Out of the box Christmas stockings - 2024

Several months ago I was lucky enough to walk into Trader Joe's when they were stocking the mini totes. At the time I didn't know how popular they were. We decided to save them and use them for our Christmas stockings. Really turned out very nice and something that can be used year round. :) 

Monarch Butterflies

 It has been raining for most of the week but there was one day that was nice and sunny. We made the quick trip to the Monarch butterfly reserve in Pacific Grove. It was still a little chilly so the few butterflies there weren't too active. The population is scary low and almost on the endangered list. 

A little creative time

Squeezed in a little creative time while the boys are off visiting friends in San Jose. I've started to pack up the craft supplies so while I had the paint out decide to paint some things for the Gnome village in the neighborhood. We've been picking up driftwood and rocks at the beach so I started making little dioramas. This year the oak trees are dropping a ton of acorns so I made little people. I know my little creations won't last long once placed outside but it was fun trying to not make the face look like a scary clown. 

I got brave and painted a Santa on one of the driftwood pieces. The eyes are still a little wonky but I think it adds character. At least is doesn't look like a crazy clown serial killer. :) 

Cookbook Reading - yeah it's a thing

With all the new to me cookbooks in the house you would think one of them would have a recipes for pork tenderloin. Nope, had to look up Alton Brown's bbq recipe that I have made in the past. After dinner I remembered the Milk Street recipe that is very good and I have made many times but it's pan fried. The stove top here isn't level so makes cooking anything challenging. It also requires more spices than I have here. 

Mother's Best cookbook looks good and it got me to thinking want recipes would a Japanese American family add. The MB book is the more traditional middle America comfort food. I did like reading where the recipes came from or the story behind it so for me it was a fun read.  

I also have a copy of the cookbook Lush Life and I found some editing errors right off the bat. If you know me, the written word isn't my thing at all. But when I see errors that should have been caught, makes we wonder. The index in the back has a lot of errors which made me wonder how good were the recipes. So I googled the reviews, which were all 5 stars but one. I read them and all the five star reviews loved the photography of the book, which is nice but none of them had actually cooked anything from it. The one star review agreed the photos were nice but the recipes were just meh. This is one book that's going back to the thrift store. If you just like looking at pictures of food then maybe this is a book for you. 

 

Carmel House

 One of my favorite things about the Carmel house is the fireplace.  Since it was turn into gas and sealed behind glass, it's perfect. Keep the front of the house a constant temperature even when no one is here.  That has reduce the mold smell at least in the front part of the house. It's not that I sit in front of the fireplace but it does make the house comfy. The Carmel house also has floor to ceiling windows in all the rooms. I'm sure the design was to let in all the sunshine possible. Not really too concerned with heating the house back in the 40's. 

When I remodeled my home years ago I did opt to take out the fireplace. People thought I was nuts.  I wanted more wall space and wood burning fireplaces back then were slowly being coming not so PC. Of course the major attraction is the beach. 

Leftovers

 Having toddlers who are very picky eaters (or just never hungry) we end up with a lot of leftovers. When I got the call to make something for lunch for the boys who were on their way home I said "leftovers". The pizza and chicken wings were from a really fancy place here in town. The mac and cheese dish was homemade by one of our guests. What isn't in the picture is the most amazing lasagna from Marcellas in San Francisco. Have to say it's been a long time since I was impressed by dish! Highly recommend it!

Ina Garten 2002 Cookbook - Family Style

Yes, I did pick up another cookbook at the thrift store here in Carmel. Do I really need another one? No, I don't but I did like listening to her new autobiography a few months ago so I thought I should at least try some of her recipes. I'm testing if her philosophy about cooking pans out. :)  Paid $5.

While I was there a donation of over 1,000 books came in. I had high hope the art book I'm looking for came in but sadly no luck. I picked up a few more books because it was fill up a box for free day. These are books I wouldn't normally pick up but being free I decided I could review them quickly. 

 

Really bad design

Not sure who thought of this design but clearly they didn't test it on the little kids that would be using it. The pointy thingy right at the throat area doesn't seem like a good idea. Henkie is demonstrating how unsafe it really it!

