happy birthday sweet bean

ruca bean yates-mora turns 6 today!  i spent a good chunk of time a couple weeks ago updating this with some of bean’s puppy pictures. and it brought me back to her sweet puppyhood and all the time we’ve spent together since.  i love this dog with an intensity that can be scary sometimes, you know how that is? she’s been the best part of so many of my days, i can’t imagine a life without her.  this is why it’s critical that i raise 30K to clone her….i have plans for a kickstarter.  kidding! (only kind of)

part of the reason i got bean was because i was in the throes of a horrible depression.  the kind of depression that requires medication (i’ll save that stroy for another day). but instead of pharmaceuticals i chose this dog.  this funny, sweet, smart and talented little beast.  and from the second she came into my life things started to turn around.  it’s hard to stay depressed when you have to go to the dog park and worry about socializing a dog who starts wailing like a maniac the second she even sees another dog. there was no more barely dragging myself out of bed, she wanted to go on adventures.  no time for wallowing, there was cuddling to be had. i loved her more than myself so i obliged.

i’ve always felt that she saved me, this wonderful dog who shares her life with me, and i’m so so happy she did. and now, on this blog, i am so happy that i can share her amazingness with the world. she’s something special. happy birthday my sweet ruca bean, i am forever changed because of your fuzzy love.

*i may or may not have been weeping for the entirety of writing this post.  

a friendly reminder

your value does not lie in your career success, the width of your thighs, the amount/quality of things in your home or closet.  if you’re reading blogs and comparing your life to others, you’re losing ground on the road to happiness. let those who choose to share act as an inspiration, not a comparison point. remember: true happiness isn’t found in the superficial! {i know, so cliche but i tried to find a tupac quote with the same message and came up short}.

this post was inspired by this series on creature comforts.  i read through a bunch of the response posts and was reminded that we all suffer from the same basic problem: we think we’re not enough.  we color it a million different ways, but it always comes back to that. so, i’d like to remind you, you ARE enough. right this minute, exactly as you are. even before you grow your career to where to aspire it to, or lose 10 lbs, or decorate your house, or wrangle your children into well behaved munchkins.  right this minute, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. just keep reminding yourself and i’ll do the same. and yes, i just got all deepak chopra on your asses.  good day to you.  xoxo

*photo by lou {linda at the ace hotel plam springs, 2009}

strawberry rhubarb apple oatbake

this breakfast treat was born out of an impulse rhubarb buy and inspired from this recipe. oh me oh my, i wish you could have seen me strutting around the kitchen like a top chef when i tasted it. that’s totally obnoxious normal, right?!  it all stems from what a clustercuss i’ve always been in a kitchen and my newfound prowess.  just support me in this, if you will.

now, how do you feel about eating something healthy for breakfast that tastes like freaking dessert?! because that’s what we have here my friends, strawberry rhubarb apple oatbake. formerly known as healthy-breakfast-that-tastes-so-much-like-dessert-it-seems-i’ve-reached-the-pinacle-of-my-life.  it’s the kind of dish you can feed your in-laws and have them worshipping at your feet.  and best of all, it’s only 6 ingredients and pretty much foolproof.  i know, i know, you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. but get this, THERE IS NO OTHER SHOE!   enjoy.

the what:

2 fuji apples, peeled and very thinkly sliced

3 cups of sliced strawberries

4 cups of rhubarb, chopped

2 cups of almond milk

2 1/2 cups of whole rolled oats

1/2-3/4 cup agave syrup 

the how:

- preheat oven to 350 degrees

- peel and thinly slice apples, slice strawberries, chop rhubarb into bite size pieces

- place apple in bottom of 9X13″ pan, cover with strawberries and then place the rhubarb on top

- drizzle with agave syrup {use more or less depending on how sweet you like your breakfast} and then add almond milk

- spread oats on top and bake until the apples are soft.  i wish i had a time to give you, but i forgot to set a timer!  i think it was a little over an hour. {i know, this is amateur hour)  it’s easy enough to check, just keep an eye on it to make sure the oats on top aren’t burning and you basically can’t go wrong.  

