Fall Away

Yes, Fall was put away weeks ago.

Just wanted to share how great it looked!

Entry

My new favorite beer -  with 1/8 of an orange sqeezzzed in!

Pie Crust

Have made 4 pies this season - hint: look for Ina Garten's "way" with orange zest.

I use 4 granny smith and 4 macintosh apples.

Only 1/4 c brown sugar, 1 1/2 teasp cinnamon, 1/2 teasp ? nutmeg, 2 tablesp flour..... 

.... good luck following THAT.

On our street.... new neighbors sharing their crop.

They have a new baby.  Could you tell?    :-)

Same evening walk - I saw the moon and it saw me (it's an old song...)

If you look at your screen from the side - the moon is just to the right of the palm tree.

Hubby was in having a colonoscopy.  This was my view sitting in the car.  (Newport, CA)

Owl selection from Tuvalu in Laguna Beach, CA

ah, they had MORE.....

My Living Room - - - The Beach

Yes, the vintage cafe chairs remain primer brown.

The splash near the surfer is a pelican feeding!
Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point, CA

We can now describe my color palate as "SoCal Beach in the Fall" - this is a discovery!  :-)


Cheers!  Linda

Dear Reader,  I have been at a loss as to how to properly address this horrific event in Newtown, CT.

I received this email today and thought to share it with you.  

XO, Linda

Our hearts ache over the Sandy Hook tragedy! When such evil is committed, we wonder, "How do we talk to our kids about this? What do we say?" Children have an incredible capacity for strength, and we can help them cope by following some practical guidelines: #1: Be honest about your emotions while modeling strength. Our children will cope only as well as we do. Children who see their parents overwhelmed with anxiety, fear, and grief also will become overwhelmed. On the other hand, kids will not have an opportunity to learn healthy expression of feelings if parents stuff their feelings inside. The key is being honest about your emotions while showing that your family remains strong. For example, you might give your child a hug and say: This is a very sad thing. Sometimes I feel like crying about it. It also makes me mad. But I know that we will be okay…because we are strong! #2: Limit your child's exposure to media coverage of the event. Turn the television and radio off when your kids are in the room. Repeated exposure to the visual and spoken images of the tragedy will create more anxiety and fear. Younger children who don't understand that the scenes are being replayed often believe the actual events keep happening over and over. #3: Give them the facts about the event. Don't try to keep the tragedy a secret! First, it's simply impossible to do. Second, humans create information when they lack it. When children get bits and pieces of bad news, they "fill in the blanks" with their imagination. Typically their fears, or rumors that float about at school, produce more anxiety than the truth. Children, even as young as two years old, may need you to lay out the facts about the event. Tell them the basics, while leaving out the more sensitive details. Remember, your tone of voice must communicate compassion and strength. #4: Listen, listen, listen. There is nothing more powerful than an open ear, heartfelt understanding, and a warm hug. #5: Let them know that they are safe. Our children need to hear about the thousands and thousands of wonderful people who are working day and night to keep us safe. Despite any fears or doubts we may have, our kids need to hear that they are safe. Make your reassurance short and to the point. When parents spend too much time, too many words, and too many emotions trying to reassure kids that they are safe, it backfires. Your message will be more powerful and believable if it is very brief and business-like: There are thousands of people working to keep everyone safe. We are going to be okay. Have a good day at school. I love you. #6: To the greatest extent possible, maintain daily routines. Daily routines give all of us a sense of predictability, control, and safety. When we stick with them, we also communicate to our youngsters that we are strong enough to keep going… and they are too. #7: Involve them in helping others. There are few things more therapeutic than helping others. Even actions that may seem small, such as writing letters of support or sending a box of food to rescue workers, can mean a great deal. For more information about how to help kids cope with tragedy, listen to our audio download, Grief Trauma and Loss. All proceeds from the sale of this audio download will be donated to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund. Thanks for reading, and thanks for caring! Our goal is to help as many families as possible. If this is a benefit, forward it to a friend. Dr. Charles Fay

Non Obvious Pairs

Wandering around my interior space (home) recently,
 I appreciated my habit of combining two items to make one.....

