Prize-winning Peninsula photos

When I was in college, I bought Sierra Club engagement calendars every year, because of their remarkable photos. In between my scribbled, highly crucial appointments ("Meet Ed at flagpole," "Drop wretched statistics class") were pictures of curious birds and glinting snowscapes -- and autumn. What was autumn? I pondered this, peeling off another wool sweater in California.

When classes were dull, I flipped through the calendar pages and gazed into nature. It sure beat statistics. Funny how when you're a French minor you dream of going to Europe, and you miss the loveliness of Utah, which somehow seems so much more foreign.

The photographers who won the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District's photo contest surely don't miss what's close to home. First-place winner Randy Weber found autumn right here, in his "Fall Colors at Purisima Creek" (pictured above). Our California fall -- be it ever so subtle.



I was especially drawn to the second-place photo, "Foggy Descent" (above), because of its storybook quality. The writer's mind starts spinning: who is that person, why is he/she walking alone, where is Heathcliff. The photographer, Karl Gohl of Los Altos, also had other images get honorable mention. This one was shot at Windy Hill. Gohl says: "I was enjoying the moody light created by the fog, the pattern of the oak limbs and the lichen on them and I got that 'Oh, wow' feeling that makes me want to capture the moment in a picture."

Third place went to aeronautics/astronautics Stanford grad student Alex Stoll for "Sunset from Russian Ridge." Click here to see his pic and the whole contest photo gallery, which also includes a picture of a fetchingly pigeon-toed bluebird carrying a centipede, by photographer Jacob Osborne.

Winners of the open-space district's photo contests, past and present, also get a bonus: Their works will also be considered for the coffee-table book that the district plans to publish in 2012 for its 40th birthday. Photo submissions are no longer needed for the book, but the district is still seeking original poetry and other works of art, such as drawings and oil and acrylic paintings. Let your hikes inspire you.

Personalize with Accessories

Accessories can make all the difference in your space to personalize it. Whether small space... large space. Put your stamp on it to reflect your personal style, especially if you're a renter and can't make physical changes. When I was single and renting I always loaded up on lots of accessories. I put my money in things that I could take with me. 
Baskets have many purposes and they hold any and everything.  I love these hand woven baskets made in Rwanda, sold at Macy's, for their craftmanship, and color.These baskets have changed the lives of the Rwandan women that weave them. Not only do they earn money to support their families but the weaving project has helped them heal after the genocide that devastated the central African country in 1994.
 

Harvest Bowl - $46

 

 Spirit Bowl

 

 sisal and sea grass, natural dye

Aluminum Vases - Bo Concept

 Great accessories for a contemporary space. Buy as a single or in a collection.

Antique sunburst tin mirror...Direct from Mexico.$120

A shield back chair is timeless and is generally a traditional piece.  But, I would use this chair as an accent piece in almost any decor.  

 Bel Aire Chair - Currey and Company

Chattanooga to Cinequest

Comedy that makes you cringe: Who'd have thought it would find its niche? (Hello, "Curb Your Enthusiasm.") Palo Alto filmmaker Jarrod Whaley seems to be traversing that terrain. He bills his new feature flick, "Hell Is Other People," as a "comedy of awkwardness."

Apparently some people like 75 minutes of feeling uncomfortable. Whaley's film is getting its world premiere on Feb. 27 at Cinequest. Shot in Chattanooga, from whence Whaley hails, the film follows the seriously underemployed Morty (Richard Johnson), who can't seem to get it together. Still, this isn't a story about nothing. Morty plays psychiatrist to a passenger in his Jeep, tries to shake down his friends for cash, and gets a haircut.

"The characters are aimless, maybe, but the film is not," Whaley is quoted as saying on CQ Central. "It takes aim, I hope, at all those countless recent films in which nothing happens apart from privileged middle-class kids grumbling and whining about the banality which comes with their privilege. Beyond that, 'Hell Is Other People' is funny (I hope), even as it sows discomfort."

