Roadtrip

Mrs. K,

I hope you are enjoying your current road trip. I loved seeing the country from the freeway viewpoint and watching the mile markers go by as we were getting ever closer to California. It was such a rewarding experience and there were so many new cultural experiences (Cracker Barrel?). Plus, I am super excited to your weekend destination....we have some plans for the Birthdays Dinner and I can't wait to see you and Mr. K.

Safe Driving.

Great Minds

Think alike....I just pinned this photo as inspiration for Mr. K's birthday next month.

From here....with directions

I'm thinking a baking party might be in order when we get stateside. (T minus 9 days!!)
Thank you for the birthday wishes dearie.

Felicidades!

Image: cake via @dariusmonsef via snippet & ink

So I hear it is a certain someone's BIRTHDAY!  I saw this image last year of a Rainbow Party on Oh Happy Day! and I kind of wish you were so we could make mayhem in the kitchen trying to bake this cake.  I kind of love Oh Happy Day, not going to lie, I might also have a friend crush on the lady in charge, and as Mr. C commented, it made him want to wear bow-ties at a picnic in the park. It's just a happy place.


I hope you have a lovely day and Mr. K spoils you like you deserve!

Pallet-no-more

Ms. T -

I am glad that the idea gave you such inspiration for the community garden project. What happened there that it isn't going to actually happen? I loved the idea you came up with! (So does Mr. K.) With a quick internet search, there are dozens of tutorials of how to use pallets and I seem to like all of them! But, I love your original idea.

I am sad to report that the pallet idea never got off the ground. Too many steps, too many supplies, and too much aftercare (watering) needed for it to be practical to ever get up and running. Plus, it didn't help that the pallet we picked up, although beautifully battered and weathered, was missing too many bars to successfully pack the dirt. I still have hopes of building one once settling in LA for my sister-in-law. In the meantime, I'll keep dreaming of great ways to use the pallets.

Alas, it seems like our under-cover ops was not worth the risk. But, I'm glad it gave you a giggle. I didn't even mention the dark colored jacket and hoods we donned for the outing (and the copious amounts of wine too!) The mother and I do have our moments.

But on a happy note, the weather has decided to give us a warm goodbye and we've finally had our beach days. I found this walking home through town from the beach yesterday.

Until the mainland...

More Pallet Uses

Mrs. K,


Have I ever mentioned how much I love you and your mother. If my mother and I attempted that, for sure we would be caught and have to spend 20 years in a Greek prison and I don't know how kindly they would take to blondes.

I DO love the pallet idea. Before the project seemingly imploded, I had designed a fence for the Sausalito Community Garden using pallet as the main structure and zigzaging it with chicken wire. Can I just say I am enjoying the increasing use of these highly under-appreciated wood pieces.  A simple google search of pallet wall comes up with so many inspiring ideas.

So with the inspiration of your pallet planter project, I thought it would be cool to include that in the fence idea. So the plants I selected are known to be more deer resistant, because that is kind of a problem in the area. Thank you for giving me a fun little project for the afternoon!

Planter box inspiration

Hey Hey Ms. T.

How fantastic for someone who has a big beautiful wood desk for them to nestle those fun, colorful pots into. (read green eye monster for that desk!) Must admit, I do love the colors of those pots! I might just have to pick some up for some lovely household gifts next time I'm in the area. Unfortunately, that will be sans the tray. It's making it's home here in Syros. But, I am inspired for future flea-market finds.

I was checking out your recent posts on Richardson Street Workshop and must admit that your new white on white industrial chic planters are great! I am loving the new white on white shades that seem to be popping up everywhere this spring/summer season. It seems so effortless and classy.

In my last week with here on Syros, I am finally slowing down with household projects (yay no more drilling!).  But, I think I might try to tackle one last project for fun before we say adios to this fair dame.  See, I've been inspired by your planter idea. I've seen these photos floating around for the last couple of years in Sunset Magazine and now I found it again on Pinterest  (via Apartment Therapy). So last night, under the cover of darkness, the mother and I performed our own secret ops and stole this pallet from a construction site in town.

The question is if I can turn in into something at all like this pallet on the left! If I succeed I have plans on creating another in LA for my sister-in-law. She's got this great 1920's California Bungalow with a tiny-tiny yard. This would work great on her little porch in the front. (If not, I might steal this idea from Richardson Street Workshop.) I promised her as a belated birthday present/mother's day gift a garden treat!






I wish you a happy, happy work week!