Never miss a photo op

 I can't resist taking a scrapbook photo when the scene is just right. We were at the beach but the tide was just a little too rough for the boys to swim so we spent most of the time feeding the sea gulls. :) 

Bushy Christmas Tree

I haven't gone tree cutting in years. Since the boys are old enough and this may be the last time they're here for Christmas, we made the trip. There aren't many tree farms left in the area. Many of the farms and owners have aged out of the business. The farm we went to (Church Family Farm in Prunedale) has been in business for 77 years and you can tell. All the trees are small (less than 5 feet) and now only have the fast growing bushy varies, which I'm not a fan of.  The farm is reasonable close to Carmel so that was the only reason we went there. It was nice for families with small children, lots of open space so you couldn't lose anyone. The large oak trees were also a big hit and a natural jungle gym  Tree cost $90. 

I thought it was funny to add the shark to the tree to fill a massive hole. One of the major down side to bushy trees is that they don't hold ornaments too well. 

 

Dinosaur or Ostrich Egg?

Another project that didn't turn out the way I had planned but still worked. 

I had plans to have a sandbox filled with sand to bury these giant easter eggs. I did spray paint them a neutral color to make them look more like a real egg.  

I couldn't source a sandbox down here in Carmel and there was no room in my car to bring one from Cupertino. So it was put on the back burner and stored in the closet. It was decided that the Gnomes would use the eggs to find their surprise when we had a guest whose parents didn't want her to have candy in the morning. Inside was a large zoo animal. The eggs didn't really stay together very well so it was difficult for the boys to carry around. Was sort of a success. I think the sandbox idea would have been a messy hit. :)

Practice Decorating a Christmas Tree

There are plans to go cut our Christmas tree this year but I really don't think it's going to happen. Tight schedule with all the activities that are on the calendar. 

The boys started to decorate the small topiary trees with non breakable ornaments. of course only a few of the branches got all the ornaments. 
 

New Born In The House

This week we had a newborn visit the Carmel house. Noel is only 4 weeks old. Parents are lucky that Noel is nursing well so sleeps in 5 hours shifts. All the loud noises (and the boys are very loud) don't seem to bother her either. We have a no throwing anything in house rule. We don't encourage throwing anything but it's a firm rule while Noel is here. I did get a lot of grammy time as I don't see anymore grand babies in my future. :) 

1. These are the type of family photos I like. The stage ones just don't to it for me.

The boys are in San Francisco visiting some friends from Holland who now work here.  As cute as this photo is, I know it's only seconds before that embrace turns into a head lock or choke hold. It's a boy thing. :)
 

Christmas Mittens - 2024

If you have been following my blog, you know I was working on these mittens. The first idea was to make a banner but that idea was scraped when I ran out of time. 

I hung a few with the garland but the rest will go on the tree. It was funny when Henkie tried to put then on as real mittens. :) 

 

Acorn Diorama Carmel - 2024

The boys are off visiting friends in San Francisco, so the house is very quiet.  Got the house cleaned up and some Christmas decorations up. It's not wise to get on a step stool with toddlers racing around. 

I can't remember the oak trees dropping so many acorns. The boys are happily filling their pockets with acorns so they're all over the house too. I decided to make a little diorama with the acorns to add to the gnome village. I like to think this is my way of starting my travel journaling by breaking out my paints and tiny paint brushes. Getting creative as I stress out not having found a place to live when I get back to Cupertino in January. 

It's all about the food for the holidays

It's all about the food when it comes to the holidays in my family. We don't go for the traditional stuff. We do a pre Thanksgiving dinner which was delicious. Prime rib, mash potatoes (Henkie's favorite food) freshly caught crabs, fancy salad and a few other things I can't remember. :)

We didn't do a turkey as most of us don't like it and it's a pain to have to time everything around it. Honey baked ham was the main dish. The day after Thanksgiving we make fried rice with all the leftovers. 

An Illustrated Life by Danny Gregory

Book by Danny Gregory

I came across some youtube videos by Danny Gregory about illustrated journals. This was his first book published years ago. It's out of print now and not in the library system anymore. I didn't want to order it until I was sure I like his style of writing because buying it used is a little high. At the library I did find some of his newer books (he's published a lot) so I checked them out. It was a first time I've been to the Carmel library, having walked past it a million times over the years. His videos are pretty good so I don't really need to get his books. His first book has samples of 40 different artists so it would be nice to see their work. I'm now on the hunt for his books at the thrift stores. It may take time but I know I will find it.  

