C U L8R

We're off (...amidst broken vehicle complications...ugh...) to our fave beach-side haunt. We visited last year and can't wait to go back. See you later in the week!

Natty Neckties + Fashionably Fresh

The ever-stylish Reachel Bagley of Cardigan Empire sent an email this morning informing me that I won the Gentleman's Giveaway!

Check out this gorgeous silk tie which I won for S-Boy. Thank you thank you Reachel!I've been a follower of Reachel's blog Cardigan Empire from it's beginnings. I adore her fashion sense. I love that her advice doesn't only appeal to the tall, waif-ish, gamine set. She has lots of great finds + suggestions for ladies of all ages and stages of life. This upcoming week she will begin a set of posts dedicated to the well-styled gentleman in one's life.

And the only thing I love more than Reachel's sense of style, is her witty repartee and tongue-in-cheek hifalutin fashion lexicon. Her tag line "fashionably fresh" and this photo below (via Cardigan Empire) make me want to hire her services On The Spot! Email Reachel for your own personalized fashion advice and Look-Book.

Seeing Black and White

I've never really planned out a colour scheme for either of our homes. Every time I tried, it just looked too contrived. For me, it's best when I just let a colour scheme evolve and manifest itself. Our last home turned out to be butter yellow, cream and red. Our current home is turning out to be Black and White - with some Grey and Camel thrown in.

Now that my current colour scheme is becoming more apparent, here are a few B&W rooms I find inspiring:

• with a pop of yellow via Belle Maison

• sweet wallpaper via Bryn Alexandra
• via My Notting Hill - a super-gorgeous kitchen and living room
• living room of blogger Julia (yes - THE Julia from Hooked on Houses)
• Gwyneth Paltrow's staircase (another fave saved in my files via Hooked on Houses)
• B&W show home living room (also via Hooked on Houses)
• stripey walls via High Heeled Foot in the Door

• via Marley & Lockyer - I'm especially fond of the the B&W clocks

Awkward Family Photos

My friend Alisha introduced me to the blog Awkward Family Photos. I check it out... maybe... once a month.

And I only find it hilarious LATE AT NIGHT when I'm overtired. Check the website for more (or better yet - ask ALISHA what her "favourite" strange picture is from the site).

Signing off with some of my fave ridiculous images from AFP. :

Consider It Taken

Thank you Ms. Linda at Restyled Home for the "Take a Bow Tuesday" mention. Also, Ms. Linda, Thank You for all the beautiful and inspiring ideas you share each week.

Dining on a Dime

I snag a copy of the magazine Canadian House & Home every time I visit my homeland. Recently I discovered their magazine also hosts a design blog. Check out this very cool DIY project. LOVE this artwork for a kitchen or dining room.

• cover fork, knife, spoon, and dish with glossy white spray paint
• choose some patterned scrapbook paper or wallpaper for the shadow-box frame background (I believe these are Ribba frames from IKEA)
• adhere inside a shadow-box frame with epoxy or hot glue

What other objects could be spray painted and displayed in a shadow-box?

Special Occasion Dresses for Young Girls

I love religious milestones for young girls for many reasons - the most superficial and trite reason being the pretty white dresses they usually wear to mark the special occasion.

My favourite kinds of white dresses for young girls to wear are AGE APPROPRIATE DRESSES. Super-detailed dresses (beads, rhinestones, pearls, ribbons flowers, etc.) can be lovely--but they often remind me of bridal gowns. In contrast I prefer white dresses for young girls that aren't over-embellished, or too fussy.

Currently there are several ADORABLE white dresses available online. They would be perfect for a spring or summer special occasion. Some of them could work well in the autumn or winter - if paired with a cardigan or bolero jacket. The following selections remind me of the simple dress Miss I chose for her religious milestone a couple years ago. Here is the Alison dress and the Brooke dress from CrewCuts:I am crazy about the gathered bodice and cap-like sleeves on this simple dress from White Elegance:Recently I saw these two images on a couple of my fave blogs. I like the flower detail around the neckline in the first image (from {frolic}). In the second image (from Sussy), the ruffle detail on the skirt is very sweet yet classy. Here is the case in point. A couple months ago my family attended a friend's First Communion. Several of the girls wore very simple and age-appropriate dresses. And they looked like little angels. Nothing sweeter.

