Peace

There's this little place I take the pups, that gives me peace. Lately, I kick myself everytime I'm there because it is so green and beautiful yet I never seem to have my camera (which is very unlike me) but yesterday....
No kicking involved. Thank goodness, I was starting to bruise....

This beautiful little trail grounds me, inspires me, fills my lungs with fresh air and appreciation for this wonderful little planet we inhabit.

We've had so much rain which makes everything so earthy green yet the sky is so blue you could swim in it....

The black eyed susans wink at me as I pass by. Their sunshiny smiles bathing in the rays, seemingly enjoying the peace just as much as I am....

I think the pups feel the same way. Even though I make them pose for pictures, at least it was shady in this nature made alcove. Even with hummingbirds wizzing by and squirrels taunting them, they sat like good children and tried not to roll their eyes when I said "Smile"....

I do not want the peace that passeth understanding. I want the understanding which bringeth peace. ~ Helen Keller

Have a peaceful, wonderful weekend in your neck of the woods!

Wow what a Dickens of a weekend!

Whew! What a weekend. Needless to say I didn't have time to finish that Nester inspired Mistreatment but soon, I promise, I'll share. BUT, I found some treasures this weekend and managed to pack in a music festival with some amazing artists, so all in all a productive weekend, I'd say.

My sister, Kelly and I headed out antiquing in a little town about 35 minutes from her house. She was specifically looking for a vintage light fixture for her newly remodeled bedroom. She didn't find what she was looking for but I did....
Check out this old firehouse ladder. I wanted it badly! It was a little too expensive for my budget and the rungs were round which wouldn't work to use as a shelf leaning against my wall. Not perfect so I let it go. :(


I found these posts in the back of a shop somewhat hidden. $35 each and they were huge! Like 12 ft tall! I had visions of cutting them in half and using them on my posts on the back porch as a sort of faux post. Or using one in the front yard with a light on top, as a sort of lamp post. Oh I might have to go back for these now!

How about this chicken coop! It would look fantastic on top of my china hutch! Again, a little pricey at $75 but it was quite huge as well. Plus the tag read "Primitive chicken coop-NO POOP" and that made me laugh out loud!

Now this, I really wanted and it is so much prettier than the picture portrays. An antique barn door table never restored. It was so beat up and beautiful and still had the holes from the hinges. I LOVED IT! But before I could spend too much time drooling over it right behind it was this big beautiful black monstrosity. What could it be, shoved up against the wall and barely showing behind the chairs and dressers (that I promptly moved out of the way)?

My sister is trying to find the price tag (maybe behind it?-as she pulled it away from the wall.) Kelly is all of 5'2" (if she is lying) so you can see how BIG this beauty is. So I casually say "do you want me to see how much it is?" with the response of "yes, it would look great in my entry" Not that she was really going to buy it. It must be expensive, I think to myself.
I cannot explain the detail in this piece and the lighting was horrible for taking pictures but I sure did try to capture the beauty.

At the top each side had a woman carved into it and her carved skirt flowed all the way to the floor.

The umbrella stand had a pristine tin box and I just continued to wonder not only at the condition of this piece but where did it come from?

Well, as I demurely ask if this piece is for sale the owner tells me with a knowing look on her face that it has a very special history. It is from the mid 1800's and was once owned by Charles Dickens! A CHARLES DICKENS PIECE-ON THIS SIDE OF THE MISSISSIPPI. O.k. anyone who doesn't shop in Colorado doesn't know that it is a true treasure to come across something like this in the little town Florence. We really have to dig for treasures out here! Needless to say, it wasn't for sale which leads to the sad part of this story. A woman in Denver bought this hall tree and Dickens' writing desk at a Sothebys auction many years ago for $15,000(just the hall tree price). For some reason she needed to liquidate some of her assets and choose to keep the desk but sell this lovely piece. She had contracted with a couple of auction houses and Antique shops to sell her wares and during the move, the paperwork that should have been sent with this piece was stolen or lost. Sotheby's is not interested in reproducing the paperwork because if the paperwork was stolen there may be a fake out there with her legitimate paperwork. So here sits this beautiful piece of work just waiting for a home. Isn't it absolutely gorgeous.

After she told me the history, I had to go back and just touch it for a while. I still can't believe behind all those chairs and dressers this beautiful treasure sits, waiting to be of some use to someone again some day. I hope it finds a home. It would break my heart for a little piece of history to be lost at the back of a shop in Florence, CO of all places.

After that insanely exciting day of antiquing, the hubs and I spent the whole next day at the Mile High Music Festival with our good friends Tom and Nancy.

What a day full of music, food, friends, and heat! Boy was it hot but so much fun.

We were introduced to a new band (gotta love music festivals for this) The Black Keys. Wow were they A-MAZ-ING! They have been around awhile I guess, but I am so glad I got to hear them live really they are great! We snuck up to the front row to see this two person band. Only two musicians and you would NEVER know it. Again Amazing.

The whole day we listened to some great music! Everything from Needtobreathe, G-Love, Ben Harper, to Tool, Incubus, and Wide Spread Panic. Interesting selection huh?

