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Weekend Meanderings- Nancy Meyer’s Remodel, Wimbledon, a Day Out in Danville & More

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It’s time for our Weekend Meanderings with Elizabeth and Juliet ! It’s been a week so this extra holiday weekend is much needed by all here in America I think.. We are heading to Tahoe for a few days and I hope we will to get some quality nature and family time in and if I’m lucky some reading by the lake..

A few good things this week..

Nancy Meyer’s Home Remodel in AD

I was very excited to hear Nancy Meyer’s own Provençal style Los Angeles home was going to be featured in Architectural Digest this month after my Instagram friend in the Netherlands alerted me. Thanks Sally!

This article delivered with many beautiful photos of the home and Nancy herself. In the article Nancy tells how once she was an empty nester in the house where she raised her daughters, she felt it was too large, so began building a smaller replica of her home next door. In the interim two years while it was being built, she had fun changing up the original with paint and little tweaks, and fell back in love with it, stayed and sold the new build. The California classicist, Mark D. Sikes did the design with her and there is more about how they worked together in the July issue of the magazine.

You could say her style is California elegant- lots of white, punctuated natural elements like rattan, a little black here and there, stacks of books, pretty pillows, lovely pieces of art, and fresh flowers. This is good living at it’s best and her interiors always look comfortable and inviting! I’m all for this kind of style that’s homey more than showy.

Are you a Nancy Meyer’s fan? If so I am interested to know what’s your favorite film or interior? My favorite is It’s Complicated, and the Santa Barbara home of the baker heroine played by Meryl Streep. The whole article and all the photos online here or in the July issue of AD.

Wimbledon Chat

Are you glued to the television like we are during Wimbledon? I have been trying to limit myself to one match a day, sometimes I record it and watch in the evening. I’m rooting for all the young players who are making it up the ranks. Emma Raducanu who won the French Open is one of my favorites.. How do you like her $37,000 worth of pearls and diamonds she is wearing? Apparently she is sponsored by Tiffany! I just wonder how much sun and sweat those kind of pearls can take?

Also loving Coco Gaufe and I am a fan of Tsitsipas only because he looks like my teen crush Bjorn Borg who adorned my teenager walls.

Vogue has a fun piece with the best on court looks at Wimbledon over the years. You know they are very strict still and you are supposed to wear white and only white, no exceptions, and no accents! They still ask people to change clothes. Some of my favorites from the article.

Lunch date in Danville

Last Friday I met Juliet for a working lunch and a little shopping. I hadn’t been to Danville in about twenty years and it has changed a lot. The little downtown is very charming and there are many sweet shops and restaurants. We stopped in two of them, Eye for Pretty a wonderful home shop, and Flaunt, that has home and beautiful clothing. Flaunt is owned by Ashley, who writes the fun blog, Modern Glam Home. Both are great shops and Juliet and I were dying over so many things..

Juliet at Eye for Pretty, above

Flaunt below .. I loved this dress on Juliet in the blue stripe with little lemons. It was made for our Ms Spritzer..and she looks good in everything !

Juliet made us reservations at the cutest restaurant, Locando Ravello, where I had caprese salad and she had a chicken parmigiana.. I highly recommend the very authentic and delicious Italian food here. Normally you’d want to sit outdoors in the cute patio, but that day was nearly 100, so we opted for inside.I plan on coming back here with Max some summer evening.

I loved the blue decor, which reminded me of Sorrento. The caprese dish was so delicious, it inspired me to recreate it in a small version on our Travel Inspired Appetizers, earlier this week, in case you missed it.

Serena & Lily Sale

I know I have mentioned Serena & Lily sales before, but I get a lot of inquiries about my house things like my Montara Mirror below, and I like to let people know when their things go on sale. Right now the entire site is 20% off – use code SPLASH.

It’s also a great time to get their towels which I love, and I am seriously considering three of these Headlands Pendants for above my kitchen island. My current ones are no longer functioning, and these have a pretty look and decent price too..

From the S&L website.. I kind of love this look..

The Serena & Lily sale ends on July 5th.

Our rights…

Thanks to all who read and left messages, many very personal about the overturning of Roe last week. I was so moved by the comments and some private messages, which I will share on stories. I am collecting them all. Women amaze me, what we go through in our lives with pregnancies, births, and also those living with the trauma of sexual assault..

More of us than not, have had struggles with all of these things and yet we are stoic. So many move through life and others don’t even know what scars we are carrying. It blows me away the bravery and toughness of women and the selflessness. That’s one reason why taking the right to decide what happens to our own bodies and consequently, our lives, for half the nation is beyond cruel.

This article about the participants of a years long landmark study was a shocking and sad comparison of what the lives were like in later years for the women who were denied abortion, compared to those who were not.

Amy Odell’s Back Row ( an excellent blog) this week, exposed the hypocrisy by some companies who say they’ll support women needing abortion help, and yet have money going to PACs that support lawmakers who have be vocally opposed to Roe.

An article we all need to read on Global Citizen- ‘What happens in nations where abortion is banned? Lessons from around the world.’

This page has all the abortion funds in the United States by area, so you can choose to help a fund near to your home, or perhaps one that needs more support.

Well that’s my meanderings for this week. Please stop by Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs and see what’s on their minds this week..

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MAKE MINE A SPRITZER

Thank you for being here.

Kim

If you missed last weeks meanderings, living like an Italian, California casual dresses, a day trip in Aptos, a cite Santa Cruz cottage for sale and more here.

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month and every Saturday for Weekend Meanderings.

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Appetizers Inspired by Travel!

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Say summer and I think of travel! Even though we haven’t gone far this summer, I’ve so enjoyed seeing people’s travel posts again after the past two years of quarantine. They are bringing back wonderful memories of sweet places in the world I hope to get back to someday- like England, Italy and France, and the Netherlands- and others that are still on my bucket list!

Last Friday I met my ‘Weekend Meanderings’ pal Juliet for a working lunch up in adorable Danville and she made us reservations at the most authentic and charming restaurant for lunch, Locanda Ravello. They describe themselves as ‘a slice of the Amalfi Coast in the heart of Danville’. Are you already enchanted? I had the caprese salad and it came with heirloom tomatoes and a heavenly burrata topped with pesto. I don’t think I have enjoyed a meal so much ever and could not stop talking about it to my husband.

Then Saturday we went to the new Eataly Silicon Valley, a three story Italian food extravaganza which was mind blowing. Coincidentally at the same time, I’ve also been enjoying the fun, ‘How to be Italian,’ book that I wrote about on last weekend’s blog.

So when Annie asked me to join this group, you could say that Italy was top of mind. My first thought was how to recreate that fabulous lunch in an appetizer size?

Caprese Bites

For my mini version, simply slice a medium or smaller size baguette diagonally, rub each with the cut side of a garlic clove, layer in a baking tray, drizzle with a fair amount of olive oil, malden sea salt, and toss with your hands to coat the slices. Lay out flat and toast in the a 400 degree oven until slightly golden on edges, but still a bit chewy, about 8 minutes. The key is to take them out while they are a bit crunchy yet with a chewiness, not crisp hard.

When cooled, top each slice with a slice of tomato, (garden or farmer’s market variations are the best tasting), a slice of fresh mozzarella, and a small dollop of pesto. I used Trader Joe’s Kale, Cashew, Basil Vegan Pesto, which was a first and it’s pretty good. You could also make your own, or in a pinch just add a fresh basil leaf. I tucked basil leaves around the dish. To recreate the look from wonderful Locando Ravello, you could add green olives and arugula.

It would be beautiful on one of those hand-painted Italian platters. Since I don’t have that, I opted for this long oval Torino Platter I love from Hudson-Grace.

I just happened to take these out when Max finished work and Griffin’s friends came by. The feedback was positive, so that made me happy! Obviously the better your tomatoes are, so will these bites be. I have been loving the darker red/green Kumato tomatoes from Trader Joes and those seemed to make the best versions of the bites. Highly recommend them!

Some things you may need..

Now please go see what delicious appetizers my friends are sharing on these blogs…


Most Lovely Things

My Sweet Savannah

Sheri Silver

Thanks for being here!

Kim

If you still have travel on the brain, you may enjoy this post with my travel essentials..This is one of my most read posts, A Guide to Traveling Abroad with Kids and my most popular post, What to Pack for Carmel and Monterey, that I update frequently.

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month and every Saturday for Weekend Meanderings.

Some links will generate a small commission here, which helps make this blog possible. Thanks so much for your support!

Weekend Meanderings -Live Like an Italian, Easy California Dresses, a Day in Aptos & More

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It’s time for my Weekend Meanderings with Elizabeth and Juliet and all our obsessions of the moment.

As someone said yesterday, ‘I am sick of living in unprecedented times’, and I could not agree more.

I couldn’t post without expressing my outrage on the the unbelievable striking down of Roe v. Wade yesterday. I felt sick about it and also so angry. We now have less rights than our mothers over our own bodies. My mother and grandmother would never believe this. We are one of four nations in the world banning a women’s right to choose – Afghanistan is another. That tells you who our peers are on human rights now.

