TAXIDERMY AND THE MAN WHO KNOWS.....

Hi everyone!

I know I've been neglecting this blog.

But, ya know what, I'm just going to get right back to it.  We're all only human right?

I showed you guys a little while back our project of moving our pantry into an open shelving unit we built in our dinning room.  Well, the project continues!  We've just transformed the old pantry into a walk in closet. (I will post pictures soon!) It's been working really well! Still struggling to fit all our stuff into it though!

And now were on to converting the old bedroom closet into an office/crafting space!  Whew!

I'm about projected out at this point! 

So now that the majority of our cosmetic house projects are being rapped up, I figured its time to start pulling all my decorative stuff out of storage and start hanging pictures and putting out the chotchkeys and such.  So I started pulling stuff out of hiding and setting them out......Only problem is, and this may sound totally silly...... I just don't feel grounded!  For weeks I've been wracking my brain trying to conceptualize how my home is really going to come together, and I've hit a major stump!  So I started thinking about what makes me, me!

I love most everything shabby and industrial.  I love things that show age and tell a story, but I also love how clean and personal it makes a space feel. Family Pictures, Old pieces of torn down buildings, Relics of history!

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I also have an Mcobb side.  I love strange things! From things that make your brain go "What!" to things that give you a little bit of the heeby geebys.   I actually have a huge old poster of Alexander, "the man who knows." floating head hanging in my living room.  (FYI Alexander was a local Seattle magician that was very popular in the 1920's)  And its a really cool poster!

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I also have a naturalist side.  I work for a farm, I love being outdoors camping, exploring, combing for treasures.  I hate to fly, I prefer to keep my feet on the ground. That is a big part of who I am.

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So, how the hell do I make all these sides of me work together?

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So the other day it hit me!

Taxidermy! Biology! Creatures of strange seemingly uncharted territory!..... Usually Asia.  :O)

Think about it for a moment with me!!!

Each item has a story! A history, just like all of my old shabby furniture and architectural pieces!

Though I know it seems on the contrary, being dead and all, in my opinion, taxidermy actually breaths a sense of life into a room! It makes me remember that there is so much beauty in the world we live in!  Free beauty! So not only does it relate to my shabby/industrial side by telling a story, being able to put something in my every day environment that comes from nature relates to my naturalist side.

And without saying it relates to my Mcobb side.  Taxidermy gives a lot of people the Heeby Geebys, but for me, reminds me that life and death are constantly around us.  That there is beauty in all things and in all stages of life and existence, even the dark stages we all go through at one time or another. 

In all actuality, in a way, it also brings me back to my childhood.  I used to catch yellow butterfly's and metallic blue lizards, and keep them in a secret box in my bedroom.  You can imagine my mothers surprise the day she stumbled upon them!

So its time to start combing the beach for sea specimens, and hounding ebay for amazingly cool died bugs and bats!

Also, West Elm has this beautiful Faux taxidermy wall mount head that's above!  It shall be mine!

"Beep Beep!"  From The Little Road!!!

PEAR COZY'S ARE HERE!!!

Just added to the shop!!!

I know yall have been loving your Apple Cozys!

So we decided to up our game and develop a pattern for Pear Cozy's which are now available in

THE SHOP!

There are 3 great aspects about fruit cozys.

1. They keep the bumps and yucks off your fruit if you are throwing them in a sack for lunch

2. They actually keep your fruit fresh longer if you wrap them up as soon as you get your fruit home

3. They just make life a little more fun!

As of now our pear cozys are made to order, which is good for yall because you can specify any color and any button!  We're working hard to make a surplus, so that we can ship immediately but for now its an estimated week to 2 weeks to ship.

So head over to the shop and pick yours out now!  Or if you are local to the Seattle area, just send me a message and we can make a personal arrangement!

"Beep Beep!" from The Little Road!

THE PANTRY GETS A NEW HOME!

I've mentioned before in past posts that I've been strategiesing to move the pantry into open shelving in the dining room, thus leaving my walk in pantry to be converted into a walk in closet.  As much as Curt and I love living at casa del playa, it is after all a 750 square foot condo, and the space dedicated as the master closet, is well, not so master!  So the vision of this project was to make the pantry a more accessible, grab and cook kind of deal, along with creating a glorious walk in closet space in the hallway just outside our bedroom door.  YAY!

