an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.
alpamayo rug, b&b surf spray, Bastille's "bad blood" album, reba stewart wooden mobile, ikea tolietries bag, hello! tape, madewell beachcomber romper.
Loving oranges and reds this month, apparently. That toiletries bag is the best $5 I have ever spent. And that album is my summer anthem.
Random person : "So, Ellerie…when did you first realize your mom was crazy?"
Ellerie : "oh man. Tough call. But I think it was June 9, 2014… the day she organized my books in rainbow order."
ps. here's E's full room tour with product sources.
A lot has changed since my last update in April. Below is what things looked like then…
April 22
First the obvious stuff:
I turned that front right bed into just a "compost-ish" space, or the open space where I am throwing excess leaves and plant trimmings. No food scraps yet (we had some issues with animals earlier this spring) and I know that to really get things going I have to have the bin covered (and keep it well ventilated).
In the back, leaning against the fence, you can see the progress we are making on our horizontal fence to really finish off the backyard. It's going to be awesome.
The less obvious stuff:
My plants are doing better! It was a rocky May because I was under-watering and it was absurdly hot for a week. The leaves were starting to yellow (but not really wither) which according to Instagram and the guy at the plant store was mostly due to them needing more nutrients. I picked up a half-gallon of worm tea (San Diego locals, it's free here!!) and applied it directly to the soil around each plant.
They loved it and immediately began to turn around. A few weeks later I bought red garden worms which are supposed to be awesome and added some to each box. (I followed the directions and watered and turned up the soil a bit then added the worms after the sun had gone down.) It hasn't been too long yet but I think they are helping.
The fun stuff:
I am going to have something other than small tomatoes and basil this year! Both my cucumbers and zucchinis are doing well. People like to complain about the "excess of zucchini" and "drowning in zucchini" and all that jazz but I've gotta be honest, I am so excited to have my garden producing that I cannot imagine bumming about about too much of anything. It's a thrill to see something growing and I had no idea what squash looked like on the vine (how fun that the blossom is at the end?)
I also didn't realize that cucumbers can really vine out. I have added cages around a few of them and we'll see if I can get them to grow upwards instead of take over the garden horizontally.
Like every year, I am seriously obsessed with this garden and to me, the trial and error experience of this whole thing is what makes it fun (and very rewarding).
ps…remember, these are our planter boxes and here is my first post about this year's garden.
As part of my word WHOLE this year, I want celebrate the work of others by sharing links to my friends, possible friends and complete strangers who are doing great things on the Internet. This is some of the rad stuff I recently saw online…
that awesome print above is by the talented Tina.
my brother recently spent three weeks in SE Asia and here's a 3 minute video of the trip. (so rad, ro!)
I'm obsessed with this yoga instagram feed (thanks, Emma!)
and I love that on Instagram I can see what SJP is reading.
pretty and pretty simple DIY stamped scarf.
check plus on the re-brand, Tara.
loved this description of how Erin and her husband work separately together.
after Palm Springs I am re-obsessed with hanging chairs.
this list made Paul and I laugh out loud.
still on the waitlist for the book but that won't stop me from seeing the movie.
…and Ellerie says "Mama!"
I've got exciting news!
In July, I'll be speaking on the main stage at the World Domination Summit.
Yep! I'm talking for 30 minutes in front of 3000 people and whenever I start to shake a bit from nerves (like right now as I type this out) I just remember that this is RAD and this is going to be FUN. I'm chatting about my passion for making stuff and my belief that there is Big Power in making a Bold Statement.
It's going to be absurdly terrifying, awesome and (if I do my job right) powerful.
I am really excited.
(And nervous.)
Can't wait to share more as this all comes together. At this moment my speech is ready…as long as it makes sense to allow a 15 minute pause for laughter. (No? Okay, I'll keep working.)
When we were in Houston, Paul and Pascal dropped by Whole Foods to pick up some stuff for dinner. They were sampling "grilled cantaloupe" and the guys said it was awesome.
"What was on it?" I asked.
"Season salt." said Paul.
"Hmmm." I said.
Later that week, we grilled up some of our own. We just sliced the cantaloupe and covered both sides with season salt. I left a few "un-seasoned" to see which was better and seasoned won by a landslide.
Awesome and easy summer treat. Throw on the grill after you've grilled your meat and cook for just a few minutes on each side. Eat right away…then go to the store for more cantaloupe.
I've been reading a lot lately. Mostly because I have been actively not "reading" my iPad before bed. Scrolling endless pages of Pinterest and Instagram or falling down blogland rabbit holes is the opposite of relaxing and I find that when I shut off the electronics I find it much easier to fall asleep.
It's been awesome and while there have been a few clunkers, these are the books worth noting from the past few months…
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt / this is one of those books that everyone is talking about. I felt like the back description was a total scam compared to what the book was about, so that was confusing. I really enjoyed reading it though I can't put my finger on why? Maybe because it was so detail rich? Maybe because it was just so crazy? Maybe because I felt so many emotions for this crazy main character? Tough call.
The Marriage Plot by Jeffery Eugenides / another super detail rich novel. I enjoyed this one too. The same few years were told through three different characters and I loved reading their perspectives on the same situations. Smart and so well done. I was pretty hooked from the beginning and am interested in checking out Middlesex (from the same author) now too.
Still Alice by Lisa Genova / this is a book about early onset Alzheimer's disease. It's told from the perspective of a 50 year old woman who is at the top of her career when she gets diagnosed. I thought so much of this book was thought-provoking…the way her family and colleagues react…her thoughts on cancer vs. dementia…her rapid decline and what she finds important…oh man. I tore through it and I know it's one that will stick with me forever.
I'm currently reading Nora Ephron's I Remember Nothing and Poser and The Interestings are both on my nightstand.
What are you reading?
This week on ELISE GETS CRAFTY, I'm talking with Hayley Morgan about launching a new business venture. We chat about Make29 and her new family business, Wildly Co. Subscribe on iTunes or stream the episode here.
Other posts you might enjoy:
Last weekend we took our much anticipated trip to Palm Springs. I brought along three cameras… (I'm dropping off my film to be developed today!) and these are the photos I took with my DSLR and iPhone.
For the first time, we splurged on a stay at the Parker. It was gorgeous. They've done an amazing job creating a little desert oasis with high green hedges and so many gorgeous plants. It's tucked away and feels fancy and secluded (but there are also tons of kiddos so I would say it's great for families too).
It was the perfect little getaway and I so hope we'll be headed back soon (next time with Ellerie along for the adventure).
where did you get that…sunhat (similar), swimtop, romper (target), dress, sandals (similar and really cute).
I know. June 1st is not the start of summer if you want to get technical about it. But the thing about summer is "technical" goes out the window. I'm so happy we made it to June. June is when Ellerie turns one. June is when my tomatoes turn red. June is when the days turn the very longest they are going to get.
June is my magic month. Summer is my magic season. And as thrilled as I am that last summer brought me our baby girl, OH MY AM I THRILLED that one year later we are out of the newborn haze and into the tiny kiddo phase. I feel like last summer was about keeping my head above water.
This summer is about diving deep into life.
enJOY it 