I've been tagged...

Suburban Princess has tagged me...
go here. to see her blog and check out how she answered the questions.

What is your favourite dessert?

Creme brulee

Ever tried to cook something and fail miserably?

When I was first married I tried to make tomato fried rice using rice and Campbell's tomato soup...it was a complete flop and ended up in the garbage can!

Is there a dish you haven't made yet but really want to?

Not really, whenever I see a recipe that excites me I get all the ingredients and make it.

What's your favourite food?

Potatoes...mashed, scalloped, baked, twice baked and stuffed, roasted, boiled topped with salt, pepper, butter and mint leaves.

What is your least favourite food?

Lima beans, I've never warmed to them.

Do you have any seasonal meals you like?

Turkey dinner with stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, veggies, sweet potatoes, brussell sprouts, all the trimmings.

What is your comfort food?

Mashed potatoes with butter, salt and pepper...or gravy!

Chocolate: milk, dark, or white?

Milk and dark...not white.

This vintage bread tin has a chipped rim

but is completely usable

and hides the bread which is store bought

and the plastic bags

which I find unsightly, are hidden!

I am meant to tag 8 bloggers and ask them to answer all these questions.
I am afraid if I did tag 8 bloggers that they might not read my blog post and miss it altogether or they may see it and ignore it all together and I would be rejected... :(

My Christmas cactus is in bloom already!

I think I'll cheat a little here and suggest that if you want to participate that you voluntarily answer these and post them on your blog....link back here if you participate....:)

I love this pudding bowl

the vintage motif

and especially the crazing

the crazing is what charms me most.

Imperfections can be beautiful...

Books and thoughts after reading....

Last week I received my pre ordered books from Amazon...

we have had such rainy weather that I actually indulged myself

and read for long periods of time

The first book was Savvy Chic

 which is well written and had some very clever ideas that were new to me.

I particularly liked her gift and wedding chapters

food and entertaining and wardrobe strategies

her thoughts were fresh and based on personal experiences.

Thrift, frugality, and refined good taste...

spiced with her personal flair for vintage

help to create a polished image

and elevate the everyday to elegant.

I do not usually keep books unless they are worthy as my wee bungalow is low on storage

I will keep this as a reference

as it is a worthwhile guide.

The Bag Lady Papers

was in a word

"disappointing"

I was hoping for so much more,

and it could have been.

She hints at how it feels to have lost all her money

but doesn't really let us get up close and personal.

It feels as though she is sleepwalking through this experience...

detached from her feelings.

The article in Town and Country was more intimate on many levels than the book.

I decided to buy the book based on that issue and now feel that my money was ill spent...

This book will be recycled

and I truly wish that I could have been impressed.

Most books that I read are in fact borrowed or purchased second hand.

I have access to an amazing book shop in our Village

that takes trades and gives a credit for future purchases.

The contemporary literature area is chock a block with newer novels

there is also a "Staff Picks" shelf

I look there first

most of the staff picks have been Hostess approved!

I cannot get enough good lit...

be it chick lit or classics

Who are your favourite authors and any suggestions for future reads?

The westcoast rainforest weather forecast..."rain, rain and rain"

It's raining cats and dogs..
it's raining it's pouring and this old man is snoring...
all those rain jingles come to mind.

The rain is torrential...
it's drumming on the roof
the gutters are vibrating with the velocity of the downpour
the windows are spotted with drops and rivulets are weeping as they move south to the ledge.

The skies are grey and the puddles are vast...
it's a day for wellies and a slicker.

a beach walk

feel the wet in every breath that you take

I want a red or yellow slicker

and some serious wellies

those elusive Hunters have not yet made it into my life

(yet!)

Hot cocoa in a thermos

and a warm jacket

a pair of boots

and

a walk

beach combing

with a camera

naturally beautiful

simple

Pepper  peeking at me

as I blog...

you can see the "heart rock" at the left

I beachcombed that one from the beach not far from the Bungalow

colour in raingear

is a mandatory

 "mood shifter"

who needs to feel dreary in the rain?

I say dress up and boldly seize the day!

What are you wearing as you embrace the day?

Recipe for Pepper Delight

                                           Pepper Delight

Ingredients:

One cardboard box

 one stuffed mouse

 one small Pepper

 one wool carpet

the "Hunt" is on...

fierce jungle behaviour ensues

swift movements

and

dexterity of paws

result in 

the capture

one tired victor

one mouse defeated

These cat and mouse games continued for hours

on and off

between short cat naps

 until she crashed

beside me on the couch!

I remember many days when my babies would play at my feet on the kitchen floor 

wooden spoons

pots and pans

tupperware containers

the floor was littered with kitchenalia

exploration ensued

small things put into larger things

larger things were pushed into smaller things

they didn't fit

spoons and pots became a drum set

first noise...

then a rythmn

 and music is born

such sweet memories

 observing their learnng 

of space relations

music

and math skills

I had no idea back then what I was facilitating

it just felt right

we were all in the kitchen together "working"

I was able to keep them safe and snug

I was snooper-vising

just as I am today

Pepper is darting about the kitchen

mouse is running for her life

and 

Pepper is in hot pusuit!

Hugs from the Hostess

Purrfectly happy Pepper

Chirruping from here!

Special delivery....and our Pepper

         My pre-ordered books from amazon finally arrived

I am reading Savvy Chic at the moment

I am enjoying her writing style...

and she shares some good ideas...

minimalist wardrobing

thrift

vintage garments

chic uncluttered leather bags

cooking simple elegant meals and entertaining strategies

luxe for less

creative and dramatic decor choices that add glam and suggest wealth

as in "old money"

and much more...

I hope to finish this tomorrow 

in time to jump into 

The Bag Lady Papers

I have wanted to read this book ever since I saw the Town and Country magazine with an article on Alexandra Penney...

she had all her investment "eggs in one basket"

 and lost them all

she tells us what it felt like to lose everything 

and how she survived this devastating personal crisis...

I have a sneaky feeling this is going to be good!

and peeking out of her bed

our new kitten 

Pepper!

our Bungalow looks quite dishevelled these days

look here at Janet's lovely cottage

I am going to live with some dust and disorder 

 focus on reading

and some serious tea drinking...

and I will just turn a blind eye for a few days...

I wonder how long I can last

how long can you ignore dust bunnies and chaos?