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I couldn't resist doing a blog post with this title.

I found my garden labels at a cute little shop in Sonora (whose name escapes me) but you order them here.  The greeting was hand stamped by me but you could also use a permanent marker on them. 

I am starting the year off as low-key as possible.  I am still in my pajamas at the advanced hour of 2:20pm.  I spent the day yesterday cleaning the house top to bottom (I like to start the new year with a sparkly clean house) so there isn't much to do except surf the internet and drag out my stamping tools.

I could go shopping but I am observing a few New Year's traditions/supersitions.  I am not spending any money today so that the rest of the year will be spent in financial abundance (along with putting $100 in my wallet yesterday so I would start the year out flush and by putting a new coin over the doorway to draw in wealth).  

Same with the house being clean and all the laundry being done and put away.  That way I won't spend the upcoming year under piles of housework and laundry. 

I also washed all the bed linens in the guest rooms in order to ensure a house full of guests throughout the year.

Now ask me how I'm doing with my New Year's Resolutions….

 

 

 

Hi.  Rosie here.  We were just hanging out enjoying the sunshine when a freak hailstorm blew in.  We all ran for cover under the garden shed roof.

I thought I would hop up and say hello to Andrea.  You would think she would be a little more welcoming but she just keeps saying "You better not poop on me!" over and over again.

This is my first experience with hail and I can't say I enjoy it all that much.  It was pretty dramatic though. 

 

Ina was all "The sky is falling!  The sky is falling!"  Which just gets everyone in an uproar and is how rumors are started. 

Oops sun is back.  Better go see what that cat is up to. She likes to pretend we aren't there but there is no use in ignoring us. 

 

 

Anyone else just flat out DONE with eating this holiday season?  I swear I don't think I can bear one more morning of caramel corn and peppermint bark for breakfast. 

Our dinner choices for the last few nights have reflected our feeling of general over indulgance.  Sunday was Sushi.  Monday was Caesar salad with grilled chicken and tonight was Cream of Zucchini soup. 

And quite delicious soup it was.  I used this recipe from Cook & Be Merry.  The fresh basil pureed at the end is what sets it apart from other zucchini soups.

Where it called for Italian seasoning I used Penzey's Fox Point seasoning.  I also used Marisolio's Cilantro and Roasted Onion olive oil.  I think these two elements really add to the overall flavor of the soup (and if there were two items I could give to each and every one of you – these two would be it).

This soup is so fresh and light tasting.  I made one modification (other than mentioned above) and that is I used half and half instead of cream.  I am going to try it with fat-free half and half (which is a modern miracle I can't quite wrap my mind around – I mean how can it be half CREAM and yet, fat free?). 

Now if you excuse me there is a piece of cheese cake in the fridge calling to me….

 
 
 

I'm having a delightfully lazy vacation.  Staying up late, sleeping late.  Nothing more taxing than catching up with DVR'd episodes of Grey's Anatomy.

That closet in my office/studio/dining room is still as messy and disorganized as it was last week.  So no progress there. 

One semi-productive thing I did was throw together some invitations for my nephew's graduation from Cal Poly.  We are quite proud of him. 

His family has all kinds of fabulous things going on – his sister, the lovely Sara, just had a pretty exciting announcement of her own.  Look at the adorable way she shared the news with her mother (who is just a wee bit excited).

I think today I will take down the Christmas tree.  Having it up on the 28th is a record for me.  Usually before the last present is unwrapped I'm making people move out of the way so I can undecorate it.  There is nothing more tired looking to me than Christmas decorations after Christmas. 

Hope everyone is enjoying the last week of the year. 

(Oh by the way – thanks for all the feed back on the new design.  Blue wins out.  For now.)