She's So Lovely

I revisited this loverly movie from 1997 last night. I'm not sure I could have possibly understood just how sad it was when I first saw it. I would have been too young. This time around, Sean Penn's crazy Eddie makes me cry more than he makes me laugh with his absurd notions of the world being run by "a computer and 7 women." I recommend it.


{photo from here}

best bicycle mechanic

My man, Ian Crawford, is the best bicycle mechanic in Ventura. Maybe the world.

He's the star (and only) mechanic at a beautiful shop here in town called Non Stop Ciclismo. They specialize in all things Italian and will even make you shots of espresso while you shop.

Mr. C also looks pretty fantastic with is bike.

cyanotypes

Lately I've baking in the Ojai sun with matilija poppies and blue green chemistry. Think I'm falling in love again.


Hope this weekend finds you doing something that makes your heart swell and burst.

the longest day

Well, the sun finally did come out.

Today was warm and bright and I wandered through our local nursery fantasizing about my someday garden.

So now it's official. Summer.

For all you on this side of the planet, enjoy the longest day of the year.

big brother

Besides being Father's Day, Sunday was also my big brother's birthday. Happy birthday dude.

sweet Father's Day

Yes yes, more summer fruit pie.

This was dad's Father's Day present. Did you craft any homemade gifts for your pop?

let the sun shine

Tuesday there was sunshine. That day felt like summer, with the kind of heat that makes your scalp sweat and builds on the soles of your feet the way good salsa builds on your lips, slowly, until you're dizzy.

Wednesday was even better, with delirious ping pong playing and dangerous sangria, thick sweet sarcasm and the marine layer a million miles away.

Today is just gray. Just sad and gray.

first nectarine pie of the season

I nearly jumped out of my socks when I saw all the stone fruit at the farmer's market last week. I bought enough nectarines to make this pie for my visiting Bostonian friends. It was delicious. I barely had time to snap this rough photo with my camera phone before the pie was all eaten up.

{see more photos of nectarine goodness here}

afternoon sunshine

It was like a taunt from the sky when I woke up for work this morning and the sun was shining through my window. It was gloomy nearly all of yesterday. And here it is, Monday, sunny and 70˚.

At least the gray melted for a few hours before the Sunday sunset. There were golden rays just long enough for a warm(ish) afternoon walk with my sweetheart.

wouldn't it be nice...

Our friends Meghan and Nathiel just left this morning to go back to Boston and I already miss them like crazy.

Mr. C and I always try to convince them to move to Southern Cali, where Meghan and I finally will start our design studio.

I have our space all picked out.

prom pics

I almost forgot to tell you... Mr. C and I were chaperones at the Oak Grove high school prom.

I was the photographer and was lucky to get these test shots with Ian as my model. Sadly, I didn't get any pics of me in my sequined frock....

So I had to shoot myself in our bathroom mirror at home.

Summer!

Today is the first day of the best season, not marked by the calendar's solstice, but by school's end. Besides the gloom here, all I can think of is sunshine and swimming holes, of running and exploring, of sandy beach days and pie baked afternoons. I absolutely and truly love summer. Makes me feel like a kid again... except that I still have to go to work.

{photo from here}

beach weekend

Well, we are officially packing up and leaving our little beach paradise today.

But truth be told, our real home is just a short jaunt to the sea. Maybe we'll have another sun kissed beach day over this warm weekend.

stu stu studio

Today was our last Oak Grove Studio Art class for the year. I can't believe school's almost out for summer. I'm getting all sappy and sad thinking of the students who are leaving.

staycation

While my folks have been vacationing on the Big Island (lucky ducks), Mr. C and I have been living it up at their house. It's enchanting here. And so quite that we have named the guest room "The Sleep Vortex." I can hardly believe our staycay comes to an end this weekend.

speaking of birthdays...

... Ian gave me the loveliest bunch of blossoms. I just couldn't stop photographing them in all the shades of light in the day. These are a few of my shots...