I am itching to have a dinner party. Like this one... as seen from above.

{once again, image source unknown, but very much loved and appreciated!}

I'm heading out the desert again. See you in a few days... I'm actually feeling rather homesick, and I haven't even left yet. Just being traveling a lot lately. But I can't really complain, can I?

As for tomorrow, Happy April Fool's Day to you all...may many jokes and pranks make you laugh!

I justed added one of my favorite cards to my Etsy store ... I should have sent one to myself this past weekend! I just about lost my own marbles over the last few days when the entire contents of my studio lived on the floor while I literally watched the paint dry on the tables I decided to paint at the last minute. I picked the worst time to eliminate my work surfaces and I was about to pull my hair out.

But now ... finally ... and with all my marbles still thankfully in place, the paint is dry, the desks are in place, things are where they should be and my studio no longer looks like a bomb went off in it.

Some Etsy updates:

Albrecht looks a little grumpy and the twins don't have a care in the world.

Be rest assured, my desk will never look this away again... unfortunately. I bit the bullet and finally cleaned everything off and finished my first coat of paint on my desks today. Oh and don't be fooled, I really did paint half of one desk with everything just shoved to one side before I came to my senses. I am that lazy. Tomorrow I'll do the second coat and hopefully Sunday I can apply a sealer.

Painting these doors (lovingly referred to as desks) has been something I've been meaning to do forever. Even since architecture school I've been working on doors from Home Depot and simple saw horses and I can't image anything better... easy to move, cheap, and a huge amount of space if you don't clutter it all up like I do.

It's not like the images show even a hint of the color, but I chose a very lovely green-grey called Whale from Pratt & Lambert. At some point I'll also use Tung oil on the wooden saw horses to bring them to life a little. Fingers crossed that I get to that while the desks are cleared off... knowing me, I'll try to apply the oil in place and make a right mess.

This is Maxine.

Part octopus, part bat ... I think.

I believe I am going through a career crisis.

There are so many professions that I have contemplated taking up to ease the pain and indecision and one of them is carpentry. I just want to make some beautiful furniture ... like these guys of BDDW. Not only do they make exquisite pieces, but they seem to have a lot of fun too.

Ahh, the days of launching your friend into the air and getting work done at the same time.

Also, I got interviewed. Thanks Guylaine!

Our road trip was incredible. Arizona is an amazing place - huge range of topography, plant types and climates. At points we found ourselves traveling along at a comfortable 72 degrees F (22 C) and then all of sudden, a hail storm and it drops to freezing or blizzard. We went from dying of heat to dying of cold in about 3 hours, Phoenix to Flagstaff.

Then we decided to go to Grand Canyon (something I have only seen in the summer months) and I must say, winter is the time to visit this place. The snow makes it more magical, if that is possible. Unfortunately the shear number of tourists made it almost unbearable, but amongst all the bodies and cars, this National Park ceases to amaze. Next time we go it will be on longer back-packing trip, at the bottom of the canyon for days looking up at the rocks.

Anyway, we're back and I'm playing catch up and all the things to do! Thanks to everyone who have recently left comments; I wish I could just unplug the phone, pretend I was still out of town and take a look at what everyone has been up to :)

Bye for a few days.. we're heading on a road trip! See you next week :)

{would be nice to do little bicycle road trip on this... Jorg & Olif Oma bicycle at Reform School}

I cannot think of a better place to walk around: one of the many architectural salvage yards in Los Angeles. I was not shopping for anything in particular, though I would have bought some lovely steel windows in a split second if I had anything I could install them in. If some one wants to buy me a house that I can remodel, just let me know (hint hint).

Aside from all the windows, I loved all these weathered, neglected and discarded beauties of houses and business long gone. What I also loved is all colors of toilets... it's a little refreshing to see. Now I want a mostly white bathroom with a pink, aqua, or yellow toilet and sink.

Also I could not resist posting an image of this dog by Neta of Doll Stories, a new aquaintance of mine ... see her shop here.

You know how it goes ... first you find yourself checking up on all the blogs you've been too busy to read lately and the next think you know you're taking pictures of your espresso cups.

Perfectly natural, right?

I am very much inspired by the recent collections of Camilla Engman.

I almost cannot get over these ... by Angela Valamanesh.

via {Bientôt Demain}

Then I did a little more looking and found these color studies.
That was one big dose of inspiration I needed today... so lovely.

Two new additions: one to Etsy and one to the garden.

First, there is Owen.
And second, this stunning euphorbia enterophora.

I swear we go to the California Cactus Center at least once every weekend, sometimes twice. Their plant selection is out of this world and the women who run the place are so sweet to us. R's garden is really coming along, and given all the rain we had earlier this year, all the cacti and succulents should be very happy all through the summer months.

I love love love MessyFish.

And I love Lilith.

If only I could be a little more free when it came to knitting. Oh the shapes I could make!

I think his name is Finch.

I am happy that tomorrow is Friday.
And that the next day is Saturday.

Diving into my "images i like" folder, I found this ... it reminds me of Andreas Gursky's photograph of the harbor at Mumbai ... but with more breathing room {via re*move}

Usually when we head out to the desert I stop by my favorite vintage store in Yucca Valley, but this time we didn't quite have the time. As I almost always buy something, and at the rate at which I am accumulating stuff that I don't really need, maybe that's a good thing.

Instead, here are some lovely vintage seed packets that were given to me as gift a few years ago... collecting dust on a little shelf.