Best Golden Day EVER!!

I'm still floating on clouds thinking about my epic golden day last Friday!!

Here's how the day went...

Dylan woke me up by bringing me breakfast in bed with some coffee and treats from Besalu pastries. Then I got kicked out for the rest of day, since Dylan had to take over the house to decorate. But I especially don't mind in cases like this. :)

I met up with Ashley for some new ideas we're collaborating on...here's a SNEAK PEAK!

Then I met up with my sister and got some play time with my niece, Yvette! Awww....look at her adowable worry eyebrows!

Then it was time to put on my outfit for the evening with a gold rope necklace with materials I found at Joann's of all places! 

Even the sun came out to say hello....

Then bunch of friends and I went to Belle Clementine for a delicious community coursed meal.

This was one of best dinner experience with good food, good drinks, good friends and people at the restaurant. (more details about the dinner later!)
Here's a teaser photo....a glass of Lillet, some lightly pickled green olives with orange zest,  and sheep's milk feta cheese over saute nettle forged from the Northwest.

Then after dinner, we went back for more partying at our house withe the whole place decked out in all sorts of gold decorations!

Even got this special giant gold gobblet to drink out of!

and then totally stuffed my face with more homemade treats & special cocktail drinks from everyone.

Thanks Dylan & everyone that came out to celebrate with me on my birthday! I had the most amazing time...and I really couldn't have asked for anything more!!

xoxo

BLANC Mailers!

I'm excited to share these special mailers that Chelsea Heffner of plainMADE  and I collaborated on to reach out to some special museums / shops / press from Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, and NY.

Each card is unique and it's just a little something that we hope will entice them to come check us out and/or support the event!

....but mostly I just wanted an excuse to get Chelsea to do some beautiful hand-painted artwork! :)
Her free-hand color washes is totally perfect for what I had envisioned for BLANC.  She even got these beautiful slightly textured thick water-color paper to paint on. Then I did the layout for the text and printed it with just my printer!

I was more than surprised and happy to find that my ghetto Canon MP470 printer did SUCH a stellar print job, didn't chew up the paper or die!

I really hope people will get them and keep these for awhile....I know I totally would!

Fireworks Studies

This amazing book by Pierre Le Hors' 'Firework Studies' has pages after pages of beautiful black & white photos of varying moments of fireworks in the sky.

It's just amazing to look at even in a book.

I can never get sick of watching fireworks....which means that I can see myself never getting sick of looking at this book.
I suppose that's why people are willing to spend millions just for 30 minutes of entertainment....that's freedom for ya!

Happy America Weekend!!

Festivities All Year Round

Here's to the new year! Seeing all these fun photos on The Selby of the duo from Confetti System reminded me that we should try to make every work day feel like this!!
The duo started the company solely creating modern party pinatas & garlands to for the most amazing companies & people doing installations, events & performances.
I'm imagining their work days is like having a fun party everyday...partying like it's 1999.....except in 2011.
What a life!
I can't wait to party everyday....I mean, work.
Here's to another exciting New Year!!

"Crafting A Meaniful Home" Book Party Report

I had a total blast helping Meg set up the show for her book launching party at Rare Device for Crafting a Meaningful Home! Meg & Kate had the idea to cover up the gallery area in the shop with all cardboard sheets. We were cutting, glue, stapling cardboard sheets like mad. It totally felt like school again....ooh how I miss that adrenalin rush fearing that things aren't not gonna turn out or that we'd have enough time to finish.... and the delirious feeling from working so intensely and then have anxiety dreams the very night. Oh! How I miss all that!

Perhaps that's the workaholic side of me talking....

But to be honest, there IS something fun about working with bunch people and doing hands on work like that! We managed to pull it off in 2 days and even sucked my cousin in to help! Thanks cuz! :D

Here's what the cardboard covered space looked like after we finished! They even made cardboard side tables, mantles, coffee cups and a typewriter! Super cute!

Below are the projects displayed from the book:

From Left to right: Wood Burned Family Crest by Chika Eustace & I / Vintage Fabric Display by Cathy Callahan / Rockite Bottle Vases by Anna Corpron & Sean Auyeung / Locker Hook Rug by Christine Schmidt / Family Banner by Samantha Hahn / Family Teepee by Billie Lopez & Tootie Maldonado.

From Left to right: Printed Folklore chair by Diana Fayt / Needlepoint Racquets by Amy Holbrook / Filipino Folk Art Replica by Meg Mateo & Marvin Ilasco / Wallpaper Luminarias by Chrstiana Coop & Aimee Lagos / Gold leafed lamp by Joy Deangdeelert Cho / Jewelry Tree by Carolina Saxl / Decoupaged Plates by Lisa Congdon /Braided Rag Vessels by Sian Keegan / Travel A-Z poster by Anh-Minh Le.

Upper Left: a table full of treats that I almost O.D.-ed on. Upper center: Lisa Wong Jackson from Good On Paper design & Joy from Oh Joy! Bottom left: Meg, Meg's extra super helper Dianne, & I. Bottom center: Rena Tom who runs Rare Device with Lisa Congdon. Bottom Right: Lorena of Petit Collage's little one doing what I was doing....hovering over the food table with food shoved in my mouth.

Here's me by my (mini version of) Mega-Doily rug...I had to make a smaller one so it'd fit the space better. And if I may say so myself... I think the mini version actually looks pretty cute!! :)

You can see the rest of photos from the book party here!

Crafting A Meaninful Home Book Par-tay! Oct 21st

I'm totally stoked about the opening book launch party this Thursday, Oct, 21st at Rare Device! And I was more than surprised to see the Mega Doily on their flyer!! Woo Hoo!!
I'll be there to show the projects that Chika & I did...the Mega Doily Rug for Ladies & Gentlemen and our Dupe Coat of Arms by R&L.

Bunch of other talanted contributers will be there in person and showing some of their projects! I'm super excited that I'll actually be there to meet everyone and also help Meg and Kate Pruitt (DIY editor at Design*Sponge) do some of the installation for this event! All I know is that we're doing something with cardboard....which I can only imagine between the Meg & Kate, the place is gonna look totally amazing!

Come check out the projects and see the book in person, and of course..come say hello!

Rare Device
1845 Market Street ( at Guererro)
San Francisco, CA, 94103
October 21st, 7-9 pm

Ultimate 4th of July Weekend!

I'm totally looking forward to our action packed 4th of July weekend!!

On Saturday the 3rd, We're planning to go on a bike ride from Ballard-Woodinville and back for the first time....it'll be a total of 48 mi. We've made couple of attempts before but always start too late and have yet made it all the way to the wineries. So this time we're gonna give a full day and actually accomplish our goal!!

It's should be a great bike ride since the Burke-Gillman trail follows Lake Washington for the most part with fantastic scenery of the lake, trees, and mountains.
I'm hoping we can see something like this along the way and have a picnic...
Then go do some wine tasting at this modern winery designed by Mithun...
This shall be the first & longest ride we'll do...so let's hope we make it there and back and still be able to get off our bike and walk!!


On Sunday on the 4th...

Our friend is hosting this fun hand-built go-kart race event on Vashon Island for the first time:
It's a car race, potluck, bbq, and a nice excuse to hang out on a island farm. If anything it'll be pure entertainment to see all the cars people built and watch how they run!

Time: 1pm
Location: Pacific Crest Farm, 23720 Dockton Rd, Vashon, WA, 98070
It's open and free to everyone & anyone!

Then we'll end the day with some great fireworks in Fremont....that never gets old...Not a bad of an itinerary for the weekend, eh?

Happy Fourth Everyone!!