LuckyStars

Patriots Party!

2012-01-22T07:11:00.000-08:00

Today we will cheer on the New England Patriots in the game against the Baltimore Ravens- It's a chilly gray day and watching football is the perfect way to spend a Sunday. What to munch on while watching- Buffalo Chicken dip - of course! I make this dip quite often for Superbowl parties and it is always a hit. It's easy and comes together very quickly. Let's get comfortable, sit back, dig in and GO PATS!!!!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

One 8 oz brick of cream cheese
2 cups of cooked chicken breast, diced
3/4 cup of Frank's buffalo chicken sauce
2/3 cup of chunky blue cheese dressing

Mix all ingredients together. Microwave for 2 minutes, then stir. Microwave again for 2-3 minutes until bubbly. Serve with crackers and celery.

Cold Weather Likes Short Ribs for Dinner!

2012-01-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

Cold winter weather makes us want a nice warm comfort meal- This recipe is super easy and not so gourmet that appears intimidating. You might even have all the ingredients in your cupboard right now- I love to have all the ingredients on hand. I usually pick up my short ribs at Wegman's - my all time favorite grocery store- I stock up whenever I see them and leave them in the freezer for a yummy cold winter night treat. Enjoy!

Oh So Good Short Ribs

2 tbsp. fat
1 env. Lipton onion soup mix
2 to 3 lb. beef short ribs
1 to 1 1/2 c. catsup
1/4 c. water
2 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 to 1 c. diced celery
1 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. brown sugar

Heat fat (or oil) in a Dutch oven or a large skillet; brown ribs well on all sides. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over meat. Simmer covered, turning occasionally (1 1/2 to 2 hours), or until meat is fork tender.

New Restaurant!!!

2012-01-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

Have to tell you all about the great new restaurant in Belfast. The Lost Kitchen - on Main Street in what we refer to as the "flat iron"building. It opened this fall but we didn't get to sample until Thanksgiving.

The whole family got to go a couple of days after Thanksgiving- what a treat- they have a large selection of small plates - our crowd sampled almost all of them. Some of the highlights were frites with herb de provence, lamb sliders and fabulous fried oysters. They usually have 2 or 3 main dishes. We sampled fabulous fish with a garlic aioli and surrounded by mussels.

The desserts hold there own here as well- the "donuts and coffee" - fabulous beignets with a great coffee flavored sauce.

I had heard through the grapevine that the chef Robin- had experimented last summer with some "mystery" dinners that helped her hone her skills and define her menu.

Since Thanksgiving we have visited 2 more times and we love the atmosphere and the great wait staff. There have been some hiccups with running out of menu items before the evening is over but I so hope they iron them all out before the summer crowds arrive. The great local produce, meats and even locally roasted coffee make The Lost Kitchen a winner in Belfast!!! Check it out if you are passing by!

New Year = Old Recipe

2012-01-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

Weight Watchers Veggie Soup!

We better make this this week and start eating - good way to start the year and good way to shed a few pounds. I think the best bet would be to make a big pot and keep it in the frig- good lunch for the week- dig in!!!

     2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
     2 medium uncooked carrot(s), diced
     2 small uncooked zucchini, diced
     2 cup(s) uncooked savoy cabbage, or other variety, shredded
     2 cup(s) uncooked Swiss chard, chopped
     2 cup(s) uncooked cauliflower, small florets
     2 cup(s) uncooked broccoli, small florets
     1 medium uncooked onion(s), diced
     1 medium sweet red pepper(s), diced
     1 rib(s) (medium) uncooked celery, diced
2 tsp thyme, fresh, chopped
     6 cup(s) vegetable broth
2 Tbsp parsley, or chives, fresh, chopped
1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, optional
Instructions
Put garlic, vegetables, thyme and broth into a large soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, partly covered, about 10 minutes.

Stir in parsley or chives; season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

2011-12-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

Our family photo taken this summer up in Lake Placid New York. Meg Jeff with Gabey and Sheppy. And GJ and Moira! Merry Christmas to all !!!!

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY BLOG!!!!

2011-11-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

It's been 3 years since I started writing this blog! Fast and furious in the early years - not so much posting lately- wish for this year - MORE POSTINGS!!!! Now off to get ready for Thanksgiving !!!!

Happy Fall!!!!

2011-11-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

Been away from the blog for forever!!! Busy life - no excuse. Will be heading up to Maine for Thanksgiving in a few short weeks. Can't wait! Will have quite a crowd over the holiday. Will be cooking and eating up a storm!

This year will include a few recipes - want to make corn relish for a side dish. Just purchased 2 new platters for this year's table. Homegoods is such a great place to pick up these gems!

Christmas is coming on fast- must start lists and checking them twice :) Happy Fall everyone!

At the Vineyard...

2011-08-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

In the waves... be back later

Away in Lake Placid!

2011-08-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of postings this summer- very busy with guests, facebook and traveling- am in Lake Placid as we speak - visiting my brother's family. We will be in Saratoga Springs this week and then back up to LP for a Flaherty family reunion. Pix to follow! Until then enjoy the fun and games

View from my room- gorgeous weather

The House- called "Moon Dance" - just gorgeous!!! And so much fun!

Happy Fourth of July from Maine!!!!

2011-07-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

FLORIDA GETAWAY!!!

2011-04-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

Just back from a great trip to Tampa Clearwater Beach area of Florida. Spent 9 days in the sun and on the water. Great weather and a great time. This sunset seen every night from our balcony of the Hyatt Clearwater Beach. We had a great 2 bedroom suite with fabulous views.

Took a lengthy hike down the beach at Fort DeSoto State Park- considered one of the best beaches in the world- we arrived around 4pm- great time to walk the beach.

Chartering a boat was a great idea- we anchored off "One Tree" island and did some swimming- or jumping off the boat- Moira did a great dive!

Nora turning 8 years old on the trip - can really do great dives too!!!

Here I am with my brother Rich and his son Rory- quite the boat captain!

The whole crew on our Pontoon boat- the Tampa Bay area is great for boating.

Even the real "Captain" had a great day on the water.

Moira had a quick fun getaway from the pressures of work in Washington DC!!!

My brother Rich and his family on Easter morning at brunch with wife Mary, Rory almost 14, Kerry 10 and Nora on her Easter birthday is 8 years old!

Great time with this crowd- fun fun fun!!!!!

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!!!!

2011-03-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Round Table Discussion

2011-02-28T07:17:00.000-08:00

This is the round table before we had it refinished this winter. It was delivered back to us this Christmas and it looks fabulous! Our next problem is how we will "decorate" the room- I have thought many books layered with an ever changing floral arrangement would look good. I really like the layered look - George thinks I "booby-trap" every space in the house!

This space in Oscar de la Renta's home is fabulous! How about that for a layered table??? A bit overdone by my beach house standards but great none the less!!! Love the coral centerpiece!

Another idea from Martha Stewart's Maine house - this is her great room or great hall- books scattered on the round table but how about those covered stools??? What a great idea - increasing seating and you can sit a spell while browsing - Don't think I would use the floor length tablecloth in our house - maybe a little too formal but who knows- Martha usually knows best!

The other change I am thinking of is getting rid of the Oriental carpet and adding a bound sisal rug-like here-
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/color-bound-sisal-rug/

I think I would need a 9x12 or larger. Need to measure the space and find someplace that could bind the rug with navy blue- that or leave it beige- Thoughts???

Can't wait for the Maine season and to get on with the projects! Hurry up Spring!

Soakin' Mushroom Recipe!!!

2011-01-13T09:01:00.000-08:00

It seems every time I want to make this side dish we can't find the recipe. We are usually either up in Maine- Lake Plaid somewhere other than DC. My son GJ always says- Mom you should put all your recipes on the blog. He is right - easy access. So here goes - we will never be without this one again.

George had this first at a potluck at the Boeing Company in Saint Louis. He asked the women who made it for the recipe and we have been enjoying it ever since!! Great with steak on the grill or a festive beef tenderloin.

Soakin' Mushrooms

4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons sherry
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 lb mushroom caps. stems removed
1/2 cup whipping cream

Melt butter with sherry and garlic over medium flame in skillet. Add mushrooms and saute till mushrooms are lightly browned and butter is sizzling. Add whipping cream and stir to coat mushrooms. Turn up the flame and boil hard until sauce thickens. Cook to the consistency of a thin custard. Garnish and serve at once.

optional garnishes- parmesan cheese, parsley, green onions or pistachios.

The Snow and Christmas

2011-01-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

Looks like Santa was just about to head up the chimney!

Presents are all piled up around the tree!

Moira waits patiently at the top of the stairs!!!! Just like always.

Mo GJ and Kendra head down to see what Santa brought!!!

GJ is pretty happy about his new macbook!!!

Everyone checking out the haul!

Just thought I would peek out the door and see how the storm is brewing!!!

From the archway everything is white!!!

The wind was blowing badly and the snow was drifting - not really able to see what the total inches were- but they said we got about a foot!!!

Truly a winter shot!!! Even the wreath was snow covered - it really had to blow to get snow inside the porch!!!

Our OCEAN view!!!! Can't see a thing down toward the beach!!! Quite a storm!!

Christmas Eve in Maine

2011-01-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

As the sun begins to set on Belfast- George is out in the cold hanging some bulbs on the tree in the circular driveway- he added a few lights too to make the house look more festive with the lack of snow- little did we know what would be coming later!!

The tree was begining to be decorated but we had to leave some decorations for the kids to do!

My Santa collection grows each year!

I can't believe how the walls look since we took the wallpaper down and had the painting done! This is my silver area.

The tree lit up - no presents yet!

Big present to ourselves - gas logs in the living room and dining room fireplaces- love love love them!!! They throw off so much heat and the remote control makes it so simple!!! and no dust!!!!

