Rose Brier Studio

Snow Day at My House -- A Photo Essay

2012-01-21T13:20:00.000-05:00

Doesn't look like the snow will melt today!

Reaching as high as the peak of our three-story house,

I've been told these are two of the tallest Holly Trees on Cape Cod!

The lady Holly with her lovely red berries.

Her mate stands behind her and a little to the east.

The barn where my shop & studio reside on the first floor.

Snow in the Garden

2012-01-20T14:02:00.000-05:00

It snowed last night and before it has all melted away I wanted to share how pretty it looks.

My front garden.

A labor of love and fellowship for me & my son.

The rain chain my son gave me.

He also put up the gutters, hung the chain, and designed what the water flows into. He knows me so well: he used an old galvanized bucket inside an open wire basket, sitting on used bricks. The fish you can barely see was a throw-away from his nursery job. He found the front half, asked if he could have it and then spent 30 minutes searching for it's tail. It's now glued together and sitting nice & shabby to the right of the bucket.

The sunflower was made by a former upstairs neighbor.

We spray painted it after I saw the sunflower fields of France.

I like how the rust is slowly seeping through on the petals.

Hidcote Lavendar

Leaving La Cascade

2012-01-14T11:27:00.000-05:00

The food was fabulous

The desserts divine

The art projects were inspiring

The green jar was purchased at the market with yogurt in it.

Yummy yogurt, great pen holder!

My "black & white" box

It reminds me my artistic sensibilities keep my from copying no matter how hard I try!

Our rooms vacated

Suitcases in trunks

Au Revoir

when we next meet our heroine, she will have arrived in Paris . . . from the overnight train . . . that is a story . . .

Pink Saturday

2012-01-06T19:01:00.000-05:00

Last summer I spent the month of June in France. Here are some images in pink from that trip.

Durfort

Montolieu

Ile St-Louis, Paris

Le Petite Trianon

Marie-Antoinette's Village

Versailles

Merry-Go-Round at Place Wilson

Toulouse

Another day

Teenagers in Toulouse.

You can read more about my trip here, here, here, here, here, and yesterday.
As I mentioned in my first post I took over 500 photos, so I will be sharing a lot more of this adventure in the coming month. Hope you will join me!

To see who else is participating in Pink Saturday, visit Bev at How Sweet The Sound

French Market

2012-01-05T16:41:00.000-05:00

When we last checked in with our heroine, she had just returned from a lovely walk in the French countryside. A few days later the group went to the Saturday market in Revel.

In looking over my photographs from France I discovered I took very few of the wide picture. So here are some close-ups of the market we went to.

The Revel market is held underneath and around this structure.

These houses surround the market.

Flowers to plant

Vegetables for salad

The image of the French countryside

Not only are these radishes absolutely beautiful, they are very tasty.

I bought a package of seeds to plant in my garden next spring!

Around the outside of the market vendors sold wonderful things like vintage linens.

This delightful woman had beautiful linens at reasonable prices.
Her website, in French, is also delightful. If you google baroque brocante, you will be able to get an English translation.

A couple of these pretties from her stall came home with me!

Note to Readers: I am experimenting with a new layout and have sized my photos extra large. Please leave a comment if you like this or not. I'd like to hear if you can see the whole photo, etc. I have a wide laptop screen and they show up fine to me, but I'm not sure how they will look on your computers. Thanks, Marilee

New Year, New Blog

2012-01-02T18:30:00.003-05:00

I have to confess, I started my blog to become famous.

Oh, and to make friends and become a star of the pretty pink section of the blogosphere.

Funny! It hasn't worked out that way!

Seriously, it's no wonder this blog has not always been a source of contentment for me.
I mean, really! How could it be?

But what to do?

I love to journal. I have done so since I was a teenager. I haven't read those journals in years but they are all packed up in a box labeled "Marl's Schoolwork." I thought the label was boring enough that prying eyes would not stumble upon my very personal musings.

For my personal journals I write about what is bothering me; things I want to change about me and other people; family members I would rather never see again, or since never seeing them again is probably impossible, how best to deal with them. I work things out by writing and often it helps me become un-stuck. It's really private stuff. Not what I would share with another human being.

So with this as my usual manner of writing, when I started my blog I didn't exactly know how to be myself. And I had no idea how to become a star, which truth to tell is not being myself either. I have read of blogs where the artists only tell of the good things in their life. That sounds wonderful and I applaud that. But it sure isn't my writing background. I know how to write research papers. I can make a killer annotated bibliography on any subject. And I know how to write all the secrets of my heart. But how to find the balance of informative & personal. How to let me shine through?

Three years from when I started his blog, I have given up wanting to be a star. I want my blog to be as great a source of satisfaction to me as my personal journals, but of more interest to those who read it. To that end I decided to write a MISSION STATEMENT!

When I told my husband his immediate comment was "San Juan Capistrano."
You probably need to know him and some details for this to make any sense.

image c. Gavin Arts.

San Juan Capistrano is the 7th of the California Missions founded by Father Junipero Serra. It's always been my favorite, a beautiful structure and quite romantic. And every year on March 19th the swallows return to build their nests. There's a song my mom used to sing to me about it. Tommy de Paola has written a beautiful children's book about the swallows returning. And my husband is quick witted & punny and makes unexpected connections. San Juan Capistrano was his was of saying, "oh, you want the readers to return" . . . just like the beautiful swallows!

So my new & updated purpose in writing this blog is to share the magic and beauty I see everywhere. To provoke thought or laughter with a healthy sense of the absurd. To inspire the people who come here. Not to take myself too seriously and to give more than I expect to get.

A big thank you to Tara Frey, who's book has truly inspired me!

Frey, Tara. Blogging for Bliss. New York: Lark Books, 2009.

One Little Word

2011-12-31T16:23:00.002-05:00

One Little Word is a concept and a class with Ali Edwards. 2012 will be the second year I have signed up for the class and as the old year ends and a new year begins it is fun to look at the word that shaped 2011 and watch as my new word shapes 2012.

Celebrate was my word this year.

And what a year of celebration it was. 2011 was my year of soixante. Apparently in french this is the end of decade numbering; the next decade is soixante-dix, etc. It is a pinnacle not an end! This was pointed out by a dear young woman I met last summer in France. Her mom is my age and she is my daughter's age (this kind of stuff matters to me!) and it was a joy to spend time with her. Her take on age and numbers was refreshing and helpful and after that I just stopped worrying about the number! I also loved being in a country where women of a certain age are admired and revered and not ignored. Wonderful to see how much the French admire the wisdom years of living bring.

I have worn this Lisa Leonard necklace all year.

It has been a reminder of the word. And sometimes it has just been a secret that even little things are worth celebrating!

So what is in store for 2012?

It chose me and it's perfect!

I actually thought my word for 2012 would be "Create." I bought a new Lisa Leonard necklace and everything. But as I was talking to a friend about the whole "one little word" concept, it became apparent that "Abundance" was my word for the year. So to the necklace I added a charm I got at Silver Bella and now wear it to nudge my creativity.

Title Page

One Little Word notebook.

As I wrote to a friend, who is also taking the course, 2012 is going to be all about being expansive in all aspects of my life: Creativity will certainly be a part. So will finding the funds to put a new, badly needed roof on part of our house! I look to see abundance of spirit, creativity and peace as each month I delve a bit deeper into my word.

If that sounds like fun, join me on the journey.

Have a Very Happy New Year!

Soreze, France

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

Having spent all our cash on books in Montalban, the next afternoon we headed to Soreze which has an ATM as well as beautiful architecture!

I wandered the town by myself.

Discovering the church grounds . . .

The public garden & park,

and finally joining up with the group.

An outdoor cafe for refreshments was were we all met up. It seemed so part of the day I didn't even think to take photos. Oh well. Imagine a table with espresso cups and Orangina glasses.

Soreze is not far from La Cascade, so a few of us walked back.

After all the rain it was lovely to be outside.

Shopping For Books

2011-10-29T18:13:00.002-04:00

Our heroine is having a heck of a time getting the trip to France posted. It's not like there are a lot of followers of this blog, but for those who are being patient, thank you so much. Today, we venture out for a glimpse of one of the field trips the group took:

Note the raincoat Kelly is holding.

We may have been in southern France, but the beginning of our week was perfect weather for ducks!

Up the mountain to Montolieu, the book town.

One of our projects specifically called for a book to use as our canvas. Plus even the most ordinary of books here would be in French and pages would be so lovely for our other projects!

I found a wonderful book with letter press printed woodcuts, an almanac of the year I was born and the find of the day -- a cashe of papers and letters. . . I'm not sure I would have discovered the cache if the shop owner didn't speak perfect English and had been married to a woman named Merrily. Serendipity!

I had wandered off by myself into Librairie Lattitudes, a shop specializing in books on history & exploration. I wasn't really that interested in these topics and he certainly didn't have books to cut up for art projects! But the shop had a great feel and we spoke the same language! I found a couple books I could afford. He seemed to approve of my choices and we got talking. He asked my name and laughed when I told him. I don't know what made me ask, but I wondered if he had paper for sale -- written documents, letters, that sort of thing. He went in the back and brought out a plastic grocery bag full of stuff: Letters, ration coupons, an old book, etc. It wasn't the sort of thing he usually sold, he had gotten it from an estate sale locally. The lot wasn't elegant and some of the pieces were quite worn; I didn't look at it very carefully, but it felt like a good find. So I said I would take it, and was there an ATM machine in town. No, but he would gladly take US dollars and the transaction was complete! It still makes me smile to think of the fun I had talking with Michel.

