Hello and welcome to my blog. I live in Santa Cruz, California and have spent the last 12 years immersed in the worlds of textiles, food, and travel. Not a bad universe to inhabit! The birth of my daughter almost 3 years ago added yet another world, that of a single mother and with it the challenges of co-parenting. Busy? Yes, but still curious and a gleaner at heart. Always searching for that new knitting pattern, or book on ikats, a new red lipstick, low maintenance plants, or recipe for an abundance of lemons… All the while wondering how to keep my little girl creatively engaged in the world around her. These are a few of the topics that center my daily activities and keep me connected to my daughter and community.
If you are a fan of Vita Sackville-West, William Morris, Mary Randolph (the Virgina Housewife), the Victoria and Albert Museum, antique roses, harissa, Gastronomica, knitting, preserving, Wilco, 19th century novels, ballet, This American Life, chocolate souffles, and coffee, this may be the blog for you!
Like most women today, my interests are varied and deep. And like you, I juggle family, work, hobbies, and “me” time! As a single mother with a toddler, I decided that my travels may not be as spontaneous or lengthly as before, or my quilts as detailed as they used to be, or my recipes as laborious, but that I still have a fresh and unique, not to mention practical, approach to pursuing the things that bring me pleasure. And yes, there is pleasure in knitting a quick scarf during a movie, packing a picnic for a spontaneous hike, or indulging in Chocolate a la Ancienne (alone or with company), baking with one’s child, reading a new cookbook in bed, pulling out that last patch of sour grass, creating a menu, watching the new Bond movie, singing along in the car to one’s favorite music, or choosing a new fabulous lipstick. Yes, simple and profound pleasure in the detail.
Please stop by any time.
Sonia F. Bañuelos
