Such a long way to go

I finished this part
Working on this end
Still have all of this side though!!

First off, apologies for the quality of the photos, the lighting is very strange today and I couldn't get a great shot of the runner. Do you see how much I have yet to do?! It's not like I have been working on it non stop, but I fear that I won't get it done in time for when I want to use it. I have to force myself to not put it down for too long, or it will get put in closet until next season. I always tend to do this to myself.I work on pieces that are of the season,and when I can't get close to finishing them for a particular event or just for decoration,I put it away until next year. This is not a good way to work and I really need to stop doing that. I have a real cute Christmas project I was working on, but didn't finish it, so it is in the dark closet waiting for me to pull it out. Same goes for the cute bunny one that I had on my Easter post. Who out there does this? Is there a cure for such nonsense? Today, I plan on continuing and seeing how far I can get, that is after I clean the bathroom and do laundry etc....see what I mean, I'm already over booked with chores how can I possibly get this thing done!HELP

The first steps

Tell me why I thought this dress would be finished by today? Well, probably because I was thinking of the time frame I would have finished it. First off, I thought the dress was due to be completed by this coming Friday,which as it turns out it is not. Thank goodness,because it will take much longer if she wants to do the bulk of it. Saturday,she cut the top portion of the dress,while I did the bottom. The bottom will be organza and taffeta. It was so slippery,that I thought she would have much too difficult of a time in cutting it. After the cutting was done,I showed her how to flat line the skirt,so in the bottom picture she is basting the organza to the taffeta. That is as far as we got over the weekend,since she had piles of other homework to do. I think what we will do, is start in the afternoon when she gets home from school and take our time. I think the dress has to be done by May 16th.
Very warm weekend here, I do believe it got up into the low 90's! Today, a much cooler one,but sunny. On Sunday we did manage to get away to Berkeley again for a bit of lunch after church. We went to Tacubaya, the sister restaurant to Dona Tomas. It was a nice lunch and we ate more than we should have!! Today I go back to my water aerobics class after not being there all last week. I need to get all the Mexican food out of my system. Have a fantastic week everyone.

Look what I won

I entered Jen's contest on "I made it Monday" and won this adorable necklace from her. Her blog is adorable and you must go take a look at it. She has some beautiful crochet patterns and lovely jewelry. I tried and failed with trying to put a link on here,so the best way to find her is to look on my side bar under favorite blogs, hers is called " The Fabled Needle"
Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Caitlin and I will be sewing the dress most of the time, and longingly looking out the window at the 80 degree weather that is coming our way. Maybe we will escape for a bit to enjoy it. Hopefully I will have some pictures of the completed dress.

Some of my favorite things

There is nothing quite like fresh cut flowers in your home is there? I once saw a program with Dr. Andrew Weil discussing the things you need to include in your life and home to be well. Of course most of it was about vitamins and a healthful diet,but the one thing that stood out was his comment on how you should always have a vase of fresh cut flowers in your home. Doesn't have to be grand, just a small bouquet. It made me smile and somehow feel justified that all those times I tried to brighten up the house, I was actually doing a good thing for me and my family. He went on and on about how the physical beauty of the flowers helps your mind and spirit. Could be all a load of new age babble, but I think he is right. I always have fresh cut flowers in my home every day. I try to extend the life of them by giving them a fresh drink of water after a few days, so that I won't have to spend too much. They always bring life to the rooms they are in. I bought these beauties at Whole Foods yesterday. The flower lady,who now knows me very well, told me they just came in,and that they were organic. I don't think I have ever gotten organic flowers;they even have to be kept separate from the others. I guess you can use them to decorate with food etc. Anyway, aren't they lovely!!
My other favorite thing is this tea. I love all different kinds of tea, but this one from France(Mariage Freres) has to be hands down my favorite. I'm a big time coffee drinker,but in the afternoon I really can't handle it,so I switch to tea. I use to go to this very tea house in Paris and buy my little stash every month or so. It was always such a treat to go in there. The smells and the way the shop looked was amazing, even down to the off white linen suits the men wore behind the counters. They were there to assist you if you wanted to mix your own blend. I was a bit too shy to do that, so I always grabbed a tin and off I went. Caitlin and I have tea usually every afternoon together, either at Whole foods right before we shop for dinner, or at home. It really makes you stop, have a nice conversation and relax for a minute, something we all need to do I think. Please people, don't get one to go and dash off, sit and enjoy it! It is great for the mind and spirit :)
The picture of the light blue candle is my last treasure from Laduree,it is a chocolate scented candle. The other scents they had were, brioche and I believe vanilla. If you want a little taste of Laduree there is a store in San Francisco that sells these candles,called Bellochio here is there link. I found this store years ago and I'm so glad that it still is in operation. Have fun perusing, and get a little something for yourself while you at it.

