favorite links, blogs, and other stuff

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/ macroeconomic blog…super interesting
http://fallingwaterslandscape.com/ Ryan Prange rocks! so talented
http://www.rexray.com/ love this art!
http://holdithome.com/inspiration/ modern design and cool websites
http://www.casaduhagon.com/ interior designer in Baja, CA…great banquette ideas
http://domesticreflections.com my friend Jora, great cook, mom, modern design aficionado
http://www.bretthaydndesigns.com Solana Beach concrete and metal artist

Especially mid century style. Homes tend to be one story, very open, and just the right size.
Clean modern lines of anything, smooth stucco on homes, the color of grey cement; all very soothing to me for some reason
Public spaces\urban planning; so important…and vastly undervalued

Smaller spaces force you to interact more as a family and a community. On the home front, you have to edit your purchases and carefully consider every choice. Hopefully, that extra consideration results in better design\function choices. Another benefit is that you end up consuming less resources when you occupy a smaller footprint. A few examples of good small space design are: banquettes, open floorplans, indoor outdoor flow, flex spaces with multiple uses, outdoor living rooms, and utilizing your front yard for anything and everything.
http://inhabitat.com/tag/small-space-living/
http://smallspaceliving.blogspot.com/
http://www.dwell.com/blogs/
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

It’s really hard to pick one musical instrument but since i love both latin jazz and salsa music…the trumpet won.

Why we choose the careers we are in... I have a dear friend who has always chosen a modest career path because she doesn’t want her job to interfere too much with the full life she likes to lead. She is also very deliberate in not overcommitting her time socially or otherwise to avoid the stress of a crazy frentic schedule. (important note: although she is a US citizen, she was raised in Europe) As someone who’s been overcommitted and a workaholic for many years, I found her to be anthropologically fascinating from the very beginning. I always enjoyed our friendship but did not “get” how she found the courage to say no in such a nice way so often. It wasn’t until ten years into our friendship that I really understood and respected the intentionality in her decisions to not overcommit her time. She is truly inspiring.

Why we choose the houses we select…I’m fascinated by why we choose to live in the homes we live in. Housing, like many other decisions in life, is often a compromise. We don’t just comprimise financially. Price aside, often the home that we “see” our best selves in just doesn’t exist in the area we are looking. Solana Beach is a prime example of slim pickings. It is a rare luxury when we get to live in a home that represents our true essence. I like understanding whether you think your home really reflects who you are or if it is just a place holder for you due to the various compromises that we all make at times.

Why we spend more money on prisons than on Education? I’m somewhat obsessed with how we Americans got where we are today. I don’t think there is a great conspiracy at work. But it is oh so complicated. The confluence of factors are varied and absolutely fascinating.Why we as a society can’t rationally talk about religion’s role in America, why we spend more money on prisons than on education, and of course, the true cost of the drug war and every other war we’ve fought. The list is endless...