The presents are building up! I haven't had the ceiling painted yet and I was in a dilemma about whether to paint the beams the same color as the woodwork throughout the house- right now they are ceiling white- so I am experimenting and having the painter do the ceiling a pure white and the beams the creamy white of all the woodwork- we shall see how it looks in the spring!!!

New Ralph Lauren tablecloth and napkins in blue look great with all the candle and the greenery. That bread doesn't look bad either!!!!

The spread of goodies for snacking!!!

Kendra got me a great bottle of my favorite Cakebread Cellars - Dressed in a sweater and hat!!!

GJ and Kendra about to start in on Ina Garten's Beef tenderloin recipe!!!! The sauce is to die for!!!

George - digging in!!!

Moira's favorite meal- and good night to all !!!!!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

2010-12-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

Grandsons - Gabriel Spencer 3 years and Shepherd Eli 5 weeks old!!!
Such Cuties!!
Meeting with Santa December 2010 Seattle, Washington

Scottish Walk House Tour in Alexandria VA

2010-12-04T14:49:00.000-08:00

Great fun today - the book club decided to go on a house tour that was happening in Old Town Alexandria today. After a great brunch put on by Paula a few of us headed out on this chilly day to walk Old Town and check out some beautiful home decorated for Christmas!

The first house -Paula and Zlaticia pose in front of the Yeaton-Fairfax House- beautifully restored 1802 home. Considered the finest federal style house in Alexandria. Gorgeous inside but a little too formal for our taste.

Love the boughs of heather they used to decorate through out the house. Very Scottish!!

Beautiful formal dining room - fabulous chandelier.

Taking a short break outside in the gardens - all these homes have gorgeous outside gardens and walkways.

The women of the house is an amateur horticulturist- hence the gardens. This is also a great space on the side yard - there is even a fireplace to sit next to!!!

905 Prince Street was the home of a barrel maker in 1815. Alexandria was a booming seaport hence the need for barrels on ships. The recent owner is an artist and her husband is an architect. Painting of the owners' triplets was done by the owner.

Love the idea of hanging the 12 days of Christmas ornaments on the kitchen fireplace. Also love the red garland- think a fresh version would look great on my kitchen mantle in Maine!

Open shelving in the sunny kitchen look great with pottery and pitchers displayed.

We exit the house through a very welcoming sunroom. Just the place for a relaxing afternoon.

In one of my favorite houses - the owners have created a great nook in the back of the kitchen. Love the built in bench with table pushed up against it. Have been thinking of doing this in the servant's dining room up in Maine.

Took a few pix of this to show George - so we can think how this could work in Maine!

This is the back of the property - charming way to leave the property.

As we were making our way to the next house we heard the Scottish bagpipers giving an impromptu concert on the street corner! Lots of festivities going on this weekend!

The Holland house on the tour has tons of property - once a farmhouse this house took 3 years to renovate. We got to talk to the owner. This was my favorite house. Great kitchen!!!

This was one of many Santas displayed throughout this house- we found out they were made by Tipper Gore's mother during the Gore's time here in Washington as Vice President.

The Holland house has a fabulous Baccarat crystal chandelier in the middle of the "gathering room" - and one of 75 Gilbert Stuart original paintings of George Washington over the fireplace!! Pretty impressive! They had a small picture of the owners and the George W Bush's at the White House in front of another Gilbert Stuart painting. Apparently the only difference is the collar on George Washington's shirt. It is said the Gilbert Stuart painted the faces of George Washington and his assistants painted the clothing - hence the different collars!

Leaving the Holland house out the back door - loved that house!!!

Great way to decorate the wine cellar- in the final home we toured today the kitchen was in the basement of the house! Had a great view of the Potomac River in the back yard!!! This wine cellar was originally a coal chute!

All and all a great day with fun friends!!!

Just a little PS- all these photos were taken with my pathetic IPhone- sorry for the poor quality- too lazy to lug around the larger camera!!

The reason my blog posts will be few this month!!!

2010-11-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

Baby Shepherd Eli Jones was born on Nov 18 in Seattle Washington!! Mom and baby are doing great. Big brother Gabe is very sweet with him and is a big help. The whole Smith/Jones clan will be in Seattle for the Thanksgiving holiday!! Fun Fun Fun!!!

Happy Birthday ~~~~~ 3 years in the Blogging World!!

2010-11-19T19:16:00.000-08:00

This is the start of the 3rd year of blogging!! It's been fun and I have touched base with many fellow bloggers!!! That has been the biggest reward!!! On to more postings and more fun!!!!

Rally to Restore Sanity/and or Fear!!!

2010-10-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

The crowds were enormous!!! Very happy though and polite! We headed down to the mall right about when the rally started. The weather was fabulous and the signs hilarious!

Blue skies- American flags and fun people!

This is a great sign - especially for our friends with Iowa connections!!! Funny!

Very good view from up a tree!!!

Funny!

My all time favorite sign - lots of people were photographing him!!

Looks like two events became one- this was a float with a hip hop band on board- blasting music!!

Now we did have the rally DVR'd at home so we could sneak over to Carmine's and have a drink and a late lunch- all the patrons in the bar were watching the rally on the numerous flat screens!!! We sat in the back and enjoyed some great chianti and yummy Italian food!!! Good way for 56 year old's to enjoy a rally on Washington !!

Thought Jon Stewart did a great job- fun show!!!

Heading back the throngs exited down 7th street- streams of people as far as the eye could see!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN WEEKEND EVERYONE!!!!!

2010-10-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone has a fun Halloween weekend- I am drooling over the Reese's Peanut Butter cups - Will probably get to eat quite a few since we are in DC and get almost no trick-or-treaters ! We also plan to head over to the National Mall and take in John Stewart's Rally for Sanity- Will take a few pix and let you in on the fun. Stay warm and enjoy the chocolate this weekend!!!! BOO!

Fall Gifts

2010-10-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

I've been busy the last couple of days - doing a little baking of Molasses Cookies to give as fall gifts.
Happened on this recipe online and it really is easy and comes out great! Going to head out tomorrow and deliver a little touch of the season- Hope you enjoy some treats too!!!! Happy Fall!!!!

Molasses Cookies

3/4 cup margarine, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup white sugar

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix together the melted margarine, 1 cup sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger; blend into the molasses mixture. Cover, and chill dough for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Roll dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until tops are cracked. Cool on wire racks.

New Additons to the House..

2010-10-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

We finally have incorporated a few new pieces in the living room- we moved the two wood rockers that no one ever sat on to another room and did a little Ikea shopping. We bought 4 Ikea Ektorp chairs-2 navy and 2 white for use downstairs and up! The navy ones look great in the living room with matching ottomans. They should be a great addition especially for a reading corner. Looks great!

George did some antiquing down in DC this summer and got this great table for the foyer- looks great in the photo but don't look too close- we just called the refinisher and he will be taking it and making it look fabulous by Christmas! Love the look with an arrangement of flowers on it - Will look great all summer with fresh flowers!

The two rockers needed to go somewhere so they seemed to look best in the large upstairs guest room with the newly refinished small table between them- The wood looks great in that room and even if guests just end up throwing there clothes over them they will serve a purpose!

The white chairs were for the our master bedroom- we had an old love seat - beige - in that space and it never really fit properly- plus it wasn't the right colors for that room. We bought two chairs but when George opened the boxes he realized there were two right arms in the same box! I thought it would be a major problem- but luckily the customer service department at Ikea is sending out a left arm within 7-10 days- Hopefully it will be an easy fix!

We just got one ottoman for upstairs - thought we could share - since there is not as much space upstairs next to the bed.

All and all some great additions at very little cost. Those chairs are reasonable and comfortable! Great for a beach house!

Is this the same kid????

2010-09-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist posting these two pix of my adorable niece this summer - the first taken down in Martha's Vineyard - waiting somewhat patiently for dinner ... Very sporty- her normal everyday appearance!!!!! So cute...

BUT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Could this possibly be the same kid???? A little girly hair bow and what a difference!!! She was definitely clowning around - not her usual style but soooo cute!!! Our Kerry !!! Always fun !!!!!

BBQ Bash

2010-09-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

The party a few weeks ago was such a blast- to start off the centerpieces matched the black and red checkerboard invitations that were sent out to hundreds of people!!!!

The band began setting up in the early evening- the Audiostars are very well known in the Saratoga area and they really lived up to their hype!!!

Linda- Mary's dear friend did an awesome job on this great flag cupcake display- a great tribute to the good ole USA!!!

The Gray Girls- Joanne, Tracy and Anne- all found themselves in similar styles and colors that night!

The Audio Stars rock out!

George and I had such a great time talking and mingling with all the guests- over by the pool it was much quieter and easier to chat!

Mary and her dear friends loved the dancing!!!!

Light show!!! Great sounds!!!!

Jim and Cindy cut quite a rug!!!

My adorable husband flew up from DC to enjoy the bash!!!!

Even our daughter Moira got into the act- grooving with "Mr O'Toole"!!!!!

Kathy and the girls get down!!!!!

Cousins love to have fun together!

Sally, Keelin and the boys- love that Mom is doing bunny ears on Rory!!!

The boys get a rare treat - on stage with the band!!

The girls are still enjoying themselves late into the night- we had such a fun night with hundreds of Mary and Rich's friends- great night in Saratoga Springs NY!!!!!

Party!!!!!

2010-09-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

I am spending some time up in New York as my brother and sister in law had a great party this past weekend! So much fun and so much work to get ready that we enlisted everyone to help!

They bid on a silent auction item a while back- cancer fundraiser- BBQ and band ! Of course they invited all their friends! These shots are a few we took as we got ready for the bash!

View from the porch down to the pool! You can see the port a potties being delivered in the back!

The tables all set up on the basketball court!

Looking up toward the house!

Tent all set up on the basketball court! More posts to follow on the party - great fun!