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And guess what!  I'm going to give you the whole tutorial!

Ready?

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First off, I wanted my shelves to look more industrial.  I first contemplated on making a huge rolling shelve unit made from gorgeous knotty wood, aluminum piping and metal plumbing attachments...  It would have been really cool, but in the long run between the astronomical price to build it and all the strange quirky problems that would arise from taking on such a project.... I decided to scale down a bit.  But!!  I kept the idea of having some gorgeous knotty wood, and purchased some inexpensive wall mounting brackets that though simple, I felt still had a modern industrial feel to them.

I purchased some very inexpensive pressurized 2x10 knotty pine from home depot for $8 a board.  They came 10 feet long, but Home Depot will cut your wood down for you free of charge.  Less work for me!  Woohoo!

Now comes the hard work.  I sanded down each board to eliminate nicks in the wood, branding stamps, and indents where the wood has been pressed.  I dug through the bin of boards at Home Depot to fish out the ones with minimal scaring, but getting a perfect board is virtually impossible.  I didn't mind to much, nicks and bruises go along with my industrial theme, and I just sanded them till they were smooth and not splintery.  Scares give the wood character.

Don't judge me for killing all my plants in the picture :O)

Developing my green thumb is something I'm still working at.

After I sanded down all my boards, I started staining.  I used an oil based interior stain by Miniwax called Ipswitch Pine.  It has a deep golden hue and it turned most of the knots in the wood a dark black.  So pretty.

Miniwax drys super fast which makes getting the job done a lot quicker.

Staining is a super simple process.  Just brush on your first coat, wait 15 minutes and then wipe it off with a clean rag.  I did two coats of stain on my boards.  I wanted that beautiful color to POP!

Note:  Since this stain is oil based, you will need turpentine to be able to clean and save your brushes.  I killed a nice brush before I realized.

See how pretty those knots turned out!

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After the stain dried, I put 2 coats of fast drying Polyurethane on the boards, which made them supper shiny!  It will also help protect the boards from stains and scratches.

Next I just installed the boards on the wall and voila!  I have an awesome, beautiful open shelving unit for my pantry!  Now to fill up those shelves!!!

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road!

WHAT THE WATER GAVE ME

I've had a devout love affair with Frida Kahlo for many many years now.

I love her so much as a woman as well as an artist.

She lived a life of countless obstacles and died very young, still she lived a passioned and beautiful life.

Her paintings to me, represent the sweet details of life, the intensity of human perspective, and the mysticism we all feel about our own mortality.

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I respect her honesty.

So for today's Music Monday, I wanted to feature a newer song by Florance and The Machine, that I recently found out was inspired by a painting by Frida Kahlo.

"What The Water Gave Me"

A painting that was created shortly after Frida's experience of miscarrying her almost full term baby, and after her husband Diego Rivera's total embarrassment of having his own fresco mural knocked down and destroyed in the RCA building at Rockefeller Square for depicting Communist figures.

The point that this painting inspires todays pop culture proves to me that Art and Music really are a significant part of our cultural and historical heritage.

Each of her paintings has changed the world in some way.

It's amazing what one little person can do,

and we doubt our impact every day.

CIRCULAR DINNING ROOM DILEMMA

I've been thinking about my dinning room a lot lately.

I'm planning to add a whole wall of industrial shelving in the back there, so try to picture that.

That old door will be gone.

But what about a rug?

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Even though the room is technically square, doesn't it feel like the room has a circular theme with my dandelion chandelier and circular table?

I think a rectangular rug would just look silly.

I could maybe do a circular rug, but would it be too many circles and just be overwhelming?

Or, I could have no rug....

Or, maybe this?

The raw hide seems like a good option to me because its not circular, but it still has lots of sexy curves.

I think it might keep the room soft and still play with the idea of the industrial shelving in the back.

What do you think?

Rug or no rug?

"Beep Beep!" from The Little Road

NEW MUSIC MONDAYS ~ THE HEAD AND THE HEART

Well it's back to Seattle for me.  I made the 11 hour trek back to the Emerald City in my little green mini coop.  It's been a loooooooong day to say the least!  It's always so heard to say good-bye.

