Munched!

My friend Lori was in an auto accident today... Not focusing on her driving, she ran a stop sign and got hit broadside by a florist van (the same florist who's shop is right next door to the clay studio where Lori works... Awkward!)

Both parties are fine. Though my friend Lori, who sometimes... Okay, a LOT of times has a flair for the dramatic, while explaining the accident was going on about "blood" and "life & limb" and "I didn't say goodbye to my son this morning, what if I died?" However, because the accident took place in the middle of our teeny tiny downtown district, neither car was moving any faster than 20 mph. Yeah, her car is munched on the passenger side and an air bag deployed but 'life & limb' were spared for both parties involved.

I'm not trying to make light of the situation because I'd have been shaking in my boots too... I was just trying to give her a little perspective. The luck of the situation was, I just happened to be driving down Main St. when I saw Lori and her husband and pulled up to say Hi!... Right place, right time (wrong place, wrong time would've been in front of the hospital just 15 min. earlier when she ran that stop sign), I was able to take Lori home and get her calmed down.

Fortunately the guy from the florist shop was extremely understanding and other than a munched up car, everyone is going to be fine. On a side note, the boy almost killed us (okay, maybe I stretch the truth a bit... just a bit) driving to school this morning... So learning to drive in rainy conditions is definitely something he should start practicing........... WITH HIS DAD!!!

The Death of Summer & Common Vernacular

Our Bethany Vacation usually begins the weekend after Labor Day, so this is the first year we've been in town for all the end of the summer festivities. On Saturday night we had the pleasure of listening to and meeting the members of the Beatles cover band, Fabmania... Four really nice guys who look, dress and sound the part. All the while maintaining the character and accents of the fab four. It was only after I got into a side conversation with 'Paul' about where we were both from and that he works in my home town, that the Liverpool accent kind of faded... Naturally.

Later, I was talking with my beach house buddy Janet, who is herself British, South African born and spent a great deal of her life living in Britain. I expressed that it might've been funny for her to introduce herself to the members of Fabmania, possibly giving them the impression they were being mocked (I have a rather twisted idea of what's funny... Speaking of which, I'd really like to hear Janet do a Benny Hill impression, which knowing Janet, it'll be a cold day in hell before that happens.) My very British friend Janet, in typical British form, obviously didn't see why I found this idea quite so hilarious. Anyway, I realize Janet's accent and the Liverpool accent are quite different. I mean, have you ever noticed that when the Beatles talked, whatever they said always came out sounding like a question? Case in point "He's Paul's Grandfather."

So Janet and I get to talking about the different accents in England and I say something regarding the 'Liverpoolian' accent. She looks at me and says, "Liverpoolian?" (exactly as a Liverpoolian might say it) and she says (very British like), "You mean 'Liverpudlian'." "LiverPUDlian?" I say, "What the heck is LiverPUDlian... Why that just sounds derogatory!" Cause I mean, how does someone who comes from a place ending in 'POOL' end up being referred to as a 'PUDDLE?' Why, I think that's just rude. The argument ensued as to which was the proper reference and only until we looked it up on Google did I admit to being wrong. Leave it to someone from Britain to KNOW the proper vernacular for someone who hales from Liverpool but it continues to boggle my mind. Puddle indeed!

So back to the end of summer festivities. Last night the adults went out for dinner together and left the kids to fend for themselves (put down the phone, childrens services division doesn't want to hear that we expected a bunch of teenagers to procure their own dinner), when we got a call from Chloe who explained that she a the others had been quote: "Touched by DEATH!" Expecting they'd had a close call with a rude tourist behind the wheel, my husband asked if they were okay. Turns out there's a ritual here in Bethany called, 'The Death of Summer.' Mourners gather dressed in black, a dirge is played and a woman walks around with a long black scarf and wipes away the 'tears' of the vacationers and tells them they've been touched by death........... Creepy? Yes! But I guess everyone has their own way of kissing summer goodbye.

My Kick-Ass I-pod Shuffle Tune of the Day:
For high energy you can't get much higher than THIS tune. I own the cd of this band or should I say, Orchestra and nearly every tune exudes this kind of energy. So I'm certain this won't be the last time I post a link to this tattooed genius.

Worth the Orgasm?

I'm helping out with our towns annual 'Fall Fest'... I've got another meeting today.

*hanging head in despair* Why?... Why?....... Why do I get involved in these things?

I say yes when I'm asked to attend a meeting, while at said meeting, I raise my hand or say I'll help do thus and such and then I go home and figuratively kick myself in the ass repeatedly until the next meeting when I do it all over again. Then I ultimately push my entire life aside to do shit I didn't want to do in the first place.

My friend Rose had the perfect analogy for this situation. She said, "Embe, it's like an orgasm. At the meeting they fill your head with all this, 'Oooo, you're SO talented and SO creative, we need you, we love you!'... It's the orgasm! Then you gotta spend your time giving birth to the project... Carrying it around in your womb, morning sickness, swollen ankles, general all-around discomfort and then, labor and delivery... That's the really HARD part. Ya know, it's really not worth the orgasm when you end up pregnant EVERY goddamn time!"

My friend Rose, she's such a freakin' philsopher.

The Sweet Taste of Lime

What's that you say? Lime isn't sweet, it's sour? Not the Lime I'm referring to. I'm talking about Lime as in Michelle from House of Lime. Whilst heading south for a trip to the beach, Michelle stopped by the ol' treehouse for a visit and I can attest to the fact she's anything but sour. No, she's bright, sweet, tangy and a real pleasure to be with. I'd say she's a bit of a tart but that's just me trying to be funny.

Anyhow, it's an interesting thing when bloggers meet. I had the opportunity to meet 'Lime' face-to-face last summer. We had a lovely lunch at a nearby eatery where it would be safe for either of us to make a hasty exit should they find themselves face to face with crazy. Fortunately, Lime wasn't just normal, she was lovely, fun to be around, good natured and best of all, neglected to detect the crazy in me... Which is odd, because by my account, I didn't do a very good job of hiding it. So imagine my surprise when she contacted me last week to let me know she'd be passing through town again.

