Let's Make Pie!

Love the enthusiasm for pie that that dish towel really captures. Also if I didn't already have plenty of measuring spoons, Id love to have these little heart shaped ones.

I haven't baked recently but I still want to have an excuse to invite people over randomly some afternoon and pie seems like a pretty good way to make that happen...

Milk Bottles from Alyssa Ettinger

I wish I had a whole table full of these along with some white frosted cakes, pink tulips and pastel sprinkles. $30 a piece from Alyssa's Etsy Shop.

New Math

My friend Abby sent this new math over to me and they made me laugh (out loud even). Thanks Abby!

Golden hour and I heart LA

I worked downtown today and on my way home driving across the historic 6th street bridge was the most brilliant golden movie lighting. Everything in the sun's path was a bright warm light and everything else was a pink purple haze. It was the kind of light that makes me fall in love with Los Angeles, makes me nostalgic for summer camp in oak grove park and makes me feel happy to be just where I am.

Thanks again for all your support. I can feel it.

Comfort me please

Last week when I was in Oregon I was saying my goodbyes to my aunt who was dying of cancer. I held strong through saying my goodbyes and trying to comfort others, but I'm afraid I'm falling apart at the seams now that I'm home (and the bf and the kids are sick with the flu and the house is a mess, etc.).

I'm feeling inadequate and overwhelmed. I'd like a month off, this bathroom to recover in, pots of money to do whatever I want with and a sound proof room for crying. Any advice for how to deal with grief while needing to show up for real life would be appreciated.


UPDATE
A huge THANK YOU to everyone that left good thoughts, great suggestions and comfort for me. I just got 3 solid nights of sleep, connected with people I love, spent some time just being quiet, watched a couple of movies, ate pancakes for lunch, had a martini, took a walk, did some writing, some cleaning and some just being and I am feeling so much more like myself. I think I had just completely underestimated how tired I was and I wasn't leaving myself any room to feel the way I was feeling.

I've got a busy couple of days but I promise to check in with you all later this week. Thanks again to each and every one of you that took the time to write.

Xoxolaure

Cleaned Up

I've been staying with the bf for a while but wanted to snap a picture of my old place before I move out completely. Here it is cleaned up (thanks to having moved a lot of stuff out). It's sort of coming together (which is classic since I'm moving).

I'm also noticing that even thought I keep getting rid of things, I still have so much stuff around. I think I just need more storage or baskets or something to wrangle all the magazines and clippings and mail. It tends to sit on that coffee table until I do something with it.

I'm going to Oregon

I have some family stuff to tend to, so I'll be gone for the rest of the week. In my absence, take the time to watch this TED talk with Liz Gilbert (author of the awesome book, "eat, pray, love") on creative genius. If you've ever tried to create anything and felt like you might be making the worst thing ever, you will enjoy what she has to share.

Dude. I think I get to meet Eddie Ross

Seriously. I just noticed on his website that he's coming the the rose bowl (you can meet him too!) next month and hosting a little shopping how-to (perfect since I flaked going to it 2 months in a row even though I'm about 10 minutes away and wake up early anyway). I contacted his beau, Jaithan about doing a little interview/hang out/thing and covering for a story. Dude, this was the response:

Laure!

That sounds like fun! We’d love to meet you while we’re at the Rose Bowl. Right now, we have about 30, so it will definitely be a great day of shopping...and a good story too! Would love to meet you before the whirlwind on Sunday. How about coffee on Saturday the 7th? Whereabouts are you?

Eddie and I are so excited to meet you...

Jaithan


Um. I am so excited that it's embarrassing. What can I say I feel star struck and I'm not even in the room with him yet. What should I ask? What should I wear?

What do you guys want to know and who else wants to meet on Sunday March 8th at the Rose Bowl?

A couple of thoughts on cat litter

Over the weekend, I brought my kitty to come and live with me in Pasadena, thus needing to reinstate the litter box. I apologize to those of you who haveno history with litter because this will be boring and irrelevant.

