...leave a trail...

Just sitting here...enjoying the morning.

2011-06-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Just sitting here on a beautiful Sunday morning

with my laptop and my "Fuji burrito"...yum.

I look forward to the weekends when my husband

whips this up! You have

never had a breakfast burrito until

you get a load of this one. Spicy Spam...

in all it's glory...

did you KNOW there was such a thing?

It's my one bad indulgence twice a week.

some views from the garden this morning...

WHAT?

2011-06-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

My SIL came out this week

for the big 8th grade graduation of child #2.

She told me that she cannot find rosemary

plants anywhere. Has looked all over Chicago.

Then, I came across the FB page of Costeaux French

Bakery in nearby Healdsburg. It reads:

We need your rosemary! Bring in your fresh rosemary and in exchange you can choose a complimentary loaf of award winning bread. Your rosemary will have a starring role in our focaccia buns and olive oil sea salt 1/2 Sheets. Be part of the Costeaux tradition!

Am I missing something? Is there a shortage

of rosemary?

Because...as you can see, I have a situation in my side yard.

I keep meaning to cut it back but I'm skeeerd.

"WHY?" you ask...

I'm not okay.

For now, my rosemary can continue to overgrow.

Because I feel violatedddddddd.

Meet Mama

2011-06-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

This is "Mama". Every year, a "mama"

comes and lays eggs under the entrance of

our house. At first, as she's building her

nest and new to us walking around and coming in and

out of the front door, she flies away, fearful. But, we

talk to her and and watch her as time goes

on and she gets used to us and doesn't fly

away, just cocks her head to the side when we

talk to her. Then she's sitting on her eggs.

We try not to bother her much.

Yesterday, I discovered that...

Her little babies are scared and they hide

under

and behind her...

but then not long after...

brave baby dove pops out from under her and is not as

afraid as chicken baby dove who is hiding directly

behind mama!

Seriously, when is this rain going stop???

2011-06-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

Apparently Mother Nature

didn't get the memo that it is

NOW JUNE. And it does NOT

freaking rain in California in June.

What the heck?

I love Astilbe. These bulbs were

bought at Costco a few years back.

Last year, practically nothing came from them.

This year, so pretty. Must have been

enough rain...GAHHHHH!

How did you celebrate Memorial Day?

2011-05-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

and...did you know what it takes to be a guard

at Arlington Cemetery?

"For a person to apply for guard duty at

the tomb, he must be between 5' 10' and

6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.

They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb,
live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot
drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of
their lives. They cannot swear in public for the
rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the
uniform or the tomb in any way.

Guards are changed every thirty minutes,

twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that
is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard

of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn.
The guard must obey these rules for the rest of

their lives or give up the wreath pin.

The shoes are specially made with very thick soles
to keep the heat and cold from their feet.
There are metal heel plates that extend to the top
of the shoe in order to make the loud

click as they come to a halt.

There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the

uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to

anyone nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent

studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in
Arlington National Cemetery .
A guard must memorize who they are and where
they are interred. Among the notables are:

President Taft,

Joe Lewis {the boxer}

Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy,
the most decorated soldier of WWII and of Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a
day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty."

Hmm...wait, there's more...

"In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching

Washington , DC , our US Senate/House took 2 days off

with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening

news, it was reported that because of the dangers

from the hurricane, the military members assigned the

duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

were given permission to suspend the assignment.

They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!"

Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain

of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the

Tomb was not just an assignment,
it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a

serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled

continuously, 24/7, since 1930."

Well, we celebrated with red velvet cake!!!

some shots from the garden...

Pink Wednesday!

2011-05-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

Discovered in the camera this morning...

and these are my newest set of ~~victims~~ friends...

picked up from Morningsun Herb farm.

Went strippin'...

2011-05-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

We all got some Spring Break R&R last month

and went strippin'...

you knew I meant the Vegas kind.

Vegas wouldn't be Vegas

without a lil' Elvis (or Elvi) sighting!

Back to blogging...

2011-05-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

After taking another LONG hiatus

again...I'm back to blogging.

'Cept for the horrible seasonal

allergies and our crazy NorCal

weather...don't you love springtime?

And...my daughter's illness is in a FULL remission

and we are fully living life. And, on that note,

I so excited...I'm going back to work!

I'm also launching my new blog related

to vintage finds and my passion...painting!!!

Paint Stuck Under My Fingernails

and my new Patina Decorative Finishes site.

I'd love your feedback!

My newest reveal is my garden "studio"...

don't you love the pop of color?

The "windows" were actually a door

re-purpose from a Balinese teak cabinet.

I love how they look.

This weekend, they will be adorned

by window boxes made out of our

old "retired" fence planks.

and...some garden images from May!

my black stairs!

2011-02-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Wow, it only took me three months to come back

this time. The stairs were finished long ago.

I did them all by my self, Cut, sanded, stained (with

the new Minwax Polyshades in Classic Black).

It has a stain and polyurethane built into one.

The unfinished red oak stair treads were purchased

at Lowe's. The entire project took me about 22 hours,

between cutting, sanding, staining, and installing.

Cost was just over $400 and they turned out

exactly how I imagined them in my head.

I LOVE when that happens!

They are SO durable. Three kids,

two adults, and two dogs,

up and down. Not so much as even a nick or\

scratch yet! The challenge was the landing.

