SLOmygosh Christmas List...

Yup, we're jumping on the gift-list bandwagon... 'Cos, why not?  

And we've got a lot to talk about, so let's do this!

1. First of all, don't even talk to me about Christmas until the Candy Cane Joe-Joe's are out.  Amiright?  

These things are so coveted in our house- you have to smuggle the boxes in, hide them in drawers, and disperse them very carefully.  Otherwise we'd be going through a box a day during the Holidays.  And I KNOW we're not the only ones.  Available locally at:  Trader Joes, SLO $2.49

2. Did I say not to talk to me about Christmas until the Joe-Joe's are out?  I meant until the sparkles abound.  I'm talking glitter, sequin, tinsel, you name it... if it sparkles, I'm all over it.  Hi, I'm a magpie. Nice to meet you.  Sparkle Shine Bobbies, Ban.do $25

3. I'm equally excited about this West Elm/Confetti System collaboration!  These are the only ornaments on our little tree this year, and it's like a party in my heart every time I look at them.  Even better?  You can open them up like mini-fit-in-your-hand piñatas and put gifts INSIDE!  :)  

Confetti System for West Elm, $6-12

4. Ok, so we missed Brave in the theatre... but finally got it on Netflix last month.  

And you know what... this is one Netflix disc that just isn't gonna make it back.  Our entire family loves it so much.  Jeff has to remind us constantly that if he was a teenage cartoon boy, he'd totally go out with Merida.  Yeah.  ANYWAY... Highly recommend the movie, but next on our list is the soundtrack.  We like it a lot.  Available locally at:  Boo Boo Records, $12

5.  Ohhh, this skirt from Ruby Rose...  Actually, I can't believe that I haven't already bought this one.  

I think I've got a weird 50's full-skirt fetish.  I just love the softy, worn-in cotton and muted prints.  They're comfy, and lady-like.  Not typically an easily achieved combo.  The nipped-in waists are super slimming with little cardigans, and the full bottoms make them extra twirly.  Yes, I totally still twirl.  

Available locally at:  Ruby Rose, $25

6. I love this magazine.  Lately, when I find a quiet moment alone, this is who I like spending it with.  Everything about it is calm, and inspiring, and 10 minutes of flipping through leaves me feeling totally re-charged.  Available locally at:  Ambiance, $18

7. We're not big drinkers over here, but my friends know that I won't turn down a glass of champagne (and Jeff won't turn down Kahlua).  This fun shirt reminds me of silly champagne nights with this girl.

Lords of Liverpool tee, Urban Outfitters (on sale!) $25

8. I am such a sucker for hearts.  And fluorescent pink.  And petite romantic sentiments en Français .  

Plus, I love the longer-than-usual length of this awesome pendant.  Yellow Owl Workshop, $44

9. I know this isn't a Christmas-themed book, but can we please talk about how amazing Roald Dahl is?  "Dahl read 749 creepy tales at the British Museum Library before selecting the 14 that comprise this anthology."  "Dahl's taste, it will surprise no one, is impeccable," says the Washington Post.

Amazon, $11

10.  Warm and cozy, and keeeeeyoot!  Is it weird that this Circus lambswool hat by Donna Wilson reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesen West.  Yes, I would like a little Taliesen on my noggin.  

Available locally at: Brick House Goods (Formerly Atmodsphere)

10. Jeff will be the first to tell you that I'm his sassiest critic.  But I'm also a big fan, and these are two of my  favorite paintings of his.  I love the goofy-toothed whale and the pretty little cherry blossom bird.  

Yeah, I would toootally dress up my iPhone in these.  Jeff Claassen iPhone cases, $35

11.  You mean, I can dress up my wrist like a Bedouin pony?  Um, YES!  This gorgeous tassel bracelet is both dainty and ridiculous.  That combination pretty much defines me.  

Made in the Netherlands, available at: Leif, $52

16. Do I love mexican hot chocolate?  DO I LOVE MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE?

Is the Pope Catholic?  Does fairy dust make you fly?!

