Northern California Style

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Outdoor Living With Style – 9 Bloggers Share Their Spaces

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Today I’m joining eight other bloggers and sharing my outdoor space with you. In the past few months, I’ve felt very fortunate to have it as it has become an extension of the house during the pandemic with both adult boys home and my husband working here also!

In the evenings, it’s been great to get outside after being in and working all day. We really use the extra space to for all of us to spread out right now. With four adults in one house, we need it. I’ve tried to create a few cozy spots so there is always a place to hang out and work, do a call, or just chill out here.

If you have visited here before, you know we just remodeled our 1965 home after being here for ten years. When we remodeled, I wanted to extend the living space with fold away doors to the back and French doors and a patio in front. These things have made the house more spacious though we didn’t really add any square feet. Our yard is tight with a pool that wraps around the yard and a funky lap lane… And a LOT of brick. Replacing it would be a small fortune so we’ve chosen to love it and its old school look. I like it with the new white stucco of the house even more now.

The yard is divided with an Ipe deck in the center that feels like it floats above the pool. It’s tight though and our main door to the yard was previously through the dining room, not ideal. We changed how the house flowed so we could see the pool and instead come out to the deck from the living room via a folding door. We now see the yard in a way that makes it seem much more expansive and makes the house feel larger too.

The yard once was surrounded by a wall of green – A new owner on the left took the hedge down and the fence needed replacing in the upper yard, so it all was taken out right before the remodel two years ago along with all the mature plants. We started fresh almost, so I am waiting for both fences to be someday again be covered by vines, creeping fig and citrus, but it’s slow going and looks so bare to me right now.

The set above is the Pacifica Serena & Lily couch and chairs in driftwood color. We always knew we wanted a sofa out here and we are very happy with this with the two chairs. It’s an easy brush off Sunbrella fabric and the woven white driftwood color surprisingly doesn’t show dirt. I do like to cover it when we are getting a lot of wind and fall leaves though.

Our round table is from my neighbor Graces’s estate sale. It’s an indoor marble table and so I cover it during rainy days, but it has been perfect out here with this set! We can do a whole lot of appetizers on this baby.

I recently changed all the cushions to black and white to keep things consistent with the house. The two with graphic leave motif pillows are from my January Hawaii trip to the Big Island and one of my favorite shops, SoHa Living.

Below is my rickety teak table I’ve had way too long. It is due to be replaced, but I found these white metal chairs last year and they kind of pulled the yard together, so we are making it work. I will sometimes use a tablecloth or runner to dress it up a bit when we dine out here.

Once we moved in, we removed all the old terra-cotta and colored pots and added these resin/ceramic ones with boxwood. Here in a photo from my Instagram stories..

I have this old bar stand I turned into my herb garden/potting table. I’m hoping to move this to the side yard when I get the French teak console table of my dreams from RH someday…

Our vegetable garden that I wrote about in this post is going great! My oldest son Jackson does most of the work on it with my dad. They are garden nerds. I’m so excited we just got our first heirloom tomato! This year we have tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers and cantaloupe. We are so fortunate that my dad starts all the tomatoes himself by seed, and they are really good.

Our front is another outdoor space we use so much now that we remodeled and added a patio. I always wanted an area that we could hang out in front, chat with neighbors and enjoy the sunset view. This is another thing that has made our home feel so much bigger. The wall serves as extra seating and I still may order some bigger chairs, but for now it’s enough to eat lunch out here and hang with the cat during the winter months. With the western exposure, the front patio is a bit warm to use during the summer except at sunset and in evenings, but it’s super in the winter as it stays protected and warm. We love having coffee out here in winter and wine at night with friends in summer. If we open the French doors, the patio serves as a great spot for guests to grab some air and more seating when entertaining inside. (Will that will ever happen again?!!)

Last winter having my coffee with the cat..

Now we’ve placed pillows on the wall like a Greek hotel LOL.

We did native plants and decomposed granite in this front landscape. I used French Provencal gardens as my inspiration. I especially love the two non-fruiting olive trees and the agaves. Right now it’s busy with all the lavenders blooming we have butterflies, bees and birds all day. It’s very low maintenance, organic and pesticide free. All I have to do is occasionally weed so we don’t miss our old grass at all. It’s becoming more and more filled in as the bushes spread out and take up space.