I had to buy a 4x8 piece of white oak

in 3/8 inch thickness.

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

I had a vision...

2010-12-11T19:13:00.001-08:00

It involved a Christmas party

and I didn't want the traditional little black dress.

Vintage shopping:

$2.50 dress

$1.00 ribbon

$2.00 hair clip flowers

$3.50 wool cape (oh, what a find)

$17.50 dry cleaning for the cape

$2.50 earrings

$6.99 Saks 5th Ave. shoes (WOW)

borrowed patent clutch

My outfit: $35.99!!!!

The alienation project

2010-11-13T09:40:00.000-08:00

If only I could do this project without

having to use these stairs.

Mother in Law is coming on Monday.

I am going to be a busy girl this weekend.

Thanks to blogland, I got a wild hair

and ripped the carpet off the stairs.

3 kids + 2 dogs + hubby who doesn't take off

his boots until he's upstairs (sigh) = EWWW.

This is the project, dead in the middle of it.

I have alienated all of my family members.

Everyone is pissed off that they have to

be careful walking on the plywood.

I'm going as fast as I can. (Or am I? I am

on the computer). I'm thinking of my method

for madness. I had to pull out my contractor's

license at the paint store yesterday and that

reminded me that I CAN do this.

now with the risers complete...

all nail holes filled in and ready to paint.

All that's left of my 12 propagation of my hydrangeas.

BUT...see the rooting?! Jiggity jig.

The ones that were spliced down the middle

were the ones that have the best rooting!

Happy Veterans Day!

2010-11-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

Today is a day we honor those who serve.

I am proud to have one under my roof!

This is our veteran returning home from 10

weeks in Iraq. So proud to serve for 17 years.

Can you imagine what it's like to send your

children's father off to war?

Thank a veteran AND their spouse

AND their children.

Happy Veteran's Day!

Found in camera...

2010-11-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

Photographer chick has been inside:

I recently taped off a big rectangle on the

outside of my kitchen cabinets and made a

chalkboard grocery list. I love the new

Krylon chalkboard spray paint. It's

surprisingly much easier to use than

the can chalkboard paint!

And the easiest part is that when it's

time to go to the grocery store, I just

take a picture with my iphone.

It's so green.

This amazing piece of furniture houses all

of the kids board games. I discovered it in

Historic Folsom and added the diamonds for

character. It has a decal that was placed

crooked and it came that way and at first,

it drove me crazy, but now I think it just

adds charm.

A thank you & a peek into my house...

2010-11-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

First, I want to say a BIG thank you to Artie at Color Outside

the Lines (I *heart* Artie!) and to Maureen at the Inglenook Decor

for this AMAZING telescoping card holder that showed

up on my doorstep yesterday!

What a treat! And, best of all...

it has grandma's treasured chocolate chip recipe resting on it!

Since we've always been outdoors in my garden, I'm giving a sneak peak

into the indoor side. It's getting chilly outside, let's go in...

I love white pottery. Mainly vintage Hull when I can find it.

Ohmega Salvage in Berkeley, how I love thee!

This door used to be my headboard for my king size

bed, but now, it's a message board.

And reminder to my kids to be grateful!

I'm a painter by trade and by necessity!

This is one of my $3 garage sale finds from a few

years ago. The roses on this are amazing.

It was green and black, can you imagine?

See my sedum that I propagated and

transplanted into a tiny Hull vase?

I like to bring the outdoors in.

And, just in case you haven't heard of them.

I had the amazing opportunity to take two 14

year old girls to San Francisco a few weeks ago

for some live Fun. at the Great American Music

Hall. I hope you enjoy them on my newly updated

playlist as much as we do!

That's all you get for now.

I'll show more of "me" soon.

Brag Day for Photo Chick!

2010-10-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Photo chick's 4.0 Honors status has earned her a Canon Rebel. Whoo hooo...she wanted either that or a tiny studded nose ring (I'm not joking and I don't even have to explain why a 14 year old is not getting a nose ring! The Canon Rebel won by parental default.)

We went junking one weekend to the Concord Flea Market. Kinda scary, but kinda cool. She picked up this MINT John Lennon album for a mere $5, then proceeded to incorporate it into her photos.

This is photo chick in front of her "dream" wall. 4x4's of her photography.

and the beauty of bordering on vineyards...

at the edge of Napa county. With photo chick's

new Rebel. A sweet reward for working so hard.

Loving this time of year..

2010-10-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

It's the time of year when

everything starts drying out and dying.

The end of the growing season.

I'm sad.

But, this year, I'm getting seeds.

and propagating this...

to this.

I tried many methods. Splitting.

Different root mediums.

Different soil.

I'll come back and let you know

the best method I've found.

This came out of nowhere (or maybe

somewhere and I forgot it was from seed!)

I'm not an experienced gardener.

Anyone?

I've got the magic in me...

2010-09-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

So, my Facebook status this week is:

"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses!"

This, gardening people, is my magic:

Garden magic will cost you:

$2000 a day for an 1800 mL bag

1 sick kid that relies on it for IV nutrition

nights without sleep

playing nurse and doctor with neither degree

a very foul odor in 104 degree sunshine

but, I've been pouring her leftovers every day on everything.

Another mom swears her tomatoes are...get this, prolific,

because she pours leftover TPN on them.

