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hello there.

Well, whaddya wanna know?  Here's the plain and simple truth:  My name is Rebekah Tennis and I love design.  I love paper, the way it feels, its weight and texture.  I love extra special touches on little things: homemade tags on gift-wrap, old stamps on an envelope, and twine on nearly everything.

My husband, business partner and all-around solid rock Matt would probably tell you that he likes tools - lots of 'em, finding the perfect way to do something, taking things apart, and precision in everything. 

So you might as well have guessed by now... we are the perfect match for an old letterpress studio. Together we farm rice and have a small but adorable three-year old son, Cameron, and a chubby one year old, Lance.  This keeps us fairly busy, but whenever we have a spare moment, we crank up our 102 year old Chandler and Price platen press and pull some prints. 

There's more, oh yes, there IS more - but that's what this blog is for.  Take a look around, get to know us, our great town of Chico, California and our beautiful presses.


a sip { or two } of kauai.

Thursday, February 9, 2012 filed: Food, The Good Life, Travel

Aloha, there friends and readers. As you may have guessed from the title, we slipped away for a little family (and extended family, actually) vacation last month.

I actually hadn’t planned on sharing any photos on the blog from the trip… but I was going through my iPhoto account, and I realized three things: one) I have over 37 thousand photos that I have taken of the past 10 years, and two) most of them are not of my family members but of beautiful and inspirational things (and my family sometimes qualifies for that too), and three) I have over 37 THOUSAND photos from the past 10 years!

So, why not share some of that pretty inspiration with you all? It’s not like I blog everyday now as it is – since I produce all of my own content, not having to wait for the big before & after photo shoot or perfect print job means more blogging from me. Hopefully that’s a positive. Also, I think it lends to an easy free-style sharing of inspiration, which is always what I wanted “jots and tittles” to be.

Without further ado, I’m introducing two new features here on the blog (current features being home decor, food, family, chico, and letterpress): from the archives (random photos from the vault), and a more frequent travelogue. I’m not sure why I’ve been hesitant to share our travels on the blog – but the fact is that Matt and I are both passionate about travel, experiencing other cultures and stepping out of our comfort zone and into something new.

On our recent trip (big thanks to Matt’s wonderful parents for planning the whole thing!) I was especially enamored with the delight of a fresh fruity drink. In our house we are water, sparkling water, coffee and wine drinkers, pretty much. And most of America reaches for soda, right? These might change your mind…

Don’t the coconut rim and orchid make the drink? So lovely.

A calamansi and lime take on the mojito…

With a bit of a sugared rim.

Everything is better with a fresh pineapple wedge (the pineapple over there tastes SO much better than what we might get on the mainland).

We had Pina colodas…

…and we got caught in the rain…

We tried coffee also…

…The coffee plantation smelled amazing.

There were special drinks for little kids too…

And drinks for big kids…

(see the pretty dark float)

And don’t forget to be inspired by the sunset…

Now, excuse me, I’m off to convince Matt to make me a Mai-Tai. ;-)

    by rebekah

    8 comments

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    February 10, 2012 - 7:06 am Laura - Beautiful! We went to Kauai for my parents' 50th. More, please! What camera do you shoot with? My beloved local film processing place just went bankrupt. :-( I may have to switch to digital eventually. But want something that gives the results of film. Adore shooting in natural light as much as possible. Want the gorgeous detail of my trusty 30 year old Nikon FM2. Any suggestions?

    February 10, 2012 - 10:28 am Tina Dahl - Beautiful photos Rebekah! We are headed to Maui in April to celebrate my parent's 50th wedding anniversary, so these photos are so inspiring! Question: this will be our 6 year old twin's first airplane trip and I am already having cold sweats thinking of how we will accomplish this feat. As you and your boys seem to be seasoned travelers, any tips for kids on the plane and how not to drive everyone around you crazy :) ?????

    February 10, 2012 - 11:25 pm Jen - Lovely! I can't resist the pretty drinks either. We were just in Kauai. We are in love with the island and have been the last four years. Did you get rained on near Bubba's in Poipu? It looks like the same type of building. I love to read about other people's travel. I just found your blog (here from Brooklyn Limestone). I'll be back!

    February 11, 2012 - 8:05 am rebekah - It IS behind Bubba's in Poipu (at the Savage Shrimp). That's crazy, Jen! Kauai is a small island I guess! :)

    February 11, 2012 - 8:12 am rebekah - Boy, Tina I wish I could be more help! Sometimes you have to just grit your teeth and do it, which is what we kind of do with the boys (4 and 1). I brought many many snacks for Lance, who loves food, and brought Cameron a small gift to unwrap for just the plane ride (which was a puzzle toy). You know who has great tips for traveling with kids? Jordan Ferney at the blog Oh Happy Day. She lives in France now with her boys and knows her stuff. Have fun in Maui!

    February 11, 2012 - 8:16 am rebekah - Hey Laura! I have a Nikon d50 from about 2004. Digital has come a long way since it started! I did all film in college and love it and the dark room. I'd say you can't go wrong with a Nikon or canon dslr with a few quality lenses. Good luck!

    February 15, 2012 - 6:23 pm Donna Amis Davis - Would you believe we are supported by a church in Kauai? It's pastored by long-time former San Diegan friends. So we "have to" get over there from time to time, to express our gratitude and reconnect. But it's been eight long years since the last time. Any recommendations for great places to see, or things to do?

    February 16, 2012 - 11:15 pm rebekah - Hi Donna! Gosh, I wouldn't know where to start! We really enjoyed making trips to see all the waterfalls on lush and green kauai. If you like raw tuna (to die for if you enjoy sushi!) then don't miss getting an ahi poke from Pono Market. You can check out the caves up on the north coast (princeville) and our very best dinner was a fixe prix from 5 to 6 pm at the Kauai Coast resort. $25 for 5 courses and incredible local food. We also enjoyed doing a rather touristed luau, but we've never been to one before. Hope you have a great time - it's beautiful!

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