sarah's view

mix 'n match

2012-03-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

I always function a little better when it's warm and the recent warm weather made me very happy! But now it's cool again and I'm wishing for sunshine.

This rare fashion post is inspired by the coloful design, photography, styling, accessories etc that I've been seeing on design blogs (and Pinterest). Plus the clothing and accessories in stores is all colorful, ready for spring and summer and crying out to be taken home. Which means I couldn't resist picking up a few (cheap) items to add a bit of a pop of color to my wardrobe.

TOP: A gray and white striped maxi-dress pairs nicely with a peach 3/4 sleeve cardigan. (Plus they'll mix and match well with other things!)

MIDDLE: Bright pink/red pencil skirt goes well with a black and gray striped wing-sleeved. (Perhaps a bright blue or yellow necklace, some shiny earrings and strappy sandals for a fun outfit for an afternoon with friends.)

BOTTOM: Electric blue knee-length skirt with floral tank top. (Very bright! I might add in a white or light gray cardigan to tone it down, depending on where I need to go!)

(Items from Nordstrom, Target & Old Navy.)

central coast drive

2012-02-27T08:30:00.000-08:00

Last week we made the most of President's Day long weekend and headed north, to the California Central Coast, for a little holiday. The drive up was lovely. We took the 101 up past Santa Barbara, enjoyed the stunning coastline, ocean and the mountains and cliffs and then took the 154 for a little while, going through national park and past Lake Cachuma and through wine country, with fields, farms and then back to the 101 until we reached our destination. (To be continued...)

[sweet or savory?] dinner party

2012-02-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

It was recently my husbands birthday and we decided to have a few friends over for dinner to celebrate. I asked my husband what he wanted for this dinner and he said he'd like dairy. Breakfast foods for dinner - excellent! It made a nice change from the usual chicken or beef. Great company, good food - we had a really enjoyable evening. Pictured are some of the dishes, snapped with my iPhone and Instagram.

Top & bottom image: Half of dessert. Strawberry, grape and basil salad with a dressing of lime juice, a little sugar, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Refreshing! The other half of dessert? One of our guests brought a homemade key lime pie, delicious!

Top left: Cheese & zucchini slice - a family recipe! You'll have to ask really nicely if you want it.

(Potholders from Anthropologie.)

Top right: Baked Red Snapper with herbs (chopped parsley, spring onions & dill mixed with a little light mayonnaise). (Platter from Crate & Barrel.)

Bottom left: New fun wine cups (stackable) and colander from Crate & Barrel. The table looked great with white tablecloth, our white and green dishes and green drink ware.

Bottom right: Crustless quiche - mushroom, spinach & tomato.

We also had onion tart made by another guest and a spinach, blood orange & feta salad plus dips and homemade challah!

// Upcoming on Sarah's View: Some pictures from a short trip up to the Central Coast! //

love bombs

2012-02-16T09:04:00.000-08:00

This is a picture I took around six or seven years ago, when at university. I was walking along my favourite stretch of beach in Melbourne looking for type and lettering that I could photograph for a project when I came across this stencil graffiti. I thought it was pretty sweet! So on this week with Valentine's day I thought I'd share it with you. (I brightened the image though, it was a little faded on the wood.)

I wonder if it's still there now...

[sweet or savory?] egg boat

2012-02-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

Fairly often I make really easy dinners - toasted cheese sandwiches, omelettes, quick grilled chicken and salad. Tonight I made an easy dinner that was a little different, a slightly more exciting version of an omelette sandwich - a baked egg boat! And I like breakfast at any time of the day.

My husband had brought home extra french bread which was perfect for this. I based it on the recipe from Spoon Fork Bacon but changed it to suit what I had at hand. I sautéed a shallot, some chopped mushroom and baby spinach and put them in the bread "shell" once I had cut out the centres. I then poured over the egg mixture (it did spill over the sides a little) and put chunks of brie cheese (also purchased by my husband) along the top. Baked it as per the recipe and served it with a simple salad. Delicious!

Photos from my iPhone.

interesting tree

2012-02-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

On our hike at Will Rogers SHP, more than one of us stopped at a particular tree to comment on the foliage. The exact words being "That's an interesting tree." I took some pictures of course! Bright yellow, twig-like flower-things interspersed on branches between the leaves - a beautiful layered look!

[sweet or savory] taste the rainbow

2012-02-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Last week I didn't plan what I was cooking for the weekend entirely, instead I decided to head down to the Santa Monica Farmers Market and see what in-season vegetables and fruit looked good. There was a lot! Citrus fruits, squash, heirloom carrots, radishes with cool patterns, cauliflower, broccoli, assorted leafy vegetables, fragrant herbs, bright flowers and much more.

My guests on Saturday got a very colourful meal! One comment was that it was a "very Californian meal" because of all the veggies! I steamed the purple cauliflower and served it with the radishes and some peppers to go with lemon parsley hummus and also a roasted eggplant dip. The variety of carrots were made into a yummy salad that A Cozy Kitchen posted the other week. The tomatoes and the lettuce were made into a simple salad with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, just enough to enhance the flavour of the tomatoes whilst not ruining the delicate lettuce leaves.

The grapefruit was a great afternoon snack, it was juicy and sweet! And we enjoyed the strawberries too. The coloured mix of potatoes is for another night, will probably season with some salt and rosemary, roast and serve with some chicken or salmon.

These images are barely enhanced (I did some minor adjustments lighten the pictures), you're seeing actual colours! How amazing is nature.

My conclusion after that outing? Farmer's Market = healthiest retail therapy!

Rainbow Chard - I didn't buy any because I've no idea how to cook it but it's so pretty!

[hike] to the bridge

2012-02-02T08:34:00.000-08:00

Winter in LA is bearable for an Aussie like me who is used to January being summer! We made the most of the lovely weather this past Sunday, and went to Will Rogers State Historic Park for a hike. We went up to the bridge (via the backbone trail) and back, stopping at Inspiration Point for a snack. The views from the bridge and above were amazing, you could see for miles, the city, the surf, the mountains. Thoroughly enjoyable, good exercise (enough to warrant ice cream afterwards), avoided getting run over by mountain bikers or horse riders and it wasn't overly hot!

