I believe in love. I believe in freedom. and I will not quit fighting for equality in marriage.
I am heartbroken and sickened by today's announcement over Proposition H8 being upheld in California, but I will not quit. I will never stop being a champion for love.
There is a protest taking place in at 6pm in Santa Rosa at the City Hall. 100 Santa Rosa Avenue, at the corner of 1st Street. Come join us there in body or spirit. Don't give up the fight. Make your voice heard.
"Left a good job in the city, Working for The Man every night and day, And I never lost one minute of sleeping, Worrying 'bout the way things might have been.
Big wheel keep on turning, Proud Mary keep on burning, Rolling, rolling, rolling on the river..."
The Russian River Chalet was originally intended to be a weekender home, where I'd host summer barbecues and cozy winter slumber parties, yet I envisioned I would still have a home base in a more urban area. The house and I have both changed since I bought it nearly 3 years ago. My weekend retreat has become my full time residence, and it's here that I've gone through the passages of divorce, learning to live alone again, dating, and now it feels as if I am again at a new turning point. I am really embracing being single. Relishing in it. Splashing around in the dating pool. Soaking up the company of house guests nearly every weekend. Marathon phone calls with single girlfriends. In our early forties, we're aware that our generation has more choices about who we want to be. Unconventional. Liberated. Creative. Untethered by husbands and children. Our horses run free here in cowgirl country.
My friend Caitlin came up for an overnight this weekend. We have one simple word that always frames our adventures: spontaneity. We seldom make plans beyond marking the days on our calender. Instead, we prefer to let our adventures unfold. We just roll that way. It's a good thing too. "River time," has it's own pace. If you tuck that city slicker wristwatch away (along with your impatience) you'll find that your day will feel fuller. When you stop rushing, your whole experience of time changes.
We must have manipulated the time/space continuum yesterday, because it seems impossible that we had so many adventures in one lazy Sunday. Oh, but we had a good time!
We started our day with breakfast al fresco. I grilled the chicken & cranberry sausages she brought, while Caitlin made the waffles. We savored strawberries and sipped my favorite rosebud tea that I buy at Rosemary's Garden in Sebastopol.
The day before, I'd gone to a workshop at Lucky Mojo Curio Co in Forestville, where I'd learned to read tea leaves. I've been doing spiritual explorations for decades, and not once have I come across the opportunity to learn tasseomancy (the proper name for tea leaf reading.) Taught by the shop's owner Cat Yronwode, a walking encyclopedia of folk magic history, the class was both fun and informative. We also got to take home our very own "Cup of Destiny" and I was happy to have a chance to practice reading Caitlin's tea leaves that morning.
After breakfast, we were ready for a drive in the country. I had to make a quick stop back at Lucky Mojo Curio Co though, to pick up a raffle prize I'd won. A prize? Me? I was so surprised when they called to tell me that I'd won the prosperity lamp I'd casually bought a $3 ticket for at the workshop.
Charles Porterfield (in the photo above) had flown out from Texas to teach one of the workshops at Lucky Mojo's annual event. Classes are usually done via correspondence course, so it was special to have a live event. He taught a class on oil lamps and other forms of light in ritual work. As a demonstration, he made a pretty kerosene prosperity lamp, infused with special herbs, oils, coins, and a blessing to bring prosperity to its owner. Just winning it made me already feel prosperous! [If anyone is interested in having Charles make a prosperity lamp for you, email me and I'll put you in touch with him.]
Having got our mojo on, we headed east on Hwy 116 towards Sebastopol. Caitlin noticed the sign for Kozlowski Farms and wanted to stop. I was so glad she did! I drive by their farm all the time, but never made time to explore.
Kozlowski Farms is known for jams, sauces, mustards and other gourmet condiments. Their shop has tasting stations with a variety of yummies to sample. They had a new dried apricot chipotle grilling sauce that is savory, sweet, and spicy. It's a good bargain too--only $3.95 a bottle. Of course I bought some.
We decided to head towards the coast, so I took a right and headed west on Occidental Rd. It's a gorgeous stretch of road that rolls and snakes past idyllic farmhouses and vineyards, dropping you into the tiny town of Occidental, CA.
We browsed the jewelry counter at one of the art galleries there, but wanted to continue on to the coast. Caitlin told me that she'd never been to the town of Bodega before. We frequently go to the coastal area called Bodega Bay, but not the small inland town of Bodega.
You might recognize this church from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds."
