Paper Pie

Eleven Months

A few days ago Rylie turned 11 months old! I have been taking her photo in this blue chair each month since she was a wee babe. Check out the almost complete collection of her first year here.

Speaking Of Finds

I thought I would continue the show offiness around here and share a few other things I found during a recent trip to a local thrift shop.

This book from the late 1960s is all about a little girl and her love of aprons. I can definitely relate with her. The big climax of the story is when she goes to visit her daddy at the printshop where he works and finds out that he wears an apron too. The fact that her dad is a typesetter charmed me to no end.

Plus, I love the illustrations and line drawings by Yaroslava Surmach Mills. After consulting with The Googles, I found more from this artist:

I simply adore this style! It is all of my favorite things: sixties, folksy, colorful and sweet. On the same trip, same shop I picked up this first ediition Dr. Seuss book.

It is missing its dust jacket, but the guy at the thrift shop gave it to me at no charge, so I really can't complain. Oh, and I also got an assortment of cloth napkins.

We are choosing to use cloth over paper whenever we can. Ok, maybe tomorrow I will post somehting other than my treasures (maybe).

Weekend Finds

Ryan, Rylie and I had the great pleasure of hitting up some yard sales this past weekend. We never seem to get out as early as we should, but we found some pretty great stuff regardless. Like this red folding table for $10! I'm not sure what we are going to do with it yet, but hey, it was 10 bucks!

I found multiple yards of all of these great fabrics:



I love this one above and I can see it as a birthday dress for Rylie, with a matching skirt for Mama, what do you think? Can you believe it is time to start thinking about Rylie's birthday? It's only six weeks away! My baby is going to be one year old! Ah, but I digress, back to my weekend treasures. I also got this beautiful butterfly fabric. On the selvedge it says: Alfred Shaheen Hand Printed in Hawaii.

I got these vintage Butterprint Pyrex bowls that match the refrigerator boxes that I already have.
And last, but not least, this bold floral tin!

All, in all a pretty good haul!

My Garden

Through the years I've had my share of potted plants and hanging baskets, mostly indoors. I've managed to keep them alive (except for maybe a few) and that's that. They sit in the corner, I water them and our relationship is not much to write about. More recently though, I'd say the last few years, I have really started dreaming about gardens and landscaping. When I go on my walks around the neighborhood, I study each yard I pass noticing every detail. I get super excited seeing other people's gardens on their blogs and websites. It is all so inspiring! And the thought of my family growing its own food satisfies both my resourceful and wanna-be-frugal attitude. But alas, we are renters, and the thought of upping someone else's property value is a little off putting, and who knows if our landlord would let us dig up the yard. So, you see, I was stuck in a real conundrum. Back in May sometime, I watched from my back door as my neighbor planted her tomatoes and peppers. I was struck by an unsettling spat of jealousy. She was so cute in her hat and sandals. She looked so at ease and peaceful, and at the same time brimming with hope and anticipation. I thought to myself: I really need to get some of that. But all of the excuses and reasons not to flooded my head; We rent, I don't know how to garden, and the perenial (yes, pun very much intended) favorite, I don't have time. So I went about my day, admiring her little backyard bliss from the other side of the fence. Fast forward a few weeks and I was sitting out in the backyard playing with Rylie, and Erika, my gardening neighbor, was out in her yard too and we got to chatting. I fully admitted my unabashed and irrational garden jealousy. Always positive and encouraging, she told me that it would be super easy for me to plant a few herbs and a tomato plant in containers and set them on a little area at the back of my yard that gets full sun all day. I said; "Yes, you are right, I really should. I mean, what am I waiting for?" She proceeded to tell me that now is really the perfect time and that she even has a good book that I can borrow to get started. The book is called You Grow Girl. This was all I needed to hear, because somewhere in the back of my mind I had filed that exact book away as the someday-when-I-start-gardening-I-am-going-to-read-that-book book. So that seemed as good a sign as any. For the next week I read through the book and on a warm Tuesday afternoon headed up to my local farmer's market to buy seedlings from the seedlings guy. I bought herbs mostly: rosemary, basil, parsley, sage, dill, lavendar and arugula. The next day, I got up and went to the garden center right when it opened. I got a tomato plant, a hanging basket, Marigold, African Violet, a container, a watering can, potting soil and some fertilizer. I quickly got back home and went to work potting my plants and putting my garden together and here it is:

There are a few other herbs to the left that are out of frame here, but you get the idea. I had most of this stuff just gathering dust in the garage. Yes, my basil plant is in a planter shaped like a Lion's head. I got that many years ago now at the Melrose Trading Post. In fact, we had that little gem in Venice too, see. (Unfortunately, that was one of my plant casualities) Anyways, so far, so good in the garden! Except I quickly found out that delicate greens like arugula do better in fall or early spring when the temperature is not so hot. See it has already bolted. What do I do now? I have no idea . . .

I planted this African Violet in a terra cotta pot that I slathered up with yogurt and then put soil all over the outside. The theory is, and I learned this from that fabulous book, that if you keep the pot in a shady spot with lots of mositure it will grow a beautiful moss patina in a few months time. I really hope that works out.

Another science experiment that I have going is something that I remember my mom doing when we were kids. I am on my third try with soaking these avocado seeds in a sunny window to see if they will sprout. Part of the problem may be that there is NO SUN! June gloom, remember when I mentioned that phenomenon before? Alas, we'll see if we can't get a tree going one of these days.

Let's see, what else... Oh yes, here is the beautiful hanging basket I bought at the garden center. It does wonders for the overall pleasantness of the backyard.

I also spruced up the succulents in the front. They were started from cuttings bought at a yard sale several years ago now. I love them because they are virtually maintenance free, I do want to replant them in the near future though. I feel like they would really thrive in bigger pots, they've outgrown these digs (yep!)

Oh, and all of the plant attention prompted me to help out my indoor plants too. Here they are looking better than they have in months (years, really.)

I do have a confession though; I could never do this all myself. My gardening is made loads easier because I have a very diligent and eager little helper.

How does your garden grow? Indoor? outdoor? in the ground, in containers? Do you love it?or find it frustrating? I would love to know. I'm kind of garden obsessed right now...

This Moment

Rylie stands! A few other favorite moments here, here & here.

Last Night in Santa Monica

Occasionally on Tuesday nights we will head down to the California Heritage Museum on Main Street and get dinner at one of the many food trucks parked there. Last night was special because not only were the food trucks there, but TOMS launched a new line of sunglasses and threw a party to celebrate. When you buy a pair of sunglasses, TOMS will donate a pair of eyeglasses to people in need around the world. Our friend Benji's band, Lord Huron, played at the launch party.

They are amazingly amazing and we know someday we'll be able to say, "We knew Benji way back when..." Rylie loved it too!


On our way back to the car we stopped by the very inspiring Community Gardens and saw this:

A beautiful evening all the way around.

Strike Offs

A few weeks ago these beautiful strike offs for my new fabric lline with Moda arrived at my door. The line is called Domestic Bliss and was inspired by all the comforts of my home. It will release in December. I am beyond pleased with them . . . I love the colors in this line.

And look how nice they play with Sugar Pop! I should be receiving my sample fabric soon and I can not wait to mix and match. I see lots and lots of summer dresses for Rylie!