Setting new art goals

I've never been one to sit and read a book cover to cover unless I was on a long flight.I wish I was one of those type who can go on vacation with a good book.

When I was hiking in Machu Picchu several years ago I saw a man doing a pen and ink drawing in his travel journal.It was a clear sunny day and he had a small bottle of black ink next to him with this amazing view of Machu Picchu. For some reason that is the strongest image I have of my time at Machu Picchu.I'm now starting the process of actually doing a travel journal. Not really for traveling but more like my blog of everyday life stuff.I use to scrapbook but it always felt manufactured, not creative enough or really me. One of the things to start my  journaling path is to try new fonts on my blog, then practice writing in that font. I'm drawn to the bold graphic look in journals so I think that will be a good start. 

Chicken Enchiladas Tonight

It was a last minute decision to make chicken enchiladas tonight. Not sure who made that decision but after a debate on using spaghetti sauce instead of going to the store for enchilada sauce, I ended up cooking. Debating about food happens when you have a bunch of foodies in the house. I did spice it up a bit but not as hot as I would have liked it because of the kids. We did have everything to make chicken enchiladas include fresh jalapeño peppers and perfectly ripe avocados. Again having foodies in the house you never know what you'll find in the refrigerator! The teenagers here all liked it and even Henkie had some for his second dinner. Now have to figure out what to do with all the left over chicken!

Carmel Craft Show

Ceramic tiles by Steve Baranowski

Normally I don't go to many of these type craft shows. I was dropping off some books to donate and I had a good parking space close by. Parking on the street and in town was a nightmare! I'm not feeling well again but it was a very nice day so I went to take a look. I saw a several things I would love but getting there 2 hours late, it was slim pickings for the hot colors.  Things were very pricey but I think it has to due with it being in Carmel.

I did get these tiles from an artist that lives in Davenport. If you know the area it's just a sleepy little beach town. Has a good blown glass community but not much else. I thought these ceramic tiles were quirky. I first saw the squids tile so I went into his booth to see what else he had. When I saw the flatfish tile I was hooked. I only got a small one but now I think I should ask to have it made in an 8X8 size. I've been on a crow kick lately as there have been a lot of them here at the beach house. I plan to give one to a friend as she likes crows too. The little tree pendent is for another friend who likes to hike. Think she could always hang it up as an ornament if she doesn't want to wear it. Total price was $140 which I don't think is too bad for something handmade and supporting a local artist. I mean when  have you seen a ceramic squid tile. :) 

Ikedas Dutch Apple Pie

I'm not a pie person but I have to say this dutch apple pie from Ikedas was really good. My son is now here in Carmel for a few weeks and made several stops on the way down from Tahoe to pick up snacks. Pie was so good it didn't need ice cream, which we didn't have anyways. The kids went through a gallon in less than a week!

"Spinkle"

I learned a new term last night at dinner "sprinkle". Having no idea what that meant, I had to ask.  It's a term wealthy people use when they randomly spend their wealth on others. How the conversation got started was someone said my SIL could sprinkle a little and buy a house here in Carmel when one of his stock option pays out.  He does a lot of contract work for start-ups and there's sometimes a stock option attached to the contract. He's very much in demand so to get on his calendar, stock is the only other thing they can offer. 

The photo was taken by a friend who was in Japan and Korea for her honeymoon.  I just loved this photo! Back in the day when Facebook and instagram first started it was postings of things people you knew. Now it's just ads :( 

Party Banner Request

 I was asked to make a flag banner using some fabric a friend brought back from Africa. The center fabric is the one I'm working with. The others are ones I may get from FabMo online store. Love shopping on FabMo online store because they get some interesting fabric and the prices are super good. 

Not sure about the blue one, maybe a little too blue? The gold brown stripe one is maybe too boring? It's for a household of very active little kids so I'm leaning more toward bright colors.

Fall Honey For The Win

I've been sick for the past few weeks. I got all the shots I could knowing being around little kids catching a cold was going to happen. 

I've been drinking a lot of lemon and honey tea to help with the cough and stay hydrate. My good friends Tina and Thomas (local bee keepers) hooked me up with the good stuff, dark honey. This is fall honey when the bees had more choices for their pollen supply. It's a seasonal thing so not always available. 

