Have you ever felt like someone just hopped over and sprinkled your life with fairy dust? That's how we're feeling over here at the current Fox nest. Yep. Current. We're moving! During that whole rat fiasco across the way, our neighbor mentioned to us that they'd heard of a cottage for rent in one of our favorite coastal towns and to top it all off, it's on a farm! We immediately set to work. We had to get this place. We could feel it within us: this place is supposed to be our home. But how could we go about making this happen? Birch would have a longer commute to work, we didn't have any money saved up for a deposit (not that much, anyway), and our lease wasn't up for another month. After a stressful, back-and-forth week with our landlord, we gave our notice. Whirlwind of decision-making over, we had made our choice: farm, please! Thanks to the never-ending generosity of our family and friends, we made it official, drew up a new budget plan for the summer, and told those wonderful people renting out a cottage on their land that we would love to be their newest tenants. Thankfully, all was agreed upon. Our official move-in date is June 15th, but we can start moving our stuff in anytime. Have you ever heard of a landlord being so generous? My goodness. I'm going to like this place... Correction: I'm going to adore this place.
This place is incredible. Our one-bedroom cottage sits within a very large yard within a small, family-owned farm two miles from the Pacific Ocean. Right now, we will be straight-up renting the cottage, not working the farm in exchange for room and board. We would like to get involved with the farming somehow, but we'll wait until the Australian owners are more comfortable with us and get to know us better. There is a large willow tree orchard for making willow branch furniture, fences, and art installations, a stable with about fifteen boarded horses (who are usually in the surrounding pastures), a herd of sheep, two breeding sows, a jersey cow and her two calves, chickens with fresh eggs everyday, a parrot with an Australian accent, parakeets, a rabbit, a few peacocks wandering about, and several sheep dogs. It's a magical place.
I can't wait to take Keats for walks around the farm, showing him all the animals and hearing him make all the noises. I can't wait to be away from concrete sidewalks, garbage trucks, leaf blowers, and cars speeding down our street. I can't wait to hear cows mooing, tractors, horses, and the strange call of the peacocks. I can't wait to use our very own washer and dryer inside of our cottage, no quarters required. I can't wait to have birthday parties on the farm and at the beach. I can't wait to see Olive galloping about our yard, care-free and finally coming out of her nervous shell (she is not a fan of the constant suburban commotion). I can't wait to go to the beach several times a week, make sand castles, set up an umbrella, and watch Keats' amazement at all the new things to discover there. I can't wait to see Birch as he comes home refreshed from a beautiful drive through the woods after a long day at work and to see his joy at coming home to his dream: a farm! I can't wait to plant a row of fruit trees and a row of berries. I can't wait to start living more like my idol, darling Sara from Farmama. I can't wait to play in the kiddie pool and run around the yard after Keats laughing. I can't wait to have hardwood floors. I can't wait for Birch's allergies to subside with the fresh, ocean air and without the constant bombardment of leaf blowers blowing pollen and cut grass straight into our apartment. I can't wait to have a clean slate: a clean, open cottage ready to be decorated and made into a home. Our home.
I'll miss being so close to my parents and having my mother-in-law come over so often to babysit. I'll miss impromptu play dates with Leslie and Tyler who are only a few blocks away. I'll miss going out for ramen and having that occasional pizza delivered. I'll miss the ease of getting the mail.
But mostly, I just can't wait!
(Pictures next post, I promise!)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Ten Little Toes
For younger babies and toddlers, I've really loved shopping over at Weepereas. Beth makes lovely things (not just shoes!) and I check up on her shop regularly to see what's new (there seems to always be something). Her handmade cloth shoes are adorable and durable and they don't slip off! Not even off a newborn's tiny feet! They are very affordable and I love that I can wash them right along with the rest of my laundry. Oh, and they're reversible!
Some of my favorites from Weepereas:
Beth is venturing into leather shoes, but until they're available in the shop, I'll be coveting some Livie & Luca.
My sister just turned me onto this awesome kiddie shoe shop, Livie & Luca. It's not often that my North-Yorkshire-living sister and I can shop at the same stores, but it's always fun when we discover something that serves both the UK and the US.
The Livie & Luca brand is committed to both giving back and using less. They use the scraps of leather from other companies that would otherwise be thrown away to make their shoes, an idea I can fully get behind. They also donate shoes to children in Honduras, "possibly their first pair of shoes for school and protection from soil-borne infections caused by walking barefoot." They are much more expensive than Weepereas, but as they would most likely last longer (due to both durability and the fact that the little one isn't growing as fast anymore) I think the price is worth it for some high-quality, adorable, and earth/community-friendly kid shoes.
