Art Garden Diva

Happy New Year 2012 from Manzanita Beach

2012-01-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

We've been coming to Manzanita Beach for years to celebrate the New Year. When our kids were younger it was always a night of family games and homemade pizza or chowder, but as they got older, they longed to be in town with their friends. It was as quiet as could be on the beach, no parade, revelry or fireworks. However, in the past few years, there has begun a little tradition of a parade forming at the Little Apple Market, and about 75 brave souls venturing forth towards the Ocean, banging pots and pans, blowing into Conch Shells, and cheering wildly.

This year, we were blessed with a mild 46 degrees and no rain!

OK, it's not Times Square, but we even had a small fireworks display, and people lingered on the beach, drinking champagne, talking and laughing...not a bad way to welcome in the New Year!

Wishing everyone a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Fall Abundance in the Pacific NW

2011-11-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

I love the Farmers Markets and Fruit Stands that pop up everywhere in Oregon in the middle of Fall. The fruits and vegetables are the most ripe and abundant, and the colors the most brilliant. I feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful place.

It's hard to think that winter is just around the corner, so I had to post something with lots of color to sustain me through the gloomy months ahead!

It's an Artist and Foodie paradise!

These orange and purple beets would be so fun to paint!

It's nice to see the Oregon City Farmers Market being so well supported, it's grown a lot in the past couple of years.

These peppers were almost too good to eat...they were huge and perfectly formed, but they tasted fabulous stuffed with a little beef, brown rice, herbs and tomatoes!

We took the Fruit Loop Tour around Mt. Hood and enjoyed the wineries and fruit stands along the way. It was such a beautiful day, and we came home with a lovely variety of apples and pears.

Nothing like fresh Hood River Apples for baking, or just to cut up and enjoy with a little Carmel dip!

Stepping into an Anne of Green Gables Novel

2011-10-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

I could have titled this post "Breakfast and Vignettes." Maybe it's because I'm an artist that I really appreciate the details, and there were so many lovely details that spoke to my heart at the Wine Country Inn. The tranquility of the setting, warmth and hospitality of the Inn Keepers, good food and comfort.

When we awoke, there was a hustle and bustle in the kitchen, enticing coffee smells, and a table carefully set. I set out through this cozy kitchen to catch a few shots in the morning light.

When I returned, this lovely bowl of fresh fruit awaited. Many of the Inn's that we have stayed in recently, served a token muffin and coffee, so it was a real treat to enjoy a homemade, delicious breakfast!

Yummy ham and egg casserole, roasted potatoes and fresh market tomatoes.

Followed by cheese made by the students at Washington State University.

Who knew? It was very good, by the way.

All the furnishings looked old and comfy, but were actually new and comfy.

I loved the vignettes, which seemed to have stories within a story; fun collected pieces that really gave the room character.

Gerry had stories for many of the pieces, and it was interesting to learn about their origin.

This room reminded me of the charming houses I stayed in when I travelled to England and Scotland after college.

The little vases came from Seattle, brought by the Chinese labor that worked in the underground tunnels in that city.

the 'man cave' corner

Everything told a story and was beautifully arranged. Gerry mentioned that she hoped to host Women's Getaway's, and I'd love to bring my Art Buddies here for a few days of painting!

A Step Back in Time

2011-10-05T21:53:00.000-07:00

It was like stepping back in time, staying at this charming Inn in Selah WA. thewinecountryinn.com The home had such charm, I found myself going a little crazy with the photos. There's far too many for one post, so you'll have to bear with me as I give you my impressions of this lovely place over a series of posts.

This lovely old Craftsman style house, built in 1922 and lovingly restored by the owners, and been turned into the most charming Bed and Breakfast!

It reminded me of places on the East coast that Rick and I stayed at when we first were married, 30 years ago. Inn Keepers, Gerry Moore and Brett, were more like a friends when we left, than a hosts. You could really see the passion Gerry has for her home and for making her guests feel welcome.

Everywhere there was such attention to detail...nothing was overlooked in creating a magical atmosphere for people to relax and enjoy.

The quilt on this lovely hammock was an heirloom from Gerry's family. Couldn't you just imagine curling up with a book in such a lovely setting?

I could just see people sitting out on the lawn on a lovely summer's evening, enjoying a glass of Pinot Gris and sharing the day's events.

Everywhere I looked there was a lovely little scene, and I'm sure, a story.

I loved this old barn with tons of character, like something out of a movie set.

A Photo Op everywhere.

The apples were just about ready to harvest, and there was an apple picking event planned to make applesauce, and cider. How perfect!

Garden Girl- Garden Decor in Yakima, WA

2011-10-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

Last week, 'Dear Husband' had a meeting at the new Suncadia Lodge in Roslyn, WA, so we stopped along the way for a little wine tasting and sight seeing.

In Yakima, I couldn't believe how beautifully decorated this garden shop called Garden Girl was.

When we arrived, the shop was closed, but had lots of 'eye candy' with plants, urns and Garden Art, placed all around the building. A true feast for the eyes.

Isn't this about the most romantic thing you've ever seen?

Love the pumpkins and Stargazer Lillies.

Not to mention the chandelier!

Cute little ice cream chairs with pumpkins

Love the use of grasses and fresh Pansy's...

Love white pumpkins! They last through winter and look great with winter berries and greens.

Lovely Kale and Potato Vines!

On our return trip, I didn't get to spend as much time in the store as I would have liked, since we were on our way back for a family dinner celebrating Rick's birthday.

It was full of Halloween and Fall inspired treasures and I got some good decorating ideas.

Don't you just love this charming chandelier of old spoons and cups?

Love the Tin Stars below! I was in such a hurry, but I wish I had purchased one. I did get some of the lovely Kale plants and a fun Halloween Deco that I'll feature in another post.

A Little 'Northern Exposure' in Roslyn, Washington

2011-09-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

I always liked the qurkie show called Northern Exposure, which was popular from 1990-1995. It was about a Doctor who arrives in Alaska under contract to pay back a Student Loan. He's a 'City Slicker' type who is out of his element in the rural Alaska location of the sitcom. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098878/ Actually, the filming took place in Roslyn WA and in the Seattle area, and this painted mural is in the opening scene.

A camel in the desert in laughable in this climate and gets your attention.

A lot of the activity in the show takes place at The Brick, which is the tavern in the center of town.

This plaque of sorts, explains how it's the oldest tavern in the State of WA.

There's lots of local color.

One startling observance was the 'gutter' of running water at the base of the bar. In the early days this was a coal mining town and a men only bar. One doesn't even want to imagine what went on in there!

An old iron stove heats the place in the cold months.

The food was surprisingly good and fresh.

The buildings looked very much as they did 125 years ago.

Interesting murals depicting the history of the town.

Cute cottages around town.

Take away the cars, and substitute horses, and you'd be in a time machine on this main street at the foothills of a forest.

it seemed fitting that on the way back to the lodge, we crossed paths with these lovely creatures.

Vintage Living Candy Shop in Manzanita

2011-09-18T23:25:00.000-07:00

If you long for the nostalgia of your childhood favorites, you have to check out this cool candy shop in Manzanita, OR. http://www.manzanitasweets.com/

It's nice to see this location a happy place again. Everyday there a cute, new little dress at the front door, and a list of the featured goodies of the day.

Moon Pies, Wax Lips, Mars Bars...A kids dream!

I found my own favorite Abba-Zaba Bars, and was instantly transported back to walking home from the local Dairy Store, while enjoying my favorite candy in Linda Mar, CA. For the unenlightened, Abba-Zaba Bars are a taffy candy with a peanut butter like center. We won't even discuss the fact that they are a dental disaster waiting to happen...for an 8 year old, you're talking pure bliss!

The nostalgia continues, with cute 50's style aprons, and Unique Clocks

Special Occasion hats...

and a glass counter full of gourmet chocolates! It's definitely worth a stop.

From Chicken Coops to Opera

2011-08-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I heard about the Tour De Coops in Vancouver, WA. There were 15 coops for viewing, and it was about a 15 minute walk north of downtown. It was a beautiful day, perfect for walking around town.

These cute signs alerted everyone to the coop sites. Lots of people rode their bikes from site to site.

Many people put in runs for their chickens, which are more like pets with benefits. The 'benefits' are the fresh eggs they provide to their owners and neighbors. These hens are more likely to die of old age, than end up on a dinner table.

Neighbors get involved in helping to care for chickens when the owners go on

vacation. It's a win win situation for everyone.

Charming entry to one of the homes on tour.

A view from inside one of the coops. Many were decorated with chicken memorabilia, which owners claimed the chickens favored.

This one, had a chicken run that led into the garden, where there were lots of very healthy, and well fertilized plants!

One happy hen

Beautiful gardens and chickens seemed to go together

In case they get lost

More happy hens

This colorful Art Chicken was actually on the street. DH had to get in the act.

The chickens are tucked in at night to protect them from predators.

I cut the Coop Tour short to head over to good friends, Steve and Trudie's for a night of Italian wine and opera. What a lovely way to savor a warm summer night!

