Just For Fun

I thought I'd post some things I think are just for the fun . Do you know any child that doesn't love to sip through a straw? I don't think I will ever grow up, in that respect. I still drink my lattes through a straw.

I found the title of this book just fantastic...a cookbook called Miss Sahl's Voluptuous Delights! I think that sounds like a title a man must have come up with. L.O.L.

How fun is this bottle opener? With vintage keys all the rage this skeleton key bottle opener is a sure winner.
What will they think of next? Marketing love notes in a bottle. I think this is a really fun idea, but then I'm a hopeless romantic.

I had fun "window shopping" on the Anthropology website. What fun things tickle your fancy?

Don't forget, you only have until midnight tonight to sign up for my 200th post giveaway. Click here to leave a comment on my giveaway post. Some lucky lady will surely smile with the surprises inside the giveaway box.

Weekly Words to Live By ~ March 28,2010

Won't you join me at Notes from a Cottage Industry and post your weekly words to live by?

"Only she who attempts the absurd can achieve the impossible." ~ Sharon Schuster

200th Post Giveaway

Okay girls, it's time for a giveaway. I've collected a few things in this metal Pottery Barn box to give to the lucky winner. All you have to do is leave me a comment on this post and the box and surprise contents will be given to one of you. It is my way of saying thank you for sticking with me and giving me such encouragement along the way. Good luck! I will choose the winner on April 1, so you have until midnight March 31 to enter. . . and that's no April Fool's joke!

A Belated Anniversary Celebration and 200th Post

After being sick with a cold for the last three weeks I am finally on the mend.

I came home from work on St. Patty's Day ( my 37Th wedding anniversary) and went straight to bed. Mr. Honey had just showered and was ready to take me out and all I wanted to do was sleep for a hundred years!

I managed to make it to work for most of the week and then took off half of Friday and went to bed. I spent most of Saturday on the couch. By Sunday I was starting to get my energy back.

Mr. Honey surprised me by taking me to my favorite place in Carpenteria. I headed straight for the lounge chair and fell asleep to the lull of the ocean waves...heaven, simply heaven.

For a mere $104.00 a night we had the best view on the coast and a gourmet dinner at Shoals Restaurant right by the pool. Of course the dinner was not included in the price, but hey, we had the most divine dinner and atmosphere a person could ask for.

This is my 200th post since I started this blogging journey almost two years ago. I will be planning a giveaway, so stay tuned. I appreciate each and every one of my blogging friends who have encouraged me along the way, especially when Mr. Honey lost his job and things seemed pretty grim and I had little time to keep up with everyone's blogs, let alone my own. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You'll never know how much I appreciate you all.

Heather Bullard and Cap Creations

Lately, I've been drawn to monogrammed items. I was reading Heather Bullard's blog a few weeks ago, when Heather introduced Cathy from Cap Creations. Heather had a giveaway going, but when I saw this ring I couldn't wait for the giveaway results, and so I immediately ordered the ring below.

Mr. Honey likes it when I order my own Valentine's Day gift, because then he can relax, knowing that he gave me something I will love without the stress of having to figure it out on his own. Cathy's prices are really reasonable.

Of course my initials are different, but you can see from Cap Creations photo how truly pretty this ring is.

Now if you've never visited Heather Bullard you simply must. Her blog is divine, true eye candy for any lover of beautiful things.

Modern Comfort

Once again, my job with William Sonoma has taken a turn for change. Up until today I have been working in customer service with Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids, but as of today our W.S. call center is now the home of West Elm, yet, another division of W.S.

I have never had a modern contemporary aesthetic, but I still find the idea fascinating. I much prefer antiques and a more vintage approach to design, but I have to say, the idea of clean lines...well, clean anything really, has a great appeal, as of late. Maybe that's because I've been nursing a cold since I returned from the Florida Keys and my home is in much need of Spring cleaning and decluttering.

Each and every glass baubble on this modern chandelier must be hung one by one. Ah, the price of beauty! It is made with tempered recycled glass, but still, it's not for someone that has an aversion to cleaning and dusting.

I have been in awe of all the white images showing up on the most popular blogs and it does have and intoxicating seduction about it. Simple and serene.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Anniversary Mr. Honey! Sorry I've been under the weather and we'll celebrate when I'm feeling better.

Some Things Never Change

This is a photo I found of myself when I turned two (I think), two or three, at any rate. One thing I know for sure, I have always loved cake and I will always love cake. Can you ever have too much cake? I think not!

Weekend Project

The photo below is of my extended family all piled into my sun room celebrating my mother in-laws 80th birthday party. I just want you to notice the bandana window treatment to the left.

It's the only before photo that I have of this window treatment. I forgot to take a before photo so this one will have to do. Also, the chair my mil is sitting on has a flowered slipcover that has completely fallen apart since this party.


I decided to re-purpose some drapes that I had made for a friend and that she no longer wanted because the lower part of the drape was faded by the sun. The top part where all the detail is was perfectly fine...so, I cut off the damaged part and made valances out of the tops. I ordered a new slipcover for my chair. Two simple changes and I love the difference it made.



I love the way it turned out. This next photo is of the other side of the room where my grandsons eat snacks while watching television in this room.

Rock of Ages

I tried to take a photo of this newspaper article but I could not get it to face the correct direction, so I gave up and took a photo of it on my computer. This rocking chair was featured in my local newspaper and was purchased by my sister when she was 16 years old at a junk store in L.A.

Somewhere, I know I have a photo of her pulling off the old upholstery and getting it ready to be refinished, but alas, I can not find it. I can picture my sister with her hair in a bun on the top of her head, wearing a plaid painting shirt, and working away.

She and I had an agreement that whoever grew up and had the first baby would become the rocking chairs owner. When I was the first one to have a baby she simply could not part with the chair, so she bought an antique wicker rocker, recovered the cushion in red and white pillow ticking and presented it to me at my baby shower. I completely understood why she couldn't part with it and I gratefully accepted the rocker she had redone for me. After all, she was going to be an auntie for the first time and she needed that rocking chair to rock her first niece.

As fate would have it, my only sister, did not live to have her own babies. She adored babies and I'm certain she is still rocking babies on the other side and tending her flower garden. She passed on when she was only twenty eight. She would have been so pleased to see the rocking chair she loved so much make the local paper.

This lovely rocker has now been reupholstered at least three times since she purchased it for $15.00, dreaming of babies to come. When she passed I was only twenty six and my second daughter was only eight months old, so the chair was handed down to me along with the legacy of love she left behind.

The rocker now sits in my living room dressed in red and green topiary tree fabric. I wonder what she would have thought of my choice.

There's nothing like the taste of Paris

Have you ever visited the Parisienne Farmgirl? Well you must! You will simply love her, especially if you love everything French. Not only that but she makes and sells macaroons...you know, the kind of macaroon you can find at La Duree in Paris. I had the pleasure of eating these delicate cookies when I was in Paris in 2008 and believe me when I say they are to die for!