I'm already missing the old brown carpet in my Dad's house, the smell of sourdough bread.  The smiles on my Mom and Dad's faces.  I miss waking up to baby dear looking in my window.  I miss seeing my best friends beautiful pregnant belly.  If only there was a way to combine the two places I love so much.

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That's why I find it fitting to have a song from The Head And The Heart today.

They are a local Seattle band, and I am so in love with this song.

The line they sing at the beginning of the song fits today so well.

"Mama once told me, you're already home where you feel loved."

"Beep Beep!" from The Little Road

SUNDAY BRUNCH ~ SIN OF CORTEZ ~

One place I always make a point to hit up when I'm home in California is Sin Of Cortez, located in Chico California.  Trust me, I love an all American breakfast... but, sometimes I just want something a little out of the box, and that is why I love to come here.  This place is normally really busy and it takes a while to get a seat but, good things are worth waiting for, and everyone here is very nice.

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Sin Of Cortez offers a variety of healthy breakfast choices featuring local and fresh produce from the Chico area.  Many dishes have a Latin twist but not all of them.  I think of it more as a bohemian gypsy style breakfast.  Most dishes can come with a side of brown rice or a whole wheat tortilla. I LOVE scrambled eggs and rice!  I honestly feel like its one of the best parings, and you rarely see them accompanying each other!  When Curtis and I honeymooned in Costa Rica, the national breakfast dish there was called Gallo Pinto, which was scrambled eggs, fried white rice mixed with black beans and covered in a coconut sauce... ooohhh I miss it!

Anyway, at Sin Of Cortez I love to order there blueberry cornmeal pancakes.  They are so light and have a little crispness to them.  Maple syrup is on every table in old Jorito soda bottles.  I'm also a huge fan of there scrambles.  You can get anything from spinach to pesto to tofu to jalapeno, and every scramble is served with a side of lightly sprinkled rosemary potatoes.  Each dish is carefully crafted and arranged so beautifully, its hard to actually eat!......... Actually no, no it's not hard to eat at all.

Sin Of Cortez makes everything "In Kitchen" which I actually had to research, because shouldn't everything be made "in kitchen?"  By that they mean, everything is made fresh daily.  The beans don't come out of a can, they are soaked and cooked fresh.  Everything from the salsa to the whipped cream is made fresh daily.  They actually quote themselves, "If we had more room, we'd raise our own beef."

There coffee is some of the best you can find, and they hold a very high standard to what they use to make it.

There motto is; "Make the best coffee possible, damn the cost!"

They're coffee is made from Single Origin beans, meaning they come from the same plant, or group of plants.  They will never be blended or dark roasted to save cost.  Single Origin beans are the only way to ensure consistent flavor and texture, no after taste and balanced acidity.

Of course the love of my life is there Mexican Hot Chocolate!

It is perfectly sweet and spicy at the same time. With fresh REAL whipped cream (Not from any can or tub!) and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and chocolate syrup.

Oh my heart starts palpitating just thinking about it.

So if you live any where near or are passing through Chico California, absolutely stop and grab yourself a cup o' Cortez Joe and some seriously good eats!

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If you would like to visit Sin Of Cortez on the web just click HERE

"Beep Beep!" from The Little Road!

HOME FOR THE WEEKEND: THUNDERHILL SPORTING CLAYS

The best part about this particular weekend, is that I'm home in California spending time with my family and friends.   There isn't much more that encompasses home than this!  One little tradition I have when I come home to visit is to take a trip out to Thunderhill Pheasant Club, and shoot a round of sporting clays with my dad and his buddy's. 

I always enjoy the how pretty it is out on the ranch, golden rolling hills as far as you can see.   Wild life roaming around all over, and big huge dragonflies zipping about. I get to spend some good quality time with my Dad, and I get to join in on a little poking fun with my Dad's crazy friends.

Over the years I've adopted a new nick name out here.

Liiiizzzarrd

What does it mean?  Can't tell ya, or I'd have to kill ya.  :O)

My Dad taught me how to shoot a gun when I was about 12, which is actually a skill that I'm really thankful to have.  When I was younger we would shoot target practice, but today we have a lot more fun shooting sporting clays.  You normally have 10 to 12 stations that you shoot at, each one sporting 2 clay discs that are set up to fly out in any formation imaginable... some of them even roll on the ground.  The idea is to simulate a hunting experience, but of coarse with shot guns and clay discs.  There are rules, and you keep score, and by the end of the game, you've shot about 100 shells.  I normally leave with a stiff shoulder and sometimes a bruise, but it's all part of the fun.