What I think upsets me most is the people (so often infuriatingly men) bragging about how they’ve been working towards this for years. What exactly were they working toward? Pressing their religious beliefs on others? Making sure that every child conceived is born? Making women live with an unwanted pregnancy? It’s ludicrous. And it’s going to be deadly for women in so many ways.

This law will affect women of low income the most. We know that 60% of all women seeking abortions ALREADY have a child. This is a choice between women and their medical doctor. A friend’s very religious mom said to me why is there even a law? She believes this is between a woman and her doctor. Now in America now have a law telling woman what they can do with their bodies, but there is nothing about men’s bodies.

Why do we want more babies born into poverty, minimal education opportunities and dire family situations? It’s a recipe for more crime, poverty and more societal woes. If we are ‘pro-life’ we should care that every child that is born to have the best upbringing, food, shelter, love and education. In states where these mandates are happening, they have records of terrible support for women, families and social assistance.

Conservative church groups promising formula, diapers, and baby blankets aren’t going to fix that. And those same people, who so celebrate these births are NOWHERE to be found once these kids got to school hungry, in crap neighborhoods with broken families and later become teens on the streets. Pro-life means caring for all stages of life and clearly that is not happening after birth with these groups. The same pro life people are okay with assault rifles wreaking havoc in our children’s lives and letting any 18 year old have a weapon meant for war. You can’t have it both ways people. You can’t care only for the fetus, but that is exactly where their concern ends.

What we need is a nationwide walk-out, a strike of all women and men who want to say no this is not America and we won’t accept it. We need to register every warm body to vote in the next election too.

Today this is how much this law affects our nation via the New York Times...

………………………….

We are officially in summer now and I am loving it. It’s been a bit warm, but the promise of summer gets me so happy, even if it’s just a late night trip to get ice cream or a day at our local beach. It’s not even the doing, but the thinking of maybe doing, that gets me happy. I am also enjoying people’s travel posts and seeing where in the world people are going. It’s a joy after two years of staying close to home.

Aptos Gems

Speaking of local travel, Max and I did a fun beach day last week, at Aptos. We left early before the traffic backs up on highway 17, and had a very long walk on the beach, called Sumner or to locals, Beer Can Beach, then hiked up the trail to Seascape Resort. I did this walk almost 5 mile that day), in flip flops, but I would recommend something with more support, especially for the path to the resort. You could make the walk longer or shorter depending on how far you continue down the beach.

We love this beach and it’s kind of a quiet one. You can walk both ways and going north you hit Rio Del Mar, another beach town with a few eating spots. We planned on grabbing lunch at Seascape, which is south of the stairs but they seemed to be understaffed. Instead, we walked across from the resort to the Seascape shopping center, a little enclave that is under the radar! We ended up at a very good Mexican spot called Palapas upstairs with ocean views and the nicest people.

Stairs to the beach and lunch at Palapas.

Afterwards we checked out the cute shops and I am now officially a fan of Seascape Foods a small grocery/deli/bakery and general store. I was amazed at the just made gourmet sandwiches and noticed they have morning burritos, the freshly baked cinnamon rolls, house made bread, salads, juices and fresh local coffee. The store is owned by a couple and one does the baking. Very fresh produce is everywhere, along with staples and snacks and just cut lavender from a local farm and plants! My photos don’t do this place justice..

I went home with a beautiful throw and a basket to hang a plant. I had to hold myself back from buying more baskets. The owners obviously have a good eye and you can find gorgeous home items. I can’t wait to go back. It was like a beautiful bazaar!

There is also a darling women’s store in this center, where I bought a new hat, a pizza spot, wine shop, flower shop and lots more.

My hanging plant basket, new throw and hat…

This is excellent stop to grab a lunch to go at the deli ( or eat on the benches there) or have a Mexican lunch with a view. For parking, this beach is accessed through a neighborhood, but you must go early!

How to be Italian!

A wonderful little book, How to be Italian, came on my radar last week and I ordered it straightaway. I am just beginning this fun guide which is a perfect summer escape and reminds us how to slow down, savor life and enjoy the little things. There are lovely photographs and chapters on Italian thought, culture, fashion, food and dolce far niente: the sweetness of doing nothing. If we can’t get to Italy this summer, at least we can try and live like one!

Rails Dresses

With the weather so warm, I just want to live in dresses that are light and comfy. A friend wears a lot of Rails which is a California brand and has the California casual vibe. These are the kind of dresses I will grab over and over again and make it easy to look pretty on the hottest days. Just add some cute sandals, a straw bag and pull your hair in a bun and you’re good to go. Some of the Rails dresses:

I’m loving this Valentina Dress in white, this green floral Constantine Dress

Also super easy is the Tara Dress in blue stripe and the Ashlyn Dress and the Arielle Dress..

You can find more Rails dresses here and here. The run pretty true to size and I am a medium in these.

Target

On my quick trip to Target this week, I spied some seagrass lanterns that are excellent quality and would be darling on a table or in the porch or yard. They come in two sizes, $20 and $25. I love when Target has something so affordable and looks nice too. I’m obsessed!

Target also has some of the new solar outdoor candles for these which is so easy. No more batteries!!

While at Target I also found a dress.. This sundress is so nicely made and our store had the only the floral Hawaiian print, but I loved it. The smocking on this dress makes it look expensive, is flattering and you could possibly get away wearing this without a bra. The smocking camouflages a lot. It also has pockets!

Just a few of the other prints it’s available in.. This is a nice quality dress!

Santa Cruz Beach House

This little beach cottage showed up on the listings this week, It’s the perfect size for a beach cottage and I love the shingle style and shabby chic look of the interior. This cottage has a view to the ocean along a river and it’s in a great area near Pleasure Point. It is so charming I had to share here. Now if it was only about a million or so less..

Listing here.

A hopeful video on NYTimes..

A lot has happened the past few weeks, but I haven’t stopped reading and doing more research on the gun violence epidemic. It’s heartening that we passed some legislation to help, though I wish assault weapons were banned, and it’s horrible the new Supreme Court ruling that people do not need a concealed weapon permit.

One heartening piece in this time of dismay was this video about how a CDC researcher who wanted to use gun statistics to end gun violence and and an NRA advocate in congress who crafted some of the laws restricting gun information, came to be dear friends. The man who crafted the laws, came to regret it and later was working for change and gun control. It shows we can come together and solve these issues when we listen to each other instead of retreating to sides. Both of these men really seemed like good people. If you can watch the video, I think its gives one hope, which we so need now.

Well that’s my meanderings for this week. Please stop by Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs and see what’s on their radars this week..

PINECONES AND ACORNS

MAKE MINE A SPRITZER

Thank you for being here. Have a lovely weekend,

Kim

If you missed last weeks meanderings, I had a Tahoe kayak trip for science, my new dining room rug and curtains, a lemon pound cake that is easy and so good, and a California road trip cookbook you’ll want for you library! Find that post here.

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month and every Saturday for Weekend Meanderings.

Some links will generate a small commission here, which helps make this blog possible. Thanks so much for your support!

Weekend Meanderings- a California Road Trip Cookbook, Dining Room Refresh & More

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Hi and welcome to my Weekend Meanderings with Elizabeth and Juliet. This month has been flying by. I have been loving our June weather and some of these cooler days. I can hardly believe it’s Father’s Day weekend already. Are you doing anything special? We are making Max a breakfast of French Toast per his request and then a BBQ with my dad and my boys.

On Sunday Max is meeting up with his guy friends to Circumnavigate Lake Tahoe for Science. This is a public kayak event and part of UCDavis TERC or Tahoe Environmental Research Center. The trip is a 7 day thing, but Max is just joining friends for one day of it. It’s meant to celebrate the beauty of the lake, raise awareness of threats to the lake, help do some research, and hear from scientists. Funds help raise money for Tahoe. You can read more about it here. Sounds really fun and if you can’t do this year, maybe next time? I love this organization dedicated to preserving Lake Tahoe. They also have an Instagram page to follow, so you can stay on top of events.

Nigella’s Madeira Cake

Both Max and my dad love this cake, so I will be making it for our barbecue. I am sure I shared it before, but it’s the easiest and one of the most delicious cakes. It is also spectacular served with fresh strawberries in summer.

This comes from one of my first and most favorite cookbooks, Nigella’s How To Be a Domestic Goddess. I don’t think it worked for me, but I did dutifully work through a lot of the recipes and the Madeira cake, which is basically a lemon pound cake, the first recipe in the book and a winner. The crust is amazing and this cake tastes even better the second day..if it lasts that long!

It’s an easy cake to lug to a gathering. It’s lovely for tea or a birthday and makes a sweet gift too. Go to Nigella’s site for her exact recipe that is printable, and make sure to toggle to US measurements if you need cups vs. grams. If that seems tricky, this is a screen shot of the recipe from my Cookery Bubble on my Instagram from the book.

I see on the comments someone has tried this cake with oranges as a stand in for lemons and I will try that next time! The Domestic Goddess Book is now 20 years old, but still ahead of others with its modern look and simple recipes accompanied by great stories. Still one of the best!