After that lovely experience and also since I was out of cash, I wandered around til I found my friends at this cafe. Of course as soon as I shared my finds half of them went off to Michel's shop to see if he had any other wonderful bits.

It was a great afternoon and we all found things to use in our next projects.

Garden, Unexpected!

2011-10-25T18:11:00.000-04:00

The garden, put to bed.

Weeds removed, mulch applied, quiet expected.

But look closer.

What are those roses doing on October 25th?

My crazy garden, or maybe I should say, crazy New England weather is so warm that all my roses: Golden Showers climber, Jacob's Coat climber and the pretty pink hybrid tea my son rescued from the nursery's toss pile are all blooming -- like crazy!

Leaves changing beautiful colors has not happened in our yard. But we've got roses -- that's magical!

Our heroine will return to continue the tale of her France Adventure soon. Seems her friend's passing was more upsetting than she realized and it has taken this long to get her equilibrium back.

First Projects

2011-09-30T12:50:00.004-04:00

Up the blue stairs to the top floor our group of art students went each morning to work.

Below are the cards I made:

These are the first projects we did -- collaged cards to send home to family and friends. It was my first attempt to duplicate the sample. In my failure to do so I discovered how naturally my own artistic sensibility comes through. And since I was so very pleased with my completed cards, I also learned I might, just maybe trust my artistic eye!

For my friend Jan
Art Reference Librarian
you will be sorely missed!

La Cascade

2011-09-26T09:51:00.000-04:00

Our heroine has found her camera and in looking at the photos finds herself reliving this grand adventure. Come along on the first stop: the small village of Durfort, France.

La Cascade is named for this waterfall across from the garden.

I went to La Cascade to attend a week-long, residential art workshop taught by Anna Corba. I had taken classes with her before and love her sensibility, artistic and otherwise! The workshop was composed of seven students plus Anna and Susan - an artist in her own right, and Anna's assistant for the week. The house is three stories and a back garden. With the rain we didn't spend much time in the garden. It rained a lot that week and we were grateful for the wood burning stove in the living room. The fire was very cozy! Also on the first floor is the spacious kitchen, and the dining room, where we took most of our meals.

Next up our heroine discovers what she wants to be when she grows up! It's not a chef, so you can stop laughing!

My France Adventure Begins

2011-09-24T13:04:00.001-04:00

On June 6, 2011 I started my month-long trip to France.

on June 6th when I flew from Boston Logan airport to Toulouse, France, arriving the next morning.

It has been a glorious trip! Many adventures. Diverse experiences. Mishaps with shoes & feet, despite my attention to them -- or maybe because of it! Wonderful food. Beautiful scenery. Great art.

I took over 500 photographs. That stuns me, I don't usually take so many pics. But my subjects were Paris Rive Gauche; Marie Antoinette's garden at Versaille; Paris Disney (so familiar and yet so not); Carcassonne. Collioure. The small villages of Soreze, Durfort, Mirepoix, Montalieu. Toulouse. I was inspired by the beauty and the colors and the doors and iron grilles on the windows! I even took photos of great haircuts for my stylist, who said she would like to go to Paris to see fabulous hair styles!

I took this blank book and made it into my most trusty guide!

Here I added tabs for each leg of the trip, a list of art supplies, maps, my itinerary, notes to myself.
As this was an art trip, I treated my book as an art project that informed! I fell in love with washi tape and used it to add velum sheets and scrapbook paper!

I left blank pages to write what I did each day and hold ephemera.

My flight from Boston to Toulouse, France connected through London Heathrow Airport. I was one of the lucky ones to be given a full body search. You notice I don't say lucky in quotes? I actually was lucky. The woman who searched me was more like a masseuse and after the long overnight flight it felt amazingly good.

The bus from Blagnac Airport to Matabiau Rail Station,
Toulouse

I arrive at the airport in Toulouse, collect my luggage, purchase a bus ticket and walk out to torrential rains!
Really, it was raining chiens et chats!
From here I get to the train station, walk to the bus station, buy a ticket to Revel and am on my way. Planes & Trains & Automobiles. Anna & Susan pick me up in Revel, introduce me to the joys of Intermarche, a Target-like store made most fascinating because everything is in French. I fall in love with yogurt in glass containers, which later hold my colored pens and paintbrushes. Next it's Durfort, where the art workshop will delight me for a week. The other 6 participants arrive over the next hour or so, all as water logged as I, we settle into our rooms, ready for the art to begin, and the rain to stop?

The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost . . .

2011-09-22T13:31:00.001-04:00

and Found!

When we last saw our heroine, she was agonizing about shoes and secretly worrying about not knowing French. As it turned out, she had to deal with both issues and neither kept her from having a fabulous time!

I just finished Rachel Friedman's wonderful book, The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost, about discovering herself through travel. It touched me in so many ways. I've been to Ireland. My trip to Australia was emotionally life-saving. I studied South American cultures as an undergraduate and could pronounce the place names while reading. Her book has inspired me finally to write about how I spent the month of June in France.

What did I learn in France?
*I want to be an artist when I grow up.
*The French are wonderfully polite people, it helps to know what is important and act accordingly.
*Most French people DO NOT speak English. After all, why should they? But if you use the magical phrases: "Je ne parle pas Francais," followed by "Parlez-vous Anglais?" they will try to muddle through with you!
*Coca Cola in France tastes better than any Coke I have tasted in this country for 30 years (or whenever they decided to use high fructose corn syrup instead of sugar). I drank a lot of it!
*Sometimes you just have to ignore fashion and wear the Reeboks.

We leave our heroine searching frantically for her camera. When found, the posts on France will have lots of beautiful, colorful images!

Walk a Mile in My Other Shoes

2011-05-25T19:50:00.001-04:00

I'm taking another two mile walk, and more photos, as I test out a different pair of shoes.

They are pretty also.

The other pair did not work -- sore feet and blisters.

Will these work for my trip?

They are the most comfortable "pretty" shoes I have ever tried on.

We'll see at the end of the walk.

I had company.

And blue skies and sun!

It's fun to walk with my husband.

He notices different things, like this pretty blue jay feather.

Ah the Honeysuckle -- lovely scent, sadly invasive!

On my beach walk I turned left at the end of our lane.

For this walk we turned right towards coffee and donuts.

A peaceful & pretty cemetery.

Our family has kind of adopted Azubah.

We say hello to her whenever we pass this way.

Such a pretty headstone.

Weeping Willows were very traditional on New England headstones of the 19th century.

For more info on Cape Cod headstones, click here

A different rendition of the weeping willow.

At first glance it looked like angel wings.

(I probably need new glasses)

What would a New England country road be without a white picket fence . . .

. . . or a pretty chuch and steeple?

My shoes and I arrived at our destination.

My husband did too, and bought the coffee, oj and donuts!

The General Store

Summer mornings, these benches will be full of locals solving the world's political problems before going to work. Later they will be full of summer visitors eating donuts or ice cream and thinking this must be heaven!

An old fashion general store

They sell the most wonderful Beach Plum Jam,

and will make up a care package for your kids when they go away to college and are feeling a bit homesick!

The link may or may not be working, but I've put it in just in case.

Upstairs

You're looking down at the first floor . . .

Through this cool vent in the floor/ceiling!

Back to our walk

This gate really doesn't go anywhere, but I love how formal it looks.

And back to my garden.

6 hours later, I am still wearing my Naot sandals.

They are going with me on the trip!

Now if only I could stop obsessing about the clothes I plan to take.

Walk a Mile in My Shoes

2011-05-18T21:54:00.000-04:00

Come along with me as I take a long walk with lots of photos!

They're pretty.

Are they comfortable enough for my trip next month, where I will be walking many miles?

I headed out my back door, down a country lane to see. . .

. . . both whether the shoes would work, and the pretty scenery.

Grape Hyacinth by a stone wall.

up close

Ferns just sprouting.

The road towards the beach.

A fern faerie circle.

Ferns in the sun, bursting open.

Across the road where we used to summer.

This would make a lovely cranberry bog, if any cranberries were planted!

Cute cottages near the beach.

a close-up of a quanzon cherry in flower.

Finally, my shoes and I arrive at the beach.

The storms last winter took out so much of the parking lot it has been closed to cars.

But the beach is as beautiful as ever!

The creek guarantees there is always water, even at low tide.

It's loads of fun to ride a raft or rubber boat out as the tide recedes or in when the water almost covers these rocks!

This looks so peaceful doesn't it?

We were having wind advisories and the wind was whipping around pretty fiercely!

I headed down the beach testing my ATS

(all terrain shoes/sandals).

I have no idea what a Skate looks like,

but this is what they leave behind.

Another beach

With the other parking lot washed out, will people discover this one?

Another beach

Back on the road home

They may be evergreen, but they too put out new growth/pinecones in the Spring.

Almost home

My favorite foot covering.

And I'm gonna have to find a different pair of sandals for the trip.

*sigh*

My Day in the Garden

2011-04-19T09:58:00.002-04:00

Spring does not come early to New England. It's not like California where I learned to garden. Here you have to be both patient and flexible. When there's a good day, it's time to get out into the garden. Tomorrow it may be cold, overcast, or rainy!