Some of my favorites from Livie & Luca:
Some of my favorites from Weepereas:
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| Clockwise from Left: Keats wearing Trains at 3 months; Tiny Deer (I may have bought these, just in case); Woodland Friends; and Blossoms. |
Beth is venturing into leather shoes, but until they're available in the shop, I'll be coveting some Livie & Luca.
My sister just turned me onto this awesome kiddie shoe shop, Livie & Luca. It's not often that my North-Yorkshire-living sister and I can shop at the same stores, but it's always fun when we discover something that serves both the UK and the US.
The Livie & Luca brand is committed to both giving back and using less. They use the scraps of leather from other companies that would otherwise be thrown away to make their shoes, an idea I can fully get behind. They also donate shoes to children in Honduras, "possibly their first pair of shoes for school and protection from soil-borne infections caused by walking barefoot." They are much more expensive than Weepereas, but as they would most likely last longer (due to both durability and the fact that the little one isn't growing as fast anymore) I think the price is worth it for some high-quality, adorable, and earth/community-friendly kid shoes.
Some of my favorites from Livie & Luca:
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| Port Yellow Soft Sole $34 |
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| Ferris Boardwalk $40 |
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| Brussels Brown Suede $45.50 |
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| Bloom Fuchsia Sandal $45 |
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| Ferris Carnival $45 (I wish I had a pair of these lovelies.) |
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Close Your Eyes and Dream
I'm absolutely bewildered at how incredibly lovely this home is... WANT. This photo claims front cover of my inspiration binder. I'm absolutely in love.
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| via design*sponge |
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Our New Name
We went ahead and changed our name! I'm still trying to decide what to do for artwork, etc., but that will come when it's time. With everything going on in our lives right now, the blog is a nice escape at times but I can't let myself stress over it or else what's the point of having it? We've been in the throws of some major spring cleaning and rearranging, and while it is sort of fun, it's also just plain daunting. I'm way behind on catching up with even my closest friends, so hopefully as the sun comes out once again after a week of dreary, rainy weather, we'll have our energy back and be ready to party! Hope you are all well and happy!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
The Rat Saga
We live in a small, six-unit apartment complex that has been just dreamy ever since we moved in two years ago until a couple of months ago when the three-apartment unit across from us reported rat mites. Ick! The teenage daughter is suffering the most, breaking out in hives and taking pill after pill that just about knocks her completely out! Horrible. Another neighbor hasn't had it so bad, but she is itching like crazy. So, we called in a city inspector who informed us that their unit was completely infested with rats (living in the crawl space). Despite the fact that rats don't actually like to sleep outdoors (or in suspicious looking plants like juniper) our landlord called in the big guns and had all of our front yard plants removed and replace with sod. This process took a week and though I can't deny that it looks quite nice, it's slightly frustrating to think that the new sprinkler system will reflect on our water bill. So, as we and our neighbors kissed the dream of planting tomatoes, artichokes, beans, and pumpkins goodbye, we realized it wasn't going to end there. How had the rats been able to burrow under the units? Well, over time the foundation had shifted drastically and the actual buildings were no longer completely attached to it, leaving ample room for pesky critters to squeeze in and make a home for themselves. Maintenance workers were called in to install a small board connecting the apartment to the foundation.
Enter problem. Our backyard garden is situated right up against our apartment wall in wonderful southern exposure. The sun blazes down each day and our plants thrive. Year-round we're able to grow some food for ourselves, create havens for small birds, and provide plenty of pollen-rich blossoms for bees and other beneficial insects. We set up a trellis to coax up our grapes, nasturtiums, and jasmine, and last year I built a tepee for climbing plants like beans, nasturtiums, or flowering vines. Our large artichoke has multiplied into three large artichokes and our euphorbia is constantly bursting at the seams (we cut it back often and bring the loveliness inside to make a new temporary home in a vase on our dining table). So, when we received a note informing us that maintenance workers would need access to our backyard, both Birch and I became nervous. Birch found any troubling areas and put in some insulating foam, hoping this would keep the workers at bay at least until the biggest growing season was over. Nope. The morning came when the workers arrived and I showed them into the backyard. One of them said everything would need to go in order for them to get their work done. My heart raced then the other shook his head and said he thought they could get around the trellis fairly easily but that yes, most of the plants would need to be removed as there just was no space for them to get anywhere near the wall. So, in a fever (I had to go babysit in thirty minutes for a friend), I strapped Keats into his highchair and began pulling out and hacking away at my garden that had just come into its own with beautiful nasturtium blossoms and California poppies everywhere. I ripped out all the nasturtiums and poppies. Suddenly, the garden looked so bare and there was a huge pile of wilting plants in the center of our yard. I brushed off the aphids from my shirt and arms, washed my hands, grabbed Keats, and left, not knowing how many of my treasured plants would still be there when I returned later that day.