The Forest Feast Roadtrip Cookbook

Speaking of cookbooks, I also just bought the wonderful new Erin Gleeson Book, Forest Feast Roadtrip, chock full of recipes from all the best spots in our amazing state.

Erin lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but traveled the state during the pandemic with her young family and stayed in California’s most gorgeous places. Some of my favorite spots like Humboldt, Tahoe, Sea Ranch, Santa Barbara, and Palm Springs and others are featured in her book. Yummy recipes reflecting the tastes of those areas and along with the stunning photos in cute Airbnbs make this a must have in your California cookbook collection!

This book has over 100 vegetarian (not vegan) recipes all I am excited to try! If you’re not familiar Erin has a whole collection of her Forest Feast cookbooks, which are a treat with her watercolors, photography and healthy recipes. You can follow Erin on Instagram too.

Erin’s Santa Cruz Mountain home and her fantastic cookbook library. #goals

We’ve been making the date shakes non-stop from this book this month and they are delicious!

Dining Room Refresh

I’m slowly working my way through the house things I’ve been putting off and I thought I’d share a small change I love in the dining space..

I had a light wool rug I moved to our living room and to replace it, I had bought a darker polypropylene rug, which was supposed to wear well, but hated it. The space just felt dark. I knew I wanted something lighter and prettier here with my iron and steel table.

I found the Alamere rug on Serena & Lily. I like this for three reasons, it is a jute/wool flat weaves, the price was not outrageous, and it is reversible. I’ve been stalking it for a while and I am really pleased with it. I think it improves the space and lends a luxe look the other just couldn’t thanks to the soft colors and a raised pattern.

I also was in need of window help here. We had light woven panels, but they gave little privacy and we needed more sun filtering on hot days. I just ordered custom linen Roman style shades for some other windows (more on that soon), but custom made drapes for this long expanse start above $2,500! As I just spent money on the shades, I had to save somewhere else. I was going to order some basic white panels from Pottery Barn, but then happened on these unique panels at the Cupertino Homegoods.

I’m not a huge Homegoods fan, because I am always looking for quality, but sometimes they have just the thing. Something about these just spoke to me, and they were nice. They have a raised ogee shape that is a bit fringy. They are a dark smoky blue and are even marked down. They are Rachel Ashwell brand. Up close, this photo is making them look grey, but they’re more smoky blue.

I brought them home and four panels worked with my space. I also kept two of the woven panels for sheers in the center when I want just a little light diffusion. The panels are 96 inches and puddle a bit, which gives it even a more romantic feel and look….

So for a total of $80 I now have new drapes too. I guess you’d say this room is a little high, little low, but that’s kind of my favorite way of decorating! You can find the panels here. You can find more pretty curtain styles by Rachel Ashwell here. Her things seem to be of a nicer design and quality.

Flutter Sleeve Tops

On the hotter days I have been wearing a few flutter sleeve tops that feel pretty and feminine. I have found some here and there, and though I don’t have the most toned arms, I hope the pretty shoulder details make up for that. I just spotted this Flutter Blouse from Cloth & Stone, one of my favorite brands and it checks all the boxes for me with soft material, looser fit and well stripes..I love the fabric.

Persuasion

I was very excited to see a new film of Jane Austen’s Persuasion is out this July in theaters starring Dakota Johnson. Persuasion was the first Austen book I ever read. I remember the exact summer I read it, lounging in my parent’s yard as a college student… and it’s a wonderful book. I don’t know if the film does it justice as I see they’ve added some modern language to it.

Either way, it looks like a fun film and if you’re looking for a different summer read, this is a great time to read or reread the novel, before the film comes out.

Black Outdoor Pillows

I’ve been wanting to refresh the outdoor pillows and though I shared this post with many outdoor pillow choices, I still needed something with black to go with my yard. Annie Selke had these cute modern ones which will give my patio a graphic pop.

There is also this fun pattern on One King’s Lane, and this dotted one at Annie Selke which reverse to the opposite pattern.

The post a few weeks ago with more outdoor pillows here!

Juneteenth

Did you know this Sunday the 19th is also Juneteenth? This year will only be the second time we as a country celebrate it as a national holiday. Biden signed it into law last year, but people have been celebrating this date, marking the emancipation of African Americans from slavery in Texas for a long time.

I just found this great list of films to stream that better show the reality of being black in this nation. I think it’s a great time to take a few nights this summer to watch some of these..and share one of those films with family as well when kids are home.

Also on Instagram I follow the most eloquent woman Lynae Vanee, who does a weekly rant in her parking lot. She is funny and straight up. She’s a scholar in African American studies and I love her take on the state of the world and history and she is one to follow if you want to understand better the black experience in America. Love her and you can follow her here.

Well that’s my meanderings for this week. Please stop by my lovely pals Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs and see what’s happening in their spaces!

PINECONES AND ACORNS

MAKE MINE A SPRITZER

Thank you for being here. Have a lovely weekend,

Kim

Last week’s post had my summer go-to’s in sunscreen, shorts, body lotion, the best warm weather jacket, a beautiful pink kitchen, easy summer dress and more.

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month and every Saturday for Weekend Meanderings.

Some links will generate a small commission here, which helps make this blog possible. Thanks so much for your support!

Weekend Meanderings- Summer Essentials, An Easy Dress, a Great Read & More

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Hello it’s our Weekend Meanderings time with Elizabeth and Juliet.  I hope your week’s been nice. Ours has been heating up and we even had humidity this week. There are some things I can’t live without during the heat and I thought I’d share a few..

Carve Shorts

I love dresses, but I live in shorts most days of summer, especially when I’m at home. I don’t know what it is about these Oahu shorts by Carve Design, but they are the most comfortable and flattering pair I own. They are the tiniest cord and never look or feel tight. Last year I bought them in the cement color and wore them tons. I just ordered them in this olive, another good neutral. The inseam here in 4 inches. I like my shorts slightly oversized and bought an 8 in these.

If you like a longer short they also have a 6 inch inseam version..

Chantecaille Ultra Sun SPF 45 Primer

I love this primer and sunblock in one and how it makes my skin look. I often wear it alone if I’m not going out. It is a bit pricey, but I find it lasts a long time and has excellent ingredients that actually improve your skin over time. It has a very light feel and a little goes a long way.

Body Lotion

I also tend to get drier legs and arms and use more body lotion in summer and this Fresh Seabury is hydrating, nourishing and soothing.

Stronger Sunblocks

For sunblock, we buy ELTA MD Face and Body lotions as everyone here is sensitive and can’t use many of the drugstore brands. We love both of these and have for years. I just noticed you can buy them as a bundled together now on Amazon for the summer and save $16!

Summer Jacket

Here in California, we always need some kind of light jacket for most evenings. Last summer I bought this Tommy Bahama Two Palms Jacket and it’s been a staple that goes with so much, is light, but cozy. It travels well and I love it with shorts and over dresses and the raw edges make it look cooler than normal. I keep wondering if I should get another, but the natural color is so good with everything. The white or olive would be my second choice.

Loving Frank Book

I love getting into a good book in summer and began a new novel this week on the recommendation of an Instagram pal. Loving Frank is based on the affair that Wright had in 1903 with the wife of a couple he was building a house for. It’s a blend of fact and fiction and won countless awards a few years back. This one description of it from reviews:

“Loving Frank is one of those novels that takes over your life. It’s mesmerizing and fascinating–filled with complex characters, deep passions, tactile descriptions of astonishing architecture, and the colorful immediacy of daily life a hundred years ago–all gathered into a story that unfolds with riveting urgency.”

Sounds like a great summer read..

An easy summer dress

When the high heat hits, all I want is an easy dress to wear with slides to stay cool. This pretty indigo number came onto my radar and it ticked all the boxes. Love the color, shape and length..and well, pockets! This is another great style from Madewell who does simple California chic so well!

Microsoft’s New Green Work Space

I was able to finally take a tour of my husband’s new Microsoft work digs which I’ve been wanting to see for a while, but you know pandemic and all… He’s been talking about it for a while since it’s not only a beautiful design, but it extremely green.

It’s a work space reimagined so everyone has gardens and open spaces they are looking at or able to work in. They even have windows that crank open, and walls open to the outside. They want employees to mostly use natural light when they can and all other power sources are all from their solar. They use no municipal water except sinks and drinking water. Everything is recycled stored and reused. They actively are storing extra rainwater from their living roofs to improve local Stevens Creek and restore the habitat of 30 species.

I had lunch at one of the many restaurants and then we took a wander to the smoothie bar. Everything is in regular dishes and glasses and coffee mugs instead of disposables. Smoothies were one thing that wasn’t.

It’s light, bright and truly open air, unlike most office buildings. Birds and butterflies were enjoying the space as were workers. Obviously Microsoft has money to do this, but they are innovating how we think about work places. If work spaces can feel less sterile, and more like a home (many living room type spaces like above left), how nice is that? Wandering outside the walls to work or just open the window, get fresh air and work by sunlight, are all things we need more of. All spaces are designed around courtyards, paths, rooftop gardens and walkways that bring the outside in. I loved seeing seeing artichokes, lemons, flowers and blackberries thriving next to Max’s desk area.