I hope this wasn’t too rambling, but I did want to share how we made our smallish home feel a lot bigger by creating indoor/outdoor spots.

Here’s a few links to get the same look if you are interested:

  • This black outdoor pillow from Target is my style. I think it’s hard to find outdoor pillows in black and white so I grab them when I find them.
  • The Target collab with Joanna Gaines is so good now in terms of quality and design! This pretty stripe throw is a great price at $29 and I don’t mind it being outside at that price. I like to have a big basket of throws for cool evenings. ( The table runner on my outdoor teak table is oversized and also well made thick linen from them!)
  • I don’t do melamine and instead prefer to use my everyday when entertaining outside. Theses stoneware plates are strong enough to hold up to outdoor use and dishwashing by young men too.
  • A few years ago I replaced my motley group of umbrellas with three Ballard Design Auto-Tilt Sunbrella 11 foot umbrellas with black poles in the black/sand combo. I also bought the 50 pound extra weight to prevent them from falling over in storms. It’s been three years and they are still looking like new and working great. Excellent quality.
  • I also need to order an outdoor rug for the deck and I love the Seaview Rug from Serena & Lily. I already have it in my kitchen and it’s indestructible. The new rose color would be pretty out here.

Now please go enjoy all these amazing women and their versions of outdoor living. I am excited as I always learn so much from everyone’s blogs and ideas..
ROUGH LUXE
CLASSIC CASUAL HOME
MOST LOVELY THINGS
EDB DESIGNS
KELLEY & CO HOME
MODERN GLAM
SHABBYFUFU

Also joining us in this collaboration is the talented Brooke Giannetti! She is author of the beautiful Patina Farm series of books about the oasis she and her husband Steve have created in Ojai, one of the most beautiful towns in California. Their home is so lovely and inspiring the way in brings the outdoors in!

You can see more of her home on Brooke’s Instagram, and Cindy, Mary Ann and Annie are holding contests giving her books!

Happy almost summer!

Kim

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Californians at Home- Meet the Creator of The Mom Mystique

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Today I am excited to share with you the beginning of my new series, Californians at Home. I’ll feature stylish Californians and how they decorate, entertain and what they love. I am fortunate to have met many cool people in the Bay Area and farther out and I think you’ll enjoy seeing the inspiring way they live here in the Golden State!

Kristin Maxwell came into my circle through tennis. I instantly took a liking to this fun and stylish gal who I only later surprisingly discovered is also a blogger. Kristin recently relaunched her website, The Mom Mystique and I enjoy her weekly newsletter which is filled with good ideas and finds and always a little touchpoint that seems apropos to the moment. When I visited her pretty home for a girl’s lunch a few months ago, I knew she would be a great person to interview about California living. I love her taste and how she lives…

Tell us a little about the Mom Mystique and you! How did you start blogging?

Hi! I’m a Mom/StepMom to four teenage boys and one teenage girl. I’m a born and bred Midwesterner that moved West a few years ago to marry my best friend of twenty years.

I started a lifestyle and family centered blog about seven years ago when my kids were young, and found I really loved the exercise of writing, creating content, and connecting with my community. I moved back to California (we lived here once before when my boys were little) from Minneapolis in 2016 after my divorce, and once the dust settled, I knew I wanted to start writing again. I came up with ​The​ ​Mom Mystique​ because as a Mom of teenagers, I found that my kids really knew nothing about me as a person, and who I was before I became a Mom. I was, in a way, kind of mysterious to them.
They were surprised, and I like to think, proud, to learn that in addition to making school lunches, folding laundry and driving carpools, I spent summers in Brazil and Spain as a teenager; worked at a winery in France in college and studied at the University of Copenhagen for a semester; went ice climbing in Switzerland, crisscrossed Europe alone with a backpack more than once; toured vineyards all over Australia, and excelled in my career in the wine business. They seemed shocked I had skills other than loading and unloading the dishwasher. 😉

I always say that by nature, teenagers seem to walk around with mirrored lampshades on their heads, completely oblivious that anyone other than themselves exists. These conversations actually opened their eyes to the fact that this person they had been living with their entire life actually had an entire existence before they arrived on the planet and had accomplished some pretty amazing stuff, therefore, spawning the genesis for a new writing platform. It was at that point that I decided it was time to put the proverbial pen to paper again and start to document this amazing new life we were leading. We had become a modern day Brady Bunch. All we needed was an Alice. And the kids actually really like being a part of the blog and it’s given them new material for them to make fun of me.

