lingering daydreams

{escape} a zen trip to arizona

by Lila on August 10, 2012

Not too long ago I returned for an escape to Arizona. My cousin and I traveled to a lovely resort by the name of Miraval. The whole adventure began when she found a screaming deal and posted about it on her blog. I commented that a trip filled with yoga, spa treatments, and hot sun was just what the good doctor ordered. Within a day we had booked a trip that helped me refocus on who I am and what I want.

Nothing could have prepared me for the lovely four day stay. Some of the highlights included: a fresh juice bar that created whatever type of juice you wanted on the spot with the giant industrial juicer, photography class with Nancy J. Schroeder who taught me to get my new camera off of automatic, time to reflect, and rediscovering meditation and yoga.

I came home calm, peaceful, and fearful that being back in the real world who make it challenging to maintain my new zen. So far, although it has been tricky at times, I’m doing a pretty good job of keeping the lessons I learned in mind.

Lessons Learned at Miraval:

1. I love yoga. I recently took a free yoga class in Golden Gate park and really enjoyed it. After doing yoga everyday in Arizona I was determined to keep up my yoga practice. So far it has been tricky, life can be very full, but I am working on incorporating it some how, some way…

2. Regular meditation helps keep my mind calm and clear. While on this trip I rediscovered meditation. I practiced with a woman named Mary Grace, who I felt very close to while I was there. I have managed to meditate regularly since I have been back. Meditation is a powerful tool for a clear mind.

3. Iced tea and infused water need to be within reach at all times. Everywhere you looked at Miraval there was something to help keep you hydrated. I didn’t have one headache the entire time I was there. Hydration = good. My favorite flavored waters were pineapple, cucumber, and watermelon. Yum.

4. Joy = stretching with a foam roller. I took at posture class where they taught us how to use foam rollers to stretch. It was the most amazing feeling ever and truly helped my posture. I plan on ordering a foam roller asap.

5. Juice is awesome. I discovered the joy of juice reading Whole Living Magazine, but my love was deepened even further while at Miraval. Delicious and nutritious.

Sharing such an incredible experience with my dear cuz made the trip even better. We had such a blast. Thanks for helping make this pipe dream a reality Kate!

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{dreaming of}

by Lila on August 6, 2012

…what I might be able to do with my new camera skills. While in Arizona I had the opportunity to take a short photography class focused on getting camera owners off of automatic. I learned so much and can’t wait to see what more I can do. Photography here I come!

…my very own Happiness Project. I’m reading the book and have already started to make little changes here and there to lift the mood of my life.

…going to pick up my new little ones. The coop is so close to being complete! It has taken a lot more time and effort than I originally anticipated, but I love the way it is turning out. I wouldn’t even be close if it wasn’t for my mom and her carpentry skills. But now the end is in sight and I cannot wait to pick up the three little chicks whose home we have been diligently building.

…finding my inner zen. Not too long ago I returned from an incredible trip to Arizona with my cousin. We stayed at Miraval and did yoga, meditated, and soaked up the desert heat. I found an incredible sense of peace there and I have been dreaming of ways to bring that peace into my reality at home.

…getting fit. The big 3-0 is approaching and I find myself highly motivated to get into great shape. I want to hit thirty running, literally. The summer has been a great time for this dream, I have had time to run along the ocean, play a variety of sports, and to go swimming. The trick will be finding ways to maintain my healthy habits as school begins again.

…soaking up the last moments of summer. The beginning of the school year is quickly approaching. It feels too soon. I haven’t been to a midweek farmers market yet. I’m just starting to have a routine that I love. But I am determined to relish the moments I have left instead of lamenting their impending end.

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{diy} starfish place setting

by Lila on July 19, 2012

Just a couple weekends back our family had the opportunity to celebrate the eightieth birthday of Jeff’s fabulous grandpa. He is a wonderful man, quick to laughter, and always to warm and welcoming. Our party loving family jumped at the opportunity to put something special together for him. I volunteered to help out with a birthday banner (which I will post about soon!) and place settings. These lovely starfish place settings can be created in four simple steps…

STEP 1: Hot glue twine to the back of the starfish.

We found these wonderful starfish at a local shop in Santa Cruz for $1.99. My lovely mother in law hot glued twine to the back so that they could act as commemorative Christmas tree ornaments after the event. While she hot glued, I focused on the mini banners we planned on adding to personalize each starfish. For the little ones at the party we picked out small shells to use in the place of the starfish. You can get creative and use different items as the focal point of your place setting.

STEP 2: Type the names and the messages to create mini banners.

