Gossamer Wings

SoNo Vanilla Angel Food Cake

2012-01-26T19:45:00.000-08:00

This was the book that I received in the mail last week. There are some really good looking recipes in this book, and I can't wait to try them.
First out of the gate is something not chocolate for a change, and instead, something light and airy. I have never made an angel food cake, so I thought it would be fun to give it a try. I remember having a friend ages ago, that told me that all the babies in her family would have an angel food cake for their first birthday. I thought this was such a sweet tradition, and I always think about angel food cake in that context now. I also love how versatile it can be with different toppings to pair with it. I saw a blogger "frost" it with whipped cream that had lemon curd folded into it. I'm not sure what I will top it with, but strawberries and chocolate sound good.....shoot there I go again, with the chocolate. It isn't dessert unless some chocolate is involved!
Just got a heck of a deal on this angel food pan at Sur La Table. They are having a sale on their pans.
Separating 12 eggs can be a bit nerve wracking, but fun too. Can you crack an egg with one hand and empty the contents with out shells in it? I can :) , but when you have to separate 12 eggs, with not a trace of yolk or anything else, you have to be a bit more meticulous.
As I cracked the next to the last one, very carefully I might add, it literally just flopped out on to the counter before I could get it in the separator!!! I had to fetch another one, but then I had to get the white at room temperature. A quick search on the internet, said if I put the whites in a bowl, then set that bowl in warm water for 5 to 10 min., I would be good to go.
This recipe was a bit different than others I saw in other books and on tinternet. It required you to put all the whites, the sugar and other ingredients into a double boiler. This kinda made me nervous, but I managed to get it to the next step without cooking the whites....Phew!!
Cooling in this position for an hour...... Resulted in the cake below! ( I clicked on something below that will not let me type below this picture, so I'll close here. Hope everyone has a great weekend!)

Fun free stuff and a cozy weekend

2012-01-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever entered a contest or sweepstakes and thought you might win, and do? Last weekend while I was watching the local news, they were announcing their sweepstakes latest winner, and I decided to head over to their Facebook to enter in the contest. I was hoping to win the iPad 2 that was one of the prizes. I clicked away, entering all my info, and I had this funny feeling that I was going to win, and I could see my name on the TV being announced. Fast forward to this past Monday, when they announced the daily winner on the 11:00 news. I happened to not be watching, but I was on Facebook, when a couple of friends posted on my wall, "Did you just win an Xbox?" Sure enough I did!!!

This was the picture that they took at the station when I went to collect my prize. The assistant that had me sign the paper work, was very nice. She said that I was the happiest winner yet, and that the other people that had come in to collect their prize had a kind of "whatever," attitude. I couldn't believe it, until I went home and looked on their Facebook to see the photos of the other winners. The lady that won the iPad, looked so solemn! Oh well, I was happy with my prize, even though I'm not a gamer, I plan to use it to stream netflix, and others in the household can enjoy the game aspect of it.
When I got home from collecting the Xbox, the UPS man had arrived. We had a lot of points through AMEX to use on Amazon. So, free books and puzzles had arrived :) Don't you love those kind of days?
Look at how cool these pieces are!
But......this has to be complete first, sigh...... I had a picture of the book to put up too, but I'll go ahead and show you later, because it is another baking book, and I will add it to another post when I use it.
I don't eat junk food, or cheap chocolate, BUT M&Ms are one guilty pleasure that I occasionally have, and my sister introduced me to mixing them with popcorn. A fun treat every once in a while, on a rainy cozy afternoon while watching TV.
Caitlin and Cyrous look extra cozy.
I leave you with this very odd photo. While flipping through the channels, I saw Johnny Cash playing a minister on Little House on The Prairie. What a strange image right?

Anyway......hope you have a nice weekend everyone. I decided to forge ahead and finish the dress I was working on. I just can't leave it undone and not put it in the shop, so hopefully it will be done very soon.

I have missed embroidery

2012-01-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

I started this piece two years ago, for something to work on when I was recovering from my hip surgery. I really don't know why I didn't finish it, but I found it the other day while looking through my supply cabinet. I have been missing embroidery, and really wanted to get back into another project, but when I saw this, I told myself that I should finish abandoned projects first. This little sampler is really charming, and would be adorable for a child's room. Perhaps it will be tucked away for a future grandchild, or a gift. It is a very easy pattern to work on, and the prefect way to get my creative juices flowing again.

I took a tiny break from the dress I was working on for my shop, and I'm having a hard time getting back to it. Perhaps it is because it is velveteen, and I'm already looking at spring things. It doesn't help that it has been sunny and very warm here in Northern Cal.

What do you think? Should I finish it and put it in anyway, or move on and save it for next fall/winter? I'm in one of those stuck moods lately and avoiding working on things for the shop in general.

We are due for a big storm tomorrow, and perhaps being stuck in the house will bring me back to the work room. Although stormy weather brings out the baker in me as well......I really need to focus!!!

Deadly Brownies from "Baked"

2012-01-14T10:11:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to make these since I bought this book a year or so ago, and because we have all been trying to be super good here with the treats, as in not eating them very often, I resisted making them. I don't know what got into me yesterday, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and make them. I should not however, eaten them so late in the evening, as I think it affected my sleep a bit. Perhaps a tea time treat is better in consuming these, for me anyway.

Ok now for the review and low down on this recipe. At the end of this post, I will give you the recipe for these.
You must use the very best ingredients for these, because I think it makes a huge difference. The "Baked" people sell their brownie mix at Williams Sonoma, for those who may not be able to get Valrhona chocolate. Looking at the picture of them in the book, and on the Williams Sonoma site, I do believe that they turned out exactly like them. I found the espresso powder at Sur La Table. I hunted high and low for it and was so pleased to discover that they carry this one that is pictured. You can use it in frostings and other batters for a little mocha love or to enhance chocolate.
Look at that beautiful dark chocolate melting away. This recipe requires 11 oz. of it and two sticks of butter! Yikes huh?! Does the heart healthy chocolate cancel out the butter? :)
Best vanilla extract of course.
This melted concoction is the butter, chocolate, and sugars. They must sit at room temperature before you add the eggs (5 of them!) and flour/cocoa powder. The tip in the book, if you can read the note in the first picture, is that you will need to use the darkest cocoa powder you can get. I used Valrhona for this as well.
They are really, really good! Now, if anyone wants to come over and help us eat these let me know :) I hope they don't go begging, because I'm not sure I can eat very many of them. I will be at the gym much longer than I really want to if I do!

How many out there love to bake, but can move on, and not eat their baked goods? That is me. I tasted it, had fun making it, but could easily not have anymore.

I give this recipe a huge thumbs up! Here is the recipe. Go out and buy this book though, because it is a winner.

"The Baked Brownie"

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder

11 oz. dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao) coarsely chopped

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

5 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and the bottom of a 9-by 13 inch glass or light colored metal baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt and cocoa powder together.

Put the chocolate, butter and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not over beat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then cut them into squares and serve.

Tightly covered with plastic wrap, the brownies keep at room temperature for up to three days.

Enjoy people, and let me know if you make these.

Getting things back in order

2012-01-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Just popping in to say hi. I'm slowly getting the house back in order, after a long lazy holiday season. The huge pile of laundry is now being done, dusting, and general spiffing up is on the menu for today.

For Christmas, Caitlin and Cyrous gave me this puzzle, and it has now taken over the kitchen table, for who knows how long, since it is a 2000 piece endeavor! I love puzzles, but I don't know how much time I will be able to devote to this. Most of the completed areas you see above were done by Cyrous and Caitlin. My contribution is in the upper right. It is a very difficult section, so I think I may move to easier areas and come back to that part later. I love this painting, so it is a special treat to do a puzzle of it!

An update on my shop: I will be making a size two black velveteen dress with really pretty vintage ribbon, and other pretty details. I had hoped to make way more items for the winter, but too many life things kept getting in the way. This dress will be the last one that will overtly be for winter. Perhaps if you or someone else wants to get it for next year, or you have a special event coming soon, it would be perfect. I already cut it out, so it will be the first thing I start on this coming Monday. I have a lot of fun ideas that I'm going to try and get working on, so look for that soon.

Here we go 2012, kicking and screaming ahead!

Highlights of 2011

2011-12-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

This is how our year usually begins. The annual calendar sale, followed by brunch. But first a few thoughts about this year.

If someone were to ask me how my year went, my first reaction would be, this is not the best year for our family. I decided I don't want to get into why, because I would like to keep family matters private. Nothing horrific, or anything like that, but some tough times like most Americans these days I suppose. So, I could easily be angry with this year, but when I started putting the post together and finding pictures for each month, I began to notice that life went, and still goes on. We all have tried to make the very best of it, and if a stranger were to look at my photos, they would never guess that it was not such a great year. I'm really praying, harder than I think I have ever prayed, that is year will be a lot nicer to us.

This post is more for my memory and and summary of the year in the life of the Mackey family, so if you don't want to go through it, I can completely understand.

Here it is in all it's glory!!!

January
February

I would have to say the highlight of February would have to be meeting my pen pal of 30 years for the first time!
March
Caitlin's 21st birthday
April
Easter

Trip to the grand canyon, and below, my first Etsy sale!
May

Mothers day, and below, the last gathering with Nicole and Pierre, before they moved to London.
June
U2 concert.....FUN!!
The very next day after the concert, we hopped on a plane to visit my dad and stepmother in Chicago. Below: David's birthday.
July
In July, it seemed like we were lucky enough to sample some great food like the goodies pictured above. I think the restaurants in the summer, in our area, showcase their talents the best! Below: Friend of ours, son got married.

August

I changed my banner after three years! Below: See what I mean about food here in the summer :) Chiles rellenos at Dona Tomas.
September
Sunflowers always remind me of September. Below: My dad and stepmother came out for a visit, and we all met up at my sisters. My nephew is singing for us!
October
My birthday

November
Thanksgiving with friends and family
December
Christmas of course.

What is in store for our family, I do not know, but like I said at the beginning of this post, I hope better things. It is always a bit ominous to start a new year, but I guess that is how life is in general.

Happy New Year everyone!

