Mushroom for Rainy Days

Last night, John and I packed up our car and one of our furry children (the barky one) and slipped out of Los Angeles, trekking up the California coast in complete darkness. It's a drive I've done countless times, enduring the monotonous 5 Interstate through the central valley, only to pop into the San Francisco Bay Area just in time to crawl into bed at my parents' house.

After noon today, I will be officially on a two week vacation from work. Now, I sit at my parents' counter, wrapping up all my need-to-dos and distracting myself with this post. It's dreary outside, which is actually a welcome sight. Heavy rain up in the area last week left everything seeped in water, and everything is a bit more lively because of it.

My parents' backyard wasn't much more than hard soil when I visited last month, thanks to this year long drought. But all that rain transformed the dirt into an epic wild mushroom playground!







Everywhere I looked, there were clusters of mushrooms, all different variations (or the same, but different ages? I don't know, I need to learn more about mushrooms!) My uncle is a mushroom expert, and I remember being a kid and he would take me and my sister on hikes. His favorite time to go was right after it rained, because mushrooms would have cropped up everywhere, and he delighted in pointing out every single one, telling us its name, whether it was toxic or not... I wish my little brain had retained it all!

I stomped around through the dirt in the early morning, poking the mushroom heads and looking underneath them for little mice families hiding from rain. That doesn't just happen in cartoons, right?



I assume I just missed them.

Along with the large groupings, there were little new ones popping up out of the dirt. Look how cute, little baby mushrooms!



There was some active "keeping the dog away from the mushrooms" handling that was occurring during all this, but thankfully, she didn't seem interested in eating them. She was probably looking for mice families, too.

I'm so happy to be spending a few days with my family before heading off to Cleveland for 9 days to visit with John's. It will be my first Christmas holiday away from the Bay, and I anticipate a little bit of homesickness. But I'm excited to explore a new city with a Cleveland native and test my tolerance to the cold.

Have a happy Friday, everyone, and I hope that if you're traveling today, your travels are safe and your journeys are uninterrupted. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going off to search for more mushrooms.

xx

Deck the Halls with Twinkling Lights

It's never really the holidays until the lights go up around the house and ornaments are hung from the tree. And for the first time since living on my own, I have a full size tree to enjoy this Christmas! No, it's not a real one, but it's pretty darn close (and a huge improvement from my tabletop one I used the last few years.)

John and I laced twinkling light strands around our 6th floor balcony, which I honestly love so much, I might just keep them up year-round! The view is only enhanced from the soft glow of the warm lights. The tree? Well, the cats haven't tried to climb it yet, and I even have just the right amount of ornaments to fill it.

I wish that John and I could stay through Christmas and enjoy this festive little space. But for the weeks leading up to our trip to Cleveland, I know this is what will put me in that holiday spirit. How are your decorations coming along? Did you put them up weeks ago, or are you holding off until the last minute? No matter when they go up, I hope you're all having a beautiful winter's day.

Chunky Throws, It Must Be Autumn

 

What do you think of when you think of Fall?

This first day of autumn has me dreaming about big, soft, chunky throw blankets. The kind that you have to swim out of when you're nestled under one with your honey on the couch. A chill has descended on my office, so the above creations instantly triggered those "daytime nap" impulses.

From top to bottom: (1) Erin Blacks Designs, (2) Camp Kitschy Knits, (3) Lily and Peabody, and (4) Milo & Mitzy.

Considering the going rate for these blankets, it makes me want to take up crocheting again, just to make one for myself (even though it's been... so long, I can't even remember the last time I picked up a hook). But Erin Blacks Designs has the most beautiful DIY patterns; very tempting...

I hope the temps are cooling down where you are, because I'm as ready as anyone for this Fall season.

Wares & Things: Cotton & Flax

trivet, coasters, tea towel, pillows from Cotton & Flax

My sister has told me repeatedly that I need to get a good set of felt or fabric coasters.  My current ones, while beautiful, are glass and do nothing to keep pooling water from spilling onto our wood coffee table.

When did I become someone who cared about water rings?  Is that just a sign of adulthood?

In an effort to find something fun and unique, I scoured the net and came upon Cotton & Flax, an independent textile shop.   Not only did I find gorgeous geometric-patterned felt coasters, but a handful of other housewares that would be perfect for my living area and kitchen!  Considering these are all handmade items, they are pretty affordable!

And, much to my surprise and delight, it turns out that "owner, maker & designer" Erin Dollar runs her home studio right here in Los Angeles!  It's always an added bonus when you come across artists and creators that also happen to be local.