To create the banners I printed each person’s name and the happy birthday messages onto a heavy weight, marbled card stock. I used one of my favorite fonts, Traveling_Typewriter, that you can download for free at my favorite font website, www.dafont.com. (Name = font size 18, birthday message = font size 14)

STEP 3: Cut the names and messages into strips.

I used a paper cutter to cut apart the names and messages. There was no measuring involved, I just eyeballed. Then I used scissors to create a cute v-cut at the end to give it a little banner flare. Be sure to leave enough room at the end of your banner to fold around your twine.

STEP 4: Glue the mini banners to the twine.

I used a lovely material called Tacky Glue. I like it because it is tacky, literally, but any glue would work. Fold each banner about a half inch from the end, add a couple drops of glue, place the fold around the twine, and press the two sides together. In some cases the banners didn’t adhere immediately so I used a clothes pin to pinch it together until it dried.

Your creations will add a little homemade flare to liven up your table and give your guests something to remember the special occasion by. I’d love to see anything you create! Send me a picture if you have a chance.

Happy Hosting!

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{dreaming of}

by Lila on July 13, 2012

… developing some photography skiznills. After years of pining after beautiful cameras I finally took the leap and bought one of my very own. Best way to learn is by doing… right? I’m excited.

… getting back into yoga. I’ve fallen out of the practice, but with hockey and running and the recent addition of ultimate frisbee (I think I could now officially be dubbed a sports junky), my muscles are screaming for it. I was put off by the cost, but the existence of free yoga in Golden Gate Park has just been brought to my attention. Outdoors, no cost, sign me up.

… gathering with the book club. I have long had a dream of belonging to a book club and now I do. Started The Happiness Project last night. Can’t wait to eat some food, drink some wine, and chat about it.

… date night. My mister has been very very very busy at work. I am on the hunt for at home, short, sweet, date nights I can set up during the week, even when he gets home at 9:30. I’ve got a couple ideas… we’ll see how they go…

… chickens. Yes, chickens are still on the brain. I have bought by coop plans, I have set a date for my mama to come help me build it. My goal: Chickens before the end of July.

{photo credit}

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{go local} oysters in tomales bay

by Lila on July 11, 2012

Sometimes you just gotta get out of town. A little distance from the everyday. If you live in the bay area Tomales Bay is the perfect destination. It is just a short beautiful drive, so you can fit it into that one day on your calendar that isn’t yet filled. As you wind along the roads city blocks turn into grass filled fields and you feel like you are a million miles away within thirty minutes. Not only is it beautiful, but they have oysters.

When it comes to Tomales Bay there are a lot of oyster places to choose from, but our little party settled on Hog Island. They have a picnic spot and an amazing oyster bar called The Boat that provides you with everything you need. Our crew was excited to shuck our own, so we came ready with the oyster essentials, but the one essential we were missing was a reservation. Lesson learned, you want a waterfront picnic site next to an oyster farm you need to book it in advance.

So we weren’t able to put all our fun tools to good use, but we didn’t miss a beat. We ordered oysters from The Boat, opened a bottle of wine, and enjoyed the view. We even stopped by their oyster bar and filled our cooler with oysters to try and shuck at home.

It was a beautiful day with great company. I’m definitely going to give the oyster picnic another shot in the very near future. On the road home we saw a kayak spot, but it was closing up. Note to self, next time hit the road early enough to take a spin around the bay in a kayak.

Hope your summers are being filled with adventures!

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{celebrate} housewarming party

by Lila on June 29, 2012

After settling in for a couple months the mister and I gathered some of our family and friends to celebrate the purchase of our first home. Having so many of our loved ones be under our roof, laughing, talking, and sharing stories helped bring our little house to life.

A diy wreath welcomed our guests as they walked into our front door and maps of our home waited for them on the coffee table.

The hand drawn maps allowed people to take a look around and pointed out the locations of food, drink, and seating areas.

Downstairs drink stations greeted everyone as they entered the basement. Wine and water were on one side and a soda bar sat on top of the washing machine. I made the cherry syrup from fresh cherries that Jeff’s grandpa had brought us the week before. The thyme and rosemary were from the garden. Incorporating things from the family and grown in the garden helped to make even the small details feel connected to our new home. The wine tags were made using paint chips, which we had plenty of after picking our paint colors.

Good people, good food, good times, it was a wonderful day. It was the first of many celebrations we look forward to hosting in our little house. Thank you to everyone who came and helped us warm-up our new home.

