windnsea. and italian dessert.

windnsea has been amazingly gorgeous these past few days. 

we are experiencing temperatures in the high 90's 

and beautiful waves. 

unexpectedly purchased a new camera 

and snapped these photos the first day. 

lunch at osteria followed 

and i couldn't resist shooting a few photos of our dessert.

 i have so much to learn about photography, but i'm enjoying the 

process and will most likely look back at these photos 

and laugh before too long, 

but today, 

i'm pretty stoked with the way they turned out.

because they make me smile.

hisss.

amberalexander.

biba26.

i want to hang these all over my studio.

summer to fall.

while, it is actually 100 degrees here today in beautiful southern california, i am moving, ever so slowly, into fall. lately, my thoughts are wandering to apple cake, harvest soups, scarves (i can't seem to stop buying scarves) and sticks. yes, sticks. 

i am intriqued by driftwood, twigs, branches, weathered wood, rusty elements, grey beach stones and my latest color crush, wisteria. this is quite a contrast from my usual infactuation with the exotic colors of india. it may be short lived, but while in this mode, i simply can't get enough. 

today's inspiration:

thebackporchshoppe.

thebackporchshoppe.

urbanlifestyledecor.

bonzie.

urbanlifestyledecor.

j.crew.

my favorites. my way.

happy monday. 

here's a happy way to start off the week.  

a little inspiration, intrigue, or perhaps a few things to add to your holiday list. 

i wanted to share a few of my recent, favorite etsy finds that i wrote up for my sweet friend carlotta. 

if you haven't already, please stop carlotta-myway for my guest post. 

ciao! kerri.

1. lonelygirllingerie., 2. spagoddess., 3. lonelygirllingerie., 4. branchhandmade., 5. lonelygirllingerie., 6. byme.

vintage silk tap pants.

mimiama.

adorable, sexy, flirty and 'green' made with recycled vintage silk scarves. these make me fall in 'amore' with this talented italian etsy artist. 

DIY. bohemian wrapsody. skirt.

blueprint.

i ran across this tear sheet (that i've held on to since 12/2007) this morning from the gone, but not forgotten, blueprint magazine. i have (finally) decided to make this skirt and thought i'd share the super easy instructions. this skirt can easily be made in many different fabrics depending on the look you’re after. i love the sexy way the fabric drapes, fitted in the front and flirty in the back. this is an inexpensive way to create an effortless bohemian style skirt. Worn with a t-shirt, layered necklaces and Havianna flip-flops for day, or in taffeta worn with a silky camisole, a bold and colorful statement necklace and strappy heels for an evening soiree. 

bohemian wrapsody. skirt.

this bohemian ankle-length skirt is as easy to make and wear as a sarong.

first, start with 2 to 3 yards of 60-inch wide cotton voile, washed linen, rayon or for an evening out, raw silk taffeta. I chose soft washed cotton, as I wanted to make an everyday, casual skirt.

next, finish the edges by sewing machine or leave raw if you don’t mind a hippie-ish, unfinished look.

now, hold one corner of fabric against your left hip (leave a little extra in your hand to tie the knot with), then, wrap the fabric twice around your body. (2 yards is approximately a size small, 3 yards would be a large).

take a small handful of fabric about 6 inches in from the corner you just wrapped around your body and double-knot it to the corner you're holding against your hip (this is where the extra fabric comes in).

lastly, move the draped part so it falls down the center of the back of the skirt. 

voilá! adapted from blueprint magazine.

 

cross-cultural lanterns.

Likedeco designs a series of cross-cultural lanterns. for Malaysian the lantern is their Lucky Star decoration during Ramadan, for Indians it is their Diwali light, while the Chinese like them for Christmas. 

I think they are absolutely stunning year-round.

easy. puff pastry olive cheese tart.

can't wait to make this for an end of summer evening picnic' 

I have planned for this weekend.  

found via kitchen sketches.

Easy Puff Pastry Olive Cheese Tart

1 sheet puff pastry (half of a 17 1/4 oz. box), at room temperature

a little flour

1-2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

8 oz. Emmenthaler or other Swiss cheese, sliced thinly

3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

large handful of black olives

1 Tbsp. fresh basil, or other fresh herbs, chopped

salt, pepper

2 cloves of garlic, chopped coarsely

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400º F (200º C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out into a 12 x 18" rectangle. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Brush pastry thinly with Dijon mustard, then cover completely with sliced Swiss cheese. Sprinkle on chopped tomatoes, then the black olives, and dust with chopped fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl, combine the chopped garlic with the olive oil, then drizzle the mixture onto tart. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese in the middle of the tart is bubbly. If the puff pastry starts to rise unevenly, just prick it with a fork and continue baking. Serve warm, cut into squares, with a nice summer wine or drink of your choice. Enjoy!

please visit stephanie levy's pretty, little etsy shop. 

 

boho girl.

i stumbled upon bohogirl this morning, (that's why i love, love, love etsy) and i am absolutely smitten. 

Denise Lynette Andrade's photography draws you in.  her love of self (❥ the love myself eating plan),  baby cedar and boho boy is heartwarming and her journey is captivating. 

a beautiful true bohemian spirit. 

my words can not describe the beauty. 

take a look.

endless summer. cardiff by the sea.

1. nature's wish., 2. hang ten., 3. cardiff reef., 4. message of love., 5. best fresh halibut tacos., 6. surf bus., 7. message of peace., 8. august., 9. sweetness., 10. going out, even though there are no waves., 11. checking the waves., 12. beach house view., 13. 1970., 14. 16., 15. let me take a photo. you look cute this morning., 16. girls hitting the surf.

grey days.

lew foster. cloud view.

lewfoster. storm watcher. 

tenthings.

while, normally, i am intrigued by bright jewel tone color, these beautiful, breathtaking shots by lew foster inspired me to create something in the soft shade of grey, while still keeping in the bohemian style i so love. these beautiful shells shaped like clovers in smoky, silvery grey would be lovely with grey wool pants, a sexy, creamy, silk blouse and lace up menswear shoes. just saying. chic. bohemian. for the working girl.

dganit blechner.

dganitblechner.

just a few favorites. found this artist in a gallery in del mar today. 

august 5th. happy anniversary. 20 years.

andydavis. 

 on our first date he took me to one of the best restaurants in town overlooking the ocean. he had pursued me for weeks. it was pouring rain. (i met him at the restaurant because i didn't know him well enough to tell him where i lived plus i had made plans with friends for later in the evening). we had a wonderful time, i took him to meet my friend afterwards and we have been inseparable from that day on. we married a couple years later on a hot summer day at the beach in front of family and friends. we arrived in a pink 1961 convertible cadillac. local kids launched water balloons at us while we said our vows. i had a fancy 'church wedding dress complete with a four foot train' as we had planned on a church wedding, but then couldn't afford the cost. overlooking the ocean in the blazing heat, it was a simple, but beautiful wedding. twenty years later, we have two amazing kids and a house full of animals. we still live a few miles from where it all started and our life still revolves around the beach. as we continue to learn and grow-up together facing challenges and pursuing good times hand in hand, our love continues to grow.