I love your home and its California vibe. Tell me how you decorate. Is it organic? You seem to have a great eye and a mix of high and low which feels very chic and personal.

Thank you! I am a complete study in contrast when it comes to my decorating method and style. Sometimes I make purchases on a whim, other times I belabor a simple decision to death, which drives my husband crazy! I love mixing styles; high and low, pattern and color. I’m a huge fan of ​Home Goods ​and ​Target,​ but also ​One Kings Lane ​and ​1st Dibs.​ The hunt is part of the process and when you start playing with a room, you just ​know​ when it feels right. I would say I gravitate toward a timeless, traditional style because I love the classic color combinations of royal blue and red, a greek key pattern here, a cherished collection of ginger jars there. Throw in a zebra rug and a few leopard pillows to top it off, and that to me feels like a layered, lively, lived in look.

I love your pretty dining room. It is preppy and traditional, but in a modern way. Is this part of being a mid western gal?

I’ve found that my innate style runs toward classic traditional, which has a very Midwestern/East Coast sensibility about it, but with a relaxed, welcoming California vibe thrown in. I love having people around our table and I’m not afraid of mixing, matching and layering textiles when I entertain.

A few snaps of her colorful dining room that overlooks her lovely front yard space.

You recently remodeled your kitchen with the cool idea of adding a lounge with a banquette instead of a large island. How did you decide on that, your finishes and have any tips for others?

Well, the banquette was actually sort of a design accident, but it turned out to be my favorite feature in our new kitchen. We wanted to do a fast, inexpensive refresh of the space and with our family, a “lounge” vibe seemed like a perfectly appropriate thing to do with that dead space in the room. I came up with the idea of a faux leather banquette and a couple of barrel cocktail tables, and it instantly felt like you were sitting in a club! It completely opened up the space and made it so inviting; everyone hangs out in the kitchen anyway, so why not be comfortable.

You have a blended family and currently a houseful of older kids. How are you all managing during this pandemic? How do you make your home be a place for all of them, which it seems to be?!

With five teenagers in the house, I was a little nervous about how they would all fare during this time, but it turned out the one that has had the biggest struggle, is ME! I’m a bit of a neatnik and I like my routine, so this new controlled chaos took some getting used to. To be honest, the kids have actually been FANTASTIC! One of the kids even said, “I don’t want this quarantine to end.”

We are so fortunate that our kids all get along well and “blending” was never an issue, so I think having built-in companions at home has helped alleviate some of the loneliness and isolation that other kids have felt during this shelter in place. In addition to “school”, three of the kids have been putting in hours at the family business to make extra money and pass the time. They are also pretty disciplined about working out everyday. We have done the puzzles/games/movies thing, and of course allowed too much Xbox like everyone else. The hardest thing has been dealing with major disappointments like my son coming home early from his freshman year of college, and my step daughter missing the end of her senior year and delay of her graduation ceremony and all the special activities that surround that truly monumental time. We’ve all had ups and downs for sure, but all the kids have been truly patient, resourceful and resilient, and we couldn’t be more proud of them.

The lovely color and finishes of her newly remodeled kitchen space.

You seem to be an effortless entertainer. Are there any tips you can share?

I’m glad it appears that way! Lol! I will say, it always helps to have someone to entertain alongside. My husband is the self-proclaimed “better chef” of the two of us, so he is usually behind the meal planning. I do the table, appetizers, and pour the wine! And a good playlist always helps, which again, comes from my husband.

How does California influence the way you live and decorate?

