I'm Mad About ...

                           Source: facebook.com via People on Pinterest

                         Source: facebook.com via People on Pinterest

• Well, it looks like I'm going to have to see People Like Us, since it features "LA as the fifth character in the movie." Knowing how I am, though, I'll catch it on Netflix in five years, after the DVD has been sitting on my kitchen counter for six months. Ha! Still, I love movies about the "real" LA (A Single Man comes to mind). Oh, and Chris Pine. Yes.
• Have you jumped on the colored jeans trend yet? I want to (mint green skinny jeans, please!) but haven't been able to find the right pair. Picky much?
• Tips on decorating for and with dogs (but I can do without the pooping pooch lamp!).
• For those times when a thumbs-up or thumbs-down just isn't enough, there's ReadrBoard. WTF? ;-)

Have a great weekend!

A Cabin in the Woods

There's nothing like a little mountain getaway to help you recharge your batteries. I was invited recently for a girls' weekend at a friend's cabin in the Giant Sequoia National Monument area.

We didn't do much—a little hiking, some bird/squirrel watching, and lots of eating was about it.

Folks were fishing, but I don't think they were getting many bites:

The stone-clad lodge has an ice cream parlor:

And, of course, the neighbors came to visit:

Makes me wish we had a cabin of our own.

This would do quite nicely:

                                                                        Source: pixbnb.com via sunglasshut on Pinterest

Actually, I'd prefer something a bit more manageable.  Who wants to spend all that time taking care of a big house when you're on vacay?

Something simple, like these tent cabins, would suit me just me just fine:

Metropolitan Home

 And look how lovely it is inside:

Metropolitan Home

So what do you prefer—a cozy little mountain retreat or a luxurious lakeside getaway?

Dream House in the Hills

I know it's been around for a while, but I just ran across this gorgeous Hollywood Hills home via coco+kelley, and I'm officially obsessed.

                                                                            Source: magazinec.com via Beth on Pinterest

From the neutral color palette punctuated with shots of bold color to the big windows that let in all the glorious LA sunshine, this home has me written all over it. And then there's the location. It's no secret that I covet a house in the hills.

                                                                      Source: livecreatingyourself.com via Jacquie on Pinterest

Every detail is perfect.

                                                                                Source: magazinec.com via Beth on Pinterest

The place is owned by Hollywood insider Jacqui Getty. See more pictures at C magazine—but have a tissue ready, because it's drool-worthy!

I'm Mad About ...

Happy Friday!

Last week I went I went a little overboard at the farmers market. It was so hot (108!) hardly anyone was there, so the stands were offering fill a bag for $5. How could I resist?

Since Erik doesn't care for fresh fruit and I couldn't eat it all myself before it went it bad, I used some to make a fruit crumble (using this recipe, more or less) for my book group:

It was quite a hit, so I'm making another one to take up to my friend's cabin for a girls' weekend. Can't wait!

To get you in the mood for a fun weekend, here are some things that caught my eye this week:

• Today is Take Your Dog Work Day (although around here, every day is!). Don't have a dog? I have a few I could lend out ;-)
• Love the crisp new look at Sacramento Street and the fresh colors at Danielle Oakey Interiors.
• Corgis + Call Me Baby = Awesome!
• It's certainly not scarf weather in these parts, but when it is I want one of these.

Shopping for Summer

Since I shared my summer to-do list the other day, I thought it might be fun to round up a few items I'll need to get things done.

Clockwise from upper left: Dolly gingham maillot, Anthropologie; wicker picnic basket, Williams-Sonoma; Weber Smoky Joe, Target; O'Brien women's neoprene life vest, Dick's; The Waffle, Hollywood; Cuisinart 1.5-quart automatic ice cream maker, Amazon.

In the interest of full disclosure, I already own all of these items, or reasonable facsimiles. But I have to say, my swimsuit isn't nearly that cute!

What are you planning to buy for summer fun?

Summer Checklist

There's always so much I want to do each summer, but usually when the season's over, I realize that I haven't done most of what I wanted to do. Being a list maker, I find if I write down what I want to accomplish, I'm more likely to get it done.

So, since the season officially starts this week, here's my summer to-do list:

By Joy [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

• Make ice cream
• Go out on our boat
• Have a picnic
• Barbecue (or, as they apparently say in the Midwest, grill out)
• Start a brunch tradition
• Spend a day exploring an unfamiliar neighborhood in LA
• Visit an amusement park*
• See a concert at the Hollywood Bowl
• Make a fruit crumble
• Go for bike rides 
• Go to a baseball game
• Go to the coast
• Go to a flea market 

Notice how many of those involve food? I'll have to be sure to go for lots of bike rides!

What are some things you hope to do this summer?

* Back when I was in school, I worked at an amusement park. I live about a hour from it, but haven't been there in years.

I'm Mad About ...

Good morning! I don't know about you, but I'm so ready for the weekend. We don't have anything special planned, but I hope to get in a bike ride and a trip to the farmers market. And as part of my Summer Cocktail Series, I plan to make a Cosmo. I've had plenty of those, so I know what it should taste like!

Last week, I made a Tom Collins. It was strong! Are they supposed to be so strong? It was good, though:

Aren't those the cutest glasses? I've had them forever but hardly get to use them since we really don't drink much.

Anyway, I came across lots of interesting, juicy stuff this week. Enjoy!

• Suffering from Mad Men withdrawal? Me too. This might help.
• Domino is now available in digital versions for the Nook, Android and iPad.
• Interesting dust-up from the pages of Lucky. Are you bothered by the idea of a magazine making up a quote? I am, but I'm also not surprised.
• Are you "Overdressed"? As much as I want to buy quality goods, I can't resist a cheap chic deal.
• Speaking of clothes, I just discovered this LA-based retailer that lets shoppers donate 5% of the purchase price to the charity of their choice. Pretty cool. And the clothes are cute!

Happy Father's Day!