A great refinisher is hard to find...

2010-09-09T06:39:00.000-07:00

But We DID!!!
Both pieces we picked up at a fire sale where they even had a charred leg!!! Our new refinisher did such a fantastic job- I only wish I had taken pictures of the "before" !! Trust me it is a transformation!!! Now where should we end up putting these pieces - More on that later!!!

New Favorite Blog

2010-09-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

http://partyresources.blogspot.com/

Quick- Easy and so much fun! I just quickly read through July and August and have culled a ton of cute ideas!!! What a fun blog!!!

New updates to the house!

2010-08-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy this summer but have found time for a few updates- you might remember that we intended to beadboard a few bathrooms this summer- after all it does hide a multitude of sins and my walls certainly have sins!!!!

And the new wallpaper - I found it - well with Janis Stone's help the interior decorator across the street.
So the upstairs connecting bathroom is shaping up- these pix really don't do the wallpaper justice- looks fab in person.

The beadboard and the tile on the floor - we are almost done- I decided to keep the original sink and tub- I think we will need to do some caulking on the tub and tile around it but that is small potatoes. Looking good I think.

Okay now we are talking Pirates!!!! Gabey comes for his visit next week and we had to be ready for the big boy- crib is up in the attic and bunkbeds here we come.

Now granted - this room is small and a huge bunkbed takes up a ton of room- but this will be our only way to fit 2 people in the room- no other size bed fits- more ship-like!!!! Hope he likes it!! And has fun!!!

More beadboard in the downstairs half bath- really makes a difference and lightens up a dark and small bath. We always have some beach towels to grab for a quick trip to the dock!!!!

New toliet and sink makes a huge difference - need to work on the floor - needs some new wood planks and touch up the paint - a few new framed posters and we will be done!!!

Lastly the entrance to the house- We have hired Michael the painter - and I feel like Murphy Brown with Elden!!! He has been here all summer - mostly doing the outside trim but he did finish the entrance to the house - paint is Berkshire Beige by Benjamin Moore- looks gray sometimes - beige sometimes and even greenish on occasion- love it and will use it in the whole foyer- will probably go a shade lighter in the living room and dining room.

Scored the rug at Margo Moore's in Camden- love that store!!!! great way to greet the guests to Lucky Stars!!! Still can't believe an 8 foot runner fits sideways in the vestibule!!!

More pix at the end of the summer I am sure but with all our guests this year I guess we are lucky we have this much to show !!!!!! Enjoy the rest of your summer!!!! Off to the Vineyard for a week- will post on my return!!!!

SUMMER IN MAINE

2010-07-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

Busy busy summer - have had company non-stop for most of the time- I have tons of pixs to upload and no time to do it- we have partially finished 2 bathrooms and am now waiting for the wallpaper to be delivered- I was able to find the La Mere paper with the help of my stylish decorator neighbor Janis Stone.

http://www.jstoneinteriors.com/

Will post pix when the work is done- Love the fact that I chose beadboard for both of those bathrooms- Hope all readers are having a great summer - now off to the laundry!!!!

Long time no BLOG!!!

2010-05-22T08:24:00.001-07:00

Clarence House wallpaper- La Mere Beige

So sorry everyone - very busy and facebook seems to get all my pix first- just found this great wallpaper this morning featured by a fellow blogger. Love it and will have to research where I can find it in Maine!!! I think this house was featured in Maine Magazine- a sea captain's house completely redone and updated- gorgeous. This bathroom looks so similar to my guest bath that connects the two bedrooms. Since the tile on the floor will hopefully be done by next week when we return to Maine, we've got our work cut out for us!!! Here's to a summer of company and projects!!!

Health Care cocktail party at House of Sweden!

2010-03-26T05:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Health Care cocktail party put on by the Embassy of Sweden last night- George holding the chocolate mousse hypodermic needles!!! Then greeted all guests with vials of Aquavit with mint leaves as you entered the event!

Any party that has chocolate mousse hypodermic needles has got to be good!!! Great idea- all the wait staff was in scrubs- so cute!

So good- I had to have few!!!

Up on the roof they were doing yoga and giving Swedish massages! Also great smoothie bar- great because all smoothies had vodka!!!!!

George enjoyed the roof- a little breezy but it was a mild night in DC!

Everything was white - tents and curtains blowing in the breeze.

View if the Potomac River and Sequoia Restaurant below.

Fabulous fruit and nut bar- the dried apricots were the best. They even had pots of grass to flower up the place! Gorgeous.

Curtains blowing made for dramatic effect.

The elevator took everyone up to enjoy the view of DC from the top of Sweden House.

Overlooking the Kennedy Center from the roof. I don't look too happy but it was a great night!

Three separate projects...

2010-03-11T05:25:00.000-08:00

We have a few thing percolating up at the house in Maine. A number of projects should be getting underway this spring and hopefully finished up by June.

Last summer the kids worked on a project- the downstairs bathroom. They removed the wallpaper and painted the walls "Fenway Blue" - Go Sox!!! The dark blue looked great in the small bathroom- but when the wallpaper was removed we saw that it was hiding a multitude of wall imperfections. One huge one was behind the sink - large hole. We discussed several alternatives before deciding on beadboard. I love the look and it would lighten up the room and cover the wall issues. We needed it to be high enough to cover the holes and I really like the look when it is covering over half the wall. We decided on 4 feet with an edge like the one in the picture below. Wide enough to maybe tuck a shell or two on the ledge.

Hopefully Steve our handyman will get started soon and the end result will be all done by May when we head up to the house.

Next up on the projects will definitely take longer. We have found - through a previous owner's video- that the butler's pantry original counter top was wood!!! Yikes it looked soooo gorgeous in the video. Dark, but so cool. We need to get back to that. The ugly formica counter top needs to go! The pic below is very similar to our set up. Glass front cabinets on top and drawers on the bottom. We have lifted up portions of our counter top and the wood is still under there- It is going to be a very interesting treasure hunt uncovering it!!!

The only difference is we will also get rid of the white paint- back to the original stain on the cabinets too! Hopefully will look more like a bar/butler's pantry area with gorgeous wood grain. Can't wait to see the results- George has already started sanding some of the doors- its going to be a big job!!!

Lastly another big project is replacing the "floating" stick on tiles in the upstairs shared bath. I have chosen a 2 inch hexagon shaped tile like the picture below. I love the clean look and think it is more historically accurate for a 1912 house. Many of the fixtures in our 4 baths are original - we hope to keep most of the look the same.

Steve and a helper are going to retile this bath and hopefully have it done before we arrive in May. It is always a problem to have large projects scheduled around the arrival of guests. We want to get this one done early as this bath is used by most of our guests. And we are hopefully having many a houseful this summer.

I'll keep updating as the projects progress- here's hoping they end up looking like these examples!!! Happy Spring!!!!

Fantastic Frames!

2010-02-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

Frames are not something I give much thought to- its more about the photo- and I certainly have a ton of photos. The shelves and tables in the Maine house have photos arranged everywhere- mostly in plain silver or gold frames- purchased for not much money and most always on sale.

These two frames by Ralph Lauren featured on the website are gorgeous- I especially love the rope frame- so nautical.

This silver link frame would look fabulous as well- what a great addition to spice up the groupings of plain silver frames. Need to add a few of these to my collection.

To order either of these check out the website below:

http://www.ralphlauren.com/family/index.jsp?view=all&ab=viewall&origkw=frames&categoryId=1761019&sr=1

Blue is back!!!!

2010-02-23T12:01:00.001-08:00

So excited when I saw this month's House Beautiful on the news stand- A whole issue on BLUE!!! Yea my favorite color and my "go to" for any accessory in the house in Maine and the DC condo!

When shopping my eye invariably heads to anything blue- I am always scanning the shelves at Homegoods for anything blue!!! And, it usually finds its way to my cart!

Thanks to House Beautiful for featuring the color all over its magazine this month- This house - a beach house in Nantucket is gorgeous, casual and of course BLUE!

Wall of blue up the staircase looks great- might be good in Maine- but I think wallpaper is the way to go for me.

Love these upholstered chairs- how casual - I am also obsessed with corded upholstery!! Love it!

Living room in the same Nantucket house- so comfortable and I love love love that mirror!

Okay, now for something a little more upscale and formal. Eventually when we combine both the Maine and DC houses I will be bringing up all my collection of Chinese blue and white porcelain. I think it will add a nice touch to the beachy look of the Maine house.

Maybe I should concentrate my blue and white porcelain in the more formal rooms like the dining room in Maine- probably a more suitable place for it.

As I said Blue is Back- Ralph Lauren is featuring blue all over their new home collection this spring. This is called La Plage- or "the beach". Love the combination of casual wicker with feminine white french - and how about that striped rug- love the mix .

Again Ralph Lauren cushions from his La Page collection - would look great in Maine- gotta get shopping!!!! So glad to see blue is back in a big way.

3 Weeks in Seattle!!!

2010-02-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

Visiting my daughter and son-in-law for a very fun time with my grandson, Gabe! Meg and Jeff are jetting off to Thailand for a great 2 week vacation!! I will be babysitting my almost 3 year old grandson Gabriel Spencer Jones!!!! Having fun but not to much time to blog- back to posting at the end of the month!!!!!

Zugspitze!!!! Highest Point in Germany

2010-01-27T04:22:00.000-08:00

This last week one of the high points (pun intended) of my Germany trip was a gondola ride to the highest point in Germany - the top of the Zugspitze!!! What a journey!! Gorgeous!!!

Checked out the map upon entering the gondola area.

Yikes, this is the thing I have to ride to reach the top??? - Warning - fear of heights not encouraged here!!!

Entrance to the gondola ride- many Asian tourists in Germany - hence the sign.

This is the view from the ground - it is a long way up!

