bainbridge island : i'd sell my right leg to live there

to get to the little "norwegian" town of poulsbo

you take a ferry to bainbridge island...

and then you shamelessly pout about the fact that

you do not live here, in a clapboard home right on

the seashore where summers are most likely

the best you've ever had picnicking, kayaking, and swimming.

my planning and scheming has begun...

constant dream

there are certain things i dream about daily.
this house is one of them.
it's on my favorite street.
in my favorite city.
it's old, within walking distance to everything,
and is oh so cozy perfect.
at least, that's what i think.

so grateful for constant dreams
that keep me going.

have a dreamy weekend.

photo by me. salt lake city. august 2009.

my dream come true!

oh, heart! heart! heart!

please go here {a beautiful blog by a beautiful woman} to read about something oh so beautiful...

now, how do i join and move in?

{sorry, i rarely post something like this...but i couldn't resist!}

around town...

all photos by me. april 2009. slc,ut. last evening was absolutely glorious, don't you think?

perfect temperature, with a bit of a fresh breeze

and a sunset that lighted my whole body.

stopped by a favorite little grocer...

and found these lovely ranunculus

(alas, they did not make it out the door with me)

i love these little houses

up on capitol hill.

wish i could have taken photos all night

starting to miss slc already.

happy spring day!

thursday night thoughts...

photo via coulombic's photostream

tonight i need a place to record my recent changing attitudes and feelings--i give in more and more to change--i seem to do it more often these days (if you haven't noticed!). honestly, how can we not change when we receive new information every moment, and have enlightening experiences everyday? well, here's what i've been considering:

first. i am no longer vegan. as i study and learn more about ayurveda i understand that the essence of ghee is the essence of the sun. i see how lovely the tradition is in honoring humans, animals, and the earth. i am learning much about myself and my body--physically, mentally, and spiritually. my days are becoming slower, more deliberate, and stress-free, which is amazing for a anxious perfectionist like me. ayurveda is a gift.

second. i am slowly changing my idea of what a dream house is. mine is getting smaller, and more isolated. it will now be built by me and ceej (with help from necessary pro's) out of re-used materials (as opposed to new or even "recycled"). it will be a place where we and future kids will be able to experience the earth: notice the growing seasons, the stars as the earth spins, and the phase of the moon. less is becoming more to me.

third. i have now given myself permission to get only one master's degree rather than three. less is more. now i feel most comfortable getting a master's in ayurveda and sanskrit (it's ONE degree). 

i'm sure i will continue to change my mind...but this direction of simplicity is the direction i hope to stick with. i won't be perfect along the way. and all your tempting and seductive blog posts about the latest house design and the latest fashion trends will continue to tease me. but i hope i'll continue to work on being a more responsible human being...wanting less and less.

Quarterly House Anxiety

About every three months I get anxious with our apartment-living. I get in a slump wishing I had dream house right now. You know the feeling? So I start looking through all my favorites...many of them I found through your pretty blogs. Below are some of my favorite houses and their interiors. When it comes time to decorating my own house I'll need some serious help from a designer in order to combine my english cottage style with some of my modern likes. Enjoy the images.

My first choice would be to live in lovely English country style home. Love bricks with vines growing to the roof!

This white little cottage would be great in Boulder, Utah, yes?

And I'd need a nice town-home in Boston somewhere...Beacon Hill perhaps?

Orangerie for brunches and afternoon naps.

Where Oh Where?

Doesn't this just look like summer?! I think it's everyone's dream to have a house on a lake...somewhere, yes? I like how simple this is. I would simply add a few twinkle lights and lanterns from the tree and it would be perfect.

Of Course. An Orangerie.

About a year ago a neighbor of mine mentioned to me that her dream room is an orangerie. I immediately fell in love with the idea as well, and now I can't speak of my dream house without first mentioning my dream room: an orangerie.

Modern orangeries are usually without the citrus trees & plants it was originally named for. I think that is a shame indeed. Mine will most certainly have small lemon, lime, and orange trees around the perimeter. I intend to host all sorts of parties and gatherings there. Think of the table settings, flower arrangements, and lighting you could do in there! It's even beautiful with just a simple table. I will watch storms come in through the windows and drink loose leaf tea.

Oh, the Places I'll Live:

In an old, remodelled, farmhouse in New York.

In the center of London.

In a row of houses in Iceland.

Thanks be to Dwell for their always inspiring living spaces.

A Must

If we end up remodeling a house we MUST have built-in shelves. We were invited over to some new friends' house to decorate Easter eggs last night...the house was BEAUTIFUL. It's a 1930's home in the Avenues of Salt Lake (just a block away from us). There were all sorts of hidden treasures and lovely details. That's me with the long pony tail (it's taken 3 years to come that far from my earlobes!), and Carrie is showing me one of those lovely details.

Built-in everything sounds good to me...it creates more space, and adds some charm!

Seriously Considering

This past week we've been leaning towards a move to Sacramento, CA ( I know, it's not as exciting as Australia, but it's a long story). We've been looking at homes for sale, and also considering buying a neglected home to remodel and make more energy effecient. But, last night we looked into some prefab homes...I'm in love. I never thought I'd go modern, but these are oh so great!

Adam Kalkin uses freight containers to build these lovely things...I love the "garage door" feature that allows you to have fresh air move through your home on nice weather days. It's a good way to re-use these containers that are polluting in too many ways as they sit on our earth's surface abandoned, doing nothing.

This little guy inspires me to create our own little commune where I can host some amazing yoga retreats. Wouldn't you love to come here, have your own dwelling outside to gaze at stars, and do yoga all day, every day?

Dream Home

This house is just two blocks east of where we live now. It has an enormous yard, which is a rarity in this neighborhood, and reminds me of an English cottage. But, alas, now is not the time in my life for such a lovely thing. For some reason these past few weeks I've been feeling that I need to be in this simple apartment-living-time for a bit longer. I need to feel more tightness in my wallet. Weird? Perhaps. I want to budget, I want to save, I want to cut back on my consumption. I want to buy nothing. That does not mean that someday I want this house, yes, THIS house and non other.