L O V E + M E T A L Blog: summer

Sep 19, 2013

It's been a packed couple weeks and though I've been taking lots of photos, I haven't put together posts on each topic. Instead of fretting or letting photos go to waste, I've created a mash-up cheater post to share with you ....everything all at once! Sneaky-sneaky... and enjoy xoxo

Emma Robertson of Emma Dime and Lo Crosier of LoCro invited a bunch of ladies over for happy hour at their co-joined studio spaces {dreamy}. Also check it: Emma's book just came out! http://amzn.to/1gACDTe

Made this little rosecut diamond ring for Heather and Jon. Jon actually made the band himself!

After getting back from the Grand Canyon and Zion, I was hungry for a good view... so I went for a 10 mile run on Mt. Tam. Lovely.

For some reason I got a crazy craving for oysters, so I drove out to The Marshall Store and ate a dozen BBQs with a buddy. We then stopped at Tomales Oyster Co. and picked up a sack to BBQ at my childhood friend's house in West Marin. This here is a Golden Nugget, a name right after my jeweler heart.

Uh, did I mention we got featured in SUNSET MAGAZINE?! Guess I should have mentioned that, it was such a huge honor! My neighbors Marion and Rose + Umami Mart were featured as well.

Took an overnight to my namesake/god-auntie's house in Sebastopol. We had a campfire with wine and great conversation, and I did an early morning jog through the orchards the next day. I also did an Enneagram and discovered I am a 7-- The Enthusiast/Epicure.

Just a pretty Oakland Sunset captured from my bedroom window.

Took a weekend trip to my Grandpa's house near Whiskytown Lake, and took the boat out for a picnic.

Found a bunch of old photos at my Grandpa's house, this one is of the two of us. He calls me Katy-Bird.

My favorite place to sleep in the whole world, out on my Grandpa's porch during the summer. Crickets singing, stars blarring.

Hiked out to Alamere Falls/ Bass Lake. I grew up in West Marin and unbelievably had never been before. Gonna go back with my bathing suit for a dip next time.

Bass Lake is a 3 mile hike in from Mesa Road in Bolinas.

The Falls. Like Whoa.

Walked out to the new tower on the Bay Bridge. Pretty awesome. It's 7 miles round-trip though, so wear sunscreen {this dummy forgot}.

Got out my sandcasting tools to craft a special ring for a client who wanted to use silver her Dad had given her, in remembrance.

The result.

That about brings us up to date, friends. xoxo

L O V E + M E T A L

S P R E A D T H E L O V E

Jul 8, 2013

When I was a kid, the whole family-- all my aunties, uncles, cousins, and family friends, would drive to Shasta and descend on my Grandma Alice's family house. Little more than a shack at the time, with barely working plumbing, slanted floors, screened in rooms, and relics from the gold-rush era haunting all the corners of the house. We would all go for a weekend, the adults weed-whacking away in the summer heat while us kids went bananas waiting for a ride to the Lake. The Shasta House ranks among my most favorite memories; pancake breakfasts, spaghetti dinners, playing Speed or Spoons with all my cousins on our beds, taking walks to Jay's Market for penny candy, and of course ski-tubing at the Lake in my Grandpa's 1950's ski boat. For years the tradition was to take a group photo on the last day of the trip out on the porch steps, some trips boasted over 30 people, in the later years sometimes it was just a handful.Eventually my Grandpa and his now passed wife, my Grandma Alice, decided to move up to Shasta permanently. They remodeled the house, keeping in tack the screened in wrap-around porch that housed our sleeping bodies all those summer nights, and created a really humble and lovely home. Rarely does a large group make the trek now, but I still love going even on my own. This time I spent my time reading and sleeping out on the porch, swimming at Whiskeytown Lake, taking short walks, and eating with my Grandpa (always full of interesting stories and conversation). Here are some outtakes from this latest trip.

Redding built a stunning length over the Sacramento Rive, The Sundial Bridge. The floor is somewhat see-through, and the tower is stunning. This morning birds were flying in a busy swarm overhead.

A little serpent inspiration...

East Beach at Whiskeytown Lake. The water is cool and very clean. I bought myself a floaty raft and took catnaps out on the water. There are overnight camping sites near here, a beautiful get-away.

Very near The Shasta House are ruins from the gold rush. Shasta used to be the northern capitol, the park service has done a great job preserving a lot of incredible California history at the Court House Museum across the street.