We had some friends over Friday night who happen to be book publishers, who brought us their latest publication: Oyster Culture.  The book is a great read, one we were happy to add to our library, all about the ecosystem and history of the famous oyster farms along California’s Highway One in West Marin.  We were so inspired by this text, we spent Saturday afternoon on an oyster adventure, in pursuit of a few dozen to bring home and enjoy on the half shell and also barbeque with friends. 

Our first stop, Tomales Bay Oyster Company, specializing in fresh farmed oysters and clams, pulled straight from the ocean water before your eyes.  

The place is packed with people filling up dozens of picnic tables, barbequing their shellfish fresh from the sea, with this sweet beach shack playing music while you enjoy the view.

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Hey everyone, happy Monday!  Exciting news! 

Would you like to be part of a blog conference specifically designed for the DIY & Home Blogger niche?  Want to attend a conference where your favorite home bloggers teach you their skills?   How to use power tools, refinish furniture, take the perfect photo, and much more!

Then you’ll want to attend the Haven Conference! 

brought to you by these ladies:  

It’s the must attend event of next year, so save the date!

June 21 and 22, 2012

Atlanta, Georgia

Mark your calendar, tickets go on sale August 15th,

we all hope to see you there!

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Hey friends, hope you’re having a nice weekend!  I couldn’t let it go by without a few of our favorite picks around the web.  Abi and I bring you another round of ‘Best of the Blogosphere’, hope you enjoy! 

Create a statement twine light fixture with Carol at The Design Pages.

Turn a coffee table into a tufted ottoman with Abbie from Five Days Five Ways.

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Greetings all, and thanks for all the kind comments on the Peacock Blue Bamboo Chest earlier this week!  And did you see?  It was featured on Apartment Therapy, woot!  So exciting!

What DIY projects are you working on this weekend?  We’ve got plans to start another revamp over at our Alma House – we’re starting the process of building them a fully functional laundry room space, look for a post on that soon!

Want a little extra spending dough?  How about a chance to win a $75 Amazon Gift Card?  This weekend, one of my sponsors is giving away two gift cards, each one in the amount of $75 bucks! 

About One, is an online family management resource, and a digital filing cabinet, designed as a place to safely store all of your household information in one place.  About One has been featured everywhere from the New York Times to CNBC and USA Today. 

With About One, you can create files for home maintenance, your family’s health history, for babysitters or caregivers, even assemble education history for college applications.  Track volunteer hours, your valuables, or capital gains, even create your own family newsletter to keep your friends and family up to date on what’s going on in your home.  It’s a verified secure site to guarantee your personal privacy protection.

For every person that signs up, About One will donate $1 dollar to our Alma House project.  We love that kind of support!  Signing up requires no purchase or credit card, I promise!   Sign up here, it takes less than a minute!

When you sign up for your free account, you’ll be eligible to win one of two $75 Amazon Gift cards and be supporting our Alma Project. 

For your chance to win a $75 Amazon Gift Card:

1) Sign up for a free account at About One, then come back and leave a comment saying “I’m signed up!”  That’s all.  

By signing up and also leaving a comment here, you’ll be entered to win one of two $75 Amazon Gift Cards, and a $1 donation will go to our Alma Project.  Giveaway ends Monday July 18th at 8 p.m PST.  Two winners chosen at random. 

Wishing you all a great weekend, and good luck!

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Many of you know Michelle of Ten June is a monthly contributor here, and today she’s back talking about a subject that I adore, trends in modern lighting.  I am such a fan of so many of the modern fixtures we’re seeing today, some of them throwbacks that are definitely channeling a retro vibe, others showcasing natural textures in new ways, and better still, new designs in fabulous shapes that become a focal point in a space. 

Please welcome back Michelle and her fantastic insight on modern trends in lighting:

“Truly well designed rooms are always always accentuated with good lighting.  The lighting in any space holds the power to illuminate and define all of the other elements in the room, as well as set the proper mood.

While lighting is important, it doesn’t have to be taken so seriously that the fixtures are simply functional and therefore boring.  A modern trend in home decor is incorporating the use of fun, make-a-statement fixtures that bring a punch of style, whimsy, or even humor to a room.  Whether you are searching for a table lamp, a floor lamp, or a chandelier, different styles of modern lighting are that last final detail not to be forgotten, and today, our choices in fabulous fixtures are endless!

One of my favorite trends in modern lighting is the vintage, industrial chic look. Modeled from factory furnishings and rusty, exposed materials, industrial lighting reflects a bare, repurposed and utilitarian design.  Oh, and perhaps you’ve noticed, industrial lighting is all the rage!

industrial task lamps, Pottery Barn; vintage inspired industrial pendant, Thomas O’Brien; bare bulb pendant, West Elm; exposed wire table lamp, West Elm; studio floor light, Restoration Hardware

 

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