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Juliet Russell • Make Mine A Spritzer

@makemineaspritzer

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Home, style & the occasional cocktail
Read my latest dispatch here ⤵️

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I don’t know if I’m cut out for this Instagram thing. I spent the entire morning taking pictures of myself. It’s harder then it looks. And it’s safe to say Ralph Lauren won’t be sliding into my DMs anytime soon. Sometimes I wonder, what I’m doing? Are you laughing at me or laughing with me. Let me know ⬇️

I’m wearing the softest denim shirt dress from @frankandeileen I bought it at @shopflaunt in Danville. If you live in the Bay Area, get yourself over there. If not, it’s linked in my #ltkshop and stories.

#microinfluencerproblems #makemineaspritzer taken in Orinda, California by @makemineaspritzer

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Being back in the classroom at 63 has been many things including humbling, energizing, but mostly terrifying. My fellow students (18-25 range) seem unphased by having a grandma in class so most of my stress revolves around getting homework done on time, and writing an essay that will be 50% of my grade … eek. What I’m not stressed about is what to wear to class. Never has my coastal grandma summer uniform been better suited to my situation.

Highlights - AYR’s The Secret Sauce jeans are unexpectedly soft and comfortable for sitting behind a desk for hours on end. And L.L. Bean’s mini tote looks small, but the interior seems bottomless. It holds all my usual stuff, plus mid-morning snacks, extra pens and highlighters – which make me a popular student. ⚓ 👵 🤍

Links shared in stories.

#summerstyle #coastalgrandmother #makemineaspritzer taken in San Francisco Bay Area by @makemineaspritzer

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3 months ago

Snowberry Rewind | Week 4 The front yard garden … where to start. Well, the transformation went pretty smoothly, and my dream of gravel paths lined by bricks tilted on their sides, in front of garden borders overflowing with iceberg roses, lavender, and soft grasses, came true. We added small citrus trees and, in the shadier part of the garden, hydrangeas, camellias, and ferns. And that’s the pretty picture I presented on my blog and socials.

What I didn’t talk about … much … was how our garden was plagued by critters who won every battle. In an effort to reduce the damage, the front and back yards were fully fenced, and we added gopher barriers underground and rose cages above. Other than the fence — which did keep the deer from munching the plants — not much deterred the critters, and we became regular customers at our local nursery.

The fence was where our values aligned. Everything after that was a negotiation. Jim, a true animal lover until a gopher gets involved, wanted to go full varmint-kong — traps, sprays, the works. I strenuously objected and I’m pleased to report I won that battle. Rest assured no critter lives were threatened in the making of this garden — though plenty of roses and lavender did not survive.

In tragic news, the front yard magnolia tree died. It was old, already stressed by warming weather and drought, but I think the house renovation, followed by the garden renovation, did it in. We called in tree expert after tree expert and followed all their advice, to no avail. The tree was declared dead, and we reluctantly cut it down. Its replacement, a weepy, breezy, airy Chinese elm, thrived. It’s pretty fast-growing, and by the time we moved out, it was really hitting its stride. I loved that tree but never stopped feeling a little bad about the magnolia.

Landscape: Enchanting Planting
Fountain: Giannini Garden Ornaments

Cover Photo: Monica Vargas Photography

#snowberryrewind #gardenrenovation #critterproblems #makemineaspritzer taken in Orinda, California by @makemineaspritzer

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3 months ago

Snowberry Rewind | Week 3 – The Backyard Glow-Up, part one

The outside needed as much love as the inside. Overgrown shrubs, slippery mossy brick walkways (yes, I took a tumble), a sloping swampy lawn, and a rat-infested hot tub. Enough said.

During the renovation we enclosed the carport into a proper garage and installed carriage doors in back for better flow — which turned out to be essential when the landscape work started and the Bobcat arrived. And from there, the transformation unfolded.

A new stone retaining wall expanded the patio by several feet and included a built-in water feature. A custom fire table flanked by comfy sofas with string lights overhead became an extension of our living room. We used the outdoor kitchen several times a week, year-round.

