27 August, 2010

[free]day

oh, yes. it is friday!!!!
that means it is 
[free]day, well &
and almost the weekend...


so here she is, our [free]day feature
miss josephine


don't you love her already?
i'm already so excited
about some of my ideas. 
she's falling apart a bit & definitely worn in
but she will be radiant
thank you to my friend and fellow free find lover, hannah
she's also an amazing photographer. find some of her work here

dear friends, i hope you enjoy your *cooler*
friday afternoon & evening. 
it is supposed to drop down to the 70s here in
los angeles this weekend. i cannot wait.
love...
                   .jessnicole.

26 August, 2010

lost & found

azura 

is her name
and she makes me want
to sit in a far off exotic land
eating amazing food, drinking
some glorious beverage &
reading a romantic story. 
all while enjoying her stunningly 
rich presence.
sigh.

here she is. so out of place & lost.

and this is her found.

now do you see why she makes
me imagine myself off in some faraway land?
if you want to see more photos of her 
{& i recommend it} or if you want to 
purchase her, you can visit my etsy
shop here 

now on to the adventures of my thursday.
au revoir 


                    .jessnicole.


24 August, 2010

poor man's gard[en]

today's poor man's gard[en]
features our third phase: the front yard
a few weeks ago, jonathan cut down
two of the six juniper bushes

remember?
look at two the two stumps.
and the nasty remaining junipers.
and another photo 

and now, we are juniper free.  

thank you jonathan. you are seriously 
the best.




it may seem bare & ugly right now.
but imagine colorful flowers & greenery.
i am so excited.
the next major removal 
{post this triple digit weather, of course} is all  
the nasty crab grass. that crab grass is seriously
of the devil. it grows everywhere & is so stubborn.
boo you crab grass. 

and for now, to reassure myself of our 
gardening skills & the potential beauty
i want to share with you some photos
of our side & backyard. remember stage 1 & 2
consisted of making planter boxes, planting flowers 
and herbs from seed, etc etc? if you don't, you can
go here or a few photos to remind you




photo of the side.

and now...

yes, that basil started as little seedlings...

more basil. it is a forest of basil. 
thanks to my excited husband.

and this alyssum started as baby seedlings.
now, they are taking over our side.


these are my favorites. 
the zinnia started as teeny tiny seeds
and now they are ginormous. seriously huge.

and you cannot see clearly, but this planter
box was built, from discarded white wooden shutters.
jonathan went away at them & built us four
he is a creative genius. 
and those hydrangeas were found in the clearance
at our local hardware.



one of the best things about gardening
is starting something as a seed and
watching it come to life. so beautiful.

and, because i promised a photo
a while ago...
the free fountain that jonathan found.
yes free. but heaaaavvvvy. 
and so cool.
it creates such a fun space 
in our sophisticated courtyard.




so, now i am reminded that the front yard
will one day resemble the beauty of our
backyard. i cannot wait. 
go away super hot weather.

i hope you are staying cool, my friends.
don't wilt out there...

                    .jessnicole.

23 August, 2010

{table love}

good morning monday! 
it is going to be a 
beautiful {& hot}day!

i hope you had a wonderful weekend!
i worked saturday 
and sunday this weekend
but i somehow managed
to find time to 
re-stage & decorate
our dining room table.
it is my escape. even amidst
the crazyness of life.

this tablescape {a table display}
is what i 
am currently looking
at as i finish my uber healthy
green breakfast smoothie.





isn't it lovely? it's so romantic.

i have a full week ahead of me
but i'm excited to share with you
some of my current projects.
stay tuned...
and, stay cool on your hot monday.
               
                 .jessnicole. 