Linnaea's makes the best one in town.  Promise.  Linnaea's Cafe, $3-ish

12.  I'm having a big love affair with black and white bedding.  This simple wool blanket is exactly what I need to pull up over me on these chilly nights, when Jeff doesn't get to bed until 4am.  

I love the clean, graphic element of this cozy throw.  Cross blanket by Pia Wallen, $245

13.  Baybuh, baybuh... uh.  

Biggie Smalls by TeeTwice, $15.99

14. This book documents the fascinating career and mysterious dissent of 60/70's surf photographer, Ron Stoner.  His innovative use of color and perspective helped propel the sport to an artform and forever changed the way it would be documented.  Personally, I'm a huge fan of the way in which he used balloons in his work.  Surprise, surprise...  :)  Plus, he scored a pretty great photo of my grandpa.

Available locally at: Barnes & Noble, $40

15. Make no mistake, this cool anatomical print lets the one you love know exactly where they stand.  

You Are Here Print by Kyle & Courtney Harmon, $44

17. How cute are these two?  Doesn't this remind you of Munro Leaf's Ferdinand?  

One of my all-time favorite stories.  Vintage Bull & Matador Figurines,  $45

18. Aaaaaand last but definitely not least... my favorite place to over-indulge.  

Novo gift card, any amount

Ruby Rose love...

My goodness, you guys... look at what those Ruby Rosies are up to this weekend.  I think Stephanie and Co. snuck into my brain and brought all my dreamy camping fantasies to life.  We're so lucky to have a place like this in SLO.  I'm just constantly in awe.  Thanks for being so amazing, RR.

P.S.

Remembering our summer adventure.

+ Moonrise Magic.

{Photo via Ruby Rose}

Tag, you're it!

A couple of weeks ago, we rode over to Ruby Rose on our bikes, and rather than my usual m.o. which consists of:  a handful of sample cookies and straight to the clothes- Stephanie stopped me in my tracks, "Watch out, Coral, I tagged your blog".  Can you hear me saying "Mmwhaatgh?" with a mouthful of cookie?   Here's how she explained it... "a handful of us will answer 11 questions so that we can get to know each other better."  Yeah, I'm totally game!

The Rules:

....you must post the rules

....answer 11 questions the tagger posted for you

....create 11 questions to ask the people you tag

....tag 11 people

....let them know you've tagged them

Stephanie's questions for me:

1. Dinner party--What six people would you love to have at your table?

2. Flash back to 17--What did you want to be when you grew up?

3 What does a perfect day look like to you?

4. Favorite movies?

5. Online shop or "touch and feel" shop?

6. Who or what has had an impact on your life?

7. I have a 16 year old--What advice would you give her now that you can look back on that age?

8. What would surprise us to know about you?

9. What five things would you grab if your house was burning down?

10. Do you blog daily, weekly, monthly? What do you do when there is a lack of inspiration?

11. Fly or drive to a vacation?

1. Dinner party--What six people would you love to have at your table?

Jeff and I have discussed doing dinner parties with various artists and creative business owners.  There's this amazing design firm in Soho called "The Apartment", fronted by a guy named Stefan Boublil.  The Apartment hosts weekly dinners with a great mix of architects, artists, designers, writers, and miscellaneous other interesting characters.  Sometimes the guests all chip-in to cook, sometimes world class chefs do the honors...  all of this takes place in Boublil's amazing loft.  Anyway, THAT is my dream dinner party.  A medley of interesting people in interesting fields who will let me pick their brains over yummy food in a designer loft.  Oooh, yes please.  Ok, ok... the fantasy answer?  Marie Antoinette, Pablo Neruda, John Lennon, Louis Kahn, Roald Dahl, and maybe Banksy or Andy Warhol (for Jeff).


2. Flash back to 17--What did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a teenager, my best friend and I wrote and published a zine which was sold in various little shops from Honolulu to Japan to San Diego, to Seattle...  It wasn't fancy, and we didn't make much, but in exchange for ads and band profiles, indie record labels would send us concert tickets with on-stage passes to interview bands.  As a kid, it was pretty amazing and at the time, I just assumed I would go into publishing at some point.  I didn't. 