They go to Italy a lot, and their garden definitely has a Mediterranean feel to it.

At intermission, Trudy served lovely desserts-Toffee bars, fresh peach and berry Angel food Cake, and Brownies.

Gotta love summer in Oregon!

Best Chinese Food in Vancouver

2011-07-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

From the front of the the building in a quasi-industrial area, you would never guess that the House of Beijing was a 4 star restaurant, but the food is fresh and full of flavor! We started with the Crab Puffs and Pot Stickers-not your usual dab of chicken and crab...very generous and not at all doughy!

The Lemon Chicken was the best I've ever had...very lemony and fresh!

I'm not even a fan of Kung Pao, but the Kung Pao King, full of chicken, scallops, shrimp, and veggies, was fresh and amazing.

Don't let the location fool you-it's worth the trip!

Cracked Pots Art Show at Mc Menamins Edgefield

2011-07-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

I finally made it out to Mc Menamins for the Cracked Pots Art Show. It's held every year, and features art made from recycled materials. There's also some plants and herbs for sale. Mc Menamins Edgefield is a magical place, and I can't wait to go back out there to sketch and paint. The Mc Menamin Brothers are famous in the Portland area for taking run down and abandoned buildings and turning them into showpieces featuring restaurants, gardens, movies and often live entertainment. This property at Edgefield was once a Poor House. http://www.mcmenamins.com/?loc=3 But, today it was a background to some amazing art.

Art was displayed all around the property, so it was fun to just walk around the natural garden settings and imagine how a piece of art would work in your yard. Believe me, there were several pieces that would have worked in mine, and I really was tempted at every turn!

These charming glass flowers, Blooming Glass by Alex Hargrave, were made of metal and glass, and I regretted that I didn't circle back and purchase one.

Chicken Coops are a big deal in our area, and there's often tours http://www.growing-gardens.org/portland-gardening-resources/chickens.php to show off abodes for these barnyard fowl. Wouldn't these cute chickens by HollyArt be perfect for coop decor?

The ground at Edgefield provide tons of 'eye candy' for artists and gardeners. This is the doorway to their herb gardens. Of course the water tower in the center of the property is a real focal point.

I loved the sea of umbrellas that shielded diners from the rare Portland sunny day. Each property has it's own unique style, and in the background you can barely see the cool painted decorative towers.

Lovely little secret places to explore...note the decorative finials at the top of the stairs near the on-site brewery.

Around the show were lots of great tips to reduce waste and raise recycling awareness.

I had to take one of these fun metal fish home for my beach garden!

Love these metal fruit sculptures

Another view of the water tower and the art that was everywhere. There was a lovely place set up for lunch outside where you could order things like Hawaiian pork, Cesar Salads, and burgers, but I was having too much fun chatting to take pictures. You meet the nicest people at these shows and two lovely women, Leona and Dee, kindly let me share their table. It was fun to talk crafts and favorite books.

There was so much to see, I spent an amazing three hours checking everything out. If you want more information, check out this link: http://www.crackedpots.org/index.html I know I'll definitely be back next year.

This is the porch in front of the hotel. Back in my wedding photography days, this property was one of my favorite places to work. What a lovely place to relax and enjoy the view.

Crusin' the Gut

2011-07-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend DH heard of a car show in Vancouver, WA. called Crusin' the Gut. We rushed over to Vancouver thinking it would end in the early afternoon, and found that it continued well into the evening. Unlike many car shows, this one actually had the cars cruising down Main St. rather than just sitting on the street for viewing.

The cars had to be older than 1972 and I heard there were well over 1,500 cars exhibited. It was a free event, and all people had to do to participate, was to donate a couple of cans of food for Share House, a local food bank.

I don't know much about 'muscle cars' except that I like to paint them in watercolor, but the hydraulics looked fascinating. They could move side to side, up and down and they put on a good show. It was a far cry from the 'hopped up' cars of the past.

I always love the decorative hood ornaments like this airplane above.

People lined the streets in lawn chairs, watching the day long parade of cars. Some bars and restaurants set up beer gardens on their patios, but mostly it was a family event that everyone enjoyed.

Fun car colors you never would have seen in the 50's, 60's, or 70's.

These signs were posted everywhere, but later in the evening

we saw a car roar down the street with flames shooting out the back- a real crowd pleaser.

At dusk things really fired up and it was fun to see these cars in action. It was a beautiful summer night which has been rare in the NW the past couple of years.

It was fun to step back to time when life seemed much simplier. The local Kiggins Theater, played American Graffiti throughout the day, and hamburger joints did a great business. It reminded me of Crusin the Main (Main St. Walnut Creek, CA) back when I was in high school, when hanging out at the pizza joint after a football game was the highlight of the week.

Remember when 'car hops' brought your food out on trays that hooked to the door and you ate in your car? My girlfriends and I would sit for hours drinking A & W Rootbeer, eating french fries, and talk for hours about the 'Big Hunks' at school!

Celebrating a time when Hot Rods ruled the day and crusin' was a way of life...Oh yeah, gas was 32 cents a gallon!

Yummy Wine Bar and Bistro- A Great Discovery in Seaside

2011-07-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

After a long weekend of gardening and spreading bark mulch, I was just getting ready to relax with a glass of wine and survey our hard work, when dear husband sheepishly asked if I would like to take a 40 minute drive up the coast to Home Depot to buy a sprinkler part. Since it was already 7 PM, it was like "Hello, are you kidding me?" However, he did sweeten the deal with the promise of a stop for dinner in Seaside. For the unenlightened, Seaside, OR. is not known as a mecca of fine dining, so imagine my surprise, when we stopped at

Yummys and found a charming place with great food.

We each ordered an appetizer since at that hour, we didn't want heavy food. DH had The Ahi Tuna, which was beautifully presented on a bed of fresh avocado, with a seaweed topping, and wassabi soy sauce. I had the Crispy Pot stickers, which were light and flavorful, filled with chicken and vegetables and served with a lovely soy dipping sauce.

The restaurant is small, but beautifully decorated. You can eat at a table or sit on the comfy couches and eat from TV trays. Either way, it's a fun dining experience.

We both ordered a glass of wine from their extensive wine list, and enjoyed a bowl of their signature Seafood chowder. The chowder is a creamy broth style, filled with fish, shrimp, and scallops, which was enhanced, by their 'secret ingredient'- cubes of yams, which added a delightful touch of sweetness to the soup.

The menu changes seasonally four times a year, so everything is fresh. Here's another view of the inviting interior. It's a very welcoming place.

If you find yourself in Seaside at dinnertime, don't dispair, check out Yummy Wine Bar and Bistro. You won't be disappointed. http://yummywinebarbistro.com/

Celebrating the 4th of July at Manzanita Beach

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

It's been over twenty years since we started coming to Manzanita for the 4th of July. For me, it's always been the best place to be, even though our little town swells to over 8,000 people, everyone seems happy to be celebrating something! This year having more than two consecutive days of sunshine since last November was cause enough for celebration!

The parade always starts with the Color Guard carrying the flags.

And, some cool cars

Some ingenious costumes..

Happy spectators..Hi Jaimie!

Cute pets..

Boat Floats...

And colorful characters...

Cart'M, the local Recycle Center, always does something very creative. This year it was a gramophone
made out of recycled materials.

Of course, Rick aways looks forward to a chance to bring out his grandfather's 1943 Willy's Jeep

Great friends, Mark and Barb, check out the scrapbooks from years past. When our kids were younger, we put together many floats for the parade. Hopefully, 'The Kids' will circle back to the beach when they have families of their own.

You always have to have the feast! Can't go wrong with the traditional favorites-BBQ Ribs, potato salad, baked beads, corn on the cob and brownies!

What 4th of July would be complete without fireworks?

I captured these images from a hilltop near the beach.

Art Journey-Getting back on Track

2011-06-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I knew that I'd hit a new low in my Art Journey when I found myself having lunch at The Island Cafe on the Columbia River, with cool boats and wonderful things to paint everywhere...and No Sketchbook, pencils or paints! Even worse, I didn't even have my camera, or cell phone...Hello?

The photo above is from a previous visit when I didn't take many scenery shots.

This is the last thing I painted from our trip to Florida. I miss painting, but it takes discipline to keep at it, which is the only way I know I'll improve.

So, when I found this site for the Sketchbook Project I was so excited since it's a great way to be accountable and stay on track. Check it out...anyone who can join:

http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject

Also, I found this wonderful book if you would like more information on how to keep a Watercolor Journal:

http://tinyurl.com/4ykeztb by Cathy Johnson. I love how she give you prompts and style samples. Best of all, she gives suggestions for Sketch Crawl- which is a great idea for getting 'Artsy' friends together for a fun activity.

Fernhill Glass-Glass Blowing

2011-06-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

While I was off at Ambiance, http://tinyurl.com/5v7wyxl shopping in Astoria, dear husband was growing more bored by the moment. He took off walking around the city, and found this cool Glass Studio (Fernhill Glass), which he brought me back to see. It's definitely worth the visit.

