Mazatlan Part 1: Tile

Just returned from my honeymoon in Mexico and figured this would be a great time to resume blogging. My camera is loaded with shots of gorgeous buildings, sunsets, and cityscapes... but instead of boring you with the catalogue, today I'm going to focus on tile. Beautiful tile. On floors, around doors, climbing walls, and around just about every corner:

Such a creative way to dress up space.

Salvaged Composter!

Inspired by a recent NYTimes article on the "Zero Waste" movement, I went to the local salvage yard to buy materials to make a backyard compost container. When I arrived, I found a ready-made unit crafted out of salvaged wood.

I admittedly have to much on my plate this week, so attempting to build a composter would have been insane. The design of this unit was great- has a lid, a sliding front panel, and an overall attractive look. I bartered with the man at the yard, borrowed a friend and a truck, and brought the little guy home.

Added bonus: shots of our poppies on the front stoop:

the year of weddings

So many of my friends have found love and made commitments this year.  I feel fortunate to have been able to attend their celebrations and witness their special moments.  Recently, I had the honor of doing the flowers at Caroline and Frank's wedding in Napa.  

Ashley Forrette, a fabulous photographer, captured the beautiful couple here.  Her work is speaks for itself!

animals and roses

We can't have pets in our apartment, but we're trying to incorporate animals however we can.  Our birdie doorstop:

Our cement pig Blanco:
When we moved in, the rose bush out front looked extremely sad.  There were no buds, no blooms, just browning branches.  Over the past few weeks, it has revived itself-- maybe helped by the coffee grounds we pour on it every morning and a little watering.
The flowers came as a wonderful surprise.
And are two different colors.  Could this be two rose bushes that have melded into one?!
The kitchen table project turned out quite well.  I'll photograph and post as soon as possible.  Just keeping you holding your breath....

Work in Progress

Have been running in and out of town for the past two weeks, so the little house is still a wreck.  Today I decided to tackle painting the kitchen table and chairs. Here is a sneak peek.  I went through 5 cans of spray paint and still need to do a final once over.  Hoping to complete the project tomorrow and am still on a search for chair cushions.  Fingers crossed...

Yard Views

The side entrance to our home:

I painted the pantry wall yellow which I think makes for a sunny welcome.    As you can see, poppies grow up in just about every place they can around the home's foundation.  

Ready for the close up:

In an effort to beautify the front, we dug up the spidery plants near the walkway and put poppy seeds down.  They've sprouted and we hope to get a wave of flowers before the cold sets in!

To rival the beautiful poppies, here's a look at one of our cucumber flowers:

More from the home/garden when I get back from my trips to Los Angeles and Virginia. 

September Has Come

Many, many changes have been happening in the past month... giving me little time to blog.  But there is much to blog about: moved to a new house, am planning a wedding, finished a season of work, etc etc...

And to commemorate this fall, I splurged and bought myself a gorgeous Hermes scarf yesterday. It is royal blue the pattern looks similar to this although the colors are not the same:

I would like to find a wear to wear it everyday!  Also adore the tiny orange box it came in.  Bought me big points when walking into stores like Prada where I bought S a gorgeous tie.