Birthday Baby Cakes

Good things can come in small packages, and one of my favorites is cupcakes! This year for my birthday I'm dying for one... or a few... hehe

I just love the whole concept of something delicious crammed into a cute cup, smeared with goodness, crowned with a candle or topper then dusted with sprinkles! What could be better?

Having your cake and eating it too!

Oh Seattle, you are only a short flight away. These creations at Trophy are just adorable. I'll take two, thank you...

These canister's from Domino are sweet!
Forget the cherry on top, I want one of these customized toppers from Diana Evans

but I also love the glitter and glitz of the vintage images you'll find at Bug & Boo on Etsy

ohmygoodness I may just have to re-think my Halloween costume.... this is too cute!
(Image All things cupcake)

Well, if I have to do it myself, these Designer baking goods make me want to bake! From the baker's confections and Urban Outfitters

Everything you could ever need at Bake it Pretty

And don't forget the sprinkles!

(image from Amy Sedaris "i like you")

9 by Design

Since Jersey Shore ended, there's hardly any t.v. worth watching anymore (haha) but lately I've stumbled upon Bravo's newest docu-series called 9 by Design. I not only like it, I set-my-Dvr-to-record-love it! It features the crazy life and creative genius of a husband/ wife team of designers based in New York City.

Robert and Cortney Novogratz started renovating run down urban facilities in New York City in the early 90's. With little funds, they renovated a space in the up and coming "Chelsea" neighborhood. When (then) big-time Musician Suzanne Vega offered to rent the space at three times the mortgage, they of course obliged, and the rest is history! Since then they have popped out 7 kids and 8 renovated homes, all of which appear to have turned out pretty nicely (despite being named Five, as their fifth child was... which I think is unique but just sayin')

What I love about what they do, is first off the fact that they're self taught and insanely creative. They've used nontraditional and usually abandoned spaces and turned them into spacious homes, mostly by using recycled or reclaimed materials from the original fixture. Here is a before picture of one of their projects:

And After:
I especially love how instead of a standard rooftop garden, they opted for something their kids would use, a basketball court! But this one mimics the design of an adjacent church dome... I also love the eclectic mix of antique and modern accessories they use inside:
And their use of texture to add warmth to white walls, like these graphic curtains in the twins room: Here they used a garage door in leu of standard windows and/or french doors to open up the kitchen space and enjoy the view of the city:
For more images & info on their book, go to their official website Sixx Design
Or just watch on Bravo Tuesday night's, which I am going to do right now!

Thread Show *Standouts*

In no particular order...

*Pocket gardens and living sculptures by Tend: Enduring Design for Modern Living
* Recycled Wears from Taxi cdc

* The cutest little barrettes and accessories at ohhellofriend * Swimsuits that actually make me want to swim! Fables is coming soon to San Diego...* The only art in the place worth seeing, by far. Artist Zaragoza from Peppermint DayDreams
* Mid Century furniture that is pristine (and actually affordable) at Nest VintageImage from website

and last but certainly not least Sezio! A non-profit artist's organization in San Diego, run by some pretty charming boys. Their next event is happening this Tuesday April 13th at Bar Basic.
Maybe I'll see ya there...

indie design & fashion show

This year's THREAD spread runs Sunday April 11th from 11-5pm at some abandoned building in Horton Plaza. I've never gone before, but this year I am going for the following reasons...
Can't pass the chance to:

* Shop Eco-friendly designers in the THREAD Responsibly section
* Get in the door for $8 (if you donate clothes at the door, $10 without)
* Swap something old for something new! (By bringing a bag of clothes to part with in exchange for a bag of someone else's in the THREAD Swap Lounge).
* Browse The Haiti Poster Project collection and buy art that will benefit Haiti

* See more than 100 independent designers with their Spring trends

Not to mention this year they've added a housewares department... ooh la la!

I'm there, who's coming with?

(P.s.- I want this coat...) All the info here

Liberty of London for Target

It's Spring! (well, it has been since the weekend, but I've been busy)... Nonetheless, it's time to switch out the sweaters for something more slinky! I treat my home like an extension of my own body, so I'm going to bring some spring to each room. The easiest "must-have" item to brighten a room is fresh flowers. In San Diego alone, there are tons of weekend Farmer' s Market spots that you can get great bundles at for pretty cheap. Some favorite locations are:
* Hillcrest
* Little Italy
* La Mesa
* City Heights

Check out their websites for all the info...

Also, this week my friend Marie gushed to me about the new collection at Target by Liberty of London. Since we share the same taste (in basically everything!) I had to check it out. Unfortunately, it looks like most everything is sold out already. But I'm loving how 60's summer the whole collection feels, in everything from chairs to sundresses to pillows. I don't normally go for patterns this loud, but I have always loved this random color combination of magenta's with eggplant, or deep reds paired with pinks, like in this pillow.

On a celery green couch, these would really pop! Once again, too bad they're sold out... maybe Target will re-stock soon! The only thing that's missing from this 3-tier tray are raspberry tarts...
And you know how I feel about containers....

See More! Images from Target.com & Liberty's official website

Re-designing the CUBE

Today the sun came out enough for me to want an iced coffee as opposed to my regular americano... got me thinking that I may need to start considering summer clothes, UGH! The upside, homemade cures for the heat, like these fun ice cubes



Just thinly slice a lemon (or orange), add to a cupcake tin filled with enough water to make them float, then freeze. Or...

... re-design the standard ice cube tray by adding those last bits of mint or berries to each cube. Also a great way to prolong the life of fresh fruits, and zest up some spring drinks like lemonade, pellegrino, or mamosa's!

Thanks, Martha!

Richard Sweeney

Cardboard Chair

PAPERcuts

Love this guy's work... more info: http://www.richardsweeney.co.uk/

Dirt! the movie

I Spent last Wednesday night someplace old, yet new to me... the San Diego Central Library on E street downtown. What a treat to find a free documentary on Dirt, of all things... First of all, this place is a historical gem. I am definitely coming back with my camera, and will post more photos then. But check out this image from it's opening in 1954
Inside, I felt like I had stepped into a scene from The Royal Tennebaums. At a quick glance, lots of neat original mid century features... a speckled sea foam green staircase, revolving door phone booth, tones of tomato red, caramel and rose... some of my favorite color combinations. Anyhow, this documentary ruled; in a terrifying, motivating way. Since then, I can't stop thinking about how little I see "healthy" dirt, and how I really need to get my feet back into it more often. Besides the recent rain, I am way more aware of how under-nourished our desert soil really is, and yearn to live in an overgrown, lush nest somewhere up North. Till then, I can at least pretend I do!

Watch this clip then enjoy some green things inspired by the documentary:

These adorable jars are from Burgon & Ball's online garden shop, and makes me wish my basil plant had made it through this winterHowever, their blog Grow with Us is full of great gardening tips for people who can do more than keep succulents alive!


Check out this crafty little terrarium

I love packaging that lasts beyond the life of the food... in this case these tin tea containers make for great windowsill pots for easy urban gardening

Dirt is probably the most undervalued element of this earth, and essentially being the skin of this planet, we need to take better care of it. Deforestation, wars over fertile land, and hundreds of suicides by farmers who can't afford common pesticides, all can be avoided by making small changes in your everyday way of living. Here are some related links worth looking into:

* San Diego Roots


* Sustainable places to eat in San Diego


* TreePeople

* Dirt: the Ecstatic Skin of the Earth by William Bryant Logan

Now, do your homework!