A Merry Little Christmas

2011-12-26T15:02:00.000-08:00

I'll let most of the pictures do the talking. This post is both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so there are many photos.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas this year, I know we did. It was just four of us, so things were mellow and not too much fuss was made.
We finally got around to decorating the gingerbread cookies we made the previous day. Lots of fun with the royal icing! Do you see the silver dragees on them? I had to order those on line, because, as of 2003, they are banned in the state of California. I have such fond memories of these silver little balls, when my grandmother use to put them on her cookies. I always ate them. Some people are afraid to, and I'm pretty sure they are not the most healthy thing for you, but I don't eat them everyday, so down they went :) How about you, do you use these little silver dragees only for decor or do you eat them?

From left to right; Cyrous, Caitlin, Dave, and me.

This is suppose to be Quincy, our parakeet. I know its a dove, but that is all we had. Hey, we at least sprinkled yellow sugar on it.
Cyrous came in time to finish decorating some of the gingerbread.

This is one of his masterpieces!
Caitlin was pretty proud of this little moon cookie she decorated.
Also these.
Our little table set for our annual crab feast on Christmas eve.

The quiet of the evening, before we headed out to mass.

Who else has a guilty pleasure of watching Beavis and Butthead? I just don't know what it is about that cartoon, but I think it is super funny in a juvenile middle school way. Caitlin and I picked these lounge pants up for Cyrous. They are too funny!
Caitlin's childhood nutcracker lost its nose, so Cyrous found a new one for her. He is pretty cute.

Last year, I started a new tradition of buying a few lottery tickets for fun, to put in the stockings. Now that the "kids" are all over 18, it is kinda fun to include these. I think this year they only won a free ticket.
.

I love these chocolate orange slices.
They are all cleaned up and ready to lounge for the day.

Dinner this year was super simple. I feel like I should have done more, but I was not super inspired to try any new recipes this year, and I just wanted things to be simple. There aren't many pictures of the food. I made yummy ham from Whole Foods, garlic mashed potatoes, and a brussels sprout recipe that we all love from Epicurious. It has caramelized shallots in apple cider vinegar. They are a good match with the ham. The only industrious thing I did was, right before dinner, I made buttermilk biscuits from scratch.

This was the first year we bought a buche de noel from here. I will have to say, that I like Whole Foods version much better, and was slightly disappointed with this one. Mainly because 95 percent of it was mousse! I wasn't prepared for that, but I do remember when we lived in France that some of them were made like this one.

See how there is hardly any cake?! Oh, well, now I know I will stick with the other next time, or make my own dessert.

Our day was relaxing and Santa was very good to everyone this year, how about you?

Merry almost Christmas!!

2011-12-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

Isn't this little guy cute?! I picked him up for a song and a dance at West Elm.
Yesterday I embarked on making a ton of gingerbread cookies, and it got so late, that I didn't get to frost them. I think we will save that fun activity for tomorrow. Perhaps there will be other types of cookies in the oven as well :)

Hope everyone is having fun with family and friends, and Christmas activities are in full swing!

Be back soon........Have a very Merry Christmas blog friends and family!!!!!!!!!!

December Birthday

2011-12-19T19:35:00.000-08:00

Someone had a birthday this past Saturday. June use to be the month in our family that was chock full of birthdays and other celebrations. I use to cringe at the thought of June coming, but now it is the month of December. Between family and friends there are 8 or 9 birthdays this month! Cyrous turned 24 this past Saturday, and we decided to have a dinner birthday party for him. First though, there has to be some present opening. Caitlin bought him a beer making kit. Looks like that could be a fun project for him.

Caitlin made him a carrot cake from this book. It had a few ingredients in it that you would not expect, which made it fun, like a tablespoon of cocoa powder, and no nuts what so ever. The frosting was also not traditional, it had melted white chocolate along with cream cheese and sour cream. Pretty good I must say!
This is one of Cyrous' favorite dinners, chicken with fennel and olives. I blogged about it before, so it may look familiar. It was a super good batch, and the chicken was so moist!
A little winter salad, with Cara Cara oranges and arugula.
Joint candle lighting effort. Not pictured and standing next to me were his parents. I wish I had snapped a photo of them with the birthday boy.
Happy Birthday Cyrous

Christmas in San Francisco

2011-12-12T11:03:00.000-08:00

Part of the holiday season for us is to take a walk through the city at some point, and this weekend was it. We needed to go in to get a gift that could only be found there, so what a great excuse to go, and then get to see all the pretty decorations, that only the city can do. Most of the photos were taken on Union Square, so I could bring a little bit of home to Nicole and Pierre. They use to live two blocks from here, and I thought they might like to see their old neighborhood.
It is always so much fun to see the ice skaters, and hear holiday music being played in some form or another. Yesterday, there was a choir out on the square that sounded so lovely. I love seeing all the children with cups of hot chocolate and rosy cheeks from skating, and the big smiles on their faces.

This picture is for Carolina, she will know why :)
I never get tired of seeing this giant tree in the Neiman Marcus store.
We walked over to the San Francisco Centre to see what was happening over there. I love the restored dome, and I just had to see how they decorated it. I guess they were having a light show up there later, but when I took this, the snow flakes were moving.
There were little back drops to take photos, and I couldn't resist taking one of Caitlin in front of one. As we walked away, two workers asked us if we were taking photos. I thought we were in trouble, because we were suppose to pay, and I quickly said, "Oh, no we were just looking." As we guiltily walked away, one of the girls said, "you can take as many photos as you want, it is free." So funny because they kinda looked at us like we were odd balls.
We took a stroll through Bloomingdales. I had heard that they now have a Nespresso bar there, and you can buy your coffee pods from them. Normally you have to order them and ship them to your home. This is exciting because now if I'm in the city, I can pick some up instead of waiting for them to arrive. I really like that company and their products.
OK, enough about the coffee. Look at these cute nutcrackers!
Oh, and wouldn't you want something from here under your tree?!

Now that I got my fix of city lights, it back to work in the shop, and last minute Christmas details at home. Always so much to do, and not enough time!

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-07T19:15:00.001-08:00

Sometimes when we put up the tree, I feel like leaving it like this! It is so beautiful in it's simplicity, but of course we can't leave it all bare with no Christmas cheer on it.
This is the hardest part. I don't know about you guys, but putting on the lights is kinda stressful and a true work out, especially when you have the tree in a corner like we do.
Ta da all done!

Caitlin put little Pinocchio on a chair ornament. Pretty cute huh?!
This little ornament was Nicole's, for her first Christmas. Believe it or not, we bought it at Restoration Hardware, when RH was a charming little store in Eureka Ca. Not the fright show that it is now. This made me a bit sad, since Nicole and Pierre will not be coming home for Christmas. On the happy side of this, they will get to spend it with Pierre's family in France this year.
This is Caitlin's ornament, that she chose when she was very little. It has a large crystal hanging from the bottom, I'm sure that was the biggest appeal when she chose it :)

Do you have a star or an angel on your tree, or something all together different? This star was our tree topper when when we lived in France, so it has special memories for us.

The season has begun in ernest and I'm trying to get ahead. I'm working on a special order, for the shop and trying to get some more clothing pieces in there as well, I'm having a devil of a time getting anything done though.

Hope everyone is getting into the spirit of the season, and enjoying it as much as possible.

Hansel and Gretel Winter skirt

2011-11-29T14:12:00.000-08:00

I just put the finishing touches on this little winter white skirt. It has a really nice feel to it, and very twirly. It reminds me of the storybook character Gretel. Can't you picture her skipping down the lane wearing it? :)
I found the best shade of red pompoms for it, that were the perfect match for this darling little ribbon. I hope it finds its way to a lucky little girl somewhere! Go to my etsy to check it out.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T16:00:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone had a very nice Thanksgiving. This year I decided to bring out the china, instead of the more casual Thanksgiving I did last year. My dishes are peachy, sage and gold. I always thought they worked pretty well with Thanksgiving colors. Sometimes though, it is real hard to find the more delicate flowers to match them. This year I hunted high and low for flowers that I had in mind, with no luck. The above was the best I could find this year. Has anyone else out there tried to find more toned down color palate for Thanksgiving? I kept seeing over the top fall colors that were way too bright for what I wanted. Oh well, I guess it turned out alright in the end.
I used a little bit of nature for the place card holders. Remember the persimmons that I picked the other day? :) They were a perfect color I thought.

Time to start making the stuffing ...............
This is my very favorite stuffing mix!! I always get greedy and buy two bags to make more later, I love it that much!
Potatoes hanging out in the hot tub, waiting to be cooked up and mashed...
My little kitchen helper, snapping beans for me.
Some treats before dinner, with some champagne. I didn't take a picture of my turkey, because I had a slight malfunction. I relied on a probe that we bought, that read the temperature as ready, and in fact it was not. Luckily the breast meat was done, and juicy, so I put the rest back in the oven. This is the second year that this has happened to me, and there are some things that I will be doing next year, so this doesn't happen again!
On the menu this year, was the traditional with little flavor twists. I'm most proud of the sweet potatoes. I used a mexican sugar called piloncillo. The recipe is from a cook book, from my favorite Mexican restaurant, that I have blogged on here about (Doña Tomas). Every time they serve this at the restaurant, we are all in heaven. I decided to make these and everyone loved them. The green beans, had caramelized shallots, crispy prosciutto, toasted almonds, lemon zest. Homemade cranberry relish is always a must, I love it so much. Yummy stuffing, and the good old mashed potatoes enriched with cream, butter, and milk.

The young lovely ladies
New friends and old ones....Make for a very nice evening .
Our guests brought this beautiful pear tart....
Of course there had to be pumpkin pie as well, and like all my Thanksgiving posts, this is where we end for the night.

I hope everyone had a lovely day with their friends and family.

Just popping in to say hi

2011-11-22T16:04:00.001-08:00

Hi fellow bloggers, as everyone is probably very busy getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope there is happiness in preparing your feast, and great anticipation for visiting and spending time with your loved ones. We will be having friends over to spend the day with us, and I look forward to cooking and the company!

I went out for a little walk in my back yard, and noticed that the persimmons were ready to pick! They are so beautiful to me, in color and shape. Their brighter orange counter parts are also very lovely, especially when all the leaves drop, and all you see is the dangling fruit, making them appear to be ornaments. This is a fuyu persimmon.
I always love when the blanket of moss starts forming, it always reminds me of the softest emerald green velveteen.
Oh, who is this fall beauty? Caitlin is having a promotion for "Shabby Apple," over at her blog, go check it out. There are some darling dresses on their site. I think it is a perfect dress for Thanksgiving with its pretty fall colors.

