Voodoo to You

This amazing flower is called the Dracunculus Vulgaris (aka: Voodoo Lily).  It stinks something awful and proves that looks can be deceiving.  I've noticed that they are springing up all over my yard and I didn't plant them.  After reading, it appears that after they die off the ants and beetles carry their seeds away and, therefore, help them spread throughout the garden.  Any flower this pretty and showy can stay in my garden, especially if it takes care of itself.  I've never watered or pulled the bulbs out in the Fall to dry them.  Puh-lease.  That would be way too much work.  This gardener-in-training has a new appreciation for self-seeding flowers, especially the ones with cool names like Voodoo Lily.

Bodega Bay Cabaret: Beach ODDessy 2010

Well, the Bodega Bay Cabaret debuted this weekend for two sold-out shows at the Bodega Bay Grange.  It was a rip-roaring success and it felt wonderful to make so many people laugh and have fun.  What an absolute high after the show!


The husband took quite a few photos at dress rehearsal Friday night and filled in the rest at the first show Saturday night.  This was the brainchild of Michael & Diana Bundy and what enthusiastic and tireless leaders they were.  


Here is a link to see the show in a number of ways:

http://www.bodegabayproperties.com/bodegabaycabaret.html
http://www.bodegabaylife.com/2010/02/cabaret-in-bodega-bay.html

My act was to lip-sync Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" as Elin Woods.  There was a stand-in Tiger who took a few golf club jabs and lots of sarcastic looks.  Craig Collins, a local artisan furniture designer extraordinaire , was my good-natured Tiger stand-in and I actually hit him on the head for real with the golf club during the first performance.  Yikes!
I've never done anything like this, but with part of the proceeds of the event going towards the Bodega Bay Fireworks Fund (which I work to help raise funds for) - it was well worth the practices, wig shopping, hot pink blush & stage-fright.

This was another beautiful example of why I love living in a small town.  To know your audience, poke fun at each other, see and experience locals pitching in to make this small production happen on a miniscule budget.  Well, it filled me up in a way that I had yet to experience while living out here.  The entire community joined under one roof to just have a plain 'ole good time.   Life should be a cabaret!  I get it now.

Friday Rehearsal

Tonight is dress rehearsal for the Bodega Bay Cabaret.  I'll be channeling Tammy Wynette via Elin Woods lip syncing the words to Stand by Your Man.  Wish me luck!

Mid-century Rehab

As any good thrifter knows, it's very important to constantly (okay, maybe incessantly is the right word) scour your favorite little thrifting haunts.  I've been looking for a sideboard for about six months and nothing has jumped out at me in my price range (a whopping $100 is my sideboard price ceiling).

Today my luck started to change.  I paid a visit to my local thrift store and found this dresser, with a missing drawer, no price tag and squished up against another dresser hiding it's coolness.  Kind of being coy with me, don't you think?  I was ready for the courtship.

I liked it, but knew it needed a lot of work.  With visions of said dresser swimming around in my head most of the night, I mentioned it to the husband.  We would be going to town the next day for dental appointments and I figured we could stop by and see if he thought it was worth putting into a rehabilitation program (since he would be doing most, um, ALL of the work).  He didn't fall in love with it, but when the guy told us it was $3 - we both said "we'll take it".

Upon looking inside the drawers, I noticed the marking Harmony House.  I did a little research with searches on Craigslist and eBay to learn that these dressers were made in the 1940's by Sears & Roebuck Co. and, if in good condition, went for close to $500 online today.  I think the thrifting Gods were shining down upon me this week.  Lesson learned: Perseverance and a handy husband are a lovely combination.

After photos to follow in the coming weeks.

This is a Test

If you read this blog, can you please leave a comment on this post?  I'd love to know you're out there.

TV-free

Well, it's been over a week since I cancelled our cable t.v. and there is a definite shift in the ebb and flow of our home life.  The factors leading up to the decision to cancel have been a long time coming, but actually calling DISH network and doing the deed was a lot harder than I thought it would be.