A drop of dew caught in the Sedum

My loyal garden buddy & helper.

A couple years ago for Mother's Day my son gave me the gift of this front garden. It had been leveled and new soil added when we re-did the kitchen. I put in the brick path. He bought plants and together we planted. I took good care of it that summer. Since then, I've been haphazard in my care. Fortunately we both know perennials are the best plants for me, without doing anything, each summer flowers grow. The catmint is always good for a big show of color! Some, like the Penstimom, have taken over. Others, like the Shasta Daisies, never did very well. Without him here I tend to neglect the garden. He's home for the summer and working at a garden center again, so we have decided to re-design.

The sun caught this drop of water nestled in the leaves of the Sedum Autumn Fire. It's what I bought my camera for -- these really, really close-up shots of plants. Thanks Natasha, btw!

The garden before a new plan

Yesterday, I was planning on working inside -- getting the house ready for my daughter's visit and re-opening the shop next week. BUT if the weather is nice and you have a willing helper, spend the day in the garden! Which is what we did. For a while we both weeded and cut away the dead stuff from last winter. Then my son, who has been observing the landscaper designers at the garden center, suggested I sit and plan a re-designed plot. He kept digging out weeds and plants we don't want to keep. He gave me this list --

How to design a garden:

1) Choose a Theme.

2) Choose Plants for the Theme.

3) Draw a Plan.

The plot is already divided in fourths, so my son suggested I start with one quadrant. He knows how distracted I get. My theme is English Cottage, so I got my garden books for that, used them to look at plants I liked. He kept asking me how tall does it get, how much space does it need (I tend to ignore that info for the pretty pictures), which helped a lot. So the SW quadrant is planned. It is at the back, next to the house. The NW quadrant is good, only needs a little tweaking and perhaps another lavender plant. The SE quadrant, I have no idea. And the NE quadrant is where I raised such tasty bell peppers and chard. I'd love to add lettuce to this plot but it gets full sun all day long and the last time the lettuce got a bit burned.

So that was my day in the garden. Can't wait to finish the prep and get to planting! I'll be sure to share photos. I think it's going to look beautiful!

Steal Like An Artist

2011-04-04T18:51:00.000-04:00

credit: Austin Kleon

1. Steal like an artist.

Every artist gets asked the question, “Where do you get your ideas?”
The honest artist answers, “I steal them.”

A friend shared this link to Austin Kleon's website. This article blew me away! It's a list of great advice, including #2, Don't wait until you know who you are to start making things, which uses, among other things, Patti Smith's book, Just Kids, to make his point.

There's so much there I will probably be reading and pondering it all week.

Contrary to Popular Belief . . .

2011-03-25T16:06:00.005-04:00

. . . I did not get lost on Tom Sawyer's Island. Tho I must admit, when I was a kid I knew it was one of my mom's dreams to be able to camp overnight there (and in a sneaky way too -- without park officials knowing she/we were doing so)!

No, I had some wonderful art adventures after that, came home and sadly spent the month of February in bed. Some bug, something that made staying under the covers so much more appealing than getting up and doing anything. I ate a lot of chicken soup and drank a lot of orange juice and watched a lot of old programs on Hulu!

I am doing fine now and just got out of the habit of taking photographs & blogging. I will post again soon. Thanks to all the well wishers for checking in on me.

The Happiest Place on Earth

2011-01-27T21:26:00.001-05:00

TRAVEL ~ Day 20

Yesterday I was celebrating my birthday at Disneyland with my sister.

Cinderella's Castle from Fantasyland.

First stop the Carousel.

My sister has been horse crazy since the age of 5.

Storybook Ride

Alice in Wonderland's village

Aladin's village

Toad Hall

When I was a kid I so wanted to be small enough to move into this wonderful place! I was also a big fan of The Borrowers stories!

We had lunch at a wonderful outdoor restaurant in New Orleans Square: Gumbo, goat cheese salad and a treat!

Can you tell it's a Mickey shaped cream puff?

Yummy!

While in The French Quarter, I shared with her what little I know about Club 33. She has enough interesting friends, she just might wangle an invitation. I told her she'd better include me and I'd fly out at a moment's notice!

Over-exposed, this captures the feel of some of the warmer places in the Park. Knowing my husband has been shoveling snow most of this month, I'm awfully grateful to be here where it's sunny and warm. I know how much he loves this ride.

The back side of water.

Our daughter thinks when we retire, we should move to Orlando, FL or Anaheim, CA and my husband should get a job on the Jungle Cruise. Not only does he love all the puns, he probably would come up with new ones!

Waiting for the Matterhorn ride, we were lulled by these beautiful flowers.

Sis loves this ride but didn't know it had been made a lot faster!

It kinda scared me as a kid, but I always went on it. It was lots of fun yesterday!

I learned something new about my sister . . .

She loves Barbershop Quartets!

We stayed all day and came home tired & happy!

Happy Australia Day

2011-01-26T08:00:00.007-05:00

photo credit stayz.com.au

Happy Australia Day
Despite the serious challenges to Queensland in the north, I hope all my Aussie friends can celebrate their wonderful country on this national holiday.

Happy Birthday

2011-01-22T16:14:00.002-05:00

TRAVEL ~ Day 16

I returned my zippy little car to the airport and afterwards, Betty & I went on an antiques jaunt. When I lived here, she & I would go to estate sales, garage sales and antique shops together as often as we could. We went to a couple places downtown and then over to Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach.

Vignette's

Everyone's favorite. It is so pretty and fun!

They asked that I not take any pictures of handmade items,

so I limited my photo activities altogether!

Pretty pastel display on top of a tall armoire.

No pictures, but dinner out was with Cathy, Betty, Nancy and Renee. It was a wonderful time. Although all these ladies know each other (our kids went to elementary, middle & high school together at some time and in some combination), none of us see each other often. At one point the conversation turned to books (all these friends love to read) and pens & paper were brought out while titles were written down and shared. It's possible a new book club will grow out of this dinner. I'm sorry I won't be here to participate, but it thrills me no end that my friends may become better friends with each other.

Balboa Park, San Diego

2011-01-21T23:58:00.023-05:00

TRAVEL ~ Day 15

The next evening I went to Balboa Park with Betty, my former Girl Scout Co-Leader and Nancy, a PTA friend and Betty's older daughter's Girl Scout Leader.

The low light and a bit of shaking on my part makes this a less than perfect photo (one of these days I'm actually going to have to read the manual and shoot away from the "easy mode"), but that trumpet flower tree was so wonderful. Maybe you can imagine it clearer. There were also pink ones, but the pink ladies truly resisted having their pictures taken!

The Arboretum
At first, none of us could remember what this building is called.

Of course, once we had, it seemed that Arboretum was in every sentence and became a word of plain silliness by the end of our wanderings!

Balboa Park was the site of the Panama California Exposition in 1915, and the California Pacific International Exposition in 1935. Click here for lots more info.

My husband played with bands here . . .

. . . our kids love the Railroad Museum.

Plus the zoo is here, the organ pavilion, it is a very fun place.

Interesting architecture.

After walking around the grounds, my friends and I had food on the patio of The Prado restaurant and then were treated to tickets to see Jane Austen's EMMA A Musical Romantic Comedy. Nancy's daughter works at the Old Globe and was able to get us comps. What a wonderful musical. As Jane Austen is my favorite author, I might be a bit prejudiced. Then again, perhaps I would have noticed if it did not live up to the book. It was a lovely production -- set, costumes, actors & singing voices all delightful.

Coronado Island

2011-01-20T19:30:00.004-05:00

TRAVEL ~ Day 14

San Diego, my old stomping grounds.

We lived in North County during my son's 2nd year; moved to La Jolla a month before my daughter was born (a great excuse to get out of lifting any boxes or furniture!); and finally settled in Chula Vista where the kids went to elementary school and I made really wonderful friends thru classroom volunteering and PTA.

One of those friends & I spent the afternoon on Coronado Island ~

We had lunch at Sheerwater,

one of the restaurants at the Hotel Del.

We ate outdoors, but were in the shade, perfect!

After lunch we walked around the grounds,

discovering these great garden beds.

too hot for my tastes!

Maybe the berries in our salad were from here!

Then a wonderful, leisurely walk on the beach!

Zipping Along in Style

2011-01-20T13:13:00.001-05:00

Me & my rental car

I picked this car up at one CA airport and will return it to another. Enterprise provides that service and sometimes you are very lucky and the drop charge isn't highway robbery! I was lucky in lots of ways! Small drop charge, a zippy little Kia Rio . . .

RED!

My favorite car colour.

I don't have to clear off this car . . .

. . . or drive in this!

Antiquing On The Way

2011-01-19T19:56:00.006-05:00

TRIP ~ Day 11, part 2

In between all the nostalgia, I found antique shops to visit! There's probably some nostalgia in that too. The first antique shop I visited as a kid was in old Calabasas. At the time there was the Leonis Adobe, a little market where my mom bought meat and my sister & I bought Archie comics and red vines red licorice, a boat yard -- I could never figure that one out, we were miles & miles away from water, a shop with a soda fountain and lurid comics like True Romance, and an antique shop. It's all gone, except the Adobe, which is now fixed up and posh, but when I was a kid, the adobe was ramshakle! However, when I saw the Adobe, I knew where I was, and I knew the old Calabasas would have to live on only in my memory. That's ok, I've got great photos in my head!

