Right Now I Am Dreaming....

Right now I am dreaming of the Atlantic coast of France. I wish we were going there again this summer.

Viva la Handmade!

Since I spent the first few years of my life living in an urban, Jesus Freak commune in Sacramento, I think part of my soul will forever remain hippie. I love that Michelle Obama is stressing the importance of homegrown food and putting an organic garden on the white house lawn (though I definitely do not have a green thumb!) It wasn't until I moved to Europe that I realized simple things like making your own salad dressing or a baking a cake from scratch really aren't that hard (and I am far from being a domestic goddess!) Something about being an American makes you think most food should come in a bottle, can or box....

I also truly am into the idea of the handmade revolution. I opened my first Etsy shop last year, but then took a break for about 8 months, taking it up again at the end of January. I love that everyone is doing their own thing there. Be it a housewife in Mobile, Alabama, a hipster in Madrid or an metal artisan in Sydney, people are gluing, sewing, sautering, etc. all over the world.

I did a shop local search today for stores located in France. Here are some of the highlights of what I found:


I spent two weeks last summer near Bordeaux, France and completely loved it. It's no wonder people are making such great things there. I am SO going to buy that skirt from Malam (vintage French newspaper cloth)one of these days!

Viva la Handmade France!

Ocean's pull....

One of the hardest things about living in Berlin is that I'm so far away from the ocean. True, the Baltic Sea is only a little over two hours away, but it's closer to a lake than the ocean with its small, gentle waves. What I love is the ocean's roar, how it pulls your feet out from under you, the mist from its waters settling on your face. The funny thing is, the entire 15 years I lived in California I probably only went to the beach a few times a year even though it was less than an hour away. Now when I go back you can hardly keep me away. Ocean Beach, Muir Beach, Stinson Beach, Half Moon Bay...




Last year, a few weeks after our wedding, we rented a house with my family in Point Reyes Station. The day we drove out there a storm came in. It brought down trees in San Francisco and other places in the Bay Area. A few days later we went to the beach at Point Reyes. Though the storm had subsided, the waves were still wild, more crashing and all encompassing than I had ever seen before.



A few days later I read a sad story in the newspaper: A woman had been walking on that same beach when her dog ran into the waves. She went in after him to try and save him and they both were lost.




I used to think I was only really a fan of the pacific, but in August we spent two weeks in Contis Plage, France. There the Atlantic also had a strong pull on my heart and I love the French way of life. I'm sure, one summer, we'll go back.