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{essentials} oysters

by Lila on June 20, 2012

The summer weather makes me want to find ways to spend time with friends outside. One of the benefits of living in San Francisco is its proximity to Tomales Bay, where there is a very well known oyster farm. The drive along the coast makes you feel like you are getting away from it all, the oysters are delicious, and the picnic spots are breathtaking.

1. Weck Glass Jars: I am a lover of condiments. My favorite way to eat oysters is raw with Mignonette sauce. If you are going on a picnic, make your mignonette in advance, put it in a jar, and pour it over your freshly shucked oysters. Epicurious has a recipe for a Chapange Vinegar Mignonette here and the food network has one for a Cucumber Mignonette Sauce here.

2. Oyster Knife: Gotta have an oyster knife if you want to pop open your own oysters.

3. Tray: Fresh oysters are best stored over ice. A deep try like this one, filled with ice, helps keep the oysters chilled and creates a convenient surface for the shells to rest on.

4. Grill: If you like a a grilled oyster, bring a barbeque and eat them straight off the grill.

5. Cooler: On the way to the picnic it can keep your wine cool and on the way home it can carry some fresh oysters for later.

Enjoy your summer picnics!

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{dreaming of} a summer filled with

by Lila on May 21, 2012

{photo}

… vanishing for a couple of days into a world of relaxation. Never would I have thought that I would be going to Tucson this summer, but I am. Disappearing with my cuz on a trip focused on rejuvenation. I cannot wait.

… movies in the backyard. I am itching to purchase this and use it all summer long. I’m already dreaming up a party with popcorn and popsicles.

… sleeping under the stars. I have been surprised how many stars we can actually see from our backyard despite the fact we live in San Francisco. When the mister and I traveled to Hawaii we bought a star map and a book filled with the stories of the constellations . I am waiting for that clear night when we can throw down the sleeping bags and tell each other stories about the stars.

… building a chicken coup with my own two hands. I’ve purchased these plans and have just one or two ideas to give it a little flavor of my own.

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{inspired} dining room

by Lila on May 14, 2012

{five jar chandelier, zinc chair, dylan dinging table, printmakers sideboard, iron bird tealight holders, zinc letters, recycled glass vases}

I have mad love for craigslist furniture, don’t get me wrong, but looking at our brand new, freshly painted dining room has me itching for a couple new items. Several things have been catching my eye lately, but the ones that have really stuck with me are the items above. There is a little shop called Therapy that carries the iron birds, which I have set back down after carrying around the store with me while I shop twice now. So far in this little life time of mine I have not yet bought a piece of new furniture from any store other than IKEA. Maybe this is the year!

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{home} styling the bookshelves

by Lila on May 7, 2012

Slowly, but surely the boxes are being unloaded. I decided to knock the bookshelves out as best I could. I have never found it particularly easy to style bookshelves, they house so many things and it feels easy to overload them with a chaotic collection of “where can this go” items.

There were a couple of key things that I changed from the last time I reorganized these mighty shelves, after painting them from a sage green to this gray. Key points include:

{Books Organized Loosely by Color} I like the visual. It is less chaotic and easy to look at, but, after arranging them strictly by color the last time, it was driving me nuts that I couldn’t always find books easily. So as I unloaded book after book onto the shelves, I found a balance. These books are loosely organized by color, but they are also organized by topic. Attractive and functional, gotta love it.

{Cute Bookends} I have come to the conclusion that when a bookend is basically a piece of art, it helps with the styling process. I used to only roll with the black metal Ls, but am a somewhat recent convert to the cute. I picked up the little owl, which I think is technically a paperweight, at a little shop in Santa Cruz. The A-Z bookends screamed at me from across the store in Barnes & Noble.

{Open Space} Our bookshelves were previously crammed with books. They were shoved in every corner you could fit them in and then others rested horizontally on top of the vertical ones. It was madness. In an attempt to calm the storm I put a bunch of the paperbacks in the basket on the bottom shelf, hauled a load to Salvation Army, and I boxed up all our childhood favorites and put them in the basement. We are book junkies, but only so many have to be out at one time. I love that now I can grab books and put them back without a battle.

{Small on Top, Big on Bottom} I tried to anchor the eye with the larger items on the bottom shelves. I really tried to keep the top shelves fairly clear. In the future I would like to have even less stuff up top, but I couldn’t help myself. There are only so many things I can let go of at once.

I’m lovin’ the end result. I love the color of the bookshelves against my persimmon walls. I love the little pieces of art the peek out. I love that the vinyl is all out in the open and easy to access. Mission accomplished.