A Ballard walk

This weekend was so gorgeous. We took a walk down to the Ship Canal, and I took my camera along. I don't pretend to be a great photographer but I will share some of the better ones, anyway. I love Ballard!


Cherry trees!






65th Street:




37th Ave NW:




I like the way they modernized this 1950's brick home with the rock and pig wire railing:




Road that leads down to the Ballard Locks. This a bridge for the train:




I'm pretty sure this is the little beach house on the canal, where my uncle John and aunt Sharon are moving in June (guess where I'll be hanging out!?):






This is where the ship canal enters into the Puget Sound:






Below is my neighbor's crazy tree. I'm dying to know what kind it is. It was gigantic, and really really weird looking.





Ok, that's it for now. Sorry there hasn't been another continuation of the Spring Jewelry Trends post like I promised. They are still coming but instead of researching jewelry, I've finally been back to making it!

I've got spring on the brain

Happy President's Day! I wish that I could share in everybody's joy of having the day off, but unfortunately I have a marketing plan to write, an op-ed to write, and a client meeting. Yuck. Sometimes I do miss the days of a 9-5 with guaranteed holidays and paid time off.

Another sunny day though...I am loving this change in weather. We went up to Bellingham this weekend to visit my mom. The weather was gorgeous and the temperature was surprisingly warm. In these long, rainy winters, I find it easy to forget about Washington's scenery. The drive home yesterday was just beautiful. Snow on the tops of every mountain, bright sun, blue sky. I wish I would have brought my camera along.

Here are a couple other photos that I'll share instead, from a similarly sunny day. This is Shilshole Bay/Marina, just underneath the bluff that's a few blocks away from our home. The water was so blue this day!





I'm loving our new neighborhood, it's so quiet and friendly. I like our little block, and think I will like most of our neighbors -- who I'm sure we'll get to know come gardening season. I'm noticing that the grass in our yard is slowly beginning to grow though, and I'm really intimidated by the amount of yard work that's staring us in the face. As soon as spring breaks, our weekends will no longer consist of sleeping in late, making brunch, and having a lazy day of making jewelry and watching sports. But, I'm looking forward to the unexplainable satisfaction that gardening can bring, and I'm glad that Brian's dad is excited about teaching me how to care for things. Our yard is just crazily packed with fully mature plants and trees of every variety. It will be interesting to learn the intricacies of each one.

Ok, back to work now.

Happy Birthday Lindsay!

My friend Lindsay, one of my best friends since junior high school, is celebrating her birthday today!

Here's to being young and hot, Linds!

Jagerbombs!

Spring '08 jewelry trends - Part I

It seems like yesterday that I was researching and writing about fall jewelry trends. Time flies in these long, cold, rainy months, doesn't it? Well spring is on the way, and while you shed that layer of sweaters and scarves, you'll be making more room to express your style through jewelzzz. So here's what to look out for.

Spring Jewelry Trends

Saturation
Lots of color. Tomato red. Electric blue. Neon shades of pink, yellow, and green. Yellow will be big again this spring.

Mod electric earrings, by Totinette. $16.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8307129

Pony earrings, by Trove Designs. $25.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9420426




Mini to the nines earrings, by boldsimple. $14.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9448635



Seeing Red, by marie fly fly. $30.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9450497


Gemstones
Gemstone jewelry is making a comeback. Especially those in yellow tones (citrine, yellow topaz, amber), and blue tones (aquamarine, blue sapphire, lapiz, London Blue, chalcedony). Rock crystal, which is clear, will also be big.

The Kelly, by Dana LeBlanc Designs, $48.00
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9166775

Faceted aquamarine drops with 14K gold-fill, by Raraavis. $28.00. www.etsy.com

Geometric rock crystal on 14K gold-fill chain, by Raraavis. $26.00. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7133522

Big bold necklaces. Geometric shapes. Multi-strand necklaces.

