanese - so you know it's cool.

I always go Classic but it is always nice to venture out into not so familiar territory...which do you prefer?

p.s. images via flickr

High chair...

And you thought all high chairs were ugly...not this guy. Job well done Nanna Ditzel. This one can be yours for a mere $2,600! If you are local, head down to design/one and if you live elsewhere you can go here. 

I wouldn't want you to break the bank with this Mid Century beauty so here are a few affordable options...

The Stokke Tripp Trapp...this is what we have - I scored a used one on Craigslist. The base which is pictured starts around $200 and the accessories {infant seat, cushion and feeding tray} are an extra expense. The Tripp Trapp adjusts with the growth of your child can hold up to 200lbs - great to keep around for when you need an extra seat.

Baby Chair 616 by Artek...no tricks here, just a nice looking seat. $990 - demasiado! 

 
Fresco by Bloom...$395...a little too modern looking for my taste but I love the concept. Begin using as a cradle and then move through the feeding stages. Brilliant!

DIY chandelier...

I am going for it. This little guy that I spied over at The Brick House has had my brain in a constant debate..."Looks easy!", "Gosh, I don't know?", "How hard can it be? I should just go for it!"...like I said, I am going for it. Our vintage Brunswick pool table has been in dire need of proper lighting and I am sure that this chandelier will look perfect over it. I will let you know how we make out...

A Single Man...

These past few weeks have been all about sitting still and storing energy for what is about to happen {the big birth-day}. I have managed to read an unheard of amount of chapters from the stack of books on my beside table, watched a few movies, enjoyed mealtimes with some of my special ladies and soaked up a bit of sunshine at the beach.

One of the films I recently viewed is Tom Ford's directoral debut, 'A Single Man' - a story about love and loss. A film with an expressive representation of grief set amidst the pages of Vogue...an endless Gucci advertisement. I was blown away by the impeccable attention to design and detail...hence Mr. Ford.

A myriad of conversations can develop in regard to all aspects of this film and film itself. However, we will not venture to those depths. I will in return leave you with a few of my favorite stills borrowed from the web.

Final note...the house in which most of the film takes place is amazing - worthy in itself.

Big Kid Rooms...

Since there is a wee one on it's way we have been shifting the house some. Our Big Boy has moved out of the nursery and into his own Big Kid room. I have enjoyed putting all of the pieces together and making a comfortable little zone for my boy (I will share soon). 

I love how Sixx Design...the crazy, fun, husband and wife design team with the pack of children (I am sure you heard about them via word of mouth or even caught a glimpse of their reality show)...make their kids rooms feel more like adult rooms yet keeping up with playfulness one would expect in a child's room.

The Girlie Tween Room. 

The spaciousness here is perfect for those wild banshees to run and play!

Only in New York would you see a Vik Muniz in a nursery...made entirely of found plastic toys.

Let there be light...

I am on the hunt for new lighting {dinning room and a non-traditional pool table fixture}. The look: clean, classic, modern and fun. The new fixtures will be in the same main area so they will need to play off of one another and not compete. This is an old photo that I have been carrying around with me for months...taken at my favorite 'special occasion' restaurant in town. I can see this combination at either location. The unfortunate thing is that the only option close to this that I can find is over $3,000!! Still hunting...

House of Worship...

It seems like I have architecture on the brain.

I have not been able to get this amazing piece of property out of my mind. I found it leafing through the pages of Dwell a few years back and have found myself revisiting it from time to time. I am in love the with craziness of it all. How many people do you know live in a reclaimed church? And this one is too much fun to not share with you all {my one follower}.  

I like the little daydream of making a new friend, being invited over for the first time and as your mom pulls the family station wagon up their house - this is what you find upon your arrival! What a shocker...right? 

And what I really want to know: what is in the steeple?

The Barn...

I believe it started back when I was a babe. My mother had an antique shop that was in a barn. In the eighties my parents built a post and beam barn in place of the dilapidated dairy barn on the historic farm we lived on {it was even haunted}. Some of my favorite weddings took place in barnyard settings. The last piece of property I lived on as a single woman had a barn that we threw barn dances in - we would stay up until the break of dawn dancing to New Order. I even have a girlfriend who has lived in every type of shack, chicken coop, lean to, tool shed, barn there is. She makes me smile.

I have always wanted a barn of my own out in the middle of 'nowhere'. Here are some of my inspirations for that barn to come.

Take a seat...

I thought that today I would share a few of my favorite chair designs. I even saved the best for last.

Cherner "classic"

Wegner "wishbone"

Eames "glider"

Saarinen "womb chair" 

Risom "no. 654"

Wegner "papa bear" 

Closet Case...

A good friend of mine turned me on to this amazing local Southern California handbag designer. I have become slightly obsessed. Clare Vivier is not only extremely talented but gorgeous. A few weeks ago while visiting Clare's blog I stumbled across a few photos of her taken by a fellow creative type {Jeana Sohn}. How fantastic is the bag she is holding? I love the grosgrain ribbon adornment.

A closet visit - how often to you get to see inside someone's closet and have them play dress-up? Too much fun when the subject has such an interesting wardrobe and closet as this lady.