I initially vowed to stop watching television for the month of January.  That lasted about 10 days.  I spoke with the husband and he was totally on board for canceling, but requested that I wait until after the Super Bowl.  Easy enough.  That just bought me just enough time to cram in all of the trash t.v. that I would be missing, as well as a few more episodes of Sesame Street for Grady.

But when it was time to call and cancel, it felt a little bit strange.  Why was I doing this?  Surely I could use the $60 bucks a month for something more worthwhile.  Yes, indeed.  I also would rid our household of commercials and the hocking of stuff aimed at my kid.  Super.  However, I think the biggest reason was to have more time with my family without us turning on and tuning each other out.  

The house has had a relative quiet and calm this past week.  I've been in bed most nights by 8:30 pm reading the stack of books that have been collecting on my nightstand.  Actually, we've all been reading more.  The mobile library trip last week was important because I needed to get books that would satisfy me and my boy, as well as documentaries that would get us through the weekends (as movies would be the only exception to the no t.v. rule).  Steve is studying for his broker's exam and been sequestered in the living room every night until he falls asleep in his chair.

I'm an all-or-nothing kind of gal and the truth is that canceling cable was what I needed to do to free myself from this type of media onslaught.  I feel free.  I feel recharged.  I feel a new world opening up around me because I'm paying a little more attention it.  

I have lots of friends who don't own televisions or watch t.v., so I know this isn't a big deal.  I just grew up with a television on all throughout my childhood.  The Brady Bunch felt like extended family, The Love Boat & Fantasy Island were my Friday night rewards, Star Search marked the end of the weekend as it started at 7 pm on Sunday nights.  

Life is full of beauty and opportunities to learn.  I look forward to the coming year exploring the natural world around me, as well as cultivating my interests in cooking and gardening.  Perhaps getting a few more chickens is in my future?  Hmmm.  The possibilities are endless.

Post Office Beauty

The Post Office in Sebastopol is not usually a mecca for beauty, but today it was.  This gigantic Magnolia tree was covered in green moss and the pink blooms were gently floating to the ground as I was taking photos.  One picture (this picture) does not do it justice.

Here's what I found on Wikipedia, as the Magnolia Society's site was a little, um, a little dry to say the least:

The natural range of Magnolia species is a disjunct distribution, with a main center in east and southeast Asia and a secondary center in eastern North America, Central America, the West Indies, and some species in South America.

The genus is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol.

Magnolia is an ancient genus. Having evolved before bees appeared, the flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles. As a result, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are tough, to avoid damage by eating and crawling beetles. Fossilised specimens of M. acuminata have been found dating to 20 million years ago, and of plants identifiably belonging to the Magnoliaceae dating to 95 million years ago^{[citation needed].}


The Magnolia Tree.  Another testament to my love of February.

Playmobile

G will play for hours and hours in the living room, front deck or in his room with his Playmobile animals.  He calls them his "Toy Remorial" and I have no idea why, but I label the basket where they live accordingly.  Who am I to question a child's logic?  I love hearing the scenarios he's setting up when his friend is here.  The animals talk, have missions, eat and find very interesting places around the house to use for shelter.  

Seeing him with his "Toy Remorial" makes me smile.  Such innocence and wonder at this age (which is fast approaching 7).  Oh my.  How the heck did that happen?

February & Flip-Flops

What a difference a week makes.  Last week I was sporting flip flops and a tank top in 68 degree weather.  I was merely trying to enjoy the false Spring.  I knew it wouldn't last (it never does), but was crossing my fingers that it would last through the end of the month.  I'm glad I seized the opportunities to wander the beaches and visit local friends and businesses, as well as stopping to photograph all that was blooming around us.

This morning the rains have returned.  Instead of fighting it (because I really couldn't, right?), I brewed a pot of coffee and ate cherry pie for breakfast with my neighbor.  Stayed in my p.j.'s all day, read (moving from the couch, to the bed and back to the couch), did loads of laundry and settled in for a bowl of warm tomato soup and orange blossom tea for lunch.  Life is good.

