Summer land

Summer is usually a quiet time of year for us.  We stay close to home and go into a period of hibernation, until September.  You won't find us at the beach (too crowded), or our favorite hiking trails (too hot and dusty) and summer time travel is to be avoided at all costs (off-season travel is the way to go).  We reserve Summer's intensely hot days for pottering in the garden, splashing around the pool and little projects around the house.   Generally, it is a time to relax, take it easy and enjoy what is here in front of us.

This year we broke all the rules.  We have just completed a whirlwind 10 week kitchen and bath  remodel.  As first time remodelers, we learned a lot, regulated our expectations and had a lot of fun along the way.  We are thrilled with the results, I can't wait to share them with you.  I will post detailed before and after photos on that soon.  

During the remodel we spent a month in Summerland.  How can you resist a town with a name that promises the best Summer has to offer?  Now you see one of the reasons why I am such a happy remodeler...Many a lazy afternoon was spent in this hammock with a book watching bees pollinate that impressive banana flower.

We were in walking distance of the beach so naturally we spent our mornings there beach combing, spotting dolphins in the nearby kelp beds and learning to boogie board.

While we were away, we bought ripe local summer fruits like sweet Santa Rosa Pluots and tangy Apriums to turn into yet even more delicious jam. We have all been on a bread bender this Summer, eating it practically every night heaped with butter (or jam).  I like to make my own when I can and I am obsessed with this no knead recipe.  I bake mine is a dutch oven and it comes out crusty and bakery fresh every time.

Reading this book

Loving the beauty products on this site

Watching on Netflix

Good-bye Winter, Hello Spring

I am back.  We took some time away to travel and enjoy the warmth of Spring.  It always takes a while to get our routine back after the holidays and the end of winter marks the time when we end our hibernation, daily hot cocoa time, baking and general nesting.  It feels good to be outside again when the sun is warm and the breeze is cool.  My little explorer has had her backpack on, walking stick at the ready and camera loaded for adventure.  

The Happy Wanderer and Good-byes

Do you remember when I wrote this post about our garden and I explained that the first thing we did to our barren side yard was to plant hardenbergia?  Well folks, this is why we did.

A Baked Birthday

We have a Birthday trifecta in our house. during the months of December and January, all three of us celebrate our Birthdays.  My husband and our daughter are a mere 6 days apart.  Needless to say, there are many Birthday cakes baked and consumed during these celebrations.

This year my daughter had a woodland theme for her Birthday.  I found some little wooden mushrooms and a moss table runner at ACME Party Box Company and covered the walls in mushroom decals from Single Story on Etsy.

While I was baking the cake I realized that I had a definite go-to cookbook for special occasion cakes.  It was a gift from a friend for Christmas one year and after making the majority of the cakes in it, I can safely say they are delicious!

Image courtesy of bakednyc.com

Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito are the owners of Baked in Red Hook Brooklyn. Their mission was to open a "...great American bakery that is not a cupcake shop".  They both write that they really, really enjoy dessert, and it shows.  The recipes offer a new take on old classics like Grasshopper cake, German Chocolate cake and Red Velvet.

Last year's Salted Caramel cake was delicious but this year she chose the Red Hot Red Velvet.  The recipe acknowledges that, while the original cream cheese frosting for this cake is delicious, they felt that it could be updated by making a cinnamon buttercream instead and adding Red Hots.  The result was delicious.  It made a large three-layer cake, big enough to freeze the left-overs and enjoy some after the Birthday celebrations have ended.

Winter Beach Day

The winter is my absolute favorite time to walk along the beach.  I know that most may prefer the heat of the summer sun, loads of beach towels, smell of copper-tone in the air and a good book, but the beauty and quiet of a cooler beach is for me.  Walking barefoot in the sand with a chill in the air...it's like something out of a Nancy Meyers movie, white turtleneck and all.

We had the whole beach to ourselves today (another benefit of winter beach trips).  The dog ran free, we hunted for sea glass and had a delicious picnic of blackberries, sugar snap peas and tomatoes.

One of many great things about homeschool is our ability to learn anywhere and take little day trips like these during the week.  During lunch we worked on multiplication using these great little Wrap-Up devices.  She is addicted to them and mastered the States and Capitals quickly.

After lunch we attempted to fly a kite but the wind wasn't in our favor.  We go through several kites every year, some we lose in the surf and some just become tangles beyond repair.  This one has held up very well though and flies easily with little effort.

We have tried flying Japanese kites in the past.  They are beautiful but they have been difficult to get off of the ground.

More great items inspired by kites here, here and here.

Little Holga

We gave our daughter a Holga camera for Christmas this year.  She has a good natural eye for photos and was used to using my iphone camera on a daily basis.  I wanted to give her a film camera to help her slow down, be selective and enjoy the experience of looking at life through the lens.

After learning to load the film (Film!  Imagine that) we were off bright and early after sunrise to get the best light.  What I love about the Holga for her, is that it is a completely functional, yet affordable camera that she can make her own.  Holga cameras are made of all plastic materials and tend to let in light leaks.  This leads to a desirable darkening of corners, or vignetting, that is unique to each camera.  

It feels a little clunky to hold in your hand and during our first roll I wondered if it was actually even working.  We have persevered though and she has begun to feel comfortable with her little plastic friend's unique personality. 

Now, if we can just remember to take the lens cap off.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  I hope that your 2013 has been enjoyable so far.  We spent a very happy holiday at home in Los Angeles this year and took a trip to Texas unexpectedly to spend time with family.  We ate great food and began a few new holiday traditions.

This year, instead of making the same tired New Year's resolutions that rarely last past January, we decided to try something new.  Everyone received their own notebook for Christmas, and in it, we each wrote our goals and hopes for the new year ahead.  We have put these notebooks away until next year, when we will read them and talk about how we each did with our individual goals.  Hopefully they will be a success and we will add to them each year.

We also took a trip to this magical woodland cabin.  It was built in the 1920's, had a lot of woodsy character, and had a wonderful view from the top floor.  This was my view lying in bed.  

We were lucky enough to have 5 inches of fresh powdery snow for sledding and making snowmen.  

It also gave us a good excuse to sit by the cozy fire, bake a batch of sugar cookies and break out the new Christmas board games.

What did you try this year that was new for the holidays?  Any new traditions?