I questioned our home pharmacy about using

TPN in the garden. I was warned not to DARE using

it on houseplants for the foul odor that will emanate throughout!

THAT is making something good out of something horrible.

My garden looks terrible unattended for 4 weeks.

Bugs, critters, sun damage, heat damage, blah.

This is the best photo of my salvia I could manage today:

My first California Flea Market find:

a good heavy, antique milk bucket...

added "ROSEMARY" AND rosemary to it.

The smell overtook the house for a day.

We've either grown accustomed to it or

day two of cutting isn't as intense.

Brave girl...

2010-09-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

I've been unable to blog

about my garden.

I haven't seen it in almost

3 weeks...living enclosed

in four white walls

This girl is the strongest,

most resilient

and brave girl...

on the planet.

This was taken

a few days before

a bomb went off in

her body.

I will blog again

when we finally get home

and see if anything is left

alive in my garden.

Queen of the Garden

2010-07-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

Meet "Queen" Lily...

keeper of the garden

poo sniffer

garbage can scrounger

she loves the morning sun.

I took this Hibiscus out of the ground and

transplanted into a large pot about three weeks ago.

I couldn't get it to bloom.

I had been misting for humidity.

Then, put it in a rich sun spot and left

it alone and it's blooming all over!

My first year with bougainvillea...

it's been slow growing.

and, Cuphea (Bat Plant)

so happy in it's new spot.

Happy "Sun"Day!

Butterfly Release

2010-06-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

Well, after two weeks of growing caterpillars, watching them cocoon and survive the 7 year old traipsing around the house with their habitat daily, we finally released our Monarch butterflies, all 9 of them! For the last week, they lived in their netted cage in the house. It was so much fun for the kids as they came to us tiny in their containers and we enjoyed watching them grow and "morph".

The exciting part for me is that after 5 hours, I still see three of them fluttering around. They love our garden and I hope they stick around so we can spot them from time to time!

Sharing the Chrysanthemum with another:

And, I'll share more random shots of the garden:

My copper fire pit "morphed" to a bubbly fountain

My favorite variegated Mother's Day Roses

with Everbloom Hydrangeas in the background

And I'm so pleased to introduce:

Renee's Garden Nasturtiums

is a success! My first attempt at them

from seed in the garden. Such a delight!

Happy Father's Day!

This week in the garden

2010-06-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

the bees love my Hebe...

Chrysanthemum

6" dahlias...so sweet!

The weather in Northern California has

been off the hook. Everything is slow growing

for the spring.

So, I will unveil the new garden in a few weeks.

I needed to kill the grass and find a way to

do it without chemicals.

After some research, I decided to "go green"

and gather all the brown grocery bags I could,

with a little help from my neighbor, I

cut them apart and laid garden soil (some 30 bags).

The guys at OSH on one of my final trips said,

"WHAT are you doing?" I explained while he shook

his head. There has been a lot of male head shaking

going on lately. But, it's beautiful and growing.

Pics to come.

What the HAIL? part II

2010-05-27T10:38:00.001-07:00

Northern California- Hail in May?

unbelievable weather

lots of damage to my tall growers...

DISGUSTED at our weather.

Where is the sun, where is the heat?

I'm waiting...

Photographer Chick on

my new gravel path.

What the HAIL?

2010-05-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid to look at the damage...

what the hail????

Transformations...

2010-05-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

Goal: to make peace with my backyard...

it's working...

with a little inspiration from the set of

"Parenthood"...I thought...hmmm...I can do that.

The kids love lying in the hammock

under the lights with a cozy blanket

since it's been SO chilly in Northern California.

2010-05-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

I cannot even explain the hiatus we have been on. Medical disaster. I am now coming back to my blog. Just because there have been no posts since September (WOW), doesn't mean everything is dead!

At the beginning of April, I started a transformation. I think everyone thinks I'm nuts. BUT...it's a good one. Long story short, I am trapped in my house playing nurse and I

am making a solace, a happy place for myself. Something that excites

me to draw the curtains in the morning. I need some happy.

It involves Delphiniums, carpet roses, Begonias, bulbs, and seeds (which I am NOT good at!) A fountain made from our copper fire pit that we never used. I will post some pictures soon.

Long hiatus...

2009-09-12T07:41:00.001-07:00

Photographer chick and I have been
on a long hiatus. Life has been whizzing
by and we are keeping our heads above water,
well, trying to anyway!

Time to slow down and enjoy life...

My ginger plant. The leaves of this
are beautiful. I like to cut them in strips
and ribbon them in the bottom of
glass vases with roses!

Susan sunshine...

2009-07-11T15:45:00.001-07:00

I planted a little Susan

sunshine in my yard.

Still a perennial,

but stepping out of my

box with color!

I'm loving how the center

of these puff out when

the flowers mature!

Notice the new photo

of my photographer

who also discovered the

Susans in the yard plucked

one and put it behind her ear!

2009-07-06T16:51:00.001-07:00

Peekaboo...

Mother's Day Rose!

Buddleia Davidii

aka...Butterfly Bush
I love these sprays with the tiniest
purple flowers!

Garden shots...

2009-07-03T20:54:00.001-07:00

This is the view from my front porch
off to the right. That view beholds
a variety of different ferns, lilies and ivy.

