Our home is at the end of a short asphalt lane and the asphalt continues onto our property, serving as our (very large) driveway. As far as aesthetic appeal is concerned, on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best looking, I give asphalt a zero. So, suffice it to say, I have yearned to have the asphalt replaced for years. I’ve thought of just about every conceivable surface. There are lots of manufactured pavers on the market today, but to me they all look manufactured. As if they’re trying to be something they’re not. I think before…
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Not surprisingly, I’ve been so impressed with all of the creative geniuses posting tutorials on hand made autumn wreaths, Halloween trees, pumpkin decoupage, pumpkin carving…you name it and it’s being done beautifully. I, on the other hand, am here to show you the Lazy Approach to Fall (“LAF”!) and what you can do with a few pumpkins, flowers and a wreath that shows up, year after year. Don’t forget the 5-minute/$19 centerpiece. I’m really getting mileage out of this baby! It’s moved from the hardly used dining room, to the kitchen table! Along with my recycled straw pumpkins, and don’t…
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I visited a friend’s amazingly unique home and garden today and asked if it would be all right if I took pictures for my blog. She said fine, as long as I kept it anonymous. So, respecting her wishes, I have re-named her Annie, short for Anonymous. Annie is a World Traveler (capitalized because it is such a big part of who she is) and has brought bits and pieces of her travels back home with her. She has a never ending thirst for knowledge and can name the Indian tribe, the city, artist, time and place of origin for…
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Well, the dishwasher is humming and we’re relaxed, with our feet up after a great evening, serving dinner to Dan Lungren and a group of lovely people, including Larry Garcia and his wife Chris. The biggest treat was having my dear friend and maestro of entertaining, Moka Davis, in charge of the menu, preparation and clean up. You know exhausting that can be and to have his help was a real life saver. Here are some shots of the evening and our yummy dinner. (Back on the diet tomorrow!) We started with a selection of appetizers, including Moka’s “world famous”…
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Last spring, at the annual Cristo Rey High School Scholarship Dinner, we auctioned off dinner in our home with our area’s Congressman Lungren. Tomorrow’s the big night and we’re looking forward to a great evening with interesting conversation, new friends and delicious food. With the place all decked out, I thought that this would be a good time to invite you into our dining room! Remember the flower arrangement I made earlier this week (in 5 nominates for $19)? Well, here it is! Mr. Wonderful and I bought the oil painting on our first Valentine’s Day together, 13 lucky years…
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My brother is always on the go. Recently, he sent me this picture from the very top of our beloved Golden Gate Bridge! Isn’t this an amazing shot? His back is to San Francisco and Sausalito is straight ahead. He took an elevator up the bridge tower and then climbed a ladder to the top! Next month, my brother is taking me and my three sisters on a 2 1/2 week adventure, from San Diego to the tip of Baja Mexico (Cabo San Lucas) up to La Paz, Mexico, on a caravan with about 30 other boats. We’ve been planning…
Read the rest >>Do you have food trucks in your town? There’s one in our area, that showed up about a month ago, serving nothing but tacos. Very simple. No cheese, lettuce or tomatoes. Just salsa. Nothing fried. Mr. Wonderful and I love tacos! And the tacos from this food truck were simply delicious! The line of customers agreed with us. Well, they disappeared a couple of days ago, so I proudly recreated just about the same exact taco. Maybe even better. No muss, no fuss. Easy-peasy excellent and I think kids would love it too. Sorry…no pictures! Here’s how… In the morning,…
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I probably should have been a florist, because I get so much joy out of creating a flower arrangement. While at the nursery this morning, buying shrubs, I picked up 2, 4-inch gerbera daisies and one decorative kale, along with 3, 3-inch mums (grand total $18 plus tax). I wasn’t sure what I’d do with them, but thought they’d probably end up by the front door or maybe in the kitchen. Then the patron saint of flower arranging spoke to me…”Use these for your centerpiece, for this weekend’s dinner party!” She pointed me to a flat, open basket in the…
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