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i wore it

2012-01-30T09:48:00.000-08:00

A simple chain with some beads. It makes nice patterns.

Livens up an outfit or two. That's all really.

Want more? Find me on Instagram! View online, no app needed!

[sweet or savory?] perfect papardelle

2012-01-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

Very slowly, I've been making my way through an ever growing list of new recipes to try. This one was from Plenty and titled Crunchy Papardelle. It was worth the trips to get the particular ingredients and the time spent preparing because it turned out tasty as a top restaurant dish! The rich cream and wine sauce contrasted with the freshness of parsley and lemon, coating the pasta and vegetables. Not exactly low-fat (the diet started afterwards) but really, really delicious and something I'd definitely make again!

But wait, there's more! I posted that I made my own granola bars a little while back but I made new batch yesterday with some different add-ins - red sour cherries, candied ginger and pecans. This time it stayed in bar form and didn't crumble like my first attempt! Also I made Sweet Potato Hummus which turned out to be a winner. (Recipe here.)

miaow.

2012-01-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

When you move countries there's a lot that you have to leave behind, family, friends, places and sometimes, pets. I miss my kitty! He was getting on in (cat) years and we left him in good hands when we moved but I miss having that furry little guy around the place, best listener (didn't talk back!) and great cuddles. (I choose to ignore the amount of fur on everything and the occasional scratch.) The cat acquired us but then became part of the family. My husband prefers dogs so we will probably find one to suit us down the track.

baked goodness

2012-01-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

A nice cold weather activity as a break from work is baking (or cooking a good dinner). Last week, inspired by a friend, I set about making homemade granola bars which are healthier and cheaper than the bought ones. They came out a bit crispy and quite crumbly but that's fine because it makes a good cereal or a topping for yogurt! I added in cranberries, chocolate chips and almonds. Next batch I'll try some different mix-ins, possibly a different recipe to see if I can get them to stay as bars. Any suggestions? That baking session also yielded banana muffins and cake. Muffins topped with pecans and cornflakes, cake included chocolate chips and lemon icing.

snapshots

2012-01-16T14:02:00.000-08:00

A couple of snaps from the last week or two that I liked (from my iPhone) - thought the colours I was wearing one day (note: not green!) went well with my couch cushions and of course a green cupcake I bought myself for my birthday. Although not everything in my place is green, we hosted an engagement party last night with an elegant colour scheme of deep red, black and white. Beautiful roses, red tablecloth set off with black and white damask patterned paper goods. Plus lots of delectable treats!

unseasonal...

2012-01-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

Or is it? Having not lived in America that long, this Aussie still thinks of January as sun, surf and sand time! Hot days, warm nights and some serious relaxing over the summer vacation. But that's southern hemisphere and I'm now in the north. Which means winter. Except winter in Southern California is pretty nice! The weather last week was gorgeous and warm. Not wintery at all! So I made the most of it and went to the beach for a long stroll. (Relatives and friends in colder climates are welcome to visit us!)

These are some pictures I took using instagram.

what happens in...

2012-01-02T15:59:00.000-08:00

We took a very spontaneous trip last weekend, decided only a day or two before that we needed to get away, the long weekend was perfect for it. Las Vegas is close enough and guaranteed to have plenty to see and do (plus all important available hotel rooms) over the Xmas break!

Trippy music kept us company as we drove through the dark desert areas, beautiful expanses of dark sky and bright stars, it wasn't as nice during the day with all the traffic. It's easy to tell when you are getting closer to the city and The Strip by the amount of lit-up billboards appearing by the road way. Last trip was a bit underwhelming (aside from the Chihuly gallery and the show we saw) and this time I enjoyed myself seeing the glitzy, over the top casinos plus people-watching, a show, dinner with friends that I neglected to take many pictures. It was a nice distraction from some things that happened recently.

Clockwise from top left: Signage of the Flamingo hotel - fabulous colours and typography. Eiffel Tower replica at the Paris hotel. The Venetian as photographed from the car. Night shot of the road leading into Las Vegas.

Then it was back home and straight to work making Latkes for the family Hannukah dinner! See a picture of the deliciousness that is potato parsnip latkes here.

Happy 2012 everyone!

[sweet or savory?] quinoa for dinner

2011-12-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

I regularly ask my husband what he'd like for dinner because, while we like toasted cheese sandwiches, omelettes or easy grilled chicken, it's nice to make something different. This week, now that Hanukkah has ended and we've had our fill of oily foods (latkes, donuts), we plan on eating pretty healthy. The answer I was given when I asked what I should make for dinner this week was a number of random, odd food items but one of them was quinoa. That was exciting because I had bookmarked a recipe in the January 2012 edition of Bon Appétit, a hearty salad of quinoa, fennel and pomegranate by chef Ottolenghi and couldn't wait to try it!

This turned out to be a really delicious salad, with a few deviations from the original:

One of the rare times I actually wanted to buy cilantro, I grabbed parsley by accident but it tasted fine as a substitute and I added some ground coriander.
To make it a little heartier for dinner I added goat cheese (but feta would also work).
My husband suggested pine nuts for crunch (so I will probably add that next time I make this).
I used a milder chile.

Pomegranates look like they are in season now, the had really large ones in the store today so I have quite a bit left! The fennel (my new favourite vegetable) cooked up deliciously and would make a great side dish on it's own. My salad looks a little different from the original recipe picture which you can find here.