Stuffy and pretentious are not the norm here; fussy, fancy and formal do not describe California living to me. Personally, I want my home to be classic, casual and comfortable. With five teenagers, two black French bulldogs, and a husband that is prone to spilling red wine- the goal for our home is beautiful + bulletproof.

Is there a favorite dish that is your specialty or cookbook you return to again and again?

I love ​everything I​na, and have nearly every one of her cookbooks. I can confidently say I make a killer lasagna and a decent turkey burger, but I cannot operate the BBQ and have yet to master carbonara.

I love this area Kristin designated for pantry/wine storage!!

I know you are a wine aficionado. Tell me what California wine you are loving right now.

Oh, so many! Right now, I find it’s more important than ever to support our local vintners and growers by buying domestic, and I tend to lean toward my favorites in Sonoma County. Angels and Cowboys​ Rosé is a household staple, as are the wines from ​Reeve​, ​Scribe, Banshee, ​and ​Lioco.

Do you have any tips you learned from a mom, grandmother or family member that was passed down to you?

My Mom is a beautiful entertainer and I blame my textile obsession on her. I would be embarrassed to tell you how many cloth napkins, placemats and tablecloths I own. No matter what night of the week it is around here, dinner is always served with a cloth napkin.

A chic spring table setting for a girl’s lunch.

Is there a favorite candle or fragrance you use in the home?

Honestly, I’m not married to one particular scent, but I do love ​Jo Malone ​Orange Blossom candles.

Do you have a style idol?

I love ​Jackie Kennedy​, ​Lee Radziwell,​ ​Carolyn Murphy​ and ​Aerin Lauder ​for their traditional, classic, sophisticated style and beauty. And I also admire ​Lauren Santo Domingo​ from Vogue and ​Moda Operandi ​fame, as well as stylist ​Ann Caruso ​and ​Olivia Palermo.

You, like me, seem to adore travel. Favorite spot or dream trip you are planning?

That is the one thing I’m really missing right now, travel. We had a trip to London planned for spring break that we obviously had to cancel, as well as a family vacation this summer to Greece, so those two destinations are top of my list as soon as we are free to fly again. I also really want to go to Morocco, Vietnam, the Maldives, and do an African safari. In no particular order.

Kristin style….

Joe Malone Orange Blossom Candle, Two Tone Zigzag Basket, Magnolia Stoneware, Ina Garten Cookbooks, Twig Flatware, Blue and White Dishes, Basketweave Seagrass and Black Rug.

Thank you Kristin for kindly opening your home to us. Some photos were taken by me before this pandemic and others are Kristins by Betsy King Photography. Follow her blog and wonderful newsletter at The Mom Mystique and on her Instagram.

Hope you enjoyed this and another Californian is up soon!

Kim

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Weekend Update- My New Garden and Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

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Hello I wanted to check in with you all and see how you faring. We made it through April and it looks like May could mean some loosening slowly of restrictions here in California. There is a little feeling of hope in everyone it seems and even tennis could be back in my future ! We’ve done well with our numbers and people here in Northern Cal have been mostly good about trying to do the right thing. Masks have become protocol and I am proud of us for all getting on that so fast and adapting it to our lives.

My family has gotten out more than some. My guys have done some hikes and bike rides with the family and I have been shopping for my dad and delivering to him. How about you all? Today I talked to a friend whose family has not left the house in the seven weeks and they have three kids.

The bright spot this week was putting in our garden! Dad brought us tomatoes he had grown from seed as he does every year. Jackson my oldest, did most of the work and my dad just gave a few social distanced directions before leaving us with the plants. I’m so grateful to have my dad nearby and helping us.

Jack and I are pretty excited to change up the garden this year by adding some larger containers of herbs and lettuce as well and flowers to hide the air conditioning unit. The walls have Bower Vines which replaced an invasive Potato Vine that was driving my neighbor nuts.

Carla, my landscape designer said these will spread out and cover the fence, but not take over. I will share our progress as the garden grows. If you are thinking of getting a victory garden in, now is the time, as the frosts have passed and the days are getting warm, so plants can take root and thrive in the hot months.

