Thursday, February 25, 2010

I'm feeling lucky!

Hey! Look at my counter!

When I started my blog, I never dreamed I'd have any visitors so I only asked that my counter go to 9999. I just noticed that I'm nearing 9999. I know that's small potatoes but it thrills me to no end. Who'd a thunk that would ever come to pass?! Not me! I thought I'd be lucky if one person ever found me.

Thank you to the daring and dear five, who became followers of this goofy blog!

I suspect that I have a few followers on RSS (that's how my hubby views this blog - hi sweetie! I'm talking about you again!). Thank you everyone!

Thank you to the dear souls who post comments here! I'm so appreciative and you touch my heart. I love that you take the time to say hello, you are a bunch of sweeties.

And gosh, I get so tickled seeing all the people from other countries on my site meter that visit! Thank you for your visits!

Since this is all about feeling lucky & blessed and we're nearing St. Patrick's Day (GROAN! I know that was one heck of a stretch huh?!) here are some of the St. Patrick's Day cards I've made in recent years.


(front of card and back of card)


(front of card and inside of card)


(front of card and inside of card)



Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The golden ring

Last night we finally got around to opening our fortune cookies from Saturday's takeout food and here's mine:




Health and happiness, that is the real stuff of this life - the golden ring. To have your health, to love and be loved, to be joyful and content.



And could you please send me some chocolate if you win the mega lotto with my numbers. :)

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

That's entertainment!




Over the weekend we saw the Oscar nominated animated and live action shorts and also the new Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor movie. WHEW! That was a lot of movie going!

On Saturday we saw the animated shorts and the live action shorts. Because of the way the theater was showing the films, we went to the animated shorts first, then ran and picked up some Chinese food (and Mrs. Fields cookies!), ran home like demons, ate, and drove back to the theater and saw the live action shorts.

We really enjoyed the animated shorts, which included the latest Wallace & Gromit, "A Matter of Loaf and Death". It was released last year on DVD, so we had already seen it but it was so fun to see it again on the big screen. All of the nominees were great fun - and one was especially clever called "Logorama", that had advertising logos everywhere, I mean everywhere. Even the characters were the characters from commercials - Pillsbury Doughboy, Ronald McDonald, the Michelin Man, etc. So clever. (And so very sad to see how much advertising we've allowed ourselves to be bombarded with daily.)

And then ... oh my gosh! Three of the live action shorts were really very heavy this time - child slavery, Chernobyl victims, a shooter at an elementary school. Good gravy! YIKES! And then of the remaining two, one was black humor and one was a light, humorous one.

Then on Sunday we saw "The Ghost Writer". The new Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor mystery suspense movie. SO GOOD!!! Two thumbs way up.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Monday blog love

A casa do Guaxinim
A Foothill Home Companion
A Vintage Chic
Balance in Me
butterflyfood
Inspired By Life
Penty de Val
Pretty Petals
Soed idee
The Making of an American Sampler
XuXudidi


For Lindsey, of Two Crazy Crafters,

Hi Lindsey! Here's the card that I made using a vintage pattern envelope of my mom's for my friend Pam (waving hi to Pam!). I had so much fun making it!

And here's the link for the original inspiration, at Paper, Scissors and Superheroes.


Sunday, February 21, 2010

For Renee


Her beautiful voice has grown faint now. She has begun her walk away from us, and toward home.

I never met Renee. I only discovered her wonderful blog, Circling My Head (found via Pam at yoborobo) a few short months ago.

But she was a kindred spirit, an old soul. Her honest words of love, courage, grace, touched me so very deeply, to the core of my being. They spoke of "knowing" and felt like a familiar embrace.

You are so beloved, dear Renee. Wishing you comfort and peace.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Watching through my fingers

You can safely read this - there are no Olympics spoilers, nothing is revealed!

My husband had already seen the paper when I got up this morning and I told him not to tell me who won the men's figure skating. I wanted to see the competition and I wanted it to be a surprise. And I avoided the morning news that I always watch - it was so hard to not follow my usual routine. D'oh.

So instead of running my errands (gee ... I wonder what we're going to eat for dinner tonight?!!), I just plopped myself in front of the TV this morning and watched my DVR of the men's figure skating from last night. My heart was in my throat, it made me so nervous!!! I kept looking at my lap, I could barely lift my head up and watch and when I did, I looked through my fingers. Shiver shiver shake.

