6.26.2008

break time

"a single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. to live is to be slowly born." antoine de saint-exupery

i've got a lot going on right now and somethin's gotta give ~ so i'll be back in a few days, or a week. . . . . be well!


{photo by sharon cooper}

6.25.2008

remember....

. . . . and that is all there is to it

{photo by pumkin little}

a protection balance

once the blessed one told his monks the following story:

"there was once a pair of jugglers who did their acrobatic feats on a bamboo pole. one day the master said to his apprentice: 'now get on my shoulders and climb up the bamboo pole.' when the apprentice had done so, the master said: 'now protect me well and i shall protect you. by watching each other in that way, we shall be able to show our skill, we shall make a good profit and you can get down safely from the bamboo pole. ' but the apprentice said: 'not so, master. you, o master, should protect yourself, and i too shall protect myself. thus self-protected and self-guarded we shall safely do our feats."

"this is the right way," said the blessed one and spoke further to his monks:
" 'i shall protect myself,' in that way the foundation of mindfulness should be practised. 'i shall protect others,' and also in that way the foundation of mindfulness should be practised. protecting oneself one protects others; protecting others one protects oneself.
"and how does one, in protecting oneself, protect others? by the repeated and frequent practice of meditation.
"and how does one, by protecting others, protect oneself? by patience and forbearance, by a non-violent and harmless life, by loving kindness and compassion."
{satipatthana, samyutta, no:19}

{top photo by cerezo, middle photo by hickoree, and last photo by michaela}

6.20.2008

oooo baby it's hot outside

hope you have a refreshing and delicious weekend!


he is the one

his style is captivating and i look forward to enjoying his seduction of america on the dance floor for many weeks to come. he makes me want to get back into top dancer shape & rock the dance floor again immediately. with him. juvenile crush, much? yes. but it's so fun to be smitten, so please enjoy mark kanemura right along with me:





6.19.2008

wade robson rocks my world

ok, so it's confession time..... i'm sure it will come as no surprise to you that i watch so you think you can dance. but the truth is i am fully and without shame addicted to this show. it is the only "reality tv" {or any primetime tv for that matter} that i am in to ~ and by "in to", i mean i must watch every episode and rewind almost every dance at least once to see again. except for wade robson's choreography ~ that i re-watch at least 5 times. and usually i only stop because i have to, and then i re-watch it the next day thanks to youtube.
why? you might be wondering.....oh my, more confession time....
his choreography is twisted, sexy, wild, complex, intense ~ and that feeds my alter-ego {the one i confessed about a long time ago who secretly wishes she was a killer spy ninja girl like uma thurman in kill bill} with the most delicious eye-candy feast.
because i like you all so much i want to share some of wade's work with you. if you watch sytycd you probably recognize his work, but if not you're in for a huge smack up side the head of super hip, super sick, super creative, super amazing choreographic vision ever to be given to stage. {yes wade rocks me that much} there's a ton to be seen on youtube, so i'll just keep it to two clips:


{this is a reel from his website ~ a nice mix of some of his most recent work}


{this is last week's group piece by robson ~ ignore the lame camera angles & cuts, and pretend nigel isn't involved and this is one helluva group performance}



{bummer about the poor video quality, but hopefully you get the feel for what i'm raving about}

6.18.2008

you make my day

it's taken me a week to get around to acknowledging this honor, but better late than never.....
my darling friend-from-afar, relyn, bestowed me with the "5 blogs that make my day" award.
i was {am} so flattered and a bit surprised. the company my lil' swellspring is in with the other 4 recipients was so lofty-lovely that i am over-joyed to be on the same list. the responsibility that comes along with this award is to return the favor and select 5 new blogs to give the award to.
i'd love to include relyn's gift to the blogiverse, come sit by my fire, but alas the rules require we not include the one who gave it to us. luckily there are many other fantastic blogs who make my day to choose from....actually it's a blessing and a curse because it's so very difficult to choose only 5. so please know that every blog listed on my lovely links sidebar makes my day, i've tried to select blogs who haven't yet received the award, and it's just in the spirit of the award that i'm sticking to the rules {ha ha}.
and those rules are:
1) write a post with links to 5 blogs that make me think and/or make my day {not including the one who gave it to you}
2) acknowledge the post of the award giver {overflowing gratitude to relyn!}
3) tell the award winners they have won by commenting on their blogs or emailing them with the news

the 90/10 rule ~ teri lives in san francisco and infuses her both-sides-now musings with her great sense of humor and reality-clear perspective. it's very refreshing. she has an incredible eye for fashion and is my go-to gal for all fashion related advice & information. she also is a very talented baker ~ i've had the pleasure of baking with her so i know first hand she has amazing skills. but what you might not get from reading her blog is this lady is more knowledge hungry than i am ~ she dives into things with full gusto, and has an awe-inspiring fever to learn and grow and try new things. she also tells it like it is. every time. there's no b.s. fluff in her ~ and i gotta say i admire that so much. she loves you & life so much she will paint the most dismal picture if that's what reality is at that moment. now, that is truly celebrating what's real. and there's always some humor in it too ~ she certainly can laugh at her foibles and yours, and get you to giggle along with her. as i've said before, i really really admire her.


