Swans have such an elegant form but in these unique pieces the cygnet motif gives them a whimsical look that I love.  Maybe I am just channeling my inner Björk but I really wouldn’t mind wearing that top or carrying that bag.

Bralet: TopShop  // Cosmetic Bag: Ollie & Nic  // Swan Bag: Mimi Pong

This weekend we also made it over to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl Flea Market, where I found a few great items for the cabin. We picked up  (#1) this old bronze boat light fixture that we plan on putting by the cabin’s front door, (#2) a bronze (freaking heavy) deer to sit by the fireplace, and (#3) a pretty burl wood table (also freaking heavy) that will hopefully work as a nightstand in the cabin bedroom.

Every time we go to this flea market we always see the well prepared patrons with their little carts to tow things around and their big hats to block out the sun and somehow we always come completely unprepared for basically anything. We are the ones that show up with no cash so we have to wait in the long line for the ATM, have no concept of how hot it gets in Pasadena since we live by the ocean where it is permanently 70 degrees, and we also come late so we have to carry whatever finds we have about 2 miles to our parking spot. You would think we would learn our lesson after the first 5 trips, but I am sure we will be there next month in the exact same predicament. Somehow it just isn’t a successful flea market day if we don’t come out of there dazed, sun burned, and with sore muscles. I am happy to say this weekend was a true success.

Most every weekend we try to find the time to take at least one good hike with the dogs somewhere around LA and one of our favorite spots is Will Rogers State Historic Park. The grounds are beautiful and along the hike you get amazing views of the city and of the ocean.

This weekend we got the added bonus of watching a game of Polo. Although, Pikku and Cracker were gagging to get on the field and help out … I’m pretty sure that would have ended badly so we didn’t stick around too long after.

Images from my Instagram

A little lace, a little leather, and a couple of big bold stripes.

Black & White Jeans: Rag & Bone, Shoes: Seychelles, Wood Bangles: Voz, Sunglasses: Rayban, Lace Blouse, Blazer, & Tote: Madewell

We are heading back to the cabin in less then two weeks and are looking forward to tackling the new flooring installation. As you can see the current flooring is grey painted tile that must have seen better days. There are quite a few giant cracks and broken pieces so we will be tearing that up and replacing it with this laminate flooring by Tarkett.

We chose this flooring for the rich deep color, “Chocolate 2″ to be exact, the fact that Tarkett’s laminate flooring is one of the only laminates that actually have a 100% hardwood core, and most importantly it is so hardwearing that it even has a lifetime warranty. With all the sand that blows in from the beach, and our rambunctious dogs we will definitely need that durability.

There is something I have always liked about feathers. When I was a kid I used to collect them and turn them into quill pens by stealing the guts out of a bic ink pen and transferring it into the feather. I have also seriously considered getting some sort of feather tattoo (don’t tell my parents they are still very anti-tattoo. ha), but for now I will happily settle for one of these less permanent ways to display my love for feathers. I am especially obsessed with the feather printed jeans.

Feather Printed Jeans  //  Feather Watercolor Painting  //  Feather Garland

Yippee! Rupert is back from London and I am one very happy wife. He was shooting a TV spot for Toshiba and the absence was elongated by my work trip to Minneapolis so we haven’t both been home at the same time for a while! Two weeks may sound like nothing but I was soo ready for him to be home. I don’t know how people can do long distance, I really missed having my mister around! Everything is definitely better when we are together.

No more sleeping in the middle of the bed with a dog on each side or leaving my dirty dishes scattered about, but that is a sacrifice I’m more then willing to make. Welcome back Rupe.

April through my Instagram.

1 // A few raindrops fell in LA & I spied some pretty Sight Glass coffee at Gjelina Take Away.
2 // I took many walks with my two pups.
3 // Had some serious Spa time at Spa Solage & matched the floor at Chateau Marmont.
4 // I matched some of my new products that came back from production &  found some pretty bocce balls.
5 // I hiked around in the Santa Monica Mountains & laughed A LOT with Anne on our girls get away.
6 // We got massages & mud treatments at Solage.
7 // I got bangs just in time for a trip to Minneapolis for a meeting at Target HQ.

We finally decided on our exterior siding color and Behr’s Cracked Pepper it is! Also, remember the dark or light trim debate from my renderings here? Well, we decided on the darker trim option and then for the front and side doors we are hoping this “Mossy Green” works out. I like the idea of the cabin blending in with its surroundings and the “Cracked Pepper” matches nicely with the bark of the trees that surrounds it and while the green door will be a fun pop of color on the cabin it still matches all the pretty green leaves.

So fingers crossed… it’s a little tricky picking paint colors from 2,000 miles away!

Now that the “before” tour is complete, here is a look at the overall layout and how all of the rooms work together. One fortunate thing was that even though it is a tiny place, it has an open floor plan and the layout is great. So although we are stripping down the place to its bare bones we don’t have to tear down or move any major walls which makes things a bit easier.

Now, I wouldn’t mind a bigger bathroom so that your knees don’t touch the opposite wall while on the toilet but we will have to save that for down the road some time. I’d say knee pads are cheaper then moving an exterior wall.