Colored Pencil Management

Dearest Mrs. K,

So this may be, possibly, a bit obsessive but the state of my colored pencils, all those colors intermingling, has been driving me a bit crazy for a while. I could never find that right blue or yellow when I wanted it so now I can. I win! I may have also been kind of in love with these cute little colored pots since I started work and I finally found a way to justify adopting them. Yay for organization!

I am kind of hoping this tray will be making a journey westbound. I like it.  

Transformative Tray

Ok: so my title is a bit of an overstatement, but the alliteration worked so nicely, I stuck with it! Some of the more fun projects my mother has me doing as been updating an existing tray she had. It had been her mothers and held particular sentimental value to her. But, it had hideous, water-stained wallpaper in it that I removed before getting photo-conscious (so, no photo of it!).  But, use your imagination - old, moldy, Grandmother-eqsue 1950's wallpaper. After it was removed, we were left with it's cardboard back - rather boring if I do say so  myself.
It looked like this:

One of the neat things I found out while removing the (ugly) wallpaper was that my Gramma evidently was into crafting/artsy projects as well (a side I did not know). Whether she just bought it there, or if she "made it" herself we'll never know, but I loved finding this on the back.
So, using the limited supplied that I have on hand, I found and cut to size another piece of cardboard. I painted it a cool blue/grey color with leftover paint from (this) project.

But, I needed something other than just paint to make this interesting, so after one of my hikes around the island (mentioned on the Our Four Itchy Feet blog), I decided to go old school and press flowers! I was so excited to share this project with you, but alas, my attempts on pressing flowers failed. (Damn being too impatient!) So, we went with wheat, as it is easier to press and takes less time! The final product looks like this:

It's not perfect, but it's surely an improvement! (Don't worry,  I went in a fixed the crooked pieces afterwords!)

I love the veggie garden you are working on! How delicious! Anything going to be ready by June? Any chance those paint cans your planting in are the ones from my wedding? I remember Jenny saying she wanted some - I'm not sure if she took any.

Hope you're having fun in LA this weekend! 

Backyard Veggies

My Mrs. K.,

Those pictures are gorgeous! I also liked the pictures you posted on OurFourItchyFeet . I want to be in Greece going on bike rides and hikes to the beach. Until such point I actually make it to Syros, I will live vicariously through you and Mr. K.

And like your home improvement jobs at your mom's, we too have been hard at work setting up a backyard vegetable garden complete with Potatoes, Zucchini and Marigolds in trash cans and little herbs in brightly colored pots. I am including a couple of pictures.

Hopefully they will be ready for harvest by the time we see you.

May blooms

Hey Miss T

Welcome to May! Here are some blossoms and artsy shots taken on our hike today. I thought they'd be a good way to kick off the month!

Cheers!

Kalo Pascha

 My Dear Ms. T,

Happy Easter! Or as the greeks say it, Kalo Pascha!  I hope you had a nice time visiting the family. Did the chicks survive your watch? I must admit the peep wreath is mighty cute, and just about my level of competence this morning. (You know how it goes with family...)

Our day was spent like this:

lots of this:

and ended with these: 

It was a long day to say the least, and I must say, Mr. K earned tons of gold stars for it. Hopefully this week, I'll start on some projects that I can share. Until then, sending you love and sunshine, and perhaps a bit of homemade wine...

Happy Easter!

For you Mrs. K, a PeepWreath.

I hope you are able to see some cool celebrations in Syros. We'll be up in Healdsburg helping with a Sunday Meal at the church.

¡ Disculpame !

Dearest Mrs. K, 
I am bad, very bad. But you already knew that. In an effort to make up for my not posting in a weeks time, especially when you are the one going through areas of no internet, I am including an absolutely adorable picture. I am chicksitting for Greta and the boys. Sparrow and Shadow are celebrating Easter a bit early with their friend. 

I love the pictures of the gardens and was super excited about the farm project in Swaziland (you or Mr. K are more than welcome to exploit my or my friends' Landscape Architecture degrees, especially if it opens potential for a super cool trip). I am eagerly awaiting pictures from Egypt too, just so you know, and would be very happy to try to coordinate another trip to the Great Northwest.
Eagerly awaiting your return,
Miss T

Memory Lane (and Garden)

You have me going down memory lane with your last post and revisiting spots from childhood vacations.  It’s funny how jealousy works.  I am surely green with envy about your trip to Seattle. I second your opinion on Seattle as a favorite city in the world. It’s got a really good balance of city activities and outdoor adventure. Something about that city has always made it feel like home. Have you made a trip to Pike’s Place, yet? If not, go and wander down to Pioneer’s Square and check out Diva Dollz. They have limited hours of operation, but it’s worth a trip. They have a small selection of dresses and shoes and accessories. The red poka dot dress came from there. But, the best part is they custom make hats and corsets!

