California Dreamin'

The Simple Woman's Daybook that I usually do on Mondays has been moved to Tuesdays so today I will show pictures of my recent trip to CA.  It has been a week since I got back and to be honest I have been a little depressed having come from Spring everywhere you look to very brown and gray here at home.  But, I will buck up and put on my happy face and pretend happiness!  Come with me as I show you what I saw.  I must show you the beautiful green hills first.

I think there is nothing as beautiful as the bright chartreuse color, especially after so much rain in CA, that the hills right next to the main roads and freeway get in northern California.  I was so busy there that I didn't take time to get out of the car to photograph so these pics are from inside the car. (Ignore the bottom half of pics)
There is a place along the road that someone many years ago planted hundreds of daffodil bulbs so that as you drive along the freeway there is this beautiful yellow roadside.  They were just beginning to spring up.

 It is so nice to be with friends that you haven't seen for a while and make new ones.  So, we had a Valentine party and made of course, valentines!

 

 

As well as a cute musical pin to wear and learned how to make a banner too.

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I loved talking to and catching up on each one's life.

  The weather was beautiful and fun was had by all. 

 A beautiful lunch was served on red and white tablecloths and all enjoyed being together.  I have the best friends!  Thank you Vicki and Angela for the luncheons.

One day on our way down to Pebble Beach we stopped at Wal-Mart where this cute little family were in the parking lot with a line of people backed up next to their truck.

 

    We found out they were selling homemade tamales from the back of their pick-up truck!  Of course, we were on an adventure so we made this part of it too.  They were hot and so delicious!

 The ocean was many shades of blue and refreshing just to see.

I love the charming shops of Carmel with all it's little alley ways, cobblestones and 

dutch doors to the cute shops.

 

  

And no matter what time of year you go to Carmel there are beautiful flowers everywhere.

In planter boxes.

In pots.

 

Or hanging on the side of the wall, they are beautiful.

Even the animals have taken on color it seems as we saw this poodle happily walking down the street in a coat of Bubble Gum pink!

 

We drove through Berkeley on our way back to the airport and stopped at this open Market selling beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables and specialty ethnic foods.  We bought a wonderful "sandwich" made of very thin tortilla-like bread filled with a spinach mixture that was just delicious.  Another filling was a pumpkin pesto that was good too.

Thanks for reliving my trip to CA with me and I hope Spring comes soon to your part of the country just as I am looking forward to the first tulip emerging here in a couple of months.

  Have a wonderful week!

10 Club Service Day

 For February's 10 Club activity 30 shoe boxes were acquired before the meeting. 

We then assembled the 30 shoe boxes with all the makings for Valentine's Day cards, supplies to decorate the boxes, activities to do along with games, pencils, erasers, puzzles and lots of candy for each box.

These were put together assembly-line style.  These boxes will be given to a local organization that cares for children who have been rescued from an abusive situation in their own homes.  then using the Valentine cards we supplied to give to their new friends in the shelter.

  I am so grateful for good hearted people who care for these children and give them a new start on life.  Love and compassion have new meaning at Valentine's Day with organizations like this one in existence.

I can just imagine how much fun these children will have decorating their boxes with the shiny red and silver mylar paper and adding the hearts to the outside.

Just another little drop in the bucket this month, but well worth the time expended.  After we were through we had a lovely Valentine lunch of Chicken Caesar Salad, Homemade Tomato Basil Soup, Homemade Rolls and Heart Sugar Cookies.

What a wonderful way to spend one morning a month!

Valentine Dessert for Book Club

 For today's Tablescape I set up an informal Valentine Dessert for my Book group.

I used a red and white toile tablecloth on the table and my scalloped heart shaped dessert dishes that I purchased at Pottery Barn several years ago.  They came in sets of four with one each of white, pink, lavendar and dark pink plates.  I have two sets which was just right for our eight members that night.  I used my wedding silverplate dessert forks by William Rogers.

 

We had our ice water in these goblets from Target.  I love their dark ruby color and felt they were just right for Valentines as well.

 

The centerpiece was a large heart on a table stand that I got at Tai Pan last year at 50% off.

 

I served Ina Gartner's Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake with Ganache and on the side Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream with Orange Sauce.

 

Each serving was topped with a cute Valentine pick.

Ina Gartner's Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake

1/2 lb. unsalted butter at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 extra large eggs at room temperature

3 cups flour

1/2 each of baking powder and baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups good semisweet chocolate chunks

for the syrup

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

for the ganache

8 oz. good semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. instant coffee granules

Grease and flour a 10" bundt pan.  Cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, then orange zest.  Sift the dry ingredients together and add them alternately with the wet ingreds.  Toss the chocolate chunks with 2 T. flour then add them to the mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until cake tester comes out clean.  Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Make the syrup by heating until the sugar dissolves.  Remove cake from pan and set on a rack over a tray.  Spoon the syrup over the cake.  Allow the cake to cool completely.  Then drizzle the melted ganache over the top of the cake.  It is delicious!

I am linking up with Thursday Tablescape and Foodie Friday for this post.

Valentine Decorating Ideas

Some people have a way of making you feel welcome and happy to be at their house.  Decorating can help us do this too.  Here are some ideas to help you feel inspired to use this holiday of Valentines to welcome and inspire yourself and others who enter your home.  These are pictures of a friend's home where her little touches of red here and there and her wonderful personality made my heart happy as I walked through her door.  Come take a tour with me and get some decorating ideas.

 

If you have a place to display a collection of cute holiday pillows you could send a sweet feeling with their messages like these two pillows do here.

  

Little plaques with their sayings are a fun way to share your love.

 A nice mantel vignette with it's plaque and "loves me" vase gives a little bit of color there.

A mini bookshelf holds more red loveliness.

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An easy display is to wrap those red Christmas candles with heart-tied ribbons.

 

Another mantel idea.

 And below the mantel.

I loved how these silver pitchers were made into lovely display items.

  

And I loved how she turned her pot rack into a Heart rack!

 I hope you are inspired to share your love in your home this year through little touches of Red!

Time to Start Thinking of Valentines

I am heading down to the post office to mail two packages of things left from Christmas and am sending a little Valentine love too. What is your favorite Valentine item?

Valentine Whimsey Clips

Here's an easy, fun idea for Valentines --make Whimsey Clips! These are the supplies needed: Used tissue, ribbon, glue gun, wire or thin string, and any of the following: scrapbook paper, fabric torn in strips, buttons. Really anything you'd like to put in it. These are made kind of like a corsage. Cut or tear tissue in wide strips, add ribbons in varying lengths and widths, paper torn in long strips, and anything else you want to put in it. Secure all of these together in the center (lengthwise) and wire together. Scrunch them up and fluff them. Then glue gun the back of it onto a wooden clothespin. There, you have made a Whimsey Clip!

This one has 4 different ribbons and scapbook paper with printing on it.

This one has checked tissue as well as plain and red polka dot. Also pink paper ribbon and fabric small heart print strips like ribbon.
This one has tulle in it as well. You can glue gun a button to hide the wire in the middle.
This one has touches of pink and gold in the ribbon and tissue.

Now, what to do with them? Wear them?

Add one to your purse!

Decorate with them!

Tuck one in a corner display.
Remember my Valentine banner above?

I added one to each end and it looks more festive.
Use several together on a Valentine sign holder.

Have fun with this idea!