Served with roasted cauliflower and garlic soup for starter and some steamed broccoli on the side, this salad was full of texture, colour and fresh flavours, a pleasure!

old time elegance

2011-12-22T11:53:00.000-08:00

I recently went to a very fun party for a relative's birthday. They held the reception at a beautiful old hall (which I think is being torn down) and did a great job on the decor. Candles, lots of mirrors, heavy velvet curtains, warm dark brown colours, brocade. A few of the pictures I took had an elegant atmosphere and are evocative of old black and white films, of a glamorous time in the past, say 1920's but with a modern twist. Glad I was able to be there!

fall colors

2011-12-19T12:38:00.000-08:00

Lately, we've been enjoying the Fall/Autumn weather here in LA, enjoying the sun when it's out especially after the mostly disappointingly cold summer weather in Australia (but that's typical for Melbourne in December, I really needed to pack better).

These snaps are from last week when I was on the way back from the shops, in between rainy patches of the day. The trees are getting bare but the leaves are still adding vibrant colour to the street, at least for a little while longer and from the footpath/sidewalk! But if you're looking for an autumn palette, here it is, warms browns, burnt orange, yellows, a little green. There's something about this natural composition that I really like. A bright part of a grey, cloudy day.

Photos taken with iPhone. I'm loving my new phone/toy :)

book design

2011-12-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

I recently completed a large project for one of my clients, a book cover design and complete layout of the inner pages. They are happy with it and I am pleased with how it turned out. I really enjoyed working on it!

The client had the initial title and content and then we brainstormed to come up with a concept for the cover that was interesting and related to the theme of the book. Many MBA related books had fairly boring covers and I wanted this one to be different, clever and contemporary. The inner pages were designed to be clear and straightforward, easy for the reader to follow the points relating to their admission process.

It's now for sale (here) so if you or anyone you know are considering an MBA, this is the book for you! (Makes a good holiday gift.)

jet lag

2011-12-11T18:53:00.001-08:00

I'm back from my trip to visit family. More pictures coming soon once I catch up on my work and things around the house which include rearranging some furniture which we got today. It's all happening here!

just capitol

2011-11-24T09:55:00.000-08:00

I'm a proud Aussie. True blue. Who never thought she'd end up living in America! But life led me here and so, while I do miss my home country and tackle the challenge of navigating the quirks of the USA, I am thankful for where I am now. This country, while it has it's issues, has a lot to offer and I've truly enjoyed all the things I've seen and done so far since I've moved here and look forward to exploring more of the country in the future.

So on this American holiday of Thanksgiving I share with you some snapshots from this nation's Capitol building from our trip to Washington DC a few months back. Need a bit of a crash course in American history? Visit the Capitol! I learnt about the founding of the government, about presidents and the very impressive building/s. All good stuff to know about my current country of residence!

As for the holiday today - I'm going to my second authentic Thanksgiving meal. The first one was a number of years ago when I was visiting, they had deep fried turkey and dishes that were new food experiences for me! Now I'm more familiar with this cuisine and looking forward to the stuffing and hopefully cranberry-something. Pumpkin pie is something to get used to though. I'm making the green beans!

Happy Thanksgiving :)

let's talk about the weather

2011-11-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

Fall weather in Los Angeles. Sunny one day, bucketing down rain the next.

Enjoying the Autumn sun on my roof.

A few days later driving in torrential rain.

Some recent work: My friend started a blog - "Dressing Like A Man" - style advice for men, classic yet fashionable without being a fashion victim. I had a bit of spare time a while back so I designed a header for the blog.

Go check it out!

in the detail

2011-11-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

The Getty Museum is one of my favourite places in Los Angeles because of the amazing architecture and the gardens. The attention to detail is impressive, in both the building and the landscaping, with shadows, reflections, shapes and colours changing with the light and seasons to add even more interest. I also like the contrast of nature (plants, flowers) against the grid and harder lines of the building and the curves in the structure that soften edges and nod to organic form.

These pictures are just a few from a visit last summer.

[out & about] flea market

2011-11-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday turned out to be a lovely, sunny day here in LA. Friends of ours were going to the Rose Bowl Flea Market which I've been wanting to check out for a while but as it's only on once a month, we just never managed to get there until yesterday!

I found it relaxing to walk around and look at old/vintage stuff (furniture, dishware, glass, home decor, oddities and other assorted bric-a-brac) as well as the craft stores, trinkets and other market stalls, creative displays and variety of items. We picked up a few bits and pieces, nothing major although some of the vintage glass was pretty nice (I just don't have much space for displaying stuff like that). It reminded me of the markets my family used to go to when I was younger but much larger, somewhat better quality of goods and relatively less junky (for sure less dusty!).

If you're decorating a house on a budget, it's a great place to pick up pieces to refurbish or repurpose and also to find interesting decor. Otherwise, with the carnival-like atmosphere, it's a great place for people-watching and creative inspiration.

autumnal

2011-11-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

It's Autumn (or 'Fall' as they say) here and the leaves are falling! These images are from my archives, I snapped them in May 2006 near High Street in Armadale, Victoria.

The street where we currently live is also lined with oak trees, leaves slowly changing colours. I have to remember to stop and take some photographs on one of my walks.

coastal panorama

2011-11-07T13:17:00.000-08:00

We took a drive last Sunday to Palos Verdes, just to get some fresh air, a bit of a walk and see the spectacular view by the coast. We stopped at a lookout and a walking path above a highly landscaped and manicured golf course, behind us and over the road some nice and very large homes.

petals that pop

2011-11-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist the colourful zinnia's at the market the other week. The pop of colour in the house really brightens up the place. Tip: An inexpensive way to add colour to a room and easy to change it up regularly. (This bunch was around $3.00 and lasted for over a week.)

[sweet or savory?] pesto pizza

2011-10-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Jewish High Holidays ended recently and that time involves a lot of festive meals with lots of great food. It's easy to over-do it! So on festival days when it's just us at home, I like to make something lighter for lunch or dinner. I came across a recipe for Pesto Chicken Flatbread Pizza and it was very easy to make, turned out delicious. (It got the tick of approval from my husband!)

After all the cooking for the holidays, I was done doing anything time consuming in the kitchen so decided to make the pizza again for a weeknight dinner. I found a similar recipe to the first in this cookbook so I adapted both dishes into one to suit us for a light, dairy dinner with lots of colourful veggies.