Pictures of the feast will follow as usual! I hope everyone has a very, very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Pomegranate Beauty

2011-11-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

We have a huge pomegranate tree in our back yard. Yesterday, Cyrous was kind enough to go out and harvest some of them for us. I usually wait too long, and the squirrels and birds get them before I get a chance to pick them. I've always loved them, and as a kid was fascinated by the ruby red seeds. I went on You Tube yesterday to get ideas on the best way to take the seeds out and juice them. I kinda like the method where you throw all the seeds in a blender and then strain them. I may try this, or I may just sit with a bowl and and eat them. I happened to capture the morning sun on them, and I think they are gorgeous!
Last night, for a quick fun dinner, I made "smashed potatoes." Caitlin isn't fond of mashed potatoes, so I made these very simple yet tasty red potatoes. I had seen this done in several magazine, and food blogs, and always wanted to give it a try. Just steam some red potatoes, when done, place them on a cookie sheet. Let them cool a bit, then smash them with the bottom of a glass.
Drizzle with olive oil and season. I roasted them at 400 until they were crispy. I also turned them in the middle of cooking.
A different take on sausage with potatoes! Our Whole Foods had the most yummy sausages yesterday, in their case: Turkey, cranberry , and apple! I just sauteed it with red peppers and purple onions.

Hope this gives you an idea for a week day dinner!

Liberty Top

2011-11-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, just finished this little top for the shop. Hey that rhymed :) Anyway, I'm working hard to get more items into the shop. Since it is just little old me doing everything, it sure takes a long time, and always seems like life gets in the way. I'm really trying hard to balance home and Etsy work!

I love this little top, and if I were little, I would wear it a lot! I could picture it with some comfy leggings, jeans, or a twirly skirt. Liberty fabric wears so well, that it is an item that can be handed down or kept as an heirloom.

I'm off now to cut up some really darling pin whale/eyelet corduroy, for a skirt.

I don't want my blog to turn into a, "here is what is in the the shop," blog, so hopefully I will be back soon with other topics and outings, as they happen. Given that that holidays are just around the corner, there will be more cooking adventures and other goodies soon.

My first ever ad is now viewable in the newest issue of Babiekins on line magazine, go check it out. The ad is towards the back. When you go to the link, go to current issue, and enjoy a feast for the eyes children's magazine!

See you soon guys!

Cute item added to shop

2011-11-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

I decided to put a cute little toy into the shop. We will see how this one does before I commit to making more. She was a bit time consuming, but quite fun to make. Years ago I made a couple of these and gave them as gifts to my nieces. They still have them and use them as decor now, but my sister said that they really enjoyed them when they were little.
I made this one in my signature red and white, but I will make the next one in another color. I'm using all the beautiful scraps that I have. Perfect little pieces, big enough for little mouse clothing.
She comes with this little bag, to keep her safe when she is not in use. I will embroider the name of the child in the circle, or do a letter.
She is 7 1/2 inches tall. Her dress is embroidered around the edges in blanket stitch. the skirt straps have French ribbon, and both pieces can come off.
I think she is pretty sweet, and would be a nice little gift.

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween fellow bloggers and anyone else who stumbles on here!! Today the weather is so gorgeous that it just seems impossible that our poor friends on the east coast are having such terrible snowy conditions.
I just snapped these photos today in my yard, to show you all the beautiful sun dappled trees.

A little bit of summer still clinging on for dear life on my lavender bush! With all the sun, no wonder it is confused!

This is how bright it is today, no editing at all in any of these pictures. The trick or treaters are going to have a very nice evening with zero chance of rain, like we most often get around now.
See, I told you we would carve our pumpkins. This one is Caitlin's and the next two are,
mine to the left, and Cyrous' to the right. We did them last Thursday, and I don't think I recommend that, since the mold has now taken over. Although, it seems rather fitting for today :)
These will be our after dinner treats tonight...................
Caitlin chose the smores cupcake, and we chose the fleur de sel and chocolate flavor.

We rented "Paranormal Activity 2" for tonights fright fest. There may be some popcorn mixed with peanut m&ms to go with it.

What are you doing tonight???

My Collaboration

2011-10-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

This sweet little child is Olive. Her mom is Andrea of "Flannery O'Kafka." I found Andrea when she did a guest post on the Babiekins blog. The post is here, and it is the seventh one down. Her super cute son and daughter are both pictured in it. I loved her style the minute I saw those pictures, and I just had to contact her. She left me a convo on Etsy, and asked to do a collaboration. So...
I made this little outfit for miss Olive, and her mom took the above picture. I chose this one to
be in my very first ad, in the Babiekins on line children's magazine. It will be in their upcoming
Holiday issue. It was a lot of fun to work with Andrea, and I loved how the photos came out.
Go and check out her blog, because she has such a great eye, and her photos are amazing!

I just had to show you this

2011-10-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

I'm not by any stretch of the imagination, a doll collector, but when I saw this little cutie at a local thrift shop, I had to take her home. I probably paid too much but since the thrift shop is for the hospice, I don't feel to badly about shelling out $20.00 dollars for her. There was something about her little face that spoke to me.
If there are any collectors out there who may know anything about this type of doll, please leave me a message. The only tag in it, says that it was made in the Soviet Union. The lace looks quite old. The buttons are shell, and the fabrics are really nice. Both the vest and skirt are made of cotton sateen. The shoes are really cute too, though not made of leather, the fabric really looks like it.
As I took it home, I started to wonder about its story. There seems to be a large population of Russian people in our town, so perhaps it came with a family when they emigrated here, I'll never know, but it is fun to think up stories on how she did make it here. I have a couple of old toys in my work space that she now sits with. The inner little girl in me is very happy to have found her.

Bits and Pieces of October

2011-10-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, I didn't mean to disappear there for quite so long. I have been working on an outfit for a darling little girl by the name of Olive. I will let you know more about this collaboration when Olive receives the package. This may take a few days, as it is going all the way to Scotland. I'm excited about this collaboration with this blogger, and I hope the outfit I made her daughter fits and suits her. While constructing said little outfit, I have been enjoying the very beautiful fall season here in the Bay Area! I put out my little Halloween decorations.......................
and purchased our pumpkins. Last year we were so lame, and let too much time slip by, that our pumpkins went un-carved!! Not this year!! We are determined to do something fun with them. I snatched three big ones, and we will have a carving night for sure this year.
With this season, it is time to bring out my purple Le Creuset pot, and make some yummy stews. For years, I would make a stew that was similar to my moms, in how she executed it and ingredients she used. Last year I decided to follow a Jamie Oliver recipe from one of his cookbooks, and I loved how much more simpler it was than the one I made. I love all the ingredients, of butternut squash and parsnips, combined with
lots of fresh sage in this recipe.
It starts out on the stove top, but he really isn't keen on searing the meat, like I have been doing for most of my cooking life. Turns out, that is just fine, and still comes out the same.
The layering of potatoes on top, I stole from one of Jamie's magazine recipes. You par boil them for 5 min., cool them, then cut them up to layer on top of the stew that has been simmering away for a few hours. I put them on at the last 40 min. of cooking.

I, like a lot of fellow bloggers, think this is the very best time to be cooking up magic in the kitchen. I've got lots of ideas swirling for weekend cooking fun and baking....If you aren't too bored of my cooking I'll share them as I make them!

I will be starting on a few little things for the shop that are more gift orientated and I'm excited to start on that project, and will hopefully get more garments in there. Time keeps speeding on by, and I can't quite keep up with all the ideas I have!!

I promise I won't stay away too long this time.

Number 49

2011-10-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday, and it wouldn't be my birthday if we didn't go here for dinner! We go every year, and it is so fun to look back on the older menus from years past. I keep all of them because they really are neat works of art.
This one is pretty neat I think.

I always sneak a picture of the chefs cooking away.
This year is bittersweet, since Nicole and Pierre were not here with us this year, and Cyrous had to work, so could not attend either. :( I did however have these two lovely people with me :) Can you see David in the copper refection?
Three bean salad with pickled chanterelles and crispy bacon
Provençal fish soup with roasted tomato and rouille
Grilled BN Ranch grass-fed Bolinas beef rib eye with herb butter, fried potatoes, and long cooked yellow wax beans

I made my wish!
Buckwheat crêpes with quince, figs and anise ice cream
Tisane
Truffles and nougat. Food is always so good, and always feels special to come for my birthday. It was a rainy coolish day, so it was extra cozy at Chez Panisse! Now for all the birthday loot......
My dear husband must have seen my post I did on Facebook a while back on this beautiful tank top called "Gossamer," I had joked that I should have it, given the name. I was so surprised when I opened it. It is from Anthropologie, just in case you like it as much as I do.
He went for a red theme this year, and the next red lovely is this very handy little purse to tote my phone and ear buds, when I go to the gym. Now everything is neatly consolidated.
This brought such a smile to my face, because as a little girl, I LOVED crayons (I still do). This reminded me of that big box you would get in grade school every September.
The neat thing about this crayon, is that it is a pen! I love the weight of it, and boy does it write like a dream. He got it here.
Caitlin and Cyrous went for a black, purple fall theme with my goodies. Another cool birthday card that Caitlin made me.
and very appropriate for yesterday and today, a nifty new umbrella.
The little tea towels are from my mother in law, aren't they cute?! The little owl though is from Caitlin and Cyrous.

I guess I really don't have any profound thoughts on turning 49, I really never think about age that much. I also have never cared about hiding my age, I'm just happy that I made it another year. Perhaps this may change next year when I turn the big 50!!! I hope not :)

More fall items finally getting made

2011-09-30T17:23:00.001-07:00

Last week I managed to get the yucky head cold that seems to have been circulating around. It was a strange one I must say, because it almost mimicked allergies. I managed to kick it in a week though, which helped me get this little jacket done.
I'm in the process of making a really cute orange skirt, that will look cute with this. This jacket is one of a kind, as most of my things are. The fabric is really nice Japanese medium weight cotton, and a bit pricey, so I think this is it for the print, not the jacket style though, as it is a classic, and I may make some more of these in other sizes, we shall see.
The Matryoshka dolls are so charming and ever a popular theme, but I especially love it in clothing.
I can see this little jacket paired with anything from overalls, to a skirt, to leggings. It has that nice weight to it, that will add warmth to a thin sweater or turtle neck shirt.

On another note, go check out my daughters blog "Fashion Forestry," where there is a very short video of Marios Schwab. Nicole makes a small appearance in it around the 1:36 mark. I promise it is short, and it is very well done, with nice music and a quick look at his work, and a bit about him as well.

