Happy Friday! It has been a fast-paced, busy week. With school and kids’ activities in full swing, life is a bit of a blur. Weekends are always a welcome respite. What are your plans? I am hoping to switch my closet over to fall and squeeze in a movie matinee.
A round-up of things that inspire and interest me this week:
1. A friend is leaving for New York on a red eye tonight…..wish I was going with her.
Life is beautiful, white and bright, and perfectly curated. Well, at least it is for the creatives, hipsters, and the cool kids on Instagram.
So, how perfect is Socality Barbie? A brunette, bombshell of a doll posing in all the cool Northwest spots, making your life look sad and depressing. And totally making fun of all those living an authentic life and snapping shots of their artisan coffee. Created by a Portland based photographer, choosing to remain anonymous, Socality Barbie is totally off the hook with over 1.2 million followers. {Just two weeks ago, she only had 7,ooo!} Personally, I laugh out loud every time a new post pops up in my feed.
Socality Barbie is a fantastic Instagram account satirizing the great millennial adventurer trend in photography. It’s an endless barrage of pensive selfies in exotic locales, arty snapshots of coffee, and just the right filter on everything. Anyone who’s flipped through an issue of Kinfolk gets the aesthetic. And it’s everywhere on Instagram.
The woman behind the account is a wedding photographer in Portland, Oregon, who wishes to remain anonymous so to preserve Socality Barbie’s authenticity. She created the Instagram about three months ago to poke fun at all the people hashtagging photos with #liveauthentic and #socality. The homogeneity of their authenticity and universality of their socality all but demanded satirization. “People were all taking the same pictures in the same places and using the same captions,” she says. “I couldn’t tell any of their pictures apart so I thought, ‘What better way to make my point than with a mass-produced doll?’”
The descriptions make the pictures ridiculously funny. Take 5 minutes and read a few. I promise it will totally make your Wednesday!
Oh, and who can forget the hashtags? #liveauthentic #thatpnwlife #finditliveit #communityfirst
Next week it is officially fall and I can feel it! The weather took a hard shift and the very cool mornings make it undeniably so. But every season brings its own delights. Fall ushers in cozy blankets, lazy Sundays and delicious comfort foods. What are you up to this weekend? Our little family is recovering from a very long two weeks, so low key and healthy are all I am looking for.
Inspiration surrounds us. This is what inspires me this week. Remember, love big! It’s in the details.
1. A fall hike on a piece of the Pacific Crest Trail. I watched Wild again and the PCT is right in our backyard.
2. Suede booties. Wear them with cut off shorts now and a pair of skinnes later.
I thought it was about time for a new mom uniform. My husband and I are spending the weekend in the Washington wine country for a little fun. It has been two years since we have done any wine tasting, so it is a total treat.
The anchor of this uniform is a simple, black tank dress { I also loved this dress}. Light weight and flowy, it is great in warm weather. Everything else is just an accessory. How fun is that? I’ve learned that having your hands free is key when wine tasting. A cross-body bag would work, but I am pushing my fashion comfort zone and going for a fanny pack. {Stay with me.} With all that sun, a wide brimmed hat and sunnies are essential. A pair of wrap-around ankle strap sandals show off a fresh pedicure in white. A leather bracelet and a bold feather pendant give interest to a fairly simple outfit. Every uniform needs a pop of color. A bold orange lip in an iridescent sheen finishes off the look.
With the boys still home with me for summer, our field trips need to meet two requirements. The trip needs to be kid friendly {obviously} and active. This week we took a trip to the Seattle Bouldering Project {SBP}. My boys love to climb at this gym. Since most playgrounds these days have a bouldering wall, they are extremely comfortable with the hand and foot holds. I appreciate the welcoming feel of SBP. There are some serious climbers and they are always so upbeat and kind to the boys. A couple of months ago, I went with a friend to climb and actually really enjoyed it. She showed me the ropes and I wasn’t so intimidated. Plus, it is a fantastic workout. This last trip we all climbed together.
While climbing with the boys this time, I realized all the amazing life lessons they are learning while climbing. In just a short amount of time I saw problem solving, team work, perseverance, resiliency, camaraderie, and patience. The boys watch the more skilled climbers if they are have difficulty with a climb. They observe a strategy and then put it into action. Quite amazing really! While not a reason for the field trip, it sure is a huge plus!
