Friday, August 30, 2013

A Busy Week ....

I can't believe it's already Friday, the last Friday in August, yikes the days just fly by. We are in the midst of a horrible heat wave with the additional blessing of humidity. I do NOT fare well with humidity. Makes me crabby!
To avoid the heat I have attempted to say busy in places where it tends to be cool ... inside my house! Monday the gals and I stayed inside all day and sewed, Tuesday I met with my previous co-workers for lunch and to celebrate our summer birthdays and Wednesday evening I hosted our first Origami Owl team meeting at my home. There were three designers and two designers in waiting in attendance and we had a great time networking and swapping ideas to grow our fledgling businesses.
Some business materials ready to greet the girls!
 Thursday my pal Tanya came out to Fullerton and we had our pedicures done at the Golden Dragon Nail Spa 

All done, she did such a nice job digging out all my toe aliens!! Hate those little buggers!
 Afterwards Tanya and I headed over to the Lazy Dog Cafe' and had the best lunch, cold crisp lettuce wraps and a grilled quesadilla. This of course was followed by DESSERT! My favorite part of any meal.

You have to admit, this looks AWESOME!
 The Lazy Dog is built with the feel of a mountain lodge ....
 This is the light fixture high in the ceiling in the entry way ... Love the birch branches dangling from high above. 

  Another pic from inside ....
 As Friday unfolds I had coffee with a long time friend visiting from Arizona. She has been here visiting family and attending her grandson's wedding! Yike's, I can't believe we are old enough for her to have a grandson getting married!!
 Have a great Labor Day!
 

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The Four Agreements ...

Have you read the Four Agreements? If you have then you can continue on with your day, if not keep reading.
This is a very small, very easy to read book written by Don Miguel Ruiz a Toltec Nagual

Don Ruiz's ancestry heralds from the Toltec Indian Tribe located deep in the country of Mexico. There spiritual belief system revolved around these
Four Agreements. Because Don found these agreements to be so powerful he felt strongly led to self publish in 1952. Many years later it is officially housed in the Library of Congress.
 
Like Don being led to write this powerful book I was led to read it. I am amazed how such a small book so simply written can be so powerful. I am going to challenge everyone I know to read this book not just once but several times until the four agreements are embedded into your soul. Agreements one and two are the most powerful ...

One: Be Impeccable With Your Word
 
Two: Don't Take Anything Personally

I don't know about you, but both one and two are very hard to do ....
 
I will leave you today with these two paragraphs ... if you want to know agreements three and four you will need to get the book and read them for yourself. It will change your life if you allow it.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

It's All About the Food!

Over the past 4 years I have released a ridiculous amount of weight from my body. However, I have yet to master the release of my craving for sweets! Monday, I hosted sewing with my gal pals Rita and Penny. I wandered into Polly's Pie Shop, a local Fullerton favorite and saw this in the pie case glaring at me ....

Fresh Peach Melba pie ... how does one not want to bring this beauty home!

Oh my gosh, this was so yummy and fresh and summery!
Today I met with my X coworkers for lunch to celebrate our summertime birthdays! Yes, I am still celebrating, I love birthdays ... So they had salads and I had a small cup of corn chowder, Mimie's makes the best chowders! AND then we had this ....
Another delicious dessert. This was so perfect, three samplings of a Brownie Sundae, warm Bread Pudding and Apple Crisp a la mode'! We each sampled all three and decided they were all fabulous and deserved a blue ribbon.
 While my grandkids were visiting the youngest, Alexia (4 yo) decided to leave a little treat behind for far away grandma. I found it yesterday when I was getting out the aluminum foil.
 
There's my dessert in the bottom left corner ...

Here's a closer look. Papa Joe bought donuts on Friday morning ... it appears Lexi ate some of it and got full. However, she wasn't to full to lick off the chocolate and most of the sprinkles! Very carefully she tucked it into the drawer so no one else could get it and I would find it for a snack! How you ask do I know it's Alexia??? The other two don't like donuts or sweets, she take after grandma and loves her goodies!
As I wrap up today's post about food I just had to show one more final pic. This was a gift from Joan today ... it's fresh basil. Smells divine and will be delicious in home made spaghetti sauce. See I do eat greens!!


Monday, August 26, 2013

I Feel Transition in the Air .....

I stayed home all day yesterday cleaning and doing piles and piles of laundry after my son and his families visit.

One load of towels another one followed. Then bedding, bedding and clothes! My machine was exhausted!!
 In between all that laundry I cleaned all the sticky stuff off my furniture, refrigerator, walls and cleaned puppy spots off the carpet. Oh such joy! I also played with a few of my Abe's. Yep, Abe Lincoln is my man. I recently received a new one from my pals  Paula! That's him on my quilt cubby below. I also received my new Longaberger Ware basket with metal upsplints on Saturday and I just have it sitting in my quilt vignette waiting to be filled with beautiful Civil War quilts!



Another awesome gift came from Rita. She gave me a Civil War coffee table book as well as a 1 cent postage stamp from her visit to Illinois. I bordered him with some pieced quilt fabric and framed him ... love it!!