A vintage bowl set inside another makes a glass flower.

Two ideas in one photo.........

A palm frond became a display bowl with a collection of glass balls.
Simply drop a manmade moss birds nest into the bottom of a glass cylinder for instant moderne art.



A footed glass vase comes out of the cupboard to feature a glass paperweight.....

Admire mirrored furniture as I do?

Create your own!  I combined Grandma's leather topped table circa 1940's with a beveled mirror from Ikea........

Driftwood stick + hardware store twine =

My solution to a topiary that won't die!

These photos are so very blurry....
it becomes obvious I should pair my new-ish soft focus vision with eyeglasses more often.



Cheers!  Linda   :-)

Her Name Is....

Our first meeting with "Izzy" the stray found in Norco, CA living at the shelter since July....

Described as Border Collie and Chow Chow mix, female 1-3 years old.

.... not Oprah, Flo-Jo or LaToya.  Not Pie, Roe, or ......

Our (my) lists of possible names, 

many of them suggested on my request from friends and family.

For this new girl of ours.

After living with us for nearly two weeks.

Reminds me of another "blue" dog....

via

On advice from my niece Maryliah, the dog will either look like her name or behave like her name and that is what happened.  (Though, it took me a week! )  Any of these names are good, or great names for a dog.  But many of them, when I tested them out loud were joined with the adjective of "Sugar".

Sugar now lives happily as Bodi's guide dog - giving him competition to eat faster, jump up when I call his name, walk faster, and have a happy expression - 

he even plays with Sugar!

Two dogs heading back to the TV room.

Hubby says, "This is a great dog!"
 (yeah! )

Sugar's first walk along the beach.....

Seeing and hearing her first waves - yikes!

Watching surfers

Are you sure we're safe?

Happiness and relaxation when hunting squirrels!

This entry is not so much about Design as it may be about Destiny, 

and the sweetness that brings to our lives.

Find your Sugar, and smile!

Cheers!  Linda   :-)

Owls - Nature Designed

Now in fashion again since the late 1960's, 

they are back in a big way! 

Maybe they were never completely OUT,
as you'll see they are available in all matters and materials.

 If you find a vintage owl even better.  (my opinion)

Barn Owl    via

Art Deco Plaster marked with the seal of the Library Congress
via 1st Dibs  offered by Drake

These Bookends are replicas (bearing a Library of Congress stamp) of the carved stone pair standing at the entrance to the Library of Congress's John Adams Building.  (seen below)

white patinated metal               via 1stDibs
offered by Talisman

carved stone   1st Dibs

alternate view

RSH a catalog boutique

1891 Doulton tobacco jar  $1250
  1st Dibs offered by Tom Stansbury Antiques

1880-1891 Doulton tobacco jar  $2900
1st Dibs offered by Jonnys Antiques LTD

Which collectible tobacco jar 

would you choose?

Viva Terra

by Two's Company via The Jungle Store

Sundance

hand puppet by Folkmanis
via The Jungle Store

PJ Salvage via Melange 4 Women

My absolute favorite on line clothing store.
They wrap your order like a gift, include a handwritten thank you note and a small candy, and shipping is FREE for orders over $75 !

made by (and for) Knitwits
via The Jungle Store

Cast Iron Trivet  via RSH  catalog

Plate Set
Pottery Barn

Lanterns   via Pottery Barn

Ceramic Luminary   via Pottery Barn

Quite HUGE !                    (Salt glaze?)       

Spotted in Newport Beach, CA at The Find Consignments.

via 1st Dibs

Pair of cast iron Victorian andirons with glass eyes.

Beautiful year round and perfectly spooky nearing Halloween!

1950's painting oil on board $750
1st Dibs offered by Bridges Over Time

Hootie Hoot Cheers!  Linda   :-)