There are a few art galleries, a vintage clothing shop, a surf shop, cafe, and a bar in Bodega. The downtown is only a couple of blocks. After having our fill of looking at hand-thrown pottery and crafts, we decided to it was time for an afternoon drink overlooking the ocean and drove to Bodega Bay.
Lucas Wharf Restaurant & Bar is a classic Northern California seafood restaurant. The fish is freshly caught. The menu is simple. Eating at the bar is the hip thing to do. We each ordered one of their handmade Bloody Mary's and chatted with the bartender who proudly explained, "No mixer here!" as she dolloped in horseradish and splashed the liquid ingredients on top. I'm not usually a Bloody Mary drinker, but these are something special. They really should call them "Proud Mary's." Yes. They're that good. We also split an order of their wicked garlic fries and watched the kite boarders jumping the choppy waves on the other side of the bay.
Our original plan was to drive north up Hwy I to Goat Rock beach. I was hoping the baby harbor seals would still be there. It's a little late in the season, but we might be able to see them learning to swim in the surf. However, it was late in the afternoon and the winds were whipping wildly. We drove up the coast, but decided we didn't feel like getting sandblasted at the beach and didn't stop.
Turning right onto eastbound Hwy 116, we noticed the coastal fog dissipate when we reached Duncans Mills. Caitlin suggested we stop there and see if our favorite jewelry store, Studio Nouveau , was still open. We were in luck! The shop's owner Andrea was still working, happy to see us and let us try on jewelry.
Andrea specializes in carrying Liquid Metal Jewelry by Sergio Gutierrez. The soldered nickel jewelry is fabulously sexy and slinky. One of my favorite possessions is the 2.5-inch wide Diamond Dance bracelet I bought from her. People come up and ask me about it all the time. The liquid metal jewelry is very unique. While Caitlin was seriously shopping for her the next piece to add to her collection, Andrea and I landed on the topic of Cleopatra. I've studied a little bit about the ancient Egyptian queen, but Andrea is very passionate about her. She has quite a few references to Cleopatra at her now on-line catalog, too. Every time we vist Andrea's shop, I discover another facet to her. If you're in the Duncans Mills area, you really must go to her shop.
Continuing our drive east through Monte Rio and Guerneville, we made our final stop for the day at Stumptown Brewery on River Road. Caitlin regularly comes to visit, but I hadn't yet taken her to our local brew pub. Away from the coast, the weather was still gorgeously warm at 6:30 pm. Stumptown's best feature is their enormous deck overlooking the Russian River. We ordered drinks and chicken sandwiches from their grill and settled into our patio chairs.
As luck would have it (and oh, but we're lucky) there was a band setting up. We didn't know their name, but when they started to play some classic rock and roll, we were happy. Our day just flowed seamlessly from one lovely experience to the next. After a celebratory toast, we became aware that the intro portion of the song they were playing seemed awfully long. Really long. So long, we were laughing and wondering what they were doing. And then...HE appeared.
Elvis was in the building. More specifically, he was on the deck, but what a complete surprise! He was hot, too--shimmying, shaking, and...
...slithering, while singing everyone's favorite Elvis songs. The Allways Elvis Band rocked the house. They did a rousing rendition of "Proud Mary," that was perfect for the Russian River crowd who joined the chorus for "...rollin' on the river!" Better than the still photos, I captured a song on video and uploaded it to YouTube.
What a glorious day here in West County. The radiant warmth of the day matches the feeling of gratitude I have in my heart for my good friends, our fun adventures, and my new life here in the redwoods. I've grown so fond of this region.
The Chalet is a weekender alright, but on "river time," the weekend feels like it's seven days long.
"There was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began talking again. "Dinah'll miss me very much to-night, I should think!' (Dinah was the cat.) `I hope they'll remember her saucer of milk at tea-time. Dinah my dear! I wish you were down here with me! There are no mice in the air, I'm afraid, but you might catch a bat, and that's very like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?' And here Alice began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy sort of way, `Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?' and sometimes, `Do bats eat cats?' for, you see, as she couldn't answer either question, it didn't much matter which way she put it." [Excerpted from Alice in Wonderland, Chapter 1: Falling Down the Rabbit Hole.]
Last night my friend asked, "So have you ever had bats inside the house?" We were discussing the respective differences between the critters out where I live vs. the critters out where he lives. "Heaven's no!" I exclaimed, "And thank goodness, for I wouldn't know know how to handle that!"
