. . . an eclectic mix of things I find beautiful, inspirational, important or just plain interesting . . .

30 July 2012

19 July 2012

life in topanga

The fringes of Tropical Storm Fabio brought us a beautiful evening sky.

Looking east - see if you can pick out both rainbows.

Looking west.

13 July 2012

“bullying is for people with no imagination”…

I just found this posted on the blog pia jane bijkerk. This is a project on kickstarter that is a beautiful and educational and will teach kids about bullying in a truly creative way. There's only 9 days left to make a pledge. So hurry!


This is an iPad app that explores the topic of bullying through the highly creative story of a young character named Benjamin Brewster. Dandelion tells the tale of Benjamin’s journey against the odds to defeat bullies. Through illustration and beautifully written text, the aim is to encourage dialogue between parents and children, inspiring the reader to interact with the pages of the book and help Benjamin’s wish to come true…


 “With all my might, you’ll all take flight… If I could but wish for better things, you’d all disperse and grow your wings…”, Benjamin Brewster, Dandelion.



While the app is well under way to being produced and available soon, there is a special kickstarter project currently in progress to enable you to pledge your support for Dandelion and in return to receive any number of limited edition items like colour signed prints, wall decals, and signed hard-cover books. These extras are uniquely available for the duration of the kickstarter project. The deadline is July 23rd, which means there are only 9 days to go…


For more info on Dandelion, click here.
To pledge your much appreciated support, please click here.
And please feel free to reblog or share this post with your own social network, obviously the more support, the better.



Reposted from pia jane bijkerk 

friday humor


11 July 2012

life in topanga


And then there were three! This nest is getting pretty crowded.

09 July 2012

life in topanga


Two baby finches waiting for Mom to feed them.

06 July 2012

new pottery from tortoise

Tortoise store co-owner, Taku Shinomoto has just released his 

"Hasami" porcelain modular mugs and plates in black. Instead of using a glaze, they're burnt at a temperature high enough to melt stone in clay. This makes them waterproof without having to be glazed. The various sizes can be used both for serving and eating. The small plate fits perfectly as a lid and the large plate can be used as a coaster. They are all stackable and very durable. Both dishwasher and microwave safe. 






Other products designed by Taku Shinomoto and avaialble at Tortoise:

friday wisdom


architectural rentals

A couple of years ago, German architect Jan Hamer realized there was an opportunity for discerning holiday makers like himself. “If someone already lives in a beautiful environment in their everyday life, there is no reason why they should spend the best weeks of their year in a tin can." His solution? A website offering holiday homes with appealing architecture and interiors.

To see more of the offerings, go to Urlaubs Architektur.

Here's a few:

Casa do Conto - Portugal

Dependance Kortsherhof - Italy

House Otteni - Germany

The Woodhouse - United Kingdom

via remodelista

04 July 2012

happy 4th of july


Why we celebrate the 4th:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."


More on wikipedia.