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…
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,…
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…
Hi! I realize it’s been a long time since you’ve heard from me here. Sometimes life gets unexpectedly busy…in a good way. I’ve been involved in new projects, helping my daughter set up her new place, and oh, we bought a house in Big Sur! I’m looking forward to blogging again and sharing my projects with you, along with the work we’ve been doing on our new Big Sur home. And for all of you who have asked, we have…
Big Sur is rugged, majestic, breathtaking, and awe inspiring, but it is never more beautiful than in the Spring. The grass is green from the winter rains, and poppies and wild flowers bloom with abandon up and down the coast. Here is a pictorial trip from two magical weeks spent in this slice of heaven. Photos are my own or taken by my talented daughter, Kelsey Burns. …
Being an optimist doesn’t mean I always think things are rosy. Two weeks of a giant wildfire terrorizing your community and neighboring towns clearly isn’t a good thing. But acknowledging the fear (yes, there was a lot of fear and worry), and then trying not to dwell on something I couldn’t change was a daily struggle. I tried to see the bigger picture. I saw tremendous acts of caring and giving from people just wanting to help. And don’t even…
Months ago, I had planned a trip to Big Sur when my parents would be visiting me in Santa Barbara. Our daughter and a friend were coming too. Nature had other ideas. With one of the wettest winters on record (over 80″ of rain) and five years of drought, the damage was severe. Mudslides, rockslides, and the loss of Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge cut a major part of the beautiful Highway 1 and Big Sur off from the rest of the…