A Trip to Dagny's

Dagny's is Bakersfield's local coffee house that artists, writers, knitters, and coffee lovers hang out in.

Yesterday, Amanda and I took the boys and met my friend for coffee. Before going to Dagny's we stopped at Beverly because my grandsons wanted to spend their allowance buying some new Webkins. The way Amanda & I figured, if the boys had their Webkins to keep them occupied we would have a little longer to drink our coffee and Amanda would have a little longer to knit.

It was a nice surprise to be sitting next to a local artist who was working on the beautiful mask you see above. She was so gracious. She let Franklin try the mask on for size. Of course he was delighted and we just had to get his picture in the mask with the creator standing nearby. That's a mighty big mask for such a little boy!

A Lost Art

The purple dress you see my daughter wearing in the photo above was lovingly made by my mother in the 50's. It is comprised of silk organza ribbon flowers that have been crocheted together to make this timeless treasure. I found the blue slip she is wearing under it at an antique store. Since you can't see the dress in its entirety I should explain that the slip she is wearing under it has about 5" of lace attached to the bottom of it and it peeks out under the length of the dress. Brook now wears the dress with a pale blue satin sash. I think my mother would be so pleased to see how lovely her granddaughter looks wearing it. My daughter Brook has my mother's small frame, even though she stands six feet tall.

When my mother passed away I searched through her things to see if I could find the tool that she used to make each flower, but to no avail.

When I was having lunch with a friend, we got to talking about these flowers and the dress, and my friend told me that her mother had also had a similar tool that her mother used to make flowers to attach to packages, when my friend was growing up. I can see this tool in my mind's eye. It was about 3" in diameter and had a small knob on it to turn. There were spokes that portruded out from the center where you could wrap the ribbon around each spoke before turning the knob to secure it.

I have written to a vintage company to see if they had ever come across one, but no one has responded. If anyone has ever seen one or has any information on it, I would really appreciate hearing from you.

Blogging

I have only recently started blogging. I started in November after being inspired by friends and family that blog. I have never thought of myself as an artist, but I love to dream about being one.

I found the magazine Artful Blogging, shown in the picture above, to be a delightful inspiration. The photographs in this magazine are a very high quality, as well as the paper they are printed on. I have poured through this magazine, intrigued with the talented women all over the world that are connecting through the Internet and encouraging other women to tap into their own creative being.

Decorating With Heart

On the coffee table above is a heart plate that my niece sent to me for Christmas. She found this plate on her trip to Poland. Being the thoughtful niece that she is she thought of me when she brought this beautiful memento back from her travels. This beautiful heart shaped plate now graces my ordinary coffee table. It's the personal touches that give a home personality. Even if you have the money to buy the most expensive furniture it's not complete without the personal touches.

The rocking chair you see above has been recovered many times, but it's the story of this rocking chair that makes it special to me. My sister, Nonie, purchased this chair when we were only teenagers, but she had an eye for a bargain. Originally the chair was stained with a very dark stain and upholstered with leather that was rotting and falling off . She paid $15.00 for it, that was a steal, even back then. She pulled all the upholstery off and stripped the beautiful oak wood of all the dark stain and refinished it. Then she took the chair to the upholsterer and had him do his magic. Nonie told me that whoever had the first baby would get the chair. Of course, neither of us were even married yet, but I planned on holding her to it. Then, as it turned out, I was the first to marry and have a baby, but she simply could not part with the chair. Instead, she purchased a darling antique wicker rocker, recovered it with red and white pillow ticking and told me that was the best she could do. Naturally, I was thrilled. I adored her and respected her decision, not to mention I loved my new wicker rocker. After she passed away the oak rocker became mine. It's been recovered many times. No matter the upholstery, when sit in it or rock a baby in it, I always think of her with love .