Max snapped this photo by the garden gate when we were back there the other day and you can see a bigger view of the rest of our yard. I shared more pictures this week on my Instagram stories, and how we came to own this very large and winding pool and a yard with a massive amount of brick!! We’ll never afford to replace it all so we’ve come to love its old school charm.

I am slowly working on each area and I have to say gardening has been good for me. There is something about being out there even if I am just pulling weeds and trimming, feels like I am working towards something and it’s calming. I am upping my garden game and even ordered some pots and supplies. You can still get supplies by delivery or curbside pickup at local nurseries during our shut down, so I am trying to support them.

On Instagram people asked about my camo shorts and they are my go-to for gardening and pretty much everyday when it is warm. They are from Sundry, one of my favorite companies with a cool California vibe and made in Los Angeles.

They have some adorable things marked to nearly half like this cool Mama sweater just in time for Mother’s Day.

And I know these shorts would be chic worn a million ways this summer.

This heart sweatshirt is also fun. I seem to be living in my shorts and sweatshirts lately. I love the softness of Sundry tops. If you appreciate comfy and cute weekend clothes, they are the place and right now that is everyday for most of us!

One other Mother’s Day thing I highly recommend and I literally live in now, is my linen Serena & Lily pajamas. I have the pink and I would one day love to get another pair in white or this cute striped set.

S&L pajamas are beautifully made in Portugal and easy to care for. I just pull them out of the wash, tumble for a few minutes and smooth them and air dry in the sun. Serena & Lily is having 20% off everything now with code ATHOME so it is a good time to pop over there if you have been considering any of their beautiful home goods.

My flip flops I also was asked about and they are Tory Burch red toile and they are on sale now for $39!

My yellow top above is a Liberty fabric blouse from J.Crew. Right now J. Crew has all shorts and swim on sale at 60% off. That never happens. I love these swimsuits with matching coverups! Maybe a early summer gift for yourself..

SO cute.

People love to give flowers for Mother’s Day so I wanted to call out a wonderful Farmgirl Flowers. If you aren’t already familiar, they are a SF company that delivers flowers by bike in the city, and also ship over the country. They use only farms that are pesticide free and pay fair wages to their employees. Many of their bouquets are benefitting charities too. I like that they use upcycled burlap to wrap bouquets. Keep them in mind when asking for or ordering flowers this year. Men always appreciate hints too.

I think their selections of bouquets are lovely…

Another local company Tancredi & Morgen in Carmel has sweet Mother’s Day kits. I love the packages they pulled together with their lovely curated things and some of those packages are on sale. I think it’s good to support local businesses now so they stay in business. I have loved their shop forever and have many things I treasure from them. They have free shipping and local delivery!

Some very lovely things and cool cards with them.

I hope you have a good weekend. There’s no beach is in our immediate future, but we are getting to know our neighborhood pretty darn good with all the walks! The New York Times had a great read for your weekend on how we are connecting again with our neighborhoods, one of the unexpected benefits of being stuck at home. You know we were all rushing about so much going here and there before this pandemic, many of us never had the chance to know our neighbors well, and a whole lot of us are now taking the time to do that which is so good for our communities!

One more thing, on my Instagram this week, I am asking people to post a photo of that brings back memories of travel to a special place. It can be a treasured souvenir, like my bowl from Positano I shared (below), or a place you want to get back to someday when we can all travel again. Tag your photos #dreamingofmytravels and I’ll pick a random winner at the end of the week to win a travel book, soap from Hawaii and a few other fun things.

Have a good weekend and take care,

Kim

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Cyber Monday Gift Ideas

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It’s been particularly wet and nasty here in California. The idea of getting to the mall sounds a lot less appealing than sitting by the fire with my cats and a cup of hot tea perusing the Cyber Monday deals on my laptop!!

I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. We did and I’m working on a little recap of a busy week. During the blustery weekend my co-worker kitty and I found a little time to round up some gift ideas for you to get a jump on the shopping. Some of the Black Friday Picks I just wrote about are still going, so check that post if you missed it.

Most of these sales I am listing are for Monday only, but some go for the whole week or longer, so read the details on the site.