So Wednesday night, two bloggers came together once again but this time Lime got to meet the whole family for dinner at the actual 'Treehouse'. Since my husband wasn't sure what to expect, unbeknownst to me, he logged on to my computer, found my blog roll and spent some time familiarizing himself with 'The House of Lime.' Which added quite an element of surprise to our dinner conversation.

Fun huh? Bloggers getting together for an actual face to face. Or as Lime's daughter like's to refer to us 'Freaks in a Box' makin' it real... Even more fun is when blogger friends bear gifts.

Look! She gifted each family member with a pair of tie-dyed tube socks... Now THAT'S a really special splash of Lime!

Cuteness Overload

Aside from the frantic 20 minutes I spent this morning, thinking I'd lost the keys to the rental car... Today, would have to rank right up there with one of my all time Greatest Days.

Nature Girl and I drove to Thousand Oaks where I spent time catching up with my dear friend Michele, who gave birth to twins just 2 weeks ago. I've known Michele since I was 7 yrs. old and she was 5. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to photograph her 3 yr. old AND two of the tiniest, most adorable little cutie pies. I mean seriously, couldn't you just eat them up?

I'll try to post more pics by Nature Girl tomorrow but tonight I'm having a bitch of a time trying to keep a connection and my frustration level, equaled with my exhaustion, is pushing me to the point that I can't even describe... because it's getting far too difficult to form a single coherent sentence... So tomorrow... I promise.

She's My Abbott

I know I've mentioned my dear friend 'Atlanta Rose' on other occassions but today I'd like to dedicate this post exclusively to her... But you know, the 2 or 3 of you out there should feel free to read along.

I've known Rose since, Oh jeez, 1989.... Freakin' 20 years Rose, can you believe it?
Anyway, if I had to describe our friendship I'd have to say that she's the Laurel to my Hardy or the Abbott to my Costello... In a nut-shell, she's my straight man and even though she sets me up for the good lines she's also funny as hell.

Yesterday she dedicated a very sweet blog post to me, which you can find here (Um, you might want to go check this out so the latter part of this post will make sense.)... And today I'm going to reciprocate in the best, most loving way I know how. But first you should know that Rose is one of the most creative and amazingly talented people I know. Got a piece of shit? With a wave of her magical fingers, she can turn that thing into Shine-ola! And she'll achieve this fete with the loose change found in your sofa.

Seriously, Rose is the only person I know who can find a piece of crap at Goodwill and turn it into something featured in Better Homes & Gardens magazine. Not to mention the yard sale finds and dumpster diving prizes she transformed. Quite simply I'm in awe of her talent and when she shares her beautiful designs with me I respond in kind.

When she sent me gorgeous pics of her fall decor:

I responded with a pic of my own efforts:

So Rose, dear friend, This is for YOU!

Oh hello Rose... So glad you could make it for lunch.
Um, I'm sorry I'm not very prepared... Here, let me clear the newspapers off the table... Oh, and you caught me in the middle of doing my math homework... It'll just take me a sec to clear this...


Wha? You don't mind? Oh good, okay, I'll just leave it here and we'll eat around it. Gee thanks Rose, for understanding. You know I don't like to do any more work than I HAVE to.

So, I bet your hungry... Hmmmm, let's see what I've got in the pantry here? OH, these are good!


Um, that is, IF I'd put a chip clip on them... Actually, they're pretty stale... DAMN! Well, let's see what else there is to gnaw on? Hey, these are one of my favorite snacks and so low in carbs... And hey look, never been opened, that means they're FRE-ESH... Want one?
No? Okay... Here we go... Now here's another favorite low carb treat and look teeny-tiny spoons, so it leaves you believing there's so MUCH more to eat than there actually is!
Not really you say? You're just thirsty? Oh, okay... Take a look at how lovely the water looks in my fancy stemware... And just to class it up a bit, I've got a lemon to slice up... Um, wait... This here lemon looks a little worse for wear. Jeez, not sure how long this bad boy has been in my crisper drawer.
Tell you what... I've got a GREAT idea! How 'bout we just go out? There's a 'Chili's' less than a mile from here, whaddya think? My TREAT!

YEAH, that's what I'm talkin' about... And that there lemon/orange slice? That looks fresh, dontcha think? Now, how 'bout an Onion Blossom and one of these...
With 2 spoons of course! Oh What the Hell, let's EACH order one! You know what they said about the ladies on the Titanic choosing to pass on the dessert? And lord knows my van could very well hit an iceberg on the way home so DIG IN!

Helping Make 50 FANTASTIC!

Yesterday was my friend Lorie's 50th Birthday (I know, I hang out with old people, what can I say?) Now, when my husband turned 50, Lorie was all like, "What's the big deal? So what, you're 50!" and my husband was all like, "OH my god, it's horrible, I'm old, it's so depressing!" I was all like, "My god, you people are old and you're dragging me down."*

*Actually, no I didn't, or else I might not be here today to tell you this story.

So ANYWAY, let's just say that in the days leading up to Lorie's birthday there was a great deal of angst taking place. In an effort to ease Lorie into this whole 'Old Age' thing we new a party was in order. However, my friend Lorie can be kind of a surprise killer. By that I mean, She has to know EVERYTHING! So, I devised a BRILLIANT plan! We knew she'd like to go out to dinner and we decided to take her to the same place we went last year on her birthday (that would be the night we (Our family & hers) blindfolded her and drove all over god's green earth, so she'd have NO idea where we were going... much hilarity ensued.)

So the task became, how to surprise her THIS year? Well it just so happens that my son had a late afternoon dentist appointment, a fair distance from where we live. So I called Lorie yesterday morning, wished her a happy birthday and told her how glad I was she was born. I also told her to be ready for me to pick her up at 3:00 and to dress nice. She of course asked "Why?" "Where are we going?" Even though she KNEW there was no way I was going to give her an answer... She's hopeful like that.