The flowery chair in the picture above is one of my favorite's as well. When my husband of the last 36 years and I were moving into one of our first apartments as newlyweds he got tired. In the alley behind our apartment sat this chair, missing one of its legs. He sat down to rest his tired bones and thought it was the most comfortable chair ever. It was only half upholstered. I guess whoever had owned it before gave up on the job and threw it out. My husband found the missing leg half way down the alley, screwed it back on, and brought it in our apartment and threw a quilt over it, to cover the lousey upholstery job. At first I protested, but then I sat down and fell in love. It was just so darn comfortable, I couldn't argue. We had barely any furniture, so we really did kind of need it. The shape of the chair looked just like one my mother took my picture in, when I was a baby. We have had that chair recovered many times. Now it has this flowery slipcover on it and sits in our sunroom.

I have never been one to collect anything, but when I was in Germany, the same niece that gave me the heart shaped plate, had a collection of Starbuck's mugs that I just loved drinking out of .

It was then and there that I decided I wanted my own collection of Starbuck's mugs, so I bought one in London, Paris and Wiesbaden, then when I returned from my travels my daughter Lindsay bought one for me from San Francisco and my daughter Brook bought me one in Tucson. What I have noticed is that collections have a way of taking on a life of their own. Pretty soon my girlfriend Sybil bought me one when I was visiting her in L.A. and Lindsay brought one back for me from Hawaii. They are all proudly displayed under my cabinets and they remind me how much I love to travel. I really don't have room for one more mug, but I do love each and every one I have aquired.

I am lucky enough to have a built in china cabinet in my kitchen where I store all the pretty dishes I have, but it's the top row of dishes that I want to point out. These dishes are a series of dishes from the Chelsea Garden Show in London. These plates all hung over the kitchen table in the guest suite of my girlfriend's home, where I stayed while visiting her in October of '08. While I was there my friend told me that she and her husband were planning to redecorate the guest floor and that they wouldn't be using these plates any longer. I thought that was a shame because I rather liked them. When she heard me admire her collection she said she would simply mail them all to me so that I could enjoy them in my own home. Each and evey one of them is so beautiful and I will treasure them always, especially because they remind me of the kind hospitality of a dear friend.

The picture above, doesn't really do this painting justice. It was painted by my sister in-law and given to me as a gift. It makes me envision dancing fruit and it always makes me smile. My sister

in-law was delighted to see the frame that I chose for it when she visited me at Christmas and I was equally delighted that she chose me as the recipient of her artistry.

This last treasure is a clock that was lovingly made by one of my husband's jeeping buddies for our thirtieth wedding anniversary. It is proudly displayed on our fireplace mantle. As I look around my house I reflect on all the love I have been blessed to share with dear friends and family members, who without, life would just not be the same.

This final treasure was given to me on my 53rd birthday. I had the most wonderful party. I had about 15 of my closest girlfriends come for dinner and celebrate with me. My children did all the cooking and serving and I had the best time laughing and partying with the girls. This rooster was given to me by two women that I had worked with, along with many other lovely gifts from all my wonderful friends. It was a French themed party and I gave each guest a rooster sugar cookie to take home with them, so whenever I glance at this rooster I remember to be thankful for the friends I am blessed to have.

Color Affects Mood

Color has always been a big part of my life. As a child, the apartments I grew up in were always painted white until my mother dared to ask the landlord to let her paint our living room a color. Instinctively, I think, the landlord knew my mother had great taste and gave in to her. Our kitchens were always See's candy white, but the living room and dining room were a beautiful federal gold. The front door was painted red on one of the last apartments I lived in with my mom and sister. My passion for a red front door came back to me in my adult life.

In the seventies, I painted and wallpapered the first house my husband and I owned in blues and oranges. In the eighties, I traded in the orange for pink, but kept the blue. I found that the pictures taken in my home with blush pink walls always flattered every one's skin tone. In the nineties I traded in the pink for a sage green on the walls. Green is a very healing color, it was always a favorite of my mom's. The last ten years of my mother's life were difficult for me, as well as her, so it makes sense that green was the color most needed. In the new mellenium, I traded in the green for red and butter yellow with a hint of sage and blue. Yellow is a happy color and red is, of course, the color of passion. Decorators will sometimes recommend red for the dining room as it stimulates the appetite and conversation. At any rate, it seems with each new decade and transition in life, I am attracted to a variety of new colors.