P.S. This is the first time I'm adding some links on here and I hope they show up. Every time I preview the post,it doesn't seem to show up, so If they don't come up I'll try again.

Nicole and Pierre

Yesterday I tried to write this post,but blogger was not cooperating. Looks like things are up and running today, so here I go.
I've written plenty about Caitlin,and promised I would do so with both girls,so this post is all about Nicole and Pierre. I don't think I really ever get tired of telling their romantic story. I will not make it too long, and give you the shorter version. As you know we lived in France for two years, Nicole started her first year of college at the American University of Paris and it was in that last year of living there,where she met Pierre. We were set to move back to the States in July of 2004 and they met at the end of May and had a whirlwind romance!!
The most comical part was the night before Pierre was to come to our house to ask my husband for her hand in marriage. We had some friends over for dinner that night, when Nicole takes me upstairs to tell me this news. The guests arrive,and I have this knowledge the entire evening! Guests leave at around midnight,and my husband decides to fast fall asleep. I really don't know why I didn't just wake him up and tell him what was about to happen the next day,but I felt at the time that the poor guy,who is not a night owl, needed to sleep. I don't think I slept that night at all!!
Next morning I tell David soon as I can,and the poor guy really didn't know what to say. Bright and early Pierre arrives dressed up with a small gift in hand,and they have their meeting downstairs. Things go well,and days later, Pierre officially proposes to Nicole on top of the ferris wheel in front of the Louvre. They had a romantic dinner afterwards and well, the rest is history as they say. Nicole actually had to fly back to the States with us and leave Pierre for a few weeks to figure out how he was going to obtain the proper documents to come to the States. After much research, they decided that it would be easy if Nicole flew back to Paris and they got married there. On a sad note, we did not get to attend the ceremony,since on the day they got married we were moving into our new home here in Walnut Creek. They will celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary in August. At the moment, they live in San Francisco and Nicole is attending CCA (art college) as a fashion design student. Pierre found work in his field as a computer engineer.
So folks, that is the story of Nicole and Pierre.

Lazy weekend

Favorite breakfast place in Berkeley
My new spiffy sandals

This past weekend was your average lazy weekend. Saturday usually starts out very slow at Chez Mackey,with several cups of coffee and Caitlin and I,and sometimes David, sitting on the couch watching the VH1 video countdown. I don't know why we torture ourselves with this every Saturday,since many of the videos are not great! It is just one of those things that we do to start the weekend that has become a Saturday morning ritual. After finally peeling ourselves from the couch,mind you poor David has been showered and ready to go since 7:00am, we get ready for the day. We usually head over to Whole Foods for lunch, then decide if we will go to the city or just watch a movie here. That is Saturday in a nutshell.(We did manage to buy all the fabric for Caitlin's dress). Sunday we go to 10:45 mass then out to lunch somewhere fun like yesterday, we went to Saul's in Berkeley. Can't say enough wonderful things about this yummy place. I also managed to snag these very cute sandals after lunch at the Walk Shop across the street. I love the color and they are so comfy. So people, that is a typical lazy weekend here. Hope everyone had a good one.

Happy Friday

Happy Friday everyone. This won't be too exciting of a post,as my head is a bit fuzzy from having a cold. Thought I'd share this cute little table decoration that I bought on my trip up north. Aren't they adorable, sharing a little glass of wine together? I'm a sucker for rabbit and bird related things.