In case you haven't watched your DVR or Tivo yet, I'll let you discover who won yourself. :)

My favorite, ice dancing, starts tonight, cannot wait! I can still remember Torvill and Dean, from 1984, skating to Bolero. Funny how some things leave such lasting impressions on you.



I guess I had better be off to the market. PHOOEY! I had a wonderful creamy polenta with gorgonzola and roasted cherry tomatoes at a restaurant recently and I think I'll see if I can find a recipe and give it a shot.

We're hoping to get in to see the Oscar nominated animated short films this weekend and if we're lucky the live action shorts too.

What are you up to this weekend? Wishing you lots of fun or relaxation, whatever it is you're in need of!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Blogging is more fun than

... doing your taxes! How do you like those pearls of wisdom?!

ACK! I hate working on my taxes. This calls for many chocolate chip cookies for fortification and lifting of the spirit, don't you think?! Or perhaps it calls for some of the famous Momofuku Crack Pie?!


Crack Pie recipe adaptation at Los Angeles Times.


And an adaptation of the L.A. Times adaptation, may be found at The Cookbook Chronicles.

Edited to add: Recipe for Momofuku Milk Bar's "Compost Cookies", much lauded by Anderson Cooper.


And best of all, hubby is bringing home Indian food for dinner. No cooking! Tra la la la! All is right with the world!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Wednesday meanderings

WAH! Round 1 of Sally vs Her Infernal Insurance Carrier has begun. Time to dig in and batten down the hatches. We're in for a long, bumpy, frustrating, stressful ride. WAH! whine whimper WAH!

Either I will come out victorious, or I will have to pay a HUGE (emphasis on the HUGE) hospital bill, that I shouldn't have to pay.

Medical insurance coverage should not be a game. One should not have to knock down roadblocks placed in their way to delay and defer and deflect claims. One should not have to wrestle and fight to receive their rightful and due coverage.

grumble grumble snarfle snarfle piffle paffle ... onward and away from the malarkey of meanies to ...


... the delight of Big Love! Boy oh boy! They weren't kidding with their motto for season four, "Hold Tight", huh?! geez Louise. Everything but the kitchen sink is in this season. I still love it but I'm feeling rather like too much is going on, how about you? Too many directions, too many sub plots. Stretched too thin. Maybe it's just me. Goodness knows, I'm cranky these days. I mean I love Sissy Spacek but I don't love her in Big Love. I don't like her as a shark. Woe is me.


Hey! have you noticed ... they seem to have revved the calender up to high speed! I know I can't fight the tide but I'm just not ready for Easter. How can April (yes, April!) be just around the corner??? I think perhaps my holiday brain chemistry is out of whack since I missed Christmas and New Years?! I am positively discombobulated and disoriented. I may resort to celebrating Easter in June and the 4th of July, on Labor Day.

Great Easter crafts from previous years (I haven't gotten to prowling around for 2010 ideas yet):

Crafty Crow Easter Archives
One Pretty Thing Easter Archives
whipup.net Easter Archives


Adorable chickummyjig pattern and tutorial at whipup.net

Make darling rabbits from The Purl Bee for your little bunny this Easter!


Make charming stitched Easter egg cards from Make and Takes.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Well if that's the case!

I just read that web searching is good for your brain, keeps your brain youthful. Well if that's the case, my brain is a drooling babe teehee! So scratch that new year's resolution about being on the computer, googling is good for you!

Hoping you all had a lovely Valentine's Day like we did!


Meet me at Third and Fairfax!


We went out to breakfast at our favorite place, Loteria Grill, at the world famous Farmers Market.


(disclaimer - this is not a babe of mine - but I did google for photos and my brain is so youthful and refreshed now bwahahahahhaha!)

Then we walked over to Bob's Donuts and got some donuts for a snackie later in the day.


After getting well provisioned at Bob's, we strolled over to The Grove next door, to Barnes and Noble, for some magazine and book perusing.


Then heading back to our car, we strolled through Farmers Market again, picked up some tantalizing artichokes at a vendor stall and then got some Valentine goodies for our poochie at Three Dog Bakery. ARF ARF!

Then we drove a few short blocks over to LACMA and we were so excited to find out that we could get into the special Renoir exhibit currently on display, Renoir in the 20th Century.




After the exhibit, we skedaddled home for a little lunch and lazed around, until it was time for our whoop-di-doo four course Valentines Day dinner at Real Food Daily, in Santa Monica.




num num num num num num YUMMERS!!!