You may have noticed that the use of color has its trends in the collective unconscious as well. Tuscan colors have permeated the decorating aesthetic in California for quite some time and taupe has become the new white. In Europe, it seems that several shades of white is the chic backdrop for vibrantly colorful paintings to be displayed. Different parts of the country have their color trends as well. The Southwest has a distinctive array of Sante Fe colors to penetrate the desert aesthetic.

There are colors that are not only appropriate but also soothing for every environment. Even black has its usefulness. Black has long been known for evoking a sense of independence in the person drawn to it. Whether you are at the beach or in the mountains, in the desert or in a big city color can have a powerful affect on your mood, even when you are not conscious of it.

There are different colors for every mood. Whether you like lively colors or serene colors, romantic colors, or playful colors, fiery colors, stimulating colors, or soothing colors my motto is to live life in color!

Lists

Lists. Let's face it, we've all made them, even if only in our heads. January seems to be the month to, at least, consider making a list. Some people have a knack for list making, others of us struggle.

I'm a fly by the seat of your pants kind of gal. Spontaneous to a fault, I've always struggled with goal setting, routines, grocery lists, etc., but I do always seem to have a list of desires floating around in my head. It's not that I'm so random that I don't get things done, it's just that this year I have been making a concerted effort to change my life for the better. I want more direction and purpose in my life,so that I can quantifiabley know what I've accomplished, a way of knowing myself better, a way of taking advantage of my strengths and minimizing my weaknesses.

My children are grown and have left the nest. My parents have passed on, plus I am no longer working full time outside the home. I have more time to reflect on what I want. For a lot of people that is a "no brainer", but I have spent so much of my life thinking about what other people need and want that I sort of forgot what it was that I really wanted.

I have spent the last year and a half reflecting on my life thus far. I've sat staring blankly out the window just reflecting. I've had to put aside the list in my head in order to ponder the meaning of my life. It's been a good life, the life I created. I have so much to be thankful for, a loving husband, a beautiful family, a home I'm proud of, good friendships, my health. These things were all on the list in my head when I was just a kid. Gee, I didn't realize, my list has been with me all along.

Here's my new list: more time to celebrate life with friends and family, more opportunities to travel, more focus to continue getting in the best shape of my life, more good books to read, more crafty projects that inspire me, more little things that make me want to get up in the morning and greet the day, a more intimate relationship with my God. That's not too much to ask, right?

A trip to Long Beach

This weekend my husband was going to be busy working on his jeep, with his buddies, in an effort to be ready for an off roading competition in February. It seemed to me the perfect opportunity to accept an invitation to the beach that my dear friend Lin and her husband Chuck extended to me.

The last couple of years has been a special time of reconnections to the dearest friends from my youth. Lin and I go way back. There is something comforting to have friends that share a part of your history, who knew you when you loved the Beach Boys and the Beatles, and loved you when you wore flowers in your hair and were skinny enough to wear string bikinis to the beach and shared a friendship with your sister, who is no longer with you in this life.

Lin found me through Classmates.com at about the same time that I was wondering where she was and wishing I hadn't lost touch. Ah, the beloved internet. Now Lin and I share a passion for Scrabble on Facebook and aren't too likely going to lose touch again.

The weekend went much too fast. We managed to take a trip to Huntington Beach, where we played a game a Scrabble, while overlooking the ocean, before having Mexican food at Chuck and Lin's favorite local Mexican restaurant. After lunch Lin and I went to the movies to see Slum Dog Millionaire. Then it was time to head home.

It was a real treat to have time together. Thanks again, Lin and Chuck.