Baking a classic

2011-09-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend my dad flew in from Chicago to visit. They based themselves at my sisters house, about an hour away from us. I decided to bake two pies to share with the family, and it was also a good excuse to try a new apple pie recipe out of the "Baked" cookbook.
I bought these books earlier in the year, and really wanted to make something from them, but the weather turned warm before I could get a chance to do so. I know this doesn't deter some, but I really only like to bake in the cooler months. I sometimes make pies in the summer, if I'm in the mood, but this year I just couldn't be bothered, and didn't want any baked goods around the house while we were trying to get more fit.

OK, on to why I made a classic apple pie from this book ( the one on the right). I like apple pie, but it isn't my very favorite, and I think the reason why is because of how the apple come out once the pie is baked. How many of you slice the apples, toss them in some classic apple pie spices and sugar, then pour them into the crust? I was in that camp, and while it tasted pretty good, I always thought it could be better. Perhaps I'm late coming to the party on this one, but
apparently there are recipes that cook the apples first. This recipe sold me when I read the ingredients for the filling, which included a teaspoon of whiskey, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and cinnamon of course. You saute half the apples in butter for 10 min., then when the rest goes in, you continue cooking for 5 more min. The one thing I did wrong, was that I got a little too happy and tossed ALL the apples in the sugar etc., while I should have just cooked the first half without the sugar and spices. It all came together in the end though, and the pie was very, very good! All the apples were cooked more uniformly and the ingredients gave it a more rich caramel flavored taste. This recipe is a keeper! If you don't already have this book, go get it!!!

My sister doesn't like apple pie, so I made a blueberry one for her. She even had to admit though, that the apple pie was delicious, when she snuck a bite.

Tell me, what is your favorite pie??

Getting my cooking groove back on

2011-09-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

Fall is everywhere my friends, and so I have put out some fall items in my home and decided to get my cooking groove back on as well. As you have probably read on here before, summer is not my season, as far as cooking goes. Sure I love to eat all the fresh fruit and yummy things that are in season during the summer months, but to actually cook something, no. I think we maybe grilled three times the whole summer! Because there was a nip in the air the other day, and all the beautiful fall lighting starting to show it self, I decided I really wanted to cook a fun dinner on Saturday.
On the menu was duck ragu, with pappardelle pasta. I love how simple the ingredients are with the classic mirepoix to start, with a bit of added chopped sage. How about my knife skills?! :)
I sent my poor husband in search of duck legs at another location, when our Whole Foods sold out of theirs. He found two fresh.........................
and two that had been already cooked to make duck confit. I decided to not have him continue to drive all over the San Francisco bay area to find two more uncooked ones, and made this work.
Simmer, simmer, for two hours.
Made some fresh pasta. I'm truly loving this new drying stand!
This recipe was in the new Fine Cooking, among many other versions of slow simmered meat sauces. It was very good I must say.
Dessert was, Pear ricotta tart with phyllo crust. This recipe was from the newest Donna Hay magazine. Very simple, but the flavor combinations were so good. The filling was, ricotta mixed with one egg, lemon zest, raisins, and a bit of sugar. The texture of the custard was so light and flavorful.
The topping was melted honey that you warm up with vanilla beans. I really want to make this again, because of how simple and delicious it was!

I had so much fun cooking again, and can't wait to do more adventurous recipes in the coming months.

Are you guys excited for all the fall cooking as much as I am?

A couple items for the shop

2011-09-09T17:03:00.000-07:00

I just finished these two little pieces today, and thought I'd share. The peasant blouse is made
out of the softest cotton shirting that is so nice to the touch. I love these little heart shaped shell buttons I found for this top. The natural colors of the shell, looks great up against the color of the stripes.
Both of these items are 3 months size. I just had to make something tiny again, because it is just too fun! These little bloomer pants are dark grey velveteen, with some really pretty
French jacquard ribbon on the hem. I think this little touch, softens the look for a baby.
I also got my care labels finally, and you can see them peeking out :)
Of course I think these two pieces look adorable together, but they are being sold separately, if you only want one of the pieces. Both of these are quite roomy, so I believe that they would truly fit more of a 3 to 4 month baby. Sometimes, 3mo. in stores tend to run more like a newborn size, but these items run a bit bigger. I have all the measurements listed in the shop.

These were so much fun to make, I hope they go to a good home!

Have a fun filled weekend!

Ah September

2011-09-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

Doesn't September feel as if you just turned the page to a whole new chapter of your life? For some reason, spring into summer does not feel like this for me, perhaps it is because our spring is never truly a real spring, since it can get warm right away, and blend right into summer time. While September is still quite warm here, the light starts changing in the most delightful way. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that fall is truly magical. For me it is the beginning of fun things to cook and bake, and of course all the up coming

holidays! I just got this "Fine Cooking' magazine in the mail yesterday, and I couldn't believe the first of the Thanksgiving magazines are starting to arrive. If you haven't already seen the new Martha Halloween magazine, you must. The cover is pretty great, and there are some fun things in this issue for decor and parties. It gives me all sorts of fun ideas! I also got the new Marie Claire Idees in the mail. For some reason, the fall issue is never my favorite one. Sure there is plenty of eye candy, but there really isn't a good project in it to sink your teeth in, so to speak, I will wait impatiently for the Christmas issue, where there is always something fun to make or cook.

Shop wise, I have a really cute peasant top in a 3mo. size almost complete, and a pair of gray velveteen pants, also in a 3mo. size. They will be sold separately, but they do look cute together.

I've let blogging go to the way side this past season, but summer does that to me, so hopefully there will be more things to chat about and post.

Let the fun season begin!!!

New in the shop

2011-08-29T16:04:00.001-07:00

I just finished this little velveteen skirt today! The top that is shown with it is sold separately.
I think it would look cute with any little top under it, but I do especially like this little top with it.
I did a Hong Kong seam on the hem, to make sure there was no bulk. It has a three inch hem, so that it can be let down if needed.
There is also plenty of length in the straps to move the buttons as well.
I love how dense the gather is, so that it gives it nice body and fullness to it. Sounds like I'm describing a wine doesn't it?! Anyway, hope you go and check it out in the shop.

I'm excited for the fall items I have planned, stay tuned!

Proud Mom

2011-08-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

This is Marios Schwab, a London based designer. My daughter just landed an internship with him! We are so thrilled for her and hope she learns a lot and enjoys her time. She and her husband moved to London this past May so that she could work in the fashion industry there. I can't wait to hear all the details! The following photos are a sampling of his work.

You get what you pay for

2011-08-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

I've blogged before on how our family loves quality, organic when we can food. The one thing I've been wanting to do forever, is find a whole wheat pasta that didn't taste like cardboard. You know the kind, where the minute to start to chew, you wish you could spit it out?! Well, that was me anyway. My compromise was to buy this. I call it the gateway to whole wheat pasta. I still love it, and will continue to buy it, but I felt that it wasn't quite the real deal, and I kept hearing how it was best to eat the full on brown pasta.

A few days ago while browsing Whole Foods dry pasta section, I picked up three different kinds and really examined them. I found that the De Cecco brand was very dark, and I could see me not liking that one. Then there was the Whole foods brand at a mere $1.49 for a pound. It too was very dark, and I worried that it would be the same story.

Then I found this one!! I loved the rustic bag with the pretty gold closures, but most of all I liked how light in color it was. I started reading the package, and was swept away with the fancy words and how they use techniques from long ago...and on and on. Oh, and they use mountain spring water to blend in with the whole wheat semolina. OK sold! The price was $3.59 for the bag. It better be good!!

The old adage of you get what you paid for really fit the bill with this purchase. Once cooked, I did the taste test before I put my homemade sauce on it, and wowzers it was good!! Only a slight hint that it was whole wheat, but it really delivered in taste. The sauce clung to it just as the package had said it would.

I think we can now be full fledged whole wheat pasta eaters. Ladies and gentleman, we have a winner.

If you can't read the name from the picture, it is called Montebello, and it was established in 1388. I think they know what they are doing.

If you want to switch from white pasta to brown, this is a great one!

Does anyone have others they like?

It had to be done!

2011-08-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

Just a quick hello, to say I have been revamping the old blog. When I started this blog, it was a place for my random thoughts and a record keeping of sorts of the family through out the days and years. Since I started the Etsy shop, I felt that the header didn't match where the blog is today. I love red and white and gray, so I started with those colors. I may change it seasonally like others do. The header I had up was the original and never changed for over three years. I thought it was time for a change.

It is a work in progress I think, so be prepared for the photo to change more often than three years!

The sheer laziness of the summer has taken such a tight grip on me, I haven't really had anything too exciting to share with you all. I am cutting out new items though, and perhaps there will be something new in the shop soon.

Is it me or is this time of year making everyone drag their heels a bit?!

Hip replacement update after 18mo.

2011-08-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Before I begin, I want to give credit for this photo because it is amazing, and this would have to be my idea of a slice of heaven, and you have to have a pretty picture to go with a post right?!

I also think it fits how I kinda feel about my on going recovery with my total hip replacement.

So to let all those who have been following me for a while, and know that I had a total hip replacement February of 2010, I'm doing great. It has not been easy, and I have said this before on updates in the past, but I feel that I want to be honest if someone is reading this that has searched on the Internet to get them selves ready for it. While every person is different, and some recover faster than others, mine was tinged with having a herniated disk. It has taken me up until now to feel much, much better.

Early in the spring I started going to the gym three days a week and using the treadmill and the weight machine for my left leg. It use to be a thinner leg, because of the way I used it. Now it matches the other! This is so odd for me to see, and the fact that I'm no longer crooked too(leg being shorter), is sometimes odd. Because the muscles were not used in that leg normally through out the years, it was hurting when I first started using the treadmill. I think I finally got it where it should be now, because I have noticed the pain is almost gone.

As of July I have been going to the gym now 5 days a week and increasing the speed week by week. It feels so good when I'm done, and I feel like I have a lot more energy and sleeping very soundly.

All this being said, I have to give you a small history of me with exercise. To look at me now, a tad over weight middle aged woman, you would never guess that at one time, even though I had this hip dysplasia, I loved being active. All through high school my first love was tennis, second was volleyball, and I played them every chance I could. I was on a volleyball team out side of school, and my Senior year I made the tennis team, but didn't do it because it conflicted with yearbook. I'm kinda sad about that decision sometimes. Playing these sports would make my leg and hip really hurt at the end of the day, but I powered through it and continued to play those two sports all through college as well. I didn't want to play on a team in college, so with volleyball, I did the next best thing, and took the highest course that trained with the team. It was tough, but I loved it! I continued playing tennis with anyone that would, and took as many classes in tennis, just so I could play. After I graduated from college, I had my oldest daughter, and then sports took a back seat, and by that time the hip started to flare up a lot. The best I could do was to take walks and try and keep the weight off. I did alright, until my second daughter, and the further deterioration of the hip joint.

