Mansion of the Day

"A Proust-inspired estate in the idyllic seaside town of Deauville."

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Also inspired by Monet, the luxurious home that Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge owned will now be part of a second auction Christies is holding this November. The exterior on this thing is just too fairytale adorable for words. {via Habitually Chic originally from Luxury Culture}

Art. Of. The. Day.

Amazing cut paper work by Alberto Cerriteño. {via SSC}

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Fun art prints by Ben the Illustrator. {via SSC}

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"5101 Market Street - Home Now" by Steve Powers from the mural series, "A Love Letter for You." {via SSC}

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"Curtain" by Daniel Arsham. {via SwissMiss}

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A nice thought by Al Murphy. {via SSC}

H Street Festival

Just 5 blocks North of us is the quickly gentrifying neighborhood, "the Atlas District." It's pretty cool and there's a new bar/restaurant opening up almost every week now. They've started having an annual "H Street Festival" and we made it this year. The weather was perfect and it wasn't too crowded. I had a great time and now it's on our list of future brunch destinations. It's so close!
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Art Cars - always awesome, whether in Fremont or DC!

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I got this "Philly Ice" - strawberry kiwi. It was awesome. Dessert & wigs. One stop shopping!
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Keene got Indian food from this delightful truck run by a duo with unique mustaches. They were really into their business, which I appreciate. The eggplant stuff (the bottom right blob) was so good.
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This bbq was drawing the biggest crowd, and you can see why - a smorgasbord of great-smelling bbq.
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Just a snapshot of the neighborhood - this is every block: a cleaned-up space for lease with a notice on the door for a new restaurant, and a beat-up property next to it. I give it 5 years before the real estate is astronomical.


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Click here for some other great pics from the festival by Katiemac.

Fire Hazard Bookstore

My friend Josiane has dubbed this the "fire hazard bookstore." I had no idea what she was talking about until we finally went there - and it is truly, an amazing fire hazard of a store. A glorious book-filled fire hazard though! This bookstore is something straight out of a movie. Floor to ceiling to bathroom to stairwell books, complete with crotchety no-nonsense shopkeeper.
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The storefront - natural light is so overrated!
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Possible "Clean House" nomination? Organizers dream.

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"The Foreign Language Room"
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Stairway?
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Store owner's recommendations with a smidge of commentary.

List & Comm Friday: Work. Learn to Luv it.

Nothing like being unemployed for extended periods of time to give me a new found appreciation for my job. I guess it's all about how you look at it!

My favorite things about working other than the money:

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1. Air conditioning.
2. Feeling like a part of society.
3. Meeting people.
4. Great excuse for coffee.
5. Makes the weekend so much better.

6. You get to witness this thing called, "the morning"

7. Happy hour has so much more meaning.

What do you dig about working other than the paycheck?

Dear lawd, this ravioli was heaven

Miracle upon miracles we came by some of the coveted fresh "lobster ravioli" from the market. I've been salivating over this stuff for a while, but haven't actually been able to buy it. And then...let's just say we acquired some. It was amazing. It looks kinda crazy in this picture, but believe me, it was divine! We had it with fresh homemade pesto from our basil and it was fabulous. Now that I know it's good, I might have justify a trip to the pasta stand for any "special" dinner.

Takin' apart some crabs

Not too long ago, Keene's dad came in to town which was a perfect excuse for us to check out DC's Maine Avenue Fish Market. I wanted to see what all this "maryland crab" fuss was about. Well, turns out there are these crabs, and they're teeny tiny and they taste a bit different but still purdy good!

I have to admit, it's a lot of work for an itty bitty crab but I was up for the challenge. If we weren't seasoned crab pros from the PNW, we would've given up but hell no we went for it. Keene showed us how it's done.

First you pull on the "key", which just happens to look a lot like the Washington Monument. I guess on the lady crabs their "key" looks like the Capitol building. Hmm. Then there is the disassembling of the crab - not easy.

I hope you like Old Bay seasoning!

(good thing I'm into it)

I had a good time, and now I'm an old pro. Next time I'm totally packing wet wipes though!

HAPPY 21st, BABY SIS!

I can't believe it, my little sister turns 21 years old today. 21, people!!! I am so proud of her. She is the best sister anyone could ever have! Court, I'm wishing many happy memories over beers and cocktails with friends in your future. You're all grown up and I couldn't be more excited for the adventures you'll have :) Cheers! Here's a blackberry mojito that I am sending you in spirit!

I like my bread full of CORN

Made this a while back for a family get-together at my parent's house. My mom took care of the major cooking which freed me up to try a new recipe: Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread. Dayum it turned out good! Probs had something to do with the all that cheddar. I would suggest this recipe for any occasion. {directions on RecipeMogul}

LOVE this

Where to begin? Just look at this thing. It's a 50-ft whale sculpture by Tristin Lowe.

"Lowe’s white whale is a thick-hided creature of industrial-strength felt. The hide covers an inflatable designed by Lowe. The covering was designed like a dress pattern, with zipper seams providing a means of dressing the balloon as well as delivering a sense of form and style"

Also I know Carrie and Tim would really like the name of this sculpture. {via CraftZine}

What I want to do every day

Poster by Anthony Burrill.