Like all good stories, it wouldn't be long before our protagonist would have a chance to discover that indeed--she can and will handle that.
My cat Lucky was very excited about something near the living room window tonight. He's got an evening ritual of trying to catch moths that flutter on the other side of the glass. I don't pay it much mind, except tonight I heard squeaking. After my misadventures with bats in the roof and the emancipation of Peanut the deer mouse, I paused and thought, "Oh god, what now?" and walked closer to see what Lucky was so enthralled by.
The squeaking sounds were coming from the window seat that Lucky was meowing and pawing at. There's a heavy hinged lid that opens up to a storage area inside. Hoping to avoid further trauma, quite possibly including bloodshed, quite possibly mine, I locked the cat into another room so I could investigate. A surprise awaited me after I lifted the lid. I expected a mouse, and thought it was a mouse, until I recognized it as a tiny brown bat with it's wings pulled in tightly from fear.
Why do my nerves get so jumpy in these critter catch & release missions? Yet somehow I manage, because my curiosity about life typically wins out over my fears.
"It was all very well to say `Drink me,' but the wise little Alice was not going to do THAT in a hurry. `No, I'll look first,' she said, `and see whether it's marked "poison" or not'; for she had read several nice little histories about children who had got burnt, and eaten up by wild beasts and other unpleasant things, all because they WOULD not remember the simple rules their friends had taught them: such as, that a red-hot poker will burn you if your hold it too long; and that if you cut your finger VERY deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds; and she had never forgotten that, if you drink much from a bottle marked `poison,' it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.
However, this bottle was NOT marked `poison,' so Alice ventured to taste it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pine-apple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast,) she very soon finished it off. `What a curious feeling!' said Alice; `I must be shutting up like a telescope.'"
I donned thin latex gloves and covered the bat with an old dish towel. There didn't really seem a chance that it could escape the towel and fly loose in the house (my greatest fear in the moment.) Yet, I had to take some deep yogic breaths and pray for God to help me collect it up safely. I didn't want to accidently injure the poor beast when I sent it on its way. So nervous, but I managed to buck up and take the bat outside and release it with love.
Facing one's fears requires a steadiness of spirit. You can know what the right thing to do is, but actually getting up the courage and doing it, is quite another thing. You can make yourself crazy with doubt. Am I right? Am I wrong? What if this happens? What if that happens? Inside the looking glass can be terribly confusing. Sometimes, it's best to stop listening to those fears and find a sense of Alice-like curiosity for the interesting adventures in life instead.
My friends are getting married soon and asked me to be in their bridal party. In a savvy gesture, they eased the dressing requirements for their friends by simply asking us to wear black semi-formal attire. Easy! No bridezillas at this wedding.
However, while I have quite a bit of black in my wardrobe, I was missing the requisite wardrobe staple--a little black cocktail dress. Sonoma County shopping leaves a lot to be desired. Our resources are mostly limited to mid-level malls. We have 2 Macy's, both catering to juniors and geriatrics, with little in-between. And while I haven't explored many boutiques here in the northern reaches of the North Bay Area, I still haven't found one that suits me. This one's too frumpy; that one's too cheesy; that other one is overly expensive.
Before taking a day off to drive to San Francisco, I thought I'd browse a little online. I almost never buy clothing online because I want to be able to try it on and check the fit. Women's clothing sizes are irrlevant. I'm a size 6-10, depending on the brand. Size charts aren't always useful, either.
When I clicked through my list of saved websites, I rediscovered a link to an online store called MyShape.com What is unique about them is they have you take an exhaustive list of measurements (oh, but the places your tape measure will go!) and then they tell you which of 7 body shapes you are.
For example, I learned that I'm an S-type, "Women with curvy silhouettes in front — a defined waist with balanced bust and hips. S-shaped women often have softened shoulder lines." They also give you tips about what sort of clothing shapes & fabric patterns will look best on you. Here's the really cool part: Once you've entered your measurements and been profiled, then the website will only show you clothes that they've determined will look good on your body shape. Even better--no more guessing your size! The website will tell you the size you need to order for the item you are looking at. If you're a fan of TLC's What Not to Wear, then you know how important it is to get the right cut and fit. MyShape.com is like having a personal stylist make recommendations for you.
I found the perfect little black dress. This Tadashi Shutter Pleat dress is a substantial weight jersey, lined with a back zipper, and cut to enhance feminine curves. It's not overly ornamented, so it can be dressed up or down. Oh, and the price? It's $284 ($268 at Nordstrom.com) but it was on sale the day I ordered it. With an extra new customer discount, free shipping, and tax, my dress came to $123.80 total. What a bargain!