Want the recipe? Read on!

Pesto Pita Pizza

For two pizzas you will need:

2 whole wheat pita or flatbread (something that can carry the weight of all the tasty toppings!)
Basil pesto, 2 tablespoons - I used store bought
Goat cheese, crumbled, two servings (or as much as you like!)
1 roasted red pepper - I made my own but you can used store bought
1 large zucchini - peel long strips, sauté in a small bit of olive oil until just cooked
A large handful of baby spinach leaves - sauté until wilted
Artichoke hearts, chopped - I used store bought
Grape tomatoes, a handful, halved
1/4 small purple onion, chopped
Pepper, thyme, garlic powder
Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Place pita or bread on baking tray. Spread each generously with pesto. Layer on slices of peppers, zucchini, the spinach, artichoke hearts, tomatoes and onion so the pita is covered with an even mix of vegetables. Season with pepper, thyme and garlic to your taste. Sprinkle crumbled goat cheese evenly over the pizza. Bake for around 10-12 minutes until edges of pita or bread are crispy. Remove from oven and drizzle balsamic vinegar over pizza and enjoy!

Meat option: Replace the goat cheese with cooked chicken.

Use your imagination and add your own vegetable combination!

Original recipes found here and here.

mug shot

2011-10-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

Recently Smashing Magazine had a photo contest where they invited readers to submit an image of their favourite coffee mug for a poster of coffee mugs. I'm a big fan of my morning coffee (don't talk to me until it's had a chance to absorb) and have a few favourite mugs (and varieties of coffee in the pantry) but the mug in the photograph I submitted was a gift from my husband. He gave it to me a while back when I was teaching myself CSS. Anyway, my image made it to the poster! You can download a high resolution version of it here.

I've also just updated my blog to a new domain name! You can now find this blog at www.sarahlikegreen.com because it really is my favourite colour!

above eye level

2011-10-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

It always pays to look up. This is something I learnt back in art school when we were sent to explore the city and take pictures that we would have to use as a basis for a project. Often buildings have interesting architectural details above eye level, on the exterior, which can go unnoticed as people go about their daily business. I did get a bit of a crick in my neck looking up and taking pictures that way but it definitely made my designs more interesting!

I've already posted some pictures from our Seattle trip (here, here and here) but some of my favourite are of the super colourful ceiling filled with Chihuly glass creations, on the Bridge of Glass. The riot of colour is wonderful to look at, lit by the sun and reflecting passers by - see my husband and friends patiently waiting for me to snap photographs!

This ceiling has so much detail, I could have stared at it for ages! The shapes are somewhat different to the ceiling at the Bellagio or the Persian ceiling, this one truly showing the diversity of glass art.

[sweet or savory] purple produce

2011-10-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Went off to the Beverly Hills Farmers Market again on Sunday, on a whim. I had a large list of groceries which I planned to buy later in the week but the weather was fine and the produce is always better from the market! I did have to refrain from buying the great looking pumpkins and squash (for soup in a few weeks) and the ginormous cauliflowers and stick to what I needed for this weeks menu. (Many guests to feed!)

The usual staples ended up in my shopping bag (red peppers/capsicums and some zucchini) and a bunch of colorful zinnias. Plus a cup of fresh orange juice, refreshing. But what caught my eye were purple sweet peppers. Never seen them before so I picked up a few. There were also pale green/white colored ones but I decided to give those a miss. These peppers will be cooked with the red ones and served with roasted zucchini, mushroom and red onion as a tasty, healthy side dish. (Recipe below!)

Quick recipe: wash and chop up peppers (any combo of red, purple, orange and yellow) into large slices, seeds removed. On a baking sheet or roasting pan toss peppers in a bit of olive oil (I use spray, easy), sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Garlic and rosemary optional. Bake at 350ºF/180ºC until peppers are soft and there is a little bit of char. Same deal with the zucchinis, red onion and mushrooms. Serve mixed on a large platter, separately (line up like a rainbow on a square plate, pretty!) or chop up, add pan juices and toss with pasta. Yummy!

[sweet or savory?] crispy biscotti

2011-10-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

Although it's still quite warm here in Los Angeles, at the first signs of autumn/fall (usually the cooler nights, the seasonal flavors at Coffee Bean, decor in stores) it seems like a good time to start making biscotti again. Wonderfully spiced, crispy and full of chocolate chips, cranberries and almonds, these biscotti make a great morning tea. Or afternoon tea! Or snack anytime!

Recipe based on this one. I used different mix-ins and added a bit of ginger. This time I didn't have any lemon or orange around so I used a bit more vanilla. I'm packing up most of them for a gift, the rest we'll enjoy here. Join me for a coffee, there might be one or two left for you!

[guest] silhouette

2011-10-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

This is only partially a guest posting! Here's why: a few weeks ago, the weather was perfect for a picnic dinner at the beach. I packed up something tasty and my husband and I went to Venice to relax after a busy workday. As usual I snapped some pictures but the sunset was so lovely that my husband borrowed the camera to take some pictures of his own. His guest picture in this post is the lower one with the dad, two kids and the bike. We thought it was such a nice picture that my husband went over to show them the picture, a little random!

The colours of the sunset were spectacular, people watched until the sun dipped below the horizon, enjoying the slow changing of the hues of the sky and sea, making the most of the end of summer.

"There really is no way for me to quantify the impact Steve Jobs has had—and will continue to have—on my life and on my career." 

It was a sad moment to hear of his passing but his legacy will live on and many peoples lives would not have been the same without his vision. There were so many wonderful tributes, quotes and links in my twitter feed (and online everywhere) yesterday. Since 1985, when my dad bought his very first Apple computer, products by his company have been present in my life. 

I think it's appropriate timing to finally get an iPhone. As a tribute of course...

nite lite

2011-10-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes for fun I'll just play around taking pictures of something that looks quite mundane but has captured my eye for some reason. Then these pictures often end up in the trash but every now again the "experiment" works and some of the photographs turn out to be interesting or useful for a future project.

