howdy buckaroo

Some of the best friends we could ask for welcomed their little guy earlier today. We waited a long time, and he's perfect from head to toe.

We love you all.

gold worthy

A few years back, Josh introduced me to the work of Scottish environmental artist, Andy Goldsworthy. His work is amazing. I hope to visit the Storm King Art Center soon to see some of his work.

Learn more about his work here.


{storm king wall}

everything but the kitchen sink

Last week we tried a new cookie recipe from the May issue of Sunset Magazine, Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies. They were every bit as good as they said they would be. Get the recipe here.


{the final product}

hideaway

So romantic...sigh.


{el capitan canyon near santa barbara}

kentucky blues

In my imagination, I am planning for my big day at the Kentucky Derby this weekend.

This is the hat that I am going to wear, with a black sheath dress in lightweight wool. I was thinking slingbacks with a 3.5" heel, big dark sunglasses and a simple black clutch. I can't wait to see what others will be wearing!

I wish I was actually going.


{kokin romano alber hat}

fairest of them all

If you're looking for a darling Monther's Day gift, check out the new pocket mirrors available at Isabell's Umbrella. Who wouldn't love one of these?


{looking pretty pocket mirror}

rest for weary paws

The guard of the yard, Henri, needs a place to rest on those warm summer days. Josh and I picked up this outdoor pillow for the monster from Ikea this evening.


{greno outdoor pillow}

call me

Isn't it lovely when someone reaches into their bag and they pull out a crisp, clean card with square edges just for you? And if it came out of one of these... oh my!


{leather card holder by lauren merkin}

yo mama giveaway

We've all got one. Your birth mom, your adopted mom, your surrogate mom, even if you don't have the original, chances are that on Mothers Day you have a reason to be grateful for a woman in your life.

To celebrate, I am hosting a giveaway. The prize to the winner will be 2 sets of Martha Stewart recipe cards, and 2 sets of Martha Stewart food labels, one set for you and one to give to the 'mom' of your choice.

My mom used to tell me that if I picked my nose, my head would cave in. What did your mom say? Leave your mom's best one liner on this post for your chance to win. The winner will be selected randomly and announced on Friday, May 2.

hot tub

These lights could make bath time extra fun!


{splash lights from cb2}

tie one on

I love the look of head scarves during the summer.

I think this one is darling and it's 100% cotton, so it won't go sliding off your head.


{congo paisley scarf by echo designs}

a shred of decency

Finally, a decent looking shredder. It will look right at home here.


{cross cut shredder by royal}

B-I-N-G-O

{vintage inspired bingo set}

So, a few months ago we started getting together with some friends to play Bingo. This event has been taking place monthly.

However, the "Deluxe" Bingo set we purchased for this event, is anything but deluxe. In fact some of the balls have the numbers written in ball point pen and some cards have the same number twice. That's right folks, it came from the store like that, seriously lame.

Naturally, I was ecstatic when I saw this on Stephmodo. The deluxe set will soon be retired.

guardin' the garden

We have spent the last few weeks preparing our yard at 123 house in hopes that spring is still on it's way.

Henri, our head of security, has been trolling the yard protecting it from any misdirected birds, bugs, or otherwise.


{poppies growing in our yard at 123 house}


{henri enjoying his outdoor play space}

intriguing tail

Horsehair pottery is an old Native American Art. It is made from a white clay that has been fired at a lower than usual temperature. This leaves the clay body porous, enabling it to absorb the carbon from burning horse hair. The results are stunning.

See more pieces here, or get a custom piece made using your own horse's hair here.


{horsehair vessel}

I HATE BEING WET, always have. I don't think that early morning outdoor swimming lessons in Canada as a child helped.

ahead of her time

In May of 2005, my good friend John and I flew to Manhattan to see the Chanel exhibit at the Met, I can't put into words how wonderful this experience was.

I am in awe of the life and work of this woman. Simply inspiring. Read more here.