The weight was constantly creeping since I could not be as active as before. I would have total meltdowns some days thinking about my beloved game of tennis and how I could never play it again, heck I could barely walk a mile! This was not ME, and it would make me angry.

Fast forward to present day, and how I feel about the whole hip thing is very mixed. I'm happy there it no pain and things are finally feeling so much better. I'm happy and grateful that I can now walk without having to stop and rest with pain, BUT there are days where I still get frustrated with the thought that I will never really get to play tennis again, if I did, I would shorten the life span of the devise, and I could fall. I'm slowly getting over this feeling though, now that I can walk greater distances for fitness, and feel that great feeling after exercising once again. There is also this constant nagging that something will go wrong with it, and I will have to have a revision. My doctor told me that it takes two whole years to have a total healing from this surgery. I believe him, and I'm looking forward to February to see where I am after a whole two years. Hopefully by then, more weight will come off too, and lighten the load so to speak.

I hope for those getting this surgery, that may run across this post, will get something out of it and what to expect. For those who have been reading a bit, I thought I would do my 6 month update, so you would know where I am today.

That is why I chose the picture above. Today this is how I feel about my surgery. A celebration of modern medicine, and how it can make one live a better life!

Inspiration for Fall

2011-08-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

I love this magazine called "Milk," although I don't think it truly fits under the category of magazine, since it is so thick and book like. Anyway....I love it and all the inspiration it brings to me!
This venerable magazine, "Vogue Bambini," was the only inspiration magazine that I use to buy when my girls were little. It still has some great layouts and ideas. I buy only these two, since they give a very widespread view of what is out there in the land of beautiful children's clothing.

I have some fabrics to start my mini fall collection, and I'm excited to collect more soon. The top two are beautiful weight shirting fabrics, that are so soft and delicate in color, and two shades of velveteen. The white fabric is pinwale corduroy eyelet.
When I sat and thought about what I wanted to do for the fall, I came up with a rough idea of a theme. Then I thought about all the textures and colors. I kept thinking of folkloric kind of images and the colors that seem to go with it. Apart from the fabric shown here, there will be a lot of jewel tones and rich colors, with beautiful ribbons and velvets perhaps.

When I bought the above magazines, I started reading the trends for the fall, and guess what? They were exactly what I had come up with!! Every thing from the colors I wanted and the "folkloric" look. I guess I'm right in the groove of things :) Now I need to set out and find all the fabric. One that I did not show, that I have, is a Liberty of London fabric that I want to pair with a velveteen. I'll show it to you when I find the rest of the fabrics.

I had wanted to make two more summer items, but I think the season has past in most people's mind, so I decided to move on ahead with the fall look, and get working on it.

Summer seems to be passing by ever so quickly, and you can sure tell by all the back to school stuff in all the stores already. It use to be that school started in September, but now all the kids go back in August, and I feel sorry for the kids that are living in the hot regions that have to go back, when it still feels like summer outside.

Our summer has been that of very simple routines and mild weather( sorry for those that are roasting). Caitlin and I often laugh about the fact that the day goes by so fast, it feels as if we are getting ready for bed when we just got ready for the day!!! Oh well, those are the ebbs and flow of life I suppose.

Now I'm rambling, sorry folks. Hope everyone is enjoying what is left of summer.

New items in the shop

2011-07-28T17:22:00.001-07:00

Two new items in the shop! First up, are these red polka dot bloomers. There is always something so cheerful about polka dots, don't you think? I think they would be so cute paired simply with a top or under a dress or skirt.

I decided to use buttons as a closure, instead of snaps. I think they are more interesting, and give them a bit of character
Bloomers are a size 2T as you can see.
Second item is this cute little top made of white cotton/linen, and decorative red and white ribbon accent. I had originally wanted to post this as a set, but the whites are not the same. If you don't mind it not being a perfect match, then I personally think they look adorable together.
It could also fit as a little dress for a 12 month or 18 month size, depending on the child of course. My daughters were such slim little things, that I could get away with doing things like that. It is however meant to be a little top in a size 2

Details of all my handy work. The inside is always finished in French seams.

I think I will be making maybe two more summer things, before fall items start making their way into the shop.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer, and hope to do other posts soon, if I end up doing something exciting :) Summer has turned me into a super sloth, how about you?

Cute new floral dress in the shop!

2011-07-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

All finished and in the shop, is this sweet little dress in a size five.
I had a hard time deciding if I wanted to bring out the blue flowers in the print with this silk ribbon,
or go for the other colors in the print, but in the end, all I kept seeing was the pretty light blue flowers.
I also decided to use the vintage buttons, mainly because there were
exactly four on the card, and that is what I needed. I think it works rather well with the print.

If you know a little girl that is 4 or 5 , and would love a sweet dress like this, go check it out in the shop!

New dress almost ready for the shop!

2011-07-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

This is the last of the sweet floral fabric (cotton lawn) that I bought in the early part of the spring. I'm making a size 5 dress with it, and so far I'm really loving how it is turning out. I might use the button above for the closure. It is a tad on the bigger side, so I'm still thinking about it. The buttons are vintage, so I really want to make sure they will look good on the dress, before I decide to part with them.
I can't wait to show it to you. Most likely it will be done tomorrow, if I can carve out the time. I went to the fabric shop today to by some light blue silk ribbon for a detail on it. That is all I will say, you will just have to come back to see it.

Just wanted to pop in and say hi, since it has been about 10 days since my last post.

New in the shop, the "Heidi" dress

2011-07-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, my favorite book and movie, was Heidi. While sewing this little dress, it really reminded me of the storybook character.
It is a size three, roomy at the waist..............
with cute little lace, and gingham details.
If you know anyone that would love a little dress like this, send them over to the shop!

Do you want to take a peek at a pretty wedding?

2011-07-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

The venue was gorgeous........
The couple was so sweet.

Beautiful grounds.......
Only downside with the outdoor ceremony, was it was unbearably hot! Luckily the ceremony was short. I put on tons of sun screen and escaped a sunburn.
Now for the reception room......
Pretty tables.........
With beautiful flowers .....

The cake was really pretty, and tasty.
Nice details!!!
Loved the flowers they chose.
Bride and Groom table.
Cute couple!
Oh, hello there! We hung out in this room, with the cake, while the bride and groom had their photos taken.

It was such a fun afternoon/evening. I love weddings!

Fun Friday

2011-07-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

The Bay Area has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to food and restaurants. Friday we had fun partaking of these riches, one of them was "Samovar." We had lunch/tea here before we went to the De Young museum to see the "Balenciaga" exhibit. The show was ending this weekend, and I just had to see it. GORGEOUS, is all I can say!!!!!!! If you want to learn a little more about Balenciaga, go to this link, there is a segment that our local news did that is quite well done.

They also were just starting the Picasso show as well, and that was fun too.

This is my kind of day, with wonderful San Francisco weather, good food, and museum wanderings. Now on to the food!!!
Samovar tea lounge is very zen like, and more geared for an asian tea experience, but they did have an English tea service. Caitlin and I got that lunch, and opted for.......
some amazing iced tea, instead of hot. It was wonderful, and not like generic iced tea you would get normally. This tea had almost a smoky flavor that reminded me of a Russian caravan tea.
We each got these adorable little tea pitchers.
David ordered the Moorish tea service. There were yummy spreads and lots of other goodies on his plate.
Looking back on this sizable scone, Caitlin and I could have just split this whole English service. The portions were big. We shared them with David And Cyrous.
Not clotted cream unfortunately, only double cream. It was pretty tasty though. Nothing beats cream teas in England , that is for sure!!

The main part of the English service was the salmon quiche and salad. Loved the quiche, it was not as heavy as most I have had.
More shots of Davids lunch. The kabob has figs, and Halloumi cheese, which is a popular Middle Eastern cheese that is half sheep's milk and half goats' milk. Cyrous, had a dish that was called "Jook." I believe it is a type of rice porridge, with smoked duck. I didn't get a shot of that dish, but it looked tasty.
Some peeks of the the inside...................
Loved all the tea pots, but I have way too many at home, so I walked away quickly.
After spending most of the afternoon and early evening in SF, we headed home. Tiered, and wondering what to have for dinner, we decided to get off the freeway to Oakland, and see if we could get a seat at "Pizzaiolo."(read the link, it is pretty neat) I have blogged about them before, when we came here for Caitlin's birthday a while back. I think this restaurant shines in the summer months, mainly because you can eat out in the back of the restaurant, and it feels like your back yard.
They make their own bread. I thought they got it from Acme, but as you will see farther down, I snapped a shot of the bread cooling off in a room towards the back.
We had some of their famous gin and tonics. The bartender makes her own tonic water, infused with herbs etc. Very yummy!!
This was my starter of sea bass, cucumbers, tomatoes, with aioli sauce. So good my friends, so good!!!
David had an avocado, beet, and kumquat salad. Cyrous had an amazing clam dish. I don't think I have ever had that tender of clams. I didn't want to bug him and photo them, so you will have to trust me when I say they were sublime.
See, there is the bread! We also peeked in and saw desserts cooling and a super, super clean prep area. Stuff like that makes me happy, don't ask. :)
We shared a couple of their yummy pizzas, and like a hungry fool, I forgot to actually take a photo of these gorgeous beauties. One of them was chanterelle and gremolata(parsley+garlic+lemon peel), and the other one was summer squash. Both were amazing.
On the way to the back of the restaurant they have one of their pantry shelves out, for all to see. I loved looking at all the cool ingredients like..........................
this really good jam for instants.
Some shots of their backyard.
I guess since the owners of the restaurant live above it, this is their back yard, complete with a beautiful garden.

This is heading back into the restaurant from the back yard.
They even have a bocce ball area!
All the wood, for their wood fired pizza.
Tucked away in the corner of their garden, were two cute little hens, and .........
I'm assuming the guard dog :) He never once got up and looked so sleepy. I know how you feel pup!

Nice Friday in the Bay! I hope everyone had fun plans for the holiday weekend. We are going to a wedding tomorrow. I love weddings, so I'm sure it is going to be a great time!