It’s funny that you posted about revisiting those old haunts. Our last night in Bali, we stayed next to a lagoon that experiences a very low tide. Local children go running out and play in the mud/sand, trying to catch crabs and dirty their siblings with it. It reminded me of those days running thru the mud flats at low tide.  I had packed the camera, otherwise I would have taken a picture and made a post on that. Instead, I’ll just have to dig up some photos of us from that time once I get back to the States. (evil grin)

Now that I’ve wandered down memory lane and you’ve made me miss you and Seattle, I have my own little lane to share with you. At our B&B there are these adorable pathways that lead to various garden settings. I hope you enjoy!

My Wet and Wild Safari

Mrs. K:

So while you are frolicking around Africa, I am up in Seattle (everyone says hi) and went to some familiar places. Anything look familiar?

There were no mud baths and the cookie made me a little ill, but it was fun to go see some of the places from those summers. Seattle is definitely one of my favorite cities in all the world. Wish you were here but I won't hold it against you. We do need to arrange a trip up the coast at some point upon your return.

Africa looks amazing, I have been following the travel blog  (and while I would rather not admit it but after watching The Bachelor this past season, yes, I know) I kind of really would like to be there too. Nights under the stars and really cool elephant candles are very very tempting (perhaps I should show the pictures to Mr. C). I hope you are collecting some cool souvenirs along the way. I would be the happy to provide a home for some cool little something in need of adoption. Hint Hint. I love you.

Light from Africa

My dearest Miss T:

In case you were wondering, I survived my first African Safari. It was everything that a little girl dreams about a safari being. It was adventure hiking thru tall grasses, crouching as you watched the many different animals, inspecting all sorts of insects and plants, sundowners with amazing African sunsets, ending your day around an open bush fire and falling asleep in a tree house. The only disappointment that could be shared was that the giant cats eluded our eyes, although they made their presence known with their evening calls close to camp.   But, everyone says they’re just like house cats anyways. (Wink wink)  But, the point of this post is not wild stories of the African bush. Those I’ll save for a lazy Sunday in which we can imbibe and share all sorts of stories.

I visited a candle making facility here in Swaziland this week. It was a beautiful workshop that shares an even more beautiful history. A Scandinavian family, who had some experience running a candle company, founded Swazi Candles in the 1981.  Since they first opened, they have trained dozens of local men and women in the art of candle making.   In a country where jobs are scarce, and proper training for those jobs even more so, this was a truly beautiful gift. Slowly, they have built an international name and turned their workshop into a top tourist destination for the country. All the candles are hand built using timeless techniques of warm wax and cool water. Today, they are a huge success story, exporting their goods to major companies internationally. (You might remember them from a winter holiday feature Anthropologie did a few years back.)

Below are a few photos taken from my visit from the workshop and store. The day I was there they were working on making blue elephants. It was mesmerizing to see how quickly these men and women worked with the wax, fashioning animals out of nothing. No molds are used here! I hope you enjoy.

Sending you a little love from Africa.

Flowers and sunshine

Miss T:
I love the flowers! I've never received flowers from a girl via online before. :) What an arrangement you put together! When I move back to the States, you will have to come and plant a patio garden for me full of wild California plants.
I am happy to report I am fully cheered up. Between you flowers and a smaller, more secluded island, my fear of globalization has become a fogged memory. We spent the last week on Nusa Lembogon with nothing to do but sunshine, swim, surf, and exploration! It is an island that is not home to any global chains; not even cars! Surely, there is no sulking when you wake up to this:

and end the day with this:

Well I must be off now. Today is our last full day in Bali. Tomorrow evening we enter the skies once again and make our way to Africa. With love. - Mrs. K

Mrs K...if the flowers don't work

VENA CAVA X TENOVERSIX KAT LUCITE
http://shop.tenover6.com/shop/women/shoes/1965-vena-cava-x-tenoversix-kat-lucite/

Happy Thoughts

You forgot to mention the 7-Elevens that abound in Bangkok...when we were there we had a game similar to Slug Bug for all of them.  It is really sad, but the silver lining might be that with all the tourists going there, it will free up the places you want to go.  So, in an effort to cheer you up from the gloom of globalization, these are some pictures of a housewarming pot that I made. The green plant (Euphorbia) reminds me of little tea cups. I had been eyeing this pot for a couple weeks and finally had justification to do something with it. If these don't help, I imagine Mr. K and the beaches are working wonders. May there not be any McDonalds, Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks for miles and may your nights be filled with wondrous fruits.