Green Swung Vase

Fenton Swung Vase

A car load of boxes came down from my sister's basement as they were doing a cleaning out. Most of the stuff we hoped I could sell while here, because that's what I do. now the task of disposing of it here, is a challenge. There was only one thing that was worth digging through all those boxes. Swung vases are very hot right now and this one is a Fenton one. Knowing where it came from, it's vintage and the real thing. I did do the comps and checked to make sure. It passed all the tests. It's headed to Cottage Crafts at some point. 

Old School Cooking Tools

This is very old school technology. I found this months ago at Savers ($12.99) and thought it was perfect for the beach house. The stove is very old and all the electric burners that work, slant. Last year the boys' dad couldn't make pancakes because the batter would slide to one side of the pan. We could only make waffles. When I saw pan this the light bulb went on. My mom gave me one of these years ago during another remodel I was doing and I really liked it.  We used it this week and it's working out really well. Ube pancakes, hash brown and sausages. 

 

Vintage Santa Blow Mold

I found this vintage Santa blow mold at the Lending Hand thrift store down here in Carmel. It was $10.00 and being sold as it. At first I only saw a crack along the leg which wasn't all that bad but then I saw the giant hole at the base. Most of the time on these large blow mold the damage is done around the top part. Plus the hole looked like a shadow when it was on the shelf. Anyways I decided for $10 I could at least get $25 for it. I posted it on Facebook Marketplace and got dozens of people interested in it until I confirmed that they actually looked at where the damage was. Most the people where resellers and these blow mold sell for about $200 if in perfect condition. Sun damaged doesn't affect the value too much but a big hold will. I'm sure they all thought I forgot a zero on my price and they were going to score big time. 

It will be transported to Cottage Crafts on Wednesday where a FB buyer will be waiting for it. 
 

Learning Something New - 2024

I learned something new today. My SIL is in high tech so while he's here, I had him figure out why I kept getting a link added to all my blog posts. Looks like someone was using my computer for crypto currency mining, whatever that means. How they got my information is anyone's guess but it's a thing. So by adding a link to my blog, they could use my computer's power.  At least that mystery was solved. 

I had plans to use these trees outside on the deck at the beach house but being an older house there aren't many outlets. I have to also be careful how many extinction cords I use because last year I blew a lot of  Christmas light fuses. So as a back up, I put them by the fireplace. I think it looks very festive! Goes well with the whole outdoor canvas tent theme. :) 

Art 101

While at the beach house I planned for a little painting project. Always a risk when it comes to open containers of paint. 

We had a guest over this weekend who is eight. Her painting is a little easier to understand. 

Mees and Henkie are more abstract in their work. Henkie leans more to the blending of colors, Mees into primaries. 

Gnome House 2.0

The gnome house is still a popular activity here at the beach house. I was surprised the boys remembered it from last year. 

The gnomes went with a pre-fab

house this year. The wooden moss covered one couldn't handle the wet weather. It was relocated to the gnome village down the street.  

This one spins around to show two rooms which works out prefect for the boys. Not a lot of room but it will hold up a whole lot longer than  the original version.

Problem solving

I've spent the last three days getting the beach house ready for the boys. Several car loads of boxes have been coming down to the house for months. 

This has been a vacation home for many, many years, so it's not stocked with too many things. One of the things that did get replaced was the dinner plates.  These new oversized plates (round ones) are so big they don't fit in the dishwasher. The arrow points to the chip on the edge. The other down size is people still load the dishwasher up with them. The spinning thingy, doesn't really spin so the dishes don't really get clean. 

This is year with all the guests we have coming down, I can't see having to hand wash all the dinner plates. If I had thought of it sooner, I would have picked up a set at the Happy Dragon but instead I went to the Branches thrift store here in Monterey. I really didn't want to pay a lot, even at $1.50 each (set of 9) killed me. The new set is only a 1/4 smaller but their more a square shape so fit better in the dishwasher. 

I did bring down a set of my cow glasses since the boys no longer want to use baby type cups anymore. These have a thicker rim than the ones here at the beach house, which tend to break easily.  I've had these for years (cows were my mom's lucky charm) but I don't really need a set of 12 anymore. I'm donating them to the house since the owners were going to have to replace the missing juice glasses anyways. Win Win!

