valentine's day A Day in the Life

4:45AM - Faint stirring when I hear Tim get up for his morning exercise routine. Still think he is crazy to get up so early.
6:00AM  Faint stirring when I hear Tim get in the shower.
6:30AM  Our Australian Shepherd jumps on the bed for a morning cuddle. I feel wet dog hair and turn on the light and see muddy paw prints all over the bed. March downstairs to put dog outside. Scold Tim for letting dog in when she is all muddy.

valentine's day

She looks so innocent when she is asleep, doesn't she?

6:45AM Throw on clothes and tell daughter  to hurry up or she will be late for school.

7:00AM Warm up car to take daughter to school.
7:15AM Back home, shower and dress.
7:30AM Eat breakfast and read the paper...."Local Mall Burns Down!" Oh no! Were Crate and Barrel, PB and Restoration affected?
8:15AM Check emails and respond to clients. Yes, we can get marble remnant for Powder Room Counter.
8:45AM Strip bed and put muddy sheets and duvet in the laundry.
9:00AM Take dogs to the groomer for a bath...it has been too long anyway.
9:30AM Make plan for the day. Check Voicemail: "You too can benefit from Government Mortgage Bailout", Very excited client message about her kitchen that I designed published in Sacramento magazine!
10:00 AM Blog Post about One King's Lane Tag Sale
10:30 AM Order bed from Serena and Lily for Client's Master Bedroom. Order Kravet Windsor Smith Fabric for Pillows....same client.

valentine's day



Meanwhile, Tim is painting new wall in basement added to make room for Mom moving in.

valentine's day

Disaster....but work is calling

 11:00 AM Put together design for another client's Master Bedroom: furniture additions, lighting, area rug, bedding.
11:30AM SureWest guy comes to put in new TV hook up for Mom's new space. He also moves my computer hook up to "my" side of the basement.
1:00PM Work on tile re-selection for episode of Bath Crashers (DIY Network) that I am designing. What I thought would be a pretty quick process...not so quick.
1:30PM Start putting presentation together for Client Master Bedroom I was working on earlier. Keep researching for more items.
3:30PM Eat "Linner"....grilled cheese and chicken and stars....sometimes comfort food is the only way to go.
4:00PM Check emails
4:30PM Move office furniture, equipment and supplies to other side of basement into my "new" office. This may take awhile!

valentine's day

New Wall with Paint!

valentine's day

Moving Office to This Side of the Wall...still have a lot to do, but getting there! I am back in action.

4:45PM Pick up clean dogs from groomer.
5:15PM Keep on moving office stuff....hours more to go.
8:30PM Pay Per View movie: "Agora" about 4th century Greek woman philosopher Hypatia in Alexandria. Watched it while moving office. Not a bad rent! I had never heard of Hypatia before and never would have known women were revered as teachers in this era.

valentine's day

10:00PM pick up daughter from friends' house.
10:30PM Take a break and finish watching movie.
11:00PM Bed and read a bit of my book: "Velva Jean Learns to Drive". Velva Jean knew who Hypatia was.....so I am very glad I saw that movie! Very eerie to have Hypatia show up in two places in one day.

valentine's day

11:30PM Fell asleep and dreamed about little elves wearing togas finishing my office in the middle of the night....sigh...if only....

valentine's day Creating An Indoor Picnic for Book Group

valentine's day

Once a year, I pick a book and host a Book Group party at my house. Our Book Group is a bit unusual as far as Book Groups go...or so I have heard. Pretty much the same group has been together for about eight years now. We have only had two friends leave and two friends join in all that time.

Last Friday was my night to host. The book I chose was The Help by Kathryn Stockett:

valentine's day

Set in Mississippi in 1962 during the civil rights movement, the story chronicles the lives of three women, one white and two black, and how they came together to write a book about how "the help" coexisted with their well-to-do white employers.

Truthful and thoughtful, funny and heartbreaking, the story is one that I, and the rest of my group thought was one of our favorites in our eight years together.(If you would like more information and editorial reviews click here.)

I decided that since the weather was on the hot side, that I would create in indoor picnic for our get together. I started with a burlap table cloth I had made a few years back. Burlap is very inexpensive (about 3 or 4 dollars per yard) and holds up for a very long time! I placed grass place mats on top and added a row of potted plants down the center. The plants I chose were a citron green "Lamium Golden" and an eggplant hued "Sweet Potato Vine". I loved the color contrast! I got them at Target along with some brown terracotta pots. The pot color went so well with the burlap. And after the party I am putting the plants in my garden! I love a dual purpose purchase.

valentine's day

I experimented with some of my mercury glass candlestick holders: very pretty, but a bit too formal for a "picnic":

valentine's day

So I decided to go with these simple votive holders, again, very inexpensive from Michael's. I think they were 50 cents apiece.

valentine's day

A couple in between each pot. Simple and clean.

valentine's day

I added my "Great White Plates" from Pottery Barn. ( Now you can have them monogrammed!)I think a white plate shows off food so well. And for the meal I had planned, they were the perfect size: big!

valentine's day

I wanted something that looked like a picnic tablecloth for the napkins and found the perfect thing at IKEA. These rolls have four cloths, each one a different white and blue pattern for $2.49 per roll! That is 62 cents per napkin. I like that. And again, dual purpose!

valentine's day

valentine's day

Placed in the middle of each plate, the "napkins" are a nice big size for my picnic.

valentine's day

I added simple wine glasses, again from IKEA, and a bottle of Pellegrino at each place instead of a water glass to finish it off. Now on to the food!

valentine's day

For a little snacking before dinner, I laid out cheeses, fig jam, some Kalamata olives and olive tapenade, a bit of Hummus and a few French Plums. I iced the wine, beer and waters in a galvanized bucket.

valentine's day

When we were ready we sat down to an evening picnic:

valentine's day

I had prepared a buffet of salads: Heirloom tomatoes from the garden with basil and mozzarella, Ina Garner's potato salad with lots of fresh dill, my version of the Bottega snap pea and white corn salad with a citrus dressing, my green salad with pine nuts and avocado, and a fruit salad. A bit of French bread with Gruyere and olives, and we were very happy.( Oh yes, the platters I had just found at the last Sacramento Antique Faire . LOVE them!!)

valentine's day

valentine's day

valentine's day Book Group

valentine's day

Book Group.....really just an excuse to get together with friends I have known for 10 years or more. Ever since we met when our kids were in preschool. The kids ended up in different schools with different friends and interests....but we Moms just kept getting together. Once a month. We have long since abandoned any sort of Book Group protocal. We do assign a book, but whether it is read or not is not really the point. Sometimes we discuss it...somtimes we don't. Mostly we just get the temperature of what our kids are going through and what we are going through as a result. What our relationships are doing...where they are going or not going with our spouses. We have talked over the divorces, the new boyfriends. Two of my friends have weathered bouts of breast cancer and all that that entails. There have been career changes, parents passing, exciting travels, kids' high school graduations. You know....life.

Like I said....the books are a great excuse, but hardly the point.

Here was my pick for the book group we just had last night at my house:

valentine's day

A wonderful perspective on this woman's life and her courage, joys and sorrows in living it.

Enjoy your weekend!