I think there is something really
beautiful
about the trunks of birch trees!

And, then a view of my hydrangeas
looking up into the tree
that protects them from
the harsh Northern California sun!

Been on a major hiatus...

2009-07-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

Purple Liatris
I love this wild looking perennial!
It has spread like wildfire underground and
I will need to divide it this fall when it
stops blooming. I've tried to transfer this
in the middle of full bloom and it dried out
and didn't survive.

2009-06-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

I HATE geraniums, except for...

2009-06-06T10:55:00.001-07:00

my Martha Washington's...
they have just bloomed.

Me with the garden "destroyer"...
I do realize how innocent he looks.

Lilies...

and more lilies...
"Tressor" Lilium Asiatic

The photographer...

2009-06-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

the morning of her

8th grade promotion.

Confessions of a black thumb...

2009-06-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

Artie, here is my best growing

fuschia. I continue to tack it as

it grows up the trellis.

And, (drumroll), now for

all of my recent shortcomings...

1) who cannot get Hostas to grow?

Seriously...

2) Uh, I think this needed some water.

3) My Sago, transplanted...

and suffering.

4) there is a fungus among us...

Just discovered in the camera...

2009-06-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

oops...where did that one come from?

It's the plant destroyer,

more powerful than snails and slugs,

capable of taking out rose

bushes in one swipe...

and with a new weapon.

This one is fabulous...

gotta love the drought resistant ones.

This one will not produce flowers

if I water it. I need more of these.

It screams, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Cactus surprise...

2009-06-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

Fuschia and a FAB succulent!

2009-05-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

End of May shots from the garden...

2009-05-30T08:20:00.001-07:00

my newly planted Astilbe...

UGGG...SNAILS...

2009-05-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

Photographer has been busy.

Why, oh why, is my Slug and Snail bait NOT working?

My Neapolitian Basil that I was so excited about...

HOLES IN ALL OF THE LEAVES!!!

I think this is the culprit.

2009-05-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

"LAT" photographer, hiding behind her camera!

This has to be one of my recent favorites from her:

2009-05-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

Heavenly...

Haws Watering Can

2009-05-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

Every Mother's Day, I go to a nursery in the next town over and buy myself something I love for my garden. Obviously, a perennial or four! I've been doing this since 2004. I have four beautiful striped roses that hover around my fountain, a Sago palm that I just had to have from 2006. This year, I have asked for something a little different. It is a Haws Watering Can. It's pretentious, I know. When a friend asked me to take care of her gardens and pots when she was out of town, I noticed the MANY watering cans she had and I realized that a watering can would sure make my life easier than dragging the hose around. So, this is what I asked for. They are pricey, but supposed to last a lifetime. I cannot wait to see it and touch it.

Tribute to Bubba...

2009-05-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

This is why I do not take the photos for this blog. I am not that great. I am getting better, but not good enough. Anyway, this is my tribute to "Bubba" who is really Beverlee, but her precious granddaughters came up with the nickname and now my kids call her that, too. Bubba is THE coolest 1/2 neighbor a person could have. By 1/2 neighbor I mean that she only lives in California for 1/2 the year and the other 1/2 in Ohio. Sometimes, much to our benefit, we get her 3/4 of the year. She is the spunkiest and coolest 70-something a person could ever meet in a lifetime.

So, see the little Spanish lavender that is on the bottom left? I know it's hard to see with the glare from the sun, but like I said before, my photographer has lost steam, so you are stuck with my pics until she returns. So, this is on Bubba's side of our adjoining landscape. We're not really sure where hers ends and mine begins, so we usually do double duty. So, one day somewhere in October of last year, we discovered together that her lavender was looking sad and dead. It didn't take long to notice the hornets going to and from. Turns out they built a nest under the dirt under this lavender and had KILLED the plant. We found their entrance spot and another tiny hole where some where going in and out of. So, we both are all over the internet researching ways to save our garden. We meet on the side and come to the conclusion that we are going to suffocate them. We could call an exterminator, but that sure as heck would take all of the fun out of it and dammit, we are women, strong women. We have to prove to the men that we don't really need them. We are strong women that are NOT going to let a hive of hornets destroy our Spanish Lavender!!! Bubba goes to WalMart for some glass bowls and spray (we NEED to see how many there were, you know?!) So, we devised our plan and decided we would meet at 9 p.m. in the dark with the bowls, flashlights, every body part covered and a can of hornet spray (insert 007 song...) I wish we had taken a photo because nobody would believe us....there were hundreds of them and it took days for them all to die. Brave Bubba, this is her nickname because not only did she spray the heck out of the nest, a few days later she stuck her arm in the ground and unearthed the nest that was the size of half a basketball!!! She also got her nickname from me months prior to the hornet frenzy because she helped me kill a bat that kept nesting and pooping on my front porch...eewww and got some bat blood on her hand that we worried about for days!!! And, just look, her Spanish Lavender came back to us! Love you, Bubba!

Anyone have a 43 lb. garden pest?

2009-05-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

This is the #1 garden dilemma...

how many times in a day do you have to tell a

little boy that light sabers are NOT to be swung at

plants? Especially NOT the pretty ones. WHAT

is wrong with boys that terrorize and destroy

flowers? Seriously. I left him out in the back for 5

minutes. In 5 minutes, there were more rose

buds and stems on the ground than I can count.

