Around here....

Moody March skies, a new softball glove for Mama, and (not pictured) a new dryer!

Eleven.

This child gets his incredible good looks and unfortunate attitude from his Mama. Beyond that, I can't take a whole lot of credit.
Not very long ago, he was a newborn, and today he claims to be eleven years of age - and while that is totally implausible, we have to believe him because he is a 100% truthful and accurate sort of person. His grandfather says that if Seamus told him there was a rhino in the driveway, the only question he'd ask is: What color is it?

Thinking about: Yosemite.

And some stunning Ansel Adams style goodness! We're taking the kids next week and I couldn't be more excited!
Plus, have you seen this unbearably beautiful film that my cousin made? See? Why I'm so excited?

Yosemite HD II from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.

The Materials.

The world of textiles is an imperfect one, filled with imperfect choices - so I thought I'd tell you about some of the fabrics I'm using and why. Fascinating, right?
This is hemp. Not that kind. This is the hemp webbing I use for tote bag straps. Super-strong and dependable - it will not let you down. It hasn't been bleached or dyed - that's the gorgeous natural color.
The upside: Hemp is an extremely fast growing crop, producing more fiber yield per acre than any other source. (Fewer resources used.) It is commonly grown without the use of pesticides and herbicides.
The downside: Though industrial hemp is a different variety of Cannabis Satvia from marijuana, is cultivated differently, and has a low THC level, it's currently illegal to grow it in the United States. I source this fabric from a small American importer with factories in China, Romania, and Canada. My supplier has a deep knowledge of hemp production, engages in free and fair trade, and answers his own phone.
So there you have it - imperfect, but better than most choices.

On the farm.

The herb garden has been planted and thoroughly netted. Not because my free-range fowl will eat the plants, but because they would like to jump in and take a fine and dandy dirt bath. I don't understand it but they seen to think it's the loveliest of all lovely pastimes. As a bonus, it's totally destructive.

Around here....

This is the time of year when the garden is full of lilacs and the catalogs are full of bathing suits.

That's a farm.

The loveliest, what all farms want to be.... go look!

Around here....

Around here, we have rules. If you are a member of my cohort sharing one or more parent in common, you are allowed to surf in the Pacific Ocean, but you are not allowed to die. Similarly, you may operate heavy machinery and power tools, but you are not allowed to die. You may move to other states or Los Angeles, but guess what? Not allowed to die. Close calls will endear you to me, but there are easier ways. I already love you.

Friday, I'm in love....

Beautiful print by Lisa Barbero.

Thinking about: Dr. Martens.

The Materials.

The world of textiles is an imperfect one, filled with imperfect choices - so I thought I'd tell you about some of the fabrics I'm using and why. Fascinating, right?
This is recycled rubber. It's a broken inner tube from a flat bicycle tire. I wash it and use it to reinforce the grommets on my aprons. Durable and good looking. Put it through the wash and don't worry about it.
The upside: Available at my local bike shop. Free. They were going to throw it away anyway.
The downside: None.

On the farm.

Fin never met a stick he didn't like. This one may come in handy this summer when the 500-year drought gets going and he has to start dowsing. Fun fact: Albert Einstein was convinced of the authenticity of dowsing. So says About-dot-com. That page also included a link to a video called: How to tell a real ghost picture from a fake.

Around here....

Around here, there was much springing ahead, and a quick trip to the central coast (where the monkeys are staying for a couple of days with Grandma & Grandpa, spray-painting things and eating s'mores) and there was breakfast for Mama with college girlfriends, and now it's raining, and I'm home alone with the day off, so I'm reading a novel in bed and feeling more than a little bit guilty about it.

Friday, I'm in love....

with Happyyolks. It's accessible and magical, both. Like a love story.

New! (Three more.)

Shop! and use the coupon code SHIPIT314 to get free domestic shipping from right now through Saturday! xo.

On the farm.

I planted lettuce seeds back before our two day winter in December - and thought they were quite dead and abandoned them. Now look - lettuce! Or? Maybe weeds. A real farmer would probably know the difference.

Around here....

Around here, my almost-eleven-year-old refers to everything that happened before the year 2000, as "in the nineteen-hundreds." For example: In the nineteen-hundreds, telephones were attached to the wall. Yes, and women got the vote and we had VCRs and hip hop was invented! I know that shouldn't annoy me.