Floral delights, and pics from the hood

Lunch at my belle mere's house is always a luxury. She placed this little bouquet by my plate. And set the table with bunny plates. Next, pictures are from a recent walk, topped off by chin scratches for local tabby, Bella. 

She Said Yes, of course :o)

Isaac’s Live Lip-Dub Proposal

Lie Down with Dogs

My own interspecies snorglefest photo, with our sweet Gwyneth and Saylor. You know if that little grey leg was longer it would be flung across Saylor’s back. She loves her BFFL (best friends for life).

The flipside:

And for the sake of randomness, one of my favorite artists: Alexander Calder. This is his sculpture, in Chicago.

More cool sculpture from the Chicago trip:


Happy Wednesday  ands to you,
Robin

Who Says Cats and Dolphins Can't Be Friends?

 

This just makes me smile. Reminds me of Kate...she'd do something this sweet.

Oh Stop! You're So Cute!

 

Yeah? Yeah?

Fun Film Time

Catch A Tuesday from Oliver Peoples on Vimeo.

I Heart Pet Hats

If your head is solid enough that you won’t risk explosion, then keep looking. Oh, I heart them all. When you click on the pics, you’ll get the Etsy shop that sells them.

In Honor of Courage

In honor of MLK day today, and all those who came before us with the courage and fortitude to dedicate their lives to lessening the suffering of others. And on a less grand scale to each of us who struggles with whatever ails us in this often difficult life. May a warm, soft glow of healing, comforting light wrap us each and every one in love and peace.

, Robin

Going Back to School ;)

I think this could be the post graduate degree I’m looking for. I could get about 10 more cats and go to the head of the class! Oh, how I wish I knew how this photo was taken? What were these ladies up to? Very cute indeed.

$410 Scratch Post

I have this idea/dream/thought that once my traditional work years are over (not exactly sure when I deem this time to be – age 65?) that I’ll open an antique store where I will find odd pieces of furniture, maybe on the side of the road even, re-do them, and make a profit. Kind of like these girls if I were even slightly this good – these girls are amazing. So, a couple months ago, hubs and I were driving to the grocery store and I saw an old wingback chair sitting in front of a house – obviously free to anyone who would haul it off. A burned out toaster was next to it. Fast forward, I have it home, I find fabric and an upholsterer, and it’s back all redone in this cool grey men’s suit-ish fabric and ready for … the cats to use it as a scratch post! Aggghhh! Okay, so there’s a sub-plot (isn’t there always?). I fully instructed the reupholster dude to take it down to the wood and replace all foam, padding, etc. before upholstering it. Well, he did, almost! He apparently used some of the old padding, which he claims was just fine. Hm? So after 4 straight days of sniffing the chair, the cats have pretty much claimed it with their claws! They love to scratch it: the front, the back, the arms, the sides – they love to scratch it! For some reason, (perhaps it’s their special scratching technique), it doesn’t leave scratch marks – it just sounds like they’re ripping it to shreds… It’s actually just sitting in the middle of the dining room until I can clear a spot for it. Oh joy. Excuse the blurry picture!

I Have Not Stopped Itching Since…

…the first mention of BED BUGS appeared in the news! Can I get an OMG? Let’s just say that the first sign of one anywhere near me, my bed, my laundry, out in the damn yard even, and I’m sticking a For Sale sign on the house. For some reason I find them incredibly gross. And I just found out from Sherri that they bite you in 3s, which is referred to as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Nooooo! That is just so gnarly. And if you really want to get freaked out, just check out this Google Image search on “bed bug” and see all manner of bites and bugs and horrible things. Ok, going to itch now. I’m happy to report that whatever this itchy thing is on my neck, it is singular in nature -- thank god!

Got Scissors.

How many scissors do you have to have before they declare you stark raving mad? And this really isn’t even all of them. Huh? Did I work at the Singer sewing factory? No. I just started throwing them in a basket recently and realized, holy cuttin’ horse, I have a lot of scissors!

Antiques and Grey Hair

I have a new story that I've been telling lately. It goes something like this: When I turn 60, I'm stopping coloring my hair and I'm opening an antique store. I say it somewhat defiantly waiting for some sort of push back. Then I say, I'm going to make as much money as I can in the next 10 years, and then that's it, I'm opening the antique warehouse. No one really reacts. They just sort of look at me. I crack myself up. I wonder if I'll do it? I'm pretty sure I'll at the minimum stop the dying of the hair. I mean, no offense, but is there anything harder looking than an older woman with really dark hair? Let's not even talk about dark red lipstick. I'm not sure when I turned the corner on the dark lipstick, but boy there was a day that I could rock Mac's Matte Rubine or Santiago. I remember when I was around 19 wearing Christian Dior's no. 492. It was a light almost bluish pink. It looked great. I was 19, how could it not? But as I get closer to my 50th birthday and my hormones start to settle down, I realize that I have aged into having a good head on my shoulders, and this simple fact is so comforting. Of course my friend Sherri will say, oh yeah? then why do you never remember what day it is? Anyway, just wanted to say that I feel it is just so wonderful to be alive, to have a good life, and to be surrounded by people I love and who love me. It's worth so much. It's all there is, really. I feel very grateful today.

This picture is of a little Victorian era sewing basket full of tatting thread. Not sure if I've ever posted it, but I just love this little basket full of colored string.

Beautiful Sky, Kate, and a Bunny

Last week, in the middle of the day, it rained for about 5 minutes. A Florida girl at heart, I miss the rain living here in dry California. I ran outside, threw open my arms and absorbed the few droplets. I then noticed that my neighbors across the street who are sort of above us hill-wise were looking down at me! We all laughed and yelled, "It's raining!" I saw another neighbor outside, too. We get pretty excited here for rain! I snapped this pic of the sky. It was spectacular.







