This is what I did on a rainy afternoon

I decided to make a pear tart today, since it has been very rainy and that always says, sewing or baking. I decided I wanted to make this tart again, after I made a very silly mistake on the recipe last time. I won't say what I did, I'm just too embarrassed.
I bought this cook book in France, and I have to use my scale that I bought there when I cook from it. You feel ever so professional when your are using it :)
This part of the recipe makes the whole house smell of vanilla and pears...yummy. They have to poach in sugar water and a vanilla pod.
The pastry is a sweet crust. One that I don't normally make, but I sure do love how it rolls out.
You then have to blind bake it for a few minutes before you put it all together. I forgot to take a snap of the filling, which is ground almond, eggs, sugar and a bit of flour.
My tart pan was a bit too small, so I had a half pear left and too much filling, but I think it turned out quite lovely.. the tart pan is another "Gien" piece that I have. It has matching little dessert plates with all kinds of fruit on it.
I hope it tastes good.

Tagged once again

I was tagged by my daughter over at "Feather" to:1. Go to the 4th folder in your computer where you store your pictures
Pick the 4th picture in that folder, then explain it. #2. Then tag four people.
Well, mine is the above picture of the Anish Kapoor sculpture in the Millennium Park(Chicago) We went to visit my Dad back in 2006, and walked around this very beautiful park, where this sculpture is. It looks like a giant silver bean.This photo was taken when we walked under it and looked up.

The next part of this tag is to list 5 addictions......here are mine, in no particular order.
Silver....I love the stuff and I'm constantly attracted to anything made of it. Don't even get me started with tin foil :) I mean look at that stunning Tiffany bracelet above!
Newly sprouted grass. I love running my hand over it.
Silk ribbons, they are so ethereal in nature I think.
Coffee....I'll be so sad when the doctor one day tells me I can't have it.
A brand new box of Crayola crayons. Such wonderful memories of the first day of school, when you were given that box.....Oh the possiblities. I still see them that way.

I don't know if all of the things I listed are addictions per say, but that is my list.



I think I will tag

Melissa at Charmed Life

Leanne at Crazy little thing called life

Dawn at The Gahan Girls

Nerm and Kitty at Nerm and Kitty

Another random post

I've started to trace the sampler yesterday............I thought It would take forever!
As you can see there is quite a lot to trace here. I'm happy to say though, after several hours, I did manage to complete it. I'm going to transfer it on to linen today.
We went to Berkeley on Sunday for lunch, and a bit of fabric shopping for me. I decided on this really pretty embroidered fabric to make a skirt for myself. There was only one and a half yards on the bolt, so it will have to be a simple A - line skirt.
This is my most exciting piece of fabric that I bought, it is Liberty Of London. Boy was it pricey,but I used my Christmas money on it so it didn't feel like too big of a splurge. I got so sick of seeing all the prices of clothing, that I decided to make a few things for myself. I really hope the top turns out, that I will be using the Liberty fabric on!!
I think they look quite nice together. We shall see if the end result is how I picture it in my mind.




I would like to mention a couple of things here on this post. First off, thank you all for the nice comments on the loss of my little sweetheart Lucie bird. She is so missed, we can still swear that we hear her little bell,that she loved to play with so much, ringing sometimes. It sure is quite in the corner where she use to be :(

Second, from this post on, I will start answering questions through the comment area. In the past I have answered through going on the persons blog. I think it becomes too fragmented that way, so if you ask me something, check back on the comments for the answer.

I hope everyone got a chance to watch history being made today. It was quite something to see the transition of power done so elegantly. What an amazing time in history don't you think?!

R.I.P Sweet Lucie bird

My sweet little parakeet died last night. She got sick a few weeks back, and I realized it was something that was more serious than a little cold or anything that could be treated. So, we let her live out the rest of her life, and tried to keep her comfortable. While she was never as talkative as my last parakeet, she had a darling little personality and was quite feisty. We will miss her cheerfulness that filled the house everyday.

Happy Birthday little Sis!