The owner Claude Kurtz, was making a vase. I can't even begin to explain the process but it involved rolling, blowing into a tube, shaping and firing. Repeat! Fortunately, there is a gallery that's open to the public, and you are able to watch the process. Suffice to say, there's a lot of work goes into their beautiful pieces!

firing and shaping...

more firing...

Claude formerly worked in WA. and at a studio at McMenniman's Troutdale for 10 years before coming to the Oregon Coast....

Their studio, opened in 2004, is one of several involved with making the the glass floats for the Finder's Keepers "Float Faeries" Event in Lincoln City. http://www.oregoncoast.org/pages/glass-floats.php

Their work is beautiful, and they make and sell everything from 'Japanese' Floats, vases, paperweights, plates to glass fish etc. They have a great showroom with a large variety of items to purchase. Plus, there's a very cool store parrot, who guards the checkout desk. I was so involved in checking out all the cool glass that I forgot to take his picture, but he's a real personality!

There was also some beautiful polished glass to purchase by the scoop. If you find yourself in Astoria, this is well worth the stop.

Before I die. What's important to you?

2011-06-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

What would you do before you die? I came across this on Twitter and it stopped me 'dead in my tracks' as they say. What's important to you to do in your lifetime? http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/198bOF/candychang.com/before-i-die-in-nola/

It sounds like a cliche, but I hope to do something meaningful to make the world a better place. Maybe this will get me off the dime to teach art in the schools where programs have been cut, or teach women who have lost hope to find their purpose through watercolor journaling.

What would you do?

Turquoise and Orange Earring Color Splash

2011-06-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

I don't usually love the color orange, but this year I find myself strangely drawn to it, especially if it's paired with turquoise. Maybe since it's been one of the rainiest springs on record here in the pacific NW, it just brightens everything up. Orange is a happy color. You can't be in the doldrums when wearing orange.

I love pairing orange, turquoise and copper.

It's been fun using these bright colors in my jewelry making, since there's such a good choice of beads on the market. Here's some sample of some items that were recently listed in my shop.

Drop by and take a look while my orange craze continues.

When I purchase beads for my ETSY shops, I can't resist the orange beads. Maybe they hearken back to my youth, and the bright Orange Crush soda cans. Whatever the reason, I was surprised to learn that Orange, along with Turquoise, Purple and Yellow are hot colors for this year.

http://www.suite101.com/content/hot-trends-for-spring-2011-a327146

Flamingoes at the Urban Cafe

2011-05-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite destinations in Astoria is the Urban Cafe. It's a great place for lunch, although we've been known to indulge in one their wonderful desserts as a late night treat. Today though, I was drawn in by the flamingos. There must have been 50 of them in the window.

I had to check out the plants showcasing a small outside eating area too. OK, it's been a long, wet spring, and we're starved for color.

They have a great selection of Quesadillas-Caribbean 'Jerk' Chicken, Curried Chicken, Apple and Walnut,

and Roasted garlic, to name just a few.

Another popular menu item with my family is their Garlic Pesto Chicken Mac-a creamy, cheese, basil sauce with chicken and penne pasta.

I usually opt for one of their yummy Salads like their Urban Greek Spinach Salad, or T. Paul's Thai Salad, or their Cajun Fish Tacos. Whatever you go for, you must try the Blue Iced Tea shown below!

Friends of the Library Pop Up Store

2011-05-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, the Friends of the Library Pop Up Store opened on NW 23, where the old Music Millennium store used to be. The city is making it very attractive to non-profits to occupy vacant storefronts in the core downtown area. It's a win win situation for both the city and the non-profit organizations.

The store is supposed to only be open for two months, but there's the possibility of it staying open longer.

In addition to over three thousand donated books, there's some amazing art work, cards, jewelry and gift items.

There's a great children's area which is totally user friendly for the kids to sit and look through books, and a chance for harried parents to get a chance to browse. The kids love being able to go through and read the books, and if Shelly's around, she's been known to drop everything to sit and read to them.

It's worth the trip downtown if you're looking for a good read, or a special gift or card. Plus, the art is very reasonably priced too. All the book sales go to the Multnomah Library for special programs, plus a percentage of the art sales which are sold on consignment. It's a great example of a win win situation for the Artists and the Library.

Above, some fun collage art, and below, some beautiful acrylic paintings that come framed and ready to hang in your home or office. New art comes in daily, and new books come in every Wednesday.

There's a wonderful selection of cards....

Did I mention over 3,000 books? I snapped up several barely used gardening books for under $5 each!

Stop by and check us out!

Oprah's Last Show Girlfriend Get together -The End of An Era

2011-05-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

The Moscow Mule and Kleenex, in case we do the 'Ugly Cry!'

The last Oprah show aired on May 25th, 2011. It was a much anticipated/dreaded event among my friends. We are among Oprah's legions of Ultimate Fans, although we never set foot in her Chicago Studio, or made the cut for the Australia trip, or even dreamed of being in the audience when Oprah gave away all those Favorite Things. No, we are the minions who faithfully tuned in each day. I guess you could say that we're the 'Silent Majority' of Oprah fans. We've scheduled teacher conferences, Dr. Appointments, play dates, shopping trips, house cleaning etc, all around that all important 4 PM time slot. No calls would be taken,

no dinners made (except during the commercials), until the show was over. Now we are facing a veritable desert of How to Live our Lives, how to determine what books to read, how to navigate the twists and turns of our life's journey without her inspiration and guidance. Oh the misery....

When in a quandary make a Moscow Mule. They really are yummy!

OK, we didn't have the fancy tin cups. I thought this was a drink that Oprah's staff made up to go along with the Yosemite trip, but not so much. It's been around since the 50's? and there really are cute little tin cups that go with the drink. My friend Barb's (my Gail) parents actually had them!!! Who knew?

http://www.oprah.com/food/Moscow-Mule-Recipe_1

We figured after all the wistful conversation we needed something substantial to eat, so I made this Chopped Italian Salad. It was very good, but bear in mind that I'm one of those 'A little of this, and a little of that" cooks who loves to adapt recipes, so make sure the quantity of ingredients sounds right to you considering your families needs.

Italian Chopped Salad

1/3 c olive oil

1/2 c rice vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon each oregano, dill,

3 cloves garlic

1/3 c fresh basil chopped

1 head chopped romaine lettuce

1 red pepper finely diced

1 sm. red onion diced

3 oz. each Genoa salami cut into strips

3 oz. hard cheese diced

1 cup canned, drained, garbanzo beans

1/4 c Kalamata sliced olives

1/4 c chopped Italian Parsley

1/2 c. fresh Parmesan Cheese

OK, we had some Coconut Shrimp (from Costco), and some Pita Bread to go with the cheese and veggies. The Coconut Shrimp was worth the calories!

In the end, Oprah spoke from her heart. It was her Mission Statement, and it was perfect. We'll miss you Oprah! You're the BEST! Thank you for a great 25 years! Looking forward to OWN.

I thought Mighty Girl did a great job 'Telling it like it is' what we have all learned from Oprah, so I'm linking you to her Blog:

http://mightygirl.com/2011/05/23/oprahs-last-show-project-what-have-you-learned/

Painting at the Rhododendron Gardens

2011-05-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

It's been such a rainy and busy Spring that the Art Buddies have had a hard time getting together and painting. It seems that members of our group have been busy traveling, moving, working, or dealing with health issues, so our time together has been pretty hit and miss. Sometimes impromptu works, so when it looked like we had a clear day, Joanie and I were able to grab our art supplies and head out to the Portland Rhododendron Gardens.

It was pretty crowded, but the flowers were beautiful, and we saw lots of lovely spots to paint from.

Due to the wet spring we've had, the Roddies were about a month behind, so the season will extend well past normal. There's so many things to paint, buildings, ducks, a bridge and foliage, that we know we have to come back in the fall. The gardens were really lovely, and I tried to capture as many angles as I could for painting later. I couldn't believe that in my haste to get on the road early in order to capture the early morning light, that I forgot my camera and had to use my cell phone.

Easy Infinity Scarf Pattern

2011-04-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

Last year was the Year of the Infinity Scarf, I'm told. I guess I'm a little late to the party, but I wanted to make one even though it's the end of the cool season ( I hope!). There are so many patterns you can use to make these scarves, but this one is pretty mindless, and makes a great 'Take Along' project.

Directions: Cast on 200 stitches. I used size 10 1/2 circular needles and a bulky yarn. Join ends and attach a marker

Knit the 1st row to the end

On the second row, Knit 1, Purl 1 to the end

Repeat the pattern until you reach the length you want

That's it!

The reverse side has a nice pattern to it as well.

Cheesecake Tarts with Raspberry Sauce

2011-04-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

Last night was our monthly Book Club meeting at my house. In our group, the hostess cooks dinner for everyone, and we all enjoy a relaxing meal and conversation. I haven't entertained in a while and I forgot how much fun it was to plan a sit down dinner, and bring out the good dishes...in this case my Mom's china, which she keeps at my house since she doesn't entertain much anymore. It was a good time also, to spruce up the house and get out the Easter Decorations.

