I mentioned that I have a stack of Burda magazines last week, and to date, I haven't tried a single pattern from them, though I'm constantly entertained by the extreme level of styling hits and misses. You'd think that someone so used to Japanese patterns would find Burda to be no sweat, but the way they cram those pattern pieces onto one sheet of paper is no joke. I got a sense of what other people must feel like when attempting Japanese patterns without any familiarity with the language. I ... Read more
Rustic Apple Tart
When autumn rolls around, apple desserts are mandatory. I've been meaning to make my favorite apple dish for quite some time now, and yesterday had just the right amount of crisp and cool in the air to get me going. I consult mainly two sites for my sweet fixings: Smitten Kitchen and Orangette. This "rustic apple tart" is from the inimitable Molly of Orangette -- since 2008 when she first posted it, this tart has been a regular part of our fall desserts, and it's divine. Just as the ... Read more
It’s that time of year again…
It's getting chilly, and my hands are starting to feel rough and dry with the cooling temperatures. This reminded me that I had posted about my tried-and-true hand cream and lip balm last year (and that I need to get more hand cream). Sure enough, almost to the day, I had talked about skincare. Around the time of that post, I had discovered a new-to-me face soap. I don't talk about skincare here much, but it's sort of a side obsession of mine. My ignorant days of youth in sunny L.A. (baby oil ... Read more
Monday Outfit: Swedish-ish
Good morning, friends, I hope you had a lovely weekend! The weather was incredible here in Seattle, and we got to enjoy some outdoorsy fun including a birthday party at a farm (well, at least M and K did while I ran errands). I have long been a fan of the Scandinavian design and aesthetic. Say what you will about IKEA, but I think so many of their products look sharp, and I love that they're usually wallet-friendly even if they don't always stand the test of time. When I saw the sweater knit ... Read more
Happy Friday + Randomness
Happy Friday! First of all, I'm still in a daze from all the amazing comments these past few days - I believe the world's kindest, smartest and awesomest people read my blog. Thank you. Secondly, the announcement of the Halloween-y Fabrics giveaway: random generator number #12, Niki! Congrats, and you should have received an email from me already. I loved the Walter White costume idea, though yes, I agree that it's probably an eyebrow-raiser for a ... Read more