I picked Lorie up a little later than I had planned, which I knew would drive her even more crazy and then we traveled to the school to pick up my son. Which confused the hell out of her. "Why were we picking up Zak and not [her kids]?" "How were [her kids] going to get home?" Did they have a ride?" I assured her everything was all part of 'THE PLAN' and then my cell phone rang. For the next 20 min. covert phone calls went back and forth with messages like, "The Eagle has landed."... "The Fox is IN the hen house, repeat, the Fox is IN the hen house." To which I would reply, "50 is the new 30, repeat, 50 IS the new 30!" Lorie just sat there frustrated and laughing, while carefully noting every direction I turned and each town I entered.

As I neared the dentist office she shouted, "Oh we're going to Greenville" It should be noted that my kids dentist is located in one of the swankiest towns in Delaware, which might lead Lorie to believe we were headed to some REALLY special restaurant. Imagine her surprise when I pulled up to an office building emblazoned with 'Delaware Dental Associates' on the side. That's when she said, "We're going to the DENTIST?"

I should take a moment here and share with you, the reader, there aren't many people who would be so incredibly.... (not only), gracious but incredibly clever, as to take their friend to the dentist as part of their 50th birthday surprise. But I folks, am just... that... devious!

My son had just as much fun playing the game by throwing out comments like, "Where are the balloons & streamers and where IS everybody?" as we walked into the dentist office. I explained to Lorie that I brought her there expressly for the purpose to try out the fancy gourmet coffee machine they have available in the waiting room. She was a great sport about the whole thing, laughing and shaking her head and was terribly embarrassed when I introduced her to my sons hygienist, telling her the whole story as to why Lorie had joined us.

Eventually we finished up at the dentist. All three of us were hungry so Lorie accurately concluded we were next heading to a restaurant. More goofy phone calls were sent back and forth and ultimately we all (both families) had a lovely dinner all together to celebrate, each of us taking turns wearing the extremely large party hat, I offered to Lorie but she initially refused to wear... But the fun didn't stop there!

After dinner we came back to our house for cake & presents... And when I say presents, I mean PRESENTS! When we were trying to decide what to get Lorie for her birthday, my husband said, "What does Lorie like more than presents?" That's when he came up with this idea. "I know, why don't we give her 49 individually wrapped presents, 49, because 50 would just be too depressing!" We decided together that 49 was the perfect number because, WE, US, Our friendship, could be considered the 50th gift (yeah, we're pretty arrogant.)

So when we got back to the house we had gift #1 sitting out on the table (I had each gift numbered from 1 to 49 with sticker numbers, thanks to the scrapbooking supply hoarder I am.) Lorie seemed pleased after she opened the lame 1,000 piece puzzle, which was her first gift. Then I went to the closet and pulled out the gift marked #2. She laughed, puzzled why each gift was numbered and opened a Post-it Note set. Then my husband went to the closet and pulled out #3 present. A desk-set pen holder. Lorie wasn't really catching on so my husband and I gave eachother the nod and together went to the closet and pulled out the entire bin of presents. You should have seen Lorie's face! For the next hour she sat there and unwrapped gift after gift after gift.

The card, which was the final item she opened looked like this:
Inside I wrote something to this effect:"Every year is a Gift. Enjoy every one of them, from your #50"

I later told her that the thought occurred to me as I spent long hours wrapping all those gifts that yes, 'Life is a gift, even though sometimes it can seem a lot like a bunch of shit from the dollar store.'

"Hi! I'm Phil, What's your name?"

This weekend my daughter coerced me into joining her and a group of friends, for a trip to the Maryland Renaissance Festival... Last year around this time we attended the 'Festival' for the first time. I wasn't that impressed, but my daughter LOVED IT! She saved her pennies for an entire year to have a period dress made and to buy one of these.

So she had a great time. While I did enjoyed the time spent with friends, I loathed, the dirt, the ruthless uncomfortable benches (which are the only available seating), the port-o'-poties, but most of all I despise the crowds. I should note that you wouldn't believe there was a recession in the works by the number of people (for lack of a better term) 'pissing' their money away at 'The Festival'... The line for the ATMs alone was mind-boggling.

So back to the crowds of people...
When it came time to leave the park, (we stayed there until closing) the mass exodus in the parking lot was a logistical nightmare. Lines of cars sat idling virtually everywhere throughout the field designated for parking. My hearts desire was to reach my car at the far end of 'East Jabip' so that I might at last rest my backside on a comfortable seat with a back on it. In order to expedite the process, my daughter and I worked our way through the traffic jam at an angle in the direction of our vehicle... In a kind of 'As the crow flies' manner, separating ourselves from the rest of our group. As we were weaving our way through long lines of cars I heard a voice call out from behind me, "Hey, what's your name? My name is ??il!" I continued walking but then heard it again, "Hi, my name is ??il, what's your name?" So this time I turned around and saw a guy, roughly 20-something, sitting on the hood of a car, along with a guy behind the wheel, waiting in a stream of vehicles that weren't moving and weren't about to start moving any time within the next millenium. When I turned I pointed to myself and said, "Are you talking to me?" To which he replied, "Yeah, what's your name, my name is ??il!" I told him my name and then he said, "Hi Margie, I'm ??il!" Then he pointed to my daughter and said, "And what's her name?" I said, "That's Sarah." and he replied with, "Hi Sarah, my name is ??il!"

I have to admit I was struck by how odd this guy was, shouting across cars in an attempt to greet people, but I guess a little charmed too. So I asked him, "Did you say your name was Bill?" He said, "No, it's Phil." Then I said, "So Phil, what's up, are you just taking advantage of this opportunity to meet people? He replied with, "Yep, that's exactly what I'm doing!" So I walked the 20 or so paces back over to him, stuck my hand out and said, "Hi Phil, it's really nice to meet you!" A big smile spread across his face and he replied, "And Sarah it's really nice to meet you too!" So of course I replied, "Nope, I'm Margie." I pointed to my daughter and said, "She's Sarah." He chuckled and said, "Oh sorry, nice to meet you Margie."