For dessert, I served Brownies and mini Cheesecake Tarts with Raspberry Sauce. They take a little work, but are easy to make ahead of time:

2 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened

3/4 c sugar

3 eggs separated

butter

1/2 c graham cracker crumbs

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar; add slightly beaten egg yolks. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and fold into cream cheese mixture. Butter 18 miniature muffin tins, and coat with the cracker crumbs. Fill each cup 3/4's full.

Bake 350 for 15 min.

When cool, top with raspberry sauce and refrigerate until ready to serve

Raspberry Sauce

1 10 oz. pkg. frozen raspberries, thawed

2 tablespoons currant jelly

1/4 tsp. lemon juice

t tablespoon apricot brandy

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in two tablespoons water

Heat berries in a saucepan, and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, and then thicken with cornstarch mixture.

Dreaming of Key West

2011-03-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Well in Portland, it's rained the past 25 of the past 26 days of March, and we're on track for not only high rain totals, but low temps! I've been wistfully looking back at out trip to Florida last month, and dreaming of Key West...although, come to think of it, it rained there too, although, fortunately not every day!

I love the Conch Style houses the make up most of Key West. The are so unique and quaint in their Caribbean style. I was surprised that most of the homes had metal roofs, and then I read about a big fire that destroyed many homes in the 1900's, causing wooded roofs to be outlawed.

The houses are so quaint. I love the ceiling fans and porches that you find so often in the South.

And secret garden hideaways. There's so little land, every inch of space is used

Oh, the flowers!

And quaint buildings.

and colorful,fun shops!

A lovely view to beat the winter blues!

Snow Event and Minestrone Soup

2011-02-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a rude return from sunny Florida to a 'weather event' in Portland. We don't call it a snow storm, because you never know what you're getting here. You could have snow, but more likely you'll get slush and ice. After a week of non-stop weather hype, we finally did get a little skiff of snow. Meanwhile, the night before, I was at the store getting everything I would need to survive alone for 4 days, since 'dear husband' was out of town, and it would be me and the animals stuck on the hill! I'm sure anyone from the East Coast laughs their heads off every time Portland goes into weather panic mode. In the end, we did get about two inches of snow, just enough to close schools and keep people off the roads.

On a cold day, nothing sounds better to me than soup, so I put together a pot of Minestrone that I adapted from a recipe. Measurements are approximate, and you can adjust to fit your needs. This soup freezes really well, so it's great to put some away for later.

Vickie's Minestrone Soup

Saute 1 small onion with about 4 cloves of Garlic in Olive Oil

add 6 diced slices of Canadian Bacon

add 2 cartons of Chicken Broth

1 large can of diced Tomatoes

2 sliced zucchini

1 ea. diced Green and Red Pepper

3/4 c sliced Carrots

1 Anaheim Pepper diced

1 can White Beans

1 can Black Beans

add Dill, Italian Seasoning, 1 tsp red Pepper Flakes

2 Bay Leaves

simmer for 1 hour

1/2 hour before serving, add 1/2 c. Orzo

serve with a handful of fresh Spinach

top with Parmesan cheese

Serve with Olive French Bread...Yummy!

Art Deco in South Miami Beach

2011-02-13T18:56:00.000-08:00

We were so impressed by the amazing amount of Art Deco Architecture in Miami Beach. There's about a 20-block district that's protected by the National Register of Historic Places. The buildings were built between 1910 to post-WWII. However, most that are still standing were built in the 30's and 40's.

Many of my favorite buildings were on Ocean Drive facing the beach.

I loved the clean lines on these buildings, accented by little decorative touches like this flower inlay. Most of the buildings that I saw had nature or nautical-themed inlays.

This was the foyer of the hotel we stayed in. Many of the places we visiting had white battery operated candles that looked very realistic and are on a timer to go on and off at a specific time. Perfect for a party.

Neon signs were big! A nice part of the modern look.

Everyone was eating outside at these hotels...definitely a great place to people watch.

This building was my favorite. Lots of these fun hotels had classic cars parked outside to match. Haven't seen one of these DeSotos in ages. When I was little, we used to call them "Pig Cars!"

Another fun car that definitely adds to the ambience.

View from the beach of some stately palms and classic hotels.

Escape To Miami Beach- Lifeguard Stations

2011-02-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

What better time to escape from Oregon than in February, when the holidays are over and there's nothing ahead but endless grey days. OK, grey at least until June, and many would argue July. We had to cash in air miles, so it seemed like a good idea to head for the farthest mainland US destination that we could find...Miami Beach and Key West.

Wow, the beach...white sand, and turquoise water!

I was fascinated by these cute Little Lifeguard Stations. They are so colorful. Of course nobody swims at the beaches in the Pacific NW, so cute little Lifeguard Stations aren't party of my reality.

These were just a few of theses colorful little stations. There are 16 on Miami Beach, and 29 total.

Above, my favorite

To me this is such an iconic East Coast beach scene...

For more photos and a history of the Lifeguard Stands of Miami Beach, check out: http://www.miamibeach411.com/news/index.php?/news/comments/lifeguard-stands/

Tiny Trailers- A Girl Cave

2011-02-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

I was just sitting down to enjoy a yogurt and fruit breakfast and peruse the ETSY Blogs this morning when my friend, Barb called and said "'get your butt over here" to the Vintage Flea Market at the fairgrounds. http://www.funkyjunksisters.com/ I'm not in the market for more stuff, and would probably have passed it by, but when she mentioned 'Blog Candy' she got me.

I'm glad that I went. There were lots of great re-purposed items, but the thing that caught my eye were the tiny trailers from the 50's and 60's which had been restored inside and out. All the women I talked with were envisioning them as 'girl caves', offices, guest rooms or craft spaces when not being used as a vacation home.

Couldn't you just imagine, pulling into a campsite at Yellowstone and sitting in these cute little chairs? You'd be right out of the pages of Sunset Magazine.

Another cozy interior... Don't you just love the yellow oven? When these trailers were at the height of popularity, the big colors were turquoise and pink. Now you can find them restored in all colors and styles.

Awhile ago I bought this cool book on Teardrops and Tiny Trailers, which has the styles and history of these cute trailers. http://www.amazon.com/Teardrops-Tiny-Trailers-Douglas-Keister/dp/1423602749/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296947299&sr=1-1
My husband and I are not the do-it-yourself-restoration types, but I almost have him convinced to someday consider a new Teardrop and customize it for Oregon Duck Football games!

Making a Terrarium

2011-01-16T21:21:00.000-08:00

It's always hard for me to take down the holiday decorations and see all the empty spaces around the house. Add to that, gloomy gray days, and I crave something pretty to look at. I found the perfect remedy for the winter blahs in this cool, whimsical shop called Artemisia, where you can make your own terrariums. Artemisia happens to be in Portland, OR, but my daughter found a similar shop in SF, and I think they are all over.

I was captivated by the cute hanging teardrop planters, but they had several sizes and shapes that would work for tabletops. A friend also goes to Goodwill and recycles old candy glass containers for her terrariums.

If you need a place to de-stress, this shop is so calming. You feel like you stepped back into another time and place.

They also had these cute moss covered root ball plants that just sit out on a plate or rock.

Also a beautiful dove cooed in the background while I shopped.

Filling your terrarium is the fun part! You can add colorful sand, rocks, crystals, moss, shells, birds, and Air Plants! Air plants are great, since they come in several sizes and shapes, and only need to be watered once a week. To water, you remove your plants from the terrarium and soak the roots in water for an hour once a week, and then replace-that's it! You can also add miniature Succulents and care for them the same way. Below, are the ingredients I used for my Terrarium- two Air Plants, a shell, and moss.

This is my finished Terrarium, isn't it cute?

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

It was so cold on the Oregon Coast on New Year's Eve, but we took to the streets anyway, to celebrate the New Year, tearing ourselves away from a cut-throat game of Hearts, and the promise of berry pie! Our friends Mark and Barb (above), brought the fun glasses and sparklers and we headed to the local Market, The Little Apple, to join about 60 other revellers and walk parade-style down to the ocean. Did I mention that it was bitter cold, with a piercing east wind making us wish we had added more layers?

Everyone was in a festive mood- some in fun hats, others wrapped in blankets, others, bundled in layers and waving champagne bottles. For many years, we had come to the coast to celebrate and found nothing going on except the TV with poor, old Dick Clark doing the countdown in Times Square. Skipping down Laneda Dr. was a welcome change.

Barb and DH were the center of attention with the sparklers.

Happy 2011!

A Poetic Gift

2010-12-23T21:43:00.000-08:00

Walking through NW Portland, we came across a beautiful old traditional house set back off the street looking very much like it belonged in another century. It was so festive, festooned with lights, and surrounded by red pyracantha bushes.

As we got closer to it, I realized there was sign that said Poetry.

Free. Take one

(What a lovely gift to share with passers by)

The Shortest Day

Susan Cooper

And so the Shortest Day came and the year died

And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world

Came people singing, dancing,

To drive the dark away

They lighted candles in the winter trees;

They hung their homes with evergreen;

They burned beseeching fires all night long

To keep the year alive.

