whats new at new ravenna?

many very nice tiles are coming out of new ravenna these days. . . . actually that's how it's always been, but i just wanted to bring them to your attention now that the greys and whites are kicking it up a notch. if only i had a bathroom to redesign right now i'd be jumping all over these beauties!

oh yes, and also: new ravenna's lead design maven, sara baldwin, has started blogging right here:

more gorgeous tiles and info abounding!

time to move

{thanks jendita for the intro!}

time travels

having few words worth sharing right now, i offer you a visual story to contemplate:

sf decorator's showcase house 2009

this year is the first since moving to san francisco that i won't be going to the decorator's showcase house. boo! not only is this showcase a fabulous way to see what some local designers can do when put to the test, but it's also one of the only ways to see some incredible old-school san francisco residential architecture. so i have always enjoyed seeing these homes from the inside as much as seeing what the designers do within each of their choosen rooms. this year the house is 2830 pacific avenue ~ built in 1910 by architect nathaniel baisdell, it is a four-story 10,000 square foot mansion in pacific heights with gorgeous views and beautiful georgian-style brick exterior architecture.
alas, instead of forming my own opinions through my own eyes, i've had to dive into the blogs of others to get a sneak peak through some one else's lense. even still, there are some interesting and inspiring interiors worth sharing with you:

first up is the entry foyer by nicole hollis


obviously "collections" is a theme nicole chose, shown on the stairwell above and in the unfortunate taxidermy case below:


orlando diaz-azcuy designed the formal dining room {yes, he's my former employer}. i really like the color palette but wouldn't feel comfortable dining underneath a bladed fixture like that and it could be awkward to speak to the person sitting directly across from you with all those vases blocking your view:


the breakfast nook and family room were designed by matthew leverone. i love his choices for both spaces ~ fresh, chic, surprising and yet simple enough to be very liveable and enjoyable for every day use.




the teenager's bedroom by palmer weiss ~ the perfect blend of hip and traditional with a young-at-heart theme:

the master suite by cecil starin ~ masculine and soothing with a neutral palette:

"her study" was designed by benjamin dhong ~ gorgeous & very creative:

if you'd like to attend, the decorator's showcase house is open until may 25th. please let me know if you visit it and what you think!

if you're unable to attend here's a link to the video tour on the california home + design website. enjoy!

{thanks to anh minh , the sunset blog and california home + design for the photos!}

what's been given

people have always said my mom and i look a lot alike. i suppose the proof is in the pudding ~ and your pudding is the photo pairing above. {that's my mama on the left in 1945, and me on the right in 1975.} growing up i didn't like this similarity because i wanted to be *just me* {yes, i was a very independent girl}, but now that i'm older i don't think it's so bad. . . . . she has aged incredibly well ;o)
although it's true she has nary a grey hair and skin that looks 20 years younger than she is, of course my appreciation goes way beyond any physical attributes i may have inherited. generosity, thoughtfulness, craftiness, musicality, supportiveness, and being a very good friend are all things i'm so grateful to my mother for giving me. and now that i am a mama too, i can hope with all hopes to be as wonderful a mother as mine has been for me.
and, my darling daughter, i hope to give you the ability to see rightly what is true and good, full awareness of your sublime beauty, unfaltering respect for your inner divine nature, and the ability to laugh deeply and often.

{alesia at 7 mo's ~ and wearing the beautiful dress sent all the way from paris by sweetheart tara!}

pretty paper cut-outs from leptitpapillon

i just discovered this fabulously talented lady via print & pattern: the butter flying is her blog and her etsy shop is here.
she's a french designer based in montreal, who creates incredible treats out of paper. her skills are like buttah!

the dogwoods are in full bloom!

i happened to drive by this gorgeousness yesterday and my heart skipped a beat. so i immediately braked, u-turned, and jumped out of my car to snap a few shots. dogwoods are one of my favorite flowering trees. there's something so satisfying and comforting in the rounded, voluptuous, heart-shaped petals so perfectly encircling a little confetti ball of bliss.

james taylor + carly simon = ben

jenni is my music connection diva. and she has come through BIG . . . . introducing me to ben taylor. and it was love at first sound.
you can find tons of great music and performances of his on youtube, imeem, et al. but here is a really great sample to get you started:

Time of the Season - Ben Taylor Band

a counterpoint to the latest dismal world news

this fantastic choreographic joy was just sent to me ~ filmed at central station in antwerp. it's uplifting to see such happy connecting radiate through the station like wild-fire. i realize it's mostly staged but there are tons of people taken by surprise who join in too, in spite of themselves. this will put a spring in your step.....just see if you can resist it!

baby name suggestions all-call

update: a name has been chosen!niana faith

{nee-ah-nuh}

i found it researching exotic names and maps ~ it's an old town in mali, in western africa.

thanks so much to everyone for all your great suggestions!

oh dear friends of the blogiverse ~ my family needs your help!

my sister & bro-in-law are having a very difficult time deciding on names for their brand new daughter. the two they had originally prepared don't quite seem to fit now that they can see their little bundle of joy in person. they have asked me to help, but so far nothing i've come up with has been it either.

and so, i'm sending it out to all of you for more suggestions. the middle & last names are determined. so far she is _____ faith king.

as you may know, her sister's name is ilia grace king {pronounced eye-lee-uh}, just as an additional reference point for suggestions.

if you could please leave comments here we'd all be ever so grateful!

i'll pass along your suggestions immediately to the new mommy & daddy and will let you all know as soon as they've made a decision.

xxoo!

{niana photo by me; name plates photo by the idealist; whats in a name photo by jack dorsey}