happy thanksgiving!

Today's post, besides being all about Thanksgiving, is all about sisters. Yiyi, my sister-in-law Langan's little sister, and I are writing this post together today. Yiyi , who is seven years old, is thankful for her family, and her dog and her two cats. Yiyi is also thankful for the world. Honora is thankful for Yiyi's help with this post, and for her and her loved ones' health and happiness. She is thankful for the world, too. Today is the beautiful Halley's birthday. Halley is Honora's big sister and today she is 33. Honora is most thankful to have such a wonderful sister who is also her best friend.

picture from Gourmet Magazine

the ocean

a brown winter

seaweed, goleta beach

the desert

palm springs

a bike ride, palm springs

r&r here I come...

It's been one busy week, folks. I've been running around trying to get things done before leaving tomorrow for over a week. A. and I are running off this weekend for a little romantic getaway at this fabulous hotel. We've been looking forward to this for so long and I cannot wait! I plan to catch up on sleep, lounge by the pool and start my new book, After Dark, by one of my all time favorite authors, Haruki Murakami. And then it's on to Santa Barbara for a night before heading back to Colorado for t-giving with the fam. Have a happy happy weekend everybody!

Palm Springs photo from here

stressed out

Today I feel like this:

Untitled, 1970 Cy Twombly And I really want to feel like this:

Untitled,1969 Mark Rothko

global warming in the house

photo from here

I'm a little confused. Do I live in L.A. or Colorado? Colorado or L.A.? The weather is downright schizophrenic. It's been so hot here the past few days. I'm talking HOT. My car read 76 degrees yesterday afternoon. This morning at 8 am it was 58 degrees. On my run yesterday I saw some green grass growing. But last Thursday it snowed. I'm confused...

a beautiful beast

I can't stop thinking about a movie I saw this weekend: Rachel Getting Married. But I have to say that while watching the movie I realized how really glad I am that I've already done the whole wedding thing. (I always was an anti-bride). A wedding is like a beautiful beast; it's a thing you can't control or manipulate and that will drive you mad but it will make you shine nevertheless... kind of like your family. Watch the trailer:

you reap what you sew

My very first sewing project: placements inspired by La Maison d'Artiga.

the white album

I LOVE these interiors that I spotted on Design*Sponge this morning. The flat is so elegant, simple and stylish while still managing to be comfortable. I especially love the white sheepskins that abounds. I've been planning to reupholster a victorian love seat in our bedroom in a white fabric and top it with loads of white sheepskin pillows, because as we all know, I'm having a major white moment. Swoon, gush, sigh.

guess what?

It snowed last night!!! Yippee!

photo from Creativity + Timothy K. Hamilton

a house to dream of

I fell in love with this L.A. house. It's clean, simple and uncluttered yet cozy enough with places for books and art and children and dogs. And it was built economically with innovative green materials like ripped jeans for insulation and shelves made out of corn husks! I'm definitely going to keep this article in case I ever get to build my own dream house.

all photos by Lawrence Anderson/Esto for The New York Times

it's a love-hate writer's life for me

I will stop procrastinating on the internet. I will stop procrastinating on the internet. I will stop procrastinating on the internet. I will stop procrastinating on the internet. I will stop procrastinating on the internet. I will stop procrastinating on the internet. I will stop procrastinating on the internet. I will stop procrastinating on the internet. I will stop procrastinating on the internet. I will stop procrastinating on the internet. I will stop procrastinating on the internet. I will stop procrastinating on the internet.

let it snow let it snow!

The skies are heavy and gray today. A. and I spent all weekend raking the leaves that have piled into every nook and cranny of our yard. We raked them into piles and bagged them, and then drove them to the community garden fifty feet down the road and dumped our bags into an enormous pile that will be used as compost. Today I woke up and wished for snow. Our yard is ready, our plants are ready, our trees are ready. I'm ready for the quiet and white and for hot chocolate and for skiing. You see, when you live in the mountains, you like cold weather and you want it to snow.

photo by noah wilson

you go girl -- georgiana, duchess of devonshire

(This is part of series of posts which will feature inspired and independent women.)

Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, 1785-1788 Thomas Gainsborough

Last week I went to see The Duchess. I loved it! But then again I love pretty much anything to do with England, pretty period clothes and houses, and strong women. Go see the movie if you haven't already! Or better yet, read the book.

flying high

Hello, world. Man, has it been a busy week and half. I'm still elated from our wonderful news this week. I'm also exhausted. I think that I've been carrying around a whole lot of stress these past few months leading up to the election and now that I'm finally letting it go my body realizes how much relaxation in needs. On that note, I'm signing off for the weekend a day early. I'll be back on Monday. I hope you all get some sleep, eat some good food, and keep on smiling knowing that the world indeed is a beautiful place!

praia do madero, 2006

amazing grace, how sweet the sound

Last night was a victory for the world.

I am so happy that I am smiling ear to ear. I feel so overwhelmed and proud that it brings tears to my eyes. For the first time in my life I feel like I belong to something that is bigger than myself. I am so glad that the politics of fear has come to an end. I am so thankful that I have been given a new reason to find faith in humanity, despite having lost my uncle in the grimness that was 9/11. I am grateful of our constitution and its profound words, "We the People of the United States of America." I feel like there has just been a collective group hug worldwide. I am elated that other nations in the world are impressed by the US today. I wish that I had a baby so that I could squeeze him or her and tell them how much I love them. I would tell him or her to never give up hope, never stop believing. I feel like for the first time in my life there is a future for our communities and our country that I, and my family can be a part of. I am ecstatic that I have an intelligent and humble leader whom I would follow to the ends of the earth if he asked me to. I cannot wait to work for and make this future of possibility happen here on earth.

I believe in US

First of all, I felt a need to write something to you all on this momentous occasion. I consider myself an eternal optimist, but as an adult I have yet to be part of a government that I fully believe in. I have spent the last few days knocking on strangers' doors and encouraging them to vote, to get out there and let their voice be heard. I am so incredibly thrilled to have believed in, worked for, and voted for Obama. I am so happy and so proud, really for the first time in my life, to be an American. I look forward to a new future. A future where the best possibilities can and may finally exist for all of us no matter what color, gender, or class we are.

Second of all, A. and I just did a square dance to leftover salmon to celebrate. yeeeeeehaawwww! Colorado went BLUE!!! I AM SO PROUD.

Now and forever more, ¡Obamanos!

one word:

please, please watch.

believe with me:

spaces for a space cadet

I'm having a whole lot of trouble focusing today. I feel like my brain is locked away in a room very far away and no matter how many hallways I walk through and doors I open I still can't find what I'm looking for. So instead I'm posting some pretty pictures of rooms that I can imagine spending the day in. The photos are all by Edina van der Wyck and were found on Design to Inspire.

notes from the weekend

Our friends Marcella and J. came out to visit for the weekend. It was fabulous. We drank lots of wine, we sat outside in the unseasonably warm weather (we're talking tank tops here people). We carved pumpkins and gave candy to cute little kids, one of whom was dressed up as Sarah Palin. We went to a Halloween party as the Beastie Boys from the Sabotage video and got some mad props for our costumes. We went for a beautiful hike and topped it all off with some awesome enchiladas and the best margaritas this side of the Rio Grande. If only every weekend could be spent with such amazing friends.

my Obama pumpkin

Marcella aka "Frenchie" and I in costume

the crew