mackin ink ~ karey lives in jordan with her 3 beautiful daughters and is one of the most talented writers on the entire internet. every single time i read her blog a fountain of emotions comes up. she is truly an artist with her pen and perspective. her relationship to her family is so wonderful, and she sees things through so many beautiful lenses. i have a feeling you'll become as addicted to her charm as i am, if you aren't already.



the froth ~ chloe lives in greece and shares her life there in such a way that i want to climb into every picture she takes. i've always had a desire to vist greece, so i guess i am a bit biased, but chloe's images can inspire anyone to want to be there too. she has a warm generous heart and bright spirit. her luscious creative energy just leaps out of her blog with every post. someday i'm going to greece and i will get to hug her with gratitude for all that she gives. someday.


hula seventy ~ andrea lives in portland, oregon and in her i feel like i've met a kindred spirit ~ well we haven't actually met, but i still imagine it this way. she lives in my home state, she's a dancer, she's crafty & creative, and she clearly has a real sparkle for life. if we get the pleasure of meeting, i already know we'd have a ton to talk about and a friendship would form so naturally and quickly it would be like it's always been there. reading her blog reminds me to pay attention to the little things, to seek beauty everywhere, and to never forget my roots.


alex.tango.fuego ~ alex is my starry-eyed surprise of the blogosphere. he's a texan tanguero who makes ladies swoon with his charm. he's multi-talented, and insightful, and aware, and open {a taoist in our midst}, so he blogs about a myriad of very interesting things ~ mostly tango-related, but there's a lot more there to enjoy as well if you're not in to tango. and if you're not a tanguera, his blog will likely make you way more curious & interested....if for no other reason than the hope of someday getting to melt into his embrace. we've also discovered quite the kindred spirit connection and my adoration continues to grow. he's my favorite man in the blogiverse, all of texas, and perhaps even beyond....only time will tell, since we're already planning a photoshoot of my babybump when he visits sf this fall.



diana:muse ~ what a design diva dream come true diana is! her blog is full of delicious eye-candy, with delightful inspiration around every corner. if i could start a partnership in a business of making people's lives & spaces more beautiful and functional, then diana is definitely one i'd want to do it with. she's got a great eye, a wise mind, and she inspires me to no end.


where's my daughter {aka jendita's blog} ~ i recently did a lengthy post for/about jenni on her birthday, so i won't go into too much detail now. but i'll just say her blog is a nice little picture of the real life in san francisco of a very active, insightful, talented, creative, beautiful and fun woman who i adore entirely. so please dig right in!

p.s. if you haven't figured it out already i'm a naughty rule breaker. i couldn't keep it to 5 ~ ooops!

6.17.2008

design-lush

i'm so excited to discover and share designlush! its innovative collection of contemporary furniture is fully dedicated to the art of good design. their unique hand crafted collection {many designed exclusively for them} are created by designers and artisans who clearly appreciate and understand the philosophy of both design and furniture making. in addition to their retail line, designlush develops and fabricates custom designs for the trade, creating one of a kind pieces for designers and architects for use in residential, hospitality and visual-merchandising projects. and, yes that is a concrete platform bed frame in the photo above ~ hotness! {single slab pine and glass library shelves}

{black walnut & pine coffee table}

{coffee table: open glass box with american black walnut slabs}

{naughty and woody lamps ~ walnut or maple veneer floor lamps}

{neapolitan bamboo & salvaged walnut media console}

{aurora acrylic coffee table}

{quad acrylic book shelf}

{firefly table lamp with acrylic base}

6.15.2008

invitation: milonga en el museo

would you be so kind as to join me in a celebration of argentine tango dance and music at the de young museum in san francisco's golden gate park. . . .
friday evening, june 27, 6:30 pm
hosted by terence clarke and beatrice bowles
admission to the milonga: free

6.13.2008

where i'd rather be

wonderful news: it's friday! now i can officially breathe a little deeper & rest a little longer {it's been a stressful week at work}.
the only dilemma is, i can't decide if i'd prefer to take a nap here:

{foglie iron bed by tuscan hills}


or here:

{the cocoon hammock, by henry hall designs}



maybe i'll just go for both? :o) which would you choose?
hope you have a rejuvenating weekend!