Before Calabasas is Agoura.

I remember Rachel Ashwell talking about the Agoura Antique Mart in one of her TV shows, so that was my first stop.

Great Displays!

I got tons of ideas for my shop . . .

And saw so many pretty things for sale!

I met Heather, a dealer there who travels to the East Coast yearly. I gave her my card & hope she visits next summer.

One one side, Bungalow.

Wish these curtains were more in my price range!

Close-up of the smocking.

On the other side, A Beautiful Mess.

I met Marilyn, one of the proprietors & we had a delightful chat.

I shared about My Birthday Year Celebration.

She told me her shop is featured in the February 2011 issue of Romantic Homes!

From the front door.

Wonderful beachy wall hanging.

Something awe inspiring at every turn!

Out of focus, but you get the idea.

I love this shop!

Great shopping & inspiration. Visit if you can!

Home

2011-01-18T11:17:00.001-05:00

TRIP ~ Day 11

I've thought a lot about home this trip. I don't live in California now, but having been born, raised and gone to college here, it will always be home. Driving around, thinking, "Oh cool, a CA license plate," then realizing they are ALL Calif plates.

My dad's house.

While I never really lived in this house, oddly enough it feels like home.

My parents built the house, whose construction was not completed until shortly before I left for college. Whenever I am here I am reminded of how much I was involved in the design process!

Mostly I notice my choices in the bathroom. It's yellow! My favorite color at 18. It was designed to be shared by my sister & me. The tub is the perfect length for my height; I tested out tubs at the bath supply house til I found one that fit. The shower head is set at the perfect height for a 5'5" person to shower and not get her hair wet! The last time I waxed poetic on this feature, my husband (who is 6') remarked that the shower head is not ideal for everyone! Oh well. This trip I noticed the bathroom window, which is set high in the wall and gives light but complete privacy.

The view from my bedroom, early morning.

When I left my dad's, I drove south toward my mom's home. In between is much of my life before marriage: my childhood home, the gully at the corner where I played as a kid, schools, friends' houses, even the streets & freeways where I learned to drive. I was smiling all day -- I am a nostalgic marshmallow! Not many photos. I have so many in my head, I didn't stop, just drove and felt at home!

My childhood home,
A typical Valley ranch house,
fer shure!

That's my old bedroom window on the left.

And another high bathroom window, no wonder they feel right, I've always had them.

A most important icon of my childhood -- the street light!
The rule was, when the light came on, it was time to go home.
But some nights, usually the weekend or summers, some group of the 20 neighborhood kids would gather under it for a rousing game of "kick the can."

Next I drove to my elementary school, past friends' houses, even going so far to see if I could find an old boyfriend's house. I found the street, have no idea which house was his.

Then along Ventura Blvd toward the freeway and my mom's place.
Say what you will about driving in LA. Having learned to drive here, it was really easy to negotiate. And no one honked at me the entire day!

Ojai

2011-01-17T21:53:00.000-05:00

TRIP ~ Day 10

Before I left on this trip, I was talking with a friend from church who thought if he ever moved back to California, he would seriously consider living in Ojai. So this is a travelogue for John & family.

I photographed things he might be interested in . . .

They were open on Sunday and I got a couple of falling-apart books for an art project I will be doing at the end of the month.

. . . and things that touched my own quirky sense of humor.

Smudge Pots in the grove.

When the weather gets below freezing at night they light these and the smoke keeps the oranges from being lost to cold. You can tell an orange that has gotten too cold. The fruit is distinct looking.

Perhaps these yellow cards keep the oranges from being lost to bugs!

Orange grove with mountains in the background!

A Bridle Path

The Farmers Market was fun!
Lots of different things to buy . . .

Sage smudge sticks, handmade soap

Organic apples

Primroses
The flowers were so pretty and colorful. It's what I miss most on Cape Cod at this time, where the weather is around freezing and the only flowers are potted or silk inside.

Another quirky sign.
I don't even know what product they sell.

From a local lavendar farm.
Also at the market -- honey & more fruits & veggies.

Pepperberry Tree.

Like so many California towns, the architecture is varied:

Spanish Adobe style,

Storybook Cottage,

Victorian Farm House

Off the main drag, the residential streets were sleepy & warm.

Bart's Books
This place is an institution. I visited it more than 30 years ago and it seems just the same as that visit.

My purchase amidst the outside plants.

There is no roof over this bookstore,
except for a couple of rooms of rare or valuable books.

This sign made me smile!

This is what happens when you shoot directly into the sun!

I took the back route home.
It was great fun. A wonderful day. Great scenery. An amazing lunch. Even a few purchases at a thrift shop & the monthly peddler's fair & bookstores!

I'm so glad my friend from church mentioned liking Ojai. I might not have come otherwise and it would have been a shame to miss all this beauty. Thanks for hanging in to the end. This is more photos than I usually take or post!

Birthday Fun for the Whole Family

2011-01-16T04:46:00.000-05:00

Trip ~ Day 9

Since they both had to work, my brother & sister came up to celebrate my dad's birthday on Saturday.

We drove to Los Olivos for lunch. There was talk of wine tasting, but it never happened.

After lunch I wandered off.

I love my family but they are an intense group who all have strong opinions!

Lamb on succulents.

She would fit right in with my Lamb on Wheels and dozens of lamb things. My sister loved this photo. Of course she did, she's one of the givers of the dozens of lamb items!

This garden shop tickled me.

Our next stop --

Solvang, a Danish town in the middle of California.

My sister says these are Belgium draft horses.

She is the horsewoman, so I'll trust she knows what she's talking about. Horses are not my thing.

Antiques are my thing, but this shop entry was the closest I got to antiques on Saturday. Probably just as well, I can't imagine being able to spend only 15 minutes in a multi-dealer space.

It was a nice day. We walked & talked. Saw the shops, bought "Man on the Moon" socks for Dad (he was an aerospace engineer and has a thing for socks) and brought apple streudel back for my dad & step-mom's wonderful neighbor.

Thinking of Australia

2011-01-15T11:36:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share this opportunity to help those so badly affected by the flooding in Queensland.

Queensland Flood Appeal Auctions is raising funds.

To find out ways to help, CLICK HERE.

Happy Birthday Dad!

2011-01-14T23:57:00.004-05:00

TRIP ~ DAY 8

Today is my Dad's birthday. We spent it hanging around near boats! (Isn't that a famous literary quote I should know?)

My Dad.

Off we went in the little runabout in search of breakfast.

My dad is happy on the water.

Breakfast is close.

A "Pirate Ship," used for teaching.

A class was on board when we got to the dock near the restaurant.

My dad taught us kids to sail on a 14' boat, similar to these. He actually made us take a written test to make sure we were prepared. I passed & y'know, I still have that test!

I used to race a little Sabot like this green boat.

Boats at the yacht club.

I know they look like surfboards. Maybe they are sailboards.

I like the colors!

In the afternoon we walked over to the new frozen yogurt place - serious yumm - and then to the beach. I always think of my dad as quiet, almost taciturn. But he was chatty and it was fun to listen to him expound on some ideas and reminisce about others.

The "Pirate Ship" we saw at the restaurant dock is out on the water, looking beautiful.

Tomorrow my brother & sister come up and we're all going to Solvang for lunch. That will be fun. Still, it was nice to have my dad to myself for a day. He has always made me feel special, even on his birthday!

Old Friends

2011-01-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

TRIP ~ DAY 6

We were best friends in high school.

We haven't seen or written or talked to each other since then.

Judging by our yackin', you'd never know 40 years have passed.

Not bad for a couple of old broads!

I don't know if this song was a favorite of Renee's in high school. It certainly was one of mine. Seems very appropriate here.

Museum of Lace and Textiles

2011-01-12T10:17:00.001-05:00

TRIP ~ DAY 5

In Berkeley, the most fantastic treasure-trove.
2982 Adeline St. at Ashby St, across from the Ashby BART station. Click on the links for more info & photos.
Visit the LACIS Museum website

The shop.
Items also available online here.

Look Up!

Those are not lampshades, they are hoop skirts!

A display of Bridal treasures.

I fell in love with this blouse!

The Museum.

Their current exhibit is EMBROIDERY.

Pocket detail from men's westkit.

Embroidered piece for pockets & collar.

Homey piece from the 1930's or 40's.
Cotton dyed and embroidered.
Grandma made many pieces like this!

Throughout the store they have these displays (like Target uses to hold posters) showing the most amazing lace, linen, glittery bits, et al. I spent about an hour in the shop/museum, but I could have spent 5 and taken hundreds of pictures. Everything filled me with wonder!

Handerchiefs with handmade lace.

Crochet Lace.

Filet Crochet, with Satin Stitch embroidered over.

I love the combination of techniques!

Rather out of focus, :-(

Still I wanted to include this photo for the amazing depth of their displays.

San Francisco Gift Show

2011-01-11T09:15:00.000-05:00

TRIP ~ DAY 4

An added bonus of my trip, I got to attend the SFIGF.
The VINTAGE section was great.
I had a list of 3 Must-See's ~~

Molly Quoyeser's Mixing Whimsy was an absolute treat!
I'd hadn't met her before or seen her booth, but I felt at home instantly!

