A Girl with a dog in a Truck

One of the more interesting things that has happened to me since we purchased this little house in Ojai is that I spend a large amount of time by myself.  My husbands office is about two hours away and he comes up at the end of the week and leaves again on Sunday night to spend his week in Newport.

 My son is finishing up his last semester of college and he's not around much either. So... I have been up here alone for about two months and its been really different... but much to my surprise,  really fun.

First off,  I have been busy with the landscape project so I spend most of my days working, shovel in hand.  It also difficult to meet people because the homes are really spread out with large amounts of acreage.  I love vintage gardening tools, by the way.

I say hello and chat with neighbors when they walk their dogs and I love the people at Rains,  the local housewares store.  The farmers at the farmers market on Sundays are really nice as are the guys at ACE hardware;  who say every time I go in there "you're not from around here, are you". Essentially no one knows me.  I'm just a girl with a dog in a truck.

Here's where the truck comes in:  it's not a simple little truck.

It's a big, jacked up,  shiny black, flared out,  double muffler, lifted, stud muffin, country music song singing, Budwiser drinking, Prius eating, Ford F 150, special No Fear Edition from 2003.

 And  I love this truck.

 I have struck up more conversations with random people in parking lots  because of this truck.  They also like to pet my dog Millie who happens to also like the truck,  plus everyone loves a tail wagging lab.

I wanted a truck so bad when I was in my 20's, going to college and was working at a ski area in Utah.  Instead I was driving a Volkswagen beetle.  It got me around but I secretly wished for a big ol' redneck sort of a truck.  So here I am some 30 years later and I finally have my truck.

The truck was actually my son's during high school  but we got practical and put him in something that didn't guzzle so much gas.   We tried to sell the truck but nobody seemed to want a gas guzzler at the time as gas was up around $4.50 a gallon.  Then...we bought this little ranch house and low and behold we had the perfect spot for the truck.

So what is the point of this post exactly ?  Nothing very earth shattering but sometimes life is an amazing, perplexing, crazy journey. And when you least expect it, small interesting things come full circle and land in your lap.

 Plop

And there you are,  with the sentence ended, the t's crossed and the i's dotted as if it was ment to be.

Quite amazing I think and ya gotta love a great Truck

best~*~kelley

Cash for Clunkers: money pit design mistakes

One of my Favorite blogs, hands down is Velvet and Linen.

 Brooke Gianetti is an amazing, creative designer and her posts are beyond special.  She always shares her resources and continues to inspire with each new project.  Her design is current and smart and thoughtful, need I say more?

She recently did a post about a light fixture for her new office which you should absolutely read.  She thought she might be settling for second best because the light fixture was a catalog purchase and not an original.  It was a well read post with so many great comments from readers.

Here's the fixture from Wisteria at around $250 dollars.  And below is the fixture in Brooke's office, which I think looks really wonderful and the scale is perfect.  Well spent money and a great look!

This really got me thinking about some of my worst design decisions and poorly spent money.   My husband would probably have a list a mile long but most of those bad choices have gone to the great "consignment store" in the sky.  Should we ask for our money back ?  And better yet can we get some cash for our clunkers?

Clunker #1 Copper Cookware:

 I can honesty say I will never buy copper cookware again.  I was having a Martha Stewart moment about 10 years ago and decided I needed copper cookware to be displayed proudly in my little kitchen, just like Martha:

 I wanted the real deal, the kind of stuff Jacques and Julia use.  And so I dove in...credit card in hand.  By the time I finished this collection of sauciers and stock pots I think I was in over 3 grand!  Ouch.   And here's the topper,  I hate it.  Not that its bad to cook on but it is the biggest pain in the neck to keep clean.

 I had glorious gleaming pots turn black in a mere 24 hours.  Living near the beach didn't help.  This 3 piece set of Mauviel is $650 dollars at Sur La Table and I have lots of this stuff.

 Not to mention the fact that I like putting stuff in the dishwasher.  I will confess right here and now that I have put the copper in the dishwasher on that occasional lazy evening. Martha would be appalled!

 I have also put expensive knives in the dishwasher.  So flog me now with a wet dish rag...I deserve it.  Copper pots, never ever again!  Here is Martha's current kitchen:  not a copper pot in sight!