Trip down memory lane

This little seventh grader on her first day of school in Paris, will be graduating this June! When I did my post yesterday, I got to thinking about this picture for some reason,and thought I'd share it with you all. Maybe it has to do with the school year ending and how I can't believe that she will be in college in the fall. Where did the time go? I feel like we just moved back from France and Caitlin just started high school. This picture brings back a lot of memories of that day and her time there as a middle schooler. I think she learned so much going to this international school and it really shaped how she is today. Both my daughters celebrated graduations there; my oldest graduated high school and Caitlin graduated 8th grade. I'm starting to sound like an empty nester no? Don't you remember hearing your parents say.."Wow time sure does fly doesn't it,look how big you are." Of course kids don't think in this way, so it goes right over their heads when they are being told this. I surely didn't think I would be saying it,but here I am doing like all the parents before me have done. I know this post seems a bit early,as Caitlin does graduate in June, but I just thought about this picture and how it made me feel today,and I know I won't have the time to do this kind of post in the middle of all the preparations in June. So, I leave you with another trip down memory lane of our life in France. I promise there will be some pictures of fabric for the project and actual making of the 1950's dress. This weekend we plan on getting all the supplies and cutting the dress out. Stay tuned

Sometimes I dream of this place

This is the location we use to go to on Rue Royal
I bought this book last time I was in Paris
The Religieuse
Their packaging is so amazing!
Famous macarons
Some adorable treats.

Since I have no updates on the project that Caitlin and I will be embarking on soon, I thought I'd share my favorite place in Paris. While there are many wonderful patisseries in Paris, this by far is the best!! I can't even describe how wonderful everything in there tastes and smells, and don't even get me started on their packaging. I saved many boxes of theirs when we purchased goodies and still treasure them to this day. There are three major locations in Paris, but this one on Rue Royal is my favorite. The book pictured above, is my way to escape back there from time to time. I can't wait for our family trip in 09 to France, so that I can go to Laduree!! If anyone saw the new movie about Marie Antoinette, you will see many of Laduree's desserts showcased. Don't you want to hop on a plane and go this divine place?!

Caitlin's senior project

Beautiful dress Grace Kelly wore in "Rear Window"
Closest pattern we could find to duplicate the look

I think we had it made back in the day when we were seniors in high school. Did any of us have to do a senior project that was presented in front of a class of your peers? I sure didn't!! Caitlin's theme is costuming in 1950's film. She chose to try and duplicate the dress pictured above. Since this is her very first sewing project EVER, it should be interesting. I will of course have to guide her through it and teach her as much as I can. We have only gotten as far as buying the pattern,and need to get to the fabric store a.s.a.p! I think it will be beautiful when it is done though and fun to see her wear it. She loves vintage clothing and has worn similar things to school before,so the students won't be that shocked when she comes in wearing it for her presentation. I will have to put my silk blouse on hold for the moment until this little gem is finished. At this time I am still working on the lemon table runner anyway. Since summer is just around the corner I will have plenty of time to work on my things.
Wish us luck!! I'll try and post some photos in progress too.

A jaunt to my sister's house

Isabella,Caitlin,and Natalia
Matthew a.k.a "Murch"
Cooling off

Saturday we took a trip up to see my sister in Sacramento, to pick up some baby items for a friend and to visit. It is always fun to visit my sister and her family. My sister, I would have to say, is my best friend next to my husband. Even though she is seven plus years younger, we have always been very close. Her children are 12,10, and 4. We always have a bunch of fun when we get together. Saturday, we met for lunch and then wandered around Sacramento, even though it was extremely warm, close to 90 degrees. Luckily, she does have a very nice pool to cool off in. My husbands mother lives about 30 miles, give or take, north from my sister, so he decided to have a little visit of his own. We all later met up for dinner,and headed back to the Bay Area.
In the above picture of Matthew, I also refer to his nick name of Murch. My sister and I always laugh at this since it is such and ugly name for such a cute kid. You are probably wondering why she nick named him this......Well, actually Matthew came up with that word. He use to call chocolate milk "Murch" and regular milk "Milch." He also has other very funny words like: Lanquet,for blanket, and my favorite one is "Langdang" that is his imaginary friend. All three children are very adorable and have great personalities!
This is how we spent part of our weekend...Today it is still warm and we have been doing nothing around the house. Poor Caitlin is illustrating a major project for school,so she is not happy at the moment.
Hope everyone had a restful fun weekend.

