kitchen and blog love!

dear blog friends, 

this is the time of year that i leave for work in the dark 

and arrive home in the dark. there isn't natural light to take personal 

photographs. (except for the weekends).  i  will be storytelling with

 photographs from blogs and places that inspire me.

w/L

*

***

*****

::

we're on the road to a white kitchen...

it may be another year before we get there.

but on the way, i can dream and pin.

i just finished pinning this amazing merry and bright
White Christmas kitchen in Iceland. 

~ HVITUR LAKKRIS ~

(i hope that i am correct on the location...

because although she speaks to us in Swedish, she displays 

her fjord in Iceland on her sidebar.) 

i love her blog. 

it softly sings to me.

 today a  cozy Christmas lullaby.

~you can see the rest of her post here~

before, i go...i just have to share just one more image of  her...

pure brilliance!

a perfect read.

[withLove]

just checking...

you knew that i wouldn't forget!

it's going to get even more busy...no excuses!
(i know it's not perfect English!)

take 5  for the sake of the girls!

[withLove]

putting together pictorials at bedtime...

was

a recipe

for 

perfect

French

bread

~textile brilliance here~

dreams.

making an apron out of vintage linen

is on my dream board!

[withLove]

silver rings new!

 once it only came out...

...to play on special occasions.

 now ringing new,

it's out of the chest,

and it's notes are simply arranged...

to create a  brilliant medley of style!

[withLove]

~all photos via Pinterest~

the last peek at Thanksgiving and the November glassy baby WINNER!

Thanksgiving at our place is a  busy yet joyous ride.

with all the the effort that goes into hosting, we didn't forget

the bread in the oven...but we did forget to take a photo of 

the tables before we dined.

a few of you asked me to photograph the centerpieces.

i must admit...they will be on our farm table for the weekend,

as i absolutely loved how the turned out!

{love you, Andrea}

 the centerpiece on the farm table.

(have i mentioned how much i love laundered burlap?)

~here~

the Pilgrims are from my Mom's  past Thanksgiving tablescapes. 

they resided on the kid's table with baskets that held vegetables, fruit and

 a vintage tablespoon and butter knife

from my grandmother's Thanksgiving place settings.

each guest took home gifts. everyone kept their napkin (a T-towel from Ikea),

their "rendre grace" clay tag {love you, Jami}, the girls were given two small pouches, 

one with  lavender and  the other with bay leaves from our back yard, and the guys... 

...just a wee bit of Jameson!

~ * ~

the winner of the

November 

glassybaby 

give ~ a ~ way 

is

Nana Diana!

Diana, please send me your address in an email!

we'll be playing glassybaby give a way  each month until

next September, so there will be more chances to win ahead!

~ * ~

i wish you a Washington State Apple Cup of

love Saturday!

GOOOOOOOO  COUGS!


[withLove]

GNN...the Good News Network...for goodness sake!

most of you know that my son Jay is a  sports anchor / reporter 

at KTVB in Boise, Idaho. he called on the day before Thanksgiving and said, 

"Mom, i had the best time. we got to go on a shopping spree in 
the toy department at Fred Meyer. all of the toys were donated
 to The Salvation Army! you can see the video tonight on the news."

~ video here ~


i miss Jay.

 he won't be home for the holidays this year as he busy with work covering the 

the Boise State Broncos and their bid to play in a bowl game. he may be spending Christmas Day
in one of your home towns (excluding my international friends of course).

[withLove]

it's the last day to enter the November glassybaby give a way!
~here~

today... the table...

is...

filled...

and surrounded...

[withthankfulLove]

Happy Thanksgiving!

rendre grace...

~thank you, Jami...i love you!~

Jami  at freckled laundry is such a doll...a few weeks ago, i emailed her and

asked if she could make me some custom tags for Thanksgiving.

i told her that i would love to have them to be rolled in linen...and say...

... rendre grace!
(it's English translation..."thanks to...")

the tags will be the final touch to keepsake favors that i am making for our
Thanksgiving farm table!

oh! ...one or two for our chandie!