These here are some night pictures of the street (in DC) through our hotel curtains. I'd use something like this as a background image for a poster, magazine layout or an edgy website or layering in some digital art.

seaside fun

2011-10-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

Had a really great, relaxing weekend recently. After a movie and frozen yogurt on Saturday night, Sunday we spent the morning walking around Balboa Island and Newport Beach, taking the ferry across, looking at the houses and boats and some beautiful views, playing games in the arcade, browsing in the shops and boutiques and enjoying the sun and the seaside relaxed atmosphere. Some necessary fun! :)

historical house

2011-09-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

On our trip to DC, we went to Mt Vernon, George Washington's house, garden and estate. The property is huge and contains several farming areas. Washington used innovative farming techniques for the time. The property had been in his family and the house was added to over time to become quite a grand mansion with many outer buildings for staff and slaves as well as farm buildings for animals and storage. The extensive gardens are beautiful and contain areas for flowers and more exotic plants and another for seasonal fruit and vegetables. The large front lawn gives a wonderful view of the house and the back porch overlooks the Potomac.

The tree pictured is supposedly (according to our tour guide) the largest Pecan tree in the USA.

I enjoyed walking around the estate (despite the heat and humidity) and learning about American history and finally hearing how to pronounce "Potomac" as I'd only ever read the name in books and never heard it out loud. (It's amusing to my husband when I say it wrong! But to be fair, I'm still new to America.)

green thumb (hopefully)

2011-09-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

After months and months of hoping to do this, I finally went and got me some greenery for our balcony! A few herbs for a tiny kitchen garden and a baby Jade plant. The bigger, more established succulents that I liked were a little beyond my budget for this project so the very helpful saleslady (here) suggested a small one which I can nurture and watch grow. It's pretty cute! Barely ten centimetres tall.

I chose this plant because it's hardy, making it easy to care for and also because my mother always had a Jade plant in our garden. There is a belief that the Jade plant attracts wealth, so that the owner will always have enough money, or good luck in business or something along those lines and I think she liked this idea. (If anyone knows the origin of this, please share!) When we moved and had no space for our large Jade plant, a friend took it for their garden due to this belief. I'm not superstitious but I like the idea of continuing with the plant my mum had for many years, even if it's a new one in a different country!

On a completely separate note, I just made some delicious round Challah for the upcoming High Holidays.

sculpture in tacoma

2011-09-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

On our trip to Seattle (other posts here and here) we decided to head to Tacoma to the glass museum. Mainly because of me because I wanted to see the Venetian Wall and whatever other glass art I could find. On the bridge where this wall is located was the fantastic glass rock sculpture, looking like big sticks of candy (good enough to eat?), a similar type of structure to Crystal Mountain (featured in the Jerusalem 2000 exhibition). From that location you can see Union Station and the Chihuly art in the window! I also like the lettering of the station signage.

a reminder

2011-09-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes there's just to much to do or to much think about that I forget to relax! Not so healthy. So this post is a reminder to take a moment, step back from whatever you are doing, breathe deeply and get rid of the stress. Appreciate the little things. Schedule a time for something that you enjoy!

On that note, time to take a break from sitting at my computer all afternoon - it's baking time!

(These images were taken at San Simeon on our trip last August. Featuring one of my many pairs of flip-flops!)

to market

2011-09-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

Even though the most recent trip we took was to Washington DC I still haven't transferred my pictures to the computer. I was looking through my pictures from our trip to Seattle WA today in between some work. One of the to-do things in Seattle is Pike Place Market down by the water. It's signage is iconic as is the fish market where the fishmongers are theatrical and throw fish.

We were there on a really gorgeous day on a long weekend so it was very, very busy. Great produce, fresh flowers and arts and crafts for sale plus of course the first Starbucks store! I really liked the floral border running along the top of the building.

see through abc

2011-09-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

This past Labor Day weekend we headed off to visit Washington DC (for the first time) and take in as much of what is on offer there as we could in three days! There was so much to see and learn - architecture, politics, museums for for everything, art, history - we only scratched the surface of what is there! (The heat and humidity made touring tiring.)

I got a crash course in American history during a visit to the Capitol Building and Library of Congress and we enjoyed a tour of the White House (part of it). The Conservatory had a beautiful collection of plants and flowers and we popped into a couple of other museums along the way. One of these museums was the Smithsonian Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The images below show an interesting metal and wood sculpture (located on one side of the museum) with one side stamped out Cyrillic letters and the other our English Alphabet letters. I liked the combination of materials and the balance of construction. And it was kind of fun taking pictures of each other through the lettering.

(Apologies for neglecting to note down the artist name.)

The art inside was varied - modern, sculptures, paintings, installations - and there was one exhibit that was really trippy, I think it was this.

Looking forward to going back and exploring more sometime in the future!

rock on

2011-09-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

Last August we took a road trip up the One to San Francisco, stopping at different places along the California coast. We stayed in San Simeon (a small town that seemed to be mainly hotels) as we had a tour of Hearst Castle booked. We enjoyed a lovely, relaxing picnic dinner on the beach after driving most of the day. I had fun photographing the view of the coast and beach, the sunset and this large rock right where we happened to be sitting. A number of kids were climbing on it, looked pretty fun!

The quality of the sun light was beautiful and even though it got a little chilly, it was worth watching the changing colours of the sky and surf as the sun dipped lower and lower.

don't forget sunglasses

2011-09-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

From a beach day a few years ago, these are some more pictures from my archives. Relaxing, fun and enjoyable times at the beach with my cousins.

It's making me want to go to the beach now! On that note, perhaps I'll grab sunscreen and a towel and head off...

Have a great long weekend! See you back here next week :)

vegas art #3

2011-08-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

Some more glass art from our Vegas trip. Blues and colored shadows! (More after the jump.)

Stunning sculptural elements.