My Home and Native Land

Happy Canada Day!image via flickr

Mon Potager

Earlier in the spring we prepared three raised beds in the sunniest part of our back yard for a potager. Well...it's really a Square Foot Garden...but potager sounds so much more romantic and picturesque.

In preparation to plant said garden, I read several books about potagers. Here are some passages from one of my favourite books on the subject Designing the New Kitchen Garden: An American Potager Handbook by Jennifer R. Bartley. I've also included images from my one-month-old potager:

• What is a potager? Translated literally from French, potage means a soup of broth with vegetables... Georgeanne Brennan...describes a potager as a year-round kitchen garden whose purpose is to supply the kitchen with fresh vegetables and herbs on a daily basis. The French have always grasped this important connection between the garden and the kitchen. The nearby potager supplies food for the household, and what is grown in the garden is served at the table. (p. 17)
• It is different from the traditional American kitchen garden, which is typically planted in the spring and harvested in the fall, with all surplus being canned, dried or otherwise preserved for the winter months. ... The potager, [however,] is a landscape feature that does not have to be hidden in the corner of the backyard, but can be the central feature of an ornamental, all-season landscape... The potager is a source of herbs, vegetables, and flowers, but it is also a structured garden space, a design based on repetitive geometric patterns.
• The enclosed garden is a haven of beauty. A modern version of hortus conclusus, an enclosed garden of the soul, is very much needed as a model of design for our busy, cluttered lives. We need a garden where we can escape the stresses of urban life, a designed space to step into to forget about traffic, work and deadlines. We can create an oasis where every sense is brought back to its fullness. This is the modern potager - a garden of any size that fits into our urban or suburban worlds, where we can find healing restoration for our souls and unique specialty delights for our stomachs. Gardens revive us. The very act of tilling, planting, harvesting, and then preparing food strengthens and deeply satisfies us. It is even more rewarding when this garden is part of our homes, where we can enjoy its spiritual and physical bounty every day. (p. 20)
• We can create our potager as part of our home -- a connection between the indoor kitchen and the outdoor garden, where we daily enjoy the beauty and bounty of the visual, sensual and edible delights. This is the American potager, where the beauty and the bounty of the garden are reunited, enriching our daily lives. (p. 95)
• In England the kitchen garden was removed from the walls of the house and its courtyards. The 18th century landscape movement inspired by Lancelot "Capability" Brown promoted parklike settings for the estate, and all utilitarian plantings, such as the kitchen garden, were hidden from view. The English relegated the kitchen garden to a necessity, not a place to be enjoyed or even seen from the house. It was not the fashion of the day to see the "messy" working garden. William Woys Weaver, author and food historian, is convinced that the decline of English cookery can be traced to this influence and the separation of the cook from the daily connection to the jardin potager. (p. 29)
• ...[T]he origin of our word paradise ... comes from the Persian pairidaeza ... literally mean[ing] a wall enclosing a garden or an orchard. Later, visiting Greeks were so enamored of these lush gardens that they adopted the word paradeisos, which is translated as park, garden, or pleasure ground. In Greek translations of the Bible, paradeisos was used for the Garden of Eden. The idea of paradise as a heavenly abode became interchangeable with the Garden of Eden, and it was understood that the garden was enclosed. (p. 21)

Good Bye Michael

Two in one day. This morning was Farrah Fawcett. This afternoon...it's Michael Jackson.

She - icon of the 70's.

He - icon of the 80's.

Quel domage.

Good Bye Farrah

Oh, I was sad to read this news. We will miss you Farrah. Especially your sparkly lip gloss and lush, wavy, layered locks.
I was part of the cult following of Charlie's Angels. I remember [lovingly] mocking and re-living the caricatures with my college friends.

Framed: Part III

Oh my oh my oh my. I always love reading Amanda's blog Oliveaux. She always finds beautiful images and talented designers. Whereas I simply re-post - Amanda actually "discovers." Check out her most recent find. This image of empty picture frames from interior designer & stylist Claudia Bryant is absolutely stunning. To my eye, it seems to be a study in contrasts. I am drawn to the:

• gold coloured frames against the creamy white walls
  
• irregularly-spaced rectangle frames contrasting with the perfectly aligned rectangle panes of glass in the French door
• curves (scroll work of the cast-iron stair panel, seeded glass ball finial at the top of the stairway, rounded edges of the chair, small circular side table and small gold accent lamp) in the midst of straight lines (parallel exposed floor boards, rectangular frames and French doors, and even the corner-of-the-room location of the sitting area)
  
• chipped and worn paint on the stair rail contrasting with the fresh smooth paint on the newell post
  

And I especially adore the dog. I think it's a whippet.