Summer and fall were Snowberry’s time to shine — and since we lacked a formal dining room inside, we did all our entertaining during those warm seasons.

The swampy lawn gave way to gravel paths lined with planting beds full of boxwood balls, rose trees, hydrangeas framed by dogwoods. The old wood retaining walls were zhushed up with simple lattice and painted brown to fade into the landscape.

Snowberry’s backyard wasn’t large by any stretch, but it had everything we needed — and every two- and four-legged member of the family enjoyed every second out there.

•Landscape Design: Enchanting Planting
•Outdoor Kitchen Fittings: Friedmans
•Patio Furniture: RH & Terra Outdoor
•Pillows, Throws & Mirror: Serena & Lily
•Pots & Spouts: Giannini Garden Ornaments

#snowberryrewind #beforeandafter #smallbackyardideas

Cover Image: Monica Vargas Photography taken in Orinda, California by @makemineaspritzer

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4 months ago

Snowberry Rewind | Week 2 — The Main Living Spaces

The rooms we lived in most were the ones that took the longest to reimagine … and they became the heart of Snowberry’s color story.

It all started with the kitchen. Snowberry gets a lot of attention for its green kitchen, but would you believe my original vision was white?! A white kitchen next to a white beadboard great room and a white wainscot library. That’s a lot of white.

One day it hit me … all white was all wrong for this house. I needed a new direction, and an inspiration photo on Pinterest opened my eyes. The house was calling out for a green kitchen. I chose Farrow & Ball’s Vert de Terre, and from there Snowberry’s entire color palette fell into place … including Oval Room Blue on the front door and library, which ended up being the second most commented-on feature in the house.

White still has its place … on the beadboard walls throughout the kitchen and great room, and on all the millwork and trim. White ties it all together.

Front Door: F&B Oval Room Blue
Foyer & Hall: F&B Slipper Satin
Library: F&B Oval Room Blue
Kitchen: F&B Vert de Terre
Great Room Bar: F&B Green Smoke
Millwork & Trim: BM White Opulence

Images: @jessicabrydsonphotography

#farrowandball #greenkitchen #makemineaspritzer #homerenovation snowberryrewind taken in Orinda, California by @makemineaspritzer

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4 months ago

We almost skipped it.

After a long, rainy day touring houses, I was done. Every home felt more disappointing than the last. Jim talked me into one more.

We pulled into the driveway, and I just knew. This was our house. This was Snowberry.

This summer, I’m sharing something I’ve never done before — a full retrospective of our renovation. Fifteen weeks of photos I’ve never posted, stories I’ve never told, and an honest look back: what I’d do over, what I’d repeat, the years we lived there, and why we let it go. I’m calling it the Snowberry Rewind.

We sold Snowberry one year ago today. Our new home, the Folly, is due in September. It feels like the right moment to look back before we step forward.

There’s more to this story than I’ve ever shared. I’m starting today.

Welcome back to the house that changed everything ... for me.

#snowberryrewind #makemineaspritzer #snowberryhouse #homestories #myhomestyle taken in Orinda, California by @makemineaspritzer

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6 months ago

Last weekend niece Shelby was in town, and we took her on a tour of the Creekside Folly.

It was so fun to see and hear her reaction to the house because last time she saw it was just a tiny – and sadly unsalvageable – cottage.

The timing of her visit was great because the sheetrock was just completed and that gives us a really good feel for the space. Her first reaction was ‘it doesn’t feel small at all’ and that makes me very happy.

She got a good look at her future guest accommodations, and we were thrilled to get the Shelby seal of approval.

Each week the house progresses I think about what lesson I can take away from the prior week and this week it was trust and patience. I won’t elaborate.

Any way things are moving along really quickly. Stay tuned.

Filed under: custom home build • small house design • cottage-style home • intentional living • creekside folly taken in San Francisco Bay Area by @makemineaspritzer

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