Paradise in a backyard

Some people really know how to design gardens and Angel's Mom (Angel being the Labrador who just had her birthday) really knows what she's doing. She spends hours on her garden and you can tell. It is so peaceful and the plants are so beautifully curated, she puts the Huntington  Gardens and Golden Gate Park to shame. 

From a Japanese temple:

She's also an unabashed dog lover. The best kind.

As if that weren't enough, she has excellent taste in tea services. I gave her some brownies and dog biscuits on a plate that I hoped would go with her decor, and wonder of wonders, it did!

Dogs rule

Lest you think I am only interested in our neighborhood dogs, think again. A former colleague moved to Washington state and rescued a dog German Shepherd named Bailey. Bailey loves to go to the beach to romp and take long walks to wear her Mom out. Ordinarily she is not friendly with other dogs, so when she found this friend on one of her walks, it had to be shared. Apparently kissing in canine culture is acceptable. And adorable.

 

Spoiled children and then there's Angel

We all know those Moms who spoil their children to the detriment of their benefit to society. And then there's Angel. Angel is one deservedly spoiled child who has responded to that by being the sweetest, loveliest fur baby ever. Always a pleasure to meet and greet on a walk. And elegant to boot. Today is her birthday (she's getting up there in age) and we had to share. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGEL.

  

Easter means one thing. OK - two things...

Easter means one thing for me and that is, how many Cadbury Creme Eggs can I get away with. Alas, the cost has skyrocketed since the good old days of two for 50¢, or a box of 4 for 75¢. Now a box of 4 is $6.50. The nerve of some places! Well, I found the secret to cashing in big time -- Grocery Outlet, where they sell a huge egg filled with 16 of the sinful treats for next to nothing. And I scored - twice! And to those of you who do not enjoy the pleasures of the creamy eggs I say, BAH HUMBUG!

Now my fixation on sugary delights does not keep me from enjoying colorful yard displays. I don't know when it became standard to go all out with Easter decorations, but this yard certainly has it down. Enjoy.

 

Repurposing with a purpose

Sometimes grand plans can go astray and it's actually for the better. Case in point was a raw silk quilt I started way back in the day. The design is inspired by Hokusai's Wave painting, though it in no way looks like his masterpiece. The waves are appliquéd onto the background and then I added sashiko embroidery to accent the piece. Let's not forget the French knots as well. So far so good, right? The next step was to add batting and do a sashiko quilting design to complete the piece. Well, as it does, life got in the way and the quilt top got put away for later. And later. Then the big move to our current abode with closets that had no doors. We dithered over getting sliding doors or bi-fold doors to cover the inevitable mess that closets are, and nixed both options. As we were unpacking boxes, inspiration struck. What about using a curtain? OK. Sounds good, but are there curtains out there that would fit or would I have to sew those? Then the lightening bolt. What about the quilt top? Would that work? Turns out, the answer was a resounding yes. It's as if it was custom made for the space. It fit the closet opening perfectly. Problem solved and I no longer had to think about endless hours of stitching to complete a quilt I didn't really need. Especially a raw silk quilt that dogs would mess up in a hot minute. Life can be surprisingly good sometimes.