6.12.2008

um...brella bowls!

wouldn't these be a lovely addition to a summer party table? due to my obsession with umbrellas, these would make any table a happy festival in my eyes. benjamin hubert is quite the brilliant product designer ~ to see his website and other prodcuts go here.


{thanks, ms.fabulous 90/10, for the link ~ i miss you}

flower sense

the fabrics & textiles diva, tricia guild {also of designer’s guild fame}, explores the transformative power of blossoms in her new book flower sense. loaded with candy-colored photographs and innovative ideas for displaying flowers and plants in color-saturated city rooms, vintage environments, modern spaces and country settings, the book reflects guild’s vibrant and romantic approach to design. there’s a section on versatile and accessible arrangements for parties, as well as a practical chapter devoted to proper flower care and preparation for long lasting arrangements. i just love how well she blends contemporary with romantic!

{photos by james merrell, found on elle decoration}

6.10.2008

reap what you sew

this is one of the best urban interactive art projects i've heard of in a long time ~
michael swaine sets up his portable sewing machine in san francisco's tenderloin 'hood on the 15th of every month to be a street tailor for the afternoon. he makes repairs to whatever garments people bring him. . . . for free.
this began as part of "the generosity project: strategies for exchange in contemporary art," held in 2001 at the california college of arts. originally titled "reap what you sew," the performance consisted of swaine pushing his cart around the city on a predetermined route for an entire week. afterwards, he turned it into an ongoing project. swaine considers the project a collaboration between himself and those whose clothes he patches, mends, hems and darns ~ an opportunity to create social interaction where there would otherwise be none.
a little piece of hope & generosity amidst a lot of urban turmoil ~ and boy that feels good!

{found out about this, & borrowed photos from, here and here and here}

6.09.2008

birthday celebrations for my balance & bliss

i once read somewhere that a sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. today my sister turns 31 and i'm beaming with celebratory pride that i am so tightly connected to such an incredible lady. growing up together teaches you a lot of things about each other, some good and some not so good {we're all human of course}, so it's no wonder some siblings don't remain close. but we're lucky ones. our friendship has always been there, and grew even tighter once we both left the nest. we know more about each other than any two other people. and now we're so close that rarely one day goes by without contacting each other.
we're almost two years apart, but when we were little people often asked if we were twins. we have the same nose, and some of the same gestures & manurisms, but she's definitely a unique gem all her own. she's the younger one, but the taller one {by 6 inches}. she's the darker one, and by far the prettier one {drop-dead gorgeous, actually}. she's steadfastly loyal, has a beautiful sentimental side, and a fantastically strong will. she's a perfect gemini goddess. she's very wise and the hardest worker i've ever known. she has a calm confidence and a fantastic sense of humor ~ she's a big flirt, and makes any activity more fun. she stayed closer to home, although she did venture far enough to live with me in seattle for a while after college. she has so many talents and skills and inner gifts i couldn't begin to name them all. i am so grateful for all the balance and bliss she has brought to my life. i admire her for every thing she does and is. and there's nothing i wouldn't do for her. a sister ~ she is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. she is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. she is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. she is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child. ~barbara alpert {but that last part i haven't felt since we were pre-teens sharing the same bedroom} :o)
happy birthday, jessica grace, i love you more than words can tell!

6.06.2008

buon weekend

i hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with happy adventures! here's a hint as to what mine will entail....but don't worry, i'm just the designated driver. ;o)


{top two photos by me in sonoma; last photo from the far niente website of the oldest known bottle of wine in california}

summer lovin'

the amazing andrea over at hula seventy is hosting a summer postcard exchange ~ jump on over to her blog to see what it's all about.
care to take the plunge with me? this is what you can look forward to if you do:
a wall of summer lovin' colorful happy.
oh yeah.

6.03.2008

fascinating photography: eugenio recuenco

welcome to the magnificent photography & styling of the captivating spanish photographer eugenio recuenco.
each image takes you on a great escape to a different world. each one tells an intricate story. some shocking, some surreal, some elegant, some gritty. but every one has the unmistakable mark of genius on it.
it was difficult to narrow down which photographs to showcase here, so please venture to his website for many, many more incredible images.





{first seen on the ever gorgeous designer's block}