And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake

They shouted, revelling.

Through all the frosty ages you can hear them

Echoing behind us-listen!

All the long echoes, sing the same delight,

This shortest day,

As promise wakens in the sleeping land:

They carol, feast, give thanks,

And dearly love their friends,

and hope for peace.

And now so do we, here, now.

This year and every year.

Portland Art Car

2010-12-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

We were out doing some Christmas shopping, when I spied this wild car across the street. People were just getting ready to pull out of their parking spot, but I ran over and asked them about the story of their car. They were only too happy to given me the history and let me take some photos.

They painted white squares, spaces for friends to fill in with whatever they wanted. I guess Art Cars are a big deal around Portland...sort of in the mode of keeping Portland

weird. http://www.keepportlandweird.org/

I've heard that other cities around the country have a similar motto, but I like to think that ours came when then Mayor, Bud Clark, pretended to 'flash' a statue to promote the arts. http://www.photographicimage.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=620&step=4

The car had all sorts of crazy things!

Especially on top, with antlers, plastic animals, pseudo monsters, trophies...

who wouldn't want a large plastic goldfish on the side of your car?

or three tiny music boxes that actually play...

gnomes show up everywhere...

This isn't exactly Nunsense, but I'm not sure what she's doing...leading an army?

I wondered where that Easter Egg went...only kidding!

Dinner place setting complete with napkin.

Painting Cards with the Art Buddies

2010-12-02T07:37:00.000-08:00

It's been just a year since the Art Buddies met at Jude Siegal's Watercolor Journaling Class. It's been amazing how far we've come. We all agree that it's been motivating and fun to be accountable to each other, and to getting together on a regular basis has kept us all painting. Above, JoAnn found some beautiful paintings that she salvaged from a thrift shop. One had a grocery list written on the back. It's nice to think that they've been given a new life.

Fall is a great time for vignettes with all the rich colors in the fruits and vegetables available. Pears and squashes are amazing to paint with all their rich details.

JoAnn brings her sketchbook and paints everywhere. Here, she captured sea life at the Newport Aquarium.

A fun card idea to paint the inside of a pomegranate and give the details for a cards.

Squash, with a fun border!

Leaves with a wet brush technique.

Joanie painted these lovely cards as a fundraiser for her church.

The cards were so pretty that people were matting and framing them!

We all took a turn at painting cards for a good cause. It was so relaxing just to slow down and paint. We all are grateful for our group, and look forward to our time together!

It helps to have a space with great lighting.

Shabby Chic in Cannon Beach

2010-11-10T21:48:00.000-08:00

Mostly wordless Wednesday. My friends were always talking about an amazing Shop in Cannon Beach OR, where they had the most wonderful assortment of French and Shabby chic furnishings. Despite several scouting trips to the beach, I could never find it.

OK, I probably didn't have their card and got the address wrong, but the main drag in Cannon Beach isn't that long! Anyway, I finally stumbled upon it quite by accident, and found it to be full of beautiful furnishings and fun ideas. It's worth the 'Eye Candy' to check out Seasame and Lilies. http://www.sesameandlilies.com/

Art Group Reunited

2010-11-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

It was a perfect crisp, fall, day when the Art Buddies met in NW Portland to sketch and paint on the go. The rain will soon be here, so we definitely jumped at the chance to paint outdoors.

Portland has some great architectural details and as we tried to artfully capture them, we freaked out a lot of people. I guess we must have looked like Census Takers or undercover agents, because we had some anxious strangers coming up to use wanting to know what we were up to. One man who was putting up twinkle lights and overparked, sheepishly announced he was leaving in a minute, had a good laugh when my friend turned around her sketchbook to reveal that she'd been painting him as he worked. Beware of middle aged women with sketch pads and pencils!

We never made it past the corner where we started, since there were so many things to sketch in that small area. From colorful plants to interesting shop windows, we did not lack for material.

We loved a shop called The Polish Pottery Place, on Hoyt, with it's colorful flock of tin chickens, pigs, peacocks and flowers.

This outdoor art was imported from Mexico, and was so colorful and cheery!

JoAnne set up her stool, and got right to work, painting in her colorful style.

Here we all are before heading out for lunch. Next post I'll show you our finished work. Note to self, next time bring another film card! I did have pencil drawing in my book, although you can't see them!

More fun Portland signs.

The Power of Nature

2010-11-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, it was one of those cool, crisp mornings on the Oregon Coast. We were on our way to meet some friends for breakfast, when I made DH pull over so I could take these pictures of the fog burning off the Nehalem Bay. When I just can't take one more gray, rainy day, I'll look back on this morning and experience the calm and peace of this this beautiful morning.

Book Club Bonanza and a Yummy Chicken Recipe

2010-11-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

It's always love to see what other Book Clubs are reading. There seems to be ceratain books that are 'must reads' every year, and we have a couple of them on our list. Our Book Club makes the reading choices for the year each September. We only choose books that have a 4 to 5 star rating from Amazon. I thought I'd list our choices since it's always fun to see what everyone is reading. Most of these I haven't read yet, so I'll just review the two that we have.

Here's our list:

September: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson This the first in a series that is the 'hot dot' in the publishing world these days. There's so much to this book, that I'll just say that it's an intellectual thriller with lots of violence and a compelling story, with a protagonist that rises above her social limitations. It's very compelling novel with a call for social justice. The Club generally liked it, and have moved on to read the rest of the series.

October: Little Bee Chris Cleave This is a beautifully written story, with a compelling main character. Most people liked the book.

November: Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

January: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

February: One Day David Nicholls

April: Freedom, A Novel by Jonathan Frazen

May: Mountains Beyond Mountains by Paul Farmer

June: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

We limit our club membership to the number of people who can fit around a dinning table. The Host always serves dinner. At our last meeting, my friend Valerie, served this wonderful chicken dish. Don't be fooled by the simplicity of it, it had a wonderful flavor! She served it with rice, a salad and dessert.

Anne Shea's Chicken Thighs:

12 chicken thighs

6 whole shallots

6 cloves garlic

4 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cup dry white wine

1 Tbsp. tomato paste (sometimes I add a bit more for color)

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

salt and pepper

Italian parsley - chopped

Trim fat and excess skin from thighs after washing and season with salt and pepper. Brown both sides in 3 Tbsp. of butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil for total of 8 minutes. Transfer to casserole dish and place in 375 degree oven. Drain most of the oil/fat from skillet (leaving a Tbsp. and the brown bits) and add the remainder of the butter and oil and saute the minced garlic and shallots. Add vinegar, wine and stir up the bits on the bottom of the pan. Allow to cook down about 8 minutes. Whisk tomato paste and simmer 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock adding a little at a time. Mix well. Pour over chicken in the oven and cook for 35 to 45 minutes. Turn chicken halfway through. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley.

Cannery Row in Astoria

2010-11-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Lately, we've been spending a lot of time in Astoria. The city has been undergoing a resurgence of sorts, with lots of new shops and restaurants opening up. Even though the economy has taken it's toll, there's still a lot to see. The boardwalk is a great place to walk, or you can ride the free Trolly if you're so inclined. I love to stroll along the boardwalk, checking out the shops, restaurants and passing ships.

We tried this restaurant called The Cannery Cafe, and I had the best Tuna Sandwich on whole wheat ever! Don't get it toasted. Their Fish n' Chips look amazing, so I'll definitely come back.

I'm always on the look out for cool things to watercolor paint, so these lovely flowers will someday be a subject.

I love the monochromatic look of this boat, trolling across the bay.

The Ultimate Beach Party

2010-10-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Well, the Big Date Night finally arrived. We started out at Por Que No? Taqueria on Mississippi Ave. If you go there, try the Bryan's Bowl.

Pre-concert people watching was the best. We saw Fin Hats, Margarita Dresses, and lots of cool sunglasses.

Crazy hats of all kinds...

People brought their pets...

Attack Parrots...

Some people even wore their Habits LOL...

All in all, it was a fun Date Night! Jimmy Buffet gave a rousing performance, two encores, with only one small break! We left thinking of a tropical escape from the gloomy Oregon winter ahead!

Date Night-Margartaville Bound

2010-10-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

It all started three years ago when our Dear Husbands planned a weekend getaway for my Soul Sister and I. We all enjoyed the surprise (to us), weekend in Astoria, visiting shops, dinners out, a visit to a Comedy Club etc. The idea was that we would reciprocate in a timely manner, and the guys were getting antsy for us to treat them to a surprise weekend or date.

We never intended to wait three years, and so when SS heard that Jimmy Buffet was coming to town, she said that we had to get tickets. She said that he put on a great show, people had tons of fun, acted crazy, and the guys would love it! So...we made the guys wear Hawaiian shirts and drove them to the 'secret' location.

We couldn't just give them the tickets, we had to make the presentation special somehow, so...SS masterminded a a dinner out at this cute restaurant on the Columbia River, that's only opened from April through October. We only had a week until they closed, so we couldn't wait for a sunny day.