The winner is................

2011-06-28T14:32:00.001-07:00

The winner of my giveaway is Sarah of "Becoming Sarah." Please send me your info so that I can mail the goodies to you. :)

The items above were that last things I added to the shop. I'm in the process of making a cute size 3T dress that reminds me of of the little girl in the story "Heidi." Hopefully it will be in the shop by the weekend. More goodies for babies also, because I just can't stop myself with the tiny stuff.

Thank you to all of you who linked back to the giveaway post, on their facebooks etc. It means a lot to me :) More giveaways soon....Next one will be for older children.

Gossamer wings giveaway

2011-06-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

This little giveaway is to hopefully have people check out my Etsy shop, and win these two very sweet baby items, from two companies that I really admire.
This little organic marino wool, unisex sweater is so soft and adorable. It is light weight enough for a chilly summers evening, yet perfect for fall/winter wardrobe. (size 0 to 6 mo.)
I'm currently looking for some great organic fabrics to add to my shop, so I thought I'd kick start the idea with these darling little items as my first shop giveaway! Check out this company's web site.
The other super cute item is this organic rattle ring. Love the soft muted colors, and the feel of the fabric. Go check out their web site as well.
Cute, right?!! I will be doing other giveaways for older children soon, so come again for that, and of course just to visit me ;) I'm not getting paid by either of these companies. I picked these out just for my giveaway, mainly because they fit into my love of great fabrics/materials in children's clothing and toys.

So go to my Etsy, and have a look!

How to win:1. Leave a comment, and a way to get back to you, 2. Become a follower , 3. link back to this post. The giveaway is open to international readers as well.

Winner will be announced on June 28th. Good luck!

Chicago part 2

2011-06-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

On Friday we drove out to Oak Park to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright house, and go on a tour of it. Years ago we went and arrived just a bit too late to be able to go inside. This was on the top of my list to see this time. This is the side of the house, and to the left in the picture, his studio is attached.
This gorgeous ginkgo tree was so majestic. It was planted as sapling when the house was built, and now it is a majestic beauty.
Click on this photo so you can see this really neat sculpture better.
I should have put the picture below in this spot, and the reason why, is because there is a neat story to the planter. On his placard below, you will see at the bottom right hand corner, his seal. The seal is echoed in the planter if you would look at if from the top. Frank Lloyd Wright had many subtle design elements through out this home. I marvel at how ahead of his time he was.

Behind these columns is the entry way to his studio, and office. Unfortunately you can't take any photos inside the house, and that is too bad, because you should see the studio! It is so pretty.
Around the corner is the front of the home. The house sits near a Victorian home, and the contrast is quite something. Frank Lloyd Wright hated Victorian architecture, and on the side that faced the house next door, he made sure to block out any view of the house from the inside of his.
After the tour was over, we wanted to walk around the neighborhood to see more of the homes he designed. The tour guide, who was so adorable and knowledgeable, happened to be walking to her car while we were roaming the block. I asked her which of the homes were his, and she took us on an impromptu walking tour of some of them. This one is not my favorite, but apparently it was what the client wanted.
I can't remember the story on this one.
I would have to say this is my favorite of the ones on this block.
Look how cool the bricks were laid.
Frank Lloyd Wright loved these arches and you see them a lot in his work. There is a building in San Francisco that he designed in a small ally way, that has this very arch as a doorway.
The tour lady, said this house was kind of a disaster, as the client wanted many elements to it, and didn't know when to stop. There are some pretty elements, but I see what she means.
This home shares a yard with the one above, and was built for a family member of the over done home. It had a Japanese look to it, per the clients request.

This is the last one that we took a look at, and it seems that it was Victorian shape with a FLW twist.
On Saturday we went to the science and technology museum, and I forgot to take a photo of it. It was one of the few buildings that remain from when Chicago hosted the worlds fair. It was fun, but more geared towards children. We drove around the city to look at some more sites before heading back to my dad's house.
One of the stops we made was to the Gold Coast neighborhood in the city. My dad and step mom have a studio apartment that they own there. They love to go on the weekends for theater and shopping, and it is nice for them to have a place to crash for the weekend. The neighborhood is quite lovely, with tree lined streets, and gorgeous buildings.
This is the front of the apartment building.

We had a nice short visit and got to see some fun things while we were there.

I have to correct the last post, because I got a couple of comments about the sadness of that old building that I photographed, being torn down. I didn't clarify myself too well. I meant to say that it WAS going to be torn down, as in the past tense. Some like minded people came together and saved it, and it is now a cultural center, where music is played and art is displayed. There is also a cafe to enjoy a nice cup of coffee. Sorry about that!!

Chicago part 1

2011-06-13T14:08:00.001-07:00

After our U2 concert last Tuesday, we hopped on a plane the next day to Chicago, to visit with my dad and step mom. I love this city, and if it were not for the weather I would move there in a heart beat. Clean, welled planned out, and architectural eye candy at every turn. I would love to some day take a tour of all the notable buildings in this city. We only had a few short days visiting, so I'll show you the highlights.

We took the train from my dad's house, and the first stop was a peek inside this beautiful old building, that according to my dad, was going to be torn down!(*edit: Was, as in past tense. Some like minded people came together and saved it. It is now a cultural center) I can't even imagine that.
Click on the images to see all the details of this beautiful interior.
They just don't make things like this anymore, so the thought of it being in peril to be torn down is just crazy to me.
Especially since this stained glass dome is none other than a Tiffany masterpiece!
There were many beautiful mosaics set in marble to stare at.
I mean come on! Why would this ever be torn down?!!!
We then walked over to Millennium park, where of course everything is landscaped beautifully, and there are plenty of beautiful things to see.
Including this! " The Cloud Gate," by Anish Kapoor.
Caitlin and Cyrous going to check out the inside.

I can never get enough of this silver beauty.
These tall glass brick walls with water shooting off of them, had different faces lighting them up,
and they would occasionally do funny things like this!
We then walked over to the Chicago Art Institute to check out some of the wonderful things in there. Last time I was there, this Marc Chagall window was housed in a whole different area. They cleaned it all up, and moved it to a more prominent spot. I think it is so much better now for viewing its beauty.

This museum has some beautiful things, like the above, and I would love to go again and do some more exploring.
Love this Tiffany lamp.
Stunning isn't it?!
A Dirk van Erp lamp. These are more common out here in California, as the artist spent most of his time out on the west coast. He was an artist of the Arts and Crafts movement, and left his mark in and around Oakland and San Francisco.
American Gothic
Nighthawks, by Edward Hopper. One of my favorites of his.
The Child's bath, by Mary Cassatt
The Thorne miniature rooms. These were AMAZING!! There were 68 of these little rooms
and all I can say is that I want to be miniaturized so that I can live in them. If you want to read
about this installation, go here. I was so blown away , I bought the book about them in the gift shop, so that I could better appreciate the work that was done to execute these little masterpieces.

After we finished up at the museum, we headed over for our reservations here. We had a very nice dinner there, and actually saw Rick Bayless sitting near the kitchen area eating his dinner. It was fun to compare this restaurant to our very favorite Mexican place in Oakland, called Doña Tomas. I liked Frontera for its eclectic menu and a sampling of different areas of Mexican cuisine. We had just eaten at Doña Tomas on the night we went to see U2, so it was fresh in our minds. I came to realize that I think I still like DT better, because of the unique side dishes and the menu being from the Oaxaca region of Mexico.

Tomorrow I'll do part 2 of our trip. Hope you had fun doing a virtual trip to Chicago :)

U2 360

2011-06-12T22:11:00.001-07:00

If you are not a U2 fan, you should probably just "Walk On. " .......It was a whole year that we had to wait to see my very favorite band in the world to come to town, but boy was it worth the wait!
Just when you think they can't top themselves they go and do it! If you want to read some crazy stats on this tour go here. When you walk into the stadium, you can't believe the sheer magnitude of the Claw!! Also the sea of humanity!
The concert was at the Oakland coliseum, and it was filled to capacity with many U2 fans. We had great seats, and had so much fun :)

Bono and the gang still can rock the house!! I looked up the set list for our show, and they
sang 25 songs, and played for 2 and a half hours. A lot of the songs were from my favorite album (Achtung Baby). It all went by way too fast!

Bono dedicated "Beautiful Day" to Gabby Giffords. Her husband Mark Kelly had a message from above for all of us. This was so emotional and so beautifully sung.
These shots are some of the different ways this claw was lit up.................

It almost looks like it could take off.
Loved this version. What seems like a huge impersonal concert was quite the opposite.

Well done, my favorite Irish lads, can't wait to see what you guys do next!

Camera bag/purse

2011-06-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

How many of you are tired of carrying around an ugly camera bag, and also trying to maneuver your purse as well. After my last trip I took, I decided I had to buy a combination of the two, because I was super fed up and uncomfortable schlepping both. I went on line trying to see if such a thing existed. I found this and this, just to name a couple. They were way more than I wanted to spend. I looked at some blogs that had DYI tutorials on making your own. After reading a few of them, I thought I could probably do it.

I went off to Target to find an inexpensive purse that had a shoulder strap, and other things I wanted in my camera bag. I found the above purse for only $29.95. Better than $169.00!!!

I had this fabric in my stash already, so all I had to do was buy a yard of one inch foam, and some quilt batting, to make it extra soft and cushy. I'm happy to say that everything fits perfect, and I'm so happy with the results. I think with all the supplies including the purse, it cost about $50.00.
These are the pieces I made to insert into the cheapo purse. When I looked at the tutorials on other blogs, it seems like you pretty much had to come up with your own game plan, because of the uniqueness of the purse you choose. I opted not to do side padding, because this purse angles slightly, and I couldn't make it work. Instead the two larger pieces curve perfectly to create protection on the sides. The shoulder strap that came with the purse was a bit narrow and flimsy, so I used another strap we had lying around with a padded shoulder.

That's my Sunday project. Perfect for the very odd and cold rainy days we have been having here!

