Dreaming of...

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... learning more songs that I can sing as the mister plays the uke. I love singing with him and as we have built our repertoire it has become a special time for us to sit and make music.

... finishing the dream living room I have been posting about. The vision has changed a bit along the way, but I am loving the changes I have put into place so far. An ottoman and a rug and I think I will be satisfied.

... taking a jam making class from Blue Chair Fruit Company. I recently started buying their jam from our local farmers market and have become inspired. They sell a gorgeous jam cookbook that I was flipping through and had trouble putting down. But do I really need another hobby? Hmmm.....

... taking a watercolor class. With summer approaching I am finding myself wanting to take an art class. Photography is also calling to me, but I am waiting for my dream camera to arrive on my doorstep before I sign up for a class.

June... Sage Simple Syrup

After a little online research, a sage simple syrup recipe was found and tried. I am definitely happy with the result. The sage plant is looking a more reasonable size and I have a couple hostess gifts ready to go. So far, favorite concoctions include:

Blueberry Sage Cocktail
adapted from Missy's Recipe
- 1 part lemon juice
- 1 part blueberry vodka
- 1 part sage simple syrup
- top with bubbly water

Raspberry Sage Soda
- a lil' sage syrup
- a lil' Monin Raspberry Syrup
- bubbly water

Sage Lemonade
- 1 fresh squeezed lemon
- a lil' sage syrup
- bubbly water

For the hostess gift I used Paper Source Oval Cards and tied them to the bottle with waxed twine. I wrote out the cocktail recipe on the label to give an idea of how to use the syrup.

Lovely drinks to sip on a hot day.

What to do in June

One of the reasons I started writing this blog was to help me live in the moment; have experiences now that are exciting and memorable. A big part of that initially was little home projects, helping me enjoy the space I am in and not getting too caught up in where I am headed. I am still working on those projects, but I wanted to enjoy more than just creating pieces for the home. In an attempt to further my quest to make time for the present (sounds like it should happen naturally doesn't it...) I have decided to set 4 simple goals a month and then post about their progress. I am hoping this results in fun and enjoyment, not, "How am I going to fit one more thing into my day, what was I thinking, I am so crazy!" Either way, you'll hear about the outcome. So here we go...

1. Locate and try out the treats from Skylite Snowballs. This truck delivers what the creator calls a "Baltimore thing," although I have a feeling it is becoming an Oakland favorite. Something about shaved ice laced with homemade syrup and topped with marshmellow cream sounds irresistible. It must be tried! The mister and I already enjoy walking the lake, so I am going to keep my eye on the schedule so we can plan our next jaunt to Lake Merritt accordingly.

photo by Aya Brackett

2. Use the copious amounts of sage slowly taking over my garden to create simple syrup to use in a homemade cocktail or soda. I have to find something to do with this plant or it will grow and grow and take over my strawberries.

3. Read an entire novel. I am thinking about I Am Number Four. A bit of a sci-fi adventure, but I am beginning to believe (contrary to prior personal belief) that I am a sci-fi reader, especially sci-fi found in the teen section. The Hunger Game series was a personal favorite. Who knew? My husband questioned if a book still counts as a novel if found in the teen section. I say yes.

4. Finish the cushions for the wicker furniture. Progress has been made. The wicker is painted, thanks so those who gave their input in the previous post about color choices. It is now "Shock Red" and I couldn't be happier. The fabric for the cushions just arrived. I am hoping the the aforementioned novel will be read on the new and improved wicker couch, maybe with a cocktail made from homemade sage simple syrup. How I love summer...

Day Trip to Indian Springs

Indian Springs is a beautiful spa in Calistoga. It is also where the mister and I got engaged. Needless to say this is special place for me. Stress has been high lately and to battle it back down to reasonable level we got it the car and drove up to spend a day in our magical spot.


There is an olympic size pool of hot, mineral water that you can use if you get any spa treatment or stay in one of the beautiful bungalows. A massage followed by wrapping up in one of their green robes is the perfect way to start the day.