The perfect pink display cabinet!

Vintage-look bottles, decorated.

I have a bunch of old bottles. I moved them off the kitchen counter so my husband could cook while I am gone (it was his only request regarding clearing up my stuff before leaving on this trip!). There are so many ideas of how to decorate old bottles out there. Maybe "just do it!" should be my motto for the year!

I love how Molly took old handwritten paper, photocopied it and used it to wallpaper the back of the pink cabinet.

Great display idea.

A little vignette

I love the graphic quality of Black & White.

Magnetic board & coordinating magnets.

I'm excited about carrying these in my shop next summer.

A necklace or decoration for gift or lamp.

Such wonderful things!

Tinsel Trading.

The rest of my photos are blurry, but I've posted about them before.

Anna was very gracious about taking a picture with me.

And you can see her booth in the background.

I took one of her classes at Silver Bella 2009 and it was fun to catch up with her.

I found a few other booths with things I liked, so I bought them. It's unusual to get to do that at a big wholesale show!

Pretties that came home with me!

More pretty purchases.

Paper fans to sell in the shop.

A Sunday Drive

2011-01-10T21:31:00.000-05:00

TRIP ~ DAY 3
more story than pictures . . .

I was an odd kid. I loved Sunday drives with my family. They were pretty. And quiet. A lovely respite for me from the constant chatter of my mom & sister. My dad loved California, having moved here in 1938, when he was 12. He liked wilderness and trees and he drove us some fun places.

So last Sunday I drove my daughter & her boyfriend North. It was a beautiful day for a drive. At the Flea Market sign I got some interest. My daughter has been dragged to so many flea markets and they aren't her thing. Who knew her boyfriend was such a sport? We stopped.

Not my usual flea market. Here we saw beautiful First Communion

. . . and Quincenera dresses!

Colorful fruit and veggies . . .

. . . and the young men selling them.

They were teasing each other about being in my photographs, so I made them both stand still for this one. I probably should have gotten vegetables also, but my daughter was worried they were making fun of us so I took this quick. They weren't making fun, they were just cute kids. When I pointed out that she & I know enough Spanish to know when we are being dis-ed, she was ok!

On through Napa, Healdsburg, St Helena . . . wine country.

We didn't stop at any wineries or vineyards. Nor did I take photos. Trust me, it was beautiful, even with the grapevines dormant!

Calistoga

Almost 40 years ago, when I met my husband, this was a sleepy little town. We used to come here on our days off from summer camp to do laundry and get soup at a cool organic, vegetarian restaurant.

Victorian Cottages

Great Porches

Architectural Details.

I wanted to live here, heck, I still do. But my DH has never thought there would be enough work for a jazz musician. He's probably right, but I get nostalgic for the life that might have been whenever I visit.

Redwoods, looking up

Up over the hill we drove to Middletown, the former home of the summer camp where my chosen family (as opposed to birth family) began. I met my husband there, and years later our son, age 9, & daughter, age 6, started going. They spent three summers, loving the place every bit as much as we had!

We drove back on the Silverado Trail. I love that name, so romantic. Years ago it was rural and western. Today its mostly wineries and vineyards. It's still beautiful and it was a lovely day spent with my dearest daughter and her equally dearest young man. This was an absolute perfect day for me!

Japanese Tea Garden

2011-01-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

TRIP ~ DAY 2, part 2

After the Academy of Sciences, I kind of dragged the kids over to The Japanese Tea Garden, also in Golden Gate Park. I love this place. I try to get here whenever I am in San Francisco. My daughter & her boyfriend had never been and he perked up everytime I mentioned it, so I made sure we got there before they closed. So glad! Both kids loved it and probably will go back.

Beautiful Vista.

Red Pagoda.

An elegant path.

It's difficult to get the full scope of this garden at a single spot. The paths twist and turn. Around each curve, there is some element of beauty or surprise. That is on purpose. The idea is to keep the visitor focused on where they are walking. Then each new element can be seen separately. It is very peaceful!

A large pond with many overlooks.

Path over stream.

Designed so you have to watch your feet crossing!

Large Lantern.

Steep stairs.

High Drum Bridge.

More steepness.

This image is from google. My photo had the kid's heads cut off!

Sand Garden.

I love these, they are so peaceful.

The sand represents water.

Buddha

After walking through the garden in chilly temperatures, we went to the Tea House for tea, mochi (rice paste sweet treats) and hot chocolate. My daughter declared it the best hot chocolate she's ever had!

California Academy of Sciences

2011-01-08T23:45:00.000-05:00

TRIP ~ DAY 2

The second day of my winter trip. My daughter & her boyfriend took me to the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. What an amazing place. We could have spent the entire day there.

First up African Penguins . . .

The keeper, hosing down their living quarters.

It was fun to watch them interact with her!

Fronds distributed to the birds.

Some grabbed them.

Some did not.

Penguin carrying frond into cave.

Are they food?

Nesting material?

Art supplies?

We never figured it out, but had fun watching!

Seahorse railing.

It keeps visitors from falling into the albino alligator pool.

Bugs, Butterflies, Sea Creatures.

The words are not the creatures' names, but human -- adopt a creature, support the Academy -- just like those who's names are above each metal seahorse.

Frog on plant.

You can see I did not pay attention to names and classification. The shapes, the colors, the composition - that I paid attention to!

Sea Anemone.

My camera supplied this color.

COOL!

Jelly Fish

A light source supplied a rainbow of color.

This jelly is translucent white. They are in a circular tank because they move with the current and if their tank is square or rectangular, they would all end up stuck in the corners.

Don't you love learning new things?

I was so enthralled I sometimes forgot to take photos. My daughter kept reading signs and telling me cool info. It was a marvel. And we didn't even see the planetarium or rain forest! If you're in San Francisco, do visit. It is worth the price, really!

The University of California, Berkeley

2011-01-07T11:48:00.000-05:00

TRIP ~ DAY 1

The first day of my winter trip. Little did I know California would really feel like Winter! Honestly, it's in the 40's in the Bay Area, not a usual thing. Wish I had brought more turtleneck sweaters!

That said, there were more than a few of these blooms on a tree at the entrance to Cal, the University of California, Berkley

A stream on campus.

All the rain has made these streams lush.

A perfect place for playing "Pooh Sticks."

Even college students need children's games.

It should be no surprise I was drawn to the library.

Also, I needed to recharge my camera battery and I knew they would have plugs and lovely places to sit & read!

Indoor staircases.

Periodical Reading Room.

Amazing Ceiling!

This one is in the Periodicals Room.

North Reading Room

North Reading Room.

Reference Stacks.

I feel so at home!

Couches, waiting for students to return and sit on them!

After I left the library I wandered back to town, marveling at the architecture of this magnificient campus. I was not a student here. During my freshman college year, I visited a high school friend who was. As vibrant and beautiful as it was, I knew I needed a much smaller campus with many less students to enjoy college!

Artsy shot of the Clocktower.

I love these trees!

This building is across from the Library entrance.

Close-up of above building.

Classical Architecture.

Do you like the botanical (tree) framing the building's name?

A beautiful modern building.

Just outside campus, a Mission-style church.

Thanks for hanging in til the end of these photos. There was so much to see and photograph, and it was so beautiful! California will always feel like home. I had a wonderful day!

On My Way!

2011-01-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

The winter trip for My Birthday Year has commenced!

I'm visiting my daughter.

Since Ice Age was a real favorite of hers, this video seems so appropriate!

I had quite a few blogs in my head that I wanted to post before leaving home -- about the birthday year, my travel style, all sorts of things. But I was stretched for time. Packing for a month was hard enough. Finding photos that would go on the blogs was time consuming. And I might have enough time if I forgot about trying to find that perfect sweater for this trip in a pretty oatmeal shade. blog or shopping? tough decision and I haven't made it before leaving. Of course I could always have decided to rearrange the furniture. This is another thing I have done just before leaving for a trip. Sanity, I tell you is an issue before the train, plane, automobile departs!

What I've Learned As A Mother

2011-01-05T10:05:00.000-05:00

I got an email from a new friend with a new baby who wrote "I have been overwhelmed and undersleeping. He is my first and I am clueless."

I thought, "Weren't we all?"

Over the course of the last 26 years I have learned a few things ~
* Never wake a sleeping baby.
* Listen to your kids. Even as babies, mine would communicate what they needed. If I listened, it became easier to meet their needs. It also eliminates the "mommy, mommy, mommy" chant in the grocery store.
* I need to be the mom. My kids will make lots of friends in their lifetime, but they only have one mom. Much as I might want to be their friend, I have a different job in their life, at least til they're grown-ups.
* Parents love their children. Sometimes we just need to learn how to express it. This book really helped!
* Children love their parents and want to please them.
* Sometimes when a kid knows they have done wrong they will feel so bad that yelling at them is overkill.
* At some point every child will say, "I hate you Mommy." Hope & pray that on that day you feel so calm that your only response is, "I'm sorry you feel like that. I love you very much."
* It's a wonderful thing to get the baby's father involved in their care. If he dresses your girl all in green camouflage, be grateful he dressed her, and say thank you!
* If you're going to give your kids choices, be sure you are OK with whatever they pick!
* Sometimes the only thing to do is stop and pray.