Phil, probably forgot my name again before his car even exited the park, but it was a rather pleasant exchange. Later as our group sat together in the van, waiting for the traffic to dissipate, my daughter asked me to tell the others about Phil. After I shared the story one of the kids we were with asked quite puzzled, "Why do you think he was doing that?" I told him that Phil was most likely making the best of an unpleasant situation by taking the opportunity to meet new people. Then I added rather humorously, "Plus, I think he thought I was hot!" That's when another kid from our group began laughing. I smiled and looked at him and said, "You're laughing a little too hard there Mike!" He tried to apologize while trying to suppress his guffaws. That's when I informed Mike that he would be walking home. Well not really, but when he stepped out of the van for a few minutes, I locked all the doors, so that when he returned I could watch him squirm a little bit.

So yeah, I guess the 'Ren Fest' wasn't ALL that bad.

'Hot-lanta' Whatta Trip!

Yes, I know, I've been such a slow poke about getting this post put together... Life has been crazy busy since I've returned home and I've been trying to get everything in order before the next wave of crazy busy hits... The month of October has a great deal of activity looming on the horizon.

SO... about my trip... Let me first say my friend 'Atlanta Rose' is the most gracious hostess... I mean, get a load of this incredibly beautiful guest room I was appointed:


But that's not all... I had not just ONE guest room but TWO at my disposal... I stored my suitcase and my stash of purchases in my SECOND guest room... How lovely is this?

I KNOW, it's like I was staying in a very high end bed and breakfast. Does the Queen of England have to pay for such hospitality? I doubt the queen stays in many places much grander than this:


And my only method of payment was giving thanks to my dear friend for all her graciousness, hardly seems fair, does it? And oh, I should also mention the Duchess made me feel at home by licking my fingers, curling up in my lap for a nap and always greeting me with this sweet little face:

So what did we do while we were together? (I'm referring to Rose and I, not Duchess)... What else? We LAUGHED, We ATE and we SHOPPED!
What did we eat?... What didn't we eat?... Crepe's from a charming french restaurant in Marietta:

For dessert a Choclate Mousse Crepe with Cherr & Raspberry Puree, Mmmmm!

Feasted on some real southern BBQ:

Pulled BBQ Chicken on a bun Mmmmm, and I loved the rustic atmosphere.

We also ate at a Delicious Cajun Restaurant one night and a wonderful Italian spot the next afternoon... Sorry, I didn't take pictures at EVERY restaurant. I did however, eat enough to insure my jeans hug my thighs a lot closer than they did before my visit.

So yes, the eating was good but the shopping... OH THE SHOPPING!

Rose introduced me to a wonderful little place known as 'The Classy Flea'... Well, I should say I begged her to introduce me, as I'd read about this little gem via Susan's blog 'Between Naps On The Porch'... Now I should explain, I've never been very interested in flea markets per se' but this place is beyond wonderful, the prices are great and the stuff... Well let me show you what I managed to shove in my suitcase:


Now, that there on the bottom, that's a King Size Matelasse coverlet with two king size pillow shams AND a bed skirt for just $49.00... That's right, forty-nine buckaroos! As for how I got the whole thing home? Let's just say my suitcase ended up being 7 lbs. too heavy for the limit so I spent the plane ride home with a king size coverlet on my lap.

The other three items I fell in love with and just couldn't leave them for someone else to take home. The finial didn't fair too well in the suitcase and came home in pieces but my friend Lori patched it up with some ceramic glue and it's none the worse for wear. Unbelievably the chicken made it through without a scratch! By the way the chicken was a steal, had a Kirkland's tag on it priced at $23.95 but I got it for $14.95 at 'The Flea'... As for the 'Welcome' sign, I plan to change out the ribbon with some lovely plaid ribbon I have on hand and then I'll walk it all around my house until I find the perfect spot. Not pictured are a purse I picked up for my friend Lori and the cutest Halloween decoration which I gave her also (she's totally into Halloween, as for me, not so much!)... I'll have to steal a pic of it and post it here later... And yes, all except the coverlet fit into my amazing expando suitcase!

But wait, here are some items I wish I could've taken home with me:

This adorable little chair was just $19.00... Had I gotten it home I would've given it an extra special paint treatment, a fluffy new cushion and some gorgeous fabric, maybe a plaid or a victorian botanical.


I might've hung this above our bed.


This silk valance would've worked perfectly in my master bedroom.


And this chandeleir would be adorable over my kitchen table.


I LOVED this tv cabinet with pocket doors... How gorgeous this would look in my family room and only $299.00
This piece was the first thing that caught my eye when we walked in the door. I couldn't find a price on it, probably because it was sold before we left the store. I mean, how gorgeous is this and it's massive in real life.


When Rose and I saw this we just had to get a picture because it summed up our visit so perfectly.


Next visit to Atlanta, I'm renting a u-haul... Better make some extra space in that second guest bedroom Rose!

I'm Leavin' on a Jet-Plane!

I'm off to Hot-Lanta baby!

I'm ready to spend a weekend of 'Girling it Up' with my BFF 'Atlanta Rose'... Gonna help her celebrate a half-century of awesomeness!

I'll be back Monday night with stories and hopefully some decent pics.

Details, Details...

When it comes to decorating a room, I'm all about the details...
Yesterday my daughter and I went to the mecca of cheap chic, 'Marshall's - Home Goods' and I'm overjoyed with the items I was able to find for the office project I'm working on. But here's the sad news in four words: One - Thousand - Dollar - Budget.

