slow decorating

i’ve long admired chloe warner’s ability to create polished yet lived in rooms. she always mixes a little granny into her spaces and i love her for it. this san fran home has all that and is just delightful…

the least i can do

14.7 million acres. so far.

that’s how much of australia has burned away. 1/3 of the entire koala population is gone. and that’s just so far. SO FAR!

i’m only gonna do this once because it’s not what this blog is about and you might be here for a golden globes recap- but i feel very strongly and deep in my gut that these fires in australia are going to get worse before they get better. well, i mean the science is also telling me that but that’s not the point. the point is this: if you haven’t done anything you absolutely have to. 1 dollar helps. 500 is amazing. do what you can obviously, but remember that these fires are going to last through february and beyond more than likely. see the thing is there is always a bush fire in australia. like it’s totally normal. at least during the summer. which is now. the issue is that they are experiencing record breaking temps combined with a national drought and when you mix in high winds….well i’m no expert but that sounds like a recipe for disaster.

the reality is (and this is for all of us everywhere) climate change has worsened the scope of natural disasters like fires and floods. so, this isn’t because australia is dry and hot and fires are normal there. it’s because australia is dry and hot and fires are normal there but rain is also normal and it’s usually what keeps the fires under control. and thanks to global warming temps are rising everywhere and rain is scarce.

the reality is, bushfire conditions are now more dangerous than in the past, and the risk to people and property has increased. it is also becoming more dangerous to fight bushfires in australia.

the air from these fires is so toxic at times it is equivalent to smoking 3 packs of cigarettes a day.

and don’t get me started on the animals. it’s all i can do to not scream.

so before i get TOO intense let me just share all the ways you can help.

and if you’re like me and can only donate a small amount of money just get the word out. at every level.

and not just about this disaster. but about the bigger picture. because OH THERE IS ONE.

for one thing we have to vote. we have to vote for the people who support climate science and listen to SCIENTISTS on what global warming is and is doing to our planet. stop voting for cunts who make fun of little girls.

are you one of the people convinced there’s no such thing as global warming? or do you just want to understand it better? here is an excellent article from national geographic on the causes of global warming (hint hint: it’s you and the greenhouse gases you are emitting).

so right this minute do your part to help those that are in dire need of help:

donate to the australian red cross for help with relief and recovery.

to the australian salvation army who are helping provide meals and shelter for evacuees and front line responders.

st. vincent de paul society australia is using their donations to help families rebuild and cover bills.

and the new south wales fire service is collecting for families that have lost members.

wires australian wildlife rescue is helping all the animals.

also this verified gofundme koala hospital in port macquarie and this one in currumbin.

once you’ve donated come back and watch this.

happy new year

hello and happy everything.

we had a shit christmas and that’s that. snuggie had an abscess on his thigh burst the likes of which i have never seen. think alien. full on explosion. thankfully we were at the vet when it burst. thoughts and prayers to the tech that was the recipient of gallons of pus and blood all over her scrubs. we aren’t sure what caused the abscess in the first place if it was from rough housing one of our other cats or if it was a by-product of his on going issue with his hip. anyway, it was such an intense rupture that the skin on his leg basically disintegrated. so there wasn’t anything to stitch up, which means he has to have wet dry bandages stitched into the surrounding area that need to be changed every other day under sedation. which is expensive. 115 or more per change. we are now at change number 7 and have anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks left of this. i’ll let you do the math on that as it makes my brain bleed. there’s a go fund me set up for his care if you’d like to contribute. any little bit helps.

not to be outdone by the cat my dad had a heart attack on christmas eve. he’s ok. and in fact he’s home and doing well. but he was very very lucky as the tests came back with a 95% blockage. at this point we were all like is this a joke? where are the hidden cameras?

lots of other stupid little shit too, like exploding computers and nearly sliced off fingers. all within the 3 days leading up to christmas.

it really tested me. i think given the circumstances i remained pretty composed. i still managed to create a pretty christmas and cooked dinner for immediate family - minus dad who was in the hospital :( we facetimed - he was good. fiona got the things she wanted most and we watched home alone 4 times. the older i get the funnier that movie is to me. i am turning into my grandpa.

new years eve was good. fiona turned 15 and spent the night with her grandma, ice cream, staying up til 2 am and to not go to the annual neighborhood party was what she wanted the most. mike and i went to the annual neighborhood party and had too much fun. the three of us laid around all day on new years day watching paranormal tv and laughing our asses off and it was honestly the thing i will remember the most.

here are some snaps of the house at christmas…

mom’s dutch apple pie and chocolate truffles from my MIL made out of crushed up oreos and cream cheese. they were stupid good.

shop the post:

last minute gifts

here are some last minute gift ideas that are sure to please…

a warm teddy coat or a tin of shortbread (hi dad) or the prettiest lavender hat or a bright blue dutch oven that will hold and roast a chicken perfectly or a funky candleholder meets floral arranger for the arrangement challenged or these excellent coasters or the entire script of fleabag so they can read and quote forever or the world’s best moisturizer in a giant bottle for your entire body or a book of batch cocktail recipes bc it’s actually hard for some people (me) to do the math when trying to double or triple or quadruple recipes or maybe a print of waffle house because it’s the fucking best or how about a frame with a family photo in it or a cute new silicone phone case?