I wonder why my Mother's Day roses are taking

SO long to bloom...DUH...

they are ON the freaking ground!

I have two girls and girls are sweet...

"Oh, look a the pretty flowers (caresses),

can I pick one?" "Ummm, sure honey."

But, lo and behold, boy comes along

with blue light saber and chants,

"DIE, DIE, DIE..."

and he MEANS it...

I do not have aphids or snails, I have a 43 pound

pest that does NOT respond to slug and snail

bait, but *TRASHES* my garden happiness.

Here he is...the apple o' my eye!

Organic??!!?!?

2009-05-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

I think school must be bogging down my photographer, so no photos today.

I found this recipe and can't wait to try it, minus all the "organic" fanfare. Long ago, I threw out the need for "organic" in my life. Surprise to all of you in blogland, not EVERY Californian is an organic junkie. When my kids were little, I went through the "organic" phase for many, MANY years. As soon as we moved back to the US from 5 years overseas, I started buying organic milk for the girls. As a fairly new mom, I read all the stuff out there about the hormones injected into cow's milk and how it impacts premature development in girls. Overseas, the milk we had was gaggalicious. We lived on a fairly remote island, an extension of Japan that did NOT have real cow's milk brought in. One of the dairy plants there would mix powder and water and walllllah, disgusting milk. I'm not sure how they called themselves a dairy plant, but, I digress. So, we set to buying carton milk off the shelf. You know, the kind the supermarkets sell for "emergencies?" A little better, but it needed to be SUPER cold.

So, I tried to get my girls to love Silk. Only one of them did and then it had to be of the chocolate variety! So off to the Nugget Market, I would buy the Horizon Farms Organic Milk in the glass bottles. GOOD GOSH, what was I thinking?? In the end, it didn't prolong premature development at all. A few years ago and after countless hundreds of extra dollars wasted, we are back to Costco non organic milk. I wish I would have saved some of those glass bottles, though, they are cute.

My organic days are over. Don't get me wrong, I love to go to the farm stands near my house and buy local homegrown tomatoes and veggies. I still buy organic sometimes when I feel like throwing money out the window, ha! Anyway, here is what I'm going to do with all of that chocolate mint I have in a huge pot in my garden:

Chocolate Mint Organic (if you want) Ice Cream:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole organic milk
3 1/2 cups fresh organic chocolate mint
5 large organic egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup organic heavy cream

Method:

In a medium saucepan, combine milk and fresh chocolate mint. Bring mixture to a gentle boil, cover and remove pan from heat. Steep mixture for 30 minutes. Strain mixture, reserve milk and discard solids.

Combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until very thick and pale yellow, for about 3-5 minutes. Return milk to a simmer.
Prep an ice water bath. Place ice cubes in a bowl and fill half with water.
Temper the egg yolks by slowly adding half of the warm milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture while stirring constantly until blended. Add new mixture to sauce pan with remaining milk. Stir consistently over low heat until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Remove saucepan from heat and immediately stir in cream. Place an empty bowl over the ice water bath. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into empty bowl and chill for at least 3 hours to overnight in the refrigerator.
Freeze custard in ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Store in an airtight container in freezer until ready to eat.
As always, use as many organic ingredients as possible for optimum flavor! (WHATEVER!)

The view from my garden...

2009-05-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

I will repost this photo in a few weeks.

The hydrangeas are set to change

from green to blue (or will it be

purple this year?) next week

and the pink and white striped roses

(a mother's day gift of 2006!)

are about to explode all over

with color. Funny how after

time, you can almost guestimate

down to a few days when

you will have bloom!

My friend...

2009-05-04T15:10:00.000-07:00

told his friend and that friend told his friend and...

well, you get the picture...

On Friday, I took my little man to his kindergarten field trip to a small little farm in the next town over. As we were getting an introduction, the farm director pointed to the greenhouse and said, "We have plants for sale, also, if anyone is interested."I tried to contain myself as I had to take my group of 3 boys around FIRST. Long story short, one was a wanderer, one just plain didn't listen and the other was perfect. Can you guess which one was my little man...ahhhahhahha. Goat sh*% on the bottom of the shoes and two hours later with the boys happily tucked on the bus, I dashed back in to check out the greenhouse. The director was in there and told me that all of the plants were grown from seed by special needs kids. Uh, okay, sold. I brought home two of these Ageratum that I quickly found a sun/shade spot for!

My friend, finch...

2009-05-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

Look at my new little friend. So, last week, my neighbor tells me about thistle seed. I've been feeding the birds in my yard, but she told me that I'm bringing on the blue jays, who squawk and drive my husband NUTS. So, on one of my recent garden shopping trips, I picked up some thistle in a sock. Here is my new friend. Now, if only I can keep my 6 year old, who is ALL boy, from banging on the window to scare the new friend...geez.

2009-05-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

Tri-color stock...proof

that there are some

annuals in my yard.

I am going to try

my hand at

propagating

these this year.

I hEaRt Hydrangeas and a sneak pic...

2009-04-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

A promise to bloom. I shoved some rusty nails into the base of this early spring, can't wait to see what colors I end up with!

I had to throw the hydrangea shot in there because

this

has NOTHING to do with gardening...

This is what's hiding inside the secret garden shed!

I built this in 2005 with my bare hands...

