quilt

i realized that i forgot to post my final product of that little quilt i was making just before thanksgiving.  so here it is!

yes, it's true...more berkeley

sorry, but i had to share a few more of the berkeley sessions with you.  these boys sure were busy, but we had fun keeping up with them.  it was a fun family!

solo tu

(photo by solo)

for you locals out there that enjoy a variety of things at your reach, visit solo.  i found myself wandering through this place in san diego a few years ago.  cedros ave is a famous street in the city for it's artsy influence and artichectural style.  it's a small, short street, but filled with the most quaint and alluring shops to visit.  i stumbled (okay, i was just walking) upon solo on my first visit there and never left.  i am drawn to it's design.  or something.

so as i roam the useless (as i call it tonight) internet pages looking for some really cute notebook dividers, i think of solo.  they have a sweet little array of papers, cards and, sometimes, dividers.  i'm thinking i may have to swing by there tomorrow amidst my other listed items to see what they can offer me; in terms of beautiful design.  i can't help that i have expensive taste.  it would be more thrilling if i could ever purchase anything that i end up adoring.  (sigh)  some. day.  (sigh once more)

gift ideas

number one:  i'm not sure if you'll find this creepy or cute, it could go either way.  but i thought these ties were so cute!  some day when i have my own little man, we'll try adorning him with something like these.  little guy ties sells these on etsy.  check them out!

number two:  i have a thing for turquoise, fake or real.  as long as it looks like it, although i would mostly prefer the real thing.  i think part of why i like it is because my grandma used to wear it a lot.  she lived in new mexico where it's very commonly seen in jewelry.  my mom wore a lot too.  naturally i follow their style sense and desire to wear it.  i'm usually drawn to rings, but these pins are so beautiful and clever.  seen on blue bauble barrettes.

number three:  ceramic items are always catching my eye.  i have no doubt that every person stops to admire an artists creation.  these, in particular, catch my eye.  the color, the design, the functionality of it all.  i'm going through a small "soap dispenser obsession" period in my life.  who knows when it will pass?  hopefully never!  this one is by alethia pottery, a favorite of mine.

jus three ideas for today.  three more tomorrow! all etsy.

Mustache

(photo courtesy of nea)

as i wandered through the loveliness of online gifts today, i came across this facial hair tribute, featured in indiefixx (it actually belongs to nea). and i promptly fell in love.  strange considering i'm really not the biggest fan of my own man's facial hair attempts.  i don't know why....okay, so i do.  it hurts!  poke here.  and another poke there.  right?  ladies, i'm sure you're with me on this one. 

anyway, i've decided that this could be a fun bathroom theme.  facial hair.  maybe that's a little too eccentric.  i don't mind.  so don't be surprised the next time you go to use my loo and you find a bunch of mustaches and sideburns staring at you while you do your business!

more berkeley

these adorable little ones kept us plenty busy that morning.  we had fun chasing and snapping away. 

colorize

are you ready for color overload?  fruit overload?  although there a few veggies...

bought one of these brussel sprout stalks....just beautiful!

and then there were these!!  i bought a nice bundle...and it sent me straight through the citrus roof!  these were the best mandarins i've ever had.  amazing sweetness and juice, color, ease to peel (of course) and leaves still attached for esthetic value.  i only wish i'd bought more!

this grocer carries everything you can imagine.  there must've been 18 different types of apples alone!  i know, right!?  then there were the huge arrays of beets, beans, potatoes, berries, greens, grains, bananas and oranges!  it's just crazy.  i will dream about the berkeley bowl for the rest of my life.

bowling for food

i'll expound more tomorrow, but this is a place i wish were in san diego.  gosh, i really wish it!  we shopped there and took lots of pictures.  the produce is a-mazing!!

holiday sugar

if you even remotely like, love or pray to almond roca, you most certainly need to try rockin roca's almond roca.  i don't normally even like it, but i ventured out and tried some of theirs that i found today.  it was sitting there in a bag on a table here at work.  a mom of a student here, makes it herself!  i will go as far to say that i will probably not like any other kind of almond roca....ever.....again.  that's pretty far, huh?  especially for a girl with severe sugar mouth (no, not tooth, mouth). 

so go on...just buy one bag and venture like i did (only i bought 3)!  i'm pretty sure you won't regret it!

garden update

 

as you can see, my cucumbers are doing quite well!  i can't believe how fast they're growing.  every time i stop by to check on the garden or water it, i'm amazed at how different the cucumbers (i now call cucies....pronounced "coo-keys") are.  can't wait to have those in my salads and mouth!

corn!!  it's time to move the corn farther apart, but i'm scared.  yes, you read right.  i'm afraid i'll ruin the whole operation.  plus the other thing i'm concerned about is the pollination.  i did see some other corn stalks in another garden nearby, and i'm hoping that will help.  eek!

as you can see, my pumpkin plant is flourishing, despite the new residence of a gopher.  hopefully we can keep it that way!

then there's my beautiful first sprout from my zucchini plant...yay!!!!!!!!  took for-EVER.  okay, maybe i'm not the most patient either.

and then there's my romaine lettuce plant.  hip hip hooray!!  why do i get such a kick out of growing something?  i don't know, but please pinch me before i get too excited.

carrots!

and my neighbor's lone apple on their tree.  i didn't realize it was an apple tree until i saw this little darling start to grow.  so i water their plant for them, so what?  they're never there.  they left her all alone to fend for herself.  so i've been cuidar-ing her (a spanglish way of saying "i'm taking care of her").

table of four?

had a fun afternoon with the mcguire family in berkeley over the weekend!  thanks for booking with us my friend, it was so good to see you.  your family is absolutely beautiful.  that is obvious.  more to come!

 

these keys

what to do?  what to do? 

these poor keys.  the are in need of some real tlc.  but i will never fix them.  nope!  nev-ah!  (insert evil laugh)  i love quirks.  i love quirky people, quirky things.  this is my reason.  i think it gives my piano some character, although i admit to not feeling that way about the piano keys a few years ago when they got even more chipped.  if it happens to scare away possible piano students, so-be-it.  i heart my piano.  i will dust them, i will cover them properly when not being used, i will play them over and over...but i will not replace them.  could be a metaphor for life....maybe?

dosa

(photo courtesy of dosa)

while in san francisco this weekend, i was taken to dosa by a new friend.  i'm always wanting to try new food, and this was a good one to start with on my fun journey of eating while in s.f.  i had never had indian food before, really.  i think, technically, dosa is mainly south indian style cuisine.  and i must say that i really liked it!  the atmosphere is more up-town and trendy.  the food presentation was beautiful and fun.  i will most certainly go again, when given the opportunity.

have a hankering?  fly on over to s.f. and go to dosa on fillmore!

crafty

can i say how much i love that my husband is using my sewing machine lately?  he put a little tongue action in there for my benefit.  he and his friend scott always stuck their tongues out when focused.  cracks me up.  stephen is sewing something for his mama for christmas.  how cute is that?  i'll show what he's making after she gets it, sorry folks.  that means a while 4 weeks still.  but i will show it!

free alphabet!

(photo from the purlbee)

as i wandered through the pages of the purlbee this morning, i found one thing after another that i added to my ever-growing list of crafts and things to try and do.  i was so excited that they included, in their free patterns section, the downloadable alphabet pattern for these letters.  i've been meaning to take up embroidery, and what better time than during the christmas holiday?  i may not use the letters for stockings, but i've got some ideas up my sleeve!  i also ordered this book.