I thought it was pretty cool and that’s why I wanted to share it here. It’s truly visionary and it was designed by WRNS and more about it here.

Bryce Dallas Howard’s Home in AD

Bryce Dallas Howard, star of the both the Jurassic and Twilight series, and now a director in the footsteps of her father, Ron Howard, has had an interesting life and recently built a home to reflect her life in film. It also has a lot of pink and was made to flatter a redhead, which she and her designer, Claire Thomas are both. I thought it was lovely and fun you can see more of it on AD this month here… How do you all feel about pink decor? Is it growing on us more?

Sorry if this post seems short. I had a busy blog week and also wrote a Signature Style post about the latest lipsticks I am loving here and also a Five Ways to Bring a Summer Feel to Your Home for Project Design.. So if you aren’t sick of me yet, you can click on those for more! LOL.

Well that’s my meanderings for this week. Please stop by Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs too see what’s on their radars this week…

PINECONES AND ACORNS

MAKE MINE A SPRITZER

Thank you for being here. Have a lovely weekend,

Kim

If you missed last week’s blog, I shared Jubilee fun, Father’s Day Gifts, ( still adding to those), pretty summer tops, an outdoor lantern I love and more.

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month and every Saturday for Weekend Meanderings.

Some links will generate a small commission here, which helps make this blog possible. Thanks so much for your support!

Five Ways to Bring a Summer Feel to Your Home

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Today I’m joining a fun group of bloggers for Project Design.. and today’s subject is Summer Decor Refresh. Having a deadline to share ideas here got me into gear getting the house freshened up. There have been a few things laying around, piles of winter blankets, wool pillow and a lot of clutter we just don’t need.

Summer has come upon us so fast. I noticed our local schools are out and everyone seems to be breathing a sort of collective sigh. Kids are playing in sprinklers, people are taking late evening strolls and lining up for ice cream in the evenings. This time of year goes fast, so why not make our homes have that happy vacation vibe too? Have some fun with this and think of it as ‘staging’ your home, but for your enjoyment… some ideas I’ll share.

Ways to bring a summer vibe to your home..

Bring the outside in. Get some pretty woven baskets ( I like these from Target) and drop in a snake plants or a monstera which are low care and look fantastic. I just added both of those plants. Think beach house. On my coffee table where plants tend to die, I added a faux green branch and a driftwood stick we treasure in a modern glass vase. The natural stick with the faux looks richer and gives a fresh pop to the table.

I also just got this Beaufort Tray I’ve been coveting from Serena & Lily and it was just what I needed here to lighten it and give it a California feel. I added a coral on top of these books and have some of my favorite shells scattered about. Pottery Barn also has these lovely real shells that you can add to vases or bowls.

Lighten up. Clear the floors and put away extra rugs. I love the feel of bare floor underfoot in the summer and rolled my extra throw rugs away until colder months. My faux fur throws and wool blankets got stored and we now have our linen and cotton throws by the sectional and in our basket. I love this PB throw which is perfect for a summer chair or sofa.. My wool and heavy pillows are replaced with some lighter block print and linen ones.

In my dining room I changes out a darker rug with a light colored cotton/wool Kilim style rug I’ve been saving for… which just arrived! I love as it lightens the whole house. Nice that this is a two-sided rug that I hope will last a long time!

Soften your bedding. This is a nice time to change out your duvet or heavy comforter with a cotton matelasse quilt and crisp white sheets. I’ve just taken all my older white sets out of storage and washed them with oxyclean to brighten them up. I tie them with a ribbon and place lavender sachets with them. I love white sheets in the summer. This Celeste Cotton quilt is my summer bed cover and in the winter I layer it with my duvet. Love this and it feels like a cloud.

Declutter. Go through the house and see what items can be put away for the season. Too often we live with ‘stuff’ because it’s just always there. If you walk through your home and try and put away one or two things on each surface. Summer is all about breathing room. If you must have stuff out, try basketizing things. A pretty basket can help corral mail, papers, keys and things and and looks calmer. I also switch up my books and put any summer themed books front and center.

Add in natural materials. Think island living type of materials, which give a vacation vibe. This is a good time to pull out baskets, rattan pieces, cane anything, and things with a woven feel or natural wood. I have my market baskets and hats by the door with my linen pillows I have collected over the years from Patine in Santa Cruz. I find the coolest baskets can be found at thrift and second hand stores, so keep your eyes open for those unique pieces.

I moved a floral print and a rope basket by the door. I have a faux air plant here and a chunk of coral on my books here. If you style your home as you would a vacation getaway, it will have that feel!

Don’t forget the kitchen. I love my black dishes and things, but for summer they go in the drawer and I pull out my Italian pottery bowls from Positano. Also helping with the holiday home feel are my travel souvenir tea towels, summer themed cookbooks, and a couple new plants with trailing vines. Don’t discount the produce section for decor. I love big bowls of summer peaches and apricots and baskets of tomatoes and pots of basil. They also make the kitchen smell amazing.

Give a summer welcome. Add fresh plants to your porch or entry to set the tone for your home. An easy care geranium or asparagus fern needs almost no effort and feels summertime pretty. I like extra baskets for your delivery packages or flip flops. If you need a mat, I love the look of a braided grass coir mat. You might consider adding a lantern or two with an automatic candle for that evening flicker.

I find if your treat you home like a holiday house, your summer days can feel like a vacation!

Summer home things I love…

Please go hop on over to these fab blogs and see what spring refresh ideas they have for your home. All of these women have such great ideas and style…


CARLA ASTON DESIGNED

CINDY HATTERSLEY DESIGN

CLASSIC CASUAL HOME

MOST LOVELY THINGS

Kim

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month and every Saturday for Weekend Meanderings.

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Signature Style-My Life In Lipsticks and Some New Favorites

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Hello it’s that time again for our monthly style report with Cindy and Sarah.  This month we are talking about lipsticks!

Ancient History

Do you remember your first lipstick? I remember exactly what mine was. I was nine. I know. Well it began in my fourth grade class where we were doing collages with magazines, (something I loved), and my chic teacher, Mrs Reyerson had magazines like Vogue to cut out and I was in love with the photos and the fashion. I went home and wanted to buy Vogue too, but mom said I was too young.

We met in the middle with a Seventeen Magazine subscription. That was back in the old days when magazines were huge and oversized and glossy. I poured over those pages, and could spend hours on my bed looking at the images of college girls in their knee high socks and pendleton skirts wishing I was a teenager. (I should have been doing something more productive, but hey it was the 70’s…) Thats’s why in 1974, or ’75, Yardley Pot O’Gloss was all I wanted. I could be persistent about these things and mom finally gave in, with the agreement I wear it ONLY in the house… I nay have broken that rule a few times.

This was the ad for it back then.. Imagine my mother when I showed her this.. She was a patient mom.

Oh the 70’s.. You have to love they were selling sex and straight up about it.

Later on my friend Laurie Montilla and I learned how to make our own lipgloss in third grade. Her sweet mom let us take ALL the lids of the family salad dressing bottles and mix vaseline with blush and eyeshadows to make our own colors! I thought this was the coolest thing on the earth. Later we progressed to Maybelline Kissing Potion with the glass roller ball in middle school. Remember that goopy stuff? And then there were the big Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers.. I believe I had Dr Pepper on a rope!

Image ImaBeautyGeek

I felt I had reached the lipstick pinnacle when mom took me for some real makeup for my first dance in tenth grade. She said if I was going to wear makeup, it better be something of good quality, so we went to Macy’s and I was allowed Borghese Opalescent lipstick with a matching eyeshadow. I think my mom liked it as it had little color and I wasn’t looking too made up. I was in heaven and that was 1981.

Flash forward to now, and I own just about ten lipsticks! I don’t like to hang onto things and clear out my drawers every 6 months or so. During the pandemic I wore balm a lot, but I really need lip color as I have zero lip tint and I’m a beige blob essentially.

Do you Know Your Best Colors?

Even though I’m fair, light pinks don’t really pop on me and I need something middle of the road. I like colors with a cooler base with my skin. For some reason bricks and orangey reds don’t do well on my skin, though I have gold undertones.

Trying colors on underside of my arm, which is most closely to your face. From top, Pillow Talk, Toujours, Spark, Like, Dry Rose (discontinued), Whirl pencil, and Clarin’s Lip Perfector #16. All below.

Are you aware if you look better in cool or warm lipstick colors? If you are, it can help you from making mistakes when shopping for makeup. One way to tell is go to the colors you have always loved and feel good in and notice if they have a warm base like bricks and corals or a cooler one, like fuchsia that has a closer to purplish base. You’ll know the you have the right tone on, when your eye color will pop a bit and your skin looks good.

Also I have lipsticks that have changed color while on my lips. That can happen. Everyone has a different PH to their body and if so, take that lipstick back. They count on people not doing it, but I always save my boxes, just in case. Sephora and Blue Mercury are both great about that- as long as half the product is still there.

Where to Shop?

