HGTV Canada - Sarah Richardson

Sarah's House 4 premieres soon on HGTV Canada. 

Butcher block?

Some more kitchen inspiration found on my newest obsession - Pinterest!

Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com via Mary Beth on Pinterest

Source: houseofturquoise.com via Threadcase on Pinterest

Window and side ledges very similar to those at LaNa!

Source: countryliving.com via OedipaMaas on Pinterest

Itchin' for a kitchen remodel!

I'm itching for some updates in our kitchen. I'm thinking new countertops would make the world of difference! However, I'd also love some new cabinets. We have the original cabinets to the house, which I think is quaint. However, they're not practical and some of them "shed" when they're open and closed. Picture saw dust-type debris in my mixing bowls. I think our budget right now is formica countertops, but I've got caviar dreams! 

Better Homes and Gardens



A new way to recycle?

I'm a HUGE recycler!  My husband has also become a big recycler since moving into LaNa.  However, he'll probably think I'm crazy with this idea...

Have you ever considered landscaping with glass bottles?  We typically have some glass wine/water (ok - mostly WINE!) bottles for recycling and I'm learning that some people love to "recycle" these into their gardens in borders. 

In fact, I even came across a site with how to instructions!

I also stumbled upon The Casual Gardener blog with photos and more instructions:

photo source: The Casual Gardener



I'm really digging the cobalt blue wine boarder. I can see this in the front garden at LaNa!

photo source: re-nest



This pic says it all!



via urbanwalls on etsy

I'm on the hunt for....

bedside table mirrors!  I'm feeling our room is a bit dark and I'd love to lighten it up without the hassle of re-painting.  So, I'm on the hunt for mirrors for our bedside tables.  I'm drawing inspiration from some of the examples below:



image from Honey and Fitz



image from Young House Love 



image from Home Goods



Clogged sink?

I love squirrels!

Remembering

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

How's this for commuting?

A slide at a Dutch rail station!  I would be ALL over this!!

Let's get squeaky clean!

I've been purchasing green, earth-friendly, and animal friendly products for a while now.  After finding some online "recipes" for cleaners made from items you probably already have at home, I've been mixing my own concoctions as of late.  In fact, I've highlighted some recipes here and here.

My floors are getting clean with good ol' vinegar and water.  Same with my countertops.  Mirrors are being cleaned with vinegar too.  I clean my tub and sinks with a concoction of baking soda and Dr. Bronner's Magic Pure Castile Classic Soap - peppermint is my go to scent (although there are many others on their website that I'm considering trying down the road). 

I love this company as they are fair trade, vegetable-based, made with organic oils, and are completely biodegradable!  Plus, your house will smell super fresh!  With 150 years behind the product this company is on to something!  And, if you haven't seen their labels, you are missing out on the HUNDREDS of uses for these products. 

For those of you with little ones, this article on natural cleaners and kids lending a hand is great!

And, if you have any four-legged family members, Dr. Bronner's castile soap in peppermint works as a great shampoo and deskunker!  In fact, I gave Gibson a bath the other night and used Dr. Bronner's and he smells fantastic!  Now, I just need to figure out how to get the wild dog smell out of LaNa!

Music Monday: Mr. Jones

This is for my friend Jenny!  You know, Gray is my favorite color!?!



P.S. I have been posting a lot of videos at LaNa which don't show in the html email updates.  If you're receiving updates via email you will need to go to the blog to view.  Thanks in advance for visiting. 

The Happiness Project

So, I stumbled upon this blog today by Gretchen Rubin called the Happiness Project.  Gretchen has a blog, a great website, regular video updates, a Facebook page, and a subscription for a daily happiness quotation to your in-box.  I'm sold!  And, I think her best selling book will be the next one I purchase!!  Here's a little intro:




And, here's a little taste of one of Gretchen's weekly videos:

Color galore!

Loving the bright colors in this issue of Adore Home!

