Lockin' up the Hammers

Mom: Ethan! Why did you take all the tissues out of the box and throw them all over the room!!??

Ethan: Luka TOLD me to do it.

Mom: (sigh) Look, if Luka told you to get a hammer and smash that window, would you do it?

Ethan: No.

Mom: Right. And WHY wouldn't you do it?

Ethan: Because I don't know where we keep the hammers.

One World One Heart

I am a very happy girl!

I spent much of this last week entering the multitude of giveaways in the One World One Heart blogger's giveaway event! It's a fantastic event where many artistic bloggers are giving away little pieces of art they have made in an effort to introduce themselves to new readers and make friends from other blogs.

Well, I actually WON one of them, and when I say "little pieces of art", in this case I really mean it! Magic Gypsy, with a blog of the same name, offered up a piece she made called Altar-In-A-Box, and I just fell in love with it. It's a decorated mixed-media box with a little figure of Quan-Yin, who in Buddhism is the Bodhisattva of compassion and mercy. But it's not just a box... it's a tiny little box, like a matchbox, which you can pop in your suitcase or your purse! Check it out here...

Magic Gypsy is from Arizona, and is an artist who makes really lovely jewelry, has the cutest dog EVER, and also works in mixed media. Like me, she seems to like both vintage-y things, and is inspired by other cultures and religions and it shows in her work.

I am really proud to be Magic Gypsy's winner! Go visit her, and check out her little corner of the world!

Our Neighborhood Parrots (!!!)

I discovered recently that there is a flock of parrots that live in our new neighborhood. Yes! Real parrots! Bunches of them! And man, are they LOUD! The stick together in their flock and chatter like old ladies at a church picnic all day long! Take a look!

I did a little studying, and they seem to be red headed Mexican parrots. There are a few misplaced flocks of them in Southern California, and one lives on our street! They have been spending the last few days in the trees in my front yard. Watch out if you pester them, though. They like to dive-bomb people.

New House, Old Friends

I had a great time this weekend because we through a little party for my old friend Tina, who recently moved to town and just had her birthday.

One of the reasons we chose this house was because it was such a wonderful place to entertain, and this was one of our first real adult dinner parties.

We had a bunch of friends, old and new, come for dinner and I made a fantastic (if I do say so myself!) raspberry/chocolate ganache cake. Tina made a Moroccan Veggie Stew and I picked up some tandoori bread at the middle eastern market. Suuuuch a good dinner.

It was so nice to have a grown up party. I see some more in our future!

Snow in San Diego

With my parents visiting from Florida, we have been looking for "touristy" things to do. They have been here a few times before and we have been finding ourselves doing the same things over and over again.

Well, this year, Ethan has been asking us to "take him to the snow"! And even though it is a long drive, we thought, "why not!?" My parents don't live in Ohio anymore, and there are some lovely snowy mountains within a couple hours drive.

So we all jumped in the van this weekend and drove up to Idyllwild, which is a gorgeous, foresty town with lots of sweet shops and good restaurants and a nice hometown feel.

We had to hunt for the perfect patch of forest, but when we found it, we all rolled out, built us a snowman and had a good old fashioned snowball fight. The kids LOVED it! Then on to a yummy dinner and shopping before heading home.

With the country bearing the weight of this stormy winter, I have to say we are BLESSED by living in a place where we can go visit the snow when we want to, and then shed our warm clothes and come back home.