Now HGTV will tell you, thousand dollar budget? No problem! But have they ever created a PROFESSIONAL office space on $1,000? (Okay, they probably have but I missed that episode.) I do know one who is capable of such a task... My friend Atlanta Rose. Just check out what she did with her master bedroom suite with something like $35... (I know, it was more than that, but Rose just adores my sarcasm... Right Rose?) Alas, we can't all be like Atlanta Rose and lord knows I just don't have it in me to pick through every 'Goodwill' or 'Garage Sale' I come across and for this project we lack the time as it needs to be ready by July 1st.

So yeah, with a budget of a thousand dollars, a credenza for the computer, an executive desk chair and two client chairs need to be purchased. These are all VERY important items... However, what about the details? The things that make the space feel warm and inviting? Here's some pics of a few of those details:

This bowl is quite large at 16.5" in diameter














The metal piece will be a focal point on a large wall, it measures 37"h and 39"w and I love it so much I want to marry it! I plan on creating some artwork to grace either side of it.

The Atlas was a 'must have' detail because he looks like Amy's husband and like I told Amy, a guy with the weight of the world on his shoulders, in the office of a family lawyer, seems fitting... The fact that he looks like her man... Well, that's a win-win!

Lastly, candles! You never light 'em of course, but they project warmth and help cement the accent colors of the room. I've got a few extra candle sticks I can dig up or perhaps I'll place them on a charger with some colored stones.

We've already blown the budget with just the furniture pieces by $30 (less shipping), but Amy agrees the details are an important aspect... Thank heaven! ... Now if I can just round up some plants?

The Perils of Putting it Out There!

Today was my first attempt at 'putting it out there'... My cards to be exact.

I've been selling my Paper Art, Dream Books & Cards for years. All by commission and word of mouth. Today however, I actually walked into a gift shop, snipped the ragged thread which secured the tentative hold I have on my self esteem and spilled my worth across the gift counter'.

My friend Lori, recently got to know a woman who owns the gift shop of which I speak. I'm grateful to Lori for not even thinking twice about asking her new friend if she'd be interested in my cards and for setting up an appointment for me to meet with her. I am such a BIG FAT GIANT WUSS when it comes to this kind of thing. Just let me sit in my studio, let the muses take over and create away... Ask me to put on the hat of the slick saleswoman, touting my goods and defending their worth... Well, I'd much rather shrivel up and die a thousand deaths.

Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of the work I do, but I'm also very critical of myself. I'd much rather be the first to criticize myself or my work before I give another the chance to do it first. And then, when it comes to the monetary value.... e-gads I REALLY hate that part!... Again let me reiterate, just let me sit and play with paper, don't make me think about how much it costs, how much time it takes, business licenses or tax implications... These matters make the creative process wither on the vine.

Anyway, I think the shop owner liked what she saw, (she LOVED my business cards)... However, it's always hard to gauge. Was she complimentary 'because' she was doing a friend a favor? OR Is she like me, and wouldn't want to hurt anyones feelings? She took 4 cards on consignment... I know, just 4 cards, sounds more like a pity purchase... Not even a purchase really, they ARE on consignment... But, whatever. She did however give me a list of the type of cards her customers are typically interested in, so I'm taking that to mean she'd like to see something more closely related to the theme of her shop.

Lori is determined to represent me and I'm thrilled for it, because I SO suck at it! She's got me scheduled to meet with someone from the local flower shop on Wednesday. I kinda know some people there, so I'm not as apprehensive as I was about todays meeting. Plus, I think my cards are far more fitting for a 'Florist/Gift Shop' than a shop with a 'Boating/Chesapeake' theme... So excuse me while I go make more cards....

Planting Party

Life has been SO busy lately that I completely forgot to mention the 'Planting Party' my friend Lori and I hosted last week.

What is a Planting Party you ask? Well, it's something I read about years ago in Better Homes & Garden Magazine. As spring approached I remembered the article and asked Lori if she'd be interested in hosting one together... And because A) I didn't feel like cleaning... and B) Lori's home sits on the Elk Neck River (gorgeous views)... I suggested we hold the party at her house. I know, I'm such a good friend.

Anyway, I made invitations and we invited a bunch of close friends from Art Space, the clay studio where I used to work. The guests were completely confused by the invitations because they'd never heard of a 'Planting Party' before and assumed they were being invited over to help Lori plant her garden. They thought they were being asked to provide flowers for this task. The guests who responded with an emphatic yes, before understanding the logistics are considered 'Keepers'.

Here's the way the party works:
Each guest brings a flat of flowers or greenery, annuals or perennials.
Each guest also brings any manner of containers, hanging baskets, pots, window boxes.
Each guest may also want to bring a trowel and garden gloves.
The host(s) supply the potting soil.
I also provided fragrant hand soap, nail brushes and lotion which I purchased at the $ store.
Once everyone is gathered together the planting begins. One could worry that you might be saddled with 10 flats of geraniums but the choices for our party were numerous and even though we'd hosted this party for a group of potters (think plethora of hand thrown clay pots) there were flowers left over.
Once the planting is complete, everyone gets washed up for lunch.

As the hosts of the party, Lori and I provided all the food... However, a pot-luck would work well too. For our particular party we had hoped to eat outside on the deck, looking out over the river... Unfortunately the weather was dark and dismal, sloppy and rainy (we set up our planting station on 2 long tables just inside the garage)... The weather turned out to be perfect for our newly planted flowers which received a gentle first watering by Mother Nature herself.

For food we served 'Chinese Chicken Salad' with rolls and Lori made an delicious Curried, Fruited Rice. There was a lovely fruit platter and I made a Tropical Waldorf style Trifle which received rave reviews.

After the food we all sat around and visited. There were roughly 10 of us, if I remember correctly. I'm still angry at myself for forgetting my camera. The party started at 11 am and I think the last guests left around 3 pm. Each with their own pots and containers filled with the flowers shared by friends. Here's some pics of my container... I took these this morning and am thrilled to see how everything is growing with such gusto!

Hold on to your Copper, folks!

Our dear friends Lori & 'The Captain' have had their fare share of bad luck for oh let's say the past... Well, for about as long as we've known them... Which has been about 4 yrs. now.