A Sampler of Love

As a small child I learned to cross-stitch in grammar school. My first piece was crude, indeed. It was inspired by the movie The Parent Trap and it had the phrase Let's Get Together crossed stitched on it. It sat atop my mother's toaster for years.

Thirty five years ago I made the sampler that you see above. I was newly married and the quote on this cross-stitch was truly the way I felt. Thirty five years later it's sentiment is even more meaningful to me than it was then. When you've been married as long as I have, and been through the valleys as well as the bliss, this phrase has a real depth to it. Every stitch was lovingly sewn through the eyes of a newlywed.

This cross stitch hung on my bedroom wall in one of the first houses I lived in as a married lady. Unfortunately, the roof leaked and my handiwork hanging on the wall was stained with the dirty water that dripped down on it. Being young and not appreciating my own handiwork, I was ready to toss it in the trash. My wise mother rescued it from my ungrateful hands, having it cleaned and made into a beautiful pillow. It sat on her bed until she passed away last year, where I reclaimed it and took it home. Now it sits in my home as a reminder of my mother's wisdom. In a throw away world it's good to be reminded to appreciate the smallest of gifts, even if they're your own.

I seem to be reminded alot lately of my past and the way it has impacted not only my present, but my future as well.

Below you see my next project. I have never done counted cross-sticth before, but being inspired by my own crafty past, I am going to attempt to make this stitchery. I was at the craft store with my eldest daughter when I came across this kit. It has a Parisian influence and I think that is why I was drawn to it. Having spent a week in Paris in 2007, it will be fun to see if I can make this cross-stitch come to life and do it justice.

I Want My Mama!

Funny how many of my childhood memories revolve around food, but they do.

Today I was in bed all day with a chest and head cold. It's 5:30 p.m. and I just now took a shower. Maybe I would have gotten out of bed sooner if my mother were still here. She used to run to the Hamburger Hamlet on Rodeo Drive to get me some onion fondue soup when I got a cold as a kid. It was one of the best things about being sick. The Hamburger Hamlet closed it's doors in Beverly Hills several years ago, but you can still go to MiMi's and get a very close replica to the onion fondue at the H.H.

I can remember being really little and Nonie and I both getting colds and my mother would bring home a big bag of oranges and leave them by the bed and instruct us to eat as many as we could.
She was kind of a health fanatic, but she had a fun side too. Lots of times she would just bring us a giant Hershey's bar if we were sick. That was the best, maybe that's why I still crave chocolate today, I was raised to think chocolate had a medicinal value. Surly it does, don't you think?

Mom was nobody's fool though. If she had any inclination that we just wanted to play hookie so that we could stay home and watch our favorite soap opera she would disconnect the television cord and take itwith her to work. L.O.L. However, she still let us stay home just in case we weren't fooling.

Anyway, when I'm feeling under the weather, I just want my mommy!

The Holidays are Over

Today was a relatively quiet day with not much going on. Richard left Friday morning early for Johnson Valley on a jeep excursion, so I took advantage of the dark and rainy morning and slept extra late.

Amanda came over around 9:30 for coffee and we had a nice visit, both of us avoiding taking our Christmas trees down. It's always a little sad when Christmas is over and all the decorations get put away. The house feels blah and all the liveliness from the lights and company die down. It was Amanda's and my plan to get it done today. She followed through, but I didn't.

My friend Judy, from Tacoma, came to town because her mother took ill shortly before Christmas and isn't doing so well. Though the circumstances are difficult, it gave Judy and I time to catch up. It's funny how there are certain people in your life that no matter how long it's been since the last time you saw each other it feels like it was only yesterday that you were together. Judy is one of those people in my life. We met when I was away at college and she came into my dorm room to visit with my roommate. We struck up a conversation and became the best of friends, in what seemed to be an instant.