Long beaded necklace, by Hazell, $125.00
www.etsy.com

The Monaco, by Dana LeBlanc Designs. $54.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9489985




Yellow and gold freshwater pearl triple strand necklace, by fantcastle. $35.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5657877


Bows



Delicate bow necklace, by Rachelle D. $12.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9494948




Glass jar bow necklace, by Autum Leah. $12.50.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8030589




My pretty baby bracelet, by Opulent Oddities. $32.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9534256


Tribal themes.
From carved beads to natural-inspired materials such as wood, coral, bone, and coconut, jewelry is going primitive.




Hand wrapped coconut ring, by tomate, d epingles. $20.00
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5420798



Blood red coral and vintage silver tone pendant necklace, by Curly Sue. $25.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8385716





Trade wind hoop earrings, by Kim B Designs. $36.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8755245




Kalar wood earrings, by Salt Run Designs. $16.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9070576


Charm bracelets.



Opal pearl, gold, rhinestone vintage charm bracelet, by Original Jewels. $80.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7406754




Love and adornment vintage charm bracelet, by Just Be Designs. $30.00.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9543300


Stay tuned for more spring jewelry trends later this week!

Paint dilemma

So this week, we decided to paint our dining room a bright color to, in my mom's words, "inspire appetite, and conversation."

Brian painted Benjamin Moore's Tangerine Dream up in a few places on our walls and I can't quite get used to it. It's so drastic, and without any real furniture or window coverings in there, it almost looks like we're teenagers with a wild-haired idea.

I was inspired by this amazing photo of a room designed by LA-based interior designer Jarrett Hedborg (excuse my off-centered scan/crop, which really impedes on the symmetrical beauty of this room). The wall color pictured here is Tangerine Dream.



I just love the retro 1940's look, which could really work well in our 1948 home. The problem is, one of the reasons this looks so awesome is the bold contrast -- provided by the dark rug, the lime green couch, the bright yellow lamps. And it's probably rather important that they have two huge and rather neutral pieces of framed art. To date, we essentially have nothing in our dining room, so Tangerine Dream might look extremely bizarre. Should we do it, and risk looking like (temporary) fools?

A big week

This week has been so insanely busy; I've been working till midnight almost every night. I can't believe I'm even finding time to post today, as the big fundraising event at Seattle Design Center that I've been planning is tonight, but I guess I've been so organized up till now that it's sort of like a "show up and execute" situation.

I've been supremely stressed out but something beautiful has emerged out of the quagmire of never ending work. I've received a lot of support from my two favorite men in my life, Brian and Puli.

First, Brian decided that he would worry about all of our dinners this week. I thought, "Cool, pizza. I don't have to cook." But on Monday night I was pleasantly surprised with a restaurant quality Curried chicken and sweat potatoes over Basmati rice - and on Tuesday I was surprised with Chicken with roasted lemons, artichoke hearts, and capers, over angel hair pasta.





Both dinners were really delightful! I didn't even know he could cook! Up till now, he's cooked a real "from scratch" dinner once, and I've been begging for that same dinner ever since (Greek Spaghetti). Two dinners in a row is unbelievable, and he was going for a third until I suggested going out for drinks and appetizers last night at this new bar in Ballard.

What got into him? It's so adorable. I feel that having someone cook for me is one of the biggest treats of all time. I just love it.

Back to Puli. Last night I was creating guest file folders and he decided to really jump in and help.





The particularly funny thing is that he didn't fit in that box, at all. His rear end crushed and hung out the back of the box.

Less than 24 hours to go before I get my life back!

Peter Jennings (the cat)

It's official. Peter Jennings needs a new home.

Many of you know this funny cat. He is a real weirdo.

My friend Carrie rescued him from a homeless girl as a 7 week old kitten - the rest of his litter were tortured and killed. He's had a hard life. And now he is making my life hard.

Ok here's the situation. He HATES living with other cats. And one day I found myself living with 3 cats. This is not only too many for one house, but it's too many for Peter Jennings. He is begging for a one-cat owner - someone with a yard. Someone who will let him run free, feed him daily, and give him high-fives. He is a hard hitting journalist. He doesn't have time for emotional moments. He loves to catch rodents and be crazy.

Anyone have any ideas?

Krista