A very lovely day! Love you sweetheart!

Oh and here's the card I made for hubby for Vday ...


And remember this post about being my dad's tomato?! Look at the back of the Valentine card he sent me this year! Tomato-ness continues! Gave me such a smile when I saw that.

Friday, February 12, 2010

In which I take over the world ...

My secret dream to take over the world has apparently come to fruition, as evidenced by this photo in the L.A. Times this morning! [insert mad evil scientist laugh here!]

(photo by Luis Sinco, Los Angeles Times)


bwahahhahahhaha! How fun is that?! Other fun names the Hollywood sign has been turned into can be found here. It would seem that some well meaning folks want the sign to read "Save the Peak" and not Sallywood! Bah humbug! Back to the laboratory for me.

teehee.



Well goodness me and blow me down! You guys are gems, you really are!

Darling Jenny, of Pleasant Places, has honored me and my little blog, with an award. (for which she kindly noted that I didn't have to do anything - WHEW! Now that's what this shy soul likes to hear!) Thank you thank you thank you Jenny for noticing me (I feel like Eeyore) and always being so kind and dear!

Please visit Jenny's beautiful blog when you have a chance and say hello!




I just finished making my husband's valentine card and now I need to scoot off and wrap his present before he gets home and I don't have another chance.

Wishing you all lovely and romantic Valentine's Days with your sweeties!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Valentine assembly line is chugging on



I've been having a lot of fun today making my Valentine's Day cards! I'm really enjoying sewing on paper - I was terrified of it, still don't really have a clue what I'm doing, but I love it. And I finally broke out the Martha Stewart glitter and threw a wee bit on my cards this year. So much fun! (The one drawback being that there now seems to be glitter EVERYWHERE on my desk.)

I was also making a counted thread ornament but it's only a third done now - so it won't be finished in time for this year. WAH!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

I found the photos

OUCHERS! I woke up with the most miserable headache yesterday (yesterday was Wednesday - I think blogger will still enter this as Wednesday since I began to write it on Wednesday). I needed to get Valentine's Day cards made but never felt like it. WAH! So today is crunch time ... will inspiration strike ... or will she run over to the card store?!!

Anyway, here are some photos that go with this post of mine.

Here we see the Biscuit Borrower Bully with her charming canine companion.



And here we have my moment in the sun - a photo shoot of a safety campaign, with me, my brother, my brothers best friend and actor John Bromfield, of the television series, Sheriff of Cochise. I think the Sheriff found out about my mean biscuit ways and was threatening me with the hoosegow if I didn't relent, as I don't look very happy.



And here I am, round about the time when that seemingly benign looking brother of mine, took me to see Psycho at the tender age of six. (I think I'm older than that in this picture? I think I'm maybe eight in this picture??? My mom never labeled anything dagnabbit.) I think I've just been retraumatized by that mile wide gap in my teeth bwhahahhaha!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

You are my tomato

My father was constantly taking business trips throughout my growing up years. He would always send me postcards (or letters on the hotel letterhead, like this one) while he was away. I found this one last week while hunting for something. (God bless mommies who squirrel away and save these wonderful memories for their kids!) There would always be little gifts upon his return home ... gifts bought at the hotel gift shop or the airport store . Sadly, I have no idea what became of the ring that accompanied this charming note from my dad, or even what it was. But I love that I was his tomato! :)

So in this week leading up to Valentine's Day, remember your tomato and let them know how dear they are to you!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Monday blog love

If you've been reading blogs for a few years or if you are a habitual link clicker like me, you have no doubt found yourself in the charming land of Posy. I read over the weekend that the dear author of Posy, Jane, is laid low and has been feeling very poorly for awhile. If you haven't already, I think it would be lovely to shower her with some blog love.

Posy


There is a lovely gathering of hearts going on in blog land.

Charlotte Lyons Pieces of Heart
Rebecca Sower Heart Sessions
Rebecca has a list of other bloggers joining in.



badskirt
bird in the hand primitives
Bloom
hazelruthe's
Kviltstina
Laughing with angels
pompom rouge
Robin's Egg Bleu
Rosebud's Cottage
Simplify
Sugar Stitches
The Late Bloomer
turning turning
Vintage Collage and Quilts

Friday, February 5, 2010

this makes me all smiley



I hadn't heard this Ziggy Marley song before I saw it on Rosie O'Donnell's special, "A Family is a Family is a Family" last week. He wrote it for his daughter. Love it, melts my heart! Hope it makes you all smiley too. Happy Friday!