I was glad to leave the tree up for at least one more day to be able to spend time with my friend, so we went to a local coffee hangout and visited for a while,until we decided to go somewhere else and get a salad. Judy's brother joined us and we sat for a couple more hours talking about the dilemma of caring for a parent that doesn't really want you to care. Having a long time friend to talk things over with is at least a small comfort.

New Year's '09

Traditionally, Richard and I never do anything too exciting on New Year's Eve, so this was an exceptional year. Typically, Richard's dad comes up sometime after Christmas and the family gets together, but not usually on New Year's Eve. Avoiding holiday traffic has been the general rule. This New Year's, however, Richard's brother Dave, his wife Diane and two of their children, braved the snow storms in the Northwest and ventured south to pay the family a visit. It has been years since they have been here on the holidays, so it was a special occasion, indeed.

Below is a photo of my sister in-law, Diane, and her youngest daughter, Kenzie, at a local Starbucks in Valencia. Diane, Kenzie and I decided to take a trip to Valencia to do a little shopping. We all wanted out of the Bakersfield fog, even if only for a few hours, and a trip to Valencia did the trick. As soon as we got above the Grapevine we were out of the fog.


Diane and I became instant friends 35 years ago when we got engaged to our husbands. All those years ago, people thought that Diane and I looked more like sisters than our husbands looked like brothers. At any rate, I think it's true and at the very least we are kindred spirits.

We never spoke of New Year's resolutions the entire time we were together, but we were definitely in sync with our goals, because every day Diane would say, "Kathy lets do your exercise video together." She had brought a yoga video with her too and I made a valiant effort to do yoga with her, if I do say so myself. Over the years we have both put on a little weight and it's so wonderful to know she hasn't given up the fight either. Diane's recent weight loss has given me renewed hope to keep working on it. I am so sad that we don't live closer.

It's a real privilege to be together with family. Sometimes I long for the quiet holidays of my youth when it was just my mother, my sister and myself. It's not that I don't like being a part of a larger family, it's just that it's different, that's all. My grandson's couldn't get enough of the family being together. They were perpetually excited and filled with joy. That kind of joy really is contagious.

The picture below is of Richard's dad and his wife of forty eight years. They had just celebrated their anniversay a couple of days before New Year's. Also, in the photo, is Richard's sister Sherree, who was already busy in the kitchen when Diane and Kenzie and I returned for our trip to Valencia.

This year Richard's mother got all the cousins together at Marie Callendar's for a currently traditional luncheon and then a couple of days later the parents were treated to a dinner out at Urrichio's. This shift in celebrating a few days after Christmas meant that I got to enjoy a relaxed Christmas with my own children, without needing to entertain the entire clan. I must say it was one of the most enjoyable Christmas's ever. Noone was in the hospital, everyone was healthy and it was, for all intense purposes, as stress free as they come.

What a joy it is to have my eldest daughter living right next door. Amanda has been such a joy through the holidays, in so many ways, especially because she loves to share her culinary skills with the family. Being a mother herself has given her an appreciation for what it takes to entertain a family as big as ours and she does it so graciously.

Every one New Year's Eve looked happy to be together, sharing good food, conversation and memories from Christmas's past.

In the photo above cousins, Kenzie, Morgan and Spencer smile for the camera. In the photo below, Richard's brother Dave, looks up from the computer.

Cousin David looks a little sleepy in the photo below. Not too many of our clan made it all the way to midnight to ring in the New Year.

Christmas Outings

I love the time right before Christmas when you have just about everything done and you can relax because you're not feeling stressed. It's the time when almost every gift is wrapped and under the tree and most of your baking is done and holiday parties are on the horizon.

It was a time like this that my daughter and I were able to get out of the house on a beautiful day and take the boys to Johnny Rockets for a burger and fries. I treasure those moments with my grandsons because I know they will grow up faster than I care to think and making memories with them is the best.

Children bring a sense of wonder and delight to the holidays. They restore your faith in dreams and they bring joy to the simplest of pleasures.