Cool stuff.... :)

 I started writing this and it occurred to me that I'm not sure I've

ever actually said my hubby's name on this blog!!

What the??

This is Rog, short for Roger.

 I call him Love or

Lovey, or Lovekins or Love of my Life or Sweet Cakes

or some other ridiculously mushy name I can think of:)

Rog and I often talk about how we would have been best friends 

when we were little. He loved building card houses,

 and I loved making Barbie

beds out of shoe boxes:) and we both loved what we call

"cool stuff". 

I'm not sure how to describe "cool stuff" but it's just stuff

that we find cool that maybe other people might find

not so cool??

Doing what we do with houses and all, we've come across some really

cool stuff. I love how Rog will bring home things from our houses

that he rescues because he knows I would love them.

Like these huge rusty nails:)

I have no idea what they were used for, but they were in a pile at our

Via Baja property and now they are all happy and snuggled

together in this wooden bowl from Target:)

And check out this perfectly washed out and rusty pulley thingy

that is used on double hung windows.

Rog found this cool thing in the garage of our Coronado property.

And what's not to love about rusty old pencil sharpeners?

One came from our Grove property and the other came

from Via Baja.

"The average pencil is seven inches long, with just

half inch eraser-

in case you thought optimism was dead."

         -Robert Brault

More Via Baja goodies:)

The coolest metal basket and rusty bucket.

Then there's this adorable little thing.

I found this in the garage of one of the historic houses

we did in AZ. Even after scrubbing it, it still

has a hint of oil smell from the old bits and screws and

garage stuff that was inside it.

I don't mind it. I imagine some sweet old man with

crinkly hands opening and closing those little

drawers looking for just the right little screw for his project:)

It houses my baubles now.

And that my friends, is today's lesson in  

what Rog and I like to call

 "cool stuff".

Mama wants trout.... :)

Look at my adorable mama and my 

adorable baby girl. These two share a January 13th

birthday. For two years in a row, I've been lucky to have

my mom come and visit and share her special day with us:)

This pic was taken last year when we took her out to eat her

favorite thing ever- trout.

My mom LOVES trout.

This year when I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday,

she said "I want to stay home.... and eat trout."

Oh my gosh she cracks me up.

I totally thought we were going to go OUT for trout. 

But stay home it is!!

My mom loves the color blue, and Rio loves gold. So I 

scrounged around between Rio's stash and mine to 

come up with the table setting.

I found an old curtain panel that was the only blue thing in my 

house, so I used it for the tablecloth.

The dinner dishes are Rio's. They are vintage Haviland given to 

her by Chase's sweet grandma. 

The small plates and glasses are from Target:)

I remembered there was this bush behind the church across the street from

my house that has these perfectly blue colored berries on it.

So I went and clipped me a few:)

I thank the heavens I have Chase. He loves to cook, so we tag teamed this one.

He cooked up the veggies and those trouts with the heads and the eyes

because....ew.

I made the salad and the mushroom quinoa and my sweet hubby

grilled up the crab legs.

And just look at that smiley face!

She was so so happy with her feast.

Good thing I'm a napkin hoarder and can afford for a 

few of my white ones to get completely destroyed

by the black char on the crab legs!

It was worth it though, they were sooo tasty!!

We finished our feast with an incredible gluten free 

strawberry chocolate cake from Lilac Patisserie in Santa Barbara.

If you're ever in the area and want some amazing gf food?

Lilac Patisserie is where it's at. Everything on the menu is gluten free!

I put 8 candles on the cake because Rio turned 28, 

and my mom turned....

80!!!

Yeah I know! She looks amazing huh?

There must be something in that trout!

Back soon... :)

 I'm showing you this seriously cool green car because...

it's seriously so cool!!!

Truth is, my hubby's adorable sister and her beautiful girls

are here for a visit, so I've been busy collecting memories

and laugh lines...

and just not had the time to think about this ole blog...

and I'm totally ok with that:)

They all leave today, and my mom comes in this afternoon!!

I love my family to pieces and just want to spend every minute I can

with them:)

I'll be back next week!

Show and tell..... :)

Did you LOVE show and tell as much as I did as a little girl??

It was seriously one of my favorite things about school.

Lord knows it wasn't math.