Really, I'm not kidding... That LONG!
In fact Lori told me just this morning that she couldn't understand how we could still hang out with them for fear that some of it just might rub off on us. She said if the shoe were on the other foot, they wouldn't walk, they'd RUN away! I told her we seemed to be okay so far but if it appeared that her prediction was coming true... Well, it's been nice knowing ya.

Some of the events our friends have had to deal with are quite tragic and far too personal to mention here, but most of them are just plain old rotten luck of the most unfortunate kind. Case in point: Our friends have been trying to sell their beautiful 110 yr. old victorian home for a little over 2 yrs. now. Struggling to carry two mortgages after the collapse of the housing market which coincided with the purchase of the home their in now. True, my husband and I would've NEVER taken the risk of even looking for a new home until we sold the one we were in, but Lori & The Captain?... Well, they're kind of 'Fly by the seat of your pants' people. Crazy, Insane, kinda Reckless which is, I guess, why we're so intrigued by them.

Anyway, during the two years of trying to sell their house, which I can't stress how beautiful it is, I'm not kidding! They've gone through... is it 3 or 4 realtors?... And a stretch of trying to sell the house themselves. One of their realtors was an old guy, (ready to retire) whose method of selling a home involved well, pretty much nothing and I don't think that was working for him... Nor was it working for our friends. They then found a young excited realtor... A really gung-ho kind of guy with lots of plans and a self professed love of the property he was selling for our friends. Then he up and disappeared, perhaps abducted by aliens? Perhaps living a life on the lam? Even his wife didn't know what happened to him... Yes believe it, he vanished in thin air and oddly enough, I don't think his last name was Houdini. We met this guy at a dinner party not long after our friends signed the contract to have him represent them. He seemed pretty nice, quite normal but now... Now he's vapor!

So here it is November 2007... Our friends FINALLY find a buyer. They haven't wanted to discuss the fact that they've accepted an offer because the people that are buying the house are robbing them blind after several counter offers. However, at this point our friends have little choice, they're broke and they simply MUST unload the beautiful house they put so much hard work, money and tlc into. They're scheduled to close on the home this coming Thursday.

All of this leads me to the dumb luck part of the story... Wait, you know, the term 'dumb luck' doesn't even apply here... 'Dumb Luck' would imply there was at least some form of 'Luck' involved... And truth be told, there's absolutely NOT one ounce of luck involved here. In fact, let's just call our friends completely Shit out of Luck!... Because last night 'The Captain' received a call from their realtor who told him there was a water leak at the house. 'The Captain' was busy on a job and called to ask if we could go check it out with his wife Lori. We all raced over to the house, my husband arriving first and waded into the foot and half deep water covering the basement floor of a house which is currently without electricity, heat and NOW water! When Lori and I arrived with wrench in tow we managed to get the water main valve from the street shut off to the house as water was flowing into said basement at a rapid rate. Not being entirely familiar with the pipes of the old victorian home my husband wasn't sure what was causing the leak. However, once we got the main shut off, Lori made her way into the newly formed basement pool, my husband holding a flashlight high above his head for optimal viewing. From where I stood outside, by the bilco doors I could hear her shout, "Somebody stole our *&@%-ing pipes, I can't believe they stole our *@%-ing pipes!!!!" Sure enough, someone had indeed stolen their pipes! Cut them right out... All this 4 days before finally going to close on the house!

Eventually a guy from the water company stopped by and we informed him we'd gotten the water main shut off. He wasn't the least surprised about the stolen pipes. Said there's a rash of this type of theft taking place due to the high cost of copper. "And that's not all." He said, "Aluminum is fetching a pretty penny too, there have been vandals ripping the gutters and siding right off of houses in broad daylight." We heard from one of our friends neighbors, who came out to see what all the commotion was about, that a local youth with a drug problem had been arrested for stealing the 150 yr. old bricks right out of the sidewalks because they're worth money too! Apparently, he got pretty far along on the job, because instead of stealing bricks, passers by just figured he was laying them. I know I'd think the same thing if I saw someone ripping gutters off the side of a house in broad daylight... I'd just figure someone was replacing their gutters, wouldn't you?

So, as it stands... The good news is, the water in the basement has receded (hooray for old brick floor basements and a drought filled year.) What puddles were left were cleaned up by 'The Captain' and his insurance restoration gear. Bad new is, there's no insurance on the house... I guess things got so tight, they just couldn't afford it anymore. The Captain and my husband are currently out purchasing new pipe, which they'll try to hook back up this evening and hopefully the plumbers will arrive by Wednesday to complete the somewhat delicate operation of getting it all hooked up to the heating system. The Captain says he's going to include a note on the new pipes that reads:

Take all the pipe you want... After Thursday!

A Tale of Two Decorators

I remember when I was young (circa 1970's) and the holidays were drawing nigh... We'd beg my parents to pull out the decorations and prepare our house for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas... And I could never understand their apathetic attitude towards bringing in a holiday. My step-mother would often snap, "We'll get it out soon, just hold your horses." The same came with the excitement that would build in us kids over the idea of hopefully going to see Fireworks on the 4th... Only to be met with my dad informing us that he didn't want to "Deal with all that traffic!" My family could really rain all over a holiday parade like no other and I swore when I grew up I would never let the excitement die away.

Enter adulthood and the 2000's and here I am, kids almost grown and I'm as enthusiastic about digging out and unpacking my holiday crap as I am about taking a trip to the dentist. It just doesn't hold the thrill for me anymore. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing I enjoy more than seeing a home tastefully decorated for the seasons. Especially when I walk the neighborhood and see lovely porches decked out with mums & pumpkins and beautiful fall wreaths. I just wish I had the inclination, the energy and an accessible place to store it all.

Now let me introduce you to my dear friend 'Atlanta Rose'... A gal with an incredible eye for style, decor, and a great bargain! Rose sent me pictures of her GORGEOUS new home all warm and beautiful for the holidays... Here are some samples:





Breathtaking No? I'm sure it won't be long before her rooms are featured in Better Homes & Gardens.

