I love my grandma! …and these shots by Chad and Tina of the Long Farewell, a photography biz based in Atlanta. They came out to grandma’s garden when I was in town last month and captured gobbles of shots. Here are some of my favorites:
I am in love with the work of Natalia Williams, the featured artist in my current DiStill Life column in April’s Moonshine Ink. Using dried flowers, sand and other elements of nature alongside traditional collaging material (newspaper, magazines), Natalia creates such textural works of art. Check out my story on stands now, page 53. Here’s some more of her work since it couldn’t all make the print version:
Also don’t miss my picks in this edition:
-Beth Ingalls’ column defending our right to line-dry
–Not Your Average Dog Walk by Eric Wallis… a look into the sport of skijoring
-The feature on Kings Beach homebrewer Kevin Drake
-Seth Lightcap’s recap of the G.N.A.R. game—I was wondering what happened there
-And Tim Hauserman’s Growing Up in Tahoe column
This week’s postcard was purchased especially for my mom, who always says I don’t live close enough. I was visiting her last week in Georgia, and thanks to a recommendation from Chad and Tina of The Long Farewell, I popped into Young Blood Gallery and Boutique in Atlanta’s Virginia Highlands neighborhood. I not only purchased this card there but also a robot coffee mug and yeti t-shirt for Chris (check out some of the goods and their hand-stamped bags below). Young Blood will definitely be on my must-go list (along with Yoforia) whenever I’m in Atlanta from hence forth; they had dinosaur shirts and everything!
Oh happy day… rarely do I work a project as long as I do with Tahoe Quarterly‘s annual Mountain Home issue. It started last May, when we TQ editors were rounding up applications for the magazine’s annual awards. We then toured finalists through the end of summer and wrote, edited and fact checked content to finally bring you what’s hitting newsstands right now.
I am particularly amped for this edition since it marks the first time our Outstanding award has gone to a full-time residence, a 2,000 square foot one at that (see photo below). I wrote the feature story, so be sure to check it out.
Also written by me in the issue are: an arts profile on Truckee’s Mountain Forge; a home design story on the most whimsical home in Tahoe, the Hardy residence in Incline Village; the TQ Market section on ways to lighten up your decor; and Home Award profiles on a Martis Peak barn, a stunning Olympic Heights remodel and an Incline Village cottage.
I broke out the blocks again for a little carving thanks to a commission from my friend Jackie. She requested a stamp of her initials so I made a set of all three letters, then a larger “j.” Pretty fun…
I’m not sure what this creature is exactly… perhaps a baby polar bear, but it reminds me of the new little pup that’s now calling my house her home. Check out Fern’s likeness below.
DATE: February 23, 2010
FROM: Brno, Czech Republic
SENDER: “Mountainer” from Postcrossing
Plus a Fern montage since I know you people can’t get enough puppy.
This month’s Moonshine Ink is a visual feast… starting with its cover, my favorite yet. Besides reading my DiStill Life column on the amazing Susie Alexander, who bested a van Gogh legacy in February (see page 60), here are my picks for the month (click the links to read if you’re not in town to pick up a copy):
-Practical Wellness columnist Linda Lindsay’s exposé on radon: its startling Tahoe statistics, and how to test and protect your home, page 20
-the fun design and great reader-submitted images in the Winter Photo Annual, page 27
-the tater tot photo on page 44
-Robert “Fro” Frohlich’s Glacier Point adventure, page 46. He’s one of my favorite local writers — always good for a laugh!
-Olivia Dwyer’s profile on local Etsy artisans, page 58, well written and so nice to see folks doing what they love for a living
-and of course, Seth Lightcap’s tribute to C.R. Johnson, page 49, who died at Squaw Valley on February 24
This week’s postcard is not in my collection, but I’m admiring it (and the others in its set) from afar. A collaboration between Kansas City photographer Hannah Huffman and San Francisco artist Lisa Congdon, the limited-edition postcard set features four different diptychs (part photo, part illustration). Thanks to Poppy Talk for cluing me in on this!
I was utterly slammed after returning from Mexico a month ago, so I’m only now getting around to posting a few highlights of my Caribbean getaway for Scotty and Victoria’s wedding. Enjoy the views from Tulum:
beachfront of Rancho San Eric, where we all stayed
Coba ruins’ main pyramid, the largest in the Yucatan at 140 feet
_____smith 