After a day of resting on the grass, listening to some tunes, and munching on everything from some delicious chicken and basil dumplings to funnel cake (nice combo eh?) we decided it was time to go. Not before I snapped a few shots to share.

My friend Nancy won't like that I am sharing this pic but I love it. No posing or anything. It's hard to catch this girl off guard but here she is-the real Nancy! And our tired, tanned, blistered and weary feet after a full day of fun!

Love and Marriage and Zucchini Lasagna

I can't get that song from Married with Children out of my head. Love and marriage, love and marriage. Go together like a horse and carriage. Ackkkk! O.k. maybe if I share a receipe I can stop thinking about the wedding that I "worked" at this weekend and stop singing that damb song!

My friend Julie has been waiting patiently for a receipe from me so I figured I've made her wait long enough and did something special just for her!

How about some Zucchini Lasagna my friends. Pasta free. I know I know. You gotta love the pasta but this is really the best low carb recipe I've come up with and you would NEVER know there wasn't any Lasagna noodles in it. It is FAB!

O.k. Jewels I hope you have a pen handy. This ones for you!

Laurel's Amazing (yes amazing) Zucchini Lasagna:















What you'll need:

2 or 3 medium zucchini
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage
1 small onion chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp Italian seasoning or mix dried oregano, basil and thyme
1/4 c water
1 egg
3/4 c ricotta cheese
1/2-1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp cornstarch (or flour)
Salt and Pepper



Slice zucchini no larger than 1/4 inch wide, in between 1/8 and 1/4 is perfect for our pretend noodles.













In a large skillet on med to med low heat melt a dab of butter and brown zucchini on both sides. Feel free to dash with salt and a bit of pepper.

When zucchini is done, in same skillet cook on med to med high the onions, ground beef and sausage until browned and onions are tender.







In a large pot add tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and water. Add in meat mixture and bring to a boil.

Let this simmer about 10 minutes or until it is reduced to about 2 cups.








While this is coming to a boil and your meat is cooking, in a small bowl beat an egg just slightly
and add in ricotta, 1/4 c shredded cheese (I always use more cheese than this) and cornstarch and mix well.

Sorry Jewels I guess I didn't get a good picture of the layering process. But we all know how to layer a lasagna right?

So.... In a large baking dish (I use a ladle, keeps it from being too messy and you can use the back of it to move the sauce around) scoop out enough sauce to just cover bottom of pan. Top with half of the sliced zucchini and top zucchini with cottage cheese mixture. In that order. Then repeat. Meat, Zucchini, then Cheese.

Bake UNCOVERED at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Check to make sure it doesn't bubble over!

Sprinkle with excess cheese (again I use extra cheese and sometimes at mix in a little shredded Parmesan with the Mozzarella-Yum) and bake about 10-15 minutes longer. I like my cheese on top to be slightly brown.





Now this is important. Lasagna is like a good steak or a beautiful roast. It MUST rest. If you cut it too soon (especially this one because the zucchini has so much water in it) it will fall apart and ooze everywhere. Let it stand at LEAST 10 minutes before serving. I know it's hard. Just ask my husband who understands the principles of this but is like a child latched on to my leg while I drag him out of the kitchen with promises of toys and ice cream if he behaves.

O.k. so I don't have an after picture. I am sure it was because the hubs got home just as that 10 minutes was finishing up (lucky for me it wasn't earlier i.e., toys and ice cream) and he just had to eat because it smelled sooooo good. O.k. I am sure I just HAD to eat too! This is going to be a staple because there is no white flour pasta and extra veggies and from a girl who loves her pasta, I really didn't miss it.

I hope you love it as much as I do. Bon Appetit! or should I say Buon Appetito!
Either way, Enjoy!

Tomorrow I'll show how inspiring the Nester is to me and how I had an Epiphany that I don't have to sew perfectly or paint perfectly or for that matter be perfect at anything. As she says, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful".
However, my project is perfect (in a no sew, no iron and off the cuff kinda way) and beautiful.

3 Inspirations and a Wedding....

Have you ever been shopping without any pretenses on what you will buy? That's my favorite kind of shopping. Going in with an open mind and heart and listening to what the clothes tell you (or anything else you are shopping for; accessories, antiques, furniture, etc.). Then when you actually find that one thing that you do need and it is magically just perfect on you. You look and feel like a princess. I don't usually want to feel like a fairy tale type princess but when I am feeling like this princess:

I am giddy.
When the bride requested we all wear little black dresses I never thought I would find something so perfect that it makes me feel like Princess Grace.
I'm. in. Love.

Since I always have been so inspired by Grace Kelly as a style icon, especially before she became a real life Princess, I am looking for some classic but fancy shoes that fit this wonderful dress.
How about these Stuart Weitzman little lovelies, they are called Gigi.

I adore them. Open toe, classic. Ruffle, adorable. Heel, sophisticated. Perfection!

I'm always so inspired on Mondays. Peaceful weekends=time to dream about redecorating every room in my house and perusing magazines to find new projects I just MUST do.

This is what inspired me this weekend.