We had the guys sit under the surfboard, and the whole time they were thinking that the little hanging bag held one of the clues. We knew it wasn't part of our surprise, but couldn't figure out what it was, until the waitress said it was to keep the bees away. When they fly in, they think there's already a hive there, so they go someplace else...who knew!

The party planner extraordinaire! Drinking something with an umbrella, of course!

I don't know what all these ducks do off season, when nobody's there to throw food for them.

SS took clues from the song, Margarataville which she wrapped and had the guys open one by one until they 'got' the date:

Nibblin' on sponge cake

all of those tourists covered with oil

A Mexican cutie (orange)

I blew out my flip-flop

Stepped on a pop-top

Searching for my lost shaker of salt

The concert is tomorrow night...stay tuned, and I'll report how the evening went!

We'll be back Island Cafe, when you re-open in April!

Game Day at the University of Oregon

2010-10-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, is there anything more fun than a college football game on a beautiful fall day? We're big Oregon Duck fans, and there is no better time to be a Duck than now, when they are No. 2 in the National Rankings. We've followed the team through thick and thin, going to the games rain or shine! Of course, the mantra in Oregon, is that "It never rains in Autzen Stadium!"

Looks like Darth Vader, but it's actually a colorful guy advertising the Oregon Bookstore.

Tailgate parties were in full swing. Someone had actually hired an Elvis impersonator, and he was in the parking lot, belting out tunes.

It was a special day to have both of the kids with us.

Dear daughter and I!

It's always a rush when the Mascot Duck roars out of the bunker on a motorcycle, with the team behind him. The crowd goes wild!

Beautiful sky!

ESPN'S Game Day was on campus earlier in the day for their morning program, College Game Day, and they returned after the Ducks beat Stanford. The first half of the game was a nail bighter, but the team came back second half to work their magic!

Setting up for the evening game recap show.

Everyone swarmed around the announcers as they set up for the broadcast...reminded me of the ant farms that my kids had when they were little.

When we returned home at 1:00 AM, we discovered that we'd been 'Flocked' with green flamingos by our good friends, the Johnson's.

The Bad Boy is Back. Five Tips for Getting Your Scared, Escaped Indoor Cat Back Home!

2010-10-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

Tucker the escapee on the left, with his sister,Tuxi, in our daughter's room where they like to hangout. Thankfully, he's home safe and sound after four days on the lam!

It was a warm summer day and we had the kitchen door open, the dogs were asleep, and Tucker seized the opportunity to take a freebie. Since he's an indoor cat, we did some research on the Internet, talked with the Vet, the Pet Shop and even got some advice from the ETSY community. Here's what I learned on cat rescue:

1. Indoor cats will typically stay close to home-within a 5 house radius. You need to think like a cat, and look for safe havens like a porch, or deck where they might hide. Sit outside and softly call their name. They may recognize you and come close enough for you to pet them and ultimately bring them inside.

2. Once they are out for a day or so, they will be so scared that they will find a safe spot and freeze in place. They won't come to you during the day when you call, even if you have food or rattle a treat bag. Wait until night comes and when it's quiet, set out a Kitty Buffet. Tuna, treats, and catnip placed near the point of escape, will often entice them to come home.

3. OR, sleep on a sofa with the door open and then food set inside and wait for them to come in. Of course, you risk enticing other critters to come in also. After I found a mouse on my patio heading for the treats, I decided on another approach!

4. Open a bedroom window, place a chair nearby for them to jump in and have a fresh can of tuna opened. For three days, Tucker yowled around the house too scared to come in, but the chair near the window did the trick. He finally got close enough for me to pet him, and then I was able to reach down and pull him inside.

5. Last resort, get a humane trap. The Pet Shop suggested to put greens on the bottom, so the metal won't scare them. Set the trap, place their favorite food inside, and then wait up for the cat to step inside. The cat will be terrified, so you'll need to be awake and able to bring them inside quickly and release.

Hope one of these tips work if you every have to initiate a cat rescue!

What Did You Do the Last Day of Summer?

2010-09-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

You know those days when you see an endless expanse of beach, and for a moment you think that summer days will never end. And, then reality hits and you realize that this year in Oregon, summer days were in short supply, almost non-existent.

So...you savor the moment, and take an extra long beach walk, examine every tide pool, and try and find that perfect sand dollar.

It's OK, the room you were supposed to paint today will still be there tomorrow. Now is the time for a last beach read, or a sketch, or a nap in the warm sun.

You'll need these memories to sustain you through the dark winter, until the sun comes back again.

Waning Days of the Farmers Market

2010-09-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

It dawned me that I haven't been to the Farmer's Market nearly enough this summer. For me, it's such a fun way to start the weekend, to grab some coffee, enjoy some music and get a week's worth of healthy food. Everything tastes so much better. It's funny that for years I'd plan my meal around whatever meat entree I was planning, now I plan everything else around the vegetables I'm having that night. That's a real paradigm shift.

The peaches have been especially good this year. Too bad they have such a short season!

My son insists that eating local honey has improved his allergies.

I found two of the most beautiful tangerine colored climbing roses for a trellis we have at the beach. It seems to me that so many roses don't have a fragrance, except for the climbers. Hopefully, they will survive the winds this winter. Here's a list of Top Ten most fragrant climbing roses:http://www.rose-gardening-made-easy.com/fragrant-roses.html

Car Show-Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-11T21:14:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday, I was on my way to the Farmer's Market, when I stumbled upon this cool car show in Oregon City. Lately, I've had a thing for old cars-their shape, the shiny surfaces. All I can think of is how

fun they will be to paint. When I stop to talk with the owners, they are so proud of their vehicles. Usually, they are standing their with wax and cloth in hand polishing up their 'babies!' Hopefully, these beauties will inspire you. They will probably show up again in some watercolor assignment! Happy Wednesday, the rest of this post will be wordless! :-)

Welcome Home Emi

2010-09-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

A little card I had fun painting for a dear young friend safely home from Africa, with a little stopover in Paris.

Timberline-A National Treasure

2010-09-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

We took a drive up to Mt. Hood to take a day hike, and I was surprised to see that Timberline was in the middle of a 4.5 million dollar renovation from the Stimulus Program. It's such a beautiful Lodge, and a destination for Oregonians. It's origins were from a WPA project in the 30's, so it seemed appropriate for the government to maintain it, since it would be terrible to lose this National treasure.

There's so many beautiful points of interest at Timberline Lodge. I captured a few to share, but it's really worth a trip up to check it out for yourself. As you enter there's this native American carved art piece, with it's elaborate headdress

The interior evokes the style of the 30's, with it's attention to detail. Note the inlaid wood piece above the door.

This is a portrait of Richard Kohnstamm, the man who is credited with saving Timberline from decline is the 50"s and 60's. He foresaw the skiing boom with brought thousands of visitors to Mt. Hood.

The gathering place of the lodge is the enormous space on the first level, where there is a restaurant, plus lots of chairs to sit near the fire, and gaze at Mt. Hood. This especially fun to do on a snowy day.

In my wedding photography days, I was fortunate enough to have several jobs up at the lodge, and it was a beautiful background for a wedding party. I always tried to get the bride and groom outside to photograph the with the mountain in the background.

The details and craftsmanship are amazing.

A commemoration plaque as you enter. Note the date 1936-1937.

Hiking to Sicox Hut

2010-09-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

As we waited at the steps of Timberline Lodge for our guide, I enjoyed checking out the several containers of seasonal flowers.

Also, even though it was late in the season, there were still several varieties of wildflowers to be seen.

I took a slow route, stopping frequently to take photographs, while DH and the dogs stayed up with the tour. Much of the year, this area above the timberline is covered in snow. The views were spectacular, and from this vantage point, you could see great views of Mt. Hood and the Cascades.

It's a pretty steep hike. In one mile you go from 6,000 to 7,000 feet! I must confess, forgot my asthma inhaler and had to wimp out about 2/3's of the way up and go back to Timberline.

Below, an old water tower

view of the Cascades, dotted with lakes

There were quite a few skiers on Palmer Glacier, some of them took this route down to the lodge instead of taking the lift.

Silcox Hut, a warming area for hikers and a site for private dinners and lodging. Guests are transported by Sno Cats from the lodge. http://www.timberlinelodge.com/silcox-hut/

The dogs went the whole route and slept for two days!

Deer at the Mountain

2010-09-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

The last week of August, we took a few days off to enjoy some time at Mt. Hood. This is such a beautiful time of year up there as the leaves are just starting to turn. We had a couple of damp days early in the week, and it brought out some lovely visitors-we looked and found this sweet buck in the meadow. He showed up in several shots and must have been as curious about us as we were of him.

For about three days, the deer arrived at dawn and dusk and then as the weather improved, we didn't see them again. All in all, we saw about 5 adults and tweens-more than we had seen in years. I don't know if that says anything about the upcoming winter, but we sure enjoyed the company.