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Love this simple dinner

2011-06-01T17:49:00.001-07:00

Cyrous brought these beautiful cherries from his family's tree the other day, and the minute I saw them I thought of making a clafoutis. I needed 700g of cherries, and when I placed them on my scale, it was exactly that amount!( click to enlarge photo, and you will see) It was meant to be :)
Traditionally you would NOT pit the cherries for this dessert, because when cooking, the pit gives off an almond flavor to the dessert. I opted to pit them though, because I just didn't feel like accidentally biting one, and chipping my tooth.
Very simple ingredients. Three eggs, 1 cup and 1/4 milk, a teaspoon vanilla extract, and a 1/3 cup sugar. Whisk the wet ingredients into 3/4 plus two tablespoon flour, and then pour it over the cherries.
It said to bake for 40 min. at 350 degrees, but I had to leave it in for close to 55min.
Yummmmy!!!
From the same cookbook, I made this warm potato salad, that is more of a meal than a side dish. We used this fancy tuna, roasted cherry tomatoes, small potatoes, and you are suppose to use haricot vert, but our Whole Foods had none, so instead I used asparagus. A nice vinaigrette is made with shallots, white wine vinegar, and grainy mustard. Toast some nice olive bread, and pour yourself a nice glass of rose.
A dusting of confectioners sugar and some vanilla yogurt for the clafoutis, and this is pretty much heaven!

Happy Memorial day weekend

2011-05-29T16:45:00.001-07:00

Sorry to be gone so long, but I have a really good excuse! You see, Nicole and Pierre moved to London this past Saturday, and they have been staying with us for a week plus until their flight. They were suppose to fly out last Tuesday, but there was a missing document for their dog, so we had to turn around and go home, and reschedule the flight. While many phone calls were made to straighten out the situation, Dave came up with a plan for a bit of stress relief.
We went here to play petanque. Pierre had given Dave a nice box of petanque balls one Christmas, and we have never broken them out of the box, so off we went to the petanque field to give it a try.

The girls and I played for a bit, but the guys ended up playing more rounds.
Cyrous did pretty well............
Pierre had such concentration.
Since we were all together for only a few more dinners, Caitlin and Cyrous decided to make their favorite Indian recipe of "butter chicken."

Very yummy, and nice to have a few more gatherings together before Nicole and Pierre left.

I had hoped to get going on more Etsy listings etc., but having a full house is not an easy environment to do so, since I still have to photograph the items. This coming week will be lots of catching up to do around the house as well as Etsy stuff.

I hope everyone is having a very nice holiday weekend!

I'll be back

2011-05-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

This post is about me saying that I will be back next week, with new posts, and new items for the shop. Family obligations will be keeping me from doing bloggy things, and Etsy things.
We have had rain and dark skies, so part of the problem of not blogging and posting new items, was I couldn't take any good shots of the new items :( We are now in for some beautiful weather, so I will be photographing next week. Two of the items will be for a size 2 boy.

The food shots above are from here. We can't get enough of this restaurant!! The food is so good, and if you read their "About Us," you will be impressed with them. The Nicoise salad above was wonderful, and oh that cake. I chatted with the pastry chef on her creations, and she gave us this piece on the house to try out. It was moist, flavorful and the frosting, was chocolate with creme fraiche in it. YUM.

Anyhoo, please come back next week where I will be in full blog mode.

SF MOMA

2011-05-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

Caitlin had to help her sister(in the city) with a photo shoot, by doing the makeup on the model. We decided to hang out at the SF MOMA. We are members to the three big museums in San Francisco, and this one, I have mixed feelings about. Sometimes I choke a bit when we renew the membership, because we don't go near enough to justify the rather steep price for the membership, but every once in a while they have a great show. They also opened up their roof top sculpture garden that we haven't seen yet, along with "The Blue Bottle Cafe." The pastry chef, makes ..........
this cake! The Piet Mondrian cake!!!!!!! It has a pound cake consistency,with a ganache frosting, and it is really, really good.

David got the ice cream cone that mimics the sculpture in the cafe, by British artist Tony Cragg that is pictured below.

Sculpture by Tony Cragg
There are many notable sculptures, by such artists as Alexander Calder, Robert Arneson, Ellsworth Kelley.
This is in the entry of the lobby.

As we left the skies were so clear and crisp after the rain we had last night.
I forgot my camera on this little museum adventure, so all these photos are with my iphone, including this odd one that I snapped on my way out.

I've got three new items to add to the shop this week, so watch for them, and a giveaway as well, so come back and check it out.

Mommies day

2011-05-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

Yay, we are going to the city for Mother's Day....Boo, everyone else is too!! click on the photo, if you want to see the major congestion. The gang had picked a secret location to celebrate Mother's Day, but before we did that, I wanted to go to the Legion of Honor to see this show. This is my favorite museum in San Francisco, and if you have been reading my blog for a while, you know this. The museum is deep into the city though, and takes some time to get there. Usually it is fine, but yesterday because of all this traffic, I was a bit anxious trying to get there on time.
Finally in the city, driving past city hall.
When I see this sign off Geary, I get excited, because the next block is 34th Ave, and that is where you turn for the museum. Yay!! We made it, with a bit of time to see the exhibit too :)
They won't let you take photos in the exhibit area, so this is the only photo I have inside. We are waiting for David to park, and meet us in the entrance. It was a lovely show, and luckily it wasn't so huge, that I got to enjoy it for the amount of time we had there.
I always love the view of the city from the hill top of the museum.
OOPs, I meant to put a picture here of where we ended up. The family surprised me with tea at Lovejoy's. A very quirky tea house that is a favorite in San Francisco. It feels as if you are visiting your grandmother.
Tea sandwiches, salads, fruit, and delicious tea of course. Cozy and lots of fun, for a beautiful sunny Mother's Day.
Yummy!!

My babies

They also had a little antique shop across the street that we went to take a peek in.
I have way too many tea cups at home, so I resisted the urge to really look that hard.
This one caught my eye though. No, it did not go home with me.

I had a very nice day with the family, and yes, the guys did come to tea, but sadly I don't have any super great pictures of them there.
My goodies from the family. Nicole and Pierre got me these adorable vintage Steiff animals. LOVE them!!!
The books that I picked up at the museum. I loved that Elsa Mora's art, was on the cover of this paper cutting book. The other of course is of the exhibit.

Darling little card that Caitlin drew and painted.
Don't you love these little animals?!
Lovely necklace David and Caitlin got me. It is always nice wearing little symbols of your children.

Hope all the moms out there enjoyed their day.

The shop is open!

2011-05-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well guys, it is finally open! The Etsy shop that was in the making for quite some time is finally up and ready to go.
There are 7 items in the shop at the moment, with more going in as I finish them.
It sure does take time to set things up!
These photos are shots of items that are in there now, and ready to sell. I hope you have fun
looking at all the items in there, because I had so much fun making them!
Each one I make, I feel a close attachment to, and hope that they all go to a good home!
After doing a lot of research on Esty in the children's clothing section, I hope I have come up
with something a little different, and my hope is that the pieces will stand out
in a sea of other handmade items on there. Enjoy!

I'm off to sew up some more little lovelies :)

Trip to the Grand Canyon

2011-05-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

So, I took a little trip to the Grand Canyon this past weekend with David. He was doing a hike for charity with Shelter Inc. This is an amazing organization, that you should read about if you click on the link. These wonderful people raised over 130,000 dollars in pledges! We flew into
Phoenix Thursday and took a four hour bus ride to Grand Canyon Park. I loved seeing all the different landscapes and land formations on the way there.
This was the first view that we got to see when we arrived (Mather Point). Of course these pictures do not capture the true beauty of the place, nor the feeling you get when you first see it! I don't ever use the word awesome, because I think it is over used in our language, but this truly is AWESOME! Gorgeous, amazing, and makes you proud that this natural wonder is in our country.

The colors are so beautiful, and every time you turn it changes in the light, and depending on where you are standing.

You must click on these to make them larger, and enjoy the colors and all the cool layers of rock formations.

6 million years in the making!
If you were being crazy and possibly drunk, this tiny barrier is what is between you and sudden death!

They really mean it when they say caution! I saw a book in one of the book shops that was on all the documented deaths from falling off the edge, Yikes!
In the "El Tovar" lodge, there was a little museum of the history of food service that came with all the tourism in the Grand Canyon. I really enjoyed the story of the Harvey girls, and their uniforms.

I wish they had recreated this cup in their gift shop. So charming, and well designed.
Look out studio
Front of El Tovar
Kolb studio.
Another view of El Tovar Lodge
Don't you love this porch and the rocking chairs?!
Hopi house. This is where they had a lot of beautiful hand crafts from local Native Americans.
David taking a rest.
David had a wonderful hike in the canyon with his group, and has many wonderful photos of another perspective. He saw some pretty amazing prehistoric fossils, and animal foot prints. They had hoped to see some California condors, but didn't.

I'm very proud of him for training and executing this hike. I would never be able to do it! I would be the one that would have held up the whole group and have been left behind. He wasn't even sore the next day!

This was an amazing group of people and so nice to be around.

It was quite a fun experience and I was glad I got to tag along and be a part of it.

Easter with the family

2011-04-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

Are you in a food coma this morning?! I tried to be good, and this morning I was surprised that I feel fine even with all the treats that were consumed. Nicole and Pierre spent the night, so that we could all have brunch together. We had a nice relaxing morning, with plenty of coffee, and chat.
We just recently got a very nice French bakery in our near by town, that make pretty close to French pastries that I have seen since we moved back from France. Their croissants are the correct shape, and I would say as close as it gets. The name of the bakery is "La Boulange."
Must have some healthy fruit included :)
That one very lonely cinnamon roll is a gluten free option for Nicole. She said it was pretty good.
The day was mixed with a few showers earlier in the day, but then the glorious sunshine came out, along with all the birdies singing joyfully outside. Some how I think they knew it was Easter!
This was a pretty fun little flower arrangement to put together. I cleaned out some eggs, then
used the many egg cups that we own, and placed the little chicks with their green mom.

The Easter bunny brought these for us, since we have been all good, and patiently waiting for our chocolate.

We had to have a little photo shoot outdoors, since it was so beautiful.
The Easter sisters
Playful fun on the grass
Sweet faces, and pretty Easter colors

Time to eat! This year I used fingerling potatoes, and for the side dish I made baby artichokes, with mint, lemon, and parsley. Like I said last year, this lamb recipe from "Fine Cooking," is wonderful, and it was just as good this time around as well.

As requested by the family, the cheesecake, from the very same issue of "Fine Cooking."

Nice day, and now there are so many left overs, that I don't have to cook tonight!

Hope everyone had a beautiful Easter Sunday!

Happy Easter weekend to everyone!

2011-04-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

Here are a few components to my Easter table this year. I have many things around the house to choose from to make a fun cheerful table. Disregard the other table cloth below, and ......
picture lots of flowers in little egg shells and other wonderful little Easter touches.

