Winter is my favorite season in California. That may sound strange as it is also our rainy season, however, most Californians love the rain as it is such a rare occurrence the rest of the year. After one or two storms, everything begins to turn green again. The air is crisp and clear without the marine layer/fog that persists in the summer. The surf can get huge and is quite a sight to behold. What I love most are the…
Let me preface this post by saying the Christmas decor in our Big Sur home is simple. Getting Christmas to Big Sur is a bit more complicated. This will be our first Christmas here! Two car loads later (three if you count the trip with the tree stuffed in my tiny Prius), and we’re ready for the holidays! I have never been an over the top kind of gal when it comes to Christmas decor, and even less so here…
Full disclosure, the correct name is Mary Ann’s fruitcake. I’m attempting to change the bad reputation that the poor Christmas fruitcake has garnered over the years…you know what I’m talking about. That brick-like chunk with the scary colored jelly-like pieces of “fruit” in them. I promise you this is nothing like that! Every year, for as long as I can remember, my mom makes this and even after I moved away, she still sends me one every year. It just…
Let me start off by saying, these are not just some of my favorite items. They’re more like obsessions…they’re that good! If you are looking for some last minute holiday gifts, you can’t go wrong with any of the below. Baloo Weighted Blanket My husband bought one for our daughter for Christmas and had it shipped to me. I had never heard of weighted blankets before and, to be honest, the thought of something heavy on top of me wasn’t…
After spending Thanksgiving in Big Sur, I was a little slow getting my Christmas decor on in Santa Barbara. Our plan is to spend Christmas in Big Sur as well, but winter storms are unpredictable and rock slides and closures on Highway 1 are common this time of year. So I’m hedging my bets and decorating a bit in both homes. I’m just not sure which one will get the tree! I favor an organic approach to Christmas decorating…pinecones, driftwood,…
When we bought our Big Sur home nine months ago, there were a lot of projects we wanted to tackle…there still are 😉 With many projects, prioritizing was necessary. Originally, I thought we would completely redo both bathrooms but thought in the meantime we could do a mini makeover without ripping out tiles. The master bath had a few good things going for it. It had a large window with lots of natural light, a high wood clad ceiling, and…
In years past Thanksgiving has been a large family affair, often gathered at an old inn or cozy restaurant. This year it will be just four of us…and I’m cooking! The tricky part will be gathering all of the ingredients for a simple turkey dinner with all the fixings in Big Sur. It will also be our first Thanksgiving in our Big Sur home and we can’t wait! Dinner will be held without fancy China or pretty linens…a pared down,…
Those of you who have followed me for some time, know I like to set a simple table…and usually with items I have on hand. I tend toward a neutral fall and winter decor, but I shocked my husband when I added just a tiny bit of autumnal color to a table for a recent dinner party. My inspiration were a pair of two tone mini rose plants that I bought at our local farmers market for $6. I miscalculated…
One of the questions I get asked most often, is “what do I put on my empty walls?” First of all, there’s nothing wrong with some empty wall space. In fact, it’s often a good thing! But a home devoid of art can feel a bit soulless. You don’t have to have a lot of money or a large collection of art, but it should be meaningful. I would rather see a blank wall than something randomly picked up at…
I’m going dark…with a house color that is. It’s no secret that I love white. My Santa Barbara home is white inside and out. But white just won’t cut it here in Big Sur…at least not for the outside of a house. It’s all about the majestic setting and blending in. When we bought the house back in March it was painted a brown, which had faded noticeably on the South side of the house. The trim was an off…