As summer is nearly here and the change of seasons, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to throw a new lipstick or two into my mix. I can get into a rut with colors and brands. One of the perks of this blogging stuff is I’m forced to do a bit of research, and this lipstick post got me into the store and blotting away at all kinds of brands and colors. I normally do not have the patience…and seeing myself in the department store mirror…can be frightening. LOL… and I’m not always keen on the help, though they mean well.

I spent some years working in cosmetics at Macy’s and Nordstrom while I was going through college. I worked the counters at Lancome, Estee Lauder, and Borghese. I wore a lot of makeup back then, and did a lot of applying on myself and others.. Now I’m more inclined to shop small instead of at the mall or just order online.

I did find a few new things in this adventure. I spent some amount of time at my little local Sephora and Blue Mercury. I find both those places to be less stress, easy to get in there to try things on my hands with accessible alcohol, Kleenex and remover. They let you play around without too much intervention and I kind of like that. I highly recommend them. if you’ve got makeup counter aversion like me.

Here’s what I came home with..

Three new lipsticks I bought and love..

First up, I have been wanting to try Pillow Talk by Charlotte Tilbury. Pillow talk is the most popular lipstick in America. They say a tube is sold every two minutes and apparently its appeal is the nude pink shade that is flattering on many skins and a secret matte formula made with orchids, that isn’t drying. Bonuses are the beautiful tube, quality ingredients and long wear for $34.

I bought the original formula and though it looks quite dark in store and on my hand (weirdly online it looks almost beige), it was the perfect medium tone pinky color. In the bathroom at home, it looked even better. (Me in my unfiltered glory… I apologize I really didn’t know a better way to show the colors!)

Secondly, what I was missing in my lipstick wardrobe was something with a little sparkle. Working at the Borghese counter and there was one color with sparkle all the women were mad for called Fiamma Garnet and we just could not keep it stocked!

There is something to having a little sparkle, but not too frosty that looks great on everyone. So I hunted Sephora for something similar. (Honestly, right now there are a lot of muddy matte colors are out there..) I found a wonderful dupe, Spark, by Sephora. It’s prettier on than in the tube and almost kind of neutral. It’s a lovely formula and only $9. You can also layer this over a more long lasting lipstick for a little gleam. I love many in the Sephora house line and you can find it all here.

While I was looking I found Nars Pour Toujours, which has a mauve sheen and is matte. I forgot to model it, but this is the online pics. It is more matte than Pillow Talk, but goes on softly and is deeper mauve than these photos show.

Nars lipsticks are formulated without toxic ingredients and wear fantastically for $26.

Favorites I already own and love..

I have one lipstick I have been loyal to the past couple years and that is LIKE, from Glossier. Love the formula which is called Sheer Matte that feels good, looks natural. I’m just crazy about this color, which seems like your lips have been blotted, and I haven’t found anything similar. I’m not crazy about the other shades, but the Jam color is a deeper version of this.

Also Glossier has one of my favorite mascaras which makes your natural lashes look pretty and long and wears so well, never flakes or runs, yet easy to remove.

Another fave, Clarin’s Natural Lip Perfector is a forever love. It’s the one gloss that isn’t sticky. It has the perfect consistency and I love the sponge applicator. I love the natural and all the colors in this soft balmy gloss which lasts and feels great. I have one in my bag all the time and for tennis too. (By the way Clarin’s Total Eye Lift is my eye cream of choice and it’s wonderful for sensitive eyes. It’s fabulous and I hope they never stop making it.)

I also love Chanel’s Lip Duo, which has ultra long wear color and the prettiest gloss on the other end to dab on top. I save this for when I’m going out. This is also one of the best selling lipsticks and at $42 pricier, but so good! I don’t own a lot of Chanel makeup, but everything I have has been worth the cost!

I recently rediscovered this gem, all time best-seller and universally flattering Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. It’s appeal as it looks unique on every person and is a sheer balm that feels great on.

My go-to lipliner for years has been MAC Whirl, which is described as a dirty pink and the closest to natural lips and so I stick with it. I like to line my lips from the corner in after lip color is on, blot, go back to add more to the center and a bit to the edge and cupid bow and blot. You just never want to notice it. I love their pencils, which never break and last forever. I’d say I buy one of these a year. The whole color range here

I am always looking for brands that are better for the planet and use less toxic ingredients. Beauty Counter is a good one and I love their Sheer Conditioning Lipstick. I have had the raisin and the clear and need to try this petal color next.. Love the quality of their things and mission to get toxins out of beauty products, lipsticks especially!

Please share in comments, what are your favorite lipstick colors and brands and if you prefer mattes, glosses or balms? Have you found anything new lately?

I’m always curious where we are headed in the lip department as it seems that’s the one thing that we continue to buy, during recessions, wars, etc…except during the height of the pandemic when we were in masks. Apparently lipstick sales have rebounded since. Kind of an interesting story of how they chart lipstick sales and sometimes even when they surge it means people are saving money in other places.. Full story here on Forbes

Well, I hope you enjoyed this lip chat, now please see what Cindy and Sarah have for you in the lipstick realm. I can’t wait to see what they love…

Cindy Hattersley Design

Sarah London Style

Thanks for being here!

Kim

You might also like last month’s Signature Style post on Crossbody Bags.

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month! Thank you so much, as Bloglovin seems to have stopped working and I no longer post as much on Facebook and plan to do less there.

Some links will generate a small commission. Thank you for supporting the blog!

Weekend Meanderings- Jubilee Chat, Father’s Day Gifts, Pretty Summer Tops, Outdoor Lanterns & More

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Hello it’s our Weekend Meanderings time with Elizabeth and Juliet.  Our Juliet is ill this week, so please wish her well if you can.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

I’m a big anglophile and I guess you could say I’m a royalist. I think this celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s 70th year on the throne is so special. I would love to have been there and be in the thick of it. I am watching all of it and really enjoyed reports of those on the ground there like the blogger/ HRH book author, Elizabeth Holmes. It’s been a blast to follow along on her Instagram as she found a spot along the route and met up with another famous English Instagrammer, All That’s Pretty. Both ladies are enjoyable to follow if you love England and the monarchy!

On that note…

I was a lucky girl this week as a gift box appeared on my porch from the fabulous Fortum & Mason in London. It was a surprise Jubilee box from my son’s girlfriend Kristin, who is English. It included a special tea crafted to commemorate Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne, a darling cookie tin that plays God Save the Queen, and a pretty tote with a beautiful design incorporating the Queen’s corgis.

I was thrilled!! It was the kindest gift and made watching the Jubilee festivities even more fun with my cup of tea and biscuits. Next best thing to being there! I made a small video of the package on my Instagram.

If you aren’t familiar with it, Fortum’s has been providing tea and goods to the monarchy for over 300 years, so they are a wonderful spot to visit in London. If you are unable to visit this six story dream of a store, you can also find their treasures online and see their wonderful selection of commemorative Jubilee goods here.

Cute selection at Fortnum for the occasion.

You know what’s fun? The English have a wonderful tradition of street parties with their neighbors during these jubilees and royal weddings. It’s a very nice idea to gather your neighbors and have a street party. We grew up doing this for fourth of July in my neighborhood and we all could use more of it. I love seeing how the English do this! I hope to have at least one this summer. Have you done this? We all need more coming together with our neighbors after the last few years…

Back to Jubilee chat, Liberty of London is my other favorite spot in London and another quintessential English gem. They have a few special scarves that are pretty and mark this very special 70th year of the queen. So of course I am tempted by these beautiful designs like this jubilee scarf …

and this Queen’s Hat’s scarf with one hat she’s worn for each year she’s been on the throne! What a great idea! The scarves are more the neckerchief size and would be cute tied around a bag !

The Queen looked lovely and I liked both her outfits. I am glad she choose to rest the second day and skip the service. Can you imagine being 96 and still working? A few photos from the day from The Royal Family Official Instagram…

I love the Queen’ turquoise suit especially! This was my grandmother’s favorite color. She adored the queen and we watched her many times on television together and I gave her many HELLO magazines with photos of her events in years past. I wish she was here to see it all. When I look back at my grandmother’s long life I see how her style paralleled that of the queen, the suits, the hair and all that. They were of the same era, though grandma was born in 1917.

When we cleaned grandma’s place out, she had a coronation tin from 1953, that I am fortunate to have.

The Coronation of Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London, but Elizabeth actually acceded to the throne after the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and that’s why we are celebrating this year. I have no idea how grandma came to have it. A little research shows it was a toffee tin made by Horner confectionery company in England. She didn’t travel, but she may have gotten it stateside where they were sold widely. I treasure this. I’ve cleaned it, but it’s nearly 70 years old and I have to be careful not to scrub the images off..

And one more Jubilee gem.. I thought this was a fascinating read on the history of Jubilees and who has had them! The queen has had several.

Enjoy the festivities. This may be our last Jubilee for many years. I hope the queen lives a long time like her mum did.

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

I’ve got some ideas for Father’s Day which is in just two weeks! These are a few things I would choose for my own husband or dad….Max is an outdoor guy (hopefully not reading), and I thought he’d love this cool Cuisinart Grill with a built in cutting board. I think it would be great for camping or beach trips. Love how you can have it monogrammed and has a little handle.