Does it get easier? I don't know. Eventually they sleep through the night. Then they become college students and again want to be fed in the middle of the night. Luckily you can tell 18 year olds to get their own food.

Waking my daughter is still not a good thing.

Yelling at my son is still overkill.

I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. Being a mom is the very best thing gift I have ever been given.

2011, A Year to Celebrate!

2011-01-04T08:20:00.003-05:00

I was born in a year that ends in 1, so this is a decade birthday for me. Thinking about it last summer, I kinda freaked out. I know it's only a number, still it sounded old to me.

Don't get me wrong . . .

. . . I love my birthday, I always have . . .

(That's my younger brother sitting next to me.)

. . . I think of my birthday as this special, all-about-me day.

You can't really tell from the photo, but that was an amazing cake! It was angel food, the kind with a hole in the center. My mom was really good at cake decorating and she put a Barbie-like doll in the center and frosted her torso and the cake to look like a fancy ball gown!

These girls are ones I was at school with from 3rd grade thru HS graduation, or most of them anyway. Two of them were at the surprise "Sweet Sixteen" party my parents threw for me. I was kinda delighted to see I remembered their names (my mom helpfully wrote them on the back of the photo).

Ah, sidetracked by memories . . .

Back to how I got to declaring 2011 "My birthday year."

I was ready to make a big deal about this year's birthday, I just didn't know how to do so without making a big deal about my age! (which I didn't want to do). I thought maybe I would celebrate for a month. Jodie, at everything vintage, does. If you want to see how she celebrates her birthday to the max, start here! It is very impressive. But I knew I would never be able to post everyday for a month!

It's a birthday! Every journal needs a little BLING!

I mentioned the birthday commemoration idea to a friend from high school, who turns the same daunting number and she said, "Hey Marl, it's taken you a long time to reach this age," (don't you love the honesty of old friends?) "you should celebrate for a long time."

Age doesn't matter. Friendship does!

And that was the seed of an idea. To celebrate for the entire year. It has taken on a life of its own, it's no longer about me and getting to a certain age. It's about the word and the possibilities and having fun and going for baroque! It has been such a wonderful process. I have had the best time planning, and the year has only just started!

It's all pretty fluid, this year. I mean, how can you plan out an entire year. Well maybe some people can, but not me. I change EVERYTHING, drives my son nuts.
But I did come up with some template ideas:
Travel, each season. Mark that aspect of a year.
Make more art. Just do it!

Have projects. Take time for things I have ignored . . .

Get through the horrendous piles of magazines all over the house. Read, rip out, recycle, give to the library mag exchange.

Read books . . .

Art books for projects.

"The Classics:" F. Scott Fitzgerald & Wm Faulkner because I assiduously avoided them in college and feel I should have read them. Jane Austin & Huck Finn & Steinbeck because I loved them the first, second or third time I read them!
Go Deep: Delve into a subject that interests me. Currently it's Native American culture, Crazy Horse and the warrior tribes. Or the early women's movement in America -- Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Seneca Falls, et al.

Would art-making be easier if the worktable was kept clear?

Create!

maybe even get published.

Happy Pink Saturday. Again, thanks Bev at How Sweet the Sound for hosting this great group of posts!

Things completely unrelated to this post, but having to do with my daughter!
I was amazed when I saw the photo of me sitting in the chair. I look so much like my daughter when she was this age. Neither one of us has ever seen the resemblance, but that cute smile is a ringer for my sweet girl!

I had dinner with her last night and she had nice things to say about how I have aged. It was sweet. At 23 (silly girl!) she has been worried about getting older and looking like a wrinkled old crone. She said that looking at me she realized she didn't have to look bad when she gets old, cuz I don't. I recommended my pricey, but effective skin care regimen.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T19:35:00.002-05:00

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!

a little pink, and in French . . .

Bonne Annee!

I hope you have a wonderful day.

My husband & I will be watching the Rose Parade.

I'll be oohing & ahing over the creative use of florals, & thinking of my family -- the engineer who loves the mechanics, the horsewoman who knows horses & riders!

My husband will be listening to the bands and commenting of their turns. In high school he marched in this parade.

Visit Bev's How Sweet The Sound for Pink Saturday participants.

Giving Back A Little Sunshine

2010-12-28T21:07:00.000-05:00

I've probably mentioned this, but I love going out to lunch -- when my husband is free we have favorite places; doing lunch with a girlfriend is a treat; and getting to eat out by myself where I can sit and read a book can be a real highlight to my week.

A couple times a month I eat out at a restaurant next to the closest Michael's. I've gotten to know one of the waitresses. There are all sorts of reasons we hit it off. She is a good listener. We both like to read. I've suggested books for her to read. She has a favorite series and said I might like it. I read it, I liked it, I told her so. It's fun to talk books together! I always ask to sit in her section and she seems genuinely pleased when I come in. She is such an upbeat person, it's nice to see her when I eat there.

She & a friend are going to Hawaii for the winter and I wanted to give her a little bon voyage gift. Having a daughter her age, I know -- cash is always welcome. My friend Mary made creative holders for gift cards and a holiday gift book and they inspired me to be creative in the packaging of my gift.

Front of card

I love the snapshot.

The beauty in the canoe seemed apropos!

Open to Inside

All sections of the tri-fold card.

I used walnut ink, distress stamp pad ink applied with Ranger blending tool & foam, rubber stamps, printed tape, markers, ribbon, a MS border punch, vintage paper, rhinestone strips.

The glittery ribbon holds the money.

I cut a strip in the card, laced the ribbon through and taped it in place on the back.

Compartment to hold bills is closed.

I went to the restaurant today for lunch. She said she was hoping I would come in today as tomorrow is her last day -- so sweet. I gave her the gift, and she was so pleased. It was wrapped up and she didn't open it while I was there. I figured she might like to open it by herself. I'm terrible at getting gifts, but I love giving them, specially when it's to someone who is so nice!

Oh My Goodness!

2010-12-27T18:40:00.002-05:00

Giveaway winner &

A Backyard surprise!

CONGRATULATIONS Marie from Lemondrop Vintage,

you are the giveaway winner. Send me your mailing info and I will send a package out to you! Thanks to everyone who left messages and shared what you celebrate.

Backyard Surprise!

My son & I both heard the "crack."

He, being a tree guy (degree in Environmental Studies, Senior Project - Sugar Maples), knew exactly what the sound meant. I knew when he told me -- I think he actually said, "mom, the tree you hate is now gone and it means more light into the back of the house." When I saw this, I actually felt awful, as if my not liking this tree caused it to break and fall over. I'm pretty sure it was the wind gusts of up to 60 mph that knocked the tree over, not my thoughts!

The best part of this photo is the house --

No part of the tree is touching any part of the house.

We are truly grateful!

This Magnificent Spruce once stood 45' tall.

Currently it is leaning on one of our 20' Holly trees.

My son & husband spent some time cutting off lots of the branches. I was worried the holly tree would be pulled over by the weight. The hollies are unique, maybe the tallest on Cape Cod & really beautiful. I wouldn't want to lose them. My neighbors love the hollies, always remark on how cool they are. They probably look at them more often than we do, since they can see them out their front windows and we can't see them from our house at all.

We called a tree service, they came out, assayed the damage, gave us an estimate we can live with, and will return next Monday to turn the tree into mulch.

More excitement than we planned for this week.

Hope your day was way less exciting!

Christmas Eve Tradition

2010-12-24T19:21:00.006-05:00

This afternoon we continued a Christmas Eve tradition started when I was a child. We ate dinner out at a local Mexican restaurant.

Our son's comment on my photo taking at a restaurant was, "If this was the summer or I was my sister, I would give you grief for taking photos." It really is the height of gauche to look like a tourist, or be embarrassing.

Eh! We eat here a lot, the staff recognize us, I don't think we will be taken for tourists. Mostly this post is about a restaurant 3,000 miles away, I can't get photos there, so I took them here!

When I was a kid growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, one of my parents friends told them about a great Mexican restaurant in Camarillo. It was a good hour's drive from our house. But my dad enjoyed driving and we gave it a try. My parents' friends were right! The food was wonderful and the staff made us feel like family!

El Tecolote (The Owl)

We'd go about once a month. I can remember my Dad's birthday dinner there one year. Once or twice we took my brother's best friend, and ever after the owner's son would ask if we had Norman with us. It really was one of those places amazingly important to my family history.

One year my parents decided to go to El Tecolote for Christmas Eve dinner. So we piled into our station wagon and off we went. Little did we know that El Tecolote closed for the entire month of December. In the 1950's & '60's, the owner, Mike Loza, hired Mexican nationals and their work visas allowed them to work in the US for 11 months and required they return to Mexico for a month. When we arrived at El Tecolote, it was dark. I think there was a sign saying why they were closed. I remember my mom saying how nice they could be with their families. We all thought yes it's nice, but where were we going to eat?

At the time, Camarillo was a very sleepy little town. Home was an hour away. We found a Mexican restaurant that was open. It was a bit of a hole in the wall, but my parents had 3 hungry little kids in the car and they were game. I remember, the food was filling, there were lots of lights and Christmas decorations and everyone was very kind.

We continued the tradition, My dad got recommendations from co-workers of restaurants closer to home. El Tecolote always made us feel part of the family and each year we would say, this is good, but we wish we were at El Tecolote!