Good Bye To The Season Of Cozy Food

This split pea soup is probably the last warm cozy comfort food that I will be making,as we say good bye to the colder season. I struggle every year with this,as I love to cook like crazy in the fall and winter months. We have really never been a grilling sort of family,so the season coming really isn't my favorite for cooking. We bought a grill last year for the very first time in our married lives, and we did have fun experimenting with it last summer. This year I hope to not feel so annoyed by cooking in the warmer months, and maybe do some more experimenting with the good old grill.

The Three French Ladies

"Aux Dauphins"
"Aux Tulips"
"Fleurs des Champs"

These demi tasse cups are nick named by me as the "Three French Ladies" The first one of these that I received was the "Aux Dauphins." This was purchased while visiting my dad when he was living in France back in 1993. We were in Versailles touring the chateau,when I came upon this little beauty in the gift shop. I had celebrated my birthday while visiting,and my dad had not gotten my a birthday gift yet. He said that if I find something I like while we were touring any of the sites, that he would get it for my present.....So, Voila! That is how this collection started. The other two were purchased while we were living in France, by my husband, for I think a birthday and one on Mothers day. They are manufactured by the "Ancienne Manufacture Royale de Limoges." They are replicas basically of ones that are in a museum in Paris called "Musee des Arts Decoratifs" or in Limoges in a museum called "Musee National de Porcelaine." If any French speakers are reading this, I apologize for the missing accents.
I have some other Limoges pieces that I might share later, but I think that these lovely ladies need a post all their own. When I go on trips I try to collect very interesting demi tasse cups that have some unique quality to them. I try not to go for cutesy,and they have to reflect the area where I get them. I bought a really neat one in Spain a couple of years ago that I really love. Anyway, I might do another post later on my vast collection of tea cups. Tableware is my big weakness!!

More on the trip

When I said some things changed for the good and some didn't, This place was one of the didn't change,and still good categories! Los Bagels started in hippie town Arcata,and has always been a student hang out. My husband went there a lot,but I really didn't. It wasn't until I moved out of college town Arcata to Eureka, that I started to eat them. On this trip, we decided to see if it was still any good. It was ,and then some!! I had a vegetarian tortilla soup with a salad and bagel, and Caitlin had that yummy thing above. The smells in there and all the flavors was truly Arcata at it's finest. I wish we had a really good bagel place here. Anyone out there reading this from the Bay Area, let me know if you have found one.

Our trip to Humboldt County

View from our vacation rental
The cottage we lived in when we lived in Eureka
Victorian village of Ferndale
Portrait of Hobart Brown
Hobart's living room
Creepy cemetery in Ferndale
Gang on the beach at Patrick's point
Love birds on Wedding Rock
Caitlin and Nicole
Carson mansion,Eureka
The original and first Restoration Hardware
Cool book store in Old Town Eureka
On our way home, through the Avenue of The Giants

It has been 22 years since we moved away from Humboldt county. This is where my husband and I met, fell in love,married,graduated college,and had our first daughter. We moved away as a young family of 3 in January 1986,and return for a visit as a mature family with grown children. In those 22 years, we did go visit from time to time, since we have dear friends that still live up there. We had a lot of good times with them as did our children with there children.
We spent our time this vacation visiting the university(Humboldt State),checking out Arcata, Eureka and did a bit of hiking at Patrick's Point state park.All the usual stuff.There were some things that changed for the better and some things that have not. Glad to see that the true hippies still are up there,and glad to see that my beloved Art Dept. hadn't changed hardly at all!! We visited the Victorian village of Ferndale, a town untouched by time. We got creeped out when Nicole and Caitlin noticed that in the middle of the day there were hardly any people and all the shades were drawn in the middle of the day. For those of you who know Stephan King's work, Salem's lot was filmed there. A tale of Vampires. We quickly left after a strange encounter with a local store keeper. Before we did though, we toured the home of Hobart Brown (google him). He is the founder of the annual kinetic sculpture race. very odd man, who some say was the head of the wicken group in that area. He passed away last November. His home is very cluttered and has a very weird feel to it,see photos above.
All in all ,great fun with the family and friends.

Oh, forgot to mention the Restoration Hardware story. The photo above is the first R&H there ever was. My husband worked there with the founder,Steven Gordon, back in the eighties. I even did some of the windows from time to time. Very funny for us to see what R&H is now. It was so much cooler then I must say, as it catered to wood workers and people restoring all the Victorian houses in the area.