Even Curtis joins in when he gets the chance!

If you're ever out this way, Thunderhill is a great place to check out.

Tell them Liiiizzzaarrdd sent ya.

"Beep Beep!" from The Little Road!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Happy Friday!

What is everyone doing for the weekend?

Hopefully getting a little R&R.

Image from my Pinterest Board

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road!

FASHION FRIDAY: PROOF WOODEN SUNGLASSES

Since I'm hanging out here in the little town of Paradise California,

there really isn't much news going on.  So, it makes watching the news moderately entertaining because they have to come up with some kind of content.  It winds up being all kinds of random activity.

Anyway, the other night I was watching the news and they had this article about a guy living in Chico CA, hand making sunglasses out of different kinds of wood.  I thought they were so flippin awesome, unique, original!

So I jumped online to see if I could find out more about them.

Turns out, I couldn't find anything on this guy, but, there are tons of other company's out there doing the same exact thing. So yeah... guess they weren't quite as original as I thought, but non the less, still cool!

Check these puppies out!

Ooohh I so love them!  They range between $70 to $150 a pair.

They have about 5 different styles to choose from and multiple kinds of wood, but I'm loving the "Boise" glasses, though I just can't decide what kind of wood I like best.  The 3 below are my faves.

So, what do y'all think?  Would you sport a pair of wooden sunglasses?

You can check them out on the web HERE.

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road

FARM FRESH THURSDAY: GOOD OL' PARADISE BLACKBERRY'S

Since I'm currently taking a little vacation down in my home town of sunny Paradise California, I figure that I really need to talk about what kind of fresh goodies I love to get while I'm here!

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I've always had this tender love for blackberries.  All the berry vender's in Washington seem to sell flat after flat of raspberry's and blueberry's and strawberry's!  Me, all I really love in this world is a big, juicy, bubbly, dye your hands purple blackberry.  You will never see this girl put grape jelly on a PB&J!  It's blackberry all the way!

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So it just so happens that I got my grubby little hands on a batch of fresh, home made blackberry syrup the other day, and I thought I would tell you a little bit about the woman I got it from.

My dad introduced me to a friend of his named Pat Anthony the other day.  Pat is a cheerful and delightful woman who is confined to a wheel chair.  She managed to keep such an infectious smile during our visit, and she had been feeling under the weather the entire day!  Before we left, Pat handed me a jar of blackberry syrup, which I almost opened immediately and started guzzling... but I refrained.

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After leaving her house, Dad told me her story.

During the 1940's Polio was a huge pandemic.  Many children died from the deseese or were seriously handicap for the rest of their lives. In fact, my Dad was lucky enough to be a survivor of Polio with minimal long term issues to deal with, though Polio did steal several good years of his life. 

For Pat, though she was also lucky to be a survivor of Polio, she was restricted to a wheel chair for the rest of her life.  

Thinking about it today, there are still so many opportunities for people who are handicap like Pat.  Its moderately easy to get around and in and out of buildings, but back then, if you were in a wheel chair, living an active normal life was pretty much impossible, and society didn't really think much of it.   Pat, was never one to settle.  She fought for her right to finish High School in a public school system, requiring her school to accommodate her needs.   She then went on to get a college degree to practice law, and eventually became a judge.  She had a passion for animals and raised horses as well as dogs and other animals.

To me, she's quite the commendable gal!

And, even on a day when shes feeling under the weather, she still manages to whip up a jar of blackberry syrup for us.  So special!

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My dad and I have been making milkshakes and poring it over ice cream all week long.

There is something about the blackberry's here in Paradise.  It must be the sun and heat that make them so good.  I remember when I was a kid scavenging ours and neighbors yards for blackberry bushes.  We'd just pick and eat them all day long.  We would come home with purple fingers and all kinds of cuts and scratches from the bushes thorns.  The best berries are always up high in the middle of the bush.

Of course, just like Pat, that never stopped us from getting to them........

"Beep Beep!" from The Little Road!