Luckily, nothing else was pulled out, but several plants were broken and stepped on. I fixed what I could and gave everything a good soaking. Here in Northern California, it's too late to replant any of what we lost, and after a sad day and plenty of thought, Birch and I pulled ourselves together and decided to look into the later season crops we could start up even in May's hot, sporadic weather.
So, with all the new ground space, we'll be planting melons and pumpkins and taking note on this latest apartment experience and planting more things in containers. It'll be sad to not take advantage of our wonderfully rich, clay soil that we've worked so hard on ever since moving in, but it's just one more lesson learned and yet another reason to think more on this whole moving where we can afford to buy thing...
All that being said, we're very grateful that we haven't experienced the rats or their mites personally, and hope that will remain the case. The loss of our garden was a blow, but we'll see our way through and there's always next year's spring to enjoy.
Enter problem. Our backyard garden is situated right up against our apartment wall in wonderful southern exposure. The sun blazes down each day and our plants thrive. Year-round we're able to grow some food for ourselves, create havens for small birds, and provide plenty of pollen-rich blossoms for bees and other beneficial insects. We set up a trellis to coax up our grapes, nasturtiums, and jasmine, and last year I built a tepee for climbing plants like beans, nasturtiums, or flowering vines. Our large artichoke has multiplied into three large artichokes and our euphorbia is constantly bursting at the seams (we cut it back often and bring the loveliness inside to make a new temporary home in a vase on our dining table). So, when we received a note informing us that maintenance workers would need access to our backyard, both Birch and I became nervous. Birch found any troubling areas and put in some insulating foam, hoping this would keep the workers at bay at least until the biggest growing season was over. Nope. The morning came when the workers arrived and I showed them into the backyard. One of them said everything would need to go in order for them to get their work done. My heart raced then the other shook his head and said he thought they could get around the trellis fairly easily but that yes, most of the plants would need to be removed as there just was no space for them to get anywhere near the wall. So, in a fever (I had to go babysit in thirty minutes for a friend), I strapped Keats into his highchair and began pulling out and hacking away at my garden that had just come into its own with beautiful nasturtium blossoms and California poppies everywhere. I ripped out all the nasturtiums and poppies. Suddenly, the garden looked so bare and there was a huge pile of wilting plants in the center of our yard. I brushed off the aphids from my shirt and arms, washed my hands, grabbed Keats, and left, not knowing how many of my treasured plants would still be there when I returned later that day.
Luckily, nothing else was pulled out, but several plants were broken and stepped on. I fixed what I could and gave everything a good soaking. Here in Northern California, it's too late to replant any of what we lost, and after a sad day and plenty of thought, Birch and I pulled ourselves together and decided to look into the later season crops we could start up even in May's hot, sporadic weather.
So, with all the new ground space, we'll be planting melons and pumpkins and taking note on this latest apartment experience and planting more things in containers. It'll be sad to not take advantage of our wonderfully rich, clay soil that we've worked so hard on ever since moving in, but it's just one more lesson learned and yet another reason to think more on this whole moving where we can afford to buy thing...
All that being said, we're very grateful that we haven't experienced the rats or their mites personally, and hope that will remain the case. The loss of our garden was a blow, but we'll see our way through and there's always next year's spring to enjoy.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Happy Mother's Day!
To all of you wonderful mothers who came before and will come after, I am so grateful for all that you teach me. Thank you to all the wonderful partners, family, and friends that support us in what we do, even though we're so less than perfect. I love you!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Geology in Design
I'm pretty sure Birch is going to freak when I show him this stunning use of a rock collection in the design of Alexandre De Betak's home in Spain. Note to self: buy magazine and include in design binder. Gorgeous. (P.S. - There's a R2D2 sculpture ash tray...)
images via T Design and Living via Poppytalk.
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