Under a Blue Moon

Has anyone seen Spring?

It's 94 degrees here this afternoon. It is supposed to be 105 tomorrow. What is up with that? What happened to lovely, moderate temperatures of 74 degrees? That is a civilized temperature.

Does anyone remember my post last year about the wine glasses I was searching for? I found these glasses at Anthropologie and they perfectly fit the bill except I didn't feel like spending $15 a piece for them. So I just looked at them longingly and passed them by. I happened to go back in this week and they had them on the clearance table so I snapped up eight of them.

They are the right size (short enough to fit in the dishwasher), not spindly and they have an etched design. And if you come over I'll pour you a glass of wine and you can sit on the deck with me and listen to the sprinkers going.

Whoooosh.

That is the sound of me letting out my breath. I'm in the home stretch of this work project and the big deadlines have all been met. Now I just get to clean up a few things and then I'm taking a vacation.

I took a break on Tuesday and went on a walk with Kelly. She sent me home with a few things, like the cherub vase above. It's quite adorable. When I was at her house she held up an embroidered towel and asked if I liked the days of the week towels. I like anything embroidered so I said yes. She said "Good. You have to embroider the rest of them yourself." Ha!

And look at this one. It says "Bee Tidy." How cute is that? Everyone needs a little kitsch in their life, don't you think?

On Mother's day my sons gave me a metal bird bath and a gorgeous, vintage lace tablecloth. Gorgeous. Those boys know how to shop. I love it with the old, battered silver tray I have on the table.

I am starting on a three day weekend. Tomorrow I plan on sleeping in, doing some embroidery on my table runner I started three weeks ago and I may just lay on the couch for the rest of the weekend. I cannot wait.

Please, do come in.

I redid my entry way table. I do realize that it is just another reiteration of my standard entry way tablescapes but the colors are pleasing. And the Easter rabbit has been put away. Finally.

This table has been in my life since I was ten years old. My sister Trish and I shared a room and this table was where we were, conceivably, supposed to do our homework. I think we used it mostly to pile clothes.

When she and I went our separate ways (into separate bedrooms) the table stayed with me and it's where I sat during my teen-aged years, applying makeup.

Now it's the very first thing you see when you walk into the house so I try to keep it looking welcoming. You would think, since it's in the entry way, that's where we would plop our keys or mail or anything else we've carried in but we almost always come in through the garage so the table stays unsullied by day to day detritus.

Next on my agenda to address the living room mantle. It just hasn't looked right to me since Christmas.

Time for a quickie….

My niece Sara sent me a link to Heidi Swanson's blog: 101 Cookbooks the other day. I drooled over it and promptly ordered her book Super Natural Cooking.

I'm generally the last to know anything. I emailed two people from totally different walks of life, and both of them, BOTH, said "Oh Heidi. Yes. I love her blog. Her Apple Zucchini Crostini are to die for."

I have been pouring over her blog and today my book arrived. Yesterday I wrote up a grocery list that had all kinds of new things (to me) on it. Soba noodles. Tempeh. Miso paste. Pepitos.

For lunch today I had her TLT sandwich. Only I skipped the tempeh part because I didn't have any adobo sauce for the marinade. I roasted cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of sweetened olive oil and layered them with a mashed avocado on toasted whole grain bread. It was quite possibly the best tasting sandwich ever. Even missing the tempeh.

So if it turns out I'm really not the very last person to know about her blog and food esthetic go check her out. Her photography is amazing. One of the reviews for her books that said she makes vegetarian food look sexy is so true. Luscious photos.

P.S. I want to get an ice cream maker. Does anyone have a brand or type that they really love and would recommend?

Now where did that cat go?

Work is really hectic right now and I have a huge deadline this week. Posting will resume with some normalacy next week.

Turns out I need a conservatory

Can you tell where I spent the day yesterday? How about now:

That should be a dead giveaway but in case it isn't:

I spent the day in San Francisco with my sister Kate, my niece Maddi and (hang on this might be confusing) our sister Mary's sister in law Julie, who was visiting from Wisconsin. Her husband is attending a conference all weekend so we whisked her away for a day of shopping and sight seeing.

I have wanted to visit the San Francisco Consveratory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park ever since it was restored in the late 90's. It sustained major damage during the winter of 1995 and finally reopened in 2003. It is a beautiful example of a Victorian conservatory.

And get this – it was a kit! You know like Ikea furniture or something! Can you even imagine what the instructions looked like? It was bought as a kit by James Lick in late 1800's but he passed away before he could assemble it. A group of San Francisco businessmen purchased it from his estate and gifted it to the city.

Being there made me want to watch Green Card again. The best part of that movie was Andie McDowell's apartment and her conservatory.

I'm wondering if kits are still available?

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