Anyway, I couldn't remember what kind of litter I used to use so I just bought some Fresh Step. As soon as I poured it into the box it stunk and then I remembered: FRESH STEP IS THE WORST LITTER. I don't know what's wrong with it, but it stinks on its own and seems to amplify anything that goes into it. Keep your distance and do not buy this litter.

Instead, buy Arm and Hammer Litter. It's the best! It really does a good job controlling the stink. I get it without a scent. And if this wasn't enough litter talk for you (and if you dare), click here.

Be Mine

From this etsy shop.

Lark Cupcakes

Finally checked out Lark in Silverlake. Do these images do the chocolate and the coconut cupcakes justice? Never even got to photograph the cream puff, it disappeared too quickly. Went with Jamie, Jordan and Vivian.

And if the cupcakes didn't knock my socks off, then this doilyscape did. Turns out I'd already seen it on flickr and blogged it for AT, but it was magical in person. That's Jordan, he and Jamie and I went to high school together. Jordan has a band in LA and I can't get enough of the first 2 songs on their site.

Weeders Digest

Are you guys reading the new flower and plant column on Design Sponge? (it's called weeders digest, for real!) It's brilliant and possibly my favorite thing on the internet....today. I'm also a tad bit jealous that I'm not writing it. But it's so good that I can get over it!

For Dark Nights

Who knew I would fall in love with Shadow Puppets of all things? But I want all of these. From Orange Moon Toys.

Swiss Miss

I've started a little interview segment over on the Dwell Blog and today I'm super excited to share a quick interview with Tina Roth Eisenberg of Swiss Miss.

I adore her blog and she was great to work with. It also turns out that we have the same guilty pleasure.

See the 8 questions I asked her right here. And if you've never read swissmiss, check it out.

I've also interviewed Gregory from Unplgged (and ATLA) and a couple that makes beautiful pictures (of food!) together. I'm putting more together as we speak and they get published once a week.

Wonderful Things I've Been Looking At

This is supposedly for the garden but it seems perfect for an entryway or even a very large bathroom.


I love these mismatched shelves. They feel like a modern version of thrift store shelves with the perfect combinations of colors.


This print from 20x200 caught my eye.


Love this table for outside


I'm sorry I stabbed you, probably a more relevant Valentine than you'd think. From one of my favorite blogs


The next time I'm a guest, I'm leaving something like this behind


I love the real thing, but these are pretty spectacular.

As soon as I get around to it, I'm totally buying this poster


Is anyone planning on growing tomatoes this year?


Have you seen how well my canned plants are doing?



If you need inspiration, check out palindrome presse's flickr, you won't be disappointed. this one makes me want to go on a road trip.

Consider this me playing catch up for being such a bad blogger recently.

Kitchens and update on where I am

I love these light filled kitchen. All in Venice, of course. One of them is by Air Architecture, the other one I don't remember.

I've been spending more time in Pasadena at the bf's place and I'm happily surprised to see that I don't mind being in Pasadena the way I thought I might. I have good access to friends that live close by in alta dena and eagle rock and get to check out neighborhoods that I rarely used to go to. This weekend I got in some great cupcake research at Dots and Lark (and on the list is Auntie Em's).

But when I see kitchens like this, I think, what am I doing not in venice?

Creme Brulee

I got a torch for christmas so that I could make creme brulee with the best crispy sugary seal. I made some the other night. I used the recipe from the Joy of Cooking but used 3 whole eggs instead of 8 egg yolks.

Making creme brulee is so much easier than you'd think. I highly recommend it if you've never tried it. Literally just cream, eggs and sugar. If you don't have a torch, you can just sprinkle sugar across the top of the already baked and cooled custard and pop it in the broiler for about 3 minutes and it will make a crispy top. Use brown sugar for a rustic uneven and heavenly sugar top.