{via SwissMiss}

It's been a while: A Craft Post

I find this lantern chandelier very delightful. I'm not sure about practical, or logical, but maybe it would totally make sense in a cabin? {via CraftZine}

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I guess you can dry your own fruit in your car! Now I just need a car. {via CZ}

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Most charming thing ever: this woman made school clothes from her daughter's own designs. {CZ, again}

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A cake. Decorated with paper cranes and flags. Simple idea, fabulous result. {via PartyPerfect}

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In. Love. With. These. Must start collecting trinkets asap.

{via CraftZine, of course}

More Colorful Stairs

Yet another impressive whimsical staircase. This one is much more ambitious. {by Jim Lambie via CraftZine}

healthy healthy joy joy

Secrets to a satisfying evening:
1.) score boyfriend who has dinner ready for you when you get home from work.
2.) enjoy delicious pork tenderloin over brown rice.
3.) bask in the glory of your healthy, low cal choice.

This is truly a recessionista/diet-friendly dinner. Brilliant! (and thank you, Honey!) {directions on RecipeMogul}

Top O' the Morn' Glory to Ya!

Another swamp-loving plant that's out of control: morning glory. This vine is located in our downstairs neighbor's yard and it has exploded everywhere. It's gorgeous and doing a lovely job disguising the ugly power lines on the side of our window. Delightful!

Have a Great Weekend!

Yes, I know this is a phone ad, but it's still shows a fabulous installation by Filthyluker. {via Wooster Collective}

List & Comment Friday: Yer Favorite Blogs/Sites

Most of us internet addicts have 'em. They're the blogs that make you happy when you see that little (1) mark in your reader. Thought I'd post a list of some of my very favorite sites:
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...love Meagan : I am addicted to this girl's blog. She chronicles her style by posting her "outfits" and creative DIY alternatives to expensive fashion.

Dooce : duh. A blog that, despite the overabundance of baby subject matter, makes me laugh again and again.

NoPoMo : my friend Molly lives in Portland and has a truly delightful attitude and creative lifestyle. Makes me happy!

Life in Casa : Annie. Gotta keep tabs on this world-traveler of mine. She ain't afraid to skin an animal or climb a mountain.

Exploiting My Baby : a hilarious blog by mom-to-be and one of my favorite radio personalities, Teresa Strasser.

CRAFT Magazine : crafts, oh my! Great inspiration and some wild n' wacky things that people make.

Elizabeth's Edible : this little Southern blogger makes the best-sounding food ever. Beware - you'll want to cook this stuff.

Party Perfect : garland-centric and cute as a button party ideas.

Rockstar Diaries : how this chick gets whimsical perfect photos of her and her husband, I'll never know, but they make living in DC look so rock and roll.

Toothpaste for Dinner : really funny 50% of the time.

Share Some Candy : an endless stream of amazing art.

Photograzing : when I'm lacking cooking inspiration I just browse a bunch of hot food pics.
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What are some of the sites you compulsively check?

AOTD: Oh, Wuppertal

Thought you guys might get a kick out of these colorful stairs in Wuppertal, Germany. I think if I had some ugly concrete in my life I would totally paint it rainbow too. Cute idea. {via the style files}

I like Fall but I'm still a little sad Summer is over...

Pic from Pike Place when I was on my way to have dinner with Kate at The Pink Door Kells. (is Pink Door ever NOT too busy to seat anyone? PS. Their hostess had an atrocious pretty-woman-esque dress on.) I don't think it's very fair to grow up in Seattle and then move and try to compare cities. I am loving being right where I am now but sometimes, c'mon, Seattle! It's the peek-a-boo views, they're fantastic. Oh and that sea air smell. Love it.

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup w/Sausage & Pasta Shells

It's September. Bring on the soup.

This one turned out really good! First of all, it was cheap. Second, it was EASY. When it comes down to it, I love complex recipes but the ones I make over and over again are simple. This recipe is for a double-batch: it freezes and stores great. The pasta was a bit soft after re-heating so if that bothers you I'd cook and add it when you're ready to serve. You could also omit the sausage to make it vegetarian and healthier. {see RecipeMogul for directions}

Sprinkled with fresh basil from my surprise basil on the deck. Isn't this the healthiest basil you've ever seen? It's gotta be the swamp weather.

Art/Craft of the Day

I'm loving these "tree ring paintings" by Tracy Melton. I think with a few tools you could totally make a knock-off version of these for cheap.
{via CraftZine}.........................................................

Back from forever ago...(ok two weeks ago)

Back before we left Seattle, we had a very special date with two fabulous ladies: Josiane and Megan. What a brilliant idea to finally check out Seattle Art Museum's Sculpture Park like we've always talked about!

We struck some awesome band photo poses near the cool art.


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Poor Seattle P.I....extinct. Just like movable type.

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More cool art.

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Striking another band pose. From an arty farty angle.

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Keene would NOT sit on the actual SEAT in this sculpture, and my shoe fell off. Other than that it's a great picture.