i was hormonopausal {Personal Reflections}

blogging

i was hormonopausal {Personal Reflections}

May 30, 2016

artist

Artist Inspiration: Pia Ulin

May 29, 2016

Ikea

Lovely Finds: we want the whole collection {viktigt}

May 24, 2016

DIY

Personal Reflections, DIY Limoncello, and Random

May 23, 2016

Wake up and smell the Swedish vodka!

It's Monday, and I love 'em.

Spring has been crazybusy as you will see in forthcoming

posts...and first, I must share gratitude for my

close blog friend Tina of The Enchanted Home,

who lovingly featured my post offering a glimpse

of my journey with the BRCA diagnosis.

You are likely well acquainted with The Enchanted Home's author whose passions include blue and white everything,

interior design, and engaging fully with the lovely

blessings her east coast life brings.

I love Tina's gorgeous style and her big heart.

My BRCA twin and me.

She graciously treats us to elegant glimpses

around her home in which blue and white

live as best friends, bringing sky and sea

into the spaces she elevates with classic design.

Objects from The Enchanted Home's shop appear in

some of the most riveting rooms, as seen here in

Paige Minear's One Room Challenge makeover

(bowl and foo dog from the shop)...

I will be sharing more of Tina's enchanted ways

soon, and one of my favorite things about her

approach to entertaining is how she streamlines it,

using her favorites (blue and white decor,

simple hydrangea arrangements, and tried and

true recipes she whips up herself).

The Enchanted Home

Thank you, friend, for all the lovely you share with us.

* * *

Here is a taste of what I have been up to

when not unpacking boxes and writing strange

one-off essays about spiritual awakenings...

My sons and husband joined me for a stroll

through the magical Japanese gardens near

our home, and just look at these fluffy babies:

Anderson Gardens

pure sweetness.

me and my ducklings

my sons love Asian fashion in the gift shop

Inside, it is Limoncello making season.
Find my recipe here:

It is super simple, and the first step is

scrubbing the skin of those babies clean.

A Swedish vodka like Svedka works well.
Love blue and white dishtowels?

Blue Cupboard asked me to try out one of her handmade 'grainsacks of the 21st century'

My friend Joan Marie does too, and the launch
of her dry goods company Blue Cupboard
is on the horizon...keep an eye out for the nostalgic line.

And have you seen the new shade of blue paint
called Inchyra by Farrow and Ball?

The lemon peel hangs out with the vodka for a long vacation.

A recent adventure last week brought me

to a friend's house where with my sister,

we hosted a glam moving/yard sale.

The objects above, including the edgy art piece
by me (she collects my art, i collect hers)
were not for sale, but these were:

We had a blast clearing out the old

and making room for the new.

Spring is also bike season, and this is me Saturday
in my husband's prized helmet from Paris
(I have my own union jack one, but it's so tight,
pulling it on requires an emergency xanax,
and I wasn't having it.)

My husband has a pair of vintage motorcycles
he and my son drive, and I am strictly a rider.

Our kitchen in the fixer upper is functioning well;
it just remains boring so I'll be getting to it soon.

It's graduation season, and last night
involved a fun fiesta with the best
food and service at Milwauky Taco.

Daily Herald

In less fun news, I have to pull together
a cocktail party at the fixer upper this week,
and to say that I am uneasy about welcoming
people into its unfinished glory is an understatement.