Fading

Summer is fading. This makes me a little bit sad but a little happy. Bring on the cool days! The smell of rain in the afternoon I think I'm ready for you. I have been taking out my scarves and sweaters bringing one with me when I go out... of course I never really need one, not yet. There is so much comfort in my nice little wrap, safe and secure enveloped.

Things to do Before Summer Leaves Me

Go to the Farmer's Market

Walk Downtown after Dark

Sip cider at the Hopyard one Friday evening

Treasures

Just a quick post to show some of the great things I found yesterday. I bought bags of treasures for Etsy but these are the ones I am keeping for myself.

Pretty Vintage Pot Holder.25 cents......

Small Pieces of wool fabric $1 each.....

Beautiful Vintage Leather Handbag $3

Brand new Heeled Mary Janes in Chocolate Brown $5

And Last but not least a beautiful Vintage version of Madeline- the cutest french story ever $1.

A whole collection of lovely things for just a bit over $10 dollars.

PS.... Kevin created a new Sloe Gin Betty Logo for our shop let me know what you think!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6528633

I believe in silence

Today I was really able to relax and just for today forget about the last few days. Thrifting was amazing, found so many great things. More than that, today I was able to capture moments and the day seemed to go in slow motion - the little sugar crystals on my blueberry scone, the woodsy smell of the leather bag I found, the stifling heat of this summer day, and the amazing sweet cool of the vanilla cone. All of this was wonderful- and new somehow. Life is in these little moments that I am normally forced to rush by. Today even more confirmed that I have some big decisions to make. Wish me brave...

Birthday Letters

I turned 30 yesterday. It feels a bit strange. There are things I thought I would have done or become by the time I arrived here. I feel a little sad about it and a little happy about it. I think I will like being 30. Im hoping as the days go by I will become more sure and confident and strong. I also hope I will stay hopeful, simple and excited about little things like when I was small.

 I love when life can be still enough that I can hear the breeze.   To look around our place and think - I love it.  

This is so important - to be surrounded by meaningful little trinkets and treasures.  This makes home truly our own space.   

 This makes the other areas of my life feel more cohesive somehow.  Summery night breezes flowing through the windows I am happy.  Happy Monday!

Long Weekending

I love long weekends and this one has been especially nice.   The Antique Fair has made a come back to Pleasanton.  We spent three hours perusing the lovely trinkets.  We came home with a few nice things but best of all I was really inspired by some of the stands.  

We all Live in a Blue Submarine

I wanted to bring this home but I have no more room for little pigs in our place.

This was a beautiful stand so sparkly and fresh.

Great ideas for my next redecorating bug.

I finally found the perfect fruit stand for my kitchen!  I haggled a good bargain too only $12!

These smelled amazing and are next on my crafting list.

My  absolute favorite! I have so many things this color but couldn't resist taking just one picture.

We had a very fun day and still have two more days of weekend left.  It is so nice to relax and just be me for a few days.  Wishing you all a nice Memorial Day!

Little Miss Mini Me

Hope you are having a nice weekend.  I ended up spending the entire weekend in the apartment which is quite shocking with such nice weather waiting just outside.  Saturday we did a much needed Spring Cleaning session so the place looks much more sparkly.   Note: we will need to have several more sessions though to get through my list so sad.... End Note.  After cleaning Cate and Ron had dinner with us and it was so nice to see them and eat together.  We had a grown up dinner Kevin made pork loin and roasted veggies.  He is such a good chef.

Today I spent hours and hours making a tiny little doll like the ones in the picture. I found the instructions on one of my favorite blogs (http://theblackapple.typepad.com/inside_a_black_apple/).  Aren't they cute? I don't know how I was able to pass so many hours working on this little thing and still wasn't able to finish the face.  I did sew everything by hand and made a few mistakes that set me back.  It was very fun and so nice to finally have time to work on something like this.  I will finish her up tomorrow and I will post a pic then... she's just a little to shy right now...

