DIY - Recycled bottle vases

My lovely in-laws are in town from Hawaii and my children are on spring break!
They took the kids to the The Flower Fields in Carlsbad yesterday and they had a lot of fun!

Jaxon and Maya bought me a mini succulent plant and my in-laws gave me a bouquet of vibrant Ranunculus that are in full bloom at The Flower Fields. How sweet!

Instead of putting the whole bouquet in a  large vase, I decided to divide them up into different vessels so that I can enjoy the flowers in more than one room of my home. 

I recycled used bottles I had laying around. I like to keep bottles with cute shapes.
I have here a large cold brew coffee bottle, a natural soda bottle, and a spice jar.

This one I have on our dining table since it is a larger presentation. 

This dainty guy will look cute in our restroom against our white walls.

This cluster will look great on our kitchen counter. To jazz up the spice jar, I simply glued a piece of paper from a catalog to it. 

So don't throw away your glass bottles and jars...they make great flower vessels.

I hope you enjoy creating your own display of flowers in your home this spring! 

Oinkster, Eagle Rock, CA

We ate at The Oinkster, a fast-casual concept from acclaimed fine-dining chef Andre Guerrero. 

The Oinkster aims to be Los Angeles' antidote to both, expensive gourmet meals and their cheap fast food counterparts.

 Premium sandwiches made with house-cured pastrami or sloooow-roasted pork compete for diners' attention with juicy burgers made from freshly-ground Nebraska Angus beef, first-rate rotisserie-roasted chicken and crispy Belgian fries. 

pastrami sandwich

Fake fast-food cheese are given a pass in favor of scrumptious Gruyere and yummy sharp cheddar, home-made sauces, dressings and spice rubs share the plate with house-made condiments and crunchy veggies. 

beets salad with fried goat cheese

Everything was delicious! We walked off our lunch by taking a stroll through the city. 

Colorado Blvd. 

The Oinkster / 2005 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041 / 323-255-6465

Tide pools

We had a chance to visit Abalone Cove Shoreline Park in Palos Verdes, CA this past weekend.

The view of Catalina Island from there was amazing!

Handmade mini dream catcher

We came home the other day, and were delighted to see this mini dream catcher placed at our entrance gate with a handwritten note. It was a gift from our neighbor Sally, a long time resident of the canyon who lives off the land. This dream catcher is so beautiful in person! She meticulously twisted branches to make the circle and the woven string is a delicate mauve color. The feather on the end sways with the slightest movement of air. There is nothing more I value than a handmade gift. Truly made from the heart. I want so badly to thank her, however, since she lives off the land the trick is to locate her first! I plan to give her a big hug when I see her!
 

Roadtrip (Part 2)

 We started off the second morning with the much anticipated Heath Ceramics tour

in Sausalito, California.

This was my thing, so I was very excited!
My daughter Maya took this photo....

Have a lovely weekend!

photo taken @ Marin Country Mart Farmer's Market , Larkspur, CA

Have a relaxing Labor Day Weekend! 

Heath Ceramics Tour

Our road trip to Northern California is fast approaching as we are working really hard to wrap up work before we leave! We were originally planning to make it all the way up to Oregon, but unfortunately we do not have that kind of time before the kids start school! However, we are very excited to be able to take a different kind of trip visiting places that our new to us since we've done all the city stuff already! One of our stops will be Sausalito, CA which I have never been. This is also home to the original Heath Ceramics factory. My favorite! I am very excited for the tour I was able to book for us.

Every aspect of their tile and tableware production, from clay-making to kiln-firing, is done right there in their Sausalito factory. The building was built in 1959 for Heath Ceramics. It was designed by the mid-century architecture firm Marquis & Stoller in collaboration with Edith Heath.

California Coast

Eek! I cannot believe we are heading into June already!
The past few months have been hectic around here with Jaxon's
T-ball games, Maya's dance, award ceremonies,
open houses, and birthdays....on top of craziness at work
and late night home improvement projects! June is even worse
with back-to-back schedules, our calendar is virtually full capacity!
After the kids get out of school, we are in much need of a summer vacation.
This year we are planning a road trip along the California Coast, eventually
ending up in Portland, Oregon. This trip will be about the
journey not just the destination. We cannot wait!

photo via Jetsetter

Have a nice weekend!



  

Crystal Cove Charm

J and I had the pleasure of visiting the historic Crystal Cove over the weekend with neighbors and friends.
It's an amazing little place rich with history and charm!

Spring Blooms

The flowers that bloom around our house are so beautiful this time of year! 

These purple lovelies actually grow over the entrance to our home, and 'technically' belong to our neighbors. 

They kindly offered to trim the flowers for us, but I insisted that it was perfectly fine to have them cascade over to our side... 

This potted flower above, was a gift from another neighbor who lives up the street from us. Look at the beautiful colors of the cluster of flowers! Rosemary is an 80 something years young beautiful lady who brings me cute potted flowers and fresh eggs laid by her pet hen from time to time. How sweet is this women!

A Sleepy Hollow- ween!

We had a fun time trick or treating with all the neighborhood kids and parents last night.
Look at all the cute Halloween decorations! Sleepy Hollow is nestled in the canyons with steep and hilly roads. We all carried flashlights and walked up and down the street collecting candy.
I got my work-out!

 

Summer in California.