Masterpiece

A highly accurate rendering of our pooch by Olive and the sitter.

Schadenfreude

Is it wrong that someone's else's expression of double-d "saddness" is bringing me joy on this gloomy Los Angeles Wednesday? Artwork not mine. This discovery came courtesy of Pinterest.

Omelette

Omelette from Madeline Sharafian on Vimeo.
Cute short by CalArts student, Maddie Sharafian. (Thanks to Joanna Goddard for posting.)

Happy Together

The antique and vintage rug selection at Woven Accents makes me want to burst out in song. It's my happy place, and I am convinced nothing pulls a room together like a gorgeous rug. That said, last week, I paid a visit to my crack dealer, Jeannene, and told her I wanted to trade in a vintage rug we had purchased two years ago. Since moving into our Silverlake crib, we've introduced a munchkin into our lives, and seeing that she's here to stay, our original living room configuration had to change. Instead of one massive rug (our old vintage, which you can peek at here, was quite large), the huz and I opted for the combination of one smaller rug (a cushy baby-friendly Moroccan) and one medium-sized one. We went with the all-over-blue-flowered piece...

The new combination is more neutral and is better in the long run because it goes with everything (spilled Cheerios, mushy Goldfish, oatmeal cookie crumbs). Placed next to our creamy Moroccan, it's pretty darn perfect. They're so happy together! Le huz loves the new set-up, and so do I. Pics to come.

Artsy Fartsy

'Sup. It's Monday.
You deserve some eye candy. 

Cecil Touchon

Post-Dogmatist Painting #457
Collage on Canvas

Sears Peyton Gallery

Bad Baby

Olive has a new nickname: Bad Baby. 

While in Taipei, she perfected her walking skills, and became super cocky. This cockiness quickly manifested itself into naughtiness. She climbs stuff she knows she shouldn't climb, throws food she knows she shouldn't throw, dry-cries non-stop to get her way... *sigh* Each time she misbehaves, the huz and I yell, "BAD! BAD BABY!" To which she responds by repeating the word, "BAD!" and following it up with a mischievous giggle. We know we shouldn't laugh (for fear of encouraging poor behavior), but we can't help it...

Munchkin Room Makeover

"Remember, I'm not a regular mom. I'm a cool mom."

Prior to the munchkin's arrival, I clocked in a ridiculous number of hours surfing the blogosphere for nursery inspiration. There are so many stylish mamas out there, and they all seem capable of balancing fun and chic when it comes to decorating a kid's space. Me? Not so much. I was determined to copy one of the uber-cool Lonny and Elle Decor-worthy rooms, and wah-lah! My baby girl would grow up to be a kind, happy being because of her fab environment, and I will earn the title of cool mom. *fist pump*

Unfortunately, as her due date got closer and closer, I found myself throwing my hands up in the air - surrendering to the interior decorating gods. The room le huz and I had hoped to put her in was a challenge to work with (three inconveniently-situated windows paired with two separate closet doors). And instead of tackling the task head on, I decided to temporarily house the munchkin in a teeny-tiny room off our kitchen - one that was intended for a maid back when in the '20s when the house was built - and basically denied her a proper play space until now. Yes, well, a year and a half later, I'm getting closer to presenting our baby girl with the rad room she deserves.

Before: Depressing cave of clutter.
(I hadn't entered the room for over a year since because the live-in-nanny had been staying here.)

After: Bright. Happy. Fun. 

We painted the room and window trim in Benjamin Moore's Swiss Coffee, got rid of the heavy charcoal gray drapes, and splurged on some dramatic wallpaper - Hicks' Grand by Cole & Son. I REALLY wanted to install toile wallpaper but ultimately decided to go with a more contemporary choice. The wallpaper is from Walnut, the grass-like shag rugs (we laid down two) and green gingham floor pillow are from IKEA, the vintage shelving unit is by Muriel Coleman, the orange Maharam zigzig pillow was purchased from Rummage, the rocker-glider is by Dwell, the African stool on which the owl is perched was picked up at the Rose Bowl Flea, and finally, the chubby owl was picked up during a trip to Tokyo from Kiddyland.

More shots of this work-in-progress to come. Curtains still need to be hung, the crib and bed need to be moved in, an overhead light fixture needs to be installed, and the closets are begging for some Container Store Elfa components...

Ma's getting closer, Olive.

