Under a Blue Moon

This is what it is like outside.  So this is what we need inside:

Rice pudding.  And oh dear – another not so appetizing food photograph.  Picture it steamy and warm and cinnamony.  Comfort food for sure.  I made it on the stovetop from an AllRecipes.com recipe. 

I forgot to add dried currants (not in the recipe but a good addition nonetheless) but it was very delicious anyway. 

I also halved the recipe because if I made 12 servings of it I would eat 12 servings of it.  Probably in one day. 

And I properly measured the vanilla.

Now we are off to SteinMart which just opened up near us.  I’ve never been but I understand there are decorating steals to be had. 

Before we head off I have a question – I always take my camera with me because you just never know when blogging inspiration might hit.  And let me tell you there are some stores with inspiration aplenty but I get all shy about just whipping out my camera and taking pictures. 

Does one ask first?  Take pictures and wait to see what the reaction is?   My inclination is to seek forgiveness rather than permission but I’m wondering if this is a huge character flaw of mine.  So ask first or take the picture and act very nonchalant?

Edited to add:  Well no picture taking because SteinMart was a bust.  I was expecting it to be bigger and have more unique things.  Not so.  Ah well.  My wallet is happy.

I woke up on Friday morning and logged into work.  I noticed that I was having a hard time reading my emails.  The words just weren’t making sense.  I figured I needed a few more minutes to let my Diet Coke kick in when I started to get the tell tale shimmery light in my peripheral vision.

Anyone who gets ocular migraines knows exactly what I am about to describe.  It isn’t a migraine in the commonly understood sense (vicious headache, nausea) instead it’s like you are going blind in the weirdest fashion.  It’s like looking through a kaleidescope of broken glass.  It starts with the feeling you can’t quite focus then out of the corner of your eye the light starts shimmering in a jagged way and it slowly moves until it’s affecting your entire vision.  Then you get bone tired and have a slightly bruised feeling in your brain.  The only thing you can do, or at least I can do, is go sleep for an hour.  When I wake up it’s entirely gone.

Keeping with the glass theme, thankfully unbroken here, I wanted to photograph my collection of etched glasses.  The tall martini glass is part of a set of six a friend of mine gave me years ago.  They are exquisitely pretty.   When I am having a particularly rough day the only thing that will help is to have a drink in a really pretty glass.  This is the glass I reach for.

The smaller ones are actually part of a new collection.  I wanted to have smaller glasses on hand for dessert wines and when people wanted to have a shot of something.  I thought etched, stemmed glasses would be more civilized than regular old shot glasses.

The thing is they are tricky to find.  I don’t want a matched set.  Part of the charm, I think, is that fact they don’t match.  You would think it would be easy to find the odd aperitif glass in antique stores but I rarely do.  At least in my neck of the woods.  If I find them at all they are always in sets.

I’m going to have to reapply myself to this effort.  I just discovered a new antique mall in Sacramento that is thousand and thousands of square feet.  Certainly I can find one or two there.

Am I abusing my flickr privileges?  Truthfully this is totally on topic because it’s raining here and I can’t take my own pictures because the lighting sucks.  So I have to expose you to other, more talented, well lit photographers.  This collage makes me want to start collecting Japanese parasols.  Not sure exactly what I would do with them but they are so delicate and pretty.  I love love love the picture in the bottom, left corner. 

Back when Rick and I were first married we lived in a two story townhouse.  Our decorating budget was very lean but we managed to exhibit our fledgling design sensibilities even so.  In the tiny, down stairs bathroom there was an ugly, standard issue light fixture above the sink.  I positioned an open parasol over it.   The sink was in the corner and I just put a cup hook in the very corner where the walls and ceiling met and wired the handle to it.  So the parasol covered the entire corner, light fixture included.