The eaglets have landed 2024

The eaglets have landed! It's almost show time. They will spend Halloween up in Seattle before heading down to Carmel. I have just  three days to get the beach house ready and stocked for their visit. This will be their last time being here for the holidays as they both will be in school next year. 

I'm still looking for a place to move to in January but that's taking a back burner now. I was hoping to be moving out before the kids got here but still no luck finding a new place. Boxes are stacked everywhere and just a little depressing. I may have to give up finding an in laws unit and go with an apartment. I really really don't want to do that so I'm not giving up hope yet.

 

Budding Artist?

It was so cute that my 3 year old grandson Henkie is into painting. His name sake (great grandfather Hank) was also an artist. 

Henkie during one of our FaceTime chat said he wants me to have the small black and white painting. Asked his mom to make sure to pack it for their upcoming visit. 

His favorite colors are purple, yellow and red. Mees said his are rainbow colors.

Most of my art supplies have been packed up for my move which is a bummer. I know I have a ton of blank canvases packed somewhere. I do plan to go out and get kid grade paint as I don't think the boys are ready for the professional paints I use. 

Milk Street CookBook Score

$3 score

Do I need another cookbook? No I don't but when I see Chris on the cover it just draws me in. When I saw this cookbook at Happy Dragon, I thought it was an American Test Kitchen book. Thinking it was one of the last cookbook Chris did before leaving ATK because he looks older. It was busy at the store so I didn't pay much attention to it after I tagged it that I wanted it. 

When things calmed down at the store,(it was intake day) I got a good look at it. I realized it was a Milk Street cookbook! It's a $$$ book, so I knew I would have to wait to find it at the thrift store. Just did a quick flip through as I'm still packing and also getting ready for the family visit next week. 

I also listened to Ina Garten's new bio book from the library this week. There was a long list of people waiting for the audio book, so I was surprised it showed up so fast.  I'm glad I went with the audio book and not the actual book. If you're a foodie, it's nice to listen to (she has a great calming voice) but I don't think it's worth sitting down and reading. She's had great success in her life which is inspiring. I've always liked her videos as her food always looks like what a real home cook would make and actually eat. :) 

Mornings

I sort of keep a morning schedule but nothing like when I had school age kids at home or when I worked. In the morning while I have my big cup of coffee the squirrels come by. 

2005 Mervyn's Mug

The gray squirrel aka Fat Boy who has a nest in the tree in my backyard, makes a point to stop and give me a look over. I sure Fat Boy is hoping I will start leaving out snacks. When I first moved here I did the whole bird feeder thing. That was a totally failure as the Fat Boys made sure to empty the feeders as fast as I could fill them. 

The only success I've had with birds is the bird baths. The same pair of birds stop by around 10:00 am and take dip. They are so use to me now that if I walk by they don't fly away. When we had the really hot days and the water was still semi warm in the morning, they would just take a really long soak. It's so cute to just see them relaxing, no fluttering of wings, just floating along. 

Why the pic? This is my favorite mug I got at Mervyn's in 2005. Does anyone remember the Mervyn's stores?  I have two left (I'm sure I started out with more) that have survived the many purges I've had to do. These will be the last things I pack this week. 

Crafty Sunday

There are a few crafting projects I want to get done before the grandkids arrive next month. It's been challenging since all of my craft supplies have been boxed up. 

On Sunday I decided not to leave the house until I got them started. I first finished the XL advent calendar I picked up at the store. It was used so all the inside parts were gone. I made new envelopes and filled the one I could with what I had, mainly stickers.  Now on the hunt of some more fun things the boys would like. 

The second project was to make enough mitten to make a banner. I going for the old fashion handmade look so I'm hand stitching all of them. I'm thinking I'll hide little surprises in them for the boys if I get my act together. 

Another Good Score.

Living once again with moving boxes stacked everywhere it does get a little depressing. It's always a pick me up when I find something rare. This is a very common pattern = low resale value, but finding the mustard jar was a major score. The resale value is much higher than the very common sugar and creamer. Now I just have to find a little spoon to go with it. I know I have one but it's been packed away so I will have to find one out in the wild. 