20 August, 2010

[free]day...

well, this featured item 
was definitely free for me.
but more importantly, it was
a beautiful birthday gift from my sweet
friend caitlyn. 
so today is more of a [gift]day than a [free]day.


caitlyn is one of those amazing
friends who loves so well. she knows
me well enough to know that i love
redeemed things & creative gifts.

the photo above is
my new flower press &
it was shipped to me exactly the 
way you see it. adorable! 
{minus the amazing tablecloth i found 
at the flea market a few weekends ago}
my friend caitlyn & her husband found
the wood in a trash can,
cut it, drilled holes, 
sanded it & stained it
specifically for me. i am loved.
and so known. and inside are cardboard
pieces that help press the flower.
{i am hoping to invite you guys 
to follow her as she makes another
one. i'd love it to be a diy. wouldn't you?}

i am so excited to press some of our flowers
from our garden. 

jonathan and i are just wrapping
up our stay down here in newport coast. 
bummed but also excited for this upcoming
week. not not not excited for the heat. 
blah.

i hope you all enjoy your weekend of
sunshine. make some iced tea, drink
some ice cold lemonade, & enjoy your
late afternoon & evenings outside.
much love my dear friends.
            
              .jessnicole. 


19 August, 2010

naturally...

inspired by the lovely outdoors 
while in newport & the upcoming fall season
i thought i would share some of my
finds with you.




a stylish hot water thermos


an adorable yo-yo
via deepinthewoods


a cute necklace
via christinedomanic


a creative approach to nature & art
via runeguneriussen


a handmade ceramic jar inspired by birch trees


adorably sweet cufflinks


the coolest business card holder


another creatively beautiful combination 
of nature & art
via runeguneriussen


adorable earrings
via shysiren


fun & unique rings
via laccentnou


wall art

via groundwork

cute knobs that i want
via riricreations


and i know these aren't necessarily
inspired by something that grows
 in nature but they taste
like they should
black forest cookies

check out my friend alex's blog here
she is an amazing lover of anything sweet.
and shares some really good recipes and
yumminess. 


i love nature...

jonathan and i are loving our
mini- vacation along the
pacific ocean. 
we are heading back home tomorrow
& ready to get back into our 
regular schedule. sort of. 

i hope you are enjoying your
thursday, friends.

              
                  .jessnicole.

17 August, 2010

poor man's gard[en]

isn't it a lovely tuesday?
maybe i'm really optimistic
because i'm sitting on a balcony
overlooking the pacific ocean
down in newport coast.
but, you don't have to be
on the ocean to enjoy
your day. it just helps. 

today's poor man's gard[en]
features our completed kitchen.
yes, completed.
we finished tiling the floor,
touching up the walls with paint,
and putting the baseboard in.
and, our fridge is back inside.
all in all, we spent a total of $120.
a bit over our projected total. 
but it usually happens that way, right?
and, if you really think about where our
kitchen started and what it looks
like now, it is a great deal.

we are enjoying the new look of our kitchen.
and i broke it in by cooking some yummy
thai food the other night.

here are some before photos
boring...
outdated...

& here is the completed kitchen



do you see those floors? 
you could call us professionals now.
but seriously, we cut our own tile
(i used a wet saw for the first time),
measured, glued, grouted, nailed, 
and painted everything. 
it is so satisfying building something
from scratch and seeing the finished product.
i am now inspired for more projects. 
just no grouting, please. 
(the grouting was the worst part
of the whole experience. worst)
and, to see a previous blog that captures
more aspects of our kitchen, you can
go here

now we are ready to finish the outside of our home.
oh, and we found more space on the side of the
house that would be a great space to plant
a vegetable garden. perfect! that is the next 
step to our garden. i cannot wait.

jonathan and i are also down in newport
coast until friday evening. 
it is going to be a nice time
of sunshine, solitude and beauty.
that being said, this week's features
will be a bit different
as i am not able to paint pieces this week.
but i promise you won't be disappointed
with some of the things i'll share
in lieu of my normal features.

i hope you are inspired today, dear friends.
i would love to hear some of your personal 
creations and projects. love!

                     .jessnicole.