It is dark out now and my hopes of having a sunday picnic have failed as did the downtown walk at sunset.  I will have to fight the cabin fever for another day and maybe go out tomorrow night.

See you soon.

A Little Party

Yesterday, we had a Southern BBQ to celebrate Kevin's graduation.  The weather was absolutely perfect and we had a great time.  

I wanted to add a few vintage touches to the party... I decorated the tables with red and white checkered table cloths and vintage vases filled with tulips.  

I set a vintage bowl of pretty red apples with the other food choices and a mint green vintage vase with lavender colored flowers on the dessert table.  

I was so happy with how it all turned out and was pretty surprised that just a few simple touches really set the theme for the party.   Kevin had a wonderful time and we both felt honored that so many friends were able to join us.  

It was a perfect day and such and a really nice treat for both of us after spending a month stuck inside fight horrible colds.   Thanks to all of you who were able to come - you  made this such a nice party!!

Sick Nights and Frightmares

Its Wednesday and Im still not well.  This is a very stubborn illness.  I have determined that tomorrow life must go on and I will wake up and try to live a normal Thursday.  One of the worst parts of being sick is the strange dreams I have been having.  I will spend all night dreaming about a receipt and recalculating and recalculating the total and the items and breaking it down into columns this way and that way.  Yes... crazy.... I know! .....and this type of dreaming has been going on night after night.  The nights have been so long.   Im waking up several times a night a bit delirious and see ghosts lurking in the corner (... oh wait thats just Kev's shirt).   So, yes I am ready to be healthy again and to leave the delirious fevers behind.   Hope you all are healthy and enjoying the beautiful day! 

Far Too Long and Sick

It has been a long time.  I got a new position at work and I have been running to keep up with my life.   Sadly on Friday life beat me and I have been so sick with a horrible feverish illness.  Since I have exhausted all the ceiling staring ability that I have in me,  I decided to come back and post a few words.  So far the word for this year is Exhausting.  It is going by very fast and so much has happened. 

 Kevin and I were talking last night about the good things ahead of us and for some reason even when good things come- when they come all at once they get lumped in with the bad and sometimes you miss the moment to cherish them.  It was good to sit with him and reflect on the good, bad and unknown ahead.   I felt a lot better and more grounded.  Being stuck in bed for going on four days now, it is easy to dwell on the sad things but today I will try to think on these instead.  Wish me better... I have missed you!

       Happy Things...

• Kevin graduated
  
• Kevin's promotion
  
• Its Spring
  
• My Etsy Shop is growing
  
• Tomato Soup
  
• Love
  

Nourished Life

Tonight I went grocery shopping.  I just love the grocery store even when I am worn out from a long hard day of work.  I love to see what other people are taking home and try to guess what meals they are going to make.  I love peeking in the fridge after I have organized all my colorful vegetables,  fruit,  juices and yogurts oh so pretty and exciting.  Im trying to eat more nourishing foods- things that are living that will actually go bad, whole grains and less cupcakes (so hard).  It is amazing to me how delicious a ripe piece of fruit or a perfectly cooked vegetable can be.  Why oh why do I still reach for fake processed foods?  So, this week I will try harder eat things that will nourish me wish me luck!

Home Again Home Again

I am so happy to say that we are home.  We have been going on so many trips lately and though they have all been important and enjoyable,  I am glad we are staying put for a while.  I am dying to create and now I can start on something and work on it over the next few weekends.  I bought some great nautical themed fabric a few weeks ago and want to make a light quilt for spring.   I love nautical/ seafaring things - boats, navy blue,  gold, stripes, the ocean,  flags, rope and knots I love it all.  

 If I could decorate my entire place with nautical everything and dress like a sailor every day I would be happy but I don't thing Kevin would go for it.  So, I will have to settle with being wrapped up in my nautical quilt and dream up far off places I would go all from the comfort of the couch.   Home is a nice place to be and even though I see dust bunnies lurking in the corner I am happy to be here.