Previous Vegas posts: #1 & #2

seattle we saw

2011-08-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

We went up to Seattle for July Fourth weekend to visit friends. We had a really nice time, loved how green the (emerald) city was and were spoilt by the unusual blue skies for the whole weekend! From the Space Needle not only did we see a stunning view of the city, its surrounds, Puget Sound and Mount Rainier, we could even see Mount Baker!

Definitely a place to go back to.

warm sky

2011-08-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures from my archives, they were taken summer three or four years ago. At Elwood or Brighton Beach with friends for a picnic dinner. This was a beautiful sunset, on a balmy summer evening, with warm, bright colours captured in these images.

vegas art #2

2011-08-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

The pieces shown here are just a few of a large display of smaller glass vessels and shapes. This was one part of the gallery I kept going back to as each glass creation was so unique with the transparent and opaque glass layered. You can see the inspiration in nature (like seashells). The swirls and patterns in the glass a still object such a dynamic look. (My dream house has a place for one of these Chihuly creations!)

Vegas art #1 here.

And here's something delicious I made using some of these ingredients. Mmm, refreshing!

Happy weekend!

[sweet or savory?] farmer's market fare

2011-08-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I woke up to a lovely, sunny day so an outdoor activity was required. I headed out to the Beverly Hills Farmer's Market to pick up some veggies for this week. I always enjoy the bustling market atmosphere, the vibrant colours of the produce and flowers and the scents of fresh herbs and the selection of fresh items to choose from. I planned my menu around what I picked up as usual, more than I had intended! (Clearly I really like green things.)

Fresh basil (for pasta sauce and a salad), giant leeks (for chilled zucchini, leek and mint soup),

regular and round zucchini (for pasta sauce, antipasto and if there's any left, the chilled soup),

cauliflower (will roast with garlic), garlic (with everything), green beans (steamed)

and (not pictured) some bok choy and cucumber (asian style salad) and some tomatoes (for sauce and salad)

I'd never seen round zucchini before. They look kinda cute.

(There was also giant summer squash but I couldn't carry any more by the time I got to it!)

Chunky pasta sauce ingredients. Recipe below!

Chunky Vegetable Sauce with Pasta

Choose your favourite pasta shape (penne or bowties are perfect, I used whole wheat) and cook whole package according to directions.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, saute one roughly chopped medium onion in olive oil. When they start to brown add in 2 large or 3 small zucchini, chopped. (Some mushrooms would be a nice extra.) Fry for several minutes until zucchini start to soften. Add a couple of finely minced garlic cloves and stir in. Two 14oz cans of diced tomato plus one or two finely chopped fresh tomatoes get added next. (OPTIONAL: a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste.) Bring mixture to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer until zucchini is soft and cooked. Season with salt and pepper (and more garlic if you like!), remove from heat and mix in a handful of fresh basil (chiffonade). Serve a generous amount over pasta. I then put in chopped up, grilled hot dogs (the flavour worked perfectly!). Or you could add cheese (which I plan to do with the meatless leftovers).

Easy to make advance. Makes around 4-5 generous servings.

vegas art #1

2011-08-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, we took a few days off and drove to Las Vegas, NV (my first time there) and then on to various places in Arizona (Sedona, Flagstaff, Pheonix). We weren't in Las Vegas for very long but I was excited to discover that near our hotel was a gallery of work by Dale Chihuly, my favorite artist since I went to see his Lights of Jerusalem exhibit in 2000. I spent a good hour in this gallery, taking in the colors and forms, the light and shadow of the glass sculptures and vessels. We were only there a short while so I'm sure there's a lot more to explore but with all the glitzy and gaudy hotels and neon lights on the strip, I liked this the best. (Although 'O' was amazing!)

Have a colorful weekend!

front of the gallery

expressive "painting" with glass

Large yellow/green sculpture and it's reflection in the base below it

tweet, tweet. pin, pin.

2011-08-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

My second time round trying out twitter - much more productive and fun than the first! Sharing interesting design snippets and other fun things! Follow @SarahLikesGreen

To see what's inspiring me lately, check out pinterest and follow my boards. It's super fun and a bit addictive! Sensory overload much?

My work is keeping me kinda busy - book design, html emails, websites and some illustration. I kind of miss doing print work such as invitations and packaging and stationery but time goes on, locations and clients change. Materials for personal projects are still sitting here on my desk waiting until I have time to get started plus a stack of photos from a trip earlier this year have a number that are blog-worthy! Keep

image: "Tangled" font and poster design

in my neighborhood

2011-08-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Went looking for some interesting type or signage while out one evening but didn't see much that captured my eye walking around mostly residential streets. The houses are fun to look at because they're different from the styles in Australia so even a year and a half later, it's still somewhat new for me. But I'm eager to see more of LA so I'm hoping to get out and about to see some areas I've not been to yet!

Follow me on Twitter! @SarahLikesGreen

evening stroll

2011-08-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

Went on a walk the other evening to enjoy the cool, fresh air after a warm day and took my camera with me, not looking for anything in particular. I liked the composition of the tall palm trees against the grid of the office buildings on Wilshire Boulevard, with that gorgeous evening light reflecting and sparkling off the glass. Just a little snapshot because I wanted to share :)

theatrical type

2011-08-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

Art Deco style plus neon lettering theatre signage on an evening walk.

Have a great weekend!

malibu sunday

2011-08-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

Perfect weather meant relaxing at the beach with friends yesterday. Malibu Pier was busy! There's nothing like the sun, surf and sand to wash away the worries of the week. Must make time for more of that before summer's end.

barcode building

2011-07-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

I've been a little busy lately, working on a design that kept me at the computer for a lot of hours so once I was done for the day, I took a break from the screen. Hence the lack of blog posts.

I was looking through some old files and found this picture of a building in Melbourne, Australia. It was one of a few photographs that I had taken for a project (circa 2002) that had to be based on architecture or structures. The photograph had to be turned into a digital drawing and then an intaglio style print. This photograph didn't make it but I liked the detail on the outside of the building. Always look up, you see great design sometimes! The file I had was a scan of a 4x6 print from film which gives it the graininess and nice muted color.