I remember being fascinated and so excited to see what

others thought worthy enough for show and tell:)

One year I brought my prized Baby Brother Tender Love doll. He was 

anatomically correct and now that I think about it, that must have

been quite the controversial doll back then!

I got him for Christmas that year and I loved him. 

 He wore adorable blue shorts and a striped blue shirt. He came with

a bottle and after I fed him I could squeeze his tummy and 

he would pee. AWESOME!! I tell ya!!

I still to this day cannot believe my very conservative mother bought that for me.

I'm sure she was sick of hearing me beg for it.

Fast forward 40+ years.

Let's play show and tell and I'm gonna show you my most favorite

Christmas present this year.

Check out Puff Daddy people.

Is he not the gnarliest most awesome thing you ever did see?!

I spotted him in a store downtown within days of moving here a 

year and a half ago.

 It was love at first sight for me.

But just as you would imagine with a moniker like Puff Daddy, he

was super pricey. I settled for buying the much less expensive Puff Baby

you see sitting on the left.

 I never forgot about Puff Daddy though, and I made sure to mention him

like a million times to anyone who would listen over the last year
and a half so they wouldn't 

forget about him either:)

Well wouldn't you know that keeper of a man of mine bought me

Puff Daddy for Christmas!!

I'm pretty sure I squealed like a little school girl.

No I'm certain I did.

Now Puff Baby has his Puff Daddy.

They both however have mentioned they are not complete without....

Puff Mama..... :)

there WILL be more to this story..... :)

Happy New Year!

Oh boy what a great week!!

The day after Christmas we headed to AZ for my 

niece Jessie's wedding, and just got home last night.

Did I take a bunch of pictures?? Of course not!!

 I took one... :)

Is this wedding cake that my sis in law Allie and Rio made 

 not the CUTEST??!!

It was an outdoor camping themed wedding, complete

with Christmas trees, a bonfire and tents in the backyard.

It was adorable:)

The best part?? 

Family! family!! family!!!

The absolute perfect ending to an already unbelievable year:)

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas... !! :)

It all started with this scarf.

I mean come on! how stinkin cute does Little Bully 

look in it!!

And look how bugged happy and annoyed proud he is to wear it!

 You see, I had this vision in my head.

I imagined putting a tree on top of my car, and him wearing

that adorable scarf and

everyone LOVING the idea of family Christmas pics.

 I saw us all perfectly coiffed and coordinated,  and taking our

places with the biggest of smiles.

 It would all go as smoothly as a well choreographed dance.

 Yeah, I could just see it.

And well...it went just like that!

Kinda sorta.

Not really.

It was more like- 

I don't freaking care what you wear!!

Wait! aren't you going to shave?!

We have to wash the car!!

The tree has a plastic  bucket on the bottom??!!?

Cut it off!! 

Rio why are you sewing bow ties for your dogs????? 

we have to goooooo!!!!!!

WE HAVE A HALF HOUR OF DAYLIGHT LEFT!!!!

Here it is. 

Miracles do happen people.

And just because I can't get enough of his adorableness....

From my blonde, brown eyed, green scarfed Frenchman and

the rest of us here at Tuesdays with Dorie, 

we want to wish you a very

Merry Christmas!!

Simmer down.... :)

You know what smells delicious?

Christmas that's what!

It's such a crazy time of year ain't it?

But I'm telling you, take the time to make this sweet smelling goodness.

It does not disappoint!

 There's a ton of recipes for Christmas simmering potpourri out there.

It's pretty much citrus, spices, cranberries and cinnamon:)

I used-

2 slices of lemon

2 slices of orange

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp. whole cloves

1 tsp. whole allspice

a handful of fresh cranberries

1 tsp. vanilla

Put it all together and add water (about 1-2 cups)

Bring it to a boil, then turn it down to simmer.

Then wait for it...

Then smell it's deliciousness wafting all through the house...

Then sit in a comfy chair and drink hot cocoa...
or wrap presents... 

or binge watch the Hallmark channel...

When you've had your fill of ridiculously predictable 

 Hallmark Christmas movies (or whatever it was
that you were doing whilst this pot o' Christmas cheer was doing its thing)
 turn off that simmering nose candy 

and let it cool down.

Then put it in a jar and stick it in the fridge.

You can use it again the next day!