Open publication - Free publishing

New love = Kinfolk!

I stumbled upon the publication Kinfolk and fell in love. 

The idea of sitting down to eat a meal with friends and family is so inviting to me.  Actually, it's my idea of the perfect evening. 

Since I LOVE to host friends and family, "Dinner in the Drive" has become an annual event thoughout the summers at our home. Dinner in the Drive started a few years ago when I was involved in a Slow Food event in the Ann Arbor area.  I imagined a smaller affair at my house and alas Dinner in the Drive was born.  Dining al fresco with close friends, eating homemade meals with local ingredients, and using the good china and silver = a memorable time.  Even more important, the little ones love and look forward to this event for great food and lots of running around FUN (they eat on china too!).  Pictures to come soon of Dinner in the Drive at LaNa.  Until then, I guarantee you too will swoon over Kinfolk!


Kinfolk from VsTheBrain on Vimeo.

Top Ten Project: Girlfriends

This top ten list comes from my good friend Carol (aka CB).  Carol is one fun friend!  She loves throwing parties and social gatherings as much as me and you're bound to have a great time with her in your presence.  Plus, besides being a fun partner in crime, she's got a heart of gold.  We used to both live in SF and had some great times and stories together.  Now, we're off the west coast and not able to hang like the old days.  Love and miss you CB!

10. You get me!

9. Somehow you can talk me into doing something, even when I am down and don't want to do anything.

8. Exploring new places.

7. Hiking and chatting.

6. Hiking and chatting.

6. Truth in shopping, you'll tell me if something looks like crap

5. Brunch on Sunday.

4. Going out dancing!

3. Milestones - moves, weddings/marriages, kids, careers, etc.

2. Roadtrips & vacations.

1. I can call you anytime night or day to celebrate or cry my eyes out.

Carol sporting a cool hat at her annual Croquet Party in Golden Gate Park!

Academy Awards Party in the Castro benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

A day at the horse races!

Wine tasting in Sonoma - yum!

Super easy crockpot chicken!

I made this recipe on the weekend and was amazed that it was so easy and tasty.  Honestly, you don't add any liquids and it turns out super moist (sorry cb - I know you hate that word!).

Happy cooking!

Sunday supper...

Chicken in a crock pot - Yum!  Link and recipe to come soon.

Japanese Cucumbers from my cousin, Connie's, garden.

BBQ chicken pizza

Delish!

Music Monday: so very creative!

I'm a sucker for paint!

And, it seems my friend Miss Lis is too!

Check out her before and after project of painted bedroom furniture.  LOVE it! 

Great work!  Can't wait to see the rest of the furniture and a big room shot! 

Love these guys!

Here's a cute video from Selective Potential.  Tieka is the brains behind this blog and hails from the shores of Lake Michigan.  I love checking out her beautiful photos and fantastic outifts (which she details in each post!).  This video was made at an old drive-in in Michigan...love it!


"At The Drive-In" with Selective Potential from Little Cabin Films on Vimeo.

Who who?

This beauty almost came home with me from Home Goods. I resisted as I could hear James in the back of my mind not in agreement of the awesomeness. This owl vase will make another home happy.




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Top Ten Project: Girlfriends

Another top ten list for the girlfriends project.  This one comes from my dear friend, Jenny.  She's like a sister to me.  Words just can't express how much I love her and appreciate her support over the years.  Especially these past few years since losing my sister.  Love ya Jenn!

10. Great person, someone you just want to be around
9. Is a person you can trust with your most inner thoughts and she will not judge
8. Really fun
7. Likes to dance and have a good time
6. Family that you choose for yourself
5. Really listens to you
4. I LOVE
3. Every moment you share in together you both realize is special
2. Never competes with one another, just encourages and supports one another
1. Drinks ALOT!

Yeah for champagne!

Just saw this print and it reminds me of one of my besties, Linnea!


buy it here!