My dress arrived yesterday. It came boxed in a pretty gold organza bag with a ribbon and tissue paper. What a nice package to open! And the fit? Absolutely flawless. It's simple, classy, and forgivingly comfortable. The stillettos I'm thinking of wearing are a little less comfy, but oh, I'm happy with my dress purchase.
MyShape.com is marvelous in every way. I'll definitely be shopping there again (and watching their sale prices, too!)
All throughout the fall (now turned winter) I've been noticing the home decor & fashion trend, "Chalet Chic." It always makes me smile because that is what I informally dubbed the style I've been creating here at the Russian River Chalet.
A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I were catching up on all the James Bond movies that have been airing on pay-per-view television. There were so many I hadn't seen yet. He wanted us to start with one of his favorites, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," released in 1969 with George Lazenby as 007. The set designs were the epitome of swinging chalet-chic!
I had a hard time finding still photos that showed the interior of the uber-modern Swiss ski chalet, but the one below is a good example. Wood paneling, glass, chrome, funky lamps, and let's-do-it-baby shag rugs. So cool.
In reading about the current "chalet chic" trend, I've noticed that it's not so double-oh! fabulous as the late 60's, early 70's. But it still has that mix of rustic coziness with clean modernism. To me, there's a big difference between the kitchy white lace curtained grandma cabin look, and the contemporary but cozy style that suits me. The article linked below has a good description of the concept.
Below is a before/after makeover. You can click through to see the before, but trust me, it was a real snore. It's weird how some people don't decorate at all. They needed a makeover!
Here's an enlargement of the photo from the above article:
"Apres-ski," sounds so sexy, don't you think? But do keep in mind that while chalet style does conjure up images of sipping warm cognac by the hearth in winter, people stay in summer chalet's too. Mine is magical in the summertime, but it's been f-f-f-reeezing cold this winter (as usual.) No, I'm not shopping at Cabella's again! [click here for the back story.]
I adore these snuggly winter knits in the New York post article below. Yummy.
Um, upon a closer look (below) I don't like those big panties that look like Daddy's jockey shorts! Warning: do not try this look at home. They will not look good on you. Only models and the very brave or very crazy can pull off the beautiful/ugly look. But the rest of her outfit is adorable.
The slippers above remind me of a pair of over the knee argyle socks I bought at Target that have those chalet chic pom-poms sewn on them. They're really cute. The problem is that my kitten goes crazy when I wear them, trying to bat at them and ambushing me when I walk by. Now I need thick socks to cover up the cat scratches on my legs.
I'm lusting for this suede and shearling Mirabili Niko bag by Kate Spade, but just can't justify it so late in the season. If someone finds a similar, but inexpensive one, please let me know!
Oooh...and doesn't this site, polyvore.com (in these bottom two collections) look like fun? You can make your own shopping collages and share them with people. Someone did a chalet chic collection: Chalet Chic by Ixabells
So many fabulous, but not very frugal, finds! Here's that shearling bag I like again, and I'm really liking that necklace and pair of earrings, too.
Hmm...maybe I can find some late in the season deals. But honestly, I get a lot of inspiration just from looking at beautiful design. Looking is free. Spring and summer trends will be calling us next.
For the last couple of years, I've been trying to break a bad habit of over-working. Loving freedom and needing some empty space in my head to feel like my best self, I often found myself feeling like a victim of my own success. Part of my motivation for buying a house in the country was to savor the feeling of being on retreat, even while living and working from it full time. The pulse of life up here is much more relaxed. West Sonoma is so unpretentious.
In 2008, I made great strides in recovering from my career-obsession, as I started putting the focus back on my personal life again. And oh, what a year it was! I finalized my divorce, met a new love, started finding new friends & getting closer to old ones, took time off to explore Sonoma County hiking trails, beaches, restaurants, and many of the tiny towns and back roads here. This past year was tidal--out with the old, in with the new, a few back-and-forths. With a much clearer head, I'm deciding how to expand upon these new-found riches, without going back into my workaholic ways again.