Clunker #2: again comes from the kitchen or perhaps the dining room:  Vietre stoneware

 I love a well dressed, gorgeous table with all the wonderful glassware and cutlery etc.  I especially enjoy beautiful stone ware and china.  So here we go again.  Leave it to the Italians to bring me to my knees and make me loose all my common sense with the production of Vietre dishes.

 Something about the colors and hand painted motifs are so special.  So once again without a care in the world I bought Vietre in various colors and styles.  Platters and servers, gravy boats and bakers,  mugs, saucers, bowls.  I had to have it all.  And guess what...it's so impractical!

 You can't put it in the microwave and it chips and cracks like crazy.

This collection is called Sorbetto and is supposed to be microwaveable but it's not because I bought some and fried it in my micro just trying to heat a cup of soup.

 I had a baker split in half with a wonderful lasagna happily cooking away.  What a mess and the baker set me back $200 dollars.  I still have all the stoneware but I rarely use it, except for the coffee mugs.   It looks pretty in my butlers pantry but no no no, never again will I buy Vietre.

 My third and final Clunker #3:  the Trophy Stove

 We've all seen them in show houses and magazines.  The stove that takes your breath away in all of its stainless and enamel glory.  Here is the most notable example: the AGA.

 This amazing example of kitchen eye candy will set you back $13,857 dollars and it's only 33" wide. What could you possible fit in those 3 tiny little ovens? It also happens to weigh 900 lbs and requires a special installer from the far reaches of the northern hemisphere to install or repair it.

I do not own this oven and I never will.  I have an acquaintance who put this in her kitchen because she had to have it.  Her idea of cooking is making toast, so it made absolutely no sense for her to own this thing.

  She also didn't know the the pilot stays continually on and it makes the kitchen hot.  Please no more trophy stoves!

 I did a post recently  about my new Bertazzoni stove, but I love to cook and the oven was less expensive that a Viking so I have spared myself a "cash clunk" disaster...at least I think so.

And so I have confessed, not fully, but I can't remember all of the expensive "dogs" that I have spent well earned money on.  Probably because there are too many to even admit to.

 I will just say this however;  today I think more wisely about what I buy and don't feel like I need to have the real deal all the time.  I still put expensive knives in the dishwasher but I stick with Stainless All-Clad and basic white dinnerware as my everyday favorites.

Cash for clunkers; hopefully never again.  I'd love to hear your cash clunker stories, I can only imagine how funny many of them are.   And thanks again Brooke for the thoughtful inspiration!

Have a great week~*~kelley

David Austin Roses

I have always loved roses but now I have a new love:  David Austin English roses.  Mr. Austin began developing a new type of rose for the English garden in the early 1950s.  His goal was to combine the look of vintage heirloom roses with the sustainability of modern hybrids.  He not only succeeded in that goal he turned the style of what is considered a perfect rose into something more romantic and free flowing in it's growing habitat.  These roses are perfect companions to the perennial garden in both shape and color.  Most are pastel hued and have an unbelievable rose fragrance.

The heads of these roses are like peonies, with multiple layers of petals.  They are actually very hardy in most climates but do require lots of sun as do all roses, at least 6 hours preferably 8.

What is interesting about English gardens is that they use roses differently than Americans.  Many rose beds are actually hedges and are pruned as such.  The tight compact "hedge" becomes a living bouquet.

I love the idea of the rose hedge and will be using it in our new rear garden area.  I have ordered 4 varieties in 4 different colors which will be a total of 40 rose bushes all planted as 4 compact hedges.

There are many resources on the internet for these lovely plants and can be shipped bare root in January. David Austin is offering groups of 3 for around $60 dollars which is  about a third of what you will pay in April when they arrive in pots.

I just love these and can't wait to get them into the ground when they arrive.

Have a "rosy" week   kelley

Guy Stuff: Orvis catalog

I was a menswear buyer and merchandiser for many years early in my career and I have a love for men's clothing.  I never designed a single piece of women's wear nor did I consider myself a very good shopper when it came to my own wardrobe.

