Country Christmas

Lets go Shopping!!


I love Red Plaid, especially during the Holiday Season.


Isn't this beautiful!


I think I will try this on my front door next year.

He's making a list and checking it twice!!

Tis the Season!

Its Monday and I'm feeling a little behind on getting Christmas decorations up. I was able to take a few minutes out of my work schedule and look at some of the blogs and see all the new Christmas postings, its very inspirational. Well the one great thing about Mondays is its great for new beginnings!

The Boat House at Hendry's Beach in Santa Barbara

When we are in Santa Barbara visiting our daughter we love to have brunch at the Boat House on Henry's Beach. If you were just driving by you might miss the most amazing restaurant, its located in a small beach cove which gives it a kinda of secluded and exclusive feel. The interior is very beautifully decorated in a modern nautical theme with dinning out side as well. The food is outstanding and the pricing is very reasonable. It is also dog friendly and even has a shady area for the dogs.
The beach is so beautiful.....great for a romantic walk after lunch or to watch the sunset!!

Eggs Benedict on a Crab Cakes is one of there specialties.....Yummmm!

Judges Favorite and Best in Show Award!

My sister Claire's quilt won Best in Show and Judges Favorite at the Alameda County Fair!

You can see why....it's beautiful. The bear holding a fish in its mouth, is a paper piece pattern, each color value is a different piece of material. You can't really see from the photo but the bear is sewn down to give it texture like fur. She then framed the bear with different color bear claws which take a lot of time to make.... but its worth it!

A Visit to My Sisters Lavendar Farm in Monterey and Gizdich Ranch

My sisters and I went to the Lavender festival in Squim, Washington, a couple of years ago and came back determined to grow fields of lavender at my sister Dawn's farm in Monterey. The ground conditions and weather a perfectly suited for growing lavender. I think my brother in law was a little resistant at first but soon joined in and has now planted over 600 different kinds of lavender plants in three beds.
This is their first harvest, only a year after the small pants were sown..... Wow! that's a lot of lavender from just one small bed.



Every one has to work on the Farm even, Bob the Rooster, has to eat the bugs!


Guard dog on duty!


Before harvesting, we drove over to Gizdich Ranch to pick up some lunch and one of there delicious Apple pies.
If your ever out for a drive in the Watsonville area you should stop by Gizdich Ranch. Its a working apple and berry farm, that is open to the public. A lot of the local schools bring the students there to show them how the farm processes the apples for juice, sauce ect.
You can also just stop by for a slice of pie or lunch and relax in the shade in there picnic area.
Everything is made fresh .... there's nothing like homemade fresh apple pie like mom used to make!


Fresh... Fresh.... Fresh!
Lunch was a ham sandwich on fresh baked bread, with Fresh squeezed lemonade and some of there freshly picked strawberries.
I should have taken the pie out of the box to show you how huge it is. Not flat like the pies you get at the grocery store.

Doesn't Everyone Love Ice Cream

Flowers ... you can never have too many!

Flowers always seem to make everything better.

Lets Have A Party!

My son is graduating from college next month, I was thinking about a small get together at home to celebrate. I love these photos from "Style Me Pretty". I don't think I am very old but I do remember as a young girl they only had paper straws and we drank Coke out of a bottle not a can. Now days everything is about being quick and disposable. We drink Coke like its water..... back then it was a special treat.

Spring Flowers

We have a man that comes to our office every week to sell flowers. These are just a few of the ones that I bought this week. I guess I went a little crazy, I wanted them all....I just can't help myself.

Freesia and Stock.... they have such a great fragrance.