The economy is affecting all of us, and I'm not an independently wealthy exception. Being upside down in my mortgage is a depressing thought, but dwelling on it just messes with my head. All my friends are in the same situation, and we try to strike a balance between openly discussing our fears and remaining optimistic. If anyone knows how to live a champagne style life on a beer budget, it's us. As teens and twenty-somethings, my friends and I were masters of thrift-store chic. We'd laugh at expensive designers copying our street style. In our spaghetti years*, we cooked collaboratively and threw elegant pot-luck dinner parties. We were frugal and fabulous!
*I use the phrase "spaghetti years," instead of the more commonly-used, "
salad days" because it reflects the broke but happy way we lived and all the inexpensive noodles we cooked.
While I never want to reconsider Top Ramen as a viable food option again, I think this year is a great time to bust out all my past money-saving strategies. I've already started shopping according to what's on super-sale at the grocery, batched my errand-running to save on gasoline, and have invited friends over for dinner & a movie at home rather than going out to restaurants as entertainment.
Don't get me wrong. I still need my splurges! Although I take a certain pride in being a savvy discount diva, my goal isn't to live a spendthrift life. It's more about living a sustainable life. I don't want to go back to working 12-hr days, 7 days a week again. I also want to enjoy my home as my sanctuary, not be house-poor and debt-heavy. If cutting back on the things that don't matter as much, means I can afford the occasional Sonoma foodie dining experience, then every penny saved is worth it.
I'm adding a new category of topics to this blog called "Frugal & Fabulous" where I'll share my favorite money-saving tips with you. Also, I'd love to hear what you are doing to balance your life and budget.
Meanwhile, here are my 3 favorite financial blogs that I've been reading for motivation:
My friends have been suggesting I get a cat for some time now. After the loss of my 14 year old cat Lawrence a few years ago, I just wasn't ready. I used to explain that, "He was my one and only." That was true. Besides, I travel a lot for work and was enjoying not having to pay pet sitter fees. So many excuses and protestations. Then something came over me a couple weeks ago and I thought, "Maybe I should get a kitten today?" Quickly flipping the switch on my rationalization engine: The redwoods have turned so cold and quiet. Since the days are shorter, there seems less to do and fewer people that want to go adventuring. I've decided to cut way back on my travel schedule anyways. Click-click-bing! Let's go online and look up "cat adoptions Sonoma county."
I quickly found a bunch of rescue organizations with photos. It's so cool now. Adopting a pet is like online dating! No need to leave your house unless you want to meet. In my search results, there was a listing for a litter of orange male tabby kittens. My heart thumped. Yes! So I printed out the address and immediately drove to the adoption center. It was love at first sight! There were a lot of cats at the center. When I opened the cage with the orange kittens, this little guy jumped straight into my arms and started purring loudly. Done deal! I proceeded to stock up on all the supplies and brought him home.
His name is Lucky. Formally, his name is Lucky Talisman (Lucky T. Schillinger) He's about 4.5 months old now. What a great personality! He's very talkative, which I adore. (My other cat Lawrence had a large vocabulary.) Lucky is very active and content to play independantly, but he's also very affectionate and loves to cuddle. We should get along great that way. This week, he figured out that if he brings his toy back to me, I'll continue throwing it so he can chase it again. He never tires of it!
Next, I need to get him used to being outside. The adoption people told me to keep him inside only for 2 more months, but he is hell bent on escaping out the front door. Further, he refuses to come back in when called. He is very adventurous around and under the house. Last night I went to the pet store and got him a collar and tag in case he gets lost. Much to my surprise, he didn't fight wearing the collar at all! Fine then. We'll compromise. I'll try to teach him to go outside safely. If anyone has any tips on how to do that, let me know. Ah. Who am I kidding? That cat is teaching me, not the other way around!
I've been thinking about doing some kind of art project on the refrigerator for awhile now. Some of my friends use their 'fridge as a photo gallery. Since people tend to gather in the kitchen, it's fun and makes sense to have photos there. My only hesitation is that mementos stuck on with magnets can look a bit cluttered. How might I make mine look more like one cohesive piece of art?
I decided to see if there might be some large magnetic frames available for a collage-style gallery, and was delighted to find some at FridgeMag.
Perfect. I bought 3 to cover most of the fridge and turn it into a photo wall.
The 16x24" frames hold about 16-20 4x6" photos each, depending on how you mix and overlap vertical and horizontal photos. I ordered my printed photos through Flickr and had them delivered in less than a week.
These frames are so easy to use! Arranging the photos was a fun evening project. I placed mine as overlapping tiles, so it's mostly seamless. One thing I learned the hard way was that yes, you do need to use a dab of photo-safe gluestick to keep the photos in place, otherwise the photos will shift a bit from the fridge door opening and closing.