Stranger Danger

It's been eons since my last post because somebody whom I now fondly refer to as "Bad Baby" has been keeping me kinda-sorta busy. As the most fabulous woman on the planet, Tina Fey, once uttered, "Being a mom has made me so tired. And so happy." Traveling with a baby into a drastically different timezone isn't exactly a walk in the park, but it's been so much fun seeing my parents, Olive's grandparents, interact with her. They're smitten with this Bad Baby.

Can you blame them? 

Bad Baby and I will be in Taiwan for about two weeks (we've got 5 days remaining). She was invited to take on flower girl duties for my brother's wedding to his elementary school crush, Lilian. *awww* A rather large responsibility, seeing that Bad Baby had ventured into a life on two feet a mere a week before her uncle's big day. To everyone's surprise, there was no meltdown at the wedding. Bad Baby put in a most valiant effort to make it down the aisle...

Many more stories to share. Will do so when we return!

Constants

She may be growing up, but the pout remains.

Make it Work

Poor Bernie has nothing else left up his sleeves. 

He contemplates a performance of expressive armpit music.

Rut

mom hair rut.

Where the Sun Don't Shine

Did you know the sun doesn't set during Icelandic summer's

I find this troubling.

Luckily, Eric and his fab partner, Chuan will be handing out eye masks as favors.

And they've enlisted yours truly to provide the doodles to be printed on 'em.

Wah-lah.

The "strong sun"...

Father of the Year

Le huz feeding le monster her breakfast (who happens to be perched on her princess-themed potty). 

* aww *

lepetitdoodles

Yo-yo-yo.
This mama's opening an Etsy shop for shits and giggles!

Doors aren't open just yet.
Hoping to upload some goodies next week.

Greta

Greta.

The heroine of one of the many books I'm working on (at snail's pace). 
Her adventures, or should I say misadventures are at times inspired by a good friend's adventures in online dating. Times are tough. So is Greta.

Flowers

Dottie Hager likes to wear flowers in her hair.

A lot of them.

Crush

Mine

Text exchange with le huz this morning.

Me: Did it hurt?
Him: Huh?
Me: When you fell from heaven.
Him: Omg

Le huz is away for Valentine's Day this year. Come to think of it, he was away for Valentine's Day last year as well. No worries. Olive's baby daddy will be back in a day. In the meantime, I've got her and Beans to cuddle with. Love overload! Wishing y'all a Valentine's Day as full of cheesy-goodness as mine...

On a side note, Olive's Uncle Jon and Auntie Lil have been in town, so we've been hard at work showing our guests around town. Yesterday we dropped by the Brentwood Country Mart for a weekday brunch at Farmshop. The monster was super pleased with her mornings eggs (dining in the company of gorgeous star Allison Williams aka Marnie from "Girls") and even more impressed by the banana split we shared at Sweet Creamery afterwards. This photo was taken after we destroyed our sundae...

Obsessed

Yellow Sunrise 1, 2008

oil on paper, 22 x 30 inches

A Boat Called Ryder, 2009

oil on canvas, 48 x 84 inches

Tug on the Hudson, 2011

oil on canvas, 48 x 60 inches

River Tug, 2012

oil on paper, 22 x 30 inches

Dogs, 2011

oil on canvas, 96 x 120 inches

The Conversation, 2010

oil on canvas, 96 x 120 inches

Sears Peyton Gallery

I first came across Kathryn Lynch's paintings while browsing my favorite store in Los Angeles, Nickey Kehoe. I recall a painting of a sunset hanging there that made me smile. There is a childlike element in her translation of landscapes onto canvas - yet there is also a clear mastery of color and light in her work... *gasp* I returned to Nickey Kehoe to splurge and buy that piece (this was years ago) but it had already been sold... *sigh* Well, her latest series of tugboats and dog park observations continue to showcase her talent. I love her work and hope to own a piece someday.

Kiss Kiss

i watch this on repeat.
love my little terror so very much.

Going Topless

Going topless.

#nunsgonewild

Wee! Oui!

Wee! Oui! 

Bumper toast. 

#regulartoast #frenchtoast

Bite of the Big Apple

Back from our whirwind trip to the Big Apple. 

I left my voice there.

And I'm pretty sure little Olive left her heart there.

From the looks on her face for most of the trip, I'm pretty sure kiddo thinks the place is faboosh.