It was so pretty to turn the light on in there and have it filter through the pink of the parasol.  Nobody went in there without commenting on it.   What’s really funny is that I got the idea from my best friend’s older sister when I was a teenager.  We were visiting her and she had done the same thing in a bathroom.  I filed the idea away and then used it a few years later when I had my own place.  She came to visit and was exclaiming what a great idea it was and how pretty it looked.  I just laughed at her and said I stole the idea from her and she had absolutely no recollection of ever doing it.

I could pretty much tell you exactly how each room I’ve ever decorated looked like.  Even when I was a teenager and had Rocky Horror Picture Show posters up on my walls (I used to dress up as Magenta and even won first prize at a contest.  But that’s another post for another (much later) time).  My point is I can’t imagine forgetting a decorating element I did, especially such a unique one. 

I needed to get centered again and go back to soothing colors.  Deep, cleansing breath.  Whew ~ too much bright, energetic posting going on around here. 

I was actually looking online for a tablecloth in pale pink and pale green checks or plaid for Easter.  You know me ~ I can’t live in the moment and have to be looking forward to the next big thing to decorate around.  I should be doing red hearts and possibly working on my Valentine (February) tabletopper instead of looking at pastel egg colored things.

Somewhere along the line I bookmarked the Room Service Home website.  I’ve never shopped there but they do have some lovely things.  The chandelier, the dishes and the cache pots all come from there (the bedding is from Target).  I actually wouldn’t be brave enough to hang the chandelier but I thought it was cheerful and fun.  And those cache pots are making my mouth water.

I’m still not satisfied with my entry way tablescape.  I may scrap it all and start over.  This is much more the look I had in mind (also from Room Service Home).

I have birdcage almost exactly (oxymoron much?) like this one that I painted black.  I could use that.  Now I just need to find a metal cake plate and I’m thinking a cloche like Cindy suggested in my original lamenting about the entry way.

Stay tuned – you know I’ll have an angsty post about it looking for feedback and suggestions.

I’ve been tagged by Cindy of Romantic Homes ~ If anyone would like to be tagged in return leave me a comment and I’ll add your link to this post.  Oh look Sara, the Wine Maker’s Wife wants to be tagged!  Pamela of Derelict Diva (LOVE the blog name) is tagged too!

1. If you could build a house anywhere, where would it be? Carmel Valley
2.What’s your favorite article of clothing? My Victoria Secret velour yoga pants (honestly ~ the only thing I own from VS is a couple of pairs of ratty old sweatpants?  Where did the romance go?)
3.Favorite physical feature of the opposite sex? Smile
4.What’s the last CD that you bought? Shakira’s Grandes Exitos (actually it was given to me)
5.Where’s your favorite place to be? Watching the sun set over the ocean.
6. Where is your least favorite place to be? Wal-Mart (so I never go)
7.What’s your favorite place to be massaged? my neck
8.Strong in mind or strong in body? Mind
9.What time do you wake up in the morning? 7ish
10. What is your favorite kitchen appliance? My Kitchen Aid Mixer
11.What makes you really angry?  I don’t get mad very easily.  I don’t like being taken for granted though.
12.If you could play any instrument, what would it be? Accordian.  Wouldn’t that be fun?  I could play French songs on it.
13. Favorite color? Pink and blue and pale yellow – I can’t pick just one…
14.Which do you prefer…sports car or SUV? Sports car
15. Do you believe in an afterlife? yes
16.Favorite children’s book? Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink.  I loved that book.  I could totally picture myself on a deserted island with four luscious babies all to myself.
17. What is your favorite season? Spring
18. Your least favorite household chore? Making the bed
19.If you could have one super power, what would it be? See into the future
20.If you have a tattoo, what is it? No tattoos.  Evan has a cool one though (reptile warning)
21.Can you juggle? I can juggle my work life and my family life.  Sort of.
22. The one person from your past that you wish you could go back and talk to? my Mom
23. What’s your favorite day? Friday around 4:00pm
24. What’s in the trunk of your car? Two bathmats (that should be in the backseat)
25. Which do you prefer, sushi or hamburger? sushi