Don't you love chalkboard paint?

******************************

BLOOD from hammering shingles and missing,

SWEAT from...well, duh,

TEARS when I placed the floor wrong, oops.

******************************

Meyer Lemons...

2009-04-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

Can't wait for this to ripen, I think just another week and I'm going to be happy! I make a drink (more often than I would like to admit) that involves Simply Limeade, Patron Gold, finely crushed ice, and some lemon and lime slivers. I thought I had cornered the market on this and needed to run for a patent until I was informed by someone else that they, too, drink this and suggested a splash of Grand Marnier (tip for those who are running out for the ingredients: you can even get a big bottle at Costco for a good price!) My drink is known around this neck o' the woods as "horse show lemonade." The kids all know it's off limits, has it's own special container and they all just ROLL their eyes.

Here is how it acquired it's name. My daughter (and also photographer extraordinaire in this blog!) and I spent most of 2006 and 2007 traveling throughout California (and Oregon) with her quarter horse to horse shows. Five in the morning, loading up the trailer, half awake, thermos of very strong coffee in hand, arriving, getting horse ready, the kid ready...see where the stress comes in? We were known to butt heads on more than a few occasions (friends that are reading this, STOP laughing). She is strong willed and feisty, which I always say will make for a good tough chica when she's an adult. Sure enough, by 8 a.m. when the classes start and you send them off to the gate, the moms break into the horse show lemonade. Makes the morning nice and numb, relieves jitters (for the moms, anyway) and as long as it's put away by noon, by 6, ready to load up and go home (or back to hotel!) I would pre-mix into jugs so there is no muss no fuss. Even though her showing days are over for now and a thing of the past, the horse show lemonade still lives on. When I'm stressed and things get me down, I break into it with joy. It's my trademark...I can't wait to make some with some slivers of the fruit of my Meyer Lemon tree tossed in with some mint.

2009-04-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

Paraguay Nightshade

I have three of these in my yard and they are pretty quirky. If you don't keep them pruned back, they get really sparse in the middle and look spindly. These are drought resistant and are in a corner with no real irrigation. I've found it likes a spray here and there maybe twice a week. Very fast growing, I have to keep pruning every week to keep it compact, flowering and full in the center.

2009-04-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

The $3.99 no name, bare root, no name, fancy silver tag-LESS, gradeless roses. The base has tiny snippets of pink, but the blossom the most fabulous cream. They smell heavenly. Proof that you don't have to spend a fortune to find something nice. The first year I got these, I thought they were not going to make it. Going on year 4 with them and the rose bush is about 3'x4'. I dream of these along a picket fence and have propagated a bunch of cuttings in hopes to get more. Since they are generic and unpatented, the rose police will not hunt me down, either!

Sweet Jackpot...

2009-04-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

Chocolate mint that I can never walk by without ripping off some leaves to inhale! I need to come up with a cocktail to put these to good use!

On my visit to Morningsun...I was greeted in the parking lot by the biggest lab I've ever seen. He was exquisite with an almost copper coat with deep coppery eyes to match, I was in LOVE! He was such a love bug and after giving him some attention, he didn't leave my side for a while. I've never quite seen that color in a lab before and am regretting not taking some photos of him.

I scored two of the Neapolitan Basil plants, I was told would grow leaves as big as my hand. They are about the size of tiny sweet basil at the moment. They are TINY...time for some Miracle Grow! I picked up some different perennials, a Japanese Bellflower and a Dicliptera that will attract hummingbirds. We already have so many hummingbirds that frequent our yard and the kids love to see them, so why not attract them? I put them in a sunny spot behind some roses. We used to have this same variety in our old house and I miss seeing all the hummingbirds. I also was able to get some different sage and thyme varieties. I have tons of lemon thyme throughout my yard already and love that they are perennials.

I also broke down and bought some tomatoes, Mr. Stripey (loved the name) and some Early Girls. I also got some jalapenos for my husband, who likes to eat them with his eggs in the morning.

My visit to Morning Sun was a success. I also enjoyed seeing all the cyclists out on Pleasants Valley Road today. I do not have the guts to ride out there, the road is far too narrow for my comfort level, but there were many out there and it made me smile. It is a beautiful area. My joy this morning was short lived when a squirrel jumped out in front of my car and I hit him. I was SO sad. I've never hit an animal before on the road, so it made my trip bittersweet.

Morning Sun Herb Farm

2009-04-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

In about 15 LONG minutes, I'm going to head out to Morning Sun Herb farm. I am beside myself with excitement. It seems they have a variety of basil that is called Neapolitan. It grows to the size of your hand, is sweet, and you can use it in place of lettuce on sandwiches. I'm trying to contain my excitement. I'm imagining it on the tomatoes that I used to grown in my garden, but replaced with strawberries this year. I may have to break down and get some tomatoes...I still have some room for one or two next to the strawberries.

2009-04-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I purchased this Lavender Queen Rhododendron. I have a friend who has a plethora of Rhododendrons in her back yard, sitting in the shade and they are to die for. I've never had them before, but after seeing hers blooming, I had to get some. The dark green foliage looks like broken in leather! I love purple flowers, there was a year where my entire front yard was purples and I realized how boring that was. So, I stepped out with different colors and didn't buy a single purple flower for a few years! This was my first venture back, with the exception of the bearded irises! I cannot wait until this blooms, I'm watching it mature and I think this photo of the new budding below is so sweet!