Tomales Barn Dance: II

I've gushed about this before, but I'm going to do it again.  The Tomales Town Hall Barn Dance rolled around this weekend and it was so awesome.  Homemade lemonade, square dancing with a caller, daffodils on every table and friends/neighbors everywhere you turned.  They have a graphic artist in town that creates all of their posters and media and here is a sample of her work.

The dance committee spent hours cutting colored paper this week and hung the paper chains up and down the dance hall ceiling, along with white twinkly lights.

Here is a closer look at the paper chains.  What a clever way to decorate on a budget.

To help warm up the space, the committee decided to hang their great-grandmother's quilts on the walls (using a clothesline and clothes pins).  Genius.

These quilts were little works of art and made so very long ago and, obviously, with so much love.

The amazing woman responsible for most of the work done was Anna Erickson.  While we were making beer on Monday, she got a call that they needed decorations for the dance on Saturday.  She calmly said that she would think of something.  Well, she did and it was absolutely beautiful.

Presidential

I had the good fortune to work in G's class today and they were so stinkin' cute!  We made masks of President Lincoln & Washington.  The kids were excited to work on this project and it was sweet to hear them talk about what they knew about each President and what color eyes Lincoln has.  I encouraged them to make it their own and not worry about what their neighbor was doing.  Each face was unique, just like the kids creating it.

GR8Y's GR8 Eggs - Open for Business

Grady sold five half-dozen cartons of eggs at Gourmet au Bay tonight during Happy Hour and earned a whopping $16 (he received a $1 tip from a friend).  He loved that his labels said GR8Y's GR8 Eggs, as his dad often teased that's how we were going to spell his name.

His main concern was the cash box, but he quickly grabbed his Boss Lady lunchbox and all was right with the world.  Well, kind of right.  He approached each customer that entered the store and asked them if they wanted to buy his organic eggs.  It was hard to turn him down and he was sold out within the hour.

He put all of it in his savings account, except $5.  That $5 was burning the biggest hole in his pocket.  He decided to purchase a white Hot Wheels' car and a gold, sparkly, stuffed pony from the thrift store.  Yep, that's my boy.

Beer Making: 101

I had the opportunity to pop into The Beverage People store in Santa Rosa last week with a friend and peruse the aisles.  Anything and everything you would need to make beer, cheese & wine were in this store.  My friend gathered beer-making supplies and I wandered around taking pictures and gathering inspiration (cheesemaking is on my New Year's To-Do List).

This week my friend invited me over to watch her brew a batch of beer and I took copious notes.  She made it look super easy, but she's like that.  I looked at the recipe and it was daunting, but she told me where and why she improvised and it all made sense.

The ironic thing is that I've only had a handful of beers in my lifetime (less than five!).  I wouldn't know a good beer from a bad beer if it bonked me over the head.  However, my husband loves beer and I think we'll be attempting a home brew of our own in the very near future.

February: Blooms

This is what is blooming around me on this middle of February day.  Trees are bursting with flowers and bulbs are forcing their way through the earth.  All varieties of daffodils, plum and cherry blossoms exploding on the branches.  Oh, February.  So many beautiful things about you. 

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day.  A sweet day filled with handmade cards, home-cooked meals, red licorice, chocolates, a trip to the beach with my boy-turned-dog-for-an-hour, a lively quest for crab on the coast (to no avail), a neighborly glass of wine and watching my two loves lay on the couch and be silly with each other at the end of this day.  My heart is full.

Saturday: Bodega Head

Whale-watching?  Well, I've never seen a whale out here on the Sonoma Coast - but I still keep on trying.  As usual, a day at the beach melted away any cares from the week and we played for a few hours out at Bodega Head in the sand and sunshine.  Mavericks was happening in Half Moon Bay and the waves out here were huge!

Sunshine, sand, waves and the potential to see a whale?  Yeah, we love February.