~* ~


~today is my father's 82nd birthday!~

Whistler, BC, Canada ~ January 2011

how thankful i am to have both of my parents seated at our Thanksgiving table.
Mom called last night to tell me that "she won't be a cougar any longer,
 (she turned 82 in August), now that Dad is 82.
~ smile~
the photograph above was taken at Whistler, BC.
we had the sweetest waitress from New Zealand!


Happy Birthday, Daddy John!

[withLove]

warm, cozy & fun moments...sweater sweet!

it's going to get busy!

don't forget to take 5...and get cozy!

~via~

*
i just did!


ooops! times up! 


off  to work out and work!  


it's the Monday before Thanksgiving!


Lot's of LOVE,  the GOOD EATS and WONDER ahead!
[withLove]

a Saturday evening post... it's a bloomin' encore!

Friday was the best day...it was hair day!

when i get my hair styled...it always starts and ends with a hug!

(one of the many blessings that i count in my life.)

Glenda visits 34th Street...

she liked the post about the blooming artichoke.

i told her how the choke was now in full bloom and so amazing.

 she is a passionate gardener and asked that i post another photo.

so this morning...

when the

 light

was

    just right...

[withLove]

game on!

six days and counting!

gather and tweak!  company's coming!

[withLove]

my boring brown couch...now speaks French to me!

a new grain sack pillow  has arrived!

... translation?

"French bread makes the day!"

~ visit Michele here ~

the corner is mooshed from extreme hugging!

[withLove]

just me in the morning!

i haven't been at my laptop for a couple days...

work and home keeping are on hyper drive right now...plus

i am working out at 6:00 am six days a week . whew!

the farm table under the chandie is a busy place ...

i won this wonderful book~a~ zine from Jenni at A Beautiful Nest a week ago.

i have it opened on this page because it' so warm and woodsy. 

you will laugh at me...but i have the packing shredded papers from Donna at

A Life Reclaimed tucked all over my home right now. it's like a potpourri "gift 

with purchase" when she ships her fabulous handmade goodies! 

Mr Dreams and the Chocolate Gousse retrieved a bunch of mini pumpkins 

from the property in the valley last weekend, and the bay leaf is drying for 

holiday hostess gifts and place setting favors.

i wish you all the best day...i hope to catch up on my  visits and comments

soon. i just couldn't go another day without saying hello!

~ "tagged by" sweet Jami at freckled laundry~

[L]

it's Monday morning...the artichokes ! again!

i harvested my two and only artichokes a week ago

and brought them inside to dry... they looked like this...

~  photos from last Monday's post ~

when i woke up yesterday morning ...
such a pretty surprise! the larger choke bloomed!

i decided to place the petite choke in my
Grandmother's tarnished teacup!

i  just finished bringing in some Bay Leaf.

i saved the Autumn satin ribbon from a recently
 purchased box of Fran's Chocolates, and decided to tie
 a bunch on pot rack!

 i love this time of year!
we're hosting Thanksgiving Day!
 
 i'm off to work!
happy Monday!

[withLove]

today's French sugar... poetry at My French Country Home

i found Sharon's beautiful blog through Pinterest about
two weeks ago. i'm not certain how she slipped through
my fingers. when you visit her today, you will discover
a lovely little poem. it was written a year ago.

~ a sweet sentiment bears repeating.~

 "in France we have no turkey day"
~visit here~

thank you, Sharon! i'm your newest follower!

[withLove]

let's make some Bomboloni!

first of all it's so very fun to say! 

~ Bomboloni! ~

 before i get started...i wish to dedicate this post 

 my Grandpa John Bozzello. he was the head chef
at the Italian Village in Downtown Seattle.

when Grandpa retired, they closed the restaurant. here is one of my keepsakes.

 he doesn't live here on earth any longer, but his life spirit is within me!
he called me Lindee and i loved love it!

~recipe here~

yeah...it looks like a jelly donut.

Bomboloni are smaller!

~ the easiest recipe is  here~

we dust them sugar!

~recipe here~

we roll them in sugar!

we fill them with Nutella,

raspberry jam,

~ a little measuring challenge but authentic here~

or lemon curd!

i'll be making ours on Sunday morning!

Bomboloni, baby!

[withLove]