Tea Stands for Tuesday - 10/31/17

Happy Tea Tuesday and Happy Halloween for those who celebrate.  

I'm sipping my tea and having a treat this morning.  Very few children trick or treat in our neighborhood.  Sometimes none.  I do buy a small amount of candy - just in case - but it has to be something we adults like.

I don't do much decorating either.  I did hang this "flag" on the front porch.  I made it using a strip of muslin and some fabric markers.

The Fourth Street shopping area always has a fun street event on this day.  We plan to walk down there this afternoon, get a cup of coffee and sit on one of the many benches and people watch.

Lots of shop windows were already decorated the last time I walked there.  I particularly liked this one.

Right now though, I'm going to visit Elizabeth and the rest of the tea gang over at Altered Book Lover.  Won't you join me?

Tea Stands for Tuesday - 10/.24/17

We have been at the River House enjoying the perfect fall weather, not too hot and not too cold. October is one of my favorite months in our area.

Some time was spent just sitting on the front porch.  I tried a new to me drink.  Bai.  I had the pomegranate version.  I really liked it and it has all the natural things going for it.  However it is nearly $2 a bottle.  Yes, an individual sized bottle.  I have plenty of water I can drink.

I was able to get some art time in.  The yellow in a little more intense than in appears in the photo.  This is the same color/theme as a lampshade I painted some time ago.  No, they won't be in the same room.

The painting was done on an 8x8 wrapped canvas.  I wanted the edges to spill to the sides.  I had to figure a way to do that.  I sat the canvas up on some empty cans.

That's my report for this Tea time.  Lets go over to Elizabeth's and see what everyone else has been doing.

Monday morning 10/23/17

I knit quite a bit.  I'm not a beginner but certainly not an expert. 

There are still lots of things I need to learn and one of those things is part of a pattern I'm working on.  A button hole.  A button hole made using a cast on cable for those of you who know stitches.  I googled, I Youtubed, I scratched my head.

It is a good thing the local knitting shop runs "knitting labs".  You just show up, pay a tiny fee and there is an expert knitting teacher there to help.  I'll be at the lab tomorrow.

Where do you go when you need help on a craft?

Tea Stands for Tuesday - 10/17/17

Look closely.  Champagne!  Ok, it is a little early in the morning for bubbly but you know we need a drink of some sort on Tea Tuesday 

I use this old "champagne" hatbox to store a stack of vintage doilies and handkerchiefs.

Several craft stores sell plain white totes for decorating.  I bought one thinking I might use some fabric paint on it.  Then I thought of my vintage bits and pieces.

I'm showing you my basic idea here.  The hanky and doilies aren't attached to the tote at this point.  I'm just in the "thinking about it" stage.  Of course there would be other embellishments like buttons and ribbons and so forth.  What do you think?

Or maybe I'll go with my original idea and paint something.

While we think about that lets go visit Elizabeth  and see what the rest of the Tea Tuesday people are talking about today.

"The Address" (book)

The address in the book title refers to the famous Dakota apartment building in upper west side New York, home in the twentieth century to Judy Garland, Lauren Bacall, Leonard Bernstein, Rosemary Clooney  and a host of other celebrities, most famously Yoko Ono and John Lennon who was murdered in front of its gates in 1980. 

The Dakota was commissioned by Edward Clark, founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company.  He hired architect Henry Hardenbergh to build the first multi family elegant residence for the wealthy.  It was located far north of the center of New York City at the time. It opened its doors in 1884.  At that time the location was thought by many to be too far out of the town center to be a success.

In the novel, Theodore Camden is the fictional architect hired by Hardenbergh to design the building.  The story is told by both Sara Smythe who was hired from England to be a senior servant at the Dakota and Bailey Camden, a NY designer in the mid 1980's who's relationship to the Camden family is somewhat of a mystery.

Davis provides insightful commentary about both era's but some of the plot line of the novel seemed pretty predictable. For me the descriptions of life in 19th century New York were enough to keep me engaged in reading the novel.

Most of the story actually focuses on New York in the 1880's so if you like history I think you would enjoy it.

Friday and Fires

I'm sure many of you have heard about the horrible fires in Northern California.  

Thanks to all our first responders.  

Not to make light of it but ...