West Africa to a Western Hoedown

2010-08-29T09:49:00.001-07:00

Summer parties are the best! It's always a fun experience to celebrate the different twists and turns of life with friends and family. This party celebrated a very special young friend's much anticipated return from Africa, where she had been living as a Fulbright scholar for several months. Emi had to endure lots of challenges in the past year as she did her research on malaria-illness, bugs, heat, lack of technology, a strike at the college where she was to do her research-to name just a few. Obviously, her life was enriched by the people she met as well, but it was a relief to her family and friends to have her home safe and sound.

Emi brought back some treasures from Benin, where she lived in the city and at nearby village.

Emi and her Mom, put together an African feast, see below:

They had Enjara, a bread served with a spicy chicken stew, goat kabobs, plantains, plus, lots of other dishes that I don't know the names of.

Lovely Emi, with her interesting hairdo, which took 11 hours and cost about $6. We're so pround of you Emi!

After leaving the African party, we headed across town for a Hoedown, hosted by one of the choir members from church. The owner of the house in an architect, and had converted a rundown Portland bungalow into marvel. It reminded me of a classic LA house from the 30's with Spanish influences and subtle elegance. It was a beautiful summer night and we sat outside eating quintessentially American fare, hamburgers and hot dogs, and salads, while the brave among us square danced to live music.

The end of a lovely summer day filled with rich memories and cultural diversity.

Summer Concerts in the Park

2010-08-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do in summer is to pack a picnic and head to a free concert in our local park. They have become so popular that we usually get there an hour early and nab our favorite spot on a grassy berm-from that vantage point, you can hear the music and still have a conversation with the person next to you. It's a lovely way to spend a warm summer's evening, especially this year when it rained past July 4th in the Pacific NW, and we're all savoring every moment of warm weather. It's such a community thing to do, pack picnics, children, and dogs, and get out and enjoy the outdoors. What a better way to make lasting memories.

Of course, in addition to the music, fellowship and memories, it's also about the food! Here's an adapted recipe for Pasta Salad that is easy to make and delicious:

One package of cooked and cooled Penne noodles

1 finely sliced yellow squash

3/4 fresh red pepper sliced

1/2 c. Kalamata olives

1/2 c. artichoke hearts diced

1 c. cubed pre-cooked chicken ( I used the Trader Joe's Just Chicken Teriyaki)

Just before serving add 1/2 c. of Feta Cheese

2 c. fresh spinach

Toss with:

3/4's cup of olive oil

the juice of 1/2 squeezed lemon

1/3 c Rice vinegar

1 tsp. dill

salt and pepper to taste

Add some fresh fruit, some bread with cheese, and you have a lovely feast!

The group Aquiles Montas Latin Orquestra, had a great Puerto Rican sound, and soon had the crowd on their feet dancing to the music!

Wordless Wednesday-Floral Wonder

2010-08-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

These Summer Beauties speak for themselves:

2nd Annual Muttzanita Festival in Manzanita

2010-08-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

This could be subtitled: The Doggie Social Event of the Year! Dogs and owners from all over Oregon descended on our little town of Manzanita, on the Oregon Coast today for the 2nd annual Muttzanita Festival, sponsored by Four Paws on the Beach-the local Pet Store. All proceeds from the event supported local charities

The day started at 10:30 AM with a Doggie Parade down Laneda Ave, which was closed to car traffic for the event. It was a flurry of activity with dog meet and greets, and event registration.

Many dogs sat patiently, waiting for the festivities to begin

There's always a handsome Dude in every crowd

He almost seems to be saying "Mom made me do this!"

Only my hairdresser knows for sure...

A merry band of drummers led us to the beach

Let the parade begin!

DH and The Girls

Under all that fog, the beach is really there...not exactly the 90's we were promised, but nobody complained

Some people and canines go all out with costumes adding to the fun! Here are The Bees!

Cute little Oregon Duck pooch!

Mike, Phyllis and ~~Bo,~~ I mean, Pete!

Getting ready for the Chuck It Toss in the fog!

There were a total of 6 rescue dogs in this family.

Yeah, Pete, not bad for 11 years old! The dogs had to chase the ball, pick it up, and return it to their owner in record time to win

A little stress relieving jousting between Molly and Lulu

The next event was Doggy Musical Chairs, where the dogs had to sit when the music stopped, and stay sitting until given the OK signal. The day was full of fun activities, including a Silent Auction, Pet Fashion Show, Poker Walk, Treasure Hunt and Doggie Demonstrations.

Awards for the winners

a tired, wet, and happy Molly

and Lulu, who agree that it was a doggone good day!

Plein Air Painting

2010-08-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

My Art Buddy, Roberta and I, took a watercolor painting class with Renee in Milwaukie last winter and spring terms. Everyone talked about Renee's Plein Air painting sessions, so when she she sent out an email to former students that one was coming up, we rushed to register. Now after today, I'm thinking Renee' might want to change the name to A Day In Provence, since I could just imagine Monet painting at every turn. What a lovely, amazing place!

Roberta, pondering a field of sunflowers.

Another student, took in the whole valley with it's beautiful western exposure.

We had about four hours of painting time and then broke for Tea Time about 4 PM, followed by more painting until sunset when the 'Heaven Rays' faded in the valley.

Flowers were everywhere, since flowers are grown commercially on the property, along with tomatoes, and Bonsai Trees. In between painting, Renee and her husband, John, helped us pick berries to bring home. They couldn't have been more generous.

Our Tea Break location under the grape arbor. The whole day seemed like a refreshing step back in time.

The clouds were amazing!

This rooster seemed fascinated by the attention, and poised regally for this photo as I very carefully aimed my camera through the fence.

I can't wait to paint this emerging sunflower.

Renee painted with us, and created two beautiful acrylics during our art time. Doesn't this look very French and idyllic?

What a perfect day!

Early Morning Zen

2010-08-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

It's tempting to linger over coffee and blogs on a summer morning, but the Girls, Molly and Lulu clamor to go for an early morning walk to check the pee-mail, and get a little exercise to start the day.

Molly

Lulu

I love the early morning at the Bernert Landing, on the Willamette, before the picnic people spread out their blankets, boaters rev up their motors, and the buses arrive with soccer players ready for camp.

It's so quiet and peaceful, truly the Sweet Spot in the day.

What's your favorite time of the day? Whatever you do I hope you take time to smell the roses!

What Are You Learning This Summer?

2010-07-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's a holdover from when my children were younger, but I love to take on a new challenge in the summer, and I encouraged them to do the same. What better time than summer to take on a new hobby or learn a new skill, when supposedly 'the livin' is easy' and we have long stretches of daylight before us? Unfortunately, being a creative type, I feel blessed, ~~cursed~~, with so many interests that there's hardly enough time in the day to do them all.

This summer I decided to take up crocheting after watching my mom whip up one Granny Square after another for a baby blanket that she was making for a church project. People seem to whip through crochet projects at lightening speed, while I seem to plod along forever with my knitting. If I'm out without my sketch book, it's always fun to have a yarn project with me. I can't people watch and read at the same time. My DD says that I'm latent ADHD!

What caught my interest was a magazine with Granny Squares on the cover. I never had any interest in making Granny Squares, since they always looked so Granny-ish, but then I realized that will all the new colorful yarns on the market, that they didn't have to look like a relic from the 40's! I used a cotton yarn called Samp'a from Holland, that's pretty and easy to work with.

Actually, the colors are more of a lime green and turquoise than these photos suggest. My goal is to make a throw with beach colors to fit my Shabby Chic beach theme:

If you're interested in learning to crochet, or if you just want to brush up on your skills, I really recommend this wonderful book called The Complete Guide to Crochet http://tinyurl.com/2e6gfe7 which you can order from Amazon. It's got step-by-step instructions, illustrations, and tons of photographs!

Make Your Own Salad Dressings

2010-07-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

I was driving back from the beach the other night and I tuned into NPR's The Splendid Table http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/. They were talking about salad dressings, and how expensive most store bought dressings are; not to mention, how fattening! I recently found an article that showed one popular store brand's Ranch Dressing to have 160 calories for two tablespoons. We all know that two tablespoons of dressing is nothing! Soooo, I decided to shop for a cruet and find some dressing recipes that looked good and reasonably healthy.

Most of the recipes here can be stored for a week in the refrigerator. If you add the herbs when you serve, instead of when you make, you could probably store for longer. Here are a few of my favorites to just whisk together:

Creamy Italian

1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. low fat mayo
1/2 c.buttermilk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 dried basil
two finely diced garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste

whisk together and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator

Classic Vinaigrette

1/4 c. red or white wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced green onion
Fresh ground salt and pepper

Whisk and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Ranch Dressing

1/2 c Greek yogurt
1/3 c low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons light mayo
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
1 finely chopped garlic
Fresh ground salt and pepper

whisk together and store

If you have a favorite homemade dressing, please share!

Everyone Loves A Parade

2010-07-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

Over the 4th of July, we were at our favorite Manzanita Beach for the big parade. Each year, the population of our little town swells from about 750 people to over 7,000. It's a lot of fun to see all the entrees from dogs and kids on bikes, to floats on flatbed trucks, This year, people really put some thought into their entrees. Check out 'I Spy' and the Floating Jellyfish below.