Okay the ride begins- we arrived in the Garmisch area late in the day - so we took the last gondola ride up the mountain- it was about 3:30 pm and we had the gondola to ourselves on the way up!

George was fascinated with the car- he kept saying -"Oh that's how James Bond gets out of here"- Fearless!!

Passing these large structures was the worse part of the ride- you almost have a feeling of falling for a short time- and the crunching and grinding - OY!!!!! I was scared!!!

I am saying - why in the world did I say yes to this!!!!!! YIKES!!!!!!

The setting sun - over the Alps- just gorgeous- it was slightly shady on the German side of the mountain.

We are getting close to the platform - arriving at the top- almost 3000 feet above sea level!!!

Yes - George on the cell- this scene has been repeated all over the world!!!!

View toward Austria- much sunnier on this side! These pix are all out of the window from the cafe. Completely surrounded with windows the cafe is a great place to view the surrounding mountain ranges!!

This side of the mountain enables the many skiers to ski on a glacier!!! Unbelievable!!!

Terrific views ...

I really don't think we need any warning signs out there - don't worry I have no intention of going out there!!!!!!

The cafe is called 2962- the exact elevation of the mountain.

Gotta have a little treat after all that stress in the gondola!!!

Getting ready to head back down in the gondola with all the skiers- there was no one on the way up but we were packed in with about 25 people and their skis on the way down!!!

Back on the ground!!!

Heading back to the Lodge- what a day and what a view - even this parting shot is terrific !!!!!
More posts on the trip to follow - this however was truly the high point!!!!!!!

Guten Tag Munich

2010-01-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

Hey all - I am off to Munich, Germany for my birthday week- accompanying George on a business trip and having fun along the way. Will have lots to post when I return- until then
"Auf wiedersehen".......

A Day in the Country...

2010-01-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

Well what a fun time we had a few weeks before Christmas - Kip, Nan, Nan's daughter Lauren and I ventured out of the city to Upperville, Virginia trying to find this fabulous little gem of a store. Because of our obsession with blogs especially decorating blogs we were alerted to to this great store.

Matthews House and Garden - is an adorable renovated church in Upperville . We traveled out from the District through Middleburg and kept on driving - we came upon this charming shop.

How about this tree- covered in vines next to the shop-creates unbelievable shadows on the shop's main building. English Manor landscaping leads to the front door.

Close up of this statuary nativity scene greeting guests as they make their way up the path to the front door.

Other statuary is placed around the shop but this nativity scene really sets the mood for unusual Christmas decorating.

Double front doors adorned in wreaths welcome customers to the shop/church! Love the pastel blue with the white - unexpected.

Nan, Kip and Lauren admire the landscaping and use of miniature trees and cabbage - great color for a winter day.

As you enter the shop on the left a beautiful array of herbs and plants on a wire stand.

An array of goodies to buy as soon as you walk in! The aroma of evergreen was everywhere- smart marketing as we all bought the Thyme candles fraser fir scent. We were also greeted with "Would you like a cappuccino??" The owner and decorator Wanda Crossley was making her first pot of the day- What a delight she was!!! A big fan of blogs she was so interested in our story and our little blog!

Nan and Lauren giggle as I run around and take shots- How beautiful are the trees -simply lit with white lights.

This area of the shop is my favorite- great light and blue and white accessories make this "pulpit" area of the shop just shine!

Again the simple trees add a festive touch. I think the wall on the right is bare because Kip bought all 4 of the fabulous sketches that were framed and hanging there. Gorgeous acorn/leaf prints that will look fabulous in her house!

You can see in this photo how great the natural light is streaming in the large windows.

What a gorgeous piece! Many light woods and slipcovered pieces are featured at Matthews House and Garden. Wanda told us to check back often as her inventory is always in flux- as soon as Kip bought her prints, Wanda's partner was busily reorganizing and hanging new prints!

Fabulous entry as you walk in - what a wall unit - everything looks totally in scale - but this is a huge space!

As we head out to find a fun place for lunch - Can't wait to get back here and visit again- Wanda mentioned all the great garden pieces they get in during the spring months. We will return - fabulous shop - fabulous people and we had a fabulous time-

If you are in the area- check it out - you will NOT be dissapointed!!!

Matthews House and Garden
9160 John Mosby Hwy in Upperville, VA (540.592.7147)
Tue- Sat 10 to 5

Also thanks to "My Notting Hill" blog for alerting me to this great store- check out her great photos and insights!

http://mynottinghill.blogspot.com/2009/10/readers-renovated-175-yr-old-church.html

Merry Christmas from the family at Lucky Stars!!!

2009-12-24T10:54:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the gang here at Lucky Stars- this is our 2009 Christmas Card photo- Wishing all those who check out our blog - a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!! See you with more postings in the New Year!!!

From our house to yours........

Holiday Visit with Decorator #2 !!!!

2009-12-17T09:10:00.001-08:00

Now onto another fun visit with my dear friend Kip- and an opportunity to see her gorgeous house in Potomac Maryland. You might remember our fun visit up in Maine- she and Nan visited me last summer and what a blast we had. They were so helpful with decorating tips- and you can see why. Another friend with great taste!!!!

Here's Kip- sitting regally in her gorgeous home!

As I pull up to her brick home you can see she has been very busy with her decorating for the holidays! I love her gate- with the weighted ball - so Williamsburg!

The entrance is so welcoming- and very deceiving - this is one big home!!!

Love the difference in the back and front of a magnolia leaf! With the holly this planter in the alcove takes on a festive air!

A combination of greens and berries makes this arrangement so current and welcoming.

Even the stone bench gets a holiday makeover- this holly laden lantern looks great.

What a great breakfast nook in the kitchen- you all know I am obsessed with blue and white so I especially love this area.

Kip ushering me through the rest of the house- there are touches of the season everywhere.

The mantle in the living room is lit with white lights and red - looks so festive.

I love this pass-through bar area from the kitchen to the living room- and look how cute just a handful of candy canes look plunked in a glass on the bar!!!

No corner goes unadorned - even the Naval Academy chair gets a cute Merry Christmas pillow- Kip has quite a collection of great needlework Christmas pillows.

My problem in the Maine house was my wall of bookcases!!! Kip had the same issue and look what a good job she did on her wall unit in Ron's office off the living room- Love the Navy ball caps lining the top shelf. The complete look is so uniform and balanced !!! Looks fab!!!

Couldn't resist a close up on Ron's oil portrait!!!! Doesn't he look dashing???? What a great tribute - so well deserved!!! Adds tons to this room too!!!

I just read how important balance is to a grouping- this sofa table looks so wonderful with the basket of greens and pinecones balancing the vignette on the table- very polished.

Even in the kitchen - in this little hidden area -balance and color play a role- Adds a nice warm touch .

What a cozy welcoming arrangement on the center island- Kip bought this nautical vase on her trip to Maine last summer- looks so festive with the Christmas bouquet- apples and Santa round it out.

This idea is always something that I wanted to do and never got around to it!!! Framing your children's artwork.

I tell the story of years ago when I was in college I volunteered on the short lived Sergeant Shriver presidential campaign. I was lucky enough to travel to Hyannis - Cape Cod - to the Kennedy compound and have tea with Eunice Shriver and many many other guests- We put our coats on racks in the back hall of the Kennedy Shriver house- and all along the wall - framed and lit by art lamps were finger paintings and stick figure drawings done by all the children- those "children" now are Maria Shriver - married to the Governor of California "Arnold" and the rest of her brothers.

Well if the Kennedys can do it why not Kip!!!! James' fish print looks fabulous in the kitchen !!!!!

A close up of the blue and white ware that is gathered on the bakers rack /wine rack in the kitchen- I have to make a note to drink more wine when I visit Kip and Ron- wow they have quite stash!!!!

Needless to say - I am a very demanding friend- but Kip is fully aware of that- here she quickly prepares a bite of breakfast for me - wow taking pictures of beautiful houses is soooooo tiring and hunger inducing...

Wouldn't you think I was at the Ritz Carleton - Coffee, muffin the WSJ and the Post!!!! She is so perfect!!!!!

The very gorgeous very open formal dining room- so Williamsburg- so Christmassy.

Yea !!! Nan and Lauren arrive!!! Yes we made them stay out in the cold until I got my camera ready - so natural - so spur of the moment!!!!

I love a Williamsburg centerpiece - pineapples, apples and magnolia leaves - it IS Christmas in Virginia !!!!

Even the pewter birds are hunting and pecking this winter on the side table.

A great case for all of Ron's music- he is such a connoisseur !!!!!

Even a Christmas Cardinal at the feeder out the window- wow does Kip know how to orchestrate a photo shoot!!!!

The grand entrance hall- told you this house was deceiving- very spacious and very airy!!!!

Not a spot goes unnoticed- a Christmas book - little package - red candles- how charming!!!!

Had to include this cute ornament- I have the same with USS Fletcher- we had so much fun together in Hawaii!!! Great memories !!!!

A final parting shot of the tree- off we go to a fun day of shopping and lunch in Upperville VA- next posting on a fun shop we found from our friends on other blogs!!!! A great shop converted from a church!!!! Coming up soon- Happy Holidays Y'all!!!!!!!!!

Meet My #1 Decorator!!!!

2009-12-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

This is Nan- my dear friend and fabulous decorator. You may remember her from previous posts up in Maine. She and Kip visited this summer and did a great job with reorganizing and helping me pick out a few new pieces for the house in Maine. I thought I would pay her a little visit today and take a few shots of her gorgeous new house decorated for the season!!!

Well I don't have any rhyme or reason to the order of these photos- Just started shooting when I arrived . Standing with my back to the dining room- an overview of the living room mantle with magnolia leaves and gorgeous Christmas silk amaryllis

Nan's chandelier - picked up on her world travels. The dining room crystal candlesticks and centerpiece look great with it. Nan has had the chandelier since being stationed in Portugal but this is the first time she has been able to hang it - worth the wait!