3 What does a perfect day look like to you?

Hmmm...  Well, tonight when I got into bed, Jeffrey said "We had a good day".  I smiled and said "Every day is a good day" and he said "Yeah.  When did they start getting so good every day?"  I honestly, feel like the luckiest person in the world.  I get to wake up next to the love of my life every morning, and my children are healthy.  I couldn't ask for more than that.  A stroll along the Seine with a crepe in my hand couldn't hurt from time to time... but life is pretty darn great.  ♥


4. Favorite movies?  
Oooh...  SO tough.  I love love loooove movies.  We haven't had cable in...  I don't even know how many years- so movies are a big deal.  Off the top of my head (and not particularly in order), I'd say:
1. Amelie
2. The Royal Tenenbaums
3. Rendezvous
4. Pride & Prejudice (the Keira Knightley version)
5. Romeo & Juliet (the 60's and the 90's versions equally)
6. Fight Club
7. Harold & Maude
8. Strictly Ballroom
9. The Red Balloon
10. Marie Antoinette

5. Online shop or "touch and feel" shop?

Both.  I am a diehard fan of sourcing that perfect thing, and I'll put in the legwork to find it.  I believe strongly in supporting small, local shops first and foremost- so I always start close to home.  But in the end it's really about the item itself, and I'm not afraid to scour the globe in search of what I really want.  For those surprise finds that I didn't know I couldn't live without, nothing beats a good brick and mortar in my own neighborhood.  

6. Who or what has had an impact on your life?

More than anything else, love has impacted my life.  The people I've loved have shaped me.  My mama, without question...  I've never known anyone else like her.  A jack of all trades and a master of every single one of them.  She's incredible and tenacious and fearless and beautiful.  She's everything.  If Ralph Lauren and Wikipedia had a child, it would be her.  My children...  they make me feel like my heart fills up my whole body.  Jeffrey...  I feel like every trial and tribulation, every decision, and every single step I took in my life, was destined to put me right here where I am right now, right next to him.  And that is exactly where I belong.  He inspires and encourages me endlessly.  He's my biggest fan, my hero, and my whole world.

7. I have a 16 year old--What advice would you give her now that you can look back on that age?

Well, I know what I'd like to go back and say to myself when I was younger.  I'd give young me a BIG hug, and say:  "It's ok.  Maybe it's doesn't feel ok right now... today... but it will all be ok, I promise.  Trust your own instincts more.  Be authentic, whether it's popular or not.  Do more of what makes you smile.  Don't waste your time on a useless degree, study what you really love.  Pause and appreciate the moments that move you, they're worth slowing down for.  And finally, but most importantly... don't worry.  Life will surprise you, but it all works out beautifully in the end."

8. What would surprise us to know about you?

You might be surprised to know that I am full of surprises:

I'm a black belt, twice over.  I studied Tae Kwon Do for many, many years.  

I can fly a plane.

I've broken 6 ribs, my back in 3 places, ruptured my spleen punctured a lung, and shattered my pelvis.

I don't drive a car anymore.  At all.

I'm a diver.  I can free-dive and spearfish.

I can filet and de-bone a fish.

I've been in a hot air balloon.

I've been widowed.

I pick up languages easily.

I'm obsessed with the French Revolution.

I've ridden horses since I was 4.

I was born with hip displasia & spent the first 2 years of my life in a cast from my armpits to my toes. 

I have to (HAVE TO) sleep on flannel sheets.

I still use the same shampoo/conditioner my mom used on me when I was little.

I'm addicted to soup, dark chocolate, lemons, and karaoke.

I'm a book nerd.  A big one.  At last count, we had around 1,700 of them in the house.

Ice cubes makes me cringe.``````````

9. What five things would you grab if your house was burning down?

Assuming my family is out?  My photos and my great grandmother's lamps.  Everything else is expendable.