I am happy to tell you the Serena & Lily Thank You Event is being extended until 12/3 and now including sale items! This is their biggest sale of the year, so check out my dedicated post to what to buy for the home and for gifts during this event! Everything you love is 25% off right now.

A few more below..

My current favorites for holiday gifts and home.. Top to bottom, left to right:

1 Henley Wool Throw/ 2 Dip-Dyed Cake Stands /3 Coastal Christmas Candle /4 Amelia Rug /5-Beachside Bowls /6 Dalton Flannel Robe & Milo Alpaca Throw/7 Edgewater Lounge Chair /8 Lakeview Rug /9 Hattie Table Lamp

Trina Turk, my favorite California designer is having 30% off site wide, and more on specially selected items- like sweaters and coats. This Liza dress, is 40% off…and so cute for any upcoming holiday parties.

This Suez sweater is 30% off too. Love it for Christmas.

Coats are always fab at Trina and this Black Lace Trench is gorgeous and 40% off!

Athleta, is having 20% off with code BEMOVED. These cute leopard leggings I loved and tried on in our local store and shared on Instagram, are now on the sale as is this cute Transit Crew sweater with piping my friend Kim and I loved in black and grey.

This Metallic Bronze Down Jacket is also marked down today! This sale also works at the store today too, which is great if you can get to one. The new Los Gatos location, above is really pretty.

Minted, another Northern California company like Serena & Lily, has 25% off orders- and free shipping, including art, excluding tote bags. I love so much on their site, especially their cool and unique holiday cards, which I have ordered for 5 years now.

And how cute is something like this personalized stationery? I think something like this Painted Desert design below, is the nicest gift for a friend or family member, and the price is good, even better with a discount.

You can also do something cute like this collage for a grandparent! It’s pretty large -18 x 24. Minted’s photo calendars are a super gift too.

J.Crew is having a fantastic sale up to 55% off in some cases like this cute girl’s reversible jacket for $56 regular $128.

This jeweled button sweater is cute at $49 regular $118 and comes in 7 colors.

This Plush Sherpa Coat is also find at $98 regular $228.

More J.Crew on their site and also at my post I just did on holiday fashion– some of those things are on this sale!

Blue Mercury’s Cyber Monday is a $20 gift card for every $100 purchased and $50 for every $250. Lots of great gifts there like fragrance.. Joe Malone’s are always a hit.. This Wood Sage & Sea Salt is loved by many..

I also like their selection of Lafco candles, which come in the most beautiful scents and glass holders. The Sand & Dune is my favorite, but look at all the choices here. A super gift for hostess. The Ski House smells like winter!

Blue Mercury has all kinds of stocking stuffers, and travel and gift sets too.

Tory Burch is having 30% off anything over $250 and on most of her cute crossbodies and bags with code THANKS. I really love the design and colors of the Mcgraw bag right now..

This offer includes the adorable Tory Sport items in the sale, like this tennis bag below.

And also this ski sweater which is exclusive for Cyber Monday..

Nordstrom has a lot of exclusives for their Cyber Sale. One good deal is this Barefoot Dreams Cozy Cardigan for $73 originally $114, and it comes in 5 colors. These are so soft and are great for someone you want to stay cozy. Everyone loved this brand from college kids to grandmothers. Perfect for a day at the beach, as it is around the house.

These cute waterproof boots are $89 -regular $132 and come in black too. Perfect for running around or for the college kid or family member living in colder and wet climes.

This Kenneth Cole Coat comes in four pretty colors and regular $228 market to $139 for the sale.

These Monogram Scented candles at $19 from $28.

Bloomingdales has a Cyber Sale and most things are some percentage off. Check out their pajama department which is always good. This soft ensemble is a nice gift for a mother-in-law or sister, regular $90 on sale for $63.

..And this P.J. Salvage flannel set is just $46 down from $66. Check out all the Bloomies deals here.

Neimans also has a Cyber Monday thing going on- see all the offerings here.

Please share below if you know great find or deal on Cyber Monday!

Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving week and some downtime. I’m so thankful to all you readers and friends who have visited the blog over the years. Your comments and notes mean so much to me. Thank you!

I’ll be back with a Thanksgiving recap and some cool holiday ideas too.

Kim

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