Her coasters are also available at Mignon Kitchen (along with a discounted price tag), which features a fun collection of goods for your kitchen & pantry from a variety of independent makers.

Aren't they just perfect?

The Garden of Earthly Delights

my new herb garden (l-r: jalapeno, mint, basil, rosemary)

While I still have yet to receive the beautiful pots I've been coveting, John and I decided it was time to add some life to our balcony.  Neither of us are very experienced with plants, but it was important that we start with something that would be used -- in our kitchen, that is.

So we started slow, planting a few of the necessary herbs and vegetables that we love so much:  rosemary, basil (my favorite), mint, and finally, jalapeño.  I've only ever grown basil and rosemary before, so I'm really excited to see a pepper growing in our modest little pot eventually.  We even have room to add another plant!  What would you recommend we add as a 'must-grow'?

Next up, I hope to find the right succulents to put in the right ceramic pots.  While the large home improvement + garden center stores might be suitable for picking up starter herbs and ferns (and the reed mat that helped us enclose our 6th floor balcony), I found that the succulent selection is always greatly lacking.  Even the pre-made succulent displays are cheap, with packing stones glued into place!  Definitely not what I'm looking for. 

Anyone know of a good independent succulent nursery in the Los Angeles area?  That may just be my next challenge, and I'll report back on what my investigation finds.  :)

Wares & Things: Unurth Ceramics

Stoneware pots from Unurth Ceramics

My next project is to incorporate some living plant life into our space -- herbs & succulents, to be specific. And I just came upon these gorgeous stoneware pots by Unurth Ceramics.

Run by Jenn Romero and based a hop, skip, & a jump outside of Los Angeles in Thousand Oaks, these might be exactly what I need to add handmade beauty to my kitchen and balcony.  I love how perfectly imperfect each of her pieces are.

They can be purchased from her shop, or from my new favorite destination for handmade, independent wares & things, ScoutMob.com Shoppe.  I know I have my eye on at least two of these.

Which one is your favorite?

My Favorite Pouf

Gretchen enjoying the Threshold pouf

Since John and I moved into our new place together, I knew that I wanted to start hosting dinners and parties for friends.  But that meant plenty of seating.  I'm sort of a design novice, but I'm learning and getting inspired. So what kinds of pieces should I be looking for?

For myself, I know that a good sofa and armchair are musts.  But what about floor seating?  Personally, when I'm at friends' apartments, I love when they have cushions or great carpet, because I prefer to sit on the floor.  When watching movies, writing, blogging, whatever!

I had purchased four of the fun and colorful Urban Outfitter floor pillows (I plan on buying more - they just stack so easily!).  Next, I wanted to get a pouf or two.  Normally, poufs are so uncomfortably to me.  Hard as a rock or completely unstable.  Who wants to sit on fabric that feels like wood?

But shockingly, I found one that is perfect.  And it's actually affordable!  Right now, Target has an amazing array of poufs, and I highly recommend the Threshold pouf.  The one I purchased (see above; my Mini Dachshund is a big fan) is soft and wide and - above all - comfortable.  And now they're on sale!

You just can't have enough places for people to sit.  And I may just have to claim this new pouf as my forever spot.

Just nail it in.

My living room gallery wall

I have had an obsession with filling my walls with art, floor to ceiling, door to window to door, since I was a little kid.  My childhood bedroom was wallpapered with a rotating array of photoshoot cutouts, movie posters, and magazine covers, all featuring my favorite things.  Mostly Angelina Jolie.  And David Duchovny.

Now I'm 28, and nothing has changed.  Maybe it was an aversion to bare white walls, which always made the room feels like a prison cell.  Artwork was the #1 thing that mattered in my living space, and even before I move my bed into a new apartment, I start hammering in nails.

Over the years, I've managed to filter out all of the excess movie posters and cutouts and have, in turn, collected a lot of amazing pieces.  Some pop art, some original works from close friends (like the construction paper rendering of me with my kitties from my friend Heather, an amazing illustrator); even calligraphy by my own hand.  All things that mean the world to me.

This past move in June, however, my sister, Stacy, advised me to take it slow.  Don't rush it.  Don't put it all up at once.  Give it time, and the right pieces would find their home on the walls.

So that's what I did.  I took my time, and added one picture, at random, on the wall above my couch, every day.  A spot check here and there, but I didn't plan it (a totally foreign concept for me!)  At the end of two weeks, it was finished.  And I think it worked out pretty well!

And of course, now I'm itching to add more (and wrap it around every room of my apartment!)  What do you guys like having on your walls?  Personal photos?  Art and posters?  Or do you like to keep them clean and bare?  I'd love to know!