The Future’s So Bright……

I passed a milestone last week. I have to say I am a little put out by this whole “getting older” thing. I don’t feel any older. I feel like I am just getting started! Not that I haven’t lived yet….but there is so much living yet to do. And I am enjoying every bit I can.

We went on the most beautiful hike on the 4th. Took the dog, and a picnic. Tim and I and the girls drove up to Horsetail Falls in the Sierras and it was just a gorgeous day.

Cooper couldn’t have been happier. Squirrels, leftover cheese from the lunch pack, sticks to chase, and cold clear H2O from the Sierras. What could be better?

Later we had a block party with the neighbors…pot luck….and I have foodie’s for neighbors, so the spread was amazing! A very nostalgic, old fashioned Fourth of July. We even stood in a circle at one point right before the fireworks “finale” in the street, and everyone sang the National Anthem. I was quite impressed really. We all remembered the words, and most were able to hit the high notes.

Then Monday came around. I woke up feeling the same as I usually do….a little groggy, but looking forward to the day. Then I remembered. It was THAT birthday! I tried to just put it out of my mind. I had a pretty normal day. I worked. But when I checked emails, I was really touched to receive so many well wishes from my blogger and facebook friends. I have to say it really brightened my day! Thank you all so much!

When I say I worked…I was actually told to stay in my basement studio until my family gave the word that I could come up. They were preparing something special!

My husband prepared one of my all time favorite meals: BBQ-d steak (medium), fresh salad with roasted pine nuts and avocado, and corn on the cob. Then my girls presented me with this! Orange chiffon cupcakes with orange butter cream frosting (all home made from scratch!). They even made marzipan labels with chocolate letters that spelled out “HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM”.

They were sooooo good! Someone was waiting very patiently for a piece:

After dinner and cake, it was on to the presents!

And what is it about Mothers? My Mother always seems to find the perfect thing. She wrapped individual little packages (one for each year….you’re counting aren’t you!) and fit them into a vintage cloche on top of an antique footed ironstone platter, both so gorgeous, I was speechless. It was so much fun to open every little package, funny little things: a bandana, a carved wooden stamp, a hair comb, a beaded necklace….and on.

Some birthdays seem to have a sort of “theme” to them, don't they? This was a birthday of flowers. I seemed to receive them all week long. The first bouquet was from my workmate, Lise. She picked the most beautiful roses from her garden. They smelled heavenly!

The next day I got a knock on the door, and these were on the other side! My old college roommate who shares my birthday sent this stunning bouquet. There is a rose for every year…..your counting again right now aren’t you?

The week kept rolling along. My husband and I were going out for dinner Friday, just the two of us….but when we got there, they had given away our table………or did they?!?! When the hostess said she would find something for us, she opened a curtain, and, …..yes…..SURPRISE!!!! Twenty of my girlfriends were there to celebrate my birthday with me. My husband had been planning for months. I am very lucky, I know. These were waiting for me in front of my seat at the table:

It was a wonderful birthday WEEK! I got to see friends that came in from out of town, and friends that I have known since my kids were little. This getting older thing turned out to be not so bad. It was a reminder of how many people I have met and who have become friends I care about.

I received so many thoughtful and beautiful gifts, and very kind words. And I will keep them all in my memory. Thank you all! But, one of the things I will treasure above all (along with my husband’s careful planning), is this simple white envelope with cut out letters made by my daughter’s hands.

The Future’s so bright…you gotta wear shades!

Valentine's Day Round-up

Valentine's Day Cake for Two. Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse, layered with Tahitian Vanilla Bean Bavarian Cream, Flourless Chocolate Mousse Meringue Cake, and Raspberry Chambord Caramel. Must be ordered 48 hours in advance. $28

What are the necessities for Valentine's day? Well....the list has grown over the years. But everyone has to agree that CHOCOLATE is high on the list. We are very lucky in Sacramento to have cultivated a premier chocolatier by the name of Ginger Elizabeth. She is a hugely talented young woman especially in the ways of chocolate. This Valentine's Day, Ginger Elizabeth is offering two very special treats if you live in the Sacramento area.