- serve warm, for breakfast. vegan coconut vanilla bean ice cream optional. yes, for breakfast. no shame!

*other yummy eats i’m dreaming of making here

a little spring project

have you ever noticed that organic herbs are really silly expensive?  i get so annoyed paying $5 for a tiny little container (shaking my fist at you whole foods!). so, i figured i’d have one more go at gardening. if you never hear mention of this again you can assume the worst.

i found this giant barrel container at home depot, i’m thinking i can get 6 plants in it.  but really, i’m flying by the seat of my pants here since i don’t have the patience to read about gardening.  i’d rather just do it! feel free to share your tips and tricks, those i would read! i’m hoping this works out, then i can fill in the other half of this one and get another.  i have visions of these barrels overflowing with herbs.  maybe i’ll even have a little herb stand kitty-corner to whole foods, that’d show em.

don’t take it so seriously, it’s just life!

i feel like it should be mandatory that you listen to that song “walking on sunshine” while perusing these photos.  that song gets stuck in my head, but like most songs, i can only ever remember two lines…. “i’m walking on sunshine wooohooo “(obvs) and “it’s time to feel good!” and that pretty much sums up how i feel lately. summer is approaching, life is breezy and it’s time to feel GOOD!  get on it my friends. 

jeans: marc jacobs (also shown here), shirt: madewell (similar), shoes: dolce vita (on sale!), belt: jcrew, bag: clare vivier, lips: dior blazing red, watch: marc jacobs, bracelets: stella and dot

ASK SARAH : decorating difficulties

q:  Hi Sarah, I just moved in with my boyfriend of a little over a year and we’re butting heads over decorating our apartment. Neither of us had a lot of furniture, but what we did each bring to the house is an ugly mishmash and our tastes are totally different. Do you have any suggestions for a new-to-living-together couple on how to get past our decorating differences?  Best, Emily

a:  hi emily!  first, thanks for your question and i totally feel your pain.  i think lou and i spent the first 6 months we lived together arguing over just about anything we could think of.  it’s a big adjustment and on top of that you don’t have the comfort of a home you’ve known to help you keep your head on. the good news: all is not lost!  you can make a home together that reflects both of you and still feels cohesive even if you don’t start out on the exact same page. we did it, and although it took time and lots of effort, it was totally worth it.  here’s my advice:

one thing lou and i did that helped is we got rid of almost all major furniture pieces that we brought into the house individually and started from scratch (the only things we kept were things that both of us really loved, which was almost nothing).  this was hard, until i saw a giant piece of art that i couldn’t stand being put into storage and realized i would rather that be gone and lose some of my own things than have both. we chose pieces together that we agreed on. i took the lead in coming up with a basic design plan, then ran pieces by him for approval.  we lived with very little for some time, adding things as we could afford.  

don’t assume you’re always right. this was so hard for me, as i had some dated ideas about gender roles in interior design. be open to the idea that your boyfriend has ideas and viewpoints that are worth listening to.

find common design ground: if i had my way we would live in a house filled with gold and white and brass everything. it would be an amazing reflection of my most sparkly dreams. and if lou had his way he would live in a super modern, minimalist abode. where we found our common ground was a love of mid century design.  the house is still a bit cluttered for lou’s preferences and doesn’t feel like a palm springs vacation home the way i would prefer, but it’s a happy compromise and feels like both of us without one personality totally dominating. it’s worth it to compromise and sacrifice a few design dreams to have a space that really reflects you as a couple. 

any other advice for these new cohabitants my friends? would love to hear how you all negotiated the decorating in your homes.  and as always, send your questions my way, i’m having so much fun with this new series!

photo by emily johnston andersen via the brickhouse tumblr