 As an ardent student of the "Ralph Lauren" school of menswear, to this day,  I love mens clothes.

 I buy them for my husband and son and I love the look of menswear as it relates to my own closet.  Sometimes I scour the markdowns for a size small cashmere vest that a guy would never wear but works perfectly for me!

I would consider myself a catalog junkie and the new Orvis Clothing for Men catalog is really special.

What is not to love about these bright chunky watches!

These are the nicest sweatshirts, from the Montana Morning collection; nice colors and really soft washed out feel.

Love this boot.  Very Ralph Lauren-ish

This is where it all started for Orvis; their incredible Fly Fishing rods and reels.  These are from the Adirondack  Collection and will set you back about $2000 dollars.

This luggage is really great looking and looks pretty functional as well.  I could totally see a woman using these.  That satchel is great.

Gotta love the dog stuff.  My pal Millie has this collar.

No comment....snooozing now

Cute pea coat and scarf

I like these unbreakable plates and the rosewood tableware, really pretty

I must admit the women's section is in serious need of some new talent in the merchandising dept.

Need I say more?  So silly looking, who would wear this?

I actually like this hat better, sort of like a kitty on your head.  Check out the Orvis catalog for the man in your life.  I think you'll agree there is some great stuff.

happy shopping~*~kelley

Carmens Best Guacamole: foodie friday recipe #1

With all of the new citrus trees just planted including a Bearss Lime and Haas Avocado it really got me thinking about what to cook this weekend.
I have a little journal, actually a couple of them, full of random recipes and thoughts about parties I might host and what kind of food to serve.  I usually jot things down on the weekends when I have a minute to sit and reflect.  I don't keep a journal so I suppose this is my version.

A wonderful gal who worked for me a few years ago was also working for another family who happens to own a couple of really good restaurants in the LA/OC area:  El Cholo and Cannery Seafood.  She did  plating and food prep at the restaurants. One afternoon before she left for her "2nd" job of the day we talked about guacamole.

Here is Carmen's version and the one I always use when I make guacamole.  It's not hot because I don't think thats the way it was intended.  Serve with your favorite salsa and chips.  My fave right now happens to be Santitos which are about $2 dollars for a huge bag!

In a large bowl combine:
     3-4 ripe avocados (Haas) pitted and flesh scooped out
     1/2 cup finely diced white onion
     1 jalepeno finely diced
     1/4 cup cilantro or parsley, finely chopped
     kosher salt to taste
Work all ingredients together with a fork, the mixture should be chunky.  Cover well and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Remove from the fridge and add:
     1/2 cup ripe roma or firm tomatoes rough chopped
     Juice of 2 limes
     Recheck seasoning and add salt and more lime juice if needed
    Top off as garnish:  finely sliced radish (I have white in the photos because it was at the farmers market)

I  usually serve my workers "the landscape guys" something every friday before they leave.  Usually cookies and soft drinks but today it will be chips and guacamole.

Happy Foodie Friday ~*~kelley

Lovin my Oven: Bertazzoni; Direct from Italy

Back home today in Newport and already knee deep into another project.  I have so many things going on right now I feel a little dizzy! 

 We are doing some construction to fix a structural defect in the house we own and while we were doing that we also thought it might be a good time to give the kitchen a face lift.  Nothing is ever an easy fix and we've already run into a bunch of little problems but there is always Plan B.  I'm not sure what Plan B is yet but I'll probably find out really soon. 

The highlight of my day today was the uncrating of my new Italian free standing range form Bertazonni. The company has been making stoves in the Emilia-Romagna  region near Parma Italy since 1892 and they have just recently started to become available in the US. This region of Italy is really the heart of the food world and the stoves are a work horse for the home cook as well as the professional chef.

The stove comes in quite a few colors including stainless, this shiny black and bright red which would be really fun to do with stainless counter tops.  I love the logo at the base with the wings.

Heres a sneak peek at the reno and my new Italian love.  The paint on these is like automobile  paint, really shiny and deep looking.  The knobs are really interesting as well.

  We are pulling out the stone on this center island and replacing it with black absolute granite which should really add some bling to this little kitchen space. 

Stay tuned for more demo and the finished project!

Have a great week~*~kelley