In other news, Miss Kate has been loving her new perch, which is right next to my desk. She inherited it from her cousin, Bogie, who bequeathed it to her in his kitty will.

She's my office assistant. And as you can see, I am always having to get her back on track with those overdue reports. She'd rather make that k-k-k-k-k-i-k-k-k-kik sound at birds and take naps. So cute.








And, then, this bunny! Just in this person's front yard, happily hanging out. I can only hope and imagine that it is their bun. I thought about going up to the door, but we were riding bikes and just kept going. This portly bun looks very well fed, don't you think? So I just got the feeling all was well. How cute is she/he? I think, very...

Could You Nap Here?

I could. Is this bed lovely or what? I love the pillow and the light sheet. The amazing curved wood canopy - wow! I might have to drape something over that! And I also love the distressed, plastered walls. So pretty.

So, sweet blogger friends, I know I've been absent of late. But, it's for a good reason. A while back I posted a shameless "ad" for work, to fill my work-lacking days with a freelance project or two. Well, my days are now very full! I am working with two other folks in a joint venture of sorts, to do marketing consulting for green technology companies. We have our first client, and boy do they have us busy!

But, as I was searching for an older issue of Martha Stewart Living, I came across this picture and had to post it and say "hello." So, hello all! I hope you are doing great and surviving this hot, hot summer. We are turning the corner here in San Diego. It was supposed to be 100 today, but it was nowhere near that. Our weather folks must have had their weather balloons caught in a tree somewhere. :o)

Oh, and if you want to see some amazing photographs, check out this site.

P.S. The source for this photo is this link, though I could not get to the actual site to say exactly who did it or where it is truly from. This is my attempt at a citation. :\

Chicken & Pig Bonanza...and I Don't Mean BBQ

Smith & Hawken has some adorable tin roosters and pigs (with wings!) right now. Made from 100% reclaimed scrap metal. Pretty cute! They look a wee bit tipsy, like maybe they just went to a Mad Tea Party. :o) This picture is from the S&H catalog. Just so you know, this bevy o' chicks is not living at my house. But, if you want them at yours, you'll need to pay $259 for a big one, and $129 for the small one. Sqwaauuuk!

A Not-So-Mad Tea Party Afterall

Kate! Quick! Run to the window! What is that I hear? Are people coming? Is the Mad Tea Party going to happen after all?? I hear they are happening all over the world today!! I know we're late, but we can probably whip something up quick. It's only our neighbor friends. They know we pretty much have one looooooooong, continuous Mad Tea Party over here every day!















Do you hear that sound? The sound of a rabbit thumping on his drum? Oh, it's Barnaby Thrumpington from Thrumpton Hall. And he's all decked out and looking quite dandy with his drum! It's so very LOUD!!














And that looks like Mr. Bradford from around the corner! Oh, I love Ted Bradford. He always wears such cheerful colors. And that smile is constant!














Yay! Kitty and Scotty are here! Oh, it's getting nuttier by the minute! Scotty looks hungry! And a wee bit dusty!





Oh, amazing! Never in a million years did I think the monk from the Shinto Temple would join us! What a distance he had to travel! I bet he's famished! Hmm? They all must have met at the front gate!










Oh, that Mad Hattress is donning her pink Mary Jane's and stripey socks. I'm thinking she should get in the kitchen and see what's cooking!














Are these actual goodies, here in our dimension, or are they from another time entirely? If I bend the universe just a little, I think we can get them to our party for us! All of us!










Sometimes at Mad Tea Parties we actually just serve coffee and coconut macaroons from the French Gourmet!!!












Oh, and now it's time to visit the other tea parties! Just start at A Fanciful Twist where they are all listed. I hope to see you again soon!

Pretty in Yellow

Buuuwwwwaaaaaahhh-hhhaaaaaaaaaa (maniacal laugh). They are mine, all mine. I lusted after them for months, and then, while in San Francisco, found them ON SALE. I'm thinking they are not everyone's cup of tea considering the mustard-y color. But they sure are mine...gulp, gulp, gulpin' that tea. I love that they look vintage, but aren't. So I get the style, and none of the old lady's foot cells who owned them before I scrounged them from the bottom of her closet at a musty estate sale. And they are butter soft. Sometimes vintage shoes are hard, and my feet are not what they used to be in terms of toughness. As I've gotten older, I've developed Princess and the Pea feet. I've heard that as we age, the fat in the balls of our feet goes away to some degree; they lose that youthful plumpness. I have a theory that it travels north.

They Know Me at RH

What is it about Restoration Hardware's design department? Are they looking into my head somehow? Do they have some secret Soviet spy device that reads my every thought? Here's yet another item from there that I would love to have -- the Mayfair Steamer Chest. Sure, you could probably find an old trunk that would sort of resemble this, but how about a perfect, pristine one that smells good and has smoothly opening drawers into which you could put your clothes? Oh, it's beautiful, isn't it? Once again, you'll have to shell out a bundle to get this baby home.

Wilbur, Hopefully

Update: Little Wilbur already found his forever home. I just got the call. Kinda sad, but happy that he is wanted and loved by someone!

The local news is running a story now about this little tyke. He is up for adoption after suffering a pellet gunshot to the eye. Let's not even talk about it, it makes me incredibly mad. But I think he's just perfect, and I think Kate will agree (fingers crossed). And so, if they call me back from the Helen Woodward Animal Center, perhaps Wilbur can come to his new forever home on Eagle Street! I'll keep you all posted!