These Laptop Zipper Cases by Mark & Graham are so good looking. I like both the tan or pebbled leather. A monogram will make it even more special. It’s so nice to have one of these throw in a bag or for travel to protect your laptop.

My husband loves gadgets and this Hatch Restore Reading Light and Sound Machine and Sunrise Alarm is a reading light, sound machine and time-to-rise indicator all in one, this ingenious device helps you customize your sleep environment.

Everyone love Vuori sweats and they also have trunks! These Cruise Hybrid Board Shorts are highly rated and have pockets and four-way stretch so they are good for a day out as well as the beach. A nice choice if his trunks are looking a little tired.. ( According to Max, that never happens to his clothes… Insert eye roll emoji!)

Give that camper with some toasty love with this Kelty Galactic themed blanket stuffed with 550-fill-power down. Perfect for a cold beach day or just to have in the car for those bonfires..

Max loves these shirts and shorts. I don’t buy him a lot, but these Lululemon Linerless Shorts are look so good and made to last. They are designed so perfectly and lightweight, they feel great on he says. They come in 11 colors and two lengths. These are the 9 inch and there is also 7.

This is his favorite shirt from them that he wears a ton for working out, weekends, daily and layering. They wash well and travel great and are in 18 colors!

Last Christmas Jackson surprised Max with this Ooni pizza oven. We weren’t sure we even needed it as he always made pizzas on our Trager Grill, but this little guy was a game changer. You truly get pizza just like the wood fired places, black crusty bits and chewy delicious pizza. We love this thing and make pizzas at least once a week with it! It’s like being in Italy! This is one gift that exceeded expectations.

I kind of loved these Peanuts Joe Cool shirts By SEAESTA SURF at Nordys too..

These men’s Eberjay super soft modal pajamas are made for warmer months and nice to wear around the home and travel with.

I’ll keep adding more gift ideas to my Father’s Day Squares at the end of this post, as I see them.. Nordstrom actually has curated an adventure/outdoor gifts for him section, which is very cool.

My husband really loves a day out, or an adventure. The last thing I did was planning the Golden Gate Bridge walk and lunch ( on this post )which he always wanted to do. Sometimes it’s just a walk, or a special dinner, or a day out somewhere totally new that’s fun! Sometimes those are the best gifts. Please share any great ideas you have for Father’s Day too.

My Favorite New Outdoor Lantern & Candle

I am trying to create a prettier yard environment and have been adding some lanterns to the mix. I love when those little automatic flameless candles come on at night and make the yard look so nice.

Now I think I’ve found something even better, a solar version of the flameless candle that goes on and needs no battery replacing! World Market sells them. I was dubious, so just bought one, left it in a sunny spot, and there it was at night shining. I also got this cute lantern there that looks like a more expensive RH one I have seen. There were a lot of these candles at my World Market, but not online. Target sells a pack of two of them here, which look similar.

Lovely Summer Blouses

I’m in love right now with Emerson Fry’s India Collection pieces which are hand blocked cottons in the prettiest prints. They are all made of organic cotton in Rajasthan, India. I particularly love light blouses in the summer now. They hide my arms from the sun and are still cool and pretty and not tight. They are much more flattering than a t-shirt to me.

I paired their Mandarin collar blouse with my white Anthro Colette Pants and a J.Crew Beach Sweater which I tie on with higher waist pants, so I don’t look like I’m all legs, short top. ( My straw bag here.)

This pretty blouse which is one size, is wide and billowy, but works well with shorts and higher waisted pants and jeans. They have this easy style in rosy color left, or this blue stripe. Looks like my yellow is out currently. I’m considering this blue one also.. It’s such an easy shirt to throw on.

Other great options from Emerson Fry to wear all summer in place of t’s and come in multiple sizes -are this Basalie top in blue and white stripes, or yellow..

..and this Dahlia Top left, (same fabric as my top), or this Olympia Top with a longer sleeve you can roll..

The Frances Blouse is also lovely..

I also adore the dresses of the collection. The Isla Dress is on my wishlist in Cleo color and blue too.. Can’t decide, but I want to add at least one easy dress this year to my closet mix and this could double as a coverup/tunic too.

You may want to peruse the whole India Collection by Emerson Fry. I think the prices are good for things that are hand done in small batches with organic cotton, and eco conscious practices and dyes. They strive for zero waste. Items are made in Brooklyn or with a small group in India.

More Thoughts on Gun Violence

Thank you for the wonderful notes last week about our nation’s scourge of gun violence. It means so much to know so many of you are feeling the same, and are done with how we are living in this country. The big lie, that we need guns to stay safe, has really been cracked open for all of us to see when those children died with 19 police nearby, and not one saving them. Then this week, (just one of more shootings), two doctors, a hospital receptionist and a patient were blown away by an unhappy back surgery patient who bought his gun literally an hour before. And will they next say doctors and nurses need guns? Will we need more and more … When will the madness of it stop?

Then Republicans on Thursday rejected advancing ANY gun legislation for background checks. HOW do they sleep at night after knowing their loose laws and policies are enabling these massacres?

So in light of this, an article sent by a friend resonated with me. I think you may agree it’s time for a different approach and going off the rails right now seems like the right thing. Status quo isn’t working and I happen to like some of the ideas in this.. Warning there are some F bombs, but in my opinion, they are warranted. This is from a Humboldt newspaper, where my husband grew up. I love this author and I’m not sure they would have printed her opinion here locally, but I shared it and I wish you could too.

It Might Be Time... read her full article here.

We must at the very least ban assault rifles, expand federal background checks, and red flag laws. We need those who take the NRA money, who have put guns above children and lives, to be exposed for the heartless humans they are. Stay strong, get loud and let’s change this nation together.

Well that’s my meanderings for this week.

Juliet came down with a stomach bug, so she is sitting this week out. I’m keeping her in my thoughts. Please check her beautiful blog anyway, a treasure trove of good things. So is Elizabeth’s fantastic blog, which is published many times during the week! These ladies are busy blogging about everything cool and fun. I need more tea times to catch up with it all. They are my escape… Find them here:

PINECONES AND ACORNS

MAKE MINE A SPRITZER

Thank you for being here. Have a lovely weekend,

Kim

If you missed last week’s blog I shared picnic ideas, a garden spray, a some ways we can help end gun violence and more, find that post here.

p.s. A few more inquires into the straw bag I have above. it’s from Mango and comes with a tan strap or dark orange. I love this bag which has a interior pouch that zips for security and is also removable…

My wool tassel I attached made by Mexican artisans can be found here.…and also these colors.

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month! Thank you so much, as Bloglovin seems to have stopped working and I no longer post as much on Facebook and plan to do less there.

Some links may generate a small commission. Thank you for supporting the blog!

Weekend Meanderings Picnic Ideas, Memorial Day Recipes, Ending Gun Violence & More

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Hello it’s Weekend Meanderings time with Elizabeth and Juliet. Before I can have our regular happy weekend chat, I have talk about this week’s heartbreaking shooting in Texas.

Ending Gun Violence

If you follow me on Instagram you probably saw my rant here that went along with this very truthful quote.

This calls bullshit on the ridiculous narrative Republicans and the NRA give as reasons for gun violence in this nation. It’s never guns, oh no it’s mental health epidemic and poor family values and violent video games. Yes those things are an issue, but every other nation in the world has these too- AND NO MASSACRES, no school shootings, not daily deaths by guns in the hundreds!

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out guns are why we alone as a nation have these horrors and are told we must live with??! Other nations have common sense gun laws and their citizens don’t have to worry about dying in the grocery store or have their child come home in body bag.

 America has more than 400 million guns more than any other nation in the world and that is one third of all the guns on the planet. Just think about that for a moment. We are less than 5% of the world’s population.

What we need to stop gun violence

First we need leaders to call for change and people to vote for gun control candidates and that seems to be Democrats. So far I have yet to know a Republican calling for ANY gun reform. Correct me if I am wrong.

Universal background checks across all states in one nationwide database maintained by law and all gun sales and interactions must be reported.

All automatic war weapons must go away for private citizens. Yep that’s the AR-15.

Nationwide red flag laws that prevent dangerous people from buying weapons.

Online gun sales and gun shows need to go.

You must prove you can own a gun responsibly and pass a series of safety tests and checks, and have a damn waiting period and get recommendations by two others ( done in many countries), that you can be trusted to own a gun.

Make ammunition hared to get and trackable. Ammunition is not covered by the second amendment bullshit either.

We need to untether the nation to ‘Second Amendment’ an old antiquated piece of legislation that the gun lobby uses to get more guns into the hands of everyone. We need to re-educate our nation to see how this amendment was used for fear mongering by the NRA.

We must outlaw the marketing of guns to young children, men in particular, just as we did with cigarettes. Read this article in our Mercury News on a new California law being crafted to stop this. Do you know there are actually manufacturers making guns for small children that look like AR-15s? It’s a real company located in Utah and called Wee Tactical and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a more evil thing. We can and must stop this garbage.