Relaxing dinner

A couple weeks ago I took my CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) exam and now have free time on my hands for relaxing dinners with my hubby!






This was a delish crockpot meal of chicken, black beans, salsa, and pineapple. Easy and very tasty over brown rice.

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ahhh....summer!

Spent the weekend enjoying Sangria, friends, family, boating, swimming,
and relaxation.  Hope you're enjoying your summer too!

Taste the Waste

Zero packaging grocery shopping?! Bring it!

The Clean Bin Project - love it!

The Clean Bin Project - Trailer from Grant Baldwin Videography on Vimeo.

Top Ten Project: Girlfriends

So excited to share my friend Miranda's top ten list for the girlfriend project!  Miranda is one of my dear friends from days living in San Francisco.  She's now moved back to her homestate and has a rockin' (and SUPER cute) family with hubby, son, and daughter.  Yeah MIRH!

10. Hijinks and shenanigans!

9. Being able to discuss the important topics covered in UsWeekly and People Magazine.

8. Inside jokes.

7. Spending hours at a bar drinking and laughing.

6. Monthly girls' dinner.

5. Memories of all the crazy trips we took before becoming old and boring.

4. Having someone who will always tell you the truth, including which guy isn't worth it and which outfit isn't all that flattering.

3. Sharing the gory details of pregnancy, childbirth and the stress of parenting with someone who truly understands what you're going through.

2. Being able to pick up the phone or meet for dinner after many months of not seeing each other and picking up right where you left off.

1. Knowing girlfriends for so long you can't remember your life without them and having a thousand funny stories and memories to last a lifetime.

 

Here are some of my fave times captured in photos with Miranda!  Love and miss you tons!



Go Giants, Lou Seal, and Vida Blue!



Bay to Breakers




Purses!



North Beach



My 33rd bday at Northstar



Hikers with Hangovers!

 

Top Ten Project: Girlfriends

I adore my girlfriends.  They have gotten me through exciting times like my wedding last fall and dark times such as those when my beloved sister passed away.  I don't know where I would be without them.  I love to think of us as each others cheerleaders.  I love them SO much!! 

Here is my top ten about the ladies I love so much:

10. Wine nights! 

9.  Partners in crime

8.  Roadtrips and vacations

7.  Milestones - moves, weddings/marriages, kids, careers, etc.

6.  A person that knows when you need support - even if you don't realize it yourself.

5.  True friends that aren't blood related, but seem to be.

4.  Someone that is there to pick you up when you most need it. 

3.  Not having to be in the same place to feel our close bond.

2.  Someone you can count on for a good laugh or cry.

1.  A best friend which is also a sister = priceless!  A Mom that is one of your trusted girlfriends and so much more!  A niece that you love as your own who you look forward to spending "girlfriend" times with for MANY years to come. 

The Top Ten Project: Girlfriends will be followed-up shortly with lists from some of my very own besties.  Stay tuned!

xo

I LOVE poetry!

For my tennis pro husband...

P.S. Something has gone wrong with my blog and my images are not displaying.  I'm in the process of trying to figure out what the heck went wrong.  I'm sweating a bit, but hope that I can figure it out soon!!

I LOVE Design Sponge!

Design Sponge at Home (Official Book Trailer) from The Panic Room Videos on Vimeo.

Our trip to the West Coast...

We recently got back from a trip to the West Coast.  I had to travel for work and we managed to squeeze some play time as well.  Enjoy!


Tosca in North Beach
San Francisco

Golden Boy Pizza in North Beach
San Francisco

Gold Dust Bar in Union Square
San Francisco

James at AT & T Park
Go Giants!

Swan Oyster Depot
San Francisco



Old Watering Holes
San Francisco

Gordo and Tommy's - my faves!
San Francisco

Trad'r Sams - delish!
San Francisco - Richmond District

Huntington Beach - SOCAL

Dodgers Game



In & Out
ANIMAL STYLE!

All images belong to LaNa!