{gabrielle bonheur "coco" chanel, 1935}

Photo by Hoyningen-Huene from the Metropolitan Musem of Art

decompressing

Enjoying a quiet evening at home to take it all in. Big changes ahead. I shall return tomorrow.

bree's big adventure

{bree on lexington ave.}

today is your last day at work... you're off to new and bigger things...and now i'll only see you at 123 house... the folks at maharam are inheriting one of the most talented people i've ever had the pleasure to design a building with...

i hope you know how much i'll miss riding to work with you each day.

love joshua

a page from paige's life

{bree, dawn and paige}

On April 23, 1981, I received news from my dad that there was a new little girl born into our family, her name was Paige. Now there were three. We couldn't wait to meet her.

Dawn and I looked upon the real life doll when she arrived home, intrigued by the golden fuzz upon her head. This little doll endured a lot at our playful hands. Crazy hairstyles, photo shoots, and rides down stairs in cardboard boxes were just the begining.

It was not only the yellow locks upon her head that made her different from me. She has beautiful blue eyes (as do my other sisters), athletic abilities, and an abundance of other talents, and qualities that I adore.

Paige was always a willing participant in my home productions. One in particular was the interpetive dance performance of The Lion Sleeps Tonight where I back-combed her hair to look like a lion's mane, and made her a costume from construction paper. I think I am indebted to her for life for that alone.

Today she is adventurous, generous, grateful, enthusiastic, and playful. She is incredibly resilient (we may have had something to do with this, Paige). She loves her family, her husband and animals, and she truly enjoys life.

Happy Birthday Paige! I hope you celebrate, the way we did the day you came to us.

Love Bree
XO

cure all

Next time you have a boo boo remember this stuff, it's almost as good as having someone kiss it better.


{res-q ointment from burts bees}

twist on a classic

I love this twist on a Classic Pique Polo by Burberry.

that's hot

We all know that storing a fire extinguisher in the kitchen is good practice, this one is beautiful enough to sit out all the time.


{homehero fire extinguisher}

sunny-day best

What a darling summer dress, it even has pockets!


{available at the nordstrom dress shop}

well traveled

I purchased a map from the Future Mapping Company about 4 years ago, and had it framed and mounted to metal so that I could use magnets to mark the places I've been without ruining this stunning map.

The maps are made using equal area projection, so countries are represented in a correct proportional size to one another. They are printed on silk finish paper, and are truly works of art.


{futuremap, mint to orange to khaki}

is the forever stamp forever?

When are postage rates going to hold steady for a while, so that the USPS can start issuing beautiful stamps again?

These stamps with the work of Isamu Noguchi have been my favorites for a long time.

Don't forget, rates go up to 42 cents on May 12th.


{isamu noguchi stamps, usps 2004}

i'm really green!

I'm green, as in how you look when you're sick. I'm sick if hearing about everything green.

Now don't get me wrong, I fully recognize that we as a human race have not been kind to the earth. I know we need to change, and I fully support this effort. However, I am sick of the commercialism of the "green" movement, and the "green-washing" of things that aren't particularly good for the environment.

I mean really eco chic clothing? Sustainable weddings? Green issues of every publication under the sun? It all seems like it's gone a bit too far. What is sustainable about encouraging people to "buy more stuff"?

I don't think this should be about fashion, it should be about meaningful change.

What are your thoughts?

in the trenches

If you don't have a trench coat, you need one.
I la la la la love this coat!


{convertible collar trench by soia & kyo}

dessert squared

I am officially adding this to my birthday wishlist. Seriously, who wouldn't want to make square cupcakes?


{bar pan by calphalon}

too late

{falling in love from philosophy}

Already fell in love with this stuff.

i dream of jeans

I bet you know the story, it starts with a dream.

You know when you've found your match. They make you feel good, they are always willing to go out and have a good time, they clean up nicely, and then one day everything changes. Perhaps you are ripped apart, like this week when my jeans and I were physically separated as I bent down and heard them tear. They were old, and worn out, but we were still having a good time together. WHY? I wasn't ready!

Now it is time for me to dream the dream again, and start a relationship with some new pants.


{dojo by 7 for all mankind}

elephant shoes

I'm sending a great big pair of elephant shoes out to someone special who has had a rough week, you know who you are.

Image from Getty Images.

junk in the trunk

I am very fond of this car blanket.

another one bites the dust

I rely on my internal time clock for many things, Spring Cleaning is one of them. I fear that with this cold weather, it may not happen this year at all. We may need to call in the professionals.