After a long conversation with her the other day regarding me lackadaisical attitude towards decorating my home for fall... I finally went out of my way to do SOMETHING and here is the result:


So what do you think... Too much?

Wordsmith

Vacation... A time to bond with family & friends. Also a time to catch up on game competition... Scrabble to be exact. My friend Lori is a stellar Scrabbler... I on the other hand am rather lack-luster at the game. But last night Lori was really tired so I figured it was the perfect time to rope her into a battle of wordplay. It was even more fun when my sister-in-law (even more outstanding at Scrabble than Lori & myself) decided to join in the game.

Part way through the game as we were exchanging friendly jabs back and forth, most of them aimed at Lori... She announced, "I hope both of you lose, in fact I hope you both have Q's and NO U's.." Following that verbal tongue lashing she followed with, "By the way, did you know that Q-A-I-D is the ONLY Scrabble word that doesn't need a U?... I learned that playing one time and never forgot it!" and she finished up her turn by laying her tiles, counting her points and writing them down.

And then it was my turn.

"Q-A-I-D, you say?" I asked.

"Yes, that's right... but I don't know how you pronounce it." she replied.

And then right on top of the triple letter score I carefully lay down my first letter, a Q.

Then my second letter, an A.

After than my third letter, an I.

All attached to the letter D that was in the perfect position, giving me an obscene amount of points.

My sister-in-law won the game but better than that, I beat Lori.

Atlanta Rose

My dear friend Rose is in town for the first time in years! We've been SO busy catching up (even though we talk on the phone quite often), visiting with old friends, introducing her to my new friends, playing tennis, eating (so much for all that Hot Yoga) and shopping (finished decorating the office and I'm back into loving the shopping thing again), this is the first chance I've had to sit and even check e-mail.

It's impossible to put into words how wonderful it is to have Rose here... To be able to look her in the eye during a meaningful conversation instead of share an "I know! or "Uh-huh!" over a long-distance phone line. It's wonderful just to be able to reach over and give her arm a gentle squeeze of support or gratitude, as we discuss matters of the heart. There have been pauses in our converses but always comfortable pauses, as we've known one another for so long, roughly 18 yrs.

I've been searching for quotes from people more eloquent than I, regarding the friendship that Rose and I share. I haven't really found the perfect one yet but this one is close:

There's something beautiful about finding one's innermost thoughts in another.
-Olive Schreiner

or this:

True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in the worth and choice.

-Ben Johnson

Rose is one of the wisest choices I've ever made.

That new spot in our yard...

I'm not too shy to admit that I have many talents. However, there a two things at which I suck BIG time... Sewing and Landscaping. Really anything to do with yard work except for possibly the occassional lawn mowing is more than I wish to attempt. More often than not I spend my time envying the nicely landscaped yards of others and return to my own home filled with disappointment at its lack of lustre. In a world of 'Paris Hilton' lawns, mine is sadly the 'Amish Wife'. It's well maintained but nothing really pops!

Enter my friend LB. In the 2 yrs. she's lived in her home on the river, she's taken a plain jane grass expanse and turned into horticulture central. There's the fresh herbs growing between unique varities of plants. There's the area set aside for the rose garden with several varities and colors of roses entiwined around a lattice archway and a stone bench for just sitting and admiring the surrounding beauty. There are trees here and there, some with buds, all with beautiful leaves. And as you approach the front door to your left is a gorgeous pond with large goldfish and trickling fountain.

Yesterday LB, my daughter and I went nursery hopping. It's hard not to be with LB at a nursery and not get caught up in the possibilities. It would be absolutely impossible to drag my dear friend away from a nursery without a plant or tree or 5 or 6 something or others under each of her arms just waiting for the opportunity to burst forth in all their grandeur somewhere in her yard. So, I did it! I foolishly thought that I too could turn my little plot of nothing into something spectacular. Using my daughter, who seems to enjoy such pursuits as planting and watering as my excuse, I purchased $72 worth of decorative grasses and peat moss for our yard. Last night was spent figuring out where to plant it all. After the idea of making a special plot in the backyard was nixed we found ourselves right smack dab in the middle of the front yard forming a plot around our only tree of which I have no idea what brand or origin from which it hails.

After a mostly sleepless night and a 6:15am wake-up call from the dj on my clock radio reminding me that there's a heat warning in effect today, I somehow managed to propel myself from my mattress and made my way down the hall to my daughters room to encourage her to start our project before it got too hot. She tried to push me off until tomorrow but I reminded her that she has plans for Tuesday and I'll be damned if I'm going to allow our precious grasses to perish in the garage.

With shade from our house still covering the front lawn from the morning sun, my daughter and I with shovels in hand began the chore of clearing away the grass. Sounds so easy doesn't it? Clearing sod with a shovel. Let me explain how the first 30 seconds of our project went down. I was the first to try pushing my shovel into the thick grass. The resistance I met was SO great, I might as well have been digging up concrete. So my daughter decided to give it a try next. With exacting force she kicked against the shovel, only to have it sit in the same spot and delve no deeper into the soil. So, being young and filled with more energy than I was able to muster she lept into the air and slammed both feet against the shovel, only to have the damp soles of her shoes meet the smooth metal of the shovel thus sending her sailing backward and slamming down on the ground where her back met the metal edge of the shovel I had previously tossed aside. Oh man, did I feel bad... But my daughter felt worse. She's got a slight cut across her back to prove it.

After a brief stint of almost giving up, we went inside to compose ourselves. When we came back out it was with a new found strength and a definitive purpose. Come hell or high water we were gonna tear that grass out and realize the dream of a lovely landscape with ornamental grasses. 3 hrs. later that's just what we achieved... Well, not quite. We eventually cleared all the sod, with some help from my husband who's working from home today. Thankfully there were no other incidents involving pain except for the ones currently residing in my hands, legs, arms and back. We haven't planted our ornamental grasses yet but they're prettily perched in a wagon which sits just inside our giant (seems like 40 acres) sod free plot surrounding our tree of unknown heritage. At some point we're going to have to go out there and dig some holes and throw in some peat... But for now we'll just sit back and admire our effort. Oh, and we're trying to reach LB by phone today so we can let her know we've uncovered a nice plot in which to place her body after we kill her... Because she makes it all look SO damn easy!