The hours make it easy to pop in any time during they day. You literally need nothing. They rent shoes and you can borrow chalk. Just remember to wear clothes that allow you to move and climb.
{Just look at the face! Pure determination. Gotta love that.}
The boys and I took an excellent field trip to Artist at Play in Seattle Center. Nestled behind the Experience Music Project, it is an enormous playground fitted with ropes, slides, towers, slides and ladders. Any kid that loves to climb will totally dig it! There is a small section for small children, but it is definitely geared for older kids. Younger kids will need some assistance navigating the ropes. My kids disappeared in 2 seconds flat, so if that makes you anxious you might visit once September arrives and the crowds of tourists diminish. I suggest having your kids wear shoes and socks, not sandals or flip flops. This will allow them to climb easily, plus the turf under the structure was extremely hot.
Add a little bit more fun by riding the Monorail and grabbing a bite to eat at the Armory.
This is my favorite weekend of the summer. The Blue Angels buzz our little island over and over and over. They amaze me every year! Big W and I are taking the kayaks to the lake for a front row seat today. What are your plans?
A few items that inspired me this week. Remember, love big. It’s in the details.
Who are these babies pictured -so happy {and tan}? Man, they look insanely happy, don’t they?
This picture was snapped just days after we returned from our honeymoon. We are celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary today. Fourteen years is a pretty good run.
Here is what I know after 14 years:
1. I would still pick the same guy.
2. If you didn’t receive {birthday, Valentine, etc} cards before you were married, it is never going to happen.
3. Saying nothing is sometimes the best course of action.
4. Getting the last word isn’t important, as long as, deep down, you know you are 100% correct.
5. Just let me be in charge. It works better that way.
Love you babe! Can’t imagine navigating this crazy world without you.
Week 1 of summer break is in the books! The change of pace is always so welcome, but my house is a disaster and somehow I am more exhausted. This weekend brings drop-off for sleep away camp for both my boys! AND sunny, hot weather. How are you planning to spend the weekend?
This week’s inspiration is an ode to summer and fun! Including: a packing list, palm trees, ice cream and the coolest ping pong table in all the land! Have a great summer weekend. Love big. It’s in the details. xoxo
When we moved into our home in 2007, the room on the lowest level of the house struck me as really strange. It was long and narrow, with an extremely large brick fireplace/hearth. {When we viewed the house before we purchased it, the previous owner had one single arm chair in the middle of the room. Not helpful.} With really only one useable wall, it was nearly impossible to have a sofa or any furniture for adults. I had no idea what to do with it, so it became a play room. At that time we had VERY young children {ages 5 months and 3 years} so it served to be an extremely important space. Over time the kids had fewer and fewer toys and we decided it was time to create a space that we could all use and love. Today I am sharing the before shots and a quick description of our project.
FAMILY ROOM: BEFORE
Oh, look at all that brick! The project started out simple: remove the brick fire place, hearth, and insert and create a useable wall. Like any project it grew over 2+ years of thinking and planning. In the end the list also included: new lighting, removal of wood paneling {which I had painted}, new flooring, new paint, new molding and base boards. I also became obsessed with a rolling door to the laundry room. {Plenty more on that side project later!} We had not originally planned on updating the laundry room and powder room, but eventually decided it was worth doing all three rooms at once.
LAUNDRY/POWDER ROOM: BEFORE
Our laundry room and powder room are essentially caves. No natural light at all. Why I thought it was a great idea to paint them eggplant purple, I will never know! The number one wish for this space was to move or remove the eye sores above the washer/dryer. Who doesn’t want an old security system control box front and center? Also on the list for the laundry room: new washer/dryer, new cabinets, and counter top. The bathroom: new light, new sink/vanity, new toilet.
I spent months collecting images that served as inspiration for these three rooms. Below are a few of the images/ideas that served as guide posts to decisions I made throughout the process.
More on the outcome and finished looks are coming soon. The construction is complete and we could not be happier. Unlike a HGTV design show, the room did not magically come furnished and beautifully styled. That is a work in progress.