Image from Real Simple

I have always expressed my creativity in unique ways. When I was a child, I enjoyed crackers as a snack, but before eating them I would color them with wax crayons. They were lovely. If you don't believe me, ask my sister Dawn, she was my taste tester.

food for the brain

{the npr map}

For a long time I didn't understand what the big deal was with NPR (National Public Radio). Why would people want to hear other people talking? A couple of years ago when I started dating Josh, I became a listener by accident not design.

Today I can tell you that becoming an NPR listener has truly changed my life. It has made me more aware, more informed, more diverse and dare I say smarter. I can't believe that I went so long without it as part of my day. Jazz, Car Talk, Morning Edition, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, the list goes on and on.

Oh, and I am also more interesting at cocktail parties now too!

can't decide

{happy home reversible towels}

If you can't decide, you can get two in one with these Happy Home Towels by Jonathan Adler. I think these might make the bathroom quite happy!

who's got a button?

I am in love with these felt buttons from Reprodepot. I must order some!

jammers

How cute are these? New jammers are a must for a new season.

spirit of the west

Years ago while visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico, I saw the work of Tony Stromberg for the first time. I have never forgotten it.


{fierce grace}

“The spirit of the horse”, quotes Tony, “is a magnificent teacher to humanity.” In both their physical, as well as their archetypal form, horses help to bring us back to something wild and unrestrained, reminding us of a sense of freedom that many of us have forgotten. They teach us about honesty and authenticity, because they know no other way of being. They teach us about collaboration over dominance. And they teach us to respect and honor the unknown, rather than fear it and try to destroy it.

Excerpt from Tony Stromberg

suck it up

{soda straws from ikea}

Beverages always taste better with a bendy straw.

new sheet day

The only thing better than clean sheet day is new sheet day.


{dark gray sheets from Target}

natural beauty

New favorite food for my skin.


{wild rose 24 hour moisturizer and olive and rye night cream by korres}

be a know-it-all

If you're interested in becoming a better cook, decoding complicated menus or sharing culinary facts at a dinner party, the Food Lover's Companion is your new best friend.

This food encyclodpedia is one of my favorite books of all time.

a pen you'll want to chew on

Baked goods just got a whole lot prettier, thanks to this new decorating pen by Cuisipro. Think of all the things you could do!

just hangin'

{three toed sloth}

If I only had 3 toes, I think I could be mistaken for one of these guys. If not, I'm definitely on my way.

I have become terribly lazy about exercise, actually about moving in general. I lack motivation, I don't know why. I've always had the belief that I should just look and feel great without having to do anything about it. It isn't working, damn!

Any suggestions?

Image from Fotoil

zzzzzzzzzzzz's

Need to go catch some zzzzzzzzzz's, it's been a long day. Sorry for the shortage of posts lately. I'll be back tomorrow, I promise.

Bree
XO

match up

{maharam match up game}

Big kids like games too, especially when they are covered in prints of beautiful textiles by Maharam. Get yours here.

special day

{bree (left) and dawn (right)}

Twenty-nine years ago today I met my first forever friend, my sister Dawn.

Here are 29 things I love about her in no particular order.

1. She is beautiful.
2. She is a thinker.
3. She is kind.
4. She makes me laugh.
5. She is always there for me.
6. She is very stylish.
7. She is a good friend.
8. She is honest.
9. She speaks her mind.
10. She is incredibly smart.
11. She can give me free legal advice.
12. She is passionate.
13. She is a good cake decorator.
14. She has good hair.
15. She is proud to be Canadian.
16. She is forgiving.
17. She is always growing.
18. She is strong.
19. She is sensitive.
20. She is a great conversationalist.
21. She loves game shows.
22. She always tolerates me cheating on board games, but beats me anyway.
23. She is creative.
24. She is a good cook.
25. She does workout tapes.
26. She loves Costco.
27. She has a pretty smile.
28. She is determined.
29. She is the kind of sister that everyone deserves to have.

Happy Birthday Dawn! I hope your day is as special as you are.

Love Bree
XO

fiber revolution

{constructions #25 by nancy crow}

I am so intrigued by the new wave of contemporary quilt art. It is a beautiful medium for creating art and storytelling.

I must learn how to do this, now where to begin...