I want to move in.

Right in the Middle of Her Forehead

Remember my hilarious Bad Hair Day last year? Tragic experience back then. Very funny in hindsight.

I've left my naturally curly locks in place for about 8 months. And I'm very ready for a fresh cut, some different styling products, and some shiny new tools.

Sussy's sis Natalie gives tips on how to style curly hair HERE.

Here's a dryer that's been recommended from Sally's.What else do I need? I'm not high maintenance. I don't want to spend 2 hours on my hair each morning. But I'm also soooo sick of the 80's rocker look I've been sporting.

A Very Simple Fathers Day Game

We love Father's Day at our home. We love to make a big fuss over S-Boy. He is such a fantastic dad. And he is so REAL - no pretentiousness. Just a take-it-as-it-is kind of guy. And it's so much fun because S-Boy does not like to call attention to himself. He gets sort of squirmy when he is the center of attention and the focus of everyone's adoration. On Father's Day - I like to make him squirm in that way... it's kind of cute to watch.

Here's a simple game we played a few years ago. It was especially appropriate for small kids in the family although you could get as elaborate or creative as you'd like.

The day before Father's Day I went around our home and took about 25-30 pictures. Some of the images included the following:

• some of the chores that S-Boy usually always takes care of, such as ironing (YES - my husband takes care of all our family ironing. BY CHOICE. Am I lucky or what?), car washing, and taking out the trash
• one picture of each family member (here is D-Boy at the time)

• some of his personal belongings (ex. this WAD of keys he carries EVERYWHERE)

• some of the fun things he does with the kids (like pushing them on our tree-swing in the back yard)
• some things he does for us - which make us VERY grateful (like swatting spiders - ick - the thought of spiders makes my skin feel creepy crawly)
• some of his grooming items - such as this pair of nail clippers (don't ask... I will not relate any nail clipper stories on this blog)

Get the idea? 25 sort of random S-Boy-related pictures.

Next, I uploaded the images to my fave One Hour Photo center. Then I picked them up in the afternoon.

On Father's Day we placed all the photos image-side-down on the dinner table. We each took a turn selecting a photo to turn over - show everyone - and discuss. We mentioned things such as:

• why the object in the picture was important to S-Boy
• why it made us think of him
  
• or why he loved it so much
• any stories or anecdotes we remembered about said object

It was a hoot! It made for wonderful dinner conversation that EVERYONE could participate in. It was fun to see what the little kids said about the pictures. It was fun to watch S-Boy's face - wondering what kind of picture would we pull up next. And the best part about the game (according to our kids) is that EVERYONE was a WINNER.

Let me know if you give this activity a try - or if you do any sort of variation on it. Happy Pre-Father's Day.

On Time

Look what Franklin Covey is turning out. Super Chouette. Our home marches to the ticking of a timer. I bet they'd love this one as much as I do.

Clean White Laundry

According to my Blog Stats and Google Search Engine one of my most popular posts is from a couple years ago about how to really truly clean kitchen dish cloths. My mom taught me this laundry ritual. I use it on all WHITE laundry I clean (except delicate whites). Seriously - I think my home (and my mom's home) has the best smelling cleaning rags, kitchen cloths, dish towels, bath towels, hand towels, face cloths, bath floor mats, table cloths, pillow covers and bed sheets.

Check out this very popular Oldie But Goodie from November 2007:

How to Clean Kitchen Dish Rags
image via Apartment Therapy

Free Vintage Clip Art

Here are a some sources I regularly check for free vintage images and clip art. I've seen folks in Blog Land use images from the following sources in fantastic crafty projects, cards, and even printed up and framed as wall art.

Vintage Printables (just heard about this one last week via Design Mom). I especially liked these spectacle and eyeglasses prints. It would be fun to "doctor these up" for some friends who are graduating from optometry school.The Vintage MothGraphics Fairy

Precious Sweet P.

I have a new nephew Baby P. Welcome Welcome!
Congratulations to K&C.
I can hardly wait to see you all and cuddle Sweet Pea and give him big Aunty kisses!

Can you imagine the fun we have when our entire CLAN gathers for a Family Reunion?