How we can help

Help by donating to people who are for gun reform and get in touch with your senators. If that seems too daunting, Everytown for Gun Safety will send letter for you to your senator asking them to take action on Gun violence on this link. You only need to fill out your email and name and address so they know you are a constituent. Get informed and find out where every single candidate on your ballot stands on gun reform, then vote accordingly.

Everytown is the largest grassroots group working to end violence in the United States with over 7– chapters and 8 million people. It’s a network of citizens that include a students, mayors, and a survivors network. They work to help elect candidates that want gun reform, help craft stronger laws, hold elected official accountable, change how America thinks about gun violence, and register voters. I have given many times to this great organization and done marches. Right now Mike Bloomberg is tripling all donations through May 31, so your donation can have a bigger impact. You can donate here and help volunteer and attend events or join a chapter here.

Beto O’Rourke is currently running for the Texas governor against Greg Abbott who is one of the worst offenders in enabling gun violence. I plan on donating to Beto, who is one of the few who has stood up to Abbott to call out the false claims that guns are making us safer. He is a great one to donate to here or to help his campaign you can even text people from your home from another number ( my friend has done this and she says it’s not bad and a way you can give an hour or less a day helping.)

The Brady Campaign has the best list of who is getting NRA money and a button to Tweet them here.

Excellent places to give and help end gun violence:

Sandy Hook Promise

Giffords Center to Fight Gun Violence

Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence

Now to the rest of my post..

Why not picnic this Memorial Day weekend?

With the sadness of the world this week, it’s nice to get out of the house and be in nature. It’s healing and I can’t recommend a hike, walk, or bike ride, and picnic enough. It’s a break from the usual Memorial Day BBQ too. I recently found this cute picnic hamper at Homegoods and it inspired me to pull a little picnic together. ( I also found these cute burlap flags on wooden sticks 4 for $14 at Pottery Barn here.)

By the way Pottery Barn has some darling table looks now for Memorial and July Fourth here. I particularly love the bunting they have. ( Truthfully I’m not feeling so patriotic this weekend.)

Back to the picnic… Max and I usually run by our local market and grab hummus, crackers, some fruit and a few cheeses. Sometimes the best lunches are just PB&J sandwiches and leftovers in the frig. To be honest, it’s a small effort, but it feels special having it outdoors, in nature and away from phones, etc.

I wrote about this picnic idea last year, which includes a cold pasta salad and baguette sandwiches with pink lady apples and it links to some other blogger’s picnic ideas too.

I have The Picnic book and I love it! So many fun ideas to try and pretty illustrations, good recipes and inventive ways to use the picnic theme in entertaining. This book is a keeper and one of my go-tos for inspiration every summer!

I like to make the picnic pretty with a nice blanket or throw, cloth napkins, real silverware, plates and glasses. I just use older ones so if they break it’s not the end of the world. It’s also a lot greener. I just wrap it all up after in the blanket and wash up at home.

Some of our favorites to include in a picnic..

World Market Sparkling Strawberry Basil French Soda , Rosemary Crackers, or an artisan salami, or this vegan fig salami, Tony’s Chocolonely Dark Sea Salt Bar which is fantastic with clementines or oranges (especially in winter) or apricots. Packing in a few home made cookies or a blondie bar is nice.

I was unable to find my picnic basket online at Homegoods, but you may be able to in store. There is also this picnic basket by Studio McGee here at Target. Just having a basket ready to go is going to motivate you to do it! This could be cute storage when you’re not using it too.

What’s Gaby Cooking’s 55 Recipes for Memorial Day & Summer

Gaby is a California girl and one of my favorite chefs and her cookbook and Instagram is loaded with delicious and easy recipes that always are a hit in my house. Right now she has 55 Recipes for Memorial Day on her site. If you are entertaining at home this list is a great resource and one to keep on hand for all summer long. Each idea is linked to one of her recipes like this lovely Summer Charcuterie Board...

Lunch at Elizabeth’s Villa

The highlight of my week was a lunch at lovely Contessa’s home with a few other pals Heidi and Juliet. I call it a villa because but it really looks like one inside and outside! If you follow her blog, you know she lives a special existence, surrounded by beauty and antiques and sweet pets.

Don’t you love her dress? It’s by Daughter’s of India.

It was a warm day and we didn’t want Elizabeth to cook, so my Make Mine a Spritzer pal Juliet brought sandwiches, Heidi our artist friend brought a wonderful salad with citrus and avocado and Elizabeth made a pretty pavlova. I was not allowed to bring anything… So I think I will host next time! Below a few photos of her lovely yard and the girls.. We had another birthday cake for Heidi as Elizabeth missed her other celebration in the city. I’ll share more tomorrow on my Instagram story!

Heidi and Juliet in darling dresses too!

If you are intrigued, one of my most popular blogs is Elizabeth (aka Contessa) as my subject on Californians at Home, which you can read and see more of her unique home here.

College kid’s room refresh

I’m so excited to have Griffin back from college in Utah and as predicted the house looks like a bomb hit it with all his things, and he’s had bunch of friends here, but I’m kind of loving it.

Right before he came home, his room was looking a bit sad and sparse and I’ve kind of ignored it since he’s been away, so I thought it would be fun to spiff it up and also make a little collage on the wall for him. He’s planning on ordering a new desk too, which I will share later. I found a few pieces of art here and there at Homegoods and used a nature theme as he’s our outdoor hiking, backpacking, camping guy. I also had an original piece of art from my friend Heidi (the blue palm trees), and an older beach print. I added a snake plant in a basket to fill in the blank wall a bit too. It was kind of fun and when he got home he said he loved it. I was relieved..as you never know with this age!

Non-Toxic Garden Pest Sprays

I mentioned on last week’s gardening post that I use a homemade spray for garden pests. A few asked how I do it. You can make these so easily with a empty spray bottle. I do one cup of white vinegar to three cups of water and a small squirt of gentle dish soap like Dawn. Shake well and spray directly on the plant.

British Homes & Gardens

The British Homes & Gardens has this same recipe and a few more to try on this post. They say you can add a sprig of Rosemary or lemon peel to counteract the strong vinegar smell if you are using this indoors.

It’s so nice to use organic in the yard and you’ll see a lot more frogs and salamanders and other good guys that eat bugs, but are harmed by regular fertilizers and garden sprays for weeds!

Well that’s my meanderings for this week now please go see what thoughts and ideas my friends Elizabeth and Juliet have for you..

PINECONES AND ACORNS

MAKE MINE A SPRITZER

Wishing you all a peaceful weekend and thanks for listening,

Kim

If you missed last week’s blog there were tips on starting a tomato garden, a great desk chair for back support, a hike and lunch spot near Stanford University, an inspiring front house makeover and a great white jean. You can catch that post here.

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month! Thank you so much, as Bloglovin seems to have stopped working and I no longer post as much on Facebook and plan to do less there.

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Weekend Meanderings- A Front House Refresh, Tomato Garden Tips, a Great Desk Chair & More

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Hello it’s Weekend Meanderings time with Elizabeth and Juliet, and a chance to share some things that caught our attention this week!

Start a Garden!

I grew up in San Jose, in a pink room with ballerina wallpaper, but outside my bedroom window all summer were my dad’s green beans strung across the view! His big garden was just outside my window. Dad has always been passionate about gardening. He has his first garden at 18 months old, was in Future Farmers and 4H. His own dad grew up on a farm in Mt Ayr, Iowa. Thanks to my dad’s hobby, we learned to love eating all kind of veggies year round.

My dad had a greenhouse he built and a compost pile, which we called the worm bin. It kind of grossed me out as a kid, but I now realize he was composting before it was cool. I still love the smell of wet dirt, a scent that would waft through my bedroom each evening when my dad watered. As kids we were given small plants to tend and I loved visiting my own little pots in the greenhouse. I am so grateful to still have my dad helping me with the garden each year when we put in our vegetable garden. He inspires me so much and has rubbed off on my oldest son Jackson, who loves gardening and plants.

With my dad – and dad gardening as a child.

During the pandemic people began working in their yards for their sanity, and I agree there is nothing like a break gardening outside. Something about being out, with the bird songs, the scent of earth and flowers can calm you. It also keeps you fit. My dad is 82 and has the back of an ox because of it. While gardening, you crouch, twist and turn, lift a lot of heavy things and it keeps you flexible.

My potting table and the herb bed.

Tomatoes are one of the most rewarding and easiest things to grow here in California. You need to wait to put the plants in the ground when the evenings are turning warmer- usually late April or early May here in Northern Cal. I just put mine in Mother’s Day weekend. I recommend for vegetables, start with plants, as seeds need more time to start in small pots, be babied and nurtured.

If you have a space that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day, that is a good spot for a tomato garden. I was lucky to already have some garden beds on the south side of my home when we bought it. If you don’t have the space, you can start with pots and there are many ‘bush’ or patio type of tomatoes that grow the right sizes for porches and can produce a lot.

Dad showing where you take off branches to and bury it up the stalk a bit.

