Laughing

by Crosby















I give my parents a lot of credit -- they got my brother and I out and into the wilderness, even in cold and foggy weather, almost every weekend growing up, even when we were teeny tiny. They are huge hikers, and even spent their honeymoon partially in Yosemite (other part in Carmel Valley), the site of some of their first times spent together in high school, camping and backpacking, naturally.

















Anyway, we were always at play in West Marin, whether it was at one of many beaches collecting shells and driftwood or in the woods collecting pinecones and feathers. My family is intricately involved in the nature that surrounds our particular part of the world and there is nowhere that feels more like home to me than out in Inverness, Bolinas, Lagunitas, Woodacre, Pt. Reyes, Bear Valley, etc.











As a result of those by-gone days, I have a serious soft spot for the 70s-era hiking gear my parents gleefully sported, and it's coming back into vogue lately it seems, at ridiculous prices. But it's fun to look, isn't it?


































































These items all from the most beautiful menswear store 'round the corner from me, Unionmade.

Simple Man

Or simple woman, as it were...My fingers are so freezing! There's been a cold snap the past few days and I keep forgetting that gloves are a viable option! We don't need em too often here, you see, so I need to dig around and find em. Anyway, this incredible sweater would help too right about now...










Sorry for the tiny pic -- click here to see it much bigger, along with a beautiful selection of other options. A Cowichan sweater seems like the coziest thing in the world today!

Traction in the Rain

It's too hot in the apt to sleep tonight. Back to Christmas shopping for the bf. It can be difficult, as I mentioned before, but I think I am done at last!


































Of interest, perhaps, to you: I bought this book for him tonight, a book of dreams! I can't believe I'd never heard of Lloyd Kahn before somewhere along the line -- he lives in Bolinas and wrote the famous book Shelter in the early 70s. (I'm loving his blog now!) I've picked up Builders of the Pacific Coast multiple times at my favorite shop, Gravel and Gold, and been totally taken -- the houses and spirits shown within are just what make my little heart sing (and the bf will agree)! The images resonate with what I've grown up around and what we hope our future dream home will be someday -- derived from and in harmony with nature, a bit rough edged, and hewn with love. It seems like just the kind of fantastical book we need to have in our home -- utterly inspiring. I have to admit this gift is as much for me as it is for him! I may post more about it once I've read the whole thing.




























Other Christmas gifts I'm giving are super man-specific so I won't go into great detail here...Giants tickets for the three of us and a Nitty Gritty vinyl cleaner (we are both huge record collectors), other assorted odds and ends. Last year we had a gift-free Christmas, which was good, and this year I overdid it, maybe to compensate? It's always a bit of a trial, attempting to figure out what will be a hit for the man who claims he doesn't want anything. But the payoff is grand, seeing his surprised and sweet face!

And, thanks to Lloyd's blog, I have spotted yet another book I would love to pick up eventually: