My Cozy Home

back from Portland, on to St. Louis - a stop in between at home

Portland was very nice even if I was there for work.  I stayed in a great old hotel, The Benson, and was able to get out and shop a little one night.  Anybody heard of Powell's Bookstore?  It's ginormous!  I spent some time roaming the isles and purchased several books and magazines for myself and Evy.  I also did a bit of clothes shopping which is always a good time.  I got home on Wednesday and am leaving again tomorrow for another work trip - this time for St. Louis.  Today Evy and I had an outing at the mall where we bought sparkly shoes (for Evy, but sadly not for me), and some fun clothes for the two of us.  I don't shop for clothes very much so it's fun when I do.  My favorite store is J.Crew (very often I realize that literally everything I am wearing (save for underthings) is from J.Crew. - this includes my coat and scarf).  I do love that store.  Anyhoo, I recently received a wonderful, and completely indulgent cookbook as a belated birthday present from my friend Boni, and at about the same time I purchased another cookbook  - nearly as equally indulgent - just  because it looked so good - "Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey" and "Cupcakes!" respectively.  Both have great covers, pictures, and recipes. 

 

"Sticky, et al" is by Jill O'Connor, photographs by Keigh Beisch.  "Cupcakes!" is by Elinor Klivans, photographs by France Ruffenach.   I wouldn't normally add who did the photographs, but they both do such a fantastic job that I had to mention them.

This is a picture from "Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey" as is the below picture.

A bit blurred, but you get the idea.  Those colors, the arrangement of the food...it's all so great.

 

This delightful photograph is from "Cupcakes!"

I recently updated the display atop the little chest of drawers in our entry.  I love old baseballs and like how they look in a silver champagne bucket.  If my friend Susan reads this she may recognize it as a wedding gift from her in-laws, which has yet to be used for chilling any sort of beverage in the 10 years we've had it.  It's been used for practically everything else though.  Also pictured is the new (old) clarinet that I recently got from an antiques store called Hunt and Gather in Minneapolis.

I think it's the combination of a classy, respectable looking champagne chiller filled with very old, beat up baseballs that appeals to me.  I don't like things to be too much of anything - it's the mixing and matching of old and new, glitziness and restrained elegance that gets me excited. 

And since it's almost Valentine's Day I am including a picture of the little hand-stitched heart that I made last February.  It's hanging in the Living Room right now, but normally resides in Evy's room.  Some of you who have been reading for awhile may remember when I made this humble little heart last year. 

Thanks to everyone who drops by even when I'm not so quick to update my blog.  I really do appreciate your comments and emails.  Thank you for always being so supportive, kind, and funny.  Talk to you when I return from St. Louis.

 

a trip to portland for work...be back soon...

Hello friends, just wanted to let you know that I'm about to leave for a few days in Portland, OR for work.  I'll be back on Wednesday and will try to get you properly updated with pictures and a post at that time.  I'm fully stocked with new magazines for reading on the flight, as well as a mystery of course.  I always feel so much more relaxed knowing that I have good reading materials for a trip - I don't dread the flight at all if I have something fun to peruse.  My iPod has been updated with a couple of new CD's I recently got, and I'm set with snacks for the flight as well.  I haven't been to Portland for quite some time.  I wish I could do more sight seeing, but it's strictly business this go round.  I hope you are all doing well.  I'll talk to you soon!

halloween countdown...

 

                                                                                                                       This is Miss Pumpkin.  She lives in Disneyland.  I'm not sure where exactly she lives in Disneyland, but I do know that she dates the local constable.  I very much wish that I lived in a town with a Miss Pumpkin who dresses like this one, and sings and dances.  Aren't they cute?  Also, can you see in the back ground of the first picture, the guy in the dark blue t-shirt standing over on the right side - sort of posing like Big Foot walking through the forest (not that he resembles a Sasquatch) - that's Steve who just happened to be in the picture and we didn't realize it until much later.  I was following Miss Pumpkin around while she was dancing so that I could get a good picture of her and I guess I got quite a ways from where we had been standing.

I had to share Miss Pumpkin with you before Halloween had come and gone.  Jeez that's a great costume.

This was another great Halloween display at Disneyland.  They do a really good job of decorating - it actually increased my enjoyment level even more to see all of the Halloween decorations while we were there. 

And, back at the ranch - the dining room table.  I just realized that the gourd on the table, to the left looks like it's plastic, but it is real - sheesh, could it be more shiny?

Little hanging black cat.  He's made the same way as a hook rug - I did not make him though.  Heck, I can't even remember where I got him.  Yes, my memory is like a finely tuned machine.

Another cabinet picture from a different angle - as seen a couple of posts ago.  My grandpa got me that calendar and I like the pictures so much.  I can always depend on my grandpa to get me a very cute calendar for the kitchen.

I just realized that I was going to show pictures of the journal that I did for Shelley.  I'll show it/them in the next post.  I say them because somehow I ended up doing two - because I can't let things alone.  One became two and that's how it went. 

Also, did want to report back that I think my memory is improving (despite not remember where black cat hanging guy came from).  I've been doing Sudoku every night before bed and really concentrating on making myself remember names and details.  Anyhoo, just wanted to let you know that I think it's paying off.  And I'm getting a lot better at Sudoku too.  Sometimes for fun I'll see how fast I can do an easier one (like a one star).  Friday night I did one in three minutes.  I'm working on a four star Sudoku now.  My life is riveting.  A real nail biter of a blog.  I can see why you stay tuned.  What will she do next ? - will it be Sudoku, watching High School Musical again, wait, hold on, maybe she'll be petting her cat with the left hand instead of the right.  It's almost too exciting.  Until the next unpredictable post, I hope you and your families are well.   

 

disneyland, birthdays, antiques...sounds like heaven to me

Hello my friends!  My family and I just got back from a week in Anaheim, CA.  My mom met us down there as well and we had a great time.  While we were there we celebrated Evy's 4th birthday, spent three days at Disneyland, went to the ocean, visited Hollywood, and of course found time for antiquing.  It was so much fun, and always tough to come back to the norm of work and day-to-day stuff that isn't nearly so fun.  I wanted to let you know ahead of time that I was going to be in California, but unfortunately our car was broken into right before we left, and multiple things were taken, including our checkbook with address.  In addition was Steve's planner, which had a packing list in it - needless to say, we were very concerned about leaving our house when thieves had our address so I didn't feel comfortable announcing our time away.  I'm including a few (many) pictures from our trip - specifically some of Disneyland and the fall decorating they did there.  I loved it! 

There's just something magical about this castle, especially at night when it's all lit up.

Some of the Disney decorations were sweet -  like this one.  Others were a bit more sinister.

A hearse at Haunted Mansion

 

Mom and Evy with more sweet decorations.

The Haunted Mansion - It was creepy, fun, and really put me in the Halloween spirit - as if I wasn't already in the mood :o)

Can you see those beautiful hanging mum baskets.  They're big mum balls.

Evy was more of the "admire Mickey from afar" school of thought.  She was all talk while in line, but when it came right down to it, she was just too afraid to hug giant mice, bears named Pooh, and Mad Hatters.  Princesses were okay though - she was all about the princess hugs.

 

This was in our hotel room on Evy's birthday.  Up next, princess hugs.

Snow White with Snow White.  Such a special day for all of us.

When we weren't at Disneyland, we were doing lots of other fun things - antiquing being one of them.  I'll show you some of the fun things I got once I get them into position.  I hope you all had a good week.  I'm back to work tomorrow for one day, and then flying back to California on Tuesday for the rest of the week for work - this time San Jose. I'm sure it will be fun, but it tires me out thinking about hopping back onto a plane and doing the hotel thing again.  I'll have some down time at night though, which will be nice.  Thanks for indulging all of the pictures.  You may see a few more here and there in future posts.