I Heart Salvation Army

Phone rang.  Wanna go thrifting?  Uh, silly question.  I grabbed my purse and off we went to the Salvation Army in Healdsburg.  It was 50% off day in celebration of St. Valentine and there were throngs of people feeling the love.  The above couch was a mere $25!  I didn't need it, my friend couldn't justify it and so a picture is all we took away with us.  Isn't it awesome?  

This was a very large oil painting priced at $15.  It just took me back to childhood and memories of a spittoon-like vessel that sat on the hearth of our fireplace.  It never held anything as pretty as these flowers, but I think it should have.  It always grossed me out.

This little bit of loveliness was a sideboard w/ attached hutch for a whopping $179.  It's a little too small for my kitchen, but in the realm of what I'm looking for (minus the hutch).  Great legs and mid-century modern design that I so love.  And so the quest continues, but that's half the fun. 

Hunter Happiness

Rubber Boots.  Wellies.  Slicker Boots.  Rubbers.  Muck Boots.  No matter what you call your boots, I'm going to call mine RAD!  Hunter Original Tall in Silver.  If they're good enough for the Royal Family, then I guess they are good enough for me.  I will be sporting these for years to come and love how fun and shiny they are.  Very space-age.  Very 2010.  Very Ziggy Stardust?

Valentine DIY

Well, I have a new appreciation for the paint sample color wall at Benjamin Moore.  Paired with my love of typography = Homemade Valentine Goodness.  This was such a fun little thing to do.  The paint names were cracking me up:

• million dollar red
• bull's eye red
• lichen green
• sweet 16 pink
• flamingo's dream
• carrot stick 
• baby chick
• margarita
• tropicana cabana
• pink eraser
• valentine's day red (how perfect?)
• dog's ear (g's personal fave and pink, no less)

We typed up a note on each square (some with typos, but that was part of the charm of it all), cut them up and glued them onto shipping tags.  

Simple, sweet and stylish.  What a great project and so fast & easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy, as my little man would say.

Lamb Season

The sheep are having their babies and sweet little lambs are bouncing all over the green hillsides in Sonoma & Marin County.  The above picture is from our neighbor's farm.  The lambs are a bit camera-shy, so this is the best shot I could get with my iPhone before they skittered up the hill.

G attended preschool for four years on a sheep ranch in Bodega.  The imagery of pastured sheep is so idyllic and seeing the lambs follow their mamas around takes me back to the first time I drove past all the sheep, lambs, donkeys, goats & one lone llama on the way to his first day of preschool.  Perhaps I'm the sheep in this scenario and G my little lamb?  Or maybe his teacher was the sheep?  Anyhow, you get my drift.  What a lovely community we were about to join and how much about motherhood I would learn.  That was just over five years ago.  My, oh my, how time flies.

Anthropologie Rx

Our travels took us to Corte Madera today and, of course, we had to see the new moss-covered elephant water fountain installation at Anthropologie.  They have the coolest art installations around and all the materials are recycled, reclaimed and/or repurposed.  Take the three ostriches made from torn pages from hardback novels or the weeping willow tree adaptation using cut-up plastic bags as leaves.  There are also hundreds of repurposed plastic water bottles cut in half and splayed open to look like flowers and spray painted bright, cheery colors.  So effing clever and pleasing to the eye.

If you have the winter doldrums or just need an inspirational space to elevate your mood then, by all means, pop into this store and get lost in all of the creative goodness they have to offer.

Mustard

The mustard is appearing in pockets all throughout the valley and it is so picturesque.  Fields are in bloom and it's a sea of yellow that I will never tire of.  This little stretch was just off of Walker Road on the outskirts of Petaluma (the shortcut to Highway 101 and, obviously, the most scenic).

I'll be posting more pictures throughout this month of images that best represent February on the Sonoma Coast and surrounding areas.  Mustard.  Who knew is could be so lovely?

Superbowl Sunday: Part 2

This is how I spent the second half of Superbowl Sunday.  It was a little breezy and we got wet, but it was way better than sitting in front of a television set and watching the game for hours on end.

I'm happily exhausted and think the dreamy images above are a great way to end this post.  I hope you had a weekend to remember, too.