Here are the flowers that will adorn the table.

I see it in my minds eye, but will it turn out like I want? I hope so. If all else fails, then I can do something much more simple, but I think it will be just fine.

I will be making the yummy leg of lamb that I did last year, and everyone wants the cheesecake as well. The sides might be changed up a bit from last year though.

Yesterday Nicole helped me finally get the Esty shop banner done. That was a lot of fun but lots of work! Big squeezy hug to her for helping me get it done. Now I need to do some photos of the items I have finished and start putting them in the shop! Excited and nervous about the whole thing. I really can't wait to have everything in there, so it looks like a little store I would open up :)

Hope everyone has a very, very happy Easter!!! Of course there will be loads of Easter brunch and dinner shots so stay tuned.

A little bit of music and fashion

2011-04-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we went to see Nicole's fashion show in the city, and to see the band called "Foxtail Brigade." The night was a mixed bag of stand up comedy, followed by the fashion show, then music.
It was all held at the Swedish American hall.
Here are the "Foxtail Brigade." Folksy, with great instrumentals. Take a listen over at their web page if you would like.
The next photos all speak for themselves. We have a little bit of behind the scenes and close ups of Nicole's collection. She was very busy with many details and construction of the collection this past month or so, and I think they turned out really pretty.

Lots of flowers, color and whimsy.

I have been very busy with preparing for Easter and getting the shop put together. Nicole has been a great help with helping me navigate Etsy, and hopefully it will be up and running very shortly. So many details and steps, and then when you throw in a holiday, yikes!! My head is spinning with everything. I really don't mean to tease with hopes of the shop opening soon, but it sure does require time and effort to do it the right way.

I hope everyone has a very happy and healthy Easter celebration.

A little outing in Berkeley

2011-04-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

Didn't want to be vacant from my blog too long, so I thought I'd share some shots of our Sunday outing to Berkeley/Oakland. Sunday was such a beautiful spring day that just begged to be enjoyed by a walk and a peek at all the lovely things in the shops.
I love the store to the right with the light blue green paint. It is called "Maison d'Etre."

To the left of it is this fun lunch spot called Cactus. Yummy Mexican food, for a good price.
I tried to be sneaky and take a picture of the inside of the restaurant.
After lunch we took a stroll through College Ave. and saw so many beautiful blooms shinning in the sunlight.
I had to buy some bird seen for good old Quincy, so we visited the cute little pet shop where we got him. ( if you click on the picture to make it large, you can see the pet shop sign on the right hand side. It is called "Your Basic Bird.")
The white building in the middle is the coolest resort/hotel that almost got burned down back in 1991 fire. Thank goodness it was saved because it really is beautiful.
I love all the big homes in Berkeley

I kind of feel like this blowing grass lately. Everything is going in one direction or another at the moment here in our home, and it is hard to pin point when there will be calmer times. I'm up to about 8 looks right now on the tiny clothes, and I'm really having a lot if fun with the development and construction. Nicole is coming over to help me set the shop up soon, and I will announce when it is all the way up. Not too much longer now!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend.

Spring Has Sprung!

2011-03-31T09:26:00.001-07:00

For a minute last weekend, I thought we were going to have to build an ark soon with all the rain that was going on in our neck of the woods! I love rainy cozy days, but when the bottom of your house starts to take on water, then enough is enough! Thank goodness we have warmed up this week, and we are seeing little bits of life........
in and around the house. Love all the little blooms on the plants, and
little green leaves starting to emerge from the winter hibernation.
Here is a little blossom that I have been working on. I'm just showing you a few detail shots, because I need to still put buttons on, elastic in the sleeves, and hem the bottom of
this little spring dress. I'm loving how it turned out, and I can't wait to show you the finished product. The collar is a cotton Swiss organdy, which I'm obsessed with at the moment. I love how you can see the sweet little print of the dress through the collar.

Well, I'm off to finish up, and start on another little treasure. Happy Spring all!!!

21

2011-03-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

Caitlin turned 21 on the 25th. How is it possible that she is already 21? Time has a nasty way of speeding by doesn't it?!
David had purchased this bottle of wine for Caitlin a long time ago, and it was bottled in the year of her birth. We even visited the winery it was from on our last trip to France, back in 09. I'm sure it will be wonderful.
Cyrous gave her this cute retro alarm clock, among other fun gifts.
A little something from the store with the cool blue bag,
and the iconic box. They were a pair of gold earrings in the shape of bows. I forgot to snap a shot of them.

Cyrous' mom was so sweet, and gave Caitlin these cool Swedish shoes she has been wanting for a long time. Very nice gift!

Time to head out for dinner
We decided to celebrate Caitlin's grown up birthday in a nice swanky restaurant in the city called Quince.
I felt kinda nerdy snapping too many pictures in here, so this is only a snippet of the entrance by the bar. It's a pretty spiffy place, with that very elegant feel.
Started with drinks, while we waited for our table, and also gave Caitlin a chance to open a gift from Nicole and Pierre.

Champagne of course!!!
Birthday kisses

I was so impressed that they printed Caitlin's name on top of the menu! This is the copy they gave her when we left. Nice touch!
This is the tasting menu that four of us chose.
This is the fish menu that Nicole and Cyrous chose. I was also impressed with the restaurant having gluten free options for Nicole.
Crab souffle. Check out the cute seafood plate!
This little fish image was on the bottom of the souffle.

Caitlin calls this, her Spanish soap opera picture :)
One giant ravioli, with five flavors! YUM!!
Olive pappradelle with guinea hen
Spring lamb
The guys had the cheese course.
Us girls opted out, and Nicole is showing how we all felt about that course :)
If you love cheese, they had a great selection,
Served very nicely with breads, and fruit.
We surprised Caitlin with a whole cake, that was made there! I love cake a lot, and was worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but the desserts that were on offer for the evening, didn't seem celebratory enough for me, so we decided to have them make a cake for her. Wow, is all I can say!!! It was so, so good!!

They even served it up so pretty, with a little bit of vanilla ice cream. Sweet end to a lovely night out. I highly recommend this restaurant for any occasion, but if you want to feel pampered for a milestone birthday, then go here!

Happy birthday Sweetheart!

Last Sunday Was a Fun Day

2011-03-23T18:27:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday Nicole invited Caitlin and I to the Vintage Expo in San Francisco. So much eye candy that it became overwhelming! There were a couple of booths that I spent a lot of time in, one being........
The button lady's booth. Everyone kept calling her that, so that is what I will call her on here. Nicole was there the day before and had lots of fun buying buttons for a collection she is working on at the moment, so she knew the merchandise well, and helped me navigate some of the boxes.
Looks like she found some more :)

I was sad that I didn't take many shots of the place, but some of the vendors seemed kinda put off by photos being taken of their booths. The button lady loved Nicole, so she said she would let me, but had turned down several others that day.
These buttons pictured were from another booth that I think was my very favorite there. It had all vintage notions and patterns. I think I could have been happy if I stayed there the whole afternoon!
The little blue bird buttons are glass, and I just love the shell buttons shaped like flowers.
The crochet lace on the far left is all hand done, and from Ireland.
How cute are these patterns?!
I also bought an adorable vintage toddler dress, but I want to wash and press it before I show and tell. It looks like it would be perfect to wear for a birthday party or easter. I promise I will show you, but like I said, it needs a little bath and a press.

I hope to incorporate some of the darling vintage buttons in the clothing I'm making, to give the pieces that little something special.

I cut out a darling little dress today, that I will begin sewing on tomorrow. I wish I could work faster than I have been lately, but darn it, so many things getting in the way.

Hopefully I will have enough to open up very soon.

Fun Date Night

2011-03-19T16:02:00.001-07:00

Last night we had a lovely dinner at "Zuni Cafe" in San Francisco. I've never had a bad meal here. So fresh tasting and yummy!
Very unique building, in shape and layout. I didn't get to take the photo I wanted of the bar, looking through the window with all the bottles. It is always so sparkly and cool looking.

I actually took all the photos with my iphone, and I must say, they are not too shabby. This was a snack that we had with some champagne, that had shaved fennel, prosciutto, and oranges, with a wonderful olive oil drizzle. It went so well with the champagne.
First course; fresh, tasty and again, the best olive oil drizzled on it.
Great shot with the good old iphone!

Grilled striped sea bass with beurre blanc sauce. Very delicate and perfectly cooked.

After this very nice dinner, we went to the symphony.

Some nice fabrics, and a couple of pieces

2011-03-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

These aren't exactly swatches, but I thought I would show you them anyway. These three fabrics are oh so soft! They are cotton lawn, much like Liberty.

I bought two color stories of this fabric, because I thought it was so pretty and delicate, and I couldn't decide which color to get!
These are details of some bloomers I made the other day. I had a tiny piece of this fabric left in my stash, so they will be one of a kind. It also gave me an opportunity to play with the bloomer pattern. The ribbon on them is silk, not satin. The silk ribbon is so lovely to touch! click on the photos to see more detail.

I also completed this little linen skirt, that looks real cute with the kitty jacket and these bloomers.

Right now I have some dotted Swiss on the table for a little top. I really can't wait to cut into the floral fabric, because the little dresses are going to look super cute I think.

The pieces shown are all 6 mo. I will be doing the dresses in toddler sizes though, so there will be more size ranges, not just tiny ones. When my daughters were little, I loved making the super tiny sizes, even though I knew they would out grow them quickly. The funny part was that both of my girls were such slim, small babies, that they did get to wear the cute stuff for a while.

I hope that the clothes that I make will be more heirloom quality because of the fabrics and details that I plan to put in them.

Stay tuned

This made me laugh!

2011-03-10T13:50:00.001-08:00

I saw these two fighting over this little piece of cookie, and in real time, this little morsel spun around back and forth between them for some time............................
Birdie on the left was victorious for a few moments..................................
Until he began to bob his head up and down, as if taunting the other birdie. In the middle of him gloating, it flew out of his mouth, and It was so hilarious as it spun through the air. The slighted bird looks like he/she is saying... "Whatever, buddy!!"

Animals are too funny :)

Tomorrow I will show you some swatch fabrics that I bought for more tiny clothes. I just completed a couple of more items. I really want to have about 12 pieces before I put them up for sale, then I will do a post on all the goodies I made and the link to Etsy. I'm having fun making them and feel like they will be hard to part with. It will make me happy though, that there will be some child and parent enjoying them.

I must get back in the room and get some work done!