I Love You Too

I love you too, I love you too
I tell you I love you
I love you too, I love you too
I love you

When you smile I'll smile along
When you cry my comfort comes
When you walk I'll be beside you
Holding your hands
When the sun come out we play
I'll never be far away
When you tell me that you love me
This is what I'm gonna say

( Chorus )

Like the fish loves the sea
Like the honey and the bee
Like a lizard loves to climb
Up into a tree
Like a bird loves to fly
Way up in the sky
Like a worm loves to go
Way down low

( Chorus )

Like the grass loves to be green
And the earth loves to be clean
Like the sun loves to shine
And the monkey loves to climb
Hey it happens naturally
And that's the way it's got to be
And the worm still loves to go
Way down low

( Chorus )

From the first time that I saw you
I knew that it was true
There'll be a lifelong time to spend
Around the corner around the bends
Up the hills and through the valleys
No matter how things change
This one thing will remain
I'll sing it again and again

I love you too, I love you too
I love you too, I love you too
I love you

When the sun come out we play
I'll never be far away
And when you tell me
That you love me
This is what I'm gonna say

I love you too, I love you too
I tell you I love you
I love you too, I love you too
I love you too, I love you too
I tell you I love you
I love you too, I love you too
I love you too, I love you too
I tell you I love you
I love you too, I love you too
I love you too, I love you too
I tell you I love you

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Stand up for Art

(Image by Allen J. Schaben, Los Angeles Times)


I love this wonderful image of a Los Angeles art teacher, speaking to the L.A. Council, asking not to cut Arts funding.

Bless those among us who go the distance. Who stand up and be counted. Who fight the good fight.

I am the wife of an elementary school teacher and I wonder daily, who are the powers that be, that have decided that Art and Music are expendable in our schools? Who are these misguided people? How do they not understand that Art and Music are an integral part of learning? That not only do they enhance learning, they may be the breakthrough that many children need. (Instead of the idiotic and strenuously stupid, scripted teaching and teaching to the Standardized test mentality, that rules the day at the moment.)

ARGH! I could rant forever on this one.

Stepping down from my soap box and celebrating this glorious teacher (and her miles of style! wow!) today.


Los Angeles spares city arts funding

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

A soupcon of Sally


My friend, darling Lori, of Run Lori Run, has given me an award. The Honest Scrap Award. Shiver me timbers! Truth be told I'm painfully shy and this sort of thing is a bit (understatement alert!) overwhelming for me. tremble tremble. YIPES! I want to hop a bus and leave town. (This is not the first time I have wanted to run away and hide - Pam, of yoborobo, sweetly gave me awards, which I wriggled out of playing along with - that's how shakey quakey in my boots the attention makes me feel!!!) Per Lori's post, this award goes to bloggers "who put their heart on display as they write from the depths of their soul."

Gulp. Wow. Me? I hope that's true. I would love that to be true. I am more comfortable blending in with the wallpaper, than being noticed. But I do tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and generally what you see, is what you get.

Thank you Lori! You're so very sweet to think of me and give me this award! I will endeavor to carry on and not shirk my responsibilities. ;) I don't think I have ten things to say about myself and I'm sure I don't have ten interesting things to say about myself!!!

1. I quite often say that I love dogs more than people ... well, as a toddler I apparently enjoyed purloining my cocker spaniel's milk bones and would place them up high on the wooden fence, out of her reach. I was a baby bully. There's film to prove it.

2. Also when I was a toddler, I took a header and fell on my face and landed on a tinker toy. More than a half century later, I still have the scar on my eyelid. I often wonder if that was the dog's revenge?

3. My mother loved live theater and began taking me when I was eight years old. I wish I could remember all the wonderful people I saw on the stage but some of them were: Ingrid Bergman, Katherine Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Maggie Smith, Jason Robards, George C. Scott, Ian McKellan.

4. I was a hippie flower child and I went to a hippie private school for my High School years. I embroidered my jeans and chambray shirts, made beaded necklaces and wore peace signs. And lots of turquoise - I wore eight turquoise and coral rings as a teenager. I have such fondness for those days!