Some things never change!
Today is my little sister's birthday! This picture is actually of my birthday circa 1975,but it is one of my favorites of us when we were little. My sister was my best little buddy growing up, and still to this day we are very close, and I consider her my best friend (up there with my husband of course :) We talk on the phone everyday, or close to it, for hours on end, or when the phone batteries call it quits! This has gone on for several years, and continued even though I moved to France. We timed our internet chats and it felt like I never missed out on what was going on too much while we were away.
Birthdays are always special to me, and I like to spend it with family members if I can, so Caitlin and I went for a visit yesterday to spend "birthday eve" with Victoria. We had a nice light lunch of salad so that we could then go here.....................
The Dessert Diner is such a fun place, and a personal heaven for me since I love,love, cake. The cakes are made with wonderful ingredients and pure eye candy to look at.
These are just some of the beauties that we had to choose from
Victoria chose a chocolate torte that had Kahlua in it


I had a chocolate sour cream cake, with vanilla butter cream filling,and ganache frosting. It was called "The Black and White."
Caitlin chose an eclair.
My cutie pie nephew, Matthew, came with us.
Fun 1950's retro look
After we stuffed ourselves at the bakery, my sister took us to a couple of charming little boutiques near her home. This one is called "The French Hen."
A very fun filled day with my sister and her family. I hope she has a very nice day and enjoys her dinner out with her husband.
Happy Birthday Sis.

New projects

On Sunday, Caitlin and I went to Joann Fabrics, because they were having a sale on Simplicity patterns for 99 cents! We just could not pass it up. The top pattern (McCall's) we have had since last spring. Caitlin really wants me to make this first, and various other styles in the other patterns. We always get excited at the beginning of a new season, with big plans to make a lot of dresses etc. We shall see how far I get this season with all of her requests.
This is my new embroidery project. It is from an old Marie Claire Idee's. I have never made a sampler before, so this should be fun. I love the colors and the little flowers in between the letters.
But first, I must head over to Kinkos to have them copy the image in reverse, then comes all the tracing!! That is the worst part of the project for me. This process usually takes an afternoon of cramped hands and crossed eyes. On my last project, the one with the children in the mistletoe, I got pretty far, but I didn't quite finish enough for me to keep at it. I'll probably tuck it away until the fall.
Gotta run now and do many chores.......including going to my favorite fabric store in Oakland :)

Pretty in pink Limoges

There is a candle inside this beautiful china votive. Pattern name, "Corinthe,"by Bernardaud

Not too great of a picture of my little Limoges heart. It opens up,and has the prettiest details painted on it. I tried to get a close up of it, but all the photos kept coming up unclear.



I had hoped to share some other photos of the top pattern, but they were all sideways and blurred, so I'll try at a later date. I thought at least I'd share what the pattern looks like, and the one and only photo that came out. My husband use to bring me back little treasures when he traveled back and forth from France, and the above votive was one of the first pieces he gave me. Once we moved there, he added to the collection. I have a beautiful vase, and other vanity type pieces that are now on my dresser. There are four pieces in total, and I treasure everyone of them. One day I would love to have the Christmas dishes that they make, called "Grenadiers." I think it is the most elegant holiday pattern for dishes out there.
The demi tasse cups that I showed you a while back, were bought in the same Bernarduad boutique in Paris.
On another note, I have been trying to decide which project to start on that I have in mind. I have a pillow design in my head that I want to make, a larger ABC sampler embroidery piece that I have in an old Marie Claire Idee's magazine, and a very cute dress that Caitlin wants me to make for her. Maybe I should pull papers from a hat to see which gets first dibs! I think the thing slowing me down a bit, is that Caitlin is still off on winter break, and I find myself unmotivated to get anything done while she is here. We tend to leave, and go shopping or other things that are sidetracking me. She goes back next week, so that is when I will have a bit more exciting things to show on here, rather than my collections :)
Right now though, the laundry is calling my name! Sorry about this random post, I just thought I'd pop in real quick, so you would know I was still alive :)

Happy 2009!!

Well, here is the tree naked again,and we begin to reverse the decorating process. It isn't so bad to put everything away,since before you know it, you will be hauling it out again. I take the time to reflect on the year I left, and the year ahead when I deconstruct the Christmas decor. I still think the tree looks best this way.
All the pillows,nativity scenes,and nutcrackers,are now going to sleep for another year.......
I love taking the time to put all these little beauties away in individual tissue, and look at them once more.
Those lights were not fun to take down this time!
Every new years day, we go to this calendar sale in Oakland, in the Rockridge district. It's always a bit of a mad house,as this little tiny book store can't hold that many people. It is the challenge of the hunt,and wondering what they will have every year. We usually go out to lunch after we have found our prize calendar, then head home. When we got home, we went to the movies to see "Marley and Me." I won't give anything away,like a lot of people love to do these days, I'll just say that I really liked it.
I hope everyone had a happy and safe New Years eve and look forward to reading more blogs in 2009 and making new friends.