Magazines...

...a picnic picked up from Dean & Deluca on the ride up...


...and a good book are all you need to fill a restful, memorable day. Our adventure was made even more unforgettable by hail. It fell as we floated in steaming hot water, sticking in our hair and pelting our arms. It was surreal.


Hydro Grill is a local spot that has one of the best burgers I have ever eaten. The perfect stop to fill up before heading home.

A Dream Come True

Beach side, listening to the strum of the uke, cooking outside, sleeping in a teardrop trailer. It doesn't get much better than that.

The mister and I took a little trip up the coast to have our first experience in a teardrop trailer in Bodega Bay. It was an incredible trip and probably the exact trip required to reset and relax.

We started our little trip on Fourth Street in Berkeley at Bette's To Go. An Almond Tea Cake, Old Fashioned Doughnut Muffin (yes, it is delicious), and a couple mochas got us ready for the road.

When we reached Bodega Bay we had to stop at an adorable, ocean view wine bar called Gourmet Au Bay. Wine surfing, as they call it, was definitely in order. I loved the surf boards that our wines were delivered on. A seal floated by as we sipped our wine and enjoyed the serene sound of water lapping the boards of the pier.


When we arrived at our campsite we were greeted by the incredible sight of our teardrop trailer. My jaw dropped and my heart soared. Then I turned to look at our view of the ocean and headed straight out for a walk along the beach. Wright's Beach campground (called Sonoma Coast SP on Reserve America) was a great pick.


Two trees stood out as the perfect spot to hang our camping hammock...


...and I relished in setting up our outdoor kitchen hidden away in the back of our trailer.


Games, books, and roasted marshmallows filled our first evening and the entire following day.


The Salt Point Trail provided the incredible scenery the filled our third day away from home. We took a six mile hike that wound along the coast, rarely loosing sight of the water. Seals, waterfalls, and incredible peaks kept us company as we tromped along deep blue ocean.





Lesson learned:
- Bodega Bay is beautiful and is worth returning to.
- Teardrop trailers are an incredible creation and I am set on spending many more days holed up in one.
- I HEART hiking along the coast.
- Wine surfing is a hit.
- Books are wonderful, but might be even more wonderful when read in a camp hammock.
- Wind + Sand usually = disaster, but not if you have a teardrop trailer....

If you live in the Bay, consider making the trip to Bodega. It is worth it.

Sweet, Sweet Dreams!

The mister is very well read. He reads and reads and reads. I like this about him. The only problem arises when I want to sleep and he wants to read. The bedside lamp shines too brightly to allow me to relax into sleep. So when I ran across an article, Sweet Dreams, in Better Homes and Gardens about relaxing at the end of the day, I was inspired. They discussed the importance of decompressing at the end of the day and showed this silk mask as a tool to rest tired eyes.

I hadn't been able to find any sleeping masks that were this appealing before now. Upon further research I found out that the company that sells the mask is located in nearby San Francisco, which put all other doubts to rest, it was meant to be. I received my beautiful little package the day after ordering accompanied by two perfume samples! I am very happy with my elizabethW purchase!

Can't wait to give it a try tonight. Sleep tight!

Graduation is here!

The invitations are out and the party is on. The three years of law school are over and there is a lot to celebrate!

I was so happy with how the invitations turned out. Paper Source, as always, inspired me with beautiful colors, paper, and envelopes. Washi Tape, a material I have mentioned before, was a big part of this project, creating the flags. I folded it over waxed twine and then cut the rectangles into triangular flags.


Instead of paying for the adorable Paper Source labels, I bought the stamp. I used full page label paper, stamped the shape in green, and then cut out the shape of the stamp before writing out the addresses.

To create the text, I typed up a word file with three columns. After printing them, I cut them out and used double stick tape to attach them to the cover weight background.

All in all, a pretty successful invite I think.

Congrats babe, you deserve it!