While shopping for a wedding present, from across the room these beauties cast out a glimmer and put a twinkle in my eye. I could not get across that room fast enough to look at them up close. Gotta love Ralph Lauren!

Up close they don't look like "Mandarin" should be their name. The etching is so detailed and gorgeous. It really inspired me to try some new things with my glass etching.

Check out this vase!

Yep, I'm going to have to find some glass vases and use this "Mandarin" inspiration!

I am loving all things with bows and ruffels. I always have been drawn to them but not like lately. I think it might be the girly dress I'm about to wear (that funny enough, doesn't have a bow).


The fact that this is from Anthropologie well, only makes me adore it more.




The Bow Tied set has a matching duvet and dust ruffle but the pillows really speak to me. It is feminine but not too much so and the creamy color is absolutely perfect. I think my hubs might go for it....Maybe?

And last but not least oh, that Sarah Richardson. You gotta love her! This chair is divine:

The velvet and that piping! I can only image how this feels when you sit on it. Pure luxury. And those legs. I am coveting this chair. I see myself sitting in it and reading for hours and hours. Beautiful!

So now that I am all inspired, off to do something!
Hmmm what to do first. That is always the question.

I hope you have an inspiring Monday.

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.

Henry David Thoreau

Yard Sale Stealing

What happens when you find something you have been looking for for years and it is only $10 at a yard sale? Well, you snatch it up and as you walk out with a little smirk on your face, you secretly feel like you are getting away with STEALING!Isn't she a beauty? If you can't tell by now most of my little lovelies are either a he or a she depending on how they feel to me. She is just too pretty and the green patina on the base matches the color scheme I am working towards in the kitchen. I'm going to be painting my cabinets soon and this scale only helped me solidify my plans.

I was originally inspired by Layla at The Lettered Cottage (she inspires me with every post-check out her cabinets! They are gorgeous, as is the rest of her house) because early on in her blog she showed a couple of scales and what she did with one of them as a trash to treasure project, but this one isn't going to be painted! I think she is perfect just the way she is. After playing around with where she should live I decided to (for now) have her live on top of my mothers antique silverware chest, next to my rustic birdhouse. I'm keeping my eye out for just the right bowl to place on top for Granny Smith apples or onions or whatever we have access of around the house. I am so glad I didn't have too much guilt about "stealing" her because she makes me smile almost every day. Isn't it lovely how simple things can make you happy for a lifetime!
Ain't life sweet?

Weekend in a tent

Well, finally we were able to get out of the city and took ourselves to the mountains to camp. It is mighty late for us to just be getting out for our first time!

If only it was in this kind of tent:

(I can see myself spending a whole summer in THAT tent)

As we were packing up to head out, our precious pup decided she just couldn't wait any longer. She parked herself in the car and waited patiently for us to get ourselves together. She tried to hide her exasperation but you could tell she was twiddling her thumbs and rolling her eyes at us everytime we made a trip to the car.

We happened upon a new spot that is only about 35 miles away and it was beautiful. This is the path to the site and the view from behind our tent:

Behind us was a mountain side of large granite rock that when you hiked up it revealed a big open meadow on the other side. Did I mention how it was beautiful, because it was?

Nature always inspires me but this time, with the new colors of the granite, the river and everything being so green this year I wanted to take "swatches" from everything so that I could incorporate each and every color into my home. This trip really rejuvinated my spirit!

On Sunday it rained and thundered for quite a while. We had all the gear packed up except for the tent (thank goodness) so we hung out in there while it rained. I love the rain in the mountains! It was beautiful but the hubs and the dogs were getting a little antsy and that lends itself to complete silliness.

So, now that we have had such a wonderful weekend, it was time to go home.

For some of us that isn't the worst part of the trip:

Ask and you shall receive

But I didn't ask!

But you see, I have great friends. My wonderful friend tells me last night she has a suprise for her I can't spend a dime right now friend, and this is her sweet and oh so thoughtful gift.

Isn't he handsome?

And here is his mate:

Isn't she darling? She isn't a really frilly or fussy girl but that's what I love about her. They are a little beat up but I like that too! They have been on adventures together, they've seen the world! I could make up a thousand stories about where they've been together and what they've seen.

So after obessively contimplating where these little gems should go I stacked them on the end of the loveseat.

Added our precious little shamrock, some old jars and a leaf tealight holder (I'm a mountain girl and I love leaves like ocean lovers love shells)

And voila!

I would like to add one more suitcase so that the stack is a little taller and can actually be used as a end table. But for now it is just perfect! But, I might add some books under that plant though, hmmm.

So, that inspired me to make our antique hall tree look just as pretty.

I added a basket full of magazines on the awkward bottom shelf along with an old soda crate filled with little treasures and our umbrellas because lately we have needed those on hand. It has been so rainy here!

I am going to add an old steel letter Z that my dad has in the lower left corner of the crate but I just couldn't wait to get it from him to take these pictures!

Some fresh flowers and an old tin canister and presto, new charm to my old hall tree.

So, sweet and thoughtful Nancy, thank you. You have just made a little corner of my world a happier place!