A final shot of my noodle board vignette with my new bell ring that I also received from my dear friend Ronna for my birthday. Fall is definitely in the air, I found some yummy candle tarts to burn in cinnamon bun and caramel apple! Together they make my house smell so cozy and autumnal. Until tomorrow!!


Sunday, August 25, 2013

Birthday with the Girls ...

Two of my oldest friends celebrate their birthdays in August. This year I planned a little road trip to visit some quilt shops in San Diego County.

Our first stop was Starbucks ... of course!! We had an hour and a half on the road and we were in need of some good caffeine. Next stop ... Fat Quarters Quilt Shop.
This cute shop is nestled in the heart of Vista, a small town east of San Diego. This is one of my favorite shops, filled with primitive and civil war fabrics. I could do a lot of financial damage in this little haven! Our friend Debbie surprised Penny and I with a gift card to use as we shopped in this darling store! Used mine!!

After a long visit at Fat Quarters I took the ladies to a darling resturant located in the downtown village of Vista, just a few miles from the quilt shop. I found this place using the internet search engines ... what did we do before we had this amazing service!! I wanted a unique place for lunch with good food and in Vista. I hit the mother load! The place I chose was the Yellow Deli ... it had a 5 star rating and everyone reported the food was organic, tasty and the desserts were to "die" for. I'm in!!

 
The Yellow Deli


morning-sun
Long ago in the old village of Vista an idea sprouted… Wouldn’t it be nice to have a place in this unusually quiet and uncrowded part of Southern California for a pleasant place where we could meet friends and serve good food…
So, early in the year of 2003 this property was acquired on Broadway… an old one room dilapidated building stood next to the old Adobe offices. That little building was torn down and then began a very long process of learning for us. We got to know about building permits, architects, engineers, many fees, etc. Finally, after many trials and even more errors, we began building our Deli in 2008.
From the ground up, our nice Deli building began to take shape. And after many more difficulties and many more fees, building permits, architects, and engineers, we finally finished the task. It took seven years all together. On Feb. 14, 2010 we opened our doors.
So, the nice idea is now a living reality: The Yellow Deli.
Some may say that we’re dreamers, but we’re not the only ones…
Even longer ago, and even farther away, the idea actually sprouted up of a society where people could work together and live together in peace and harmony. The “utopian” ideal of a society of complete sharing has come and gone across the face of history over the years, but few realize that the roots of this type of living was demonstrated most vividly in the “First Church” (which was entirely made of up Jewish believers in the Messiah) as they practiced complete communal living… this fact is documented clearly in the Bible. Somehow it must have appeared to them to be the perfect way to live out all the demands of Love, going the “extra mile”. So, why not live that way today?
That is a good question. It seemed to us like love demanded that kind of “together lifestyle”. So, for the last 40 years, we have been working together as a co-operative, raising our families together. Not until the early 2000’s did we actually start a community here in Vista. Some of us are originally from this area and were very happy to become part of such a community right here. We support ourselves by organic farming (Morning Star Ranch Organic Avocado Ranch, Valley Center) and sell our produce at the various Farmers Markets in our area. The Deli is able to serve you fresh, organic, and local produce some of which comes from our own ranch. We also have woodshops where we work together, making nice doors and windows and cabinets (such as the ones you see in the Deli). We do high quality work and have two woodshops in Vista, (one on Mercantile, and one on, S. Santa Fe, Vista). And now we work together to run our little Deli built with great care by all of us together…
So, we have good organic food, nice craftsmanship, and a nice environment to eat a meal.. that is The Yellow Deli!
Our way of life is different and we do not mind one bit answering your questions. As Henry David Thoreau once wrote: “If a man does not keep peace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
We are just extremely happy to be here in Vista and to have actually, finally opened our doors.
We hope your dining experience is pleasing and you can be sure, “We are here for you…”

The Yellow Deli in Vista, California
315 East Broadway
Vista Village
Vista, California 92084
(760) 631-1888


 And yes, the food was good, healthy and all organic! Very interesting place to visit. I had no idea of the story and history this little piece of heaven held in store for us. If your ever in North San Diego County it's a must visit spot.


Their hand drawn menu ... filled with fresh sandwiches, soups, salads, lamb dishes and fabulous desserts.
The gals were treated to a carrot cupcake with cream cheese icing. So good!

Gifts, what is a birthday with no gifts???

By the time we left the Yellow Deli is was packed and there was a line waiting to get in. On the sidewalk out front the members of their church had a fresh produce table, all grown by them and ....
 A fresh bakery! Cookies, breads, rolls, organic honey and teas were all on hand for purchase!

A night shot of the deli entrance!

Our final stop for the day was in La Mesa, 40 mile further south. Here we visited the Country Loft. This shop was all a buzz getting ready for a big event this weekend. They were filling it will fall goodies, quilts to auction off, patterns and new fabrics. Oh so much fun! 

Happy Birthday ladies, hope you had a fabulous day!

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Babies, Babies, Babies ....