Again a total view of the dining room - her house is filled with light and is very open and airy-I love how she fills up glass containers with festive bulbs. Nice touch.

Her camelback sofa looks great- why did I leave my purse on there- way to ruin a pix! Looking in to the foyer. Nan's Dad built those bookcases on the right - they have found their way into all her many homes and always look fabulous.

Close up of her secretary desk- silver framed pictures of family spread about- love how she blocked this entry to the attached family room - making the other opening the main one. Good way to manage the flow and create two separate spaces.

Here we are walking into the family room with the comfortable leather chair. Good enough to sink right in ....

Close up of a golden pineapple - Nan finds little touches everywhere- and blends them beautifully!! When you think how many times she has moved and packed and repacked all these delicate objects!!! Its a wonder they have survived but with Nan's extra special care they do!

Yea Kip arrives!!!! Maybe we can pay her fabulous home a visit next week!!! Love to blog about my dear friends!

Nan's Dad also carves a folk art Santa every year. Such talent! And being a good friend for so many years I am lucky enough to own some of these beauties!

His newest collector's item- A Penn State Santa!!!! How fabulous! WE ARE..... PENN STATE! Not to mention the flow blue plates and large blue and white platter.

Sun streams into the kitchen - This blue painted cupboard is such a focal point in this room - Nan adds greenery and wreaths to deck out this area with the Christmas spirit. Love her new lantern light fixture, with a touch of holly!

Portuguese tiles are just right on the wall of Nan's kitchen - you have seen some of my tile work at the Maine house in earlier posts! These rabbit and chickens are so typical Portuguese!

The kitchen table looks out on her backyard. Her new Simon Pearce lamp blends beautifully with the warm wood. Notice the plate rack on the right and the angel wings with Christmas greens- very festive.
***** Nan mentioned that this table was a purchase when they lived in Portugal.

Warm welcome in the foyer of the home. These 4 Williamsburg prints have found a spot in her house since I have known Nan. Every time they look like they belong! Love the "feet" on the blue and white garden stool.

Here is a broader shot of the left hand side of the foyer- see what I mean about how perfectly Nan blends her pieces- Notice the mercury glass trees and peeking around the chest are more Portuguese tiles- a gorgeous floral piece on an easel.

**** another addition from Nan- this chest was purchased in Portugal.

Straight on view looking out the big front window. Love her red crewel wing chair - she has such a knack for blending prints and colors- always looks great.

Back in the den a nice arrangements on a blanket chest- this room is very long and skinny - a decorating challenge that Nan has tackled masterfully.

**** addition from Nan-The 2 prints in the family room are a local Alexandria VA artist, Patricia Palermino.

Here you can see how narrow the room is- but look at the fabulous wall color-really looks great and lightens up what could be a dark room. Love the small windows with festive wreaths.

Overall view of the dining area from the family room- placing the dining table on an angle really gives the illusion of space and makes for easier access for diners and servers alike. Love her spool legged table.

The hunt table in the dining room with natural light streaming in- adorned in gold.

Better view of the fireplace- how about those silk amaryllis!!! And the little elf brings a bit of whimsy to a very conventional setting.

A long view of the Santa collection - love the touches of holly and greens....

Here, Nan has moved the table that normally is in front of the large window to behind the camelback sofa- looks great with some touches of Waterford crystal and a festive topiary.

The end of a very long post - the entrance to Nan's house is a long porch and this vignette greets all her holiday visitors. So perfect for outdoors- acorn ornaments on the tree and two quails stand watch! Thanks Nan, for letting us view your gorgeous home-

Next week we hope to visit my other "Cohort in Crime" -Kip. Her beautiful home will be featured next week - get decorating y'all!!!!!!

Hey P.S. everyone- want to see Nan's rooms close up ??? - Just double click on each photo- to enlarge!!!!

Yummy cinnamon rolls!

2009-12-05T08:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a great blogger - Ree Drummond also known as Pioneer Woman- I have been busy this morning trying out a recipe for Christmas morning. Of course I felt the need to sample!!! They are delicious! And will be a great treat for the holidays!

Needless to say - the muffin pan will take some cleaning up!!! But sooo worth it! Yummy

Here is her fabulous recipe and a link to her great blog:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

Monkey Muffins

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 12
Ingredients
Leftover Bread Dough (or Refrigerated Biscuit Dough, Cut Into Thirds)
Butter
Sugar
Ground Cinnamon
Sweetened, Condensed Milk
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to muffin tins. Sprinkle in sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls (or cut refrigerated biscuit dough into thirds). Place three into each muffin tin.
Top with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Sprinkle on more sugar and cinnamon.
Allow dough to rise, if applicable, or just go ahead and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
Remove from oven and immediately drizzle plenty of sweetened condensed milk over the top of each one. Be generous! Allow rolls to sit for a little while to absorb sweet, sticky milk.
Scoop out with a spoon and serve to hungry humans.

By the way- I am working on a new Christmas decorating post for next week- some fabulous Christmas decorating by my own personal interior designers!!! You remember them from this summer in Maine!!! Can't wait to get over to Nan's and start photographing her new house!!!!

Cranberry Chutney- a great addition to your Thanksgiving Table

2009-11-24T09:19:00.000-08:00

Already started on the long list of recipes to make for Thursday- This is one of my favorites - from my good friend Molly. She would make it every year when our families spent the holidays together in Virginia.

Now that we celebrate in Maine- I have to call Molly - chat - and then make the chutney myself!!! Oh well at least I will see her next week when we head back to DC !!

Lots of other things to get done so I will leave you with this recipe- Next up I am going to make Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa's Lobster Corn Chowder- need to have some Maine type of thing for our holiday!!! George is out hunting for lobsters - will let you know how the whole thing turns out!!!

CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

1 lb fresh cranberries
2 1/2c sugar
1 c water
1/2 tsp salt
6 whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
1 c raisins
1 apple - peeled and chopped
1 pear-peeled and chopped
1/2 c chopped celery
1 small onion chopped
1/2 c slivered almonds

Combine the cranberries and the sugar and boil over heat until cranberries pop. Add water, salt, cloves and cinnamon simmerl 15 to 20 minutes. Add raisins, apple, pear, celery and onion and continue simmering until softened. Add slivered almonds and stir. Can cook days ahead and refrigerate. Fish out cloves and cinnamon sticks if you can-before serving-or better still use a little mulling pouch to keep the spices together and easy to dispose before serving! Enjoy!

Happy Birthday to Lucky Stars!!!!!!

2009-11-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

One year blogging!!! Can't believe it - so much fun - need to do better next year on updating. Love reading other bloggers entries and don't like it when they don't update enough! Gotta get going on mine-life just gets in the way!!! On to another year- Happy Birthday to us!!!

Birthday lunch in the country

2009-11-05T05:24:00.000-08:00

Great day for a birthday lunch at Heart and Hand restaurant in Clifton, Virginia. Haven't been here in years but was so glad it was such a nice day in the country. Michelle was celebrating her birthday and neither Deb or Michelle had been to the restaurant before !

Deb and Michelle in front of the restaurant. This front entrance was used in the opening sequence of the movie "Broadcast News". An oldie but goodie starring William Hurt. The restaurant was also a favorite of Nancy Reagan and her pal George Will. But that didn't stop these die hard democrats from enjoying a great lunch.

The fall leaves are on their way out but the scarecrow decorating all the lamp posts in downtown Clifton were capturing the festive spirit!

Marcia and Deb and a friendly scarecrow!!!!! We talked quite a bit with one of the managers of the restaurant and discussed the fact that their famous Heart and Hand cookbook has been out of print for many years. This cookbook is one of my favorites and one I turn to for many family favorites!!! I would buy another one in an instant - mine is so falling apart. And I would love to present a few to friends and my now-cooking daughters!!!

They are trying to work out the details of who owns what copyrights - publisher, writers etc. When they do, we all have to get a new copy of that great cookbook!!! Until then I thought I would include my favorite tomato soup recipe in this post- Deb and Michelle sampled it at lunch! Happy Birthday Michelle!!!! Always fun to spend the day with those two!!!!

Old Fashioned Cream of Tomato Soup

1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
2 1/2 pounds canned diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 cups prepared bloody mary mix
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream

Make a roux in large pot using butter and flour, careful not to brown. Add remaining ingredients, simmer 15 minutes. Garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream and chopped green onions.

ENJOY!!!!

I am on a soup roll.....

2009-10-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Okay - I'll confess the only reason I made this soup today is because my nosey husband said - why did you buy leeks???? I couldn't remember why I did - so I quickly said - Potato Leek Soup of course!!! I am in the middle of reading Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. The book that inspired the movie with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. I am really enjoying the book- and it mentioned that one of the first recipes in Julia Child's book is Potato Leek Soup- sooooo since Meg Jeff and Gabey are in Paris right now -this is an "homage" to them!!!! Enjoy ...

Potato Leek Soup

3 tablespoons butter
3 - 4 leeks, thinly sliced
1 medium or large onion, chopped ( I used a mix of yellow and red onion to make one large)
3 - 4 cups yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced- no need to peel
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (or enough to barely cover potatoes)
1 cup heavy cream
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

1) Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat then add onions and leeks. Cook, stirring, until onions are limp and just slightly brown.

2) Add sliced potatoes to saucepan then pour in enough chicken broth to just barely cover the potatoes. Continue cooking over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Using a potato masher, mash and stir potatoes until desired consistency is reached. As you mash the potatoes and the soup thickens, turn down heat and stir frequently with a large spoon to prevent scorching on the bottom. I used my hand held blender and it worked well

3) Add one cup of heavy cream (or more if you desire) and salt and black pepper to taste. Cook 15 minutes more over low heat, stirring frequently, then remove

Zesty Pumpkin Soup for the Weekend!