It'd be great to be back at art school and have projects that require going out and about with a camera but that's something to do for fun as well!

sweet strawbs, market fresh

2011-07-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

Summer in California means strawberry season! While the produce you can find here is pretty good year round, the strawberries during summer are the best. This lot which I picked up at the farmer's market was amazing, super sweet and juicy. The stall was clever - they had samples to taste. 3 pints for me please!

We at most of them plain because they were so good but I made an Eton Mess dessert with fresh raspberry sauce, meringue and a not-too-sweet cream.

I thoroughly enjoyed the far mer's market, there was so much good, fresh produce that it was hard to decide what to buy. The scent of fresh herbs (basil, mint, parsley, tarragon, rosemary) is one of my favorite things, I have yet to set up a herb garden on balcony though.

In the end I staggered to my car under the weight of a lot of veg and fruit simply because it looked so enticing and made menu planning easy. And because it's all fresh and often organic, it lasts well in the fridge at home. Next time I need to a) take my camera and b) get a little trolley to put everything into!

updating 'n pinning

2011-07-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

The latest social media favorite of mine is Pinterest, a virtual pinboard to collect images from around the web and following others to see trends, cool stuff and whatever inspires. Check out this image of some of my latest p ins. It's wonderful site for ideas and inspiration. And unlike the real world, doesn't require blu-tack to stick magazine cuttings to the wall!

In other news, I've just done some updating to my website, adding a couple of small things to my portfolio page plus some general housekeeping like fixing incorrect links and adding in new skills. Currently busy with some work and a Dreamweaver course (I can do websites! And HTML emails!) plus planning a couple of personal projects that I hope to get started sometime in the near future. But more photos soon!

dress in the bag

2011-07-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

It's inevitable that on the day I tell myself that I will not go shopping (aside from necessary groceries and whatnot) I end up purchasing something, somewhat on impulse! Today was one of those days! I did become known as a bit of a shopaholic on my gap year away after high school. Generally not too expensive, I always managed to find stuff! There was one job I had a few years ago, where I would go out for a coffee or morning tea and return to the office with a dress or a top or a something that was quite a bit more than coffee!

Today's find is a graphic print dress, a simple, floaty shape, perfect for summer. Black pattern on cream. I quite liked the bright tissue paper that was used when wrapping up the dress to put in the bag! It's quite a contrast to the dress but I do like the pop of neon and will maybe accessorize with something bright!

Follow me on Pinterest and see the latest in my virtual inspiration pinboard!

[guest] yosemite

2011-07-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

These images were taken at one of my favorite place, Yosemite National Park, by my mother-in-law on a trip last week. (Avid hikers!) It's a beautiful part of the world and these images capture the regal feeling of the rock formations and mountains, a wonderful atmosphere over the view due to the low cloud. Almost like an Ansel Adams picture!

We went last year and it looks amazingly the same but different all at once. Can't wait to go there again and see more.

art & orchid [in my house]

2011-07-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

A little glimpse into my house! The lovely orchid my husband brought home a few weeks ago is still going strong, even budding more flowers. Thoroughly enjoying having a plant inside, now I have to get some more... eventually.

In the background is some art on our wall. The left frame contains two black and white photographs I took at a park, quite a few years ago when I was able to develop the film myself. The frame on the right is a piece that is inspired by and explores interior design and fashion through textures and different materials. It's made from cut paper, printed tracing paper, gouache and oil pastels on paper.

sculpture rocks [hike]

2011-06-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes out and about you see some interesting things. Saw these rock stacks while hiking a few weeks back. Quirky little sculpture that someone put the effort into building, right in the middle of the trail, it's got my attention!

Pictures are from the same hike as on this day at Topanga State Park.

cloudy mind

2011-06-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

Bit under the weather this week, rest and hot drinks galore but managed to catch a little sunshine today so on the up and up. The purple sky here is just a bit of playing around (between pinning cool stuff) when I couldn't concentrate on work.

if you use comic sans... fyi

2011-06-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

Don't misuse comic sans. It's a crime. Or, if you see someone using the font incorrectly, share with them this link which explains how to use it appropriately. Or learn to not use it at all. This site offers alternative fonts. I think the font should be banned. But that's just my opinion.

via Smashing Magazine

summer begins

2011-06-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

The sun comes out...

... despite the June gloom for a relaxing walk on the sand at Santa Monica beach, CA.

despite the clouds

2011-06-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

It's already June! The months go by quickly. But we can ignore the June gloo m when there's beautiful color in the world, like these flowers that pop against the cloudy background of the sky.

raindrops on roses

2011-05-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

Just one of a series of pictures I took last October when the weather was rainy - just like today. Stay tuned for more of these!

spherical

2011-05-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

In between my real work, playing around with spherical designs with the 3D filter in Adobe Illustrator. Got some interesting and nice effects.

[sweet or savory?] coconut macaroons

2011-05-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

Over the recent Passover festival I made coconut macaroons with chocolate chips. While you can buy ready made macaroons, homemade are infinitely better and these ones changed the opinion of several people who previously were not fans! Gluten-free, these were a crispy and light treat.

[hike] purple blooms

2011-05-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

Purple blooms along the trail with an explosion of other colorful plants in the Santa Monica Mountains for a hike on Mother's Day. More of those images to come!

by the lake

2011-05-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

An outing with visiting family to Lake Balboa on a gorgeous Spring day.

72 colors

2011-04-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

Pulled out one of my several boxes of colored pencils to start on some projects I've been meaning to get going for a while. A delectable selection of 72 colors in each box, these images are their own color bar!

Haven't managed to get much done on said projects yet other than sketch out plans, my work area requires much reorganizing and cleaning to get started properly. Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures.

[sweet or savory?] sushi

2011-04-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

A "Beverly Hills Roll" at La Seine in, where else, Beverly Hills, CA. (Chef from "Top Chef.") First time I've had sushi cut in that way!

We went with the family for my husband's birthday. The main dishes we ordered were also really delicious - some of the dishes included veal, lamb, steak and a chicken pasta dish. No pictures because my camera battery decided to run out right before the dishes were served.

