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i'm going to take you on a tour of the barn loft (aka, home!).
mind you, it will always be in progress. (i learned that home improvement never really ends. it's just a matter of choosing to be content with what is.) although, whenever i sit in this space, i can't help but get inspired by fun creative ideas of what i might do next. (i'll take it as a good thing). hehe
anyway, scroll away...
this is when you first come through the front door.
*i'm planning on having that wall right in front, full of interesting hooks. this idea was partly inspired by delfina in sf. by the restrooms, they had rows and rows of identical hooks, and i really really like them. my twist was to get unique ones and place them strategically, but still randomly all over the wall. i've only gotten 3 so far, but will keep my eye out for interesting hooks. if you find any, send me a link to it or just mail one to me. ;-) 
the very very white bathroom.*was going for clean clean clean.*and actually, the paint is called loft living. (i liked the paint b/c of it's name. hehe) 
the kitchen. i love being in here.
dining. the place where good eats and good conversation happen.
*this room was originally going to be my bedroom. i tried it out for a week....but that setup just felt wrong. the bummer was that i chose this light grey color b/c i was inspired by dooce and wanted to create something similar to her bedroom color palette. but i wouldn't have chosen that color if i knew it would serve as a dining area. o well. it is what it is for now.
*i'm also looking for inspiration for the large blank wall (not pictured) in here. i'm thinking a big art piece...but of what? and who will be the artist?
now, come up the stairs, and turn around to look back down.
*this is soon after the sun rose. stunning light, isn't it? i get that light in the am, and then a beautiful sunset on the other side in the pm.
the sleeping zone.
the working zone.
the communal zone. 
and a wider view (day & night).*the paint colors for the upstairs was inspired by Reposado, a restaurant in downtown palo alto that has a look & feel that i was really drawn to. i emailed the Ops. Director and asked what the paint colors were and willingly share them with me. how generous! the paint is from dunn-edwards and they are iron creek and serpentine. 
so...what do you think?? would love to hear your reactions! ;-)xo, liz
as much as we humans might resist change, i think deep down we also love witnessing transformation (i mean why else is there an obsession with extreme makeover shows, the biggest loser, etc?). that's why, this post is all about before and afters! (you're squealing inside, right? haha.. kidding...well not really). below are all of the before/after pics of my recent post about emily g. they were post-processed using a mix of colorshift and totally rad actions. again, i'd love to hear your thoughts, reactions, reflections, questions, suggestions, constructive critique.
i'm open.
i want to note that with this last image...i either had less than ideal settings on my camera and/or it just was too dark. but i liked it a lot. so, something i did to salvage the image was to go b&w because i find that it's more forgiving. then just played around a bunch with it and got the final image. photoshop lesson becomes life lesson: the things that seem like they are unredeemable can turn out to be the most redemptive things. just requires some hope, imagination, dedication, and fun! :)
i used to think that if you cropped and edited an image "too much," it was considered "cheating." that was when i used to be rigid and naive. (hahah) i was pretty hard core about my mental model. sometimes i would take a picture over 50xs before i got it literally EXACTLY the way i wanted it to, straight-out-of-the-camera (SOOTC). call me obsessive. (okay, please don't). but i realized something while editing a couple of the images from the Homeward collection.
it's this: sometimes, the art is in finding what is captivating amid the muddle.
let me demonstrate. there's a piece titled "Bold." it's striking and i love it. but i didn't at first. i saw the SOOTC picture and thought, "there's something here, but i'm just not sure what it is." i would go back to it and look around and try cropping it in different ways. it made me a bit frustrated, but mostly, it kept piquing my curiosity. until finally...i saw it. there it was!
and this is what came originated from.
landscape to a portrait? man...that is some major "cheating!" but...remarkable no? (no, not in reference to the piece). it's remarkable how sometimes an image or song or person can beckon you to search deeper into the muddle and it's there, that you're able to find beauty.
i had a burst of inspiration on monday night. so i started creating a business card for gene.the original idea came to me when i was visiting them last dec/jan09, so i took a few photos of him. unfortunately, it took 3 months to finally get to this project. and it's sort of been a whirlwind of inspiration. the best part? the creative gap is nil. from concept to execution, it turned out exactly as i had imagined. i love when that happens....b/c it's usually pretty rare!i wanted to share it with you from original picture to final product, since it's fun to see processes.
my approach: was to think about how gene might use the biz card, who he might encounter, what he would want to communicate, and how this b.card can help the person you meet to sustain a memory of him. (this is the same thinking that went behind my own b.cards). the equation: a picture + atypical txt/image placement + a splash of color = (hopefully) high impactmy results: people are often struck when i give them my card. it's still within the accepted norms (ie. size, shape, etc) so there isn't confusion, but it's different enough that they could pick it up and remember me. the one thing i was disappointed by was the way it was printed. hence, my next step.
what's next? finding the right printer that'll print exactly how i want who can offer the best price. recommendations are welcome!
i planted beets. months ago. 
very expectantly, i waited patiently and watered (almost) faithfully for the 3 beets that survived. (out of .... 60 or so). i waited for them to heave (as it's called in the farming world). and a week ago, i saw this one heave.
enthusiastically, i went outside and gave it a nice what-i-thought-was-going-to-be-a-really-satisfying YANK!um. yeah. not quite what i had imagined. and not quite satisfying in the way i had hoped.
but. it's still cute. and definitely picture worthy. this one's my favorite. 
i have 2 more beets. one that looks like it'll be nothing more than just a fat root, and the other could possible be eaten whole in one bite.
i think i could look at and eat beets all day.
... . .. um, okay fine. i probably can't look at them all day, but i sure could eat them ALL DAY.
o. i love winter love affairs.
persimmons, i'm not two-timing. i love you both a lot. ;)
2 pictures + editing = cool !
below are pictures straight-out-of-the-camera. i used the two of these to create that last picture i posted yesterday. Thought I'd share some of the behind-the-scenes because before and afters are sweet!
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