I didn't think she was going to understand what was going on around her when we booked the tickets, but one should never underestimate a munchkin's ability to process and appreciate. My baby girl's eyes were wide-open during each stroll and cab-ride... There didn't seem to be a bite of food during each meal out that she turned down... And don't even get me started on the joy on her face when we first stepped foot into FAO Schwarz... Girl knew what was going on. And she was on a mission...

I spy tutus! Oh dear...

Mama, pandas!

And ooh! Extra-large Chupa chups! 

I lick it, I keep it!

Ahh... Vacays are always fun, but boy am I happy to be back. 

Pretty sure she is as well.

Love Affair

Le huz travels regularly for work, so like it or not, living out of a suitcase is his thing. I, on the other hand, am a house-bound martian who gets a strange kick out of being faced with the challenge of editing my life (and my munchkin's) to fit in a carry-on-sized bag.

Seeing that we've been traveling a bunch with Olive - and will be traveling even more in the months to come (read: Taiwan and Iceland) - I began researching luggage. With a baby strapped to my front, a diaper bag in my right hand, and a collapsible stroller in my left, I'm left with no limbs to spare for all our other creature comforts. There must be a durable yet light backpack out there that one, doesn't make me look like, well, a backpacker; two, maximizes the amount of items a baby and sometimes fashion-conscious mommy would require; and three, functions as international carry-on. Imagine scrambling to purchase baby-necessities in a foreign country due to lost-luggage. Gawd. There's a nightmare I never want to experience.

Luckily, I found perfection in the Tom Bihn Aeronaut. My first trip traveling with the bag and baby was to Portland for a mere two days. Not a huge challenge. But this weekend, we're meeting up with le huz in NYC. Finished packing last night, and I was amazed to find that I didn't need to sacrifice outfit options for me or the munchkin. I was able to fit four outfits for me, six for her, plenty of diapers, formula, fruit pouches and extra bottles. The bag's smart design keeps me organized (all of Olive's clothes and belongings fit into the two side compartments (I bought two of their packing cubes), while all of my clothes, toiletries and gadgets fit in the center. The satisfaction of being able to comfortably fit all our crap into a neat little package is huge. And ooh, because I am able to carry the bag on my back, hopping on and off public transportation will be painless. It was painless in Portland!

I'm not alone in this love affair. This rad Seattle-based company has more rabid fans here. Can't wait to take this baby (and my other baby - Olive) to see more of the world!

Fantastic Voyage

Le huz and I have always bonded over our love of travel. Before the munchkin's arrival, it was possible to sneak off on the occasional last-minute trip to say, New York or even Sydney... but pulling off the same kind of spontaneity with a teeny tiny infant just wasn't possible for us. Oh, the screams. The tears!!!

Well, big news for y'all... Olive is no longer an infant. And with age has come a strange tolerance for plane rides, an adoration for the iPad (Elmo!), and appreciation of all things new and never-before-seen. As difficult as our munchkin was during her colic months, she's made up for that time by being a surprisingly good traveler. Huz and I are showered with compliments each time we take her on a plane. "Best baby ever!" "I wish all babies were like her on a plane." And ooh, "Did you give her tranquilizers? She was so well-behaved!" Armed with bottles for take-off and landing, a tupperware of blueberries and our Ergo baby carrier (God-sent), this mommy and baby duo can go anywhere! At this age, she still thinks Mommy's lap is the best seat in the house. A good thing, because Mommy's lap is free...

Ahh, a mere year-old, Olive has already been to San Francisco, Boston, all-over Maine, Taipei, Portland, and soon zee Big Apple. That's right... We're New York bound this weekend - on a red-eye flight, no less. Let's hope this little jetsetter is reeeeeally sleepy through out the flight.

Keeper

Duncan tells Shelly, "I have a crush on your brain." 

#wtfthisdudeisquotingthenotebook 

#hellyeahhesquotingthenotebook

Big Poppa

I'm gon' call my crew 

you go call your crew 

we can rendezvous at the bar around two... 

#boblovesitwhenyoucallhimbigpoppa

Imagine

Odd at Sea concept art. Wheel house interior. 

Identity Crisis

"We are dancer." 

#arewehumanorarewedancer #thekillers #cupcakeswithlousygrammar

The Usual Suspects

The whole club was looking at her. 

#applebottomjeans #bootswiththefur

YOLO-ing

Darby and Franklin attempt to Robot at Los Globos.

Just Like US

Harriet realizes she's made it. 

#puhs

It rained today in Los Angeles today. Sound the alarms...