Giant Treasure Box

I have this large Chinese chest that serves as the catch-all for a variety of trinkets, knickknacks and curious junk. Every six months or so I open it to add new things or take things out. (It's very similar to opening the ornament box at Xmas.) After this move, I was searching for colorful things to display on my bookcase. The Chinese hat with the pink pompoms is once again my favorite. This is how it looks now:


Do you have a box like this?

Decor Dilemma

My dear decor experts, I'm having a small decorating dilemma. We have a very mod brick fireplace in our new flat. It poses a challenge because it's off-center, stands about a foot off the floor and has no mantel. Should I just leave the top portion plain or try to hang a painting?

I definitely would love to find a fantastic Eames-era screen like this:

I also think this fireplace is lovely:

Any thoughts!?

It isn't really home...

...until the books are on the shelves:




This is my favorite part of unpacking: arranging the shelves. I always start out with the intent to keep things minimal, even monotoned. But I am a magpie at heart. So there's more color to come!

PS: A few of you asked about the screensaver on my computer in my last post. It's a Japanese noren called "The Great Wave," by Hokusai. It came with my Mac, but I've now uploaded it onto flickr, if you want to use it as a screensaver too. Just click the picture below:



Hope you're having a lovely Sunday...

A room with a view...

Hello everyone! It's so nice to be back here blogging! I wanted to show you some pictures of our new home....

This is the view from the terrace. We have five huge windows that look out into the garden:


Here's Lola on the couch. Our angry cats have been hiding underneath it for a week now. Occasionally we hear the couch growl.


Here's the view from my desk (it's where I'm now doing this post!)


Here's a rare sighting of Kali, walking fast past our white brick fireplace...


I have lots of unpacking still to do. Thank you for all your warm wishes and emails. I hope to get caught up by this weekend! xo

Still at it...

Sorry I've been absent...I'm still packing like mad! Hopefully by the end of the week I'll be able to come up for air.

Re: My grand book giveaway.
Thank for your emails! I've shipped 80 packages. Sending more this week!

xoxo

PS: Don't forget to enter to win the art table! Will announce the winner later tonight!

Fantastic Friday Giveaway: Hand Painted Table

I'm very pleased to announce the giveaway of this gorgeous little table, created
by Los Angeles artist Susan Spinks.

The colorful piece is called "The Dance Recital." (I especially love the crown on the elephant.)


Susan specializes in transforming 1950's era tables and trays into works of art...


She says: "I paint my images on vintage trays and tables to tell a fragment of a story and let imagination fill in the rest.  All trays and tables are functional art and can be used for serving as well as decor."

Susan has many more beautiful pieces for sale in her Etsy store.

This little table is 17 inches tall and 14 inches square. (It's also a $100 value!) To qualify to win, please leave a comment here and visit Susan's Etsy store. The winner will be announced on Tuesday.

Good luck lovies!

UPDATE! The winner is Michelle Carter!

Mid-Century Love

Hello everyone...Here are a few Polaroids of our beautiful 1960s-era apartment building...For some reason my scanner made the photos black and white:



I'm especially in love with the lobby, with its funky hanging lamps:



and the exterior awning...



and, of course, our apartment:



I can't wait to move in!

Drowning in a sea of paper...

Over the past two days I've been trying to clear out our garage. There's so much paper: old bills, newspapers, xmas cards, photographs, letters. Stacks and stacks of books and magazines...
It's stressing me out!

Maybe there's something to living a paper-free life.

What do you keep and what do you toss? And what about books? Do you keep them forever or give them away after you read them? I have a friend who leaves boxes at the backdoor of her favorite used bookstore late at night. She calls it stealth dumping!


(Photo found on the Internet, somewhere.)

Moving!

Hello everyone,

We're moving! We put the house up for sale and we found a gorgeous garden apartment, very 1960s mod. At the moment I'm trying to clear out 10 years worth of accumulated junk. I'm looking forward to a simpler life -- less stuff, smaller living expenses and more money to travel...

I promise to post photos of our new place in the coming days!

I'll miss our little rose-covered cottage, but mid-century modern seems so chic...


PS-- The winner of the vintage Japanese box is CHELSEA HAYWOOD!

Happy Weekend

Driving along Interstate 5 on the way back to Los Angeles. Already missing San Francisco! This weekend I'll be doing lots of laundry...

What about you?

Thursday Giveaway: Vintage Japanese Music Box

This little vintage box -- found in a San Francisco thrift store -- has the charm of Asia and the romance of the Viennese waltz that plays when you lift the enameled top. The tune will make you think of glittering ballrooms and floor-length dresses. And it's the perfect place to stash small treasures heavy with memory. In our souls, we all know how to waltz.

Please leave a comment here to enter. The winner will be announced Monday!

PS: If you have a chance, please let me know which zines you read (see two posts below!) I'm putting together a list!

Thank you! Have a wonderful Thursday.

Mission District Murals

San Francisco's Mission District is known for its colorful murals, a tradition fostered by the city's Mexican-American community in the 1970s. A walk along 24th Street between Valencia and York is especially wonderful, with vibrant Frida Kahlo-esque designs.

The Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Center at 2981 24th Street is the perfect place to start an impromptu tour. And you'll find more than 30 murals on Balmy Alley one block away. I wish I had brought more Polaroid film to photograph it. Next time!

(Photos above by Brooklyn-based home writer Jen Jafarzadeh L'Italien. You can find more on her lovely blog, Haystack Needle.)