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Have you heard of Kinfolk?
Kinfolk magazine is a quarterly, 144-page, ad-free print magazine that collects ideas from a growing international community of artists, writers, designers, photographers, cooks and others who are interested in creating small gatherings and finding new things to make and do.
In 2013, the Kinfolk team has hosted between 12–30 dinners and workshops every month with a shared theme across multiple cities around the world (examples include the Flower Potlucks, Campfire Cooking and Butcher Block Parties) selling limited reservations to guests who would like to be a part of the experience.
I was lucky enough to score a reservation to the Santa Barbara Kinfolk gathering which included a lesson regarding preserving fruits and vegetables of the season. In our case it was Meyer lemons but it could be any number of fruits or vegetables depending on what area you are taking the class.
It was a lovely day and a delicious lunch ended the three hour workshop. If you would like to know more please check out the Kinfolk website here.
We are on the move again! This will be our third move in less than two years (crazy!) so we should be getting pretty good at it. Chances are we'll be moving once more in the next two years; but that story can be saved for another day.
Here's the history in a nutshell:
We moved to Santa Barbara from Arizona to be closer to our daughter's family which includes granddaughters, Miss RubyBird (three years old) and Miss EllaBella (one year old). The idea was for Audrey's fam to save some $$ from daycare and to be able to slap a deposit down on a house .
Audrey was lucky enough to find us a pint sized cottage two doors down from where she, her husband, and the two girls live. Both homes were owned by the same landlord and it was easier than snapping your fingers to rent and move in.
Fast forward six months later and we all realize that more $$$ is needed to be found for a deposit in the Santa Barbara housing market so we put our thinking caps on. Our rent ($2000 a month) plus Audrey's rent ($2700 a month) was a hefty chunk to be going out each month (and in the SB housing...these prices were considered average to below average for the size of houses we were renting). Creative thoughts began to perk and what if...what if we pulled our resources and found a BIGGER home for LESS money that we could ALL live in for the next year or two. Could it be done?
We did it! Found a much bigger home, bigger yard, and better neighborhood for about a $1000 less than both our rents combined and we signed the dotted line to rent for a year. It's 5 bedrooms and space for everyone to have a bit of privacy when needed and the most important detail: Audrey and Josh can sock away some major $$$ for that future home.
I might be the lucky one who gets to enjoy the home each and every day while taking care of the girls when they are not at preschool or other activities. Pictures will follow but for now consider us the trendsetters...the multgenerational family home.
The average everyday 75 degrees in Santa Barbara is pretty hard to beat. The temps allow you to enjoy the outdoors and there is so much to enjoy in the "American Riviera". This is one of the many parks we take the girls to with a playground, a carousel ride, feeding the ducks, and this garden with the fountain, the lawn and the palm trees cheering us on.
I love a cup of joe first thing in the morning but I'm slow to build an appetite for breakfast. I like breakfast foods but if I'm rushed I don't enjoy scarfing down a bowl of cereal or a plate of eggs.
I like to take my time with my first meal of the day...don't rush me please.
I tend to be a morning dawdler and am always setting my alarm to allow me that leisurely pace but breakfast is never on my morning menu of things to do. What about you? Do you need that first meal before you're out the door?
I can't believe I'm going to write the next sentence: We are moving. Again.
There I did it. official. We will still be in Santa Barbara but in a much bigger home with more elbow room and we will be the next up and coming way to live: a multi-generational home.
Santa Barbara rents are over the moon expensive so we put our heads together and decided that for every one to save money and to end up with a bigger (and better) living space we would be roomies and maybe. just maybe. our daughter and her family might be able to afford a house (with perhaps a lovely little guest house in the back?!) in a year. or two. in this town they call the "American Riviera". In 30+ days and counting down we'll be there...just think of the new photo opportunities (wink,wink).
**photo: ditte isager for bon appetit, august 2013
Why do I take pictures of my house, what I'm wearing, and create ,snap, and post what I like to call "eye candy"?? It makes me over the moon happy.
When I worked at our local high school my job was answering phones while sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day and now in Santa Barbara I'm certainly not sitting while watching my granddaughters but both jobs are very "customer" oriented. I wanted high school students and parents to be pleased and now I want to make each day a "happy" day for a very precious 3 year old and 1 year old.
That being said I like to think I'm a creative person and I crave.need.and want to share the beauty of what's around me. and you. and am delighted when I capture a look. the light. and the moment. and most of the time with things that are sitting in my home,in my closet, or in the back yard. The ultimate goal is to inspire someone out there to see their own beauty. explore. enjoy life. and thank you for allowing me to indulge and share with you.
The bed frame is by Kreiss furniture and I scored it from ebay years ago. The 1920's hat is another ebay find as well as the Bella Notte shams and the vintage mexican top. If I have any advice for anyone thinking ebay is too daunting and there are too many items to look at; I would suggest to narrow your search. Type in exactly what you're looking for (helps to have a name designer), a size, a color and chances are something will pop up that sends you down the rabbit hole searching for more and more...hence the blog title.