2009-10-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

Great weekend to gather round the soup pot - this recipe is a keeper! Slightly zesty, not too sweet - garnish with a dollop of sour cream, some chopped fresh chives and if you wish some yummy cheese straws on the side. Enjoy the season and the soup!

Zesty Pumpkin Soup
(makes 6 cups)

1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 3/4 cups (16-ounce can) pumpkin
1 cup half and half
sour cream and chives (optional)

In a large saucepan, melt butter, saute onion and garlic until soft.
Add curry powder, salt, coriander and red pepper. Cook 1 minute.
Add broth, boil gently uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in pumpkin and half and half- cook 5 minutes.
Pour into blender or use hand held stick blender to blend until creamy.
Serve warm with dollop of sour cream and chopped chives or roasted pumpkin seeds!

Happy Fall!!!!!

Up to Maine for the weekend!!!

2009-10-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

Well I forgot the camera in DC and George and I spent the last 3 days getting the house ready for the cold weather! Well George did all the work and I watched all my DVR'd shows I hadn't seen yet and pouring over my favorite decorating blogs!!

These blogs are truly the magazines of the future- or the now for some of us. I actually am totally enthralled by them and it is and addiction - you start on one and find many more linked to the others- Thought I would list a few of my absolute favorites!!!

http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/ My true #1 - all others bow to her- Joni links to so many of the great ones that starting with her blog you truly could spend the afternoon!!!

http://vickydar.blogspot.com/ Room Service and Decorating 101- great pix of decorating and sometimes even stars homes!!

http://palazzopizzo.blogspot.com/ Fabulous blog on the renovation of a home on the ocean in Italy - spent many hours pouring over this interesting blog

http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/ Great blog on a renovation of a farmhouse in New Hampshire- love the New England slant!

Decorating isn't the only thing that occupies my days- food and cooking blogs are fascinating too!! Here is a couple of my Favs...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/ So easy - great photos and great how to's- her whole life is fascinating and she is so funny - her writing cracks me up!!

http://www.phoo-d.com/ Great recipes and great writing

http://smittenkitchen.com/ Great photos and she just had a baby- so interesting - lives in NY - love reading her blog.

Well - this is how I spent my last 3 days - Poor George - working like a dog - what a good guy- The house is well battened down for the winter - we are back to DC tomorrow and then we will return for the Thanksgiving holiday!!! Fun Fun Fun!!!!

Back in the City!!

2009-10-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hey All- back in good ole Washington DC - summer is over for me and I am back in the heart of the city for most of the remainder of the fall and winter. I will be making Thanksgiving and Christmas trips back up to the house in Maine but, as of now, back with all my pals in DC.

Am swamped with cleaning the condo - and doing a small amount of decorating for fall- Will be back to posting when something fun comes up - will definitely be cooking so look for some yummy recipes!!! Need to smell apples and pumpkin coming from the kitchen!!! Happy Fall!

Fall is in the air.....

2009-09-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

A definite chill is in the air up here in Maine. Gotta get the pumpkins out before the frost.... I always feel a little sad with the passing of summer- we did have a great one this year with gobs of company and many a great meal and fun for all. I will be heading out to NY for a while and back to DC for a few weeks then back up to "batten down the hatches" for the winter.

A little Halloween corner.....

We look forward to another action packed Thanksgiving with a big crowd!!! Can't wait...

Quite a few projects were completed this summer - the plastering of ceilings - painting of more than a few rooms. But as usual many more projects on the horizon- One big one this fall is that we have hired a roofing company to install a rubber roof on the flat part. Something you can't see from the ground but will keep us dry!!!! That project will happen soon.

Happy Fall to All.....

Fun and Games - Labor Day Weekend in Maine

2009-09-11T06:20:00.001-07:00

Some of the kids on the top of the tower on Mount Battie- great view of Camden harbor- another gorgeous day!!!

Mary and her girls - Jim and his girls- enjoying their hike to the top of Mount Battie.

Pete and Kerry ready to dive in the bay in their wetsuits!!! Brrrrrrrrrr.......

Nora and Pete party on ....... We love a good dance competition!!!

Peter and Buster - any resemblance??????

The group at Young's Lobster pound- getting ready to enjoy a delicious dinner!!!

Lobster ....Yum.....

Anne and Sally - creatures from the black lagoon.....

Enjoying a fun happy hour on the dock!

Some of the treasures from the deep........

The kids enjoy riding on top of the boat- well some of the kids - Nora got better after her initial fear!!

All the kids pose in a ski lift on the dock at Castine- ready for lunch.

Sally, Mary and Mary pose with their sunglasses onboard the boat! Lookin' good!

Marla and CR enjoy the gorgeous weather and fun day on board the WindHorse. They are Navy friends of 30 plus years!!! Marla and I delivered Meghan and Mollie days apart in Virginia Beach General Hospital!!! These babies are now 30 years old!!!! With babies of their own!!!

The view from the back of our boat... What a gorgeous day on Penobscot Bay!!!

I Love Portugese Tiles !!!!!

2009-08-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

On a trip to Portugal 3 years ago we were lucky enough to visit the charming town of Sintra. It was very picturesque and had adorable shops. We enjoyed visiting a few of the tile shops and found an artist painting tiles - a mural of a home in England. An idea formed - we happened to have a photo of our new summer house in Maine with us on the trip to show the friends we were visiting. We picked out the lettering and frame of the Lucky Stars sign- we wanted something that looked like waves and of course the stars in the corners.

Nan - one of my personal decorators from the previous post had this made for me while she was living in Portugal. She is so organized - thinking of a house warming gift - years before she would visit!!!! She is a keeper!!!! Love the blue lobster- so Maine.

Here is the final product - after much back and forth - and a little trouble with cracked tiles we were able to hang our artists rendition of our Maine house above the fireplace. We have all of the tiles cemented to wood - that way we can always move the art piece- I love the look of tiles installed in a wall of kitchen or house itself- but would hate to leave it if we ever had to sell the house!!! Couldn't part with my memento of the trip!

We do have our name and address of the shop in Sintra but this Sintra business man has a great website and my friend who lived in Portugal was aware of him and he had a good reputation- so if you are in the market - give them a try!

http://www.sintraantiquetiles.com

A visit from my personal decorators !!!!

2009-08-11T09:29:00.001-07:00

Nan and Kip came for a visit and boy did they work while they were here! Don't get me wrong - we had tons of fun- but they did get a lot of decorating done!!

I had, for a long time, wanted something done to enhance the front entryway. Those two benches on either side of the door looked very forlorn with nothing to jazz them up -

Left hand side we picked up a very rugged fleur-de-lis statue and a rustic wicker tray to prop in the corner. At our favorite shop "Brambles" in downtown Belfast we picked up an iron basket and ivy plant. On the right hand side, we stuck a white urn that I previously had in the dining room. Kip ran to the field next to the house to pick some golden rod and stuck it in the urn- Voila! Looks great and really warms up the entrance.

You can always add a pillow to a chair - even in the lobster room to soften the corner! Looks great and very nautical. It was also $9.99 at Homegoods!!! Couldn't resist!

On the other corner of the lobster room we added a red lantern - the candle inside is a battery operated one that looks fabulous when lit and really can be used without any worry.

Nan rightly feels that the dining room should be more dressy than the rest of the rooms in the house. So she moved our blue Wedgewood tea set to the small delicate corner shelf in the dining room. I think it looks great there- and much better than the Dedham pottery that was previously there.

My little Portuguese houses have found a new home in the window area of the living room. Nan also moved the extra throws that were previously on the bookshelves to their own basket under the window table. Easy to access on a chilly Maine night.

Here is the total look - we still have a few things to fill in- some ivy on the right side and need to find a round topiary to stick in the empty corner on the left.

Nan went around the house putting like stuff together for the shelves- Kip found my redware in the cabinet - tons of framed pictures were relocated to these shelves. Nan also like to put similar things together- same subject books and collections of things!!

These two Irish plates were languishing in the kitchen cabinets but I think they look great together on a shelf with plate holders. The Dedham pottery is way better suited to a more casual setting in the living room. Ivy will go in the hole!

Nan moved some Waterford crystal biscuit barrels to the desk- much better spot to display them- and they make the shelves pop!

All in all a great time rearranging and organizing - they both have to come back to visit again since we have tons more projects to tackle!!!! Thanks Nan and Kip!!!!!!

Happy Hour at the Summit at Point Lookout

2009-07-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

Entering the Summit - formerly the site of MBNA credit services corporate retreat center.

Happy Hour at the Summit at Point Lookout - the neighborhood group gathered to enjoy a great evening . The view was out of this world!

Our group gathers at one of the tables on the porch.

Drinks and snacks for everyone.

Roger enjoying the fine weather.

Mary Ellen and Pat discuss all the aspects of a summer night in Maine~

Yummy drink - Blueberry sangria with limoncello. Mary Ellen recommends it !!!!!

Guests gather on the lawn to gaze at the view of Isleboro and the Camden harbor.

Pam and Pat enjoy the evening.

The view from inside the Summit.

View from the porch. Such a fun night - hopefully will become a Crosby Manor tradition!!!

A walk around the house...

2009-07-07T10:04:00.001-07:00

Thought I would take a quick walk around outside to take some shots - great day - one good day of weather in a very cold and rainy start to summer...

No wind to move the chimes ...

View of the back of the house facing the water...

Our porch - many a great meal has been enjoyed our here - one of our favorite places to relax.

Looking up at the sleeping porch - another future project of George's will be to make screens for the large floor to ceiling windows- when they are open on all sides the breezes flow ... No birds flying in please!!!

Some people have been known to nap here- not mentioning any names......

Welcoming front entrance.....