Very Shi-Shi...

Last night I went out with a wonderful group of women from the pottery studio to a place known as the 'Fair Hill Inn'... Perhaps you've been to this type of place... Historic stone house, several 'rooms' each with well appointed period decor, low lighting and candles to provide ambiance.

Our entertainment and dinner for the night was a wine and cheese tasting. We had an uproarious time together and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening but I'd like to share with you my perspective of a very shi-shi event known as a Wine & Cheese Party.

We were seated in a lovely room at the back of the house with deep stone walls and a nearby bar. On the bar were several glasses, several wines and several plates of cheeses with crackers and compotes to accompany the latter.

Now here's something interesting... I don't drink wine, I'm not much of a cheese person but I am a participator so I was IN! After we were seated at a series of very small tables we pulled our chairs around into a circle and chatted. Then we were presented with a menu of the various wines and cheeses we would be sampling...

Tell me, who could turn down a cheese with THIS description:
A very dense and chewy texture. Fresh citrus notes and a buttery finish. A light mold on the exterior with little effect on the paste.
You had me until the 'mold'.

Then there was THIS:
A wonderful introduction to an artisan washed rind cheese. It displays a buttery interior with a mild pungency. Very approachable and surprisingly tame for the style.
Am I going to EAT it or ask it out for Valentine's Day?

Some of the wines were 'Very Expressive' or 'Interesting' another was 'Always fruit driven with a smack of tropical pineapple, kiwi an mango'... Oh and then there was 'Peppery'... Peppery? I like pepper to season my food but I don't want to drink it! And BELIEVE me, YOU could taste the pepper! But like I said, I'm just not into wine.

I was proud of myself though, I swished the wine around the glass... Sniffed the 'delicate bouquets' and sipped very small amounts but frankly, I just don't GET the whole wine thing??? If I found something in my fridge that tasted like some of last nights wines, I would conisder it past its expiration date and toss it.

Now the cheese, that was more interesting. The chef of the inn came out and gave us a run-down of each style of cheese... (These cheeses shouldn't be considered 'types' but 'styles' because I'm quite sure they were shipped to the inn riding in their very own limos and their little fur coats were hanging in the entry-hall coat rack.) The chef explained to us exactly HOW to eat each 'style' of cheese... As in, "Try this cheese alone, without the cracker... Then taste the wine and note how well the two compliment each other." There was one type of cheese we were told, "You may not want to eat the rind of this cheese as it's very pungent... So you may remove the rind before sampling." Problem is, by the time we made our way down the bar, trying each different wine and each teeny-tiny wedge of cheese, I wasn't quite sure which one I was supposed to eat on the cracker, with the rind, without the rind, beside the compote or whatever else we'd been instructed to do. I DO know that I was VERY hungry so I pretty much loaded as much of each compote along with as much teeny-tiny cheese slice as I felt was my due. I tried them all on as many crackers as I could get ahold of. I think the whole idea of savoring 'bouquets' and 'pleasant tangs' is beyond someone with my appetite.

There was one particular cheese... This was THE cheese that stood out for me... It was creamy in texture (I believe it was the one the we were advised to remove the rind.) I carefully put it on my plate. Delicately carried the companion wine with it back to my seat. When I sat down I also leaned into my plate slightly and caught a wiff of a smell that instantly took me back to a distant memory. Perhaps you're familiar with this particular odor? You know when you switch a newborn baby from breast-milk to formula and the result is a definite change in the smell of their diapers? OH MY GOSH! I kid you not! That's EXACTLY what this cheese smelled like. It's a difficult thing to put something that smells like that in your mouth... But I did it... And you know what? It tasted exactly like it smelled! But when 15 little pieces of cheese are what make up your dinner... You discover that you really can't taste the cheese if you put it on a cracker smothered with fruit compote... And that accompanied my iced tea quite nicely.

When Guys Go Out...

It became a weekly 'thing' sometime back in October...

Our friend 'The Captain' spends every Wednesday night driving across town to take his daughter to dance class... Rather than spending the entire night driving back and forth, he would spend his time running various errands or just shopping at 'Home Depot' until pick-up. Then he came up with the idea of inviting my husband to go out with him... And thus, 'Date Night' was born.

Every Wednesday night 'The Guys' meet, or one picks the other up for 'Date Night'... My very heterosexual husband winces at the term 'Date Night'... In fact on a Wednesday night not long ago, 'The Captain's' son rang his cell phone while they were seated at their favorite ice cream place... More on that at another time. While on his cell 'The Captain' repeatedly and very loudly exclaimed to his son that he was on his 'Date Night'. I can easily picture my husband wincing each time the words 'Date Night' were uttered.

My husband told me that later the same night they went to K-Mart because there was a sale on the GIANT size cans of coffee. 'The Captain' and his wife LOVE their coffee. 'The Captain' picked up several of the immense cans, but had neglected to grab a cart. As my husband tells it, "I watched him struggle all through the store, trying to balance those cans without dropping them and trying to manage their overall weight... When we got out to the car I looked at him and said, Those must have been pretty heavy huh? I bet you could've used some help, right? At which point 'The Captain' looked at me and said, "Yeah, I really could've." And then my husband tells me he said, "Well maybe NEXT time you won't be shouting, "I'm on 'Date Night' with Dick" to everyone at the diner, now will you?"

So I asked my husband last night if he had plans for 'Date Night' with the Captain this week. He replied with, "We're looking for a new name for 'Date Night'... Our current working title is 'Monster Truck Rally'." I laughed and countered with, "How about 'Hombre Hour'?" He kinda liked it!