Make sure your soil is turned over well and before planting your tomatoes, pick off the bottom few limbs and plant it a few inches up the stalk. Tomatoes need a lot of water the first week and then after only a few times a week, unless they look saggy. Water in mornings and at the root of the plant, making a little pool around it. You can’t really irrigate a garden. You need to water by hand, as you have to not water until needed, or more when it’s getting warm.

Choose organic tomatoes, and make sure any fertilizer or food you use is organic and without pesticides. You want fertilizer made just for organic veggies. I also use no pesticides in my yard. That means I occasionally have to go pull a few weeds every week for 20 minutes or so. It’s worth it. Pesticides last forever in the ground and can harm the whole ecosystem. If you have yard people and they have tanks on their backs, with squirters, they are using pesticides. It runs off when the yard is watered, and affects the water system as well. When I have any things in my yard like white flies or something, I power spray them off with the hose or spray with a gentle soap to manage them.

Last year’s tomato garden in August.

You will love growing tomatoes and they become almost no maintenance after August. Starting in September I stop watering them and dry farm. They take on an even deeper flavor and keep producing! You will can get tomatoes until November here in California. Compare any yard tomato to a store bought and they aren’t the same species. They also make the best caprese ! If you are a gardener please share any tips or varieties in the comments. My favorite tomatoes are Early Girl, Sweet 100, Berkeley Tie-Dye and Brandywine, which is an heirloom. It’s nice to have a variety. Don’t forget to add some basil in that garden too!

This photo was taken October 26, 2019 That’s how late you will still get tomatoes!

Peaches and Tomato Caprese Salad

Since we are talking tomatoes, I just had to share my favorite dish when peach season is happening, which is now in California! Just tonight we made our first caprese with peaches of the season. Tomatoes are not at their peak yet, but the stores have some hot house versions you can use until next month.

There’s no secret to this recipe, but I do like the soft mozzarella ( not the kind you slice for lasagna), that is wrapped in plastic, rather than water. It has a better texture and holds the oils and juices better. Look for it by the fresh cheeses. I also love California olive oil, a little sprinkle of Maldon sea salt, and fresh pepper. The best basil is always from your own pots. I buy the plants that they have at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods and keep them near the kitchen, and also put one or two in the ground. They beat the bought basil that has been packed in a plastic box.

Max’s new Setu desk chair!

Remember this post a few weeks back about giving Max’s home office/guest room a spring refresh? I was thrilled with the peel and stick wallpaper and also the nice daybed from Wayfair. What I hated though was Max’s old office chair he got at an office supply warehouse place. It not only had the lines of a 70’s Buick, it was peeling like one and had gross faux leather and took up a LOT of space in the small room. He was committed to it though, as he spent like $199 on it!

Well, he’s been back in the office and has had a really great chair there, and he noticed after working in it all day, he has no leg or back pain like he gets in his current chair. He told me it was a Herman Miller design and I got excited. We went to go try it out at the Design Within Reach store in Palo Alto, and sat in every chair, but we both loved the Setu Chair with ribbon arms.

If you need back support, this is your chair. I love their description of the Setu:

Sit in Setu — The Setu Chair defines flexibility, moving with the user, with a clean aesthetic that suits nearly any home or office space. It’s no accident that this chair is designed for a healthy back – Setu is Sanskrit for “bridge” and borrowed from the yoga pose Setu Bandhasana, a strengthening backbend.

Herman Miller

It weighs just 17 pounds and also won a certification for highest quality of lowest certification for low VOC furniture. I am thinking of now saving for one and I love the blue version. His cost around $795, but if you think of the days, hours and years you are in an office chair, it’s worth the extra cost and some employers will contribute to the home office cost too.

Walking the Dish Loop at Stanford + lunch & Keplers

One of my favorite things to do on a weekend with mild weather is hike the Stanford Dish Loop Trail early and then follow up with lunch at Cafe Barrone in Menlo Park and a good browse at Kepler’s bookstore.

Last Sunday it was a beautiful day to hike. It’s about 4 miles total with a bit of uphill at the beginning. We like to go early as parking along Stanford Avenue can get full. You can get a fantastic view of the university and surrounding hills. Last Sunday we hiked with Jackson and his girlfriend and her family. This time they suggested a small detour at the end and we crossed Junipero Serra Rd and walked the rest of the trail through the pretty neighborhoods of Stanford. Some stunning and historic homes!

Cafe Barrone is an old school Silicon Valley hangout for students at Stanford and high tech peeps. We love it as you can grab a table and have a good spot to people watch. Families and dogs are all over along with students. The baked goods and breakfasts are fantastic and are worth the wait in line to order. Food usually comes fast. I can’t resist the chicken salad sandwich on raisin bread. We usually come with our kids and we all have to get their famous ‘Mocha Freeze’ shake that they’ve been serving since the 1970’s.

Kepler’s is my all-time favorite bookstore. They have an expansive selection of books in every genre. Always the have the latest in everything, and wonderful reviews written by hand by many books. They still sell magazines and great stationery and cards..Amazing kid’s section and a book club and many literary events and speakers. I never go home without something from here as I want this place to stay in business!! It’s one of the last remaining independent bookstores. They opened in 1955 and closed in 2005, but because of strong love from customers they are now reopened and run thanks to community support. Read their whole story here.

My friend Elaine’s new front of house refresh

My friend Elaine lives in the pretty Willow Glen area of San Jose and recently did a refresh of the front of her home. Elaine’s husband Todd is an architect, so this is a combination of Todd’s skills and experience with Elaine’s great taste.

They are still working on the landscape and some of the porch, but already I love how she choose an orange paint for the door, some lovely rope chairs that give it a fun modern vibe. Adore the mailbox, the lanterns and her doormat too.

The beautiful mix of shingles and boards make the house so pretty and unique.

This is before and after…

Elaine is an amazing entertainer and she’s going to be on a future blog with tips for us (I mean me really), on how she does it! Stay tuned..

World Market

Elaine’s front porch has good looking rope chairs from World Market from a past season. They no longer make that style, but they do make these Matteo Chairs and the price is nice for these which look expensive and can run in the thousands..

They also have these darling summer entertaining food covers in round and rectangle. I am going to get a few before they are gone..A stylish friend sent me the link to these!

Mother Jeans

I had planned to get a new pair of white jeans this summer and this week stopped into local boutique, Bella Rosa and after chatting with friendly women there about white denim they encouraged me to try some on. I’m not a fan of super high rise, and want comfort and a flattering look, especially on the leg. White jeans need to be of a thicker cotton and not tight looking (at least for my age). They brought me many different pairs, but I ended up loving the look and comfort of the ‘The Ditcher’ jeans by Mother. It’s my first pair of Mother jeans and they just kind of feel great on. I run between a 27 and 28 and bought these in 27, as they are slightly large. I have worn them several times and they stretch out very little, but are comfy! Since buying these I’ve heard from a few friends this issue their favorite brand!

You should stop by Bella Rosa if you are in Los Gatos. I was on the way to an appointment, but I plan to go back. I love the service, sweet people and a beautiful California chic collection of clothes!

If you aren’t nearby you can also find my white jeans here. Mother also carries this ankle fray pair (below left), that is their best seller and I might consider too. There is also this pair from Gap (below right), and these Citizens of Humanity and these by AGOLDE.

As a Californian I wear white jeans so much and I think getting a nice pair every year is a good investment for the closet. I need them to feel great so I want to wear everyday. I don’t save my white jeans, but wear them nonstop until they feel super comfy and broken in.

My puffy slides I bought back in February at H&M, you can find here and they also have these now and these at Anthro.

Other Things This Week…

Juliets’s wedding post! If you missed it, Juliet published the best wedding post with all the details of her step-son Kyle’s wedding in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It’s wonderfully done and what a beautiful wedding. I loved all the special touches and saved and pinned it all in case I ever get to help with a wedding for one of the sons! I loved the video so much I was bawling.. and I don’t even know them. A darling couple! Juliet is a pro at planning events and she loves to share how these things come off! I am learning from her all the time.

Kyle and Melody’s beautiful ceremony photo: Make Mine a Spritzer.

In other exciting news, our pal Annie opened her much anticipated online store You can find many cool curated things hand-picked by Annie herself!

I can hardly believe it, but this is our 16th Saturday of doing this and I have so enjoyed sharing these things that I wouldn’t otherwise. It forces me to sit down and blog it. I’ve loved getting to know Juliet and Elizabeth better- and many of you! To those new here, welcome! I hope to keep improving these little posts. Please feel free give feedback about the things you’d like to see more of, or less!

Well that’s my meanderings for this week now please go see what fun finds and ideas my friends Elizabeth and Juliet have for you..

PINECONES AND ACORNS

MAKE MINE A SPRITZER

Wishing you all a beautiful weekend.

Thank you for being here!

Kim

If you missed last week’s blog with some great baskets for outdoor plants, a wonderful lunch spot and shop in Woodside, an inspiring book about living well in your home by Melissa Penfold, and more you can read that post here.

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month! Thank you so much, as Bloglovin seems to have stopped working and I no longer post as much on Facebook and plan to do less there.

Some links may generate a small commission. Thank you for supporting the blog!

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