Our little patio outside the lobster room. The kids gave me these great garden chairs for Mother's Day this year to match the table. Great place for coffee in the morning.

How George spent his summer vacation

2009-07-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

George has been a busy boy these last 10 days while he was up at the house from DC. He had a lot of projects and completed nearly all of them.

Thought I would update you all with the results.

Here he is working on his last day of this vacation- priming the back porch- the final painting will have to wait until his next trip up to Maine at the end of the month.

The lobster room- freshly painted in Benjamin Moore's "guestroom"- a warm butterscotch. The plasterer did a heroic job on this ceiling and walls - quite a mess from a leak in the roof that was fixed last summer.

Right above the sconce is where the worse leak damage was- looks great now. This color was taken from the mat board on one of the prints I had framed this year.

The butler's pantry and kitchen, below, have been painted as well. This color - though similar to the one in the lobster room- is called "toasted sesame seed" by Benjamin Moore. I think it blends well and is just a shade more yellow than the lobster room.

The color was a pale mint green before and I think this bolder color goes well with the wood work. We hope to eventually get rid of the white painted cabinets and bring everything back to its original stained wood.

After the art work and posters were hung it really blended well with the walls. Can't get over how much better I like it than the old mint green.

Gosh this looks messy - someday we will redo the whole kitchen and get these cut up rooms blended into a more streamlined kitchen. Can't wait to spend a cool 75 thousand on that!!! Will definitely need an expert on kitchen design.

Well kudos to George on a job well done- never fear readers- lots more projects to document!!!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

2009-07-05T05:02:00.000-07:00

Yaddo Mansion in Saratoga Springs NY

2009-06-28T15:10:00.001-07:00

Just returned from a week in Saratoga Springs NY and a fabulous visit and cocktail party at the mansion called Yaddo. The mansion itself and the gorgeous gardens surrounding it are a fixture in Saratoga Springs and has been the site of many fundraising parties and the refuge for artists to create in a supportive environment.

Yadoo was built in 1800's - it was originally a grist mill and was bought by Spencer Trask for his wife Katrina after their first child died and they wanted a respit from the city of New York.

The mansion is very ornate and most of the same furnishings that were in the mansion during the Trask years are still there today.

Here is the Trask family on the porch- the guests at the cocktail party - including us- spent the first hour of the evening out on this porch drinking wine. It was a humid evening and it was much cooler on the porch. This photo was taken when the Trask children were still alive. All 4 of the Trask children died before their parents. The first one died at 5 years old in Brooklyn, NY. The next two tragically died after their parents ,listening to bad advice from the doctor, visited their mother who was suffering from diptheria. The two children contracted the disease and later died. Katrina Trask recovered. The 4th Trask child died at 3 days old.

This is the grand staircase in the mansion. Author and script writer Matt Witten heading up the stairs at the end of the evening. Witten did a great job of introducing the audience to his new "5 minute mysteries" that will be available on the internet. Witten, formerly a Saratoga Springs resident and mystery novel author was the guest speaker for the fundraiser that evening.

This 1940's postcard showed the mansion during that era. The Trasks created the foundation to enable creative people - authors, artists, composers to come to Yaddo and stay for a period of time in order to work on projects. It is said that Edgar Allen Poe wrote a section of "The Raven" here at Yaddo.

Here you see, beneath grand portraits of Katrina and Spencer Trask, some very lovely guests at the cocktail party. Anne O'Toole and Mary Flaherty were enjoying the ambiance and delicious food from local restaurants.

At the entrance to the mansion - there are 2 sleighs which are adorned with painted scenes. The marble font behind the sleigh is also a Trask piece.

As you walk into the mansion from the covered porte-cochere this marble reflecting pool is immediately inside the entrance.

The fireplace mosaic in the main drawing room is directly related to the fact that the mansion itself was burned to the ground in a fire in 1891. The Trasks spent less than 2 years reconstructing the entire mansion and the Tiffany mosaic says "unconquered by flame, Yaddo is reborn for peace"

On the grand staircase wall a large portrait of Spencer Trask hangs.

Another earlier postcard shows the lavish gardens that still remain today.

Here Spencer Trask is shown - a great philanthropist he always included artists and creative people as his guests at Yaddo. On New Year's eve 1909 Spencer was called back to New York for work and as he road in his private rail car another train ran a red light and careened into the speeding train. Trask was the only fatality.

Katrina ended up marrying George Foster Peabody - a mutual friend of both the Trasks. Together they continued their support of the artists who visited Yaddo. A philanthropic foundation was formed to create a sanctuary where artists could stay and create. Truman Capote, John Cheever, Aaron Copeland, Edgar Allen Poe, Sylvia Plath and Langston Hughes are just a few of the famous people who have spent time at Yaddo.

It is said that Katrina and Spencer Trask's daughter created the name 'Yaddo" she thought it was the opposite of shadow- or she couldn't say shadow- With all the terrible trials of the Trask family, it is understandable that they would try to rid their home of shadows- Yaddo needed to be a positive place. And now it is that place.

Ladies of Crosby Manor Breakfast

2009-06-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

Every month the ladies of Crosby Manor Estates try to get together socially for breakfast at our local inn. Some of us only summer up here in Maine and it is so good to get together after a winter apart. Lots of good food and fine conversation!!!

Sue and Pat in deep discussion.

Colorful bunch!

Pam looking gorgeous! The lipstick looks great....:)

Two of my favorites, Anne and Pat, looking lovely.

Time to pay up!!!

Judy looks great in blue!!!

The whole crew- a lovely time was had by all- See ya next month!!!!

Upstairs - what's left to do

2009-06-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

Here is the next room we will be working on - it will only take a removal of a border - hopefully the glue will not be as hard to remove as the previous room. I want to paint this with a more wedgewood blue to match the oriental rug and new valances.

The servant's bathroom will need a lot more work- I want to bead board the walls about 3/4 of the way up from the floor. White bead board is what I am leading towards. We also need to tile the floor.

This room is the linen room and should be pretty easy- requires only paint- lots of woodwork though and that is time consuming !!

Our Master suite will be a pain I imagine- lots of wall paper removal and then paint walls and wood work!!! I think by this time we will be hiring a professional - George may have had enough!

Moira's room- another painful job- tons of wallpaper and major ceiling repair- hopefully most of the heavy ceiling repair will be done this week or next by the professionals!!

The sleeping porch will require just paint and no wallpaper removal but we will have a job with the floor- complete removal of the floor tiles and then maybe tile???? Who knows- I think I would like wood but with the windows opening from floor to ceiling maybe a nice tile would do the trick- Oh and new screens made for all the windows!!! No more birds flying in when the windows are open!!!

GJ's room needs complete removal of paper and then a paint job!

The stand alone bath looks cute in this pix but we know it will be a job and a half with removal of the paper- painting and tile work- if I had my way a shower stall would be installed too as we could really get much more use out of this bathroom with a shower- now it is exclusively used for kid' baths!!!

Painting begins

2009-06-12T11:37:00.001-07:00

We have started to paint a few rooms in the servant's section of the house. We decided that it wouldn't be too difficult since there is only a border in a few of the rooms and to take that small amount of wallpaper down would be a cinch! Not quite. George spent more than a few hours scraping the old glue that was left after the "1980's" border was removed. I shudder to think what the amount of work it would take to remove the rooms completely covered in wallpaper!

Grandson Gabey's room pre-painting. No border here but George had to prep the walls and make sure any cracks were repaired.
Here it is all done- love the color- it is more periwinkle blue. Needed a brighter color for a little boys room!!!

Here is the guest room after George painted- lots of clean up required. This color is actually gray-but has a definite blue tone when on the wall.

George working on his prep- over and over he found and repaired cracks- also on the ceiling!

Final product is gorgeous- love the gray tone and it is amazing how clean and new the room feels- now we just have 5 more bedrooms and the rest of the house to paint!!!! What a project!! But bit by bit we are getting it done!!!

Updates at the House

2009-04-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

Meg and Jeff gave George a gorgeous telescope for Christmas this year and it looks so good in the living room - I think it will be used quite often this summer checking out the passing boats.

The color of the wood is perfect in the room and the brass looks great- at least until we have to polish it!

The newly framed picture of the side garden looks great- finally hung in the foyer. It is a print from the Penobscot Bay Maritime Museum Glass Plate Archives. What a find- I was thrilled to find something that showed the side of the house - we had nothing to show the gardens and it will come in handy when we are trying to bring the house back to its original look.

This shot is of Grey Gardens in the Hamptons, NY. - the famous house lived in by the Beales- relatives of Jackie Kennedy. It has been gorgeously restored by Sally Quinn and Ben Bradlee of the Washington Post. I thought we should be removing the wallpaper in the whole house but when I see this gorgeous treatment - I could be convinced otherwise!!! Love the blue and white stripe.

Our staircase - we need to get working on what we want here!

I think the tile house portrait over the mantle in the dining room looks great- what a great treat from our trip to Portugal!

The new altar table and mirror over it were put in place this weekend- I am sure you could hear George when he was hanging this huge and very heavy mirror- it was a bear!

Got some very rugged candlesticks that I think are a good size for the room - my biggest problem is always in scale- small things look really small and insignificant. I always need to buy BIG! Nan's beautiful soup tureen looks great on the table - would look even better with some lobster bisque in it!!!

I think this altar table will hold a lot of side dishes at Thanksgiving and be great as a server year round!

The Shower!

2009-04-23T07:18:00.001-07:00

We had such a great time at Meg McKeon's shower last Sunday! Here is most of the bridal party. They all looked gorgeous.

The bride and her matron-of-honor- Meg and Meg. Roommates in college - they met on the first day and have been fast friends ever since!

The very sweet mother of the bride- Ann McKeon.

Meg and another Salve grad, Chrissie. A great time was had by all!!!

Fun time at the Nationals Game!

