i spent the last few days with my dad… my mother went to “quilt camp” for the week with her quilting girlfriends as she has done for probably the last thirty years and i came out to berkeley to keep my father company for the weekend (i am so HAPPY that flying is an option now!) it is strange to be in the house without mom… we always have our coffee together early morning which she prepares in her very fancy, complicated machine - dad does not drink coffee - and sit at the kitchen table chatting. so i had to make my own coffee with her machine that is as fragile as an orchid and as demanding as a toddler. the first day the machine cooperated nicely which made me feel really competent and possibly a bit cocky. but the second day panic set in as he refused to carry on after i pressed the cappuccino button and red lights started flashing. i thought the little drawing was indicating that he was low on beans, but when i opened the top, there were loads of them in there. finally i realized that i was meant to empty the grounds. this is tricky as the large, flat pan is also full of mucky water that you don’t want to spill as you awkwardly make your way to the sink. finally i got everything dumped and reinstalled and then more red lights were pinging at me… this time he was low on water. HAY SEUS! he makes really good coffee but needs so much attention (this is why i have a VERY simple drip maker) and honestly this one is a VAST improvement from her last machine who was even more finicky and difficult to understand. that one had to go to the shop for detailed repair a few times before he was finally put down. my mother mourned him deeply until she brought this current guy home. she does not have pets, but caring for this coffee machine is far more consuming than feeding and cuddling with hank.
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rumble tummy
whenever my dad cannot find a term or phrase that adequately expresses what he wants to say, he just makes one up. i grew up being told to, “sit up straight and stop SLUNCHING!” at the table or asked whether i was going to finish the “dritzel” on my plate - the last of my sauce or remains of my dinner or received announcements that someone was a “GROMP” … very unpleasant, far worse than a “grump.” (he is generally very communicative and if for some reason he cannot speak - like when my mother is saying something - he does not dare interrupt her - he finds another way. he frequently stands about a foot and a half behind her chair at the kitchen table and indicates how he feels with his eyes - he makes outrageous faces while my mother is speaking which sends my children into peals of laughter. about twenty five years ago he had his jaw wired shut for many weeks after a throat surgery and had to physically write down what he wanted to share on a yellow legal pad. my mom thought he would be spare and discriminating in what he wrote because it took more effort… instead he filled notepad after notepad with ALL of his thoughts and ideas both deep and trivial. and he made sure my mother read every single one in real time.)
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fortnight collective featured in boulder lifestyle magazine
i am so excited for andy nathan and his awesome fortnight collective team (congratulations adam chasnow on your new role at fortnight) for being featured in boulder lifestyle magazine’s august 2021 issue. i had so much fun designing this space and collaborating with these unique, innovative thinkers.
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restoration
each summer when we return to boulder from our long stay in california i have “reentry” problems… i feel jumbled and foggy and a bit overwhelmed. so i have developed a (compulsive?) process of restoration that helps me adjust back to my boulder life - basically i CLEAN everything. i start with the laundry, of course. the last two summers we have road tripped to berkeley and back (the first summer because of the corona and this summer because hank can’t fly anymore… he used to travel as an “emotional support” dog but all the airlines changed the rules as people started bringing “therapeutic” peacocks and donkeys on their flights. hank is too big for the carrier you can keep at your feet and with his smush face it’s not safe for him to be placed in the underbelly of the plane so the only way to get him to california is to drive.) even if we leave the west coast with suitcases full of clean clothes, after a week in the car we have tons of dirty stuff. this may take several wash loads, which gives me time to clean out the dressers and pull all the items that are too small or otherwise deemed unnecessary. this year i was delighted to realize that i’d sorted through the dressers and closets right before we left so i could put the clean clothes back straight away.
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recovery
i have three therapists (well technically, one is my colorist - but she is as wise as yoda and i do almost everything she says far beyond her recommendations on whether my hair needs a toner or more highlights and one is my acupuncturist and she is always figuring out where i am holding stress and what to do to unblock it and i feel amazing both on the inside and the outside when i leave her sessions - and then i go directly to sachi sushi, the ramen shop in the niwot market, which makes those sundays - they only make ramen on sundays so i make all of my acupuncture appointments on sundays - the very BEST - so they are really two-fors and then there is my actual therapist who is beyond awesome) so i have A LOT of support (which i DO realize is incredibly lucky) and yet i am concerned about ever really recovering from the last eighteen months of the pandemic, the toilet paper hoarding, home schooling, half and half schooling, fractions with lucy, BLM, the wildfires, the awful election, breaking off my engagement with governor cuomo (you think you KNOW someone…) the king soopers shooting, the shootings ALL OVER the U.S., the bomb scares in boulder, the insurrection, the closing of my bar studio (which is the only exercise i’ve ever been able to do with any consistency), my mounting coronas (i think these started with my plum cake obsession last summer - i literally baked AND ATE plum cake EVERY day until plum season was over and then i just dove right into the halloween candy - this summer i am only making plum sauce - which is just as delicious! and steering clear of the butter cake with plums on top) and my personal cherry on top - there was a possibility that i had a brain aneurysm and would need BRAIN SURGERY (spoiler: i DON’T… PRAISE JESUS!) but that was very scary for a few weeks.