My husband likes Mexican food as much as I do, so it was no trouble keeping this tradition going with him. The kids embraced the tradition and I hope they keep it going when they start their own families.

I loved eating out this evening and I have loved remembering a really wonderful part of my childhood.

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS!

~Marilee

Stop by How Sweet The Sound to see what other Pink Saturday participants are doing on Christmas.

Christmas Gift Tag Book

2010-12-22T12:55:00.005-05:00

My daughter asked for the sweetest things for Christmas. She's away from home this year, so, I made this little tag booklet, full of coupons for the things she wanted and had to order herself. She likes things a little less over the top than I do, so I toned these tags down.

Glinda's Girl Soldiers

from Ozma of Oz

When I participated in Karla's Dorothy Tag Book swap, I ran across this great graphic. I thought it would make cool bookmarks. I like it equally well as the front of this gift tag booklet.

This stamp is part of a collection of snowflake clear stamps I purchased at Michaels this year. I have been using it on everything -- tags, our Christmas card envelopes, etc. The embossing power is called "Winter Wonderland," and depending on the stamp pad, is more, or less, opaque and nicely glittery!

My girl has a real passion for tap dancing. Last summer at the Beantown Tap Fest, she saw cool new tap shoes worn by most of the instructors. They have a heart on the heel. Her Grammy, who is also a tap dancer, is giving these shoes. This tag is a reminder to send her Grammy a thank you card!

I guess she can thank Grammy/my mom for more than the tap shoes. Mom at 82, still taps in a group. This Christmas they have already given 3 shows and I think they have 3 more scheduled in January. Mostly they dance at retirement homes and care facilities for older people. I'm so grateful my mom is active enough to be up on the stage and not in such a facility. My daughter can be grateful for new shoes and the prospect of dancing for all her life!

The last coupon is for a haircut. Now a haircut may seem an odd Christmas gift, but her funds are tight and she loves a good visit to an Aveda salon. A massage is part of their service, nice!

She's already gotten the haircut. She called to say she loves the new salon and the cut is good. We actually talked a long time about haircuts, new stylists (cheaper) vs experienced stylists (more expensive) tipping and how long it's been since her last haircut.

She moved to the west coast with a friend and we wanted to get something for him. The two of them love going to the movies. So, I asked what movie chain was near them. Then I went to AAA and bought 2 booklets. They can go to 5 movies together on us. It's a gift I would have loved when I was first on my own.

The back of the tag booklet.

I had fun digging out my old rubber stamps for this project!

I cut pieces of colored vellum to fit between the tags -- to protect the tags and because it was pretty. I had fun with stamps and colored pens and tape. In fact I just had fun altogether putting this gift together. I know she'll like the gifts. I hope she likes the packet too.

Favorite Holiday Album

2010-12-17T20:04:00.001-05:00

Pink Saturday December 18, 2010

This is my favorite Christmas album.

It's mostly standards, with a touch of Latin beat!

I've been listening to it a lot this season. It's on regular rotation in my shop along with 40 Years, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

This song reminds me of the wonder I felt the first Christmases after my children were born.

I have been struck by how much the bass player on this track reminds me of my husband playing. B has a distinct sound. So, for this blog I went to the liner notes to see who it was. I had to laugh when I saw the credits! It happens to be a programed, synthesized bass part. That might be insulting, that my DH sounds like a synthesized bass part. Except the arranger & programmer on this track turns out to be an old friend of ours! We actually all lived together briefly in a drafty Boston apartment. The guys went to music school together. They played in bands together and very much appreciated each other's musicality.

It's possible I knew of the connection, but I had completely forgotten until just now when I looked.

What fun!

Another pretty tune on the CD.
This one in Spanish

If you wander over to Bev's blog, How Sweet The Sound, you can see and hear Pink Saturday participants' favorite holiday music.

Credits: The Album:

Christmas Through Your Eyes. Gloria Estefan. Produced by Phil Ramone 1993.
Christmas Through Your Eyes, words & music by G. Estefan & Diane Warren 1990.
Arbolito de Navidad, words & music by Jose Barros 1966.

Snow!

2010-12-17T12:36:00.003-05:00

I walked out to my car this morning to find the windshield iced over and small snow-like dots on the hood. I'm not sure it really counts, but it's sort of the first snow of the season.

The color attracts customers, I hope.

This chair is next to my shop sign.

I think I need to invest in marine paint if it's to survive the winter!

Galvanized tub
with a couple inches of ice,

also next to shop sign at the road.

Frosty grass

This looks more like mornings in my LA valley suburb as a kid.
Hence, I didn't grow up with white Christmases.

Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen

Have a great day, snow or not!

Check back tomorrow for Pink Saturday's Holiday Music picks!

A Very Vintage Christmas Package Arrives!

2010-12-13T14:28:00.004-05:00

I participated in Cristina's

She used this beautiful paper . . .

. . . to make a pouch to hold all the treasures!

Some of the papers were loose,

like this great wrapping paper.

I'm pretty sure my grandma had this paper when I was a kid!

Some were packaged,

like this,

and this by Hope,

my Silver Bella '09 "big sis,"

and this by Cristina's wonderful mama, Catherine,

who most certainly had a hand in getting these to us!

I recognized my friends' packets, but I haven't opened any of the others yet. To all the participants, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your creativity and generosity in sharing such lovely pieces. I can't wait to use these!

I'm afraid I forgot to include my cards with my contribution, so to see the items I sent, click here.

My Favorite Pinks and a Giveaway

2010-12-11T00:05:00.035-05:00

Today's Pink Saturday request is to share a favorite holiday movie. When you drop on over to How Sweet the Sound you'll see lots of wonderful holiday films. My Christmas movie favs are at the bottom of this post.

Here are some of my favorite pinks.

Haviland Limoges china,

even if it is chipped!

The bridal bouquet from my friend's wedding.

Glinda the Good

& all things Oz.

Vintage clothing

Making displays
Shelley tea cups, buttons, millinery flowers, linens.

Books my grandma gave me.

I could have an Oz picture here too.

My family has two favorite Christmas films: White Christmas and Holiday Inn. We've watched them every year since the kids were little! Holiday Inn is actually the first movie to showcase the song "White Christmas." It stars Bing Crosby & Fred Astaire and has an Irving Berlin song for every holiday. "White Christmas" was so successful as a song, they decided to build a whole movie around it. If you watch both films, you'll notice they used the same set! (taking off my reference librarian hat now) My family likes Holiday Inn best, but I'm both a Rosemary Clooney fan & a romantic sap, so White Christmas always gets my vote!

The song "Snow" in 4-part harmony.

I also love a little movie (made for televison in 1997) called The Christmas List. It stars Mimi Rogers and tells the tale of a department store perfume counter saleswoman who makes a list, drops it in Santa's bucket and then finds her wishes coming true in unexpected ways. I'm sad it's not on ABC Family this year.

This holiday season I am also celebrating my 100th post. Leave a comment by December 24th to be entered in the drawing. click here for details of the giveaway.

Celebrating!

2010-12-09T16:14:00.004-05:00

This is my 100th post and 1st giveaway!

photo credit Cape Cod Rambling Rose

Last weekend was my shop open house. What made it so delightful were my friends, who came out in force! One friend is someone I knew in California when my kids were little. She's here for a temporary job and I love it that she took her lunch hour to come visit the shop.

Another friend brought her children and they were an additional delight! Her daughter tried on a whole bunch of my vintage hats. Her 5 year old son did also. Then my friend and I had to join in the fun!

We all looked mahvalous.

photo credit Cape Cod Rambling Rose

The kids each picked out a vintage ornament for their tree. Yessss -- handing off the vintage tradition to the next generation.

photo credit Cape Cod Rambling Rose

Louise, who is so busy with 4 kids, her husband's shop and her creative endeavors, showed up to ooh and ah! Even tho there are lots of breakables in the shop, I really enjoy kids coming in -- well behaved & interesting kids anyway. So I was glad Louise brought her 2 youngest. They are sweeties! I have used some of her beautiful photos for this post. She is documenting Cape Cod this holiday, drop over and see her blog Cape Cod Rambling Rose.

New friends also visited. A couple with an antique shop up the road who have welcomed me into the 6A community of antique shops came by on Sunday. Their daughters visited on Saturday. One daughter, Lee is an amazing photographer. Click here to see her website.

photo credit Lee Sutton Photography

She's purchased some things from my shop for props and we have a mutual admiration society. She loves my shop, I love her photos!

photo credit Cape Cod Rambling Rose

Two women who had never been in the shop before came in. We hit it off right away. I love making new friends, so I hope I get to see these ladies again. Maybe they like to go out to lunch?

So to celebrate both 100 and friendship, I am having a giveaway. I will pick a comment and send this little basket & other treasures from my studio & shop. Leave a comment before December 24th, telling me what you celebrate and treasure in your life!

Holiday Decor

2010-12-04T16:26:00.001-05:00

As I was getting ready for my shop open house, I looked around to see what I could use to decorate. Most everyone has things especially for the holidays -- either purchased or handed down. But what if you don't? I came up with some fun "everyday" items to re-purpose for holiday displays.

I also came up with different ways to use vintage decorations. With the shop, my purpose is sales, but I thought the ideas could be used in a person's home as well.

Find books with red or green covers.

Add decorative ribbon in a coordinating design.
Millinery flowers or greenery would also be nice.