2009-04-20T20:46:00.001-07:00

Deb, Peter and George as we arrive at the entrance of Nationals Park!

We get settled in the Diamond Club - where thanks to Peter's company or Ned or both we had a delicious dinner!

Enjoying the first of a few beers!!!

The whole group relaxing during the rain delay! Lucky we were under cover and enjoying the buffet.

Our friendly waitress, Cheryl.

Finally the game begins- about 2 hours late!

The rookie pitcher was making his MLB debut- Jordan Zimmerman- most of his family and friends were in the Diamond Club with us waiting to see him pitch!

Not exactly a sell out!!!

Oh wait - George was there too!!!

We left in the 3rd inning and by the time I was writing this they were in their 2nd rain delay of the evening in the 8th inning and the Nats were ahead!!!

Great way to see a game - very impressive !!!!! Thanks Peter and Deb!!!!

Navy League Alumni Lunch

2009-04-18T19:42:00.001-07:00

(L-R_ Joan Jones, Eva Hochard, Karen Kalber, Carol Ann Drohan, Chef Hector Guerra, Marcia Smith, Katie Doud and Evelyn Tadle.

Delicious lunch at Il Paradiso Italian Tratoria in Alexandria/

What a great time we had at lunch today with the old group from NLUS! It was such a treat to see each other - some of us had not gotten together for many years!!!! Great to see you all!!! Can't wait to get together again.

Easter Brunch

2009-04-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

Great Easter Brunch today at the Willard Hotel- the flowers are truly in boom here in DC.

The entrance to the hotel - quite breezy- the flags are flying...

George - in the lobby of the hotel

The cherry blossoms were all over the place - gorgeous!

Relaxing in the lobby.

Moira and the exquisite lobby of the Willard

Chocolate desserts - perfect for Easter!

Mo enjoyed the chocolate fountain.

The Easter bunny goes hop hop hopping along!

The Bunny poses for some pix.

He really liked Mo.
The Bunny and Marcia.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-11T19:17:00.001-07:00

Great Article

2009-04-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Boston Globe has a great article about Belfast today in their Sunday travel edition.

http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/maine/articles/2009/04/05/the_art_of_being_small_gives_belfast_a_new_frame/

Gabey in Seattle

2009-04-03T13:34:00.001-07:00

Gabey playing with his cool toy at home in Seattle.

Gabe loves to play on the amusements at the Outlet Mall.

He loves trucks.

He is Spidey's co-pilot.

Gabe and Spiderman.

Hollywood!

2009-04-03T13:11:00.001-07:00

We arrived at night and this was the view poolside looking up at our retro hotel!

Enjoying a cocktail poolside- before dinner.

Dinner at 25 degrees - a great hamburger joint! Fabulous sweet potato fries.

Starbucks by the pool in the am - after a workout.

You can just "see" Kirsten Dunst jumping in the pool.

Graumann's Chinese Theater - across the street from our hotel.

Will Smith has huge feet!

Lunch at the Ivy on Robertson Blvd.

It was a gorgeous day and our roasted veggie salad was delish!!!!

Looking out onto the patio from inside the Ivy.

The gorgeous Provence feel of the restaurant.

The famous Hollywood sign.

Bob Barker's- from the Price is Right- house.

We didn't get a chance to have a drink by the pool - next trip.

The wardrobe trailer of the tv show "The Mentalist".

Greystone was once the largest mansion in the US - built for Doheny, the oil baron's son- it is used by many for film shoots - tv and movies.

Right this way- no sign of Simon Baker though- darn!

Our hotel!!!

Relaxing poolside - Anne and Mary.

Orange tree outside Stella McCartney's gorgeous store.

Wow did we have good seats!!!!

2009-03-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

We were so thrilled with our seats - right next to Tom Bergeron! Mary is listening intently to Tom over his right shoulder.

I am sitting right next to the stage and had no idea how much I was on air! Anne is sitting right behind me- we loved it!!

Dancing with the Stars!

2009-03-21T07:38:00.001-07:00

Well here we are online for our big night! Let me tell you the excitement was incredible. Live show at 5pm pacific time. We had no idea at this time where we would be sitting. Anne, Mary and I are dressed for the evening...

Snapped this shot as we were walking into the studio- Carrie Ann's parking spot!

The line moved swiftly as we entered.

We had to give up our cell phones and cameras so at the end of the show - we walked around to pick up our checked items and chatted with this security guard- we had special wrist bands that let us into the family of the stars party. We took a ton of photos and chatted with all the dancers and stars! What fun!

Tony and Melissa- they are great- I think they have a good chance to win! Love Tony!!!

Julianne Hough and boyfriend Chuck get interviewed!

Jewel was so sweet.

Marissa Janet Winokur-from last season was interviewing for TV guide.

Denise Richards and Maksim...

Chelsea Hightower, Jewel and her husband Ty were so sweet and posed for a photo- we also chatted with Ty's parents - so nice.

Here is the photo of the night- Anne just loves Maksim- and is is a doll- Don't you think she looks thrilled!!!

Anne and Mary at AOC - fabulous tapas restaurant - if you look closely that is Laura Linney's nose in Anne's hair!!! She was sitting at the next table.

Mary and Marcia- still discussing the exciting night!!!! We had a blast.

Dinner at the O'Tooles

2009-03-14T17:28:00.001-07:00

We had a delicious dinner at Anne and Jim O'Toole's house last night! Fabulous food and tons of fun!

Starting off with this shrimp dish boiling on the stove...
Lots of additions to the pot

Mary dressed the salad...

Anne has it just about all set

Wine always helps when slaving over a hot stove

The boys were watching bball of course.

The famous dining room set - Stockard Channings family's

Just about ready to dig in

Jim explains it all...

The whole gang is here

The wine steward is quite handsome.

More ice cream Anne!!!!

A delicious end to a delicious meal.....

Fun in the Sun

2009-03-11T14:10:00.001-07:00

Just back from a great trip to Atlantis - Nassau Bahamas !!! Check us out...

Great ideas

2009-02-24T10:23:00.001-08:00

Martha Stewart's summer home in Maine has some great ideas that I hope to incorporate in some way into Lucky Stars. Her home is the former Ford estate Skylands and is near Bar Harbor about and hour from Belfast. She seems to always have ideas to include a crowd - seating-reading etc. That certainly would work with our crowds.

I love the idea of stools in the kitchen - I am always working and I love the company so a various array of stools would be great - of course a whole new kitchen would be great too- gotta start somewhere.

Love the large jars on the windowsill - filled with sea glass and shells - right now I have milk bottles on the sill and some junk - like the smooth lines of similar jars.

How cool is this idea for my entry foyer - she uses a 72 inch table and skirted it - I would like to measure my foyer to see what would work but love the ideas of the stools and love the myriad of books to scatter on the table - you could drag the stools to other rooms for extra seating - look fabulous.

Dinner in North East

2009-02-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Dinner at a new place called Granville Moore's- what an experience! The restaurant is know for Belgian beer and fabulous mussels. It is highly rated in Washingtonian Magazine's cheap eats edition. So we thought we would try it! It was quite an evening

George and Molly discussing their urban experience.

The plaque on the front door explains how the townhouse was formally a doctor's office and residence - hence the restaurant's name.

The bar 2 doors away- becomes the waiting room for the restaurant.

Bill, George and Molly yuck it up.

The Pug Bar - you have to have a place to drink when you have an hour and 45 minute wait to eat!

The doctor's original sign!

Unfortunately the restaurant had a special menu for Valentine's day so the fabulous french fries we were dying to try were not available - as well a number of things on the menu- What we did eat was great- Blue Cheese Mussels! delish! Filet mignon of Bison- fabulous- chocolate mousse -out of this world- but we will be back - for the fries and the extensive array of mussels!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T07:36:00.000-08:00

Lunch with an old friend....

2009-02-09T17:01:00.001-08:00

Had a great lunch with my old friend Tamara- she is a talented decorator who owns a interior design studio called Interior Makeovers. She uses the clients own furniture and some of her well chosen items to create a new look in 24 hours!!! Check out her website at:

www.interior-makeovers.com

We had a great time catching up and hopefully won't wait another 10 years to see each other - I already asked her to visit at the house in Maine this summer- I need her expertise up there!!!!

Hoyas vs Huskies

2009-01-31T19:21:00.000-08:00

Of course the Lady Huskies are number one! They were great tonight - Georgetown gave them a run for the money in the beginning but in the end UCONN won-

George and Marcia

George, Deb and I before the game.

Peter enjoying the game

Great ideas

2009-01-31T09:13:00.000-08:00

I thought what a good idea for the house in Maine- I have most of my crystal and Waterford collection on my serving tray in the dining room but it looks boring - this idea is great- what a great way to use this furniture piece- going to try it out this spring ....

So cute - can just see this "lemon place card " used out on the porch on a gorgeous summer day!!! Plan to use it for a welcome lunch on a Friday when weekend guests arrive at Lucky Stars!

Nora's big TV moment

2009-01-26T12:09:00.000-08:00

During all the Inaugural festivities we asked Nora what was her favorite part- she said when she was on TV of course - Here she is - on her father's shoulders in the pink and yellow jacket- mid picture!!!! Her big TV moment!!!!

The Next Prez!

2009-01-23T16:50:00.001-08:00

Kids @ the inauguration trip

2009-01-22T15:36:00.000-08:00

Nora wolfing down ribs at the ESPN Zone!!!

Rory and Kerry enjoy lunch at the ESPN Zone.

Sick Kerry!!!!

Nora eating her Obama cupcake!

Nora and Moira and Flat Stanley at Five Guys in SE Washington

Moira and Kerry and the pig at Five Guys!

The whole Flaherty family on the top of Moira's apartment building - the capitol is in the background!

Rory Kerry and Nora and the pig.