A few other local folks are lending their visions to Cinequest this year. Palo Alto native James Franco jumps from acting ("Milk," "Spider-Man," et al.) to directing with a five-minute drama called "The Feast of Stephen." It'll be shown March 4 and 5 as part of an international series of shorts. According to New York Magazine, Franco's film is inspired by a work of gay poetry by Anthony Hecht.

Meanwhile, local residents Jason Sussberg (Stanford University) and Brian Pahl (De Anza College) have their short films represented in a Cinequest student short competition.

Sheer Privacy

If you're an apartment or condo dweller and want to personalize your space I have an idea for you.  Most apartments come equipped with those vinyl mini blinds. They're always in some shade of white and their primary use is privacy.  I like what my friend Mary, of The Drapery Shop in Manassas, VA did for a DC client to solve their mini problem. She fabricated a beaded sheer for the client's dining room window that overlooks a busy NW street. It softens the blinds...almost hides it and adds a great accent to the room... loving it. 

Small Space Living

Life in a small space can be a challenge. I get a lot of inquiries on what to do for small space seating. Planning is a must to fashionably maximize small space living. What can get complicated is finding the right sofa. I always recommend an armless sofa in an apartment or condo. Armless sofas allow for more versatility in placement. They can be pushed flush against a corner wall or placed at an angle against adjacent walls.  Check out these three selections I found and let me know what works for you.

DWR armless sofa in turquoise makes a  fashion forward statement in a contemporary space. 

Try a small space sectional when lots of seating is needed.

 

When working in a traditional space a tufted armless sofa updates the space.

Sunday Snow Day

As most of the country knows...The Washington, DC metro area has been hit hard by a blizzard that dumped more than 30 inches of snow in most areas.  The big storm started Friday afternoon. It snowed all day Saturday and by Sunday I had to get out of the house.  The main roads were still in the process of being plowed. My husband and I set out to DC to see what was happening in the city. He had to stop by a construction site and I picked up my camera and we hit the road.  We had a great time and ventured to   Capitol Hill where I shot some of my favorite houses... 

This red brick row of townhouses is elegant trimmed in snow.

 

I love the stone fence in  front of this stucco facade.

 

What a picture perfect corner...love the red door on taupe.

Old world charm in these pastel brick Victorians.

 

 Girls out for a snow stroll.

 At the corner of Independence and 8th Streets NE. The cars on 8th street are almost buried.

Street scene....These trees speak to me.

 

It's getting late....One more stop to make before leaving the city....Off to the fish market.

Whenever it snows a lot...Who feeds the birds?...My husband...I call him the bird man. Here he is at the DC fish market feeding the seagulls and sparrows.

 The only way to get this close to the birds is to feed them.

California Casual - It's Complicated

I love the look and feel of what I call California Casual.  That's what I call the set design in the Christmas movie  It's Complicated. OK, I know it's early February and we're buried in 24" of snow. I admit I'm a little late but I'm finally putting together this post... I've been thinking about it for more than a month.
Open spaces that merge interior and exterior speak to me. Kitchen gardens, herb gardens or any edible garden inspires me to spend more time in the kitchen.... Yet, most of all I absolutely love any design opportunity that gives me the chance to work with natural fabrics, linen drapes, cashmere throws, wool carpet and introduce elements of green decor into a space.

Local artist's scene makes the silver screen

In the unlikely event that you can take your eyes off Meryl Streep when she's on screen, you might spot a product of the local art world in "It's Complicated."

Mitchell Johnson, an artist with a studio in Palo Alto, has three paintings in the film. One landscape hangs over the fireplace in Meryl Streep's character's home. (Click here to see it in the set.)

Thanks to Hollywood magic, the film is set in Santa Barbara, but the interiors were shot in New York, and the fireplace landscape depicts Meyreuil, France. No wonder Steve Martin, who's playing an architect, looks so confused in all the trailers.

Pictured: "Meyreuil," a 2003 landscape by Mitchell Johnson.