A plaid umbrella, plaid hatbox & round hatbox with red top.

I tied a ribbon around the plaid hatbox and opened the umbrella.

Instant holiday colors.

Whiting & Davis Mesh Evening Bags.

Think of your pretty bags, the ones you never use, what with the kids and the economy. If your bags are not as glittery as these, tie a pretty bow around one.

Stemware with small glass ornaments.

I got these glasses at auction.

They were part of a box lot. Most of the matched sets have sold and I have these left. Usually they look like orphans, but with red ornaments they look pretty good. Adding red shred and a pretty ribbon would jazz them up further!

An alternative to hanging ornaments on a tree.
The look so pretty against the big window!

The shop doesn't have space for a large tree and I wanted to display all these wonderful vintage ornaments. I strung a garland made of wire between a couple cup hooks and viola! These ornaments are lightweight, if you have heavier ones just make sure you use wire that will support them.

Vintage ornaments on a silver tray.

These remind me of my grandma, my shop inspiration.

Lightbulb Parfait.

These came in another box lot of Christmas pretties.

Added to orphan stemware, they look good enough to eat!

However you decorate this season, I hope you have fun and use things that really mean something to you.

2 Little Shops, 2 Much Fun!

2010-12-03T22:39:00.004-05:00

My friend and neighbor Amy Mason has a wonderful shop across the street from me. Sometimes it's just knowing she's over there, open, that gets me to open my shop when I might really rather be going out to lunch and reading a book!

Tomorrow we are having open houses at our shops. She designed a great e-card, the gist of which you can see here.

My card

(the back has all the pertinent info)

Amy's business card
She designs the cutest greeting cards too.
I love visiting her shop, it's bright, cheery and full of color.
Plus she does killer displays!

Adding a bit of sparkle to the blues.

A couple hours away from Pink Saturday!

Holiday gift tags

I couldn't resist the white embossing powder, it's called "winter wonderland" and has a little bit of sparkle to it!

A Very Vintage Christmas

2010-11-26T19:10:00.003-05:00

Hmmm . . .
I didn't realize it has been a month since my last post. I am getting very close to my 100th post! Since I want to do something special for that, I put off posting, then I got out of the habit, and here we are almost December!

I signed up for Cristina's Ephemera Swap. I met Cristina and her mom, Catherine at Silver Bella 2009. What wonderful ladies. They were one of the highlights of SB for me!

Advertisements from Better Homes & Gardens December 1954.

All the ads I sent for this swap had some kind of Christmas theme.

I had to keep this for myself!

No idea what kind of collage this will end up in, but I couldn't resist a line like "You belong on your Christmas list!"

Scallop circles from wrapping paper inherited from my grandma!

I love those scallop punches!

I know I have a problem with hoarding collage-able paper. So I decided to send more than the required number of pieces for this swap. I added both 2" & 3" scallop circles. Also pages from an 1877 book. The heading on each page is "Great and Memorable Events," which pretty much sums up holidays for me.

The packets wrapped up.

I can't wait to see all the wonderful vintage paper.

This swap really got me into the Christmas mood.

Here's a preview of how

I'm decorating the shop for an open house next weekend.

Also I think this is what Cristina has put on her wish list!

Shop Blues

2010-10-30T15:06:00.004-04:00

A group of friends on a Girl's Weekend came into the shop today.

They are celebrating their 50th birthdays.

I loved their energy and how often then would call to each other about how cute this was or how wonderful that was. The shop is all my taste, so it felt quite validating!

They picked out interesting items, like this fabric.
And had ideas of how and where it could be used.

My favorite customers are the ones who like the shop.

I do love to make sales, but honestly I am equally happy when I have an appreciative person, even if they don't buy a thing.

So in my usual California enthusiasm (which I know is not really appreciated in New England), I blurted out how delighted I was to have them in the shop and liking so many of my things. It went over like a lead balloon! I felt like an idiot the moment the words were out of my mouth.

So to make myself feel better I decided to make my "blues" into a photographic essay and share it with you! And it has worked! Enjoy the pretties and thanks for listening!

For today's Pink Saturday posts go over to Bev's blog.

Full Circle Magic

2010-10-28T17:11:00.006-04:00

Last June I went to a concert -- it was a combo late birthday & anniversary gift. It was an amazing night and I hardly know where to start!

So maybe I'll just start at the beginning.
With photos from last June.

In 1970 James Taylor and Carole King played The Troubador in Los Angeles. And I was there.

Carole King was the opening act, and James Taylor's pianist.

She played a set, singing new songs from Tapestry

(which had not been released yet), and Motown hits like

Up on The Roof and Natural Woman.

James Taylor played a set, which included songs from the

Apple album -- Something in the Way She Moves --

and his second album, Sweet Baby James.

Together they sang You've Got a Friend. JT has said little did he know that when he sang that song at The Troubador, he would be singing it every concert for the next 40 years.

Good thing it's such a wonderful song!

When it came time for the encore, James looked up at the balcony, said, "Hey Joni, you want to join us for this?" And Joni Mitchell came down to add harmonies on You Can Close Your Eyes.

I went with my sister and her boyfriend and between the two of us we have a pretty perfect recollection of the night. We sat at a table front row center. We bought our required 2 drinks/sodas each and we were in heaven.

Nancy and I have never had a best-friends relationship and it's been strained in recent years, so it was really nice to talk to her about this and remember a time when we were hanging out together. She has a lovely voice and I am lucky if I sing on key. But sometime during her freshman year at UCLA, we sang You've Got A Friend together in harmony and we sounded good!

Jump ahead to 2007. The Troubador is celebrating 50 years and James Taylor and Carole King get together to play there again. Apparently they liked it so much, they set up the Carole King & James Taylor Troubador Reunion tour for 2010. I got tickets to see them in Boston. My sister got tickets to see them at The Hollywood Bowl. She took my brother, who was s'posed to go in '70 but missed it due to flu. I took my husband, who I didn't know in 1970.

The concert I saw at the The Troubador was the beginning. It is a very small club. Carole King was known in song-writing circles, but not as a singer. It was one of her first gigs. She wasn't flamboyant, but boy what a voice! James Taylor had only recorded two albums. He was amazing and I already loved all his songs.

40 years later they are icons and luckily the concert I saw at the Boston Garden is not the end. She still has an amazing voice, and is much less shy on stage! He has recorded 25 albums. They are still two of my favorite performers. I knew all the songs. It felt wonderful to be there, and whole and like a part of me I haven't accessed in a very long time was singing in my head -- on key.

Home By Another Way

2010-10-27T17:00:00.001-04:00

I've been thinking about my blog a lot lately.

I want to find the right balance.

I want it to be pretty, and I also want it to be honest.

Is it honest if I don't share all that is going on with me at the time? Do I need to explain the history, give the back-story that gets me to what I am writing about? Does the back-story help people get close to me, or not? Sometimes I wonder . . .

Part of my history & back-story, anyway.

I started blogging after discovering Artful Blogging magazine. The issue I bought had Heather's Pretty Petals blog. It inspired me and really touched a chord. That led to reading other amazing blogs; attending Silver Bella; making art & taking photos I'm proud of.

A month after I started blogging, Heather hosted "A pretty little Christmas" blog party of Christmas decorations. I joined in.

My post was beautiful, but terribly ironic.

I didn't decorate for Christmas that year, I wasn't doing very well emotionally and all I could manage were close-ups of pretty things. The bigger picture was a mess!

Suzanne did a post about blogging close-up and the messy bigger picture. She wrote, (and I wish I had written it), " . . . every time I show you a close up of my life, just remember…that there is a bigger picture…and it’s far from perfect!"

When I started blogging, I was still healing from some painful emotional losses. Some days getting out of bed was a real accomplishment. So there were things in my life I didn't write about. And since then there have been other things I didn't want to write about.

Life is so much better for me these days. I will probably never write about the things that were so painful. But just writing this post has helped me to sort out what it means to be authentic. I don't have to tell all to be honest, and I don't have to explain every little thing to be authentic.

The Big Day

2010-10-20T08:09:00.003-04:00

I understand why professional photographers are hired for weddings! They aren't distracted by being a part of the ceremony, or needing to be in the photos. So this is my view of the wedding: pretty dresses, flowers & dancing shoes!

BFF's!

She even did my eye makeup!

The ladies of the wedding party.

I love the flowers. Wish I could have taken them on the plane home.

The bride loves shoes.

While this picture doesn't quite do them justice, these are truly amazing & match the dress.

Head Table

Centerpiece.

The flowers match the cake.

Beautiful and Restrained.

The bride & her younger brother.

I've known him almost as long as I've known my friend and I love watching them dance!

A Day to Play

2010-10-19T08:00:00.029-04:00

In the midst of this wedding week, we took a day off.

With the bride's cousins we visited Vizcaya.

Each room in the mansion is decorated in a different style.

The inner courtyard looks a bit like the Gardner Museum in it's Italian styling.

The bedrooms are amazing.

Indoor photography was not allowed,

so you'll just have to take my word or go yourselves!

A Venice Influenced patio.

What a great place for a tea party!

A calming view.

Much of the stonework was quarried on the property.

It was cut to show off the coral look.

This part of the garden is in the French formal style.

But the plants are tropical.

After Vizcana, we went to the beach.

The water was warm by New England standards

I got out early, sat in the sand and took photos of the happy couple