COULD IT BE THIS EASY?

Last week Scotty and I were in Seattle on a buying trip. We took our camping van but as a treat decided to eat out rather than cook in the van. We ate wonderful food, but we were blown away at the portion sizes! We split just about every meal.

I love food, and I don't like to diet or demonize certain foods. In an effort to lose weight I have been watching my portion size. If you have ever done this before, you know measuring food before it goes on your plate somehow breaks the romance of "what you are about to receive". This morning I think I found a beautiful ally. Sarah Morris of Thinnerware came up with a brilliant solution. She creates these beautiful plates that aid in the portion size dilemma. Cover the large flower and that's 1/2 cup, the small flower 1/4 and the two flowers together, that's the "proper" meat portion. The bowls have three 1/2 cup lines.

I ordered the set below. I think it's beautiful.

photos from here

cute and soon to be hot!

We've returned from our 7 state-National Park & Monument-pick up the sauna tour. This sweet barrel was quite an ice breaker everywhere we went. It was interesting that the residents of each state has their favorite liquor fantasies for what could be held inside. In Minnesota it was whiskey, in South Dakota and Wyoming it was beer, in Montana (Missoula) it was wine.

Right now the sauna sits in our shop where it will stay until next summer when it will move, somehow?? to the back yard. The shop may not be the most romantic of settings but we WILL be able to use it this fall and winter...ahhhhhhhh

Sauna from Superior Cooperage

Scotty took some wonderful photos of our trip, I'll post them soon.

National Park Tour

Badlands photo from here

We leave tomorrow to pick up our sauna and go on a National Park Tour.

Glacier, Roosevelt, Mt Rushmore, Badlands,

Crazy Horse.

I give credit to Ken Burns for making me rethink the west.

p.s. thanks to all who came out last weekend.

Scotty and I had a wonderful time seeing everyone and we had good sales too!

I'd shop here...

Well I am all ready for our Open Garden Weekend, and I gotta tell ya....

"I'd shop here" It is so beautiful. I hope my amateur photos give you some idea.

!!!

Happy 50th Birthday to you, my dear Suzanne!!
And may you have many more and good health and great happiness along the way!  I treasure our friendship and the time we get to spend together is both essential and precious to me.  Thank you, thank you! 

Love and kisses........
Carla

Bring a friend!

AN INVITATION TO OUR

OPEN GARDEN WEEKEND

September 10-11-12-13

9:00-5:30

For this long weekend the Studio will be filled with:

My favorite (hard to find) flower bulbs.

Big Beautiful planters and fall blooming color.

As well as my 'foodie' market finds.

Tornado before the party

I know this phenomenon is not limited to me. The 2 weeks before a big event you feel the need to repaint all the exterior trim. I am now one week away from our Fall Open Garden Weekend and both french doors are off their hinges being painted and I haven't even started cleaning the gardens for visitors. Then there is new product to price, not to mention displays...there are going to be some long days around here! Oh did I mention Scotty has had a backhoe here for the last 2 days digging. He has his own big project going. But the truth is this is how we always work. We groove on this type of energy, for me no deadline is floundering. I do what my 4th grade teacher-friend calls "getting off task". Way off.

Show and Tell: I not only repainted the trim but changed colors which meant a primer coat first. I LOVE the new color. It reminds me of forest service building. I think it goes very well with my trencadis around the front door.

...more on the Open Garden Weekend tomorrow, it's going to be a blast.