[hike] to a high point

2011-04-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

On a lovely Sunday in February, my husband and I ventured out to a part of the Santa Monica mountains to hike up the highest point in the Santa Monica mountains, to Sandstone Peak. We did a shorter trail, it was pretty rocky and became quite sheer towards the top. The views were amazing! Worth the effort up. I did manage to lose my footing a couple of times so I think hiking shoes are a worthy investment to avoid the bruises from falling!

At the beginning of the trail.

Somewhere close to the top of the trail.

Looking over the cliff at the top.

Loved the view of the rolling hills and winding road as we made our way down.

Nice to be back at the car to rest the tired feet and look up at our accomplishment!

more green [in my house]

2011-04-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

Our bedroom is large and very white. Even though we've been here a while, there is still little decor as I concentrated on getting the main living area done because that's what people see. However I did have some party favors from our wedding, I hung those on either side of the windows for a little pop of green and silver, to break up the whiteness just a little.

paintbox in the sky

2011-04-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous sunset in Irvine, CA. Sometime in January 2011.

lace detail [in my house]

2011-04-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

A bit of detailed lace, an offcut from when my wedding dress was being made. I framed our invitation and other wedding paraphernalia and embellished it with the lace. As green is my favorite color, our wedding invitations had a green design which I then used on other items.

on the dresser

2011-04-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

Some bits of jewellery, a nice little composition of silvers, greys and purples. A necklace that I put together some years ago with a collection of beads, charms and chain plus another necklace with a knotted design that I picked up at the pearl and jade market in Hong Kong a couple of years ago.

droplets

2011-04-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

Some lovely droplets on a leaf in the Melbourne rain last year.

[hike] with friends

2011-04-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

Every few weekends we like to go hiking, usually in the Santa Monica mountains. These pictures are from around this time last year where a group of us did a great hike in Temescal Canyon. As usual the view from the top was great.

I have quite a collection of pictures from hikes over the last year, stay tuned for more of the best of these.

You may have noticed a color bar on several posts. Read about it here.

[sweet or savory?] not a crumb left

2011-04-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

The other day I had the pleasure of catching up with a good friend and we decided to try Crumbs for a special treat. I am often near one of the stores and have to use major willpower not to cross the road and give in to temptation. But sometimes it's ok! Not only do these rather large cupcakes look amazing, they taste delicious. (Pics after the jump... )

Have a sweet weekend!

Rasberry swirl cupcake. Just perfect cream cheese frosting and jam filling!

Cosmopolitan cupcake! Mild flavoring, cream filled and pretty colors.

wedding album: work in progress

2011-04-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Our wedding was a little over a year ago but I'm still working on designing our album, it's seriously time consuming. We had a great photographer (contact me for his details, in Melbourne, Australia) and we ended up with several thousand images. It was more economical for me to do my own album plus I wanted to continue our theme within it. But simply sorting through them to find the ones we liked best was a job in itself! Once settled in our apartment I got started on the album design and I'm still going. I'm making a photobook-type album rather than a traditional album, using our wedding logo and colors to embellish the design and make it unique.

Anyway, I'm almost done (just the reception part to go) and I'm looking at options of who to use for printing. I want high quality print and binding for a reasonable (read: affordable) price. The sites I'm considering are: Photobook, Picaboo, Smilebooks or Shutterfly. I'm leaning towards a book with lay-flat pages (an option not offered by all companies) and often means standard hard cover without the option for a custom fabric or leather cover. The size is 12 in x 12 in, a less standard size so therefore less customizable options with some sites.

If you have used any of these companies, I'd love to hear your opinion of the product your ordered. Or if there's another photo book printing company that is recommended please let me know.

[out & about] submarine

2011-04-05T16:27:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we headed down to Long Beach, we'd never been to the waterfront and wanted to see what was there. We drove past the port area and around downtown a little, then headed towards the Queen Mary. We didn't have the time to spend exploring the ship but it is an impressive structure!

Next to the ship is the Scorpion Russian Foxtrot Submarine used in the Cold War, built in 1972. We took a tour of the submarine and chatted to some ex-Navy guys who worked on submarines during their service. Quite an experience. In this submarine you can walk through, climbing through hatch after hatch and see the complex wiring, piping, valves, machinery and cramped spaces the crew lived in for up to months at a time.

The image here is taken through the periscope!

roses [in my house]

2011-04-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

A lovely Friday afternoon surprise of a bunch of two-tone red and white roses from my husband. It's always nice to have some extra greenery and color in the house. On my list of projects is to start a small herb garden on the balcony to: a) be able to cook with fresh herbs and b) improve the view!

[friday fun] in the sun

2011-04-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous couple of Spring days here in Los Angeles, hot and sunny! Perfect day to get to the beach so that's what I did yesterday, a stroll on the sand by the waves, so refreshing after the hours spent at the computer. No pictures from yesterday, I decided to just relax rather than photograph the sand or water but these images were taken at Laguna Beach in November last year. (Lovely beach town in Orange County, CA.) The color and shapes against the backdrop of the ocean and sand made it fun to photograph. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend, have a good one!

Hello!

2011-03-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new Sarah's View blog - a place where I can share my latest personal projects, photography, inspiration and all things design related that I like. All the stuff that doesn't quite fit on my professional site!

My old blog became sorely neglected about two years ago due to moving house, travel and then getting engaged and married. I originally started that blog because I needed a creative outlet. From there I discovered a whole community of bloggers and conversation out there which made the experience richer and more fulfilling, particularly for a freelance designer like myself. Working from home can be a bit quiet! So I'm looking forward to seeing what this new blog will bring in terms of connecting with other designers (and blogger friends) out there.

For the start, I'm still tinkering with the template design and posting will be somewhat irregular as I attempt to fit blogging back into my schedule. I do hope to introduce regular categories alongside my general posting. I am very excited about some projects in the pipeline. So please subscribe and keep up to date with the latest. See you back here soon!