Chocolate Cake and The Scolding Cashier

After completing yesterday's Half Marathon, all I wanted to do was stretch out and DRINK WATER. I couldn't get enough - until 8:30 pm. Then I really really wanted {craved} Chocolate Cake. I figured - after running that far, I deserved to indulge.

So I printed up the Recipe for Nie's Chocolate Cake from Conversations with a Cupcake. (note - read the story that goes along with it. Very touching.) I could already taste it...just by reading the recipe.At 9:00 PM I went to Whole Foods to pick up some necessary ingredients to make said decadent cake:

• buttermilk
• whipping cream
• heavy cream
• Mascarpone cheese
• 60% bittersweet cacao chips
• 8 oz. unsweetened chocolate

All went well until I was at the checkout. All my items were scanned and in the grocery bag. I had paid for my goods. The chatty checkout lady and I talked about my craving for an excellent chocolate cake - and the new recipe I was about to try.

She stopped right there.

She gave me a surprised look.

She unpacked my bag of cake ingredients. And at the bottom of the bag found my the box of Bakers Unsweetened Chocolate Squares. She held them up and said, "This will never do!"She seriously (& jokingly?) told me that my decadent chocolate cake would not taste as good as it could without a better quality of chocolate.

What to do? I paused in awkward silence.

Then I promised her next time I would try Scharffen Berger - and I quickly left.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Any real-life experience baking with mediocre vs. excellent quality chocolate? Will my cake still turn out okay even though I'm using Baker's Chocolate Squares? I'm planning to make the cake this afternoon - and I'm willing to deliver samples to anyone who requests.

Hooray for Half

So absolutely thrilled at running my first Half Marathon this morning. So much energy in the stadium and at the starting line! So happy to have found my dear rdefnet. We started the race together. She always jokes about how slow she is - but I finished about 30 minutes after she finished. She runs - I shuffle. (image via Oregonian)I was beyond happy that my Mom could be there to cheer me on. She's has been present for almost EVERY major event in my life. And this was a big one for me too. After the race she mentioned how emotional it was for her watching people cross the finish line! The excitement is contagious.

Here are some images of the gorgeous scenery we passed during our Half Marathon in idyllic Helvetia, Oregon:

• lots of rolling hills (image via Lelo in Nopo)
• lavender fields and tree farms (image via Lelo in Nopo)
  
• rustic barns

• the historic Helvetia Church (image via Lynne's Mostly Cycling Blog)
• and the Roloff Farm - location of television series Little People Big World

Congratulations to rdefnet, Ben, Beau, Robyn, Stacey, Ben, and other friends who ran today. And Woot Woot to the Red and Proud Group of Portland Fit. Great Run!

NOTE: without fail, during each weekly run, my right foot starts to hurt at mile 9. So a few days ago I met with a orthopedic doctor. She diagnosed my foot injury and prescribed ORTHOTIC INSERTS to help correct it and re-align my foot. Fantastic news! Because my finish time at my next Half Marathon will be quicker and more efficient.

Other great news:
rdefnet also suggested a Road Trip. Wouldn't that be fun? Details =

• our running group Portland Fit is preparing us for the Portland Marathon
• marathon date = Sunday, 4 October, 2009
  
• I observe a Sabbath on Sundays
  
• so rdefnet suggested we travel somewhere continental US which holds a marathon on a Saturday.
  
• a very exciting option = The Hamptons Marathon in NY. (images via Flickr)
• anyone else want to join us? (disclaimer - we're just in the imagining and discussion phase of said trip)

Framed

I remember being young enough to appreciate my mom's excellent taste in home decor. In particular, one of our living room walls had a stellar photo arrangement of family members in an assortment of frames. It wasn't too matchy-matchy...just simply stunning. I remember guests, neighbors and even my school friends loved to peruse the wall and learn more about our fam.

Remember I've mentioned here and here how much I like a cluster of frames on the wall. I really want to re-create such a look in my home. Here are some other configurations I've seen lately:

• these two images are via Pink Wallpaper . {Oh I love this blog. Ms. Shannon has an impeccable eye.}

• from The Lettered Cottage guest room:
• a guest post at The Inspired Room featuring Emily of Chatting at the Sky. Emily purchased these simple white frames, and printed up B&Ws of her family. I like its simplicity.
• look at this arrangement over the stairwell, via Simply Seleta:
• and last, this simple and fresh grouping from Harmony and Home featuring an ad for Larson Jhuls custom frames:

My Swedish Great Grandfather

I really do have a Swedish Great Grandfather.