We promised our neighbor, Gertie a ride in our 1943 Willy's Jeep. DH had it restored a few years ago, and now it makes an occasional appearance at car shows and parades. Gertie was excited, but a little embarrassed by all the fuss. I made a sign "Gertie Smith, The Belle of Nehalem, 95 Years Young!" People clapped and called out greetings to her as she rode along the parade route. Later, she joked "I should have put my phone number on that sign!" How great is that? When I grow up, I want to have an attitude like Gertie's. She has a love of life and a understanding of what's important in life. Gertie is shown with DH, who is driving, and his brother, Dave, chief co-pilot and candy thrower.

Several neighborhoods came out in full force with parade entrees. Here are a few of my favorites:

Mom and I and the dogs, Lulu and Molly watched from the sidelines, appreciating the fact that the route was two blocks longer this year.

More parade shots: The Garlic Girls

A Happy Dog

and a sense of fun!

4th of July is coming!

2010-06-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we're a week away from the 4th of July! It's my favorite holiday. I love the parades, the food, the weather, and the fact that no presents are ionvolved! We almost always spend the 4th at the Oregon Coast. For years, we've had a float in the parade, but since the kids are out of the house, we just go and watch. This year, however, we've planned something special, so you'll have to check back and see what we did. Meanwhile, I've had fun making red, white and blue for my Etsy shop and thought I'd share a few of my favorites:

Local Interest-La Grande

2010-06-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

We drove over to La Grande last month to watch DS play in a brass quintet performance at EOU. He graduated last June, but still DJ's on the campus radio shows and plays his tuba on occasion. It seemed like a good time to take a road trip with the wet spring that we've had- plus, it was a good chance to visit with our son.

DS is real proud of his community, and enjoyed showing us some shops that he thought I might like. One charming one was the Potters House Gallery. Below, check out the little Garden Shed associated with the shop.

The shop owners Bob and Judy Jensen, stand in front of their store filled with treasures. Bob offers some Raku painting classes that would be fun to check out. In the six years that we have been going to La Grande, it's been nice to see some fun little shops and restaurants crop up.

We found lots of garden art for sale. I brought home some colorful metal flowers to put in my garden, while waiting for the real ones to bloom.

Inside, were lots of treasures, mostly consigned by local artisans. This shop has some great touches for your home, as well as being a perfect place to find a special gift.

Below, I'd been hearing about Trent Bray's Bird shop for the past year, so it was nice to be able to check it out in person. He has a great selection of quality feeders, lots of seed varieties, and sells some premium beer as well. Remember, this is a college town

Trent hosts Bird Walking Tours if you want to know more about identifying local birds, and I thought it would be interesting to sign up for one sometime.

You can see what a great selection of feeders he has. I bought a Hummingbird feeder that's mostly glass and is very easy to clean. It's become a huge attraction in the yard and often has four birds trying to feed at the same time!

There's also a great selection of Bird Books.

Disc Golf is big in La Grande and the standings are posted in the shop.

Trent is definitely a 'hands on' owner. If you're in La Grande, this shop is worth a visit if you are interested in birds.

The Mt. Emily's Ale House (not pictured), should be on your stop as well, since they have some of the best pizza in Oregon. Try the Thai Chicken with Peanuts and you won't be disappointed.

Garden Color

2010-06-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

For borders, my 'go to' plant is the New Guinea Impatient. They can tolerate more sun than traditional Impatient's, and will fill in nicely. In warmer zones, you can plant them as early as March, but here in the NW, where it's been such a rainy spring, I'm finally getting around to planting them! That was my job last night- luckily, the soil was moist and workable and they went in pretty quickly. As they fill in, I'll post a photo of my garden, but I'm about a month behind since it's been so wet! Roses and Peonies are full of rust spots...grrrr!

Movin' On

2010-06-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

We had another fun meeting of The Art Buddies (We really do need an official name), at Dinah's yesterday. We decided to save 'backgrounds' for another time when more of us could attend-which may be in the fall with everyone's summer schedules. Anyway, we were the 'Mighty Four' and had fun thanks to Dinah's hospitality, lovely flowers, and everyone's good company. We s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d our comfort zone painting car fenders, and in spite of the comments "OMG, This is hard!" etc. I think we had some pretty good results!

In case you're wondering about the flowers: Dinah salvaged a fantastic vase from the trash in her office. The shape allows the flowers to be arranged perfectly, hence the photo. We started talking about cameras, and the consensus is that people are loving the Canon PowerShot. Mine's a SD960 IS with 12.1 MegaPixels. This whole digital thing is relatively new to me, despite the fact that I've been a professional photographer since college. With a Hasselblad, all you needed was a good light meter, some knowledge of posing and light composition and you were set! Digital is a whole other story. In many ways, now you can do so much more with a lot less of a camera investment. I was able to put my camera on Macro 2x and get the close-ups of this peony. We decided to bring our cameras and the instruction book that came with it to our next session, and teach ourselves how to take pictures for our art.

Below, Carol shared her find from Art Media. There's no tray on the bottom for pencils etc, but it tilts up and you can tape your work on it. It's great if you don't want to sit all the time while painting.

It's always fun to have Show and Tell (Thank you, Jude). I always think we learn a lot from each other. I always hate it when I take an art class and don't get to see other students finished work. Above, Carol shared a recent finished pencil drawing, and showed a layering technique in which you paint a grey wash and then add your color for increased value. Maybe she will do a show and tell when we're all together. Carol showed us some of her beautiful work. I especially loved the creek scene below, where she used pencils on watercolor paper, and it had a lovely texture.

Dinah shared this Lake Oswego bridge painting from her journal. I was so impressed, since I've tried to paint that same bridge with dismal results!

Hard at work...

I brought some car photos from an exhibit from the High Museum in Atlanta, and it was fun painting them. I had to leave before everyone was finished, but I think we did good!

Carol's great color mix

Dinah emailed me her finished work. WOW, it's fantastic! She even got the overhead display light reflection.

Judy made this impressive drawing, and then added a wash. The drawing is so good, you wouldn't want the paint to distract, so the wash was perfect.

My car with the fun wheel interest.

What's your Favorite Summer Holiday Dish?

2010-06-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

We've been eating pretty healthy around here, but with Memorial Day being the unofficial start of summer, you just have to have a little Potato Salad! This is where I get my 15 seconds of fame- from my Mother at least! I'm convinced it's the dill.

Vickie's Potato salad

8 Yukon Gold potatoes

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1 1/4 c. light mayonnaise

1/4 pickle juice

1/4 c mustard

1 c chopped sweet pickles

1 c. chopped celery

5 scallions chopped

3 tablespoons fresh or dried dill

5 hard boiled eggs chopped

boil potatoes until soft, drain, peel, and cut into cubes

in a large bowl, add ingredients, toss, cover and refrigerate

top with Italian Parsley, and Hungarian paprika

Great served with ribs, and corn on the cob!

Dining in Luxury

2010-06-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

After a hard day of wine tasting, we wanted to get a quick bite before picking up the dogs at Mom's. It used to be the kids, now it's the dogs! LOL Anyway, after munching our way through the Oregon wine country, on lovely cheeses and pate and chocolate, we just wanted a light meal. It worked out perfectly to also check out the new Allison Inn and Spa.http://www.trails.com/the-allison-inn-spa-hotel-127962.html Wow, what an amazing place. I could see coming here for a special anniversary or occasion, since it's quite spendy-rooms start at $295 a night....but, what a beautiful place!

From the back, it's four stories tall!

The building is very sleek and modern, and as you can see, the rock work is incredible!

Beautiful natural features. There were lots of places with covered decks, so even in Oregon's unpredictable weather, you could sit outside.

I loved all the things they used for sustainability, like the succulent roof-top gardens!

The grounds had a beautiful 'English Garden' feel...

We ordered food in the bar area, and you could see the chefs preparing meals in the kitchen. The dinningroom is on the left.

Rick ordered sausage with mashed potatoes, and I ordered a burger with feta and caramelized onions, which he also shared. it was all very good.

Ghost Hill Cellars

2010-06-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

We happened upon this wonderful spot while driving on the back roads on our wine tasting adventure. It looked so interesting that we had to stop, and were welcomed by Mike Bayless and his wife, Dendra. The winery is on the land that Mike's grandparents bought in 1906, and was once a sheep ranch. It's called Ghost Hill, since legend has it that a miner was murdered for his gold near Oaks Springs Road. Apparently, more gold was taken out of Oregon in the 19th Century than in California!

The Tasting Room at Ghost Hill reminded me of the Oregon Wineries in the 70's. When I transferred up here from The S.F. Bay Area in the late 70's, most of the wineries were in the vintner's garages or makeshift outbuildings. Those vintners went on to become some of the biggest names in the Oregon wine industry. The Bayless' were tasting a Rose and a Pinot, both lovely. Rose wines are pretty unusual in Oregon, but theirs had a refreshing light grapefruit taste. It will be fun to watch these wines develop.

Some friends were visiting and displaying their Rolls and Bentley cars. I had so much fun photographing them for watercolor painting later.

Everyone was so friendly...it was a fun ending to a memorable day!