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i left my heart in san francisco
we are preparing to road trip back to boulder from berkeley this week. last summer we drove out because of the corona but this summer we drove because hank is not allowed to fly anymore. he used to travel as an “emotional support” dog but people started boarding with peacocks and donkeys in tow and now the whole program is cancelled.… i am reposting this story from a couple of summers ago because i am always so sad to leave… we DID hit up all of our favorites, except bartavelle because they closed during the pandemic. we’ve had an absolutely lovely time and are so excited that we will be able to come back for thanksgiving this year! x0x
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wildflower nation supply
in art, photography, quilts
the pandemic era presented us all with a multitude of challenges and stressors and dark moments, but there WERE some beautiful, uplifting events and one of my favorites was the opening of boulder’s newest home shop, wildflower nation supply. i am so grateful for the moxie and vision of elizabeth prentiss and erica simon in creating this absolute jewel box of a destination. my heart sings with joy each time i visit as there are so many treasures to discover in their shop with the big porch on 17th street right off of pearl.
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fentons
i am reposting this story about fentons ice creamery because my daughter just survived a TWO NIGHT stay in the woods with her friends and counselors at camp kee tov. i always promise my children a banana split if they manage to stay alive while sleeping out in the nature and so far this incentive system has ensured that they return intact, if incredibly filthy. some may think i am a bit dramatic about the dangers of this sojourn in the forest, but the bay area is famous for its vicious gangs of wild, maurading turkeys and last week hank and i happened upon a gaggle of them down by the marina. despite my great fear, i managed to get a photo of a couple of them (there were SIX in total)… look how HUGE and gnarly they are. so you see that my worry is completely merited… we have one more sleepover to go this summer and hopefully one more visit to fentons.
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hank as a woodcut...by rob woerner! x0x
a dear family friend just sent us a packet of home-made cards of our darling hank printed with a hand-cut wood block. we are just beside ourselves - the cards are so lovely. we will, of course, frame one and hang it up. THANK YOU rob woerner for this beautiful, thoughtful gift that went straight to my heart! x00xx
the link to my "welcome back" story! x0x
here is the link to my “welcome back” story for boulder county home + garden magazine’s summer 2021 issue. HAPPY SUMMER all… wishing you loads of fun and special LIVE experiences with your favorite people! x0x
MANY THANKS again to the talented vendors who participated in this piece: artepera, atomic avocado designs, 42nd circle design, the novogratz , fermob, think outside, wanda collection, kartell, bludot, gloster furniture and mosaic birds.
my "welcome back" story published in the summer issue of boulder county home + garden
it is beyond exciting that we are getting vaccinated and able to welcome friends and family back into our homes. i had so much fun writing this piece on friendly, welcoming home decor items to help you usher in your dearest this summer. MANY THANKS to the talented vendors who participated in this piece: artepera, atomic avocado designs, 42nd circle design, the novogratz , fermob, think outside, wanda collection, kartell, bludot, gloster furniture and mosaic birds. x0x0x
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our grandma on the "i" street...
i write this with a very HEAVY heart… for the past ten days when we drive to school the shades have been drawn on the yellow house of the grandma we wave to on the “i” street. initially we hoped she might be on a fabulous holiday in sayulita drinking margaritas, nibbling on fresh guacamole and enjoying the seaside view, but as the days passed we grew increasingly concerned. lucy has a classmate who lives two doors up from her and he confirmed that our grandma has moved on. we are just devastated. we never actually properly met her, but sharing a morning wave with her just filled us with delight and joy. sometimes we had a DOUBLE wave day when we’d see her in the window in the afternoon as well. we have been waving with her for a few years now and her sweet smile and pretty iittle acknowledgement has truly lightened the intensity of the pandemic and the loss of our own beloved gg. lucy says, “it’s okay… now we have another grandma watching over us,” but i prefer to have a live grandma and am having a lot trouble processing her departure. i think i need to find a new way to school (which isn’t easy for me as i am so routinized AND i have a terrible sense of direction) because i am overwhelmed with sadness when we pass her yellow house. we are holding her in our hearts and so grateful for the happiness she gave us. rest in loving peace dear grandma. x0x0x
interviewed for "shoutout colorado" about starting my interior design business! x0x
i was so thrilled to be interviewed by shoutout colorado’s kimberly chang about starting my own interior design business and the MANY people who have supported my work. THANK YOU, THANK YOU in particular to amy hubbard, my accountant and dear friend, ashley wick of wick and co. for her incredible guidance, heritage school of interior design for expanding my knowledge, my delightful classmates for inspiring me, my SUPERSTAR clients, heather knierim of HBK photography for her lovely photos, my darling friend, jess braun, for the portrait of me and hank and finally, my BEST cheerleaders - my hilarious children. x0x
here is the full article
my article on outdoor furniture and accessories published in boulder county home + garden's spring 2021 issue
in garden
i had so much fun sourcing these bright, inviting, whimsical selections for your outdoor spaces. MANY THANKS to the folks at denver’s creative living, cane-line, POLarRT, loll designs, kannoa, lloyd flanders, bend goods, eagle nest outfitters, uttermost, pablo designs and woodley’s for participating in the article. wishing you all loads of outdoor enjoyment as soon as our snow melts! x0x
Read Moremy pine street project in 5280 Home!*!*!