They are calling this California Fairy Dust

Napa and Sonoma Counties are places we visited so often over the years.  Lake County is where we lost our vacation home and all contents to a wild fire just two years ago.  Friends in all three counties have been evacuated or are awaiting evacuation notices.

On a personal level, it is hard to talk to friends or watch the news because it brings our evacuation experience and loss all back to me.  I felt compelled to write about it here though, I couldn't just ignore it.

There are so many disasters going on in the world today but I'm asking you to hold a tiny place in your heart for these people in our State.

Tea Stands for Tuesday - 10/10/17

This morning I'm bringing my drink to the party via some cards I bought.  I make cards, you can see an example on yesterday's post.  I just don't make them as fast as I use them.

This boxed set of blank cards with three coffee themed photo's seemed like something I would like to have on hand.

Had to do an assortment of errands yesterday.  Needed printer ink, etc.  Things that require a stop at a specific store for one item.  I arrived home a little frazzled.

Dinner was one of my favorites though.  Potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream.  There is some steamed broccoli on the plate as well.  Trying to convince myself that this is a "healthy" vegetarian meal.

I'm off to join the tea party at Altered Book Lover.  Hope to see you there.

PS - There are lots of fires in NoCA. but they are about 50 miles from us.  So many places we have visited over the years.   Elizabeth, thank you for thinking of me.

Monday Morning - 10/9/17

Time to get up and get going.  No matter how long I've been retired, Monday still signals the start of the week, the day to get organized.

Here's a card I made  recently.  I needed something "happy".  I think I achieved that.

water color and pen on

watercolor card stock.

Today is Columbus Day here in the U.S.  One of those confusing holidays where I'm hard pressed to figure out which services and shops are on holiday and which are not.  I do know there is no mail so the card waits to go until tomorrow.

What are your plans for this wonderful Monday?

Neighborhood walk - 10/6/17

October is usually a beautiful month for walking here.  Sunny mornings prevail.  

Crate and Barrel

Some of the shops along my route are filled with fall displays.  I like this one and it looks like it would be so easy to create at home.

Fall in the Bay Area doesn't bring us much in the way of colorful leaves - but cactus anyone?

I don't know what the plant is.  It is planted along the wall of an industrial building and I've walked past it many times but this time it had what I suppose are blossoms.  I thought they were interesting.

I hope you are having wonderful weather wherever you are.

Sugar Skulls - napkin giveaway

Sugar skulls traditionally used in the celebration of Dia da los Muertos seem to be everywhere these days.  However, I still find them quite colorful.

I bought a package of napkins to use in decoupage.

I really expected to get more color from looking at the napkin in the package but when I unfolded it this is what I had.

I'm decorating a jug (old wine bottle) to decorate the porch.  I used the napkin and painted some flowers with acrylics.  I'm not done, I will add some more color on the sides and back.

Meanwhile, I have a stack of napkins left.  I would be happy to mail 2 napkins to the first three people who ask for them in the comments.  I will also mail to those outside the U.S. as they will fit an envelop and be quite light.  So.. speak up (in comments) and I'll send them on their way.

Second on the Second/Tea Stands for Tuesday - October 2017

It is another October and I'm sharing a post for the second time around - and a nod to the Tuesday Tea Party.  Both events brought to you by Elizabeth at Altered Book Lover.

I think it may be time for me to take the train to Oregon again.  

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014

Tea stands for Tuesday - 10/28/14

Good Morning T Tuesday people.  This is another post from my recent trip to Oregon.  I stayed with my cousin.  These photo's were taken at her house.  She spoiled me.

She brought me coffee in bed.  I never have coffee in bed at home.

Quite a bet it is too.  Yes, I had to use the little stool to climb up into it.  I didn't realize until I uploaded the photo that I had my towel laid out getting ready to take a shower.  Oops!

We went shopping.  I bought a new pair of shoes.  Clarks.  Very comfortable

There is a small love seat  in the bedroom.  The fancy doll that lives there seemed a great place to display my sock.  The one I started on the train.  I finished one sock and started the second one.

I'm home, back to making my own coffee in the morning.  I'm off to check Elizabeth's blog and see what the rest of the T Tuesday group are up to.  Won't you join me?