5. From the category of what was she thinking - My mother let my brother take me to a screening of Psycho when it first came out - I was six years old, my brother was 13. I replayed the shower scene in my head for years. (Film ratings did not come into being for another eight years.)

6. I am besotted with chocolate. It has been a lifelong love affair.

7. My fifteen minutes of fame - I was in a public service safety campaign when I was little. My brothers best friends family had connections teehee and we were photographed with the star of a television show, "The Sheriff of Cochise" that was popular at the time. (I have photos, I will try and unearth them!)

8. October of this year it will be thirty years that I've lived in this house, pretty amazing! And most exciting of all, it's paid for! WAHOO! Should have had a mortgage burning party, huh?!

9. Born at the right time - I started going to clubs and concerts when I was 13 - I got to sit in the front row of a small theater-in-the-round and see Jim Morrison sing "Light My Fire" and wrap himself around the microphone, I sat mere feet away from Joni Mitchell when she performed at the tiny Troubadour, I saw Cream's farewell concert, I saw Stevie Wonder as an opening act for the Rolling Stones, when he was still "Little Stevie Wonder". Fun Fun Fun!

10. I'm always anxious, don't know the meaning of relaxation or peace of mind. And now I'm fretting that I've bored the stuffing out of you!

Whew! So that's it. Made it to the end. I need a rest cure now teehee. (I don't think I'm going to name three people, I worry about leaving people out and hurt feelings etc.)

Wishing you a whopping Wednesday, full of fun and wonder!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Oscar! Oscar!

Yippie yippie! The Academy Award nominees were announced this morning!

We love the movies over here. And we love Oscar nomination time. We have so much fun running around like crazy people, trying to see all the movies we can fit in, that have been nominated. Last year we had so much fun in our frenzied dash to cram in all the movies - we kept running into one of my husbands co-workers at the same movies - she and her boyfriend were on the same movie mission. Fellow addicts. :)

We especially love to see the animated shorts, the live action shorts and the documentaries that are nominated. You almost never get a chance to see the wonderful animated & live action shorts and the documentaries are seldom shown, unless HBO and PBS air them.

Oh gosh! I'm so thrilled that Food Inc. received a nomination for documentary film! Doin' the happy dance over here!

We've seen seven of the ten best picture nominees - all but "The Blind Side", "Precious" and "A Single Man". I've been wanting to see "A Single Man" since it came out and hopefully we'll see it this weekend and the other two sometime before the award ceremony. The race is on! :)

Speaking of which, hubs gets a three day weekend so we're hoping to go to The Dickens Festival this weekend if it doesn't rain. Rain rain go away, come again some other day! Puhleeeze! Well shoot, I just noticed they have a Fezziwig's Ball and it's all sold out. WAH!

Dickens Fest
Speaking of films - I can barely wait for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland to come out on March 5th!!! They showed a trailer for it (when we saw Avatar) and it looks so wonderful. What a wonderful cast and I'm so intrigued to see the young girl from "In Treatment" as Alice.

And how's this for a segue - I received a birthday surprise yesterday, the most charming Alice of them all! Adorable darling dear Pam, of yoborobo, sent me her lovely print "Alice Waiting" (to celebrate and mark my further advance into my dotage bwahahahhaha!). I love her Pam. So much! Thank you thank you thank you, you big sweetie pie. Thank you for being such a kind and generous soul and being my pal!

Monday, February 1, 2010

Monday blog love

I read last week on Charlotte Lyon's blog, House Wren Studio, that Rebecca Sower had put out a request for embroidery threads for a woman she became friendly with in Haiti, Jeannine. Over the weekend I gathered up some DMC floss and pearl cotton and sent it on it's way to Rebecca this morning. I think this is such a lovely idea and an additional way that we as creative people in the blogging community, can give to those in need in Haiti, who also put their hands and hearts to work, being creative. These women have a dream to earn a living by being creative, a dream also that many of us share.

House Wren Studio re Rebecca Sower & call for supplies
Haiti By Hand (link to Rebecca's post about Jeannine)
Rebecca Sower


Charmed Life
chez Elisa
constantly vintage
Cynthia's Cottage Design
dessert first
Dessert Girl
ginger and george
Happiness is cross stitching
Happy Threads
Heartfelt Handmade
House of art
jessica jane
Lila Tueller Designs
l'Opale d'Arthenice
Papier Girl
Providence Handmade
Tapestry of Dreams
That crafty fish
waking up in Bavaria
Zinc et grisaille