got me some cottage inspiration

the pinterest junkie in me is back in action. my internet was turned on and i immediately go seeking beautiful things to stare at to ooooh and aaaaaaah. but this time i was searching with a purpose! i never leave a a garden untouched. and although the process of fixing up my new garden will take lots of time and patience i have already begun to brainstorm my visual vibe for my new little cottage in the hills. below are some of the images that got me pumped. typically i am drawn to meadows full of native grasses, yarrow and sage with bold architectural succulent surprises, and there will be that, but considering my new home is very much a cottage why not throw in some hollyhocks, bulbs, wild crawling vines, nasturtiums and the classic... lavender! besides i just read recently that if you want to repel rodents plant fragrant shrubs like rosemary and lavender... so there you go. beauty with a purpose!
i am also trying to brainstorm ways of making the traditional cottage a bit more alive and contemporary. i am a color junky and found object seeker. i love the idea of reusing pallets, painting random objects in bright colors, creating outdoor rooms and destinations with twinkle lights and furnishings and of course hideouts - like tepees! hand painted signs, vertical gardens, a chicken viewing station and loads of edibles will all be musts! ooooh the possibilities!

z-ranch and the naked lady sculpture garden

lastnight i visited my two favorite artist / farmer friends, wayne and emily. both of them are such remarkable human beings. we met while at calarts. wayne was in the grad program w/ me. he is quite honestly one of my all time favorite painters. equally talented is his wife emily, who recently has set out to create a naked lady sculpture garden right by their home on the zorthian ranch.
they recently moved back to la after having had a successful farm out in south carolina raising all kinds of livestock. nowadays the pair are working on an organic vegetable garden project along with raising chickens and much more. i will be checking back in with them often to show you the process of their project.
the best part of these two is their commitment to sustainable living. they have actually grown their own food for several years now, so feasting with them is always a treat. and having naked ladies watch over your shoulder in the garden, that just makes it 10 times better!

by the way, the horse in the image, yeah he just hangs out like that. he is like one of the dogs. and the chicks, well that is the same breed as my dear little fart face. fun to see what she will look like full grown, wonder if she will become a tree jumper too :).
(take a closer look at that tree shot, there is a chicken up in there!)

desert healing

i tried to stay away from the blog in an effort to give my emotions a rest. i drove to the desert to the brick house to see morgan and her puppies and my other favorite ladies, abby and laure. a little thrifting, pigging out and time spent out on a rock in the desert was really what i needed. who knew. those ladies make me smile. and the brick house makes for a lovely place to relax and get away (barking chihuahuas and all).
and now i am back to blog about it, because what i also realize is how much i love this blog and sharing with you all.
thank you to everyone who has reached out to give me words of love and comfort. it means so much to me. if i could hug each and everyone of you, i would.
while out in jtree, i took my time staring at all the little details we sometimes miss out when taken by the gorgeous vast landscape. seeing all the little flowers fighting their way through the heat and dry dirt, the funny bird fountain built out of found objects, the basketball court in the middle of nowhere, the multiple colors of quartz rocks, the seeds hatched, roots split, animal droppings and bottle caps... reminded me of all the happenings and moments that make up the experience of the desert so amazing. in focusing on all those details, i tried to apply the same thinking to my life. i am going to take it a day at a time and really try to focus on those little moments that make it so special.

garden / home envy

oh hell yes! is what i shouted out (internally) when i saw these gorgeous photographs of architect pedro useche's home. i am so obsessed with the way he has seamlessly incorporated his landscape into his home, it's as if one could not be as beautiful without the other. the choices and placement of everything is so gorgeous and collected. i could imagine my self spending hours staring at every detail, taking it all in. i love when a home has the ability to be clean and fresh yet it hosts so much history and organic elements... and art! and plants! and books! and that vertical garden! the hammock! the windows! the pool! the view! oh hell yes!

via yatzer.