It's been quite hectic here at the Taylor B & B. A week ago Monday I broke my baby toe so that little treat set me back a week to say the least! Already having a bum knee with the addition of the broken toe I found myself tied to the chair for awhile. However, Wednesday my son and his family rolled into town for their last visit before school starts! AND, they brought down my new grand dog to meet far away grandma!

Side profile of her beautiful beauty mark ... I think they should have named her Marilym Monroe!


This dog is so laid back, we put blinking necklaces on her and she was not a bit bugged!!

Isn't she just the cutest thing!!
My son's best friend and his wife just had a new baby boy 7 days ago ... did I say NEWborn!! The boys grew up together since they were newborns so Matt's son is like another grandchild for me! Yay, and he lives close!

This is 7 day old Oliver Mark Rexroad, just so precious and new ....
My daughter Tiffany is getting some practice ....
 The family goes home tonight and I'm exhausted. Love them to pieces but 3 grand kids is a lot for this ole gal! In the past four days we have roller skated throughout my house, broken a lamp, I've laundered beach towels dozens of times, cleaned up puppy pee off my carpet and washed, and washed and washed dishes ... love them to pieces!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Road Trip days 3 and 4!

  As our road trip continued we hit the road bright and early and headed for Morro Bay. 

Our fearless leader Danae driving away in the little Soul. Down the hill we went headed south ...


Our first stop was in Cuyucos at the Brown Butter Cookie Shop. OMG they are the best cookies ever! Then a quick trip through one of the local Antique shops where I found a couple of treasures to commemorate my trip! Next stop, Morro Bay.
 
We had lunch on the pier while watching the fishermen bring in the catch. Followed by a trip to the Salt Water Taffy shop to get a two pound bag of assorted goodies for my hubby. He is addicted to this gooey stuff! We went down the boardwalk and visited some of the local shops, supported the Morro Bay economy a bit and then back on the road.


By now it was time to do a little more wine tasting. This was a cute little shop in Cambria.
After dinner the youngins wanted a cocktail ... here is the menu ... my how things have changed










Isn't this picture awesome ... the waitress took it ... blurry, eye glasses are glaring ... she must have been drinking too many of her cocktails!
Next stop - HOME and into our jammies, my favorite time of the day!! Tanya bought all of us a foot mask so we put on the mask and our feet went into a plastic bag. Next ....
Game time!! We played Bubble Talk. This was sooooo fun, These two didn't want to play but I think they had the most fun. Danae was the winner after a slow start. If your looking for a fun family game, this is a great one!  
We all went to bed by mid-night since we were packing up and heading home the next day. NOT ready to go home ...

Holy Moly, how will I see out the back window?? I didn't, that's why we have side mirrors!! So the cars are packed and we're on the road by 9 am ...

A quick stop at Avila Beach ...

This little Inn was the first place my hubby took the kids and I for a vacation, so many fond memories!

Yep, we made another stop in Arroyo Grande and picked up a few more treasures. That's my little blue, three wheel stroller and Tanya has yet to purchase and pack a nail keg. By the time all this as loaded I REALLY couldn't see out the window!
We all had such a great time together, women need to feed their souls once in awhile with other women to giggle, shop, and just be silly!!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

A Tribute to Betsy ....

I finished my Tribute to Betsy quilt! Love how it came out after I washed it. Nice and soft and so cozy. Thank you again to my very dear friend Paula for the awesome birthday gift. She's just the bestest ever!!

 

Monday, August 12, 2013

A Visit to the Sea .....

God has created such a magnificent place for all of us to enjoy. As a resident of California I am continually reminded how blessed I am to live in such a beautiful state. The past weekend six of us hit the road for the Central California Coast to enjoy a "girls weekend." Oh, what a wonderful time we had enjoying good food, tasting new wines, beautiful scenic drives and laughing together like only women can do!

Here we are! Home Sweet Home while we visit beautiful Cambria. We rented this large roomy home for 4 days, so much nicer then a hotel!!

The fridge is stocked with Yellow Tail and beer ...

  Lots of bottled water and Tanya's diet coke!

Wild berry vines were growing everywhere and loaded with plump berries ...
Such a tiny quaint little hamlet!

Ronna and I spent one day together touring several little towns, Harmony was by far the smallest!

Harmony glass blowing shop ... such a cool place to visit.

Now these are my kind of flowers!
 Ronna and I enjoyed this little village so much we wanted to be sure and bring all the gals back to see it. The next morning bright and early we were visiting the Harmony Vineyards Winery. These were just the nicest folks running the wine tasting room.

Welcome to the Wine Tasting! Let's go inside ....

A view of the valley ...

Candace and Danae enjoying some Chardonnay ....


We were invited inside the actual winery to see where the magic happens! Let's go ...
 

This wonderful place oozed the odor of oak! The casks used for these wines were made from American, Eastern European and French oak. The cost of each cask varied in price from $500.00 to $1,000.00 per cask! These were housing red wines of the future ..
Here we are ... the whole gang!
 Tomorrow I will finish up with days three and four! See you then.