10. Do you blog daily, weekly, monthly? What do you do when there is a lack of inspiration?

I make a serious effort to blog daily, and schedule posts ahead when I feel inspired.  On a good day, I can knock out a week's worth of posts.  I'm super overly-sensitive to my environment and the things around me... in my home, I feel inspired.  Talking to Jeff inspires me.  Eating a great meal, reading, walking around town, taking photos, getting dressed, shopping, getting my hands dirty...  inspiration constantly takes me by surprise..

11. Fly or drive to a vacation?

Fly.  No question.  Preferably back to Paris.  :)

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................

Whew!  Thanks for including me, Stephanie.  This was fun and I loved reading your answers too.  

Ok, my turn:

1. What's your secret to a happy life?

2. What is your idea of heaven.

3. What's the most important lesson you've learned in your life?

4. What would you do with a (tax free) million dollars?

5. You've got a free ticket to anywhere on earth... where are you going?

6. What accomplishment are you most proud of?

7. What would it surprise me to know about you?

8. What thing do you think you do differently than everyone else?

9. The best advice you ever got?

10. The most magical moment of your life so far?

11. Top ten favorite books?

*I'm only tagging my mother, because I don't want to obligate anyone to do this- but please feel free to tag yourself and link to it in the comments section!  I would really love to hear what you have to say.

3 adults + 2 days + $510 = major room make-over...

Sooo... with the kids getting older now, I thought I'd give them something a little more substantial for Christmas this year. Rather than go the usual toys/clothes route, only to see the new clothes shoved in the back of a drawer in favor of the old favorites- or new toys played with for a few weeks and promptly forgotten (or worse, broken), I wanted to give them something special and lasting; that could be appreciated for the long-term. I gave myself a $500 budget, which I'm very proud to say went only $10 over in the end. I enlisted the help of my dad, which was indispensable, and poor Jeffrey stayed up until 4:00 am varnishing on his hands and knees Saturday night, but WE DID IT! In one weekend, we managed to completely overhaul the room and it turned out even better than I'd imagined.

The dreaded BEFORE pictures... Of course I thought to take these after we'd begun to disassemble the beds and move things out. But you'll definitely sense the impact of the change. Note the sad, white walls and the HORRENDOUS commercial carpet.

During...

And AFTER!

Because space is always of the utmost importance in any shared room, and bunk beds are typically used as a space-saving sleep system- I thought long and hard about transitioning them into twin beds. I sketched, measured, met with oppposition, and finally took a leap of faith. Guess what... It was so worth it! The twin beds opened the room vertically, unblocked a window- letting natural light flood in, and made the room feel so fresh and mature. Our initial plan was to make a trek to Ikea, but I'm so glad we didn't! Not buying everything new was a huge asset to the space. It's incredibly cozy, soft, and serene, with a comfy, lived-in quality; like a great little B&B. Evelyn says it makes her feel like her room is its own house inside our home.

They came home on Sunday, walked into a brand new room, and were totally thrilled. So sweet, and excited, and truly grateful.

I have to say- though we did this for the children, the project has really affected the whole family. We actually find ourselves hanging out in their room with them. Not typical for us. This is by far the best Christmas present we ever could have given them. The kids are genuinely enjoying the time they spend in there, taking pride in it (i.e. keeping it CLEAN *gasp*), and while we were out yesterday Evy said "I can't wait to get back home to be in my room" - that in itself is pretty heartwarming. James even blogged about it.

Amazing.  :)

I cut a few corners by:

1. Leaving the trim "as is", both above and below the new paint-job.
2. Purchasing a big California King sized duvet from Ruby Rose, and sewing it into two twin-sized duvets. I fell in love with the classic ticking, and the oh-so-soft-washed-ten-bazillion-times feel of it. :)
3. Cutting a sturdy, old, wooden bunk-bed into two twin beds. THANK YOU, DAD!!!
4. Sewing an amazing pair of 1940's curtains (that I've hung on to for 10 years) into pillow shams.
5. Using hand-me-down inherited antiques, Louis XVI chairs, and gigantic rug from Jeff's grandma.
6. Dresser was a thrift-store find. Handles are painted with Montana 94 paint in "Magenta".
7. Window cut-outs are our old Sam Flores shower curtain, re-purposed.
8. Set of 4 vintage curtains from Ruby Rose.