Handmade edible Bittersweet Chocolate Box with edible White Chocolate Rasberry Bow, filled with Chocolate Pearls and 8 Artisan Chocolates. Limited....order in advance. $50

To read more about Ginger Elizabeth and place orders for shipment online click here.

Chocolate is a must....and so is a card, don't you agree? These flocked vintage Victorian style cards from Carmel Bay Company are so pretty and romantic:

Over two dozen assorted vintage style flocked Valentines and envelopes punch out, assemble, And send to the ones you love. $4.99

Hearts for Valentine's Day? Of Course!:

African soapstone hand painted and polished to a smooth touch. The perfect gift for someone you love. Use as a paperweight or create a colorful collection. Background colors: black, red, pink, yellows etc. Small $6.75, Large $15.50. Carmel Bay Company.

Let's see......Flowers are always important, but never more so than when sending to a Valentine. Some of my favorite bouquets can be ordered from Jayson Home and Garden. I thought this Anemone bouquet was particularly wonderful, and the onyx box is a keeper!:

Fuschia Anemone's in an Onyx Box. $135. Jayson Home and Garden.

Hmmmm, what's next......JEWELRY! How could I forget. I can always count on Sundance for having jewelry I will love. Here a re a couple of rings I particularly LOVE. And that is what Valentine's Day is all about, right? LOVE:

Red Jade Ring. $48. Sundance.

Rose Petal Ring. $220. Sundance.

Well....those are the essentials. But it never hurts to show your love by showering your Valentine with gifts. I heart all of these sweet gifts:

Proust Questionnaire - Pink. $34.95. Read more about it here. Jayson Home and Garden.

Surprise Ball. $10. Unwind to discover keepsakes, fortunes, and prizes. Sea and Jae

I loved these when I was little and have only been able to find them again through Sea and Jae. Sea and Jae also have a wonderful blog all about giving gifts that are unique and creative. Check it out here.

I was recently introduced to a fabulous pillow company called Fabricadabra, and this pillow says it all:

Felted Wool Appliqued Pillow. 20"x20". $65. from Fabricadabra

The most important thing to give for Valentine's Day is, of course, LOVE. So be generous and spread it around. The world needs it right about now.

Fringe Benefits

I had an extra half hour after work last Friday before heading off to my Book Group, so I stopped in one of my favorite shops in Sacramento, Fringe. Owned and operated by the very stylish Laurie Newman-Wells, this shop is full of unique, beautiful and one of a kind finds. AND, I live very close, so I can drive by almost everyday and peek in the window. Sigh. Lucky me!

As soon as I walked in the door I spotted this wonderful grouping put together by Laurie: an Elk bronze (very politically current!), original painting and wooden hand model on top of an stainless steel apothecary chest. From the get go, you can see that Laurie has such a great eye.

The front window display has a French Leather club chair holding a gilt chandelier sitting in front of a fantastic quadruple head industrial lamp. Notice a couple of pieces from a full set of vintage crocodile luggage! And I have got to find out what the metal basket piece used to be. Perhaps perfect for a table base!

This twig table would be so wonderful as a desk, sofa back table or console. And the tortoise shell is actually a lamp. Fringe also has a great selection of gift items: candles, books...

I think I could take home everything in this window display: The end table made from a metal box, glazed elephant garden stool, the trumeau mirror with old glass, and I love that basket!

This chair was fantastic. It is metal with a brass finish and a black leather cushion. Sigh. I can imagine at a dressing table, or a very chic office chair. The desk is vintage stainless steel .

Another collection of unique finds: Vintage locker drawers, wire basket and globe, painting. Love the vintage gold basket purse.

This marble topped table was beautiful, but what really caught my eye here were the unframed portraits: his and hers. Perfect for anyone collecting portraiture.

These two are quite a pair. I haven't seen a camel like this before and it would be a perfect accent on a large entry table.

Loved this bar cart. Can you see the bottle caddy near the handle? Clever!