As I'm getting ready for the grandkids visit, I signed up to get my shots. Being around walking Petri dishes is no joke. :)

Another Good Score - Phomemo Label Maker

$3.00 score Phomemo

If you've been following my blog, you know I really like the new label maker (Phomemo) I got a few months back. It's been a total game changer, making it super fast to price everything. 

It was a very busy day at the store as I'm getting things cleaned up for the big clearance sale next week. I didn't get to my department until late in the afternoon. As I was sorting through all the random stuff left on my desk I found another label maker! I didn't hesitate if I should buy it!  It did have four label rolls, which that alone was worth it. It didn't have its charger cord but because I have already have one that was no problem. A super good score because now I can leave one at the store for the days when I just pop in with new stuff. 

Now I have to decided if I should get a carry case. :)

Kelley Kookies

This past weekend I did something I haven't done before. I handed out Kelley Kookies samples at Zanotto's. The store does something like this 3 times a year. A dozen vendors handing out samples. One of my cousins works for KK, keeping the local stores stocked. I was the sub for the sub as everyone else was busy this weekend. 

It's a very boring job, so I made the best of it by people watching. I was right next to the cheese, turkey and salami table, which got a lot of visitors. It was funny how many older men would just graze around the meat table. When the demo person had to walk away to slice more salami, these guys would belly up like it was a free buffet. I was also next to the fancy soda (very $$$$) and beer table. I was very surprised that you pretty much got a whole bottle of beer which they put in a cup. Considering they didn't check anyone's ID not  many people asked for a sample. 

KK is a shortbread type of cookie and has a pretty good following. They do use real butter, which for a few customers is a really big deal. Yes, I was asked and had long discussions about it. :)

Artwork Darma

Art By Artist Anne Laidam 

I buy art that "speaks" to me. Can't say why but when I get that feeling and I can afford it, I pick it up. I like black and white brush stroke paintings. This painting was done by Anne Laidam, a speed painting artist from Portugal. I can only guess she paints for tourists. I liked this piece because it reminded me of San Francisco and the cable cars. Didn't know it would cause all this drama at the store. 

I had it propped up on my work station at the store so I wouldn't forget it. A rather strange customer (her behavior was just a little off) came in asking about frames for an upcoming art show. I told her she had to talk to the manager as I couldn't do any of the pricing on the frames or artwork that was in the back. When the door to the backroom opened, she saw my painting and asked about it. I told her I was getting it so it wasn't for sale. She got a little obsessive about it and the next time I went out front said she would pay $25 for it. She said selling it for $25 was good for the store and since I was here all the time, I could always get another piece of artwork. I thought it was a bit strange she wasn't taking no for an answer and just a little entitled. I finally told her, I was going to keep it because I don't see this type of artwork very often and it fits in well into my current collection. 

When I got home I checked the comps on the artist. These paintings  don't sell for very much maybe $5 - $10. It was probably purchased in Portugal from the artist in 2016 . I didn't get it because I thought it had any great value, I just like the feel of it. It isn't even a painting of San Francisco but I still like it. :)

Just another day in a reseller's life

It's been a slow process of packing up as I hopefully find a new place to call home. Finding stuff I know I have to get rid off is part of it. 

When I sell online, it's for local pick up only. I meet the buyer at the post office because the location is good. Public place, close to the freeway and plenty of parking. The buyer is usually always late but I still show up on time. Today was just a little weird. I always park away from the front doors of the post office. I sit in the back of my car with the tail gate open.  A car pulled in right next to me and the person didn't get out of their car. I knew it wasn't my buyer because he had just left a message he was 10 minutes away. I thought it was weird someone would park that close as there was plenty of  empty spaces. I thought it was even weirder they didn't get out of their car. After several minutes, she finally gets out of her car and opens the back of her car. I finally asked her if she was selling something too and she said yes. It's the first time I've seen another reseller at the post office doing what I was doing!

I asked the guy who was buying the binoculars why they were so popular because I got at least a dozen requests. Guess it's vintage, a high power they don't make anymore and I was selling them for only $30.00. His pair got stolen years ago when he was on vacation in Hawaii. I said he was lucky he was the first person in a long list of requests. I always go down the line based on the time stamp. He is a teacher and had a zoom meeting, which he did while he was driving because he didn't want to be late. Happy the binoculars found a good home.