LADIES OF THE LAKE

This past weekend four lovely ladies emptied their purses of paci's and snack traps and headed east for a mom's weekend away.   Katherine hosted Megs, Anne and me at her parent's cozy cabin in Lake Arrowhead.  What a treat! We relaxed, soaked up the crisp air, ate some wonderful meals, sipped coffee on the deck, roamed the village shops, got massages, read mags, drank wine and mostly just chatted.  The kiddos (Jagger, Taylor, Amelia and Annabelle) are all within 2 months of each other which made it extra fun to exchange toddler stories and mommy anecdotes.  By Sunday afternoon we were refreshed, missing our little ones and ready to relieve the daddies who were keeping very busy with play dates and birthday parties.  Thanks for a wonderful weekend KK!  Can't wait to do it again soon!  xo

OH, OH DOMINO

This evening I was catching up on some of my favorite blogs and was thrilled to read that Domino Magazine is making is making a comeback!  When I heard the news in 2009 that Conde Nast was shutting their doors on one of my favorite publications, I was instantly kicking myself that I had not held onto every issue.  I stealthy hid the few issues I had left in our boxes of books and dutifully shipped them across the country from our New York apartment to our storage unit in California.  There they wait for me for when we finally have a place we can call our own.  You can bet I will the last to throw out Domino's Quick Fixes when it hits shelves in April.

Los Angeles Times
Domino Magazine Plans to Return to Newstands in April
February 7, 2012


When Domino succumbed to declining advertising and folded in 2009, fans of the youthful home decorating magazine were heartbroken. Apparently sensing that their love is still alive, Conde Nast Editorial Director Thomas J. Wallace announced Tuesday that a special Quick Fixes edition of Domino will be available on newsstands April 17.  Domino's Quick Fixes, which is still in the planning stages, will mix new and previously published content, said Susan Portnoy, vice president of corporate communications and digital strategy at Conde Nast.

"We love that there is still that Domino lover out there,"  Portnoy said. "The best thing about the magazine will remain the same -- all the great ways that you can make a big difference without a huge amount of time and effort."

A news release described Quick Fixes as "Domino's best home decorating stories, focusing on easy, often inexpensive changes that make a big difference -- from quick spruce-ups of dowdy furniture to more involved DIY projects like painting stairs or reorganizing a home office." Quick Fixes will be available through July 16. Price: $10.99. A second issue is planned for the fall, although the subject matter is not known at this time.  Portnoy dismissed the idea of a campaign to bring the magazine back, but she did acknowledge, "We know that we have a very passionate audience."

SUPER VALENTINE

A NEW BABY

There is a new baby on the way.  I am thrilled to be an aunt for third time only this time to Adrienne and Josh’s baby girl!  With her due date looming on the horizon in May, we have all been busy preparing.  It has been such fun picking out patterns and colors, sharing names, looking at baby things, helping with the registry, and even bra shopping. Typical of most younger sisters, I have had the benefit of watching my older sister experience things first and have been able to learn secondhand what to do (and, in some cases, what not to do) before I was actually in said situation. With babies, however, the roles have been reversed.  As the younger sister with an older baby girl, I have been able to share my own personal experiences as a new mom – and hopefully not annoyingly so.  She has reminded me of all those little things, that somehow you conveniently forget after delivery – for example, how there has not been a lotion invented that can quite soothe the itch of an endlessly stretching belly in the middle of winter, or that it IS really possible to have to pee 20 times a day.  Adrienne is about half way through her pregnancy and I am so happy to be geographically close enough to see her often.  Each week her tiny baby bump continues to grow along with our excitement.  What I am most excited about is that Annie E. will have a gal pal to love, befriend, and pave the way for. I look forward to many girl trips, dress-up, baking, sleepovers and hand-me-downs.  Although Annie looks at me confused when I point to Ade’s belly and say, “there’s a baby in there,” I know she will be thrilled to meet her new baby cousin.  Counting down the days until the little peanut arrives.

Adrienne and Annabelle Lee, 2 months old

CALIFORNIA ST

Wednesday was one of those days that I tried to do too much.  In addition to our normal activities, we threw in story time at the library, a drive-by to the park, and a few too many hours of unexpected work without childcare causing me to be a little frantic.  Nevertheless, we definitely wanted to squeeze in the afternoon play date we had scheduled in Ventura with the Hunter and Waylon.  As soon as Annie and I hopped in the car and headed North up the 101, the day's stress seemed to melt away.  We met up with Katherine, Jamie and the boys at the park below the pier off California Street.  The sky was clear, the waves were crashing, and the air was mild and still.  Annie and Hunter climbed, ran, dug, and slid until the sun set began to set in the sky.  A perfect February afternoon.