I splurged on:

1. An awesome faux-fireplace heater, on stone base hearth. This thing is totally mesmerizing and really took the whole project over-the-top in terms of awe-factor with the kids. Also, it heats the room SO well, and has both high and low wattage settings to save energy. I want one in our room!
2. A new ceiling light fixture. The old fluorescent lighting was just awful. Cold, clinical, unflattering, and so depressing. We replaced it with a really pretty bronzed metal track with amber colored glass shades. It casts a warm, glowing light throughout the room and really elevated the project.
3. New throw pillows for each bed.

*Paint is Behr's "French Grey Blue" in eggshell. I'm definitely buying more of it and using it wherever I can. It's incredible. It feels very clean and contemporary, but also like it's been there forever. Calming, soothing, beautiful and somehow both warm and cool at once... a dream color.

Girl about (down) town...

Of course we all know that now more than ever, it's so important to support our mom & pop local shops. But the constant bombardment of DEALS, SPECIAL OFFERS, and CAN'T-MISS CLEARANCE PRICES in my email inbox makes it really hard sometimes. It's tough to resist the convenience of shopping in my jammies after the kids are in bed, and merchandise delivered right to my door. No crowds, no craziness, no fuss.

But guess what... eventually this convenience costs us something.

No more mom & pop.

It makes me sad to imagine that our sweet, quaint town is under threat of corporate siege- but it's very true. Unless we make an effort to *ahem* get out of our jammies, off our couches, and out the door, those adorable shops, boutiques, and specialty stores that make SLO so darn cool will be edged out by the giants. I'm doing my part by focusing on locally-owned businesses for my Holiday shopping, and for the outfits that inspire me to get dressed! 'Cos you know what... Papyrus won't be inviting you in for a Holiday Party, Victoria's Secret won't be throwing a free pair of panties in your bag- just because they love you, the people at the GAP won't give you a hug and ask about your mom, and don't expect the Starbucks Barristas to make super awesome foam art in your latte- just 'cos.

Hey, I'll tell you something else... as someone who lives and works downtown, you should know that there really aren't any crowds to contend with, and there are some truly amazing pre-Christmas deals going on right now. Even the parking spaces have been pretty plentiful lately!

Excuses, excuses... Yeah, what else ya got? ;)

My go-to Holiday gear...

Up-cycled fur vest: FINDER'S KEEPERS (Garden St.)

Raglan, Fair-Isle Leggings, J.Brand Floral Boots: AMBIANCE (737 Higuera St.)

French Market Tote: HABITAT (777 Marsh St.)

D.I.Y. Holiday Cards, Wax Seals & Stamp: PAPER SKY (Higuera St.)

Cloth Napkins: PICKING DAISIES (Creamery)

Jeff Claassen Greeting Card: CLAASSEN GALLERY (774 Marsh St.)

Teensy Antique Lamp, Vintage Charm Bracelet: RUBY ROSE (1335 Walker St.)

Fresh, locally-grown mistletoe: FARMERS MARKET (Higuera St.)

Fridge make-over...

The refrigerator... that household vessel of yummy.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, family meals, special occasions, and midnight snacks. Under-appreciated, oft ignored... My poor little fridge was in dire need of some TLC.

Here's something you should know about me- I hate cleaning, and anything that can make the job a little easier, a little more fun, or even slightly *gasp* enjoyable, is worth it! This has resulted in my becoming a bit of a household-product junkie. Sparkly scrubbies and a Hello Kitty sponge with Meyers, Method, Voluspa and Caldrea make the dirty jobs just a little less... well... icky.

Voila! A few quick and easy fixes for the fashionable fridge: Porcelain egg tray in robin's egg blue, vintage pyrex for leftovers (much cuter than tupperware), pretty wire baskets from Ruby Rose lined with Picking Daisies' napkins for fresh fruits and veg.

Just-snipped basil, lavender and mint look and smell terrific in the fridge. Like a surprise bouquet every time you open the door!

♥