hiking payload

Halfway through hiking Young Hill, Claire & I get rewarded with thimbleberries.  We keep forgetting to bring a container to bring them home in so we can bake them into something wonderful, maybe we will remember today?! 

 The local San Juan Island Distillery makes a Thimbleberry Brandy. Yum.

Claire wearing her thimble. 

This is the berry bush pre-rippening.

island life: roche harbor gardens

I never seem to tire of walking through The Formal Gardens at Roche Harbor.  The master gardeners that are constantly at work to keep them blooming amaze me.  Recently the lilacs have been in fragrant bloom transporting me back to my childhood.  We had two lilac trees outside my bedroom window back in Yakima which usually signaled the end of the school year.  Also, with previously living in Phoenix I have not had such a lush garden to enjoy for 15yrs.  Oh, and the smell of fresh cut grass, mmmmm.

Enjoy the pics of the garden... Wish it were scratch n' sniff for ya!

my first hem job

Yes, hem job.... What did you think I said?!  Geez.  I helped a friend hem up a pair of trousers this evening and it almost went off with out a hitch.  I did have a slight moment where the leg hole was sewn together.  In my defense my sewing machine does not allow me to slide the opening around the end like modern machines allow.  Despite the glich hem job was completed.

Gettin' it done...

sshhhhhhh..... silent sundays: pretty in white

kitty shenanigan's: feline shoe lover

Doris is a complete girlie girl.  So, she of course has a total shoe fetish.  She has no preferences for her shoe groping as long as your feet have been in them recently. 

Mum's Fluevog's

Flops in the sun.

Camper flats from Barcelona.

Auntie Janet's vintage wedding clogs.

Stinky work shoes.

84, Charing Cross Road

image via imdb.com

I finally watched the movie "84, Charing Cross Road" yesterday.  The book is one of my absolute favorites!  Helene Hanff's brash New Yorker banter via 20yrs of letters with proper Englishman Frank Doel makes for a fast enjoyable read.  I was affraid that Hollywood would mess-up the storyline as they have been known to do.... That is why I have waited so long to see the film.  I found it at the library and decided it was high time to watch.  I should have known Anthony Hopkins would not mess it about, he was wonderful as was Anne Bancroft.  There was also a very young Judi Dench as Frank Doel's wife! 

image via wikipedia.com

 I felt like Helene and I have the same obsession with everything London.  Which made me feel comforted that I too will someday make it to my beloved LDN. 

image via amazon.com

If you get the chance definitely read it and then move on to the second book "The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street" where she finally goes to England.

crafty shtuff: beautifying my singer

Being an engineer my father only worries about the function of an object.  My training as an interior designer makes me want to beautify his funcionality.  The bright white electrical cords now exiting my Singer sewing machine are not so lovely so I have taken an idea from Design Sponge (click here to see the original project from DS.)to mask these eye sores. 

White hot mess!

I love green & this yarn was just lying around waiting to be used.

Safety first!

A lil' glue and a whole lotta wrapping

Starting to look better...

Finished and lookin' lovely! 

No more mess distracting from my wicked Singer, Thx Design Sponge!

sshhhhhhh..... silent sundays: knitty chicks

devoted bike lover

Reason # 2 why I love my bike so much...

Our cute lil' gas station at Roche Harbor.

$4.82 for regular unleaded gasoline.  My Mini is supposed to be filled with premium, but I fudge most of the time with midgrade to save my wallet but not mess her up too much.  With riding my bike most of the time I am saving a ton of money!  In fact, I just finally had to fill her up again.  It took two and a half months to use up a tank! HaHA!

I'm sure you already know reason #1 for why I love my bike so much, but I will remind you.  Because it is a bad ass vintage hottie with a bell!

sshhhhhhh..... silent sundays: feets

suprises at the saturday market

It has been pouring all week and was supposed to today as well.  To my delight I woke up to the sun shining!  Sun always makes the drive into Friday Harbor more inviting.  

My second suprise of the market trip was that my favorite purveyors of veg were back!  The Nootka Rose Farm from Waldron Island.  This island has little over 100 residents with no community water or electricity.  They have kept the island pristine from the industrial world that surounds it.  The produce that comes from the farm there is wonderful.  Last year they had me hooked on purple cauliflower, can't wait for it to be ready!

Nootka Rose Farm Stand

This weeks colorful bounty!

cow & pig update....

I didn't want you all to think Cow & Pig were not sensitive to the reason for Memorial weekend!  In fact their tribute to our soldiers was lovely.

tuesday is my saturday

My day started with a massage.  Sounds glamorous I know but, it was to let one of our newer gals practice a bit more before she works on the paying public.  I took myself out to lunch at the Market Chef in town after that.  It was delish!  I have not been able to put down The Hunger Games since picking it up at the library.  I carry it with me everywhere with the hopes of getting in a few more pages.  I'm so stressed out for Katniss!  

Roast Beef & Rocket Sandwich with Curried Red Lentil Soup. 

Horseradish sauce, chunky olive salad,
& local arugula (rocket). I LOVE arugula!

One big chocolate chip cookie & one big hazelnut latte
while reading Hunger Games. Is that wrong?!

After my fulfilling lunch I met up with Amber & Dan my flatmates to see Snow White and the Huntsman.  We liked it despite Kristen Stewart's excessive heavy breathing throughout.