And lately I've been eyeing antique Swedish Mora {grandfather} Clocks. I'd love to own one and name it Albert in my Great Grandfather's honour. I have just the place for Albert to stand sentinel in our home - immediately on the East Wall in the piano room - for all to see who enter or exit our home.

Here are some lovely Mora clocks for inspiration:

From a post at Oliveaux featuring Swedish design:
Brooke Giannetti's Mora clock via her stylish blog Velvet and Linen.
A gorgeous restored antique via Real Gustavian (I'm very keen on the white-washed pine paint).
And finally, here's a Mora Clock with its history scribbled on the back (available at The Country Gallery Antiques of Vermont) And yes, my G.G. Albert was from Landskrona too! Although I don't care for the finish of the clock, the history below is a HOOT!

Clock works made by A. Rafquist in Landsdrona born 4/5 1784 died 3/1 1844.

This clock has belonged to Head Keeper Samuel Sonesson, Branstaholm born 9/11 1854 in Haastad died 18/6 1930

His widow Elin C Persson in Branstad born 5/9 1868 died in Eslov 22/7 1957

Their son the scribe for Harad, Lennart Sonesson in Horby in Branstad born 11/9 1905.

Clock maker Ratqvists daughter Anna Katerina was married to customs officer Petter Relnhardt in Landskrona who was killed the 5th of July 1832 by a murderer’s oak club. Witness to the murder was his sister in law Maria and Sofie Ratqvist.
Thorbjorn Lindell

Sunday the 1st of April 1984, the clock was bought on auction at Ornas Slott by Torbjorn Lindell.

The clock came home to Landskrona after 150 years.
Landskrona 8/4 1984

Not Your Kid's Lemonade

I have a family member who swears by the Master Cleanse Lemonade Drink She likes drinking this concoction for several days to rest her digestive system, eliminate toxins, and refresh her body. Online one can find several extraordinary claims of ways the Lemonade Cleanse can help one's body...and there are equally as many scientists and doctors debunking those claims. My family member, however, uses this cleanse periodically just because it feels good to her and it gives her body a rest.

A healthy lemonade that I prefer to drink is Green Lemonade. Again, there are several versions of this drink available online. Here is the basic recipe (and gorgeous photo) found at the Happy Foody blog. Put the following through a juicer (not a blender...):

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• handful of dark leafies (5-6 leaves) of spinach, kale, collards, celery, or dandelion greens, etc. (I use kale)
• 1 whole lemon – peel, seeds, and all (Meyer lemons are sweeter)
• 2 fuji apples, cored (use 3 if you want to make it sweeter)

My variations:

• I usually remove the peel and pith from the lemon so the lemonade is not as bitter
• I also add 2-3 lemons
• often I will add 2-3 spears of fresh pineapple, or celery or cucumber to the drink

I love this drink in the morning with D-Boy and Little-K. We each have a little shot glass, drink up a bit of the Green Lemonade - grimace at each other - and then ask for more.

I also love the energy benefits that come from drinking Wheat Grass Juice.And it's true, it becomes more palatable followed by a freshly squeezed lemonade/apple juice chaser.

Here are some fantastic Raw Foods websites I like - great recipes & inspirational healthy living:

• The Raw Chef

• Goddess of the Garden

• Rawkin'

• Raw Food Passion

Get Your Kicks...

Love this punchy bag from Wisteria.

Hints and Helps and Half Marathons - Oh My!

For the past ten weeks I've been running with a marathon training group called Portland Fit. Thanks SO MUCH to rdefnet for inviting me to join with her. It's been the best $115 I've ever spent {on the membership fee}. I never imagined that I would love running so much.
Training = run MINUTES during the week/ run MILES on the weekend.
And for each weekend run we've essentially added on one more mile than the previous week.

And on Saturday June 13, as part of our training we are running a Half Marathon. Woo Hoo! I hope it is the first of many that I will participate in.

Here is a link to the Portland Fit Half Marathon Secrets. The video quality isn't too great, but the advice which the coaches give is valuable. Watch all four segments for tips to help use a half-marathon as a training run.

Now, for some CUTE sports wear for RUNNING a half marathon, check out:

• my standard favourite Title Nine
• and The Gap's new offshoot for women's sportswear Athleta
• Lucy Sportswear
• and obviously, Portland Running Company for shoes