2009-04-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Last spring, I saw a notice in the paper about an Iris farm not too far from my house. I took a drive out to Pleasants Valley Iris Farm out in the middle of the country. It was breathtaking and run solely by a family. For about a month in the spring, they open up the farm and show off the MANY varieties of bearded irises. I chose my favorite ones and bought the yearling plants for sale in the greenhouse. This is my Midnight Caller in it's first bloom for me.

You can more information about them at www.irisfarmer.com

My Cabana rose that has mutated and produces both variegated and crimson colored roses.

2009-04-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

Japanese Blood Grass...

Sharri...remember these stakes?

from Pottery Barn and probably 14 years old.

This used to be a sage pot, but my pineapple

mint has taken over. I left the stake in hopes that

someday the sage may come back and reclaim it's territory!

The only Spanish Lavender I have, just a snippet along my front walk. It's nestled in with some English Ivy. I think it's beautiful, but I don't like how "woody" it gets, so I try to keep this small.

Need much more of this...

2009-04-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'd rather have roses on my table

than diamonds around my neck.

-Emma Goldman

Cabana variegated rose...

as summer goes onward, these double in size.

Candytuft (Iberis Sempervirens)

This is actually an evergreen that is woody and low growing. When I first bought this, it was about 3 inches tall and maybe 2 inches in width. I didn't like the way it had a short blossom to it, but maybe it just hadn't matured yet. I now love it and want much, much more of it...everywhere!

Ranunculus (Persian Buttercup). This is my

first year playing with this. I have found out

of the three I bought, only one is surviving...hmmm. No time for high maintenance flowers in my life.

My love for Coleus...

2009-04-23T10:32:00.001-07:00

I just love Coleus. It is so hardy with our climate and as long as I keep the soil drenched on our hot California days, it grows like crazy. So many different varieties with amazing colors. I am going to have to look into the perennial varieties out there, was told they can be found online or special order. I may stop on over at Etsy to see if I can find them.

Also, want to throw in one of my favorite getaways...just 7 minutes from my house, off on the way to Lake Berryessa... Morning Sun Herb Farm. You can find them here...www.morningsunherbfarm.com. You will pay a slight bit more, but they are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. They even have fun gardening classes and teach you how to create things from your garden. I buy all of my veggies there, though I have decided against the veggies this year due to an that an illness in the family keeps me away at times. I will come home to find rotten tomatoes all over the place and tomato vines that have gotten out of control. So, this year, I went with strawberries in place of my veggie garden. Especially because we spend about $10 a week on a flat of them, the kids pop them like candy!

2009-04-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

Wow...these are the most fragrant roses. They were one good thing that came with our house. I will say that all thanks for the way this looks goes to my friend and complete garden guru, Tammy, for giving me the courage to hack them back to nothing. Actually, that's not fully true, I really couldn't do it and had to hand over the shears to her. I wanted to cry for a few weeks. I had never taken them back so far, but if you saw Tammy's yard, you would trust her, too . Some Bayer 2-in-1 Systemic Rose & Flower Care...best $8.00 I ever spent on my yard! I also mixed a little bone meal into the base of each of my roses to give the roots a little extra calcium! They have NEVER looked better.

Look who's in my garden...

2009-04-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

Our lizard friends sunning on a rock. One

is missing the majority of his tail. Sadly, it was a

neighborhood boy trying to catch

him..eeek! I'm not telling who did it, but

I witnessed it, glad to see he's still alive...

maybe he didn't need his tail after all?!

And why do we refer to all lizards as "he?"

Beautiful daisies...

these spread like a California wildfire...

BTW, isn't my photographer FAB??!

(Paige, this is your best yet, great eye!)

I love this shot so much, it's our blog header!

Look at how perfect this perennial has come

back this year, lots of love and fertilizer!

A secret playhouse...

2009-04-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Madalyn's playhouse, disguised as a garden shed.

2009-04-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to doing these chairs a few weeks ago...thanks to Paige for the artistic photo of it! The chairs came from some neighbors up the street who were moving and thought I might be able to give them some love. They were bare wood and needed some TLC and screws to keep them from coming apart, but all in all had good "bones." For a long time, I had them black and chippy looking, then decided that I love the romantic look of creams (uh, thanks Sharri for the addicting blogs you have me hooked on) and finally got a brush to the chairs. Got the chair pads at Ross for $5.99 a piece, great deal, they are reversible. They will look beautiful with the backdrop of the roses behind them when they bloom.

2009-04-22T10:22:00.001-07:00

Some annuals in one of my favorite pots. I've never been a big fan of annuals, but I do love the color. I'm trying to expand my horizons, but when buying plants, I always lean towards perennials. I've been eyeing some rare perennials on Etsy that are sent bare root, I may have to jump.

I love coleus, all varieties, but this one is by far my favorite for the way it spreads. Living in Northern California, I've actually had one species, Coleus Blumei, grow as a perennial for two years...I guess our winter was mild enough for it. I am going to start this variety from seed next year because I love the way it looks in pots.

