baby

welcome to the world ryan!
more pictures coming soon..

labor day

my brother and sister are coming home! i am so very, very excited to see both of them. my sister will be coming from new orleans (the whole city is being evacuated) and my brother is coming from washington d.c.. hopefully they will both move back to the bay area when they are ready because it would be nice to have everyone close to home. here are a few pictures from our summer party. i can't tell you how wonderful it feels to have a whole bunch of happy children running around your house...this is why i enjoy having a summer party. just because! why not? get the kids together, turn on the sprinklers, enjoy! [yep, that is ryan going up the slide while everyone else is going down.] **friday favorites** slow food envisions a world in which all people can eat delicious food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it and good for the planet. the organization is hosting the first ever slow food nation in san francisco this weekend. there are a whole bunch of amazing activities including food tastings, farm tours, free film showings, music, hikes, art, cooking demonstrations and more. outstanding in the field brings together local farmers and food artisans, chefs and winemakers to explore the connection between the earth and the food on your plate. can you image sitting at this lovely table? unfortunately all of the local events are sold out for 2008 but I am going to keep my eyes on their calendar for 2009. what a fun way to spend an evening! playborhood is a website (started by local moms and dads) dedicated to bringing families together with the goal of encouraging kids to have free, unstructured play. the website features book and article recommendations as well as local forums. i found a great book which gives ideas on how to create a community in your neighborhood. since reading the book, we have started a neighborhood yahoo! group which is slowly growing in size. baby steps! the image below is from sweet paul and his blog is full of beautiful images. this one seems perfect for the labor day weekend. an old truck in a field for a summer picnic. i don't think i am willing to let go of summer...even though sam is back in school and the halloween (yes, halloween!) decorations are in the stores. don't get me wrong, i love fall, halloween, thanksgiving, etc., etc., but let's not rush into anything! enjoy the weekend!

here are a few pictures from a maternity session that took place right before we left for our vacation.
i must confess to a small bit of jealousy because i turn into a big water balloon when i am pregnant and she looks absolutely stunning!
photos of baby ryan coming soon!

perfect

{our tomatoes are finally turning red!}
our summer party was so much fun. all the kids had a great time and it was really nice to hang out with friends and enjoy a beautiful afternoon. i will share the recipe for the shake and make ice-cream because it was a big hit!

music

mixwit is a really fun website where you can listen to mixes created by other people or make your own. i remember spending hours with a tape recorder creating the perfect mix tape for friends. here is a mix of some of my favorite summer tunes.

friday

best wishes for a super weekend.
we have a lot of good things going on this weekend plus jerry is taking monday off for an extra day of fun. sam starts another year of pre-school on tuesday so we plan on heading down to gilroy gardens on monday for one last hoorah. i have never been down to gilroy gardens but i have heard that it is perfect for young kids and hopefully it will be pretty quiet with most kids back in school. big crowds and long lines are not my cup of tea.
i love this picture of sam with the sof light and sun flare. such a sweetie pie!

**friday favorites**
we are hosting a summer party tomorrow. basically we invited a whole bunch of people over for an afternoon of fun in the sun. i am not ready to say good-bye to summer so why not go out with a bang? the water table and sprinklers will be in the backyard and a big jumpy house in the front. beach chairs, umbrellas and beach towels will be out for a place to sit and relax. we will serve all sorts of summer treats as well as a make your own ice-cream station!
i will post pictures next week.
this adorable illustration is by aline yamada and can be found at her etsy shop.
these adorable images are from the summer issue of small magazine. love the rainbow bikini!
i would love to lounge in this chaise from pottery barn for a few hours with a cool drink and a big pile of magazines.
these candies are absolutely beautiful. i would never be able to eat them...kind of like when you get a really beautiful candle and you don't want to light it! (found on martha stewart weddings blog)
peach jam poloaroid by nancy of futurowoman.

have a wonderful weekend!

villa montalvo

villa montalvo is a stunning wedding venue in saratoga. the mansion (built in 1912) is an artist residence, concert venue, art school and a beautiful spot for a picnic. the entire facility can be rented for weddings and it is absolutely beautiful. here are some of my favorites from katie and brian's wedding. enjoy!

perfect

clear skies
fresh air
cold water
sunscreen
soft serve ice-cream
s'mores
sticky fingers
sunscreen
skipping rocks
sandcastles
bbq
campfires
fun
laughter
our week at the cabin was so sweet. a fantastic family vacation full of activity and simple things.

vacation

we are heading off on a family vacation tomorrow. i am super excited to breathe in some fresh mountain air. the week will be full of dripping ice-cream cones, sunscreen, swimming, skipping rocks, card games, bbq, s'mores, friends and family.
no phones, television or internet...just fresh air!
(photo from condé nast store)
(if you do need to get in touch, i will have cell phone reception but please be patient as i may not have it on at all times.)
have a wonderful weekend!
**friday favorites**
this week is all about summer vacation since we are heading out of town tomorrow. condé nast store has vintage magazine covers dating back to the beginning of each of their publications. this house & garden magazine cover is from august 1949.
who can resist a super sweet and sticky candy apple? this painting was found on hidden in france.
plastica has these adorable little containers and something about them reminds me of an old thermos.
rainbow candy cups from room service home would be a fun party favor although i wonder how fast they would get all sticky and messy?
i am okay with seeing a bear as long as it is far away! we are heading into bear territory especially since we will be close to the lair of the golden bear(a summer camp run by uc berkeley)....you know, the cal bears. seriously, there are bears around but they tend to mind their own business and stay away from humans.
this print is from hidenseek and can be found at her etsy store.

contest

my family is living proof that people can actually win the california state lottery. many years ago, the whole family was sick and my dad came home with some lottery tickets just to perk up our spirits. my brother got the lucky ticket and we instantly won $25,000! my brother was only 12 at the time so he couldn't claim the prize for himself. instead, we went on a family vacation, bought a new car and saved up some money for college.
so, contests are good. you never know when you might get lucky and win!
you may be wondering where i am going with this....
coco + kelley is having a contest to design a wedding around a room. i love all things wedding so i thought i would give it a try. i picked this room although it was a tough decision.
this room seems warm and inviting. a place where you can kick off your shoes and relax. plus, i love the splashes of red.
here is the inspiration board that i created based on the room.
sources:
top row: dresses are via thread, flowers are from kari herer , tags created by gleaux and the punch is from epicurious. second row: placecards from me, honey jars and cake via martha stewart, vintage stamps are from haselbride, napkins via farmhouse wares. third row: ceremony photo from me, dress via tec petaja, tables via martha stewart, cheese from me and strawberry baskets are from martha stewart.

weekend

the villa montalvo wedding on saturday was so beautiful. stay tuned for more pictures later in the week....
the season finale of hgtv's design star is on tonight and i am voting for jennifer!