Nice collection or transfer ware.

Laurie has a lot of things that can be used inside and out. I love this table which could be the centerpiece in a kitchen with it's butcher block top.

More gift ideas to pamper yourself!

There is a quite a collection of vintage jewelry, and I really like the table under the case! Again it has that sort of industrial chic with the wood top.

Seeing this pair of entry lions with the Bergere chair and large garden urn made me think of something Michael Taylor might have done. Fabulous!

Laurie also has a back patio full of outdoor treasures like this faux bois planter.

So if you are ever in Sacramento, this is a MUST SEE!

The Fringe Website is still under construction, but will be up and running SOON, so keep checking back: http://www.fringe21.com/. In the meantime, if you see something you can't live without, you can contact Fringe at: 916-706-0216 or laurie@fringe21.com

Some of you may have heard of X21 owned by John Conaty, which began in Sacramento near the corner of X and 21st Streets (hence the name). It is well known for it's retro industrial chic style. Fringe is now in it's place and the owners of both shops are quite good buddies. X21 has since moved to San Francisco morphing into Sultana on 1st dibs. If you are ever in Fringe, don't hesitate to ask Laurie about items you may be interested in from X21. She has the inside scoop!

Girlfriend Gifts: Carmel Bay Company

When I take my annual Birthday Trip to Lake Tahoe to spend it with my girlfriends, we exchange gifts. Cuz what's better than giving and getting gifts, right? During a Labor Day jaunt to Monterey and Carmel, I never fail to visit one of my favorite shops, Carmel Bay Company. They never disappoint. I found these wonderfully hefty, and very large, glass pots, which can be used as vases or votive holders, or anything you can conjure up. A pair of those, some large votive candles and a box of matches printed with beautiful Audubon prints of dragonflies and moths all went into these cute straw totes:

All wrapped up and ready to go. It is always a pleasure to shop here, and you can find many of their wonderful items online here.

The shop is full of things for the home: furnishings, books, dishes and flatware, gifts, sportswear....the list goes on. With a casual California aesthetic, there is much to love for every taste. Above is a shot of the first floor main room.

There is also a second level.

I hope you have a chance to visit next time you are in Carmel! I think you will not leave without a few things to take home.

Thankyou, Thankyou !!!!

Lady luck has been shining on me lately! It just makes my day when I look on my front porch and see a brown package with my name on it, addressed in someone's personal handwriting. I was so happy to receive this:

From these fabulous bloggers:

Design Boner is the blogging team of Porcelain (Katie) and Cardboard (Jessica) who are very talented and creative, especially in the realm of photography. They have weekly photo mosaics that they share with all of us (Lucky us!) and also share their love of designer-y finds. Well, they had a little birthday sweepstakes. They were giving away something "nice and pretty" and something "hahahaha". Lucky me! I won "nice and pretty"! (Although I am very curious about "hahaha", what was it girls?!?!)

Now how did they know I love this color?

I think it looks very "nice and pretty" on my hall table.

It matches my eggs.

I almost lost the rock at the bottom of the box. But I have this habit of searching boxes thoroughly before throwing them away. After the diamond incident, I can't be too careful. Isn't it cute? (It even looks a little like their namesake.)

Thank you so much Jessica and Katie! I love it! I hope you had a fabulous birthday!

But Lady Luck did not stop there! I received this very lovely package from Diana Muse. I think Design bloggers have got to be some of the best gift wrappers around. I love this postcard!

Diana has one of the most lovely and inspirational blogs I have seen. Her images are wonderful and her sidebar is full of very thought provoking quotes.

Diana did a post about Moleskins, those essential little notebooks used by those who want to capture a thought, an idea, a moment on paper. She also had a sweepstakes, and lucky me, I received this:

My very first official Moleskin! I am so pleased and I cannot wait to fill it up with all the wonderful, crazy, silly, serious, happy, sad things that come my way.

Thank you so very much Diana!

And please, if you haven't already, I think it's about time you paid a visit to these very brilliant bloggers, don't you?