After you stick down your collage, you're ready to put the plexiglass cover on top. Simply peel back both sides of the protective film and lay it on top of your photos. Next, pop on the 4 sides of clear plastic frame and voila! Your collage is ready to hang on the fridge (with the large magnets that are pre-mounted on the back.)
I really love the finished project. Now when I step into the kitchen I see the smiling faces of my friends and family, and have reminders of my trip to Kenya. It's bright and happy. These FridgeMag frames were a great purchase!
For the first time since I've lived here, my altar feels "right." For me, an altar is a sacred space where I display ritual objects, candles, prayers, and mementos that remind me of my spiritual intentions. When I moved in, I placed this teak altar table into my office, yet like the rest of my life during a massive personal transformation, it has been barren and lonely. It just wasn't coming together. I've been praying more lately, and I've opened up my creativity, intending that my altar be filled with new life and beauty.
My office is a pale chartreuse with natural browns. I realized that what I needed was a bold streak of color. Something for the unbridaled femme in me (no, that is not a typo.) Digging through my collection of scarves (I'm a scarf fetishist) I found an embroidered sash of fuschia panne velvet to use as an altar cloth. Although I use candles for prayer work, I decided that my altar needed more light. The plum silk and chartreuse lamp I ordered online (from Target of all places) arrived today and the colored glow is exactly what I needed. My boyfriend sent me the gorgeous bouquet of flowers that are placed in the center. Mooshka's glass kachina art has its place of honor. My friend Kari sent me a book of Rumi love poems that will rest there until I've read them all. My ex-husband gave me a vanilla scented soy candle when we saw each other last week to finalize our divorce papers and celebrate that we survived it. When Brian was visiting last month, he gave me 2 magic stones that he made: a medicine Buddha star (my favorite Buddha) and an owl (oh, but I love the sound of owls calling in the night.) And of course Sri Ganesha has his tiny throne with a garnet front and center. So much abundance!
It feels like a little bit more of my soul came home today.
The exterior paint job is complete, and wow! but it looks like a new house. I'm so happy to see the sad gray stain replaced with this warm caramel and soft white trim.
It took a lot of hunting and several sample colors, but I finally found the shade of rust I wanted for the front door: Seville Scarlet by Kelly Moore.
As a nice extra, my painter offered to stain the balcony decking for me. The wood looks like new again.
I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my summer nights outside on the decks, underneath the stars. It feels so good to have this big project done! Now I just want to enjoy it.
Someone asked me what was in the Russian River Resort area of Northern California besides muddy roads, creepy bars, and weedy houses. Now that I've bought a 1950's chalet style home, I suppose I'll be up here enough to find out the answer.
This journal will help me track my progress on home decorating, repairs, and getting acclimated to living in the country with all it's bohemian beauty and some really wacky challenges. So come on in and have a seat. Can I pour you a glass of Sonoma County zinfandel?
Sacred Elephants A trunk full of inspiration for elephant lovers, conservationists, and spiritual friends of Ganesh.
Russian River Chalet My journal about the quirks & perks of making a home in the West Sonoma Wine Country.
Homesteading Blogs I Love
Apartment Therapy My favorite decorating blog. These people totally get "modern style on a budget." Informative comment threads from readers, too!
Bodega Bay Life Couple "goes coastal" and chronicles their new life as they explore & appreciate all that makes Bodega Bay so special.
Deep Thoughts from Cool Ranch Two born-n-bred Californians with a low maintenance condo & ocean view give it all up for the blowing dust, centipedes and rusting pickups of New Mexico.
Desire to Inspire Georgeous. Stunning. Dreamy...and yes, they've accomplished their desire. Truly inspirational interior design!
House Blogs A blogger community with "Home improvement stories for the dwelling obsessed." The link goes to my member page there.
Ikea Hacker Some people see Ikea as an off-the-rack furniture store. Others see it as an enormous mix-and-match parts and hardware store.
My Marrakesh The writer who's project of building a guest house in Marrakesh fills my heart with longing and makes me embarrassingly envious.
Tall Pines Lodge 35-year old NYC media junkie grows weary of noise pollution & population density. Reacts by buying a house on an isolated 2.5 acres 70 mi. north of the city.
Treehugger Their tag line totally speaks to me: "Looks of a modernist with the heart of a hippie. Serving design-obsessed, undercover bleeding hearts since 2004."
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