OUTDOOR ROOM

Remember when I made that awning a while back? I totally forgot to show off the latest addition... A 'wall'! It really encloses the patio to make a real room. Suddenly my apartment's doubled in size!
It was a big job. Not technically so difficult, but it's the first time I've made something to this scale.  I actually burned out my machine. It just stopped working on the last seam. Always the last one... It took some calculations and a lot of measuring to figure out exactly how much fabric I needed, but with some help from the terrific Marlene at Lincoln Fabrics I figured it out and made a pattern. (Another BIG job. You need a lot of floorspace.)

See?

Just another day at the office. PS- This was December.

Quite a fashionable pattern courtesy of the Last Magazine. Is it bad that I was parading around the fabric store with this thing flashing boobs everywhere?

Ta-Da! The final product. I've actually added grommets to that diagonal bit and tied twelve linen bows that close it off, but didn't take any photos. But the good news is, no more creepy neighbors!

POWDER POWER!

I have a confession... When I was 10 or 11, I got me and my BFF Valerie t-shirts that said "POWDER PRINCESS" in giant sparkly blue letters. (Don't make fun! That's not even the confession part...) If I still had it I'd have worn it today under all my clothes, because the snow was SO MUCH FUN!

couldn't see my skis most of the day.

Though these storms have been quite a nuisance to many across the country, I really could not be more delighted. There were 7" of snowfall reported this morning, but it didn't stop snowing all day. By the end, we were skiing in knee-deep powder in some parts.  We must have gotten at least a foot in the past 24 hours! Some kids got to skip school, others spent today waiting for delayed flights, I spent the day practicing my rebound retraction. That's what you get for skiing with two former instructors.  Gotta say though, I feel like I'm skiing better than ever before.  The helmet helps the fearlessness. Also, boot warmers.
I'm pooped from today. Curling up by the fire and checking out this funny book from 1967... The instructions are split into three groups: 'If you are a gifted or bold skier,' 'If you are a cautious skier,' and 'If you are a very cautious skier.'

I CANT FEEL MY TOES!

Today's view from the top of Dealer's Choice (mah fave run!)

OUTTA HERE!

Do any of you ever feel like you just need to up and GO? I've only been back in LA for ten days and I'm already bored. I love being home at the beach, sunset bike rides, my friends, and my neighborhood spots, but I'm afraid I'm infected with a serious case of the travel bug. I can't help but get bored and dream about the next places on my checklist. I've just booked myself an 8:30am flight to Denver tomorrow morning. I plan to take full advantage of my season pass, really work on my skiing and maybe even take a class or two with a coach (or just ski with my Dad as much as possible, same thing). Can't wait to rock my big fur coats, cozy knit leggings and snow boots!

HOW TO PLANT A PINEAPPLE

This is so ridiculously simple that it's silly NOT to plant one every time you eat one. Here in Panama we've been eating them about every other day, so I've started a little pineapple garden on the side of the house. The great thing about pineapples is that they are really low-maintenance (totally my style), especially in a tropical setting like this with an abundance of rain, you barely even have to water them.  It baffles me how they form. I used to think they grew on trees or something. We once grew one at my mom's house in LA. It took roughly a year and a half or so before it was ready.  Now, as some of you may know I don't exactly have a green thumb (succulents, remember?) but you really can't mess this up.

EXHIBIT A.

Cut the top off, leaving maybe an inch or so of flesh.

Continue cutting as usual, but hey! Don't throw that out!

This sweet hat will magically transform into a brand new pineapple. Some people like to trim it and let it dry out for a few days, but you don't have to get that fancy. We just planted ours straight in the dirt and it worked out just fine.

Pick a nice spot in your yard with lots of sunlight. If you don't live in a place conducive to pineapple growing, just plant it in a pot and leave it by a window with plenty of sun. (note... I may have planted mine a bit close together)

Bury it up to its "neck", just covering the flesh of the fruit. The hole doesn't have to be so deep, just enough that the leaves stick out of the ground. Water it every few days, and within a year or two you'll have a beautiful sweet pineapple of your own!

Check back in 2 years to see how they turned out!

friends who travel like me

Hey friends! My friend Lizzie bought a one-way ticket to Panama and is documenting her travels on her blog theysometimescallmeverde. Click here for a funny account of our adventures on Contadora!

Also, Olivia is landing here at PTY tonight, I'm sure more fun will follow! Check her out at the nomadic files. (Boo! she missed her flight!)

better not miss!

they sometimes call her verde

practicing on working my charm on the panga driver. maybe he'll take us back to the city?

BLACK AND WHITE BEACHES AND EL VALLE

Malibu

Long weekend in Panama for Dia de los Martires!  My friend Michelle invited us to her wonderful home in El Valle, a quaint town in the mountains. Her house is called Sans Souci, which roughly translates to "No Worries" in English, and that's exactly how you feel when you are there.  We were greeted by champagne in the jacuzzi, if that's any indication of how our weekend went.  The house is built on a hill, with a gorgeous terraced garden and an infinity pool trickling over a petrified wood waterfall, overlooking the tree tops.  Every morning, we enjoyed organic eggs from the coop on the property for breakfast.  We ventured to town to explore the farmer and artisan market and got a few things to take home to my kitchen. The clouds hang very low here and always give the place a mystical sort of quality.

We stopped at the beach on the way up and back into town, first at Malibu, and then Tits beach on the way back (that's right, Tits, the river there is called Rio Teta. Teta=Tits.)  On the Pacific side all the beaches have both black and white sand that create the most beautiful patterns when they mix together.

This is the India Dormida.  Legend has it, the chieftain's daughter fell in love with a Spanish conquistador, and as punishment she was sent up to the mountains, where she fell asleep and the mountain grew over her.

No trip to the beach is complete without a stop at Quesos Chela in Capira. This place is ALWAYS packed, and when you taste the empanadas de queso you'll understand.

heavenly, fluffy, crusty, melty, cheesy goodness...

Tits Beach