the story of my pine street project is now available online (for subscribers!) THANK YOU again to editor michelle johnson and the amazing team she put together: angela ufheil (writer), aaron colossi (photographer) dana smith (art director) and natalie warady (stylist) for the wonderful article and beautifully styled photos. and GIANT thanks to my incredible clients: jess and zach zeldner! x0x0x
easter comfort food
my whole life there have been two essential easter recipes served at our brunch: my mother’s mushroom crust quiche and her easter buns. they are both a little trashy… the quiche has smashed up saltines in the crust and the buns are made with the dough that comes in a can you bang on the counter to pop open. but they are both delicious. the quiche (or KWEE-CHEE as theo used to call it) LOOKS a little more elegant, but the buns are never pretty. the filling always squirts out and the jam slides around so they are just a mess. i have tried and tried to clean them up to no avail. when new people come for easter, they usually bypass them on the buffet and i have to force them to try one… no one has ever been disappointed. AND they are both still yummy, cold, the next morning as leftovers. happy, happy easter all! x0xx
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published on the COVER of 5280 home! x0x0x
i am beyond THRILLED to have my pine street project for the adorable zeldner family featured on the COVER of the april/may 2021 issue of 5280 Home. many thanks to editor michelle johnson and the team she assembled: angela ufheil (writer), aaron colossi (photographer) and natalie warady (stylist) for the wonderful article and beautifully styled photos. i had so much FUN on this project with my SUPERSTAR clients who were such a pleasure. and i am delighted to see local boulder artists shayna larsen (elephant painting in the breakfast nook), laura morningstar (“little mama” ceramic vase in the bedroom), sammy and sawyer (children’s art in the hallway) and william irving singer former artist in residence at the boulder creative collective (portraits in the living room) in print as well. THANK YOU all! x0x
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the seder plate
i feel like we should have invited the flintstones to passover this year (except for the corona) because i am pretty sure the butcher gave me a brontosaurus bone to roast for the seder plate. it’s always a bit of a crap shoot about what they deem a “lamb shank” and honestly, i have never totally figured it out either. i am not at all familiar with the anatomy of a sheep (or the anatomy of a human for that matter… when i used to take my bar class pre pandemic i could only do the exercises if the teacher demonstrated what we should be doing. when they started saying things like, “lift your deltoids” or “squeeze your quadriceps” i would have to look around the room and see what everyone else was doing. that’s what happens when you don’t pay attention in biology and get all of your medical knowledge from gray’s anatomy.) wishing you all a happy, peaceful passover! x0x
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lisa stamm's bespoke animal portraits
(hank by lisa stamm)
i met lisa stamm in my twenties when we were tottering around new york city in impractically high heels, drinking martinis, going to gallery openings and late night parties, brunching on sundays and having pre children adventures. she introduced me to my first husband at a champagne bar, did my make up at my wedding and supported me through all kinds of milestones and changes. she has been an incredible friend and i have known her a long time. but i had no idea that she is an artist. about two years ago i was scrolling through my facebook feed and saw a soulful, impassioned pencil drawing of a beagle that she shared and was completely captivated. i was not alone. lisa received such a big response to the tribute drawing she had done of her beloved dog, scooby that for the first time she considered taking commissions. and so began the pet project shop.
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right now things feel terribly OUT of order...
as i am sitting in my north boulder home this evening there are two horrible incidents being dealt with by the boulder police and additional swat teams: the north boulder high school has been locked up (all students who were at sports practices brought inside) and a shooter in a south boulder king soopers market, who as i write this, is still “active.” i don’t know if these situations are related but i can say that it has been a frightening afternoon and none of us have enough bandwidth for this after the past year of the corona, BLM, fires, electrical outages, floods, me too, the crazy election and all of the isolation. my favorite of the jewish holidays is approaching - passover - the one that puts everything in order and i am hoping that all the madness that seems to exist in our current world will somehow be safely dealt with because this is just TOO MUCH! i am reposting a story about passover and vacuuming because it calms me down…
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