by Ashley on November 19, 2012
I got back late last night from Palm Springs, where I spent the past three-and-a-half days participating in Camp Mighty at the Ace Hotel. The official tag line is “Camp Mighty is a retreat for people who like to make cool things happen,” and I met some amazing people doing very cool things. For example, the woman making the impromptu, would-be Breck hair commercial with me here? That’s Jeanne Lewis, the CEO and co-founder of Creative Bug–a startup that aims to be the go-to source for online art and craft instruction. Like so many of the people I met, she had infectious enthusiasm about what is possible.
Some of my favorite bumper-sticker moments of the talks? Ben Silbermann, the founder of Pinterest, was the keynote speaker (with the sweetest family–seriously, we’re going to talk more about his mother-in-law sometime) and led with “Inspiration is contagious. But so is self-doubt.” Isn’t that so true? You know, I never mention it, but I think about how I should stop blogging just about every day. Self-doubt. So tricky.
Jordan Ferney struck a cord with many people when she said that “the chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want in the moment.” She made me want to post goals on my fridge! And from Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess: If you are doing something no one hates, no one will love it.”
There was also a business-tip trading session at one point and it was fascinating to hear from people whose experience ranged from working behind the desk at their parents’ laundry business all their lives to selling their little startup called Hootsuite. (Have you heard of it?) “Do what you do best, and hire out the rest” was the tip from Susan Petersen of Freshly Picked.
I got the chance to go because AT&T is going to help me do something philanthropic, to help me give back–and I’ll share more about that soon–so meeting these (very friendly) cool people who are doing very cool things at this oh-so-cool place, well this was really just icing.
P.S. Maggie Mason, who started Mighty Events (and who is also a UCDavis alum!), just launched Go Mighty–a site for sharing your life list and inviting brands to make things on it happen. Check it out. And for a couple more smile booth pics, check my twitter feed @ashleymuirbruhn.
by Ashley on October 12, 2012
Something I was really hoping I might run into at the Alameda Flea was an under-appreciated stash of Architectural pottery. No such luck. I think folks are pretty tuned in to these planters’ appeal (and value): a pair of vintage pots is on sale on 1st dibs for $1600. Vessel makes new ones in the $300 range, but that’s still wild! Aren’t they beautiful, though? I’d just take the plain white cylinder like he’s holding. Nothing fancy. Okay?
Here are some other things I’ve been thinking about sharing this week:
Hudson loves to sit in the backyard and watch the birds fly over at dusk. He even “caws” with the crows. I think he’d love
this Flensted Swallow mobile
.
On the subject of his room, I toyed with the idea of going all out nautical with the whole Hudson theme, but it turns out “
no-theme” is probably more my style.
A tutorial for painting over laminate–i.e. your Ikea Lack side table.
Not that any of us should really be making donuts, but
these kind are my favorites!
I finally have a frame for
this lovely cacti print. I just have to get over my commitment issues and start hanging things!
This playhouse turned out so pretty! Aron and I both had playhouses growing up and would love to set one up for Hudson. (
This one is pretty cool and would be era-appropriate. If only it weren’t so pricey!)
Interested in killing an hour browsing through wonderful old images? Try your luck
here.
We’re feeling nostalgic about
the autumn weekends we spent at the Kaaterskill, celebrating
Aron’s birthday. It’s nearly that time of year again. I wish we could sneak off there.
And finally, we chose a Halloween costume for Hudson and I can barely contain myself. (He’s going to be so sweet!) But wasn’t it just a few months ago that
he was a little infant shark?? What plans do you have in the works?
Have a nice weekend!
by Ashley on October 9, 2012
by Ashley on October 1, 2012
Though the shadows are getting longer and the mornings have grown decidedly cool, it still feels like summer here. The ten-day forecast reveals highs around 100 for the next few days, and 80s beyond that. So in lieu of bouquets of sharpened pencils, I’m still picking up baskets of strawberries and bowls of stone fruits at the farmer’s market.
I’m happy to report that while, of course, there will be plenty to miss about living in New York City this year, good produce and a lively local market is not one of those things.
Often listed among the best in the country, Davis’s farmer’s market runs on Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons–the latter of which runs late with live music from March to October. Aron and I have been going for years–since he was a wee lad and since I was an undergraduate at Davis in the mid-nineties–and we both agree that the displays have gotten more beautiful and the offerings more varied over the years.
And for the time-being, it still looks like summer–with just a few hints of the season to come.
P.S. Photos from the Davis farmer’s market in the spring, when I was pregnant with Hudson. (And two of our favorite markets in NYC: the Union Square Greenmarket and the New Amsterdam Market.)
by Ashley on September 17, 2012
We’re still getting settled in and there are about a million and one things we’d like to buy for the house, but priority number one was getting me (and Hudson) a bike. Twist my arm.
Aron is using our car to commute to work and so, thus far, I have been doing everything on foot or bike–the latter of which is especially convenient in Davis. Davis is renowned for its bike culture: nearly 90% of the city’s primary roads have bike paths. Even the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame chose to make the city its home, noting that Davis is recognized as a “Platinum” Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists and was once named America’s best city for biking. Anyway, point being that Hudson and I were to be getting around the city on two wheels every day, and I needed a new, super-reliable bike.
I started looking when we were in New York, and would go describe my needs in terms like this: where I’m going it’s fairly flat, but there are stop signs everywhere (and who knows when we might take off for a more hilly destination like Napa?), so a 3-speed is minimum and an 8-speed would be ideal. It’s California, so the weather is nice but it does rain so something with long front and rear fenders and an internal gear box is preferable. I don’t want to wear an ugly ankle strap, so I’d like it to have a chain guard. I won’t be carrying it up stairs or loading it in and out of a car much, but I should be able to lift it if required. I’ll be carrying my one-year-old and would also like to be able to bring home groceries and what-not, so it has to be able to safely support me and another 40 lbs without issue.
Oh, and I really, really want it to be pretty.
They suggested the Linus without missing a beat. And so far me and Hudson and the Dutchi 8-speed Linus are one happy little family.
P.S. Hudson is riding in the BoBike Mini Front Child Seat
.