2009-04-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

My first year with Columbine, it's a

fascinating flower...

stopped me cold at the nursery...

and the fountain that resulted in the months of

searching every weekend, dragging my three

children to garden centers all over the place...

from Sacramento, Napa, American Canyon, to

the bay area only to find it about 10 miles from

my house and for less than I had set aside to

spend. My friends were even in on my

desperation and were on the lookout so much

that my friend was out on a run and came across

a Garden party with fountains of all shapes

and sizes.

There was great joy in my house for this discovery!

the bench that stayed behind...

2009-04-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting the opportunity to work on my backyard. I have the front yard looking exactly how I want it. Now, it's time to focus on the back. This park bench came with us in a move from our old house a few years ago. The previous owner's moving truck was full and it was left behind, to our benefit. I stained the wood the color of the fence, found a good spot for it, and finished it with some cozy cream pillows. Last week, I finished staining the back and side fence with

Behr's solid deck stain in coffee, which is the same color I did for our deck. It mostly took away the ugly gray sprinkler marks and I'm really liking how it's looking. I finished off the flower beds with classic black mulch that gives the plants a pop. I love black bark. I'm testing the Scott's variety to see if it really lives up to the guarantee to not fade.

Snow in California

2009-04-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

With the most recent windstorms in California...

allergies running wild but, we've had...SNOW!

The tree is humming with all the pollination!

If you click on the photo you can see it "snowing!"

Don't you love all the letter stuff that's out

these days? Anthropologie and

Pottery Barn have been running

wild with them lately, why can't the garden

have it's own touch, too?! I actually transferred

this about 10 feet yesterday down the fence and

was so afraid I would kill the Ivy when I

repositioned it. All we need is a little sun and it

will look as full as it was before I moved it! And,

no, it does not stand for a bad word.

This month I am going to learn to:

1. compost, it's almost earth day.

2. propagate my favorite roses

3. try my hand at wheat grass

4. split up my japanese blood grass

it has gone berserk...

The new "Love" in my life...

2009-04-07T21:23:00.001-07:00

I recently picked up this rose bush, had it in

my cart and went to ask for some climbing roses.

The lady at the gardening center came over when

I summoned her for help and she said,

"Ahhhh, I see you've found the "Love" rose.

I'm not a stuffy rose collector. I don't need

Grade 1 Roses with fancy silver dog tags.

One of my all time favorite, most

beautiful cabbage roses came from one of those

bare root rose bins that gardening centers

throw in the corner, unpatented and CHEAP!

Probably a grade 3 or not even graded.

I hope Paige will get some photos, it's about

to explode with the the most amazing pale

white blooms with the slightest hint of pink.

Obviously my favorite and cost me about $3.99.

It has loved the systemic fertilizer this year, too.

So, needless to say, I have a fancy

patented rose bush sitting in my backyard.

I just thought this was a pretty

shot, I hope "Love" survives in it's new

environment, a sunny corner of my yard.

Wisteria

2009-04-06T23:21:00.001-07:00

This makes me smile every morning when I go out

in the back...Amethyst Falls Wisteria...

it smells heavenly!

Spring in California!

2009-04-06T23:02:00.000-07:00

A friend gave me this flower box a long time ago when they were re-landscaping their yard. It's been sitting on the side of the shed for a year now with nothing in it because it was so boring. I had an AHA! moment and I knew just what to do with it!

It's so perfectly weathered that the bottom is rotted. I fixed the bottom, added a layer of plastic and some mulching to keep it moist as this part of my yard doesn't get as much of the sprinklers! I like it!

The Winking Puppy

2009-03-22T14:27:00.001-07:00

I couldn't resist posting this...my puppy.

Child Labor

2009-03-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

Bugsy's first painting lesson. The kids ALWAYS want to get in the middle of some of my projects, so Mad decided to sit by his side and boss him about how to paint smoothly.

Love this...

2009-03-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

I love spring in California!

Random garden shots

2009-03-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

This was taken by my 13 year old budding

photographer...she is getting good!

Succulents I've had for 3 years now, with some

jade thrown around the pot!

I came across this little clay pot years

ago in a vintage store in St. Helena, one of

my favorite little towns I dream of living in! I

put some sand in the bottom, a

little potting soil and this little cactus blooms

the most amazing pink flowers, but is

extremely random when it chooses to bloom.

Most days it looks like this. I

still love it, flowering or not!

Welcome to "Leave a Trail..." I started this blog for fun. I'm always in the middle of a project (er, well, many if you ask my husband).

Some of my projects are just OUT there, but I like nice, unique things. I think it's fitting for my first entry to post one of my favorite projects...this table. I bought it at a yard sale for $5 when we lived in Chicago. It has been many, many colors. I've used it as a coffee table, put it outside with plants, the girls had tea parties on it, and it's been stored it away. Most recently, though, it has been it's co-habitating with weeds on the side of my house in "the graveyard" getting that oh so perfect weathering. Yeah, I did that on purpose.

I was inspired by a photo I saw online of a beautiful cottage English-style garden and in it, was a birdhouse that looked like it had weathered many years. It inspired me to do something with the sad graveyard table and gave my husband something to roll his eyes at. Got out the power saw, some nails and screws and even got some funny looks from a couple of neighbors. So, here it is, pre-birdy playhouse...

and after, nestled in the fuschia! I can't wait for

the fuschia to bloom. I painted the edges

with a gray outdoor paint to maintain the

weathering look and to cover the freshly

"sawn" edges.