Wednesday Gratitude # 22 at Heart and Home

                        

“Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality.” - Alfred Painter

Hi All! Welcome to

Wednesday Gratitude.

Thank you for joining Heart and Home for this weekly meme.

Please link in below,

 and remember to link back to Heart and Home in your post!

With Gratitude:

It was a fun, busy day, I'm grateful for the luxury of

a full day spent with my daughters, shopping, having lunch at our favorite taco bar,

and seeing a movie together at the local independent theater.

And then going grocery shopping together, and making one of these for dinner.

Topped with fresh tomatoes and basil, organic and grown locally.

There is a fresh crumb cake I baked earlier in the day, ready for dessert.

I am always thankful for dessert!

I'm grateful for the bounty of locally grown, organic veggies in the salad.

And the variety and availability of my favorite fruits, especially during summer.

I'm thankful for the thousands of people who toil endlessly

to nurture the crops and provide an abundance of produce for my table.

I see them, bent over in the fields, and I marvel at their strength and resiliance. 

Many have come here to make a better life for themselves and their families.

I respect and appreciate their hard work and committment.

I'm thankful for their contribution to the quality of my life.

I'm grateful I live in a country people would rather live in,

than try to escape from.

Remember to leave a comment

to be entered in the giveaway (more info HERE).

I'm linking to Works for Me Wednesday at We Are That Family

Until next time,

XO

Heidi

PS. Thanks for the car advice! My Lexus is getting on in years and needs to be put out to pasture,
I'm still trying to decide what to buy! More research tonight, for sure!

Hearst Castle and a Tour at Heart and Home

Hello Friends!

"Casa Grande" Heast Castle, San Simeon

I hope you had a great weekend.

 It's been a whirlwind of activity around here.

My firstborn is getting ready to transfer to SFSU,

and, since the car I'm driving is getting old,

I'm trying to figure out which new car, of the millions available, is the one for me.

So, I spent all day Saturday in the cold and fog, at the university orientation, (fun!)

and all day Sunday in the heat and sun, on car sales lots (not so much fun!).

I welcome any opinions, what do you recommend?

What are you driving?

 By the way, I appreciate all your comments regarding my fireplace,

and all the entries for the giveaway.

Keep 'em coming!!

Last week I promised you pictures of

San Simeon and Hearst Castle

Are you ready?

Following is a small sample of what we viewed on our tour.

I arranged the photographs into collages

to share with you.

I don't want to overwhelm you!

Above are some of the surrounding gardens,

the beautiful views, and a tiny taste of the moroccan style architecture

of the first structure of the over 90,000 square feet of buildings,

 built on the property.

The famous outdoor "Neptune" pool, which was built, rebuilt, moved,

and then built again.

 It is truly a sight to behold!

I can imagine swimming lazy laps across the pool,

 the butler waiting on the other side

with my towel, robe, and a nice frosty drink.

 Inside, most of the rooms contain elaborate and intricately carved

antiquities gathered all across Europe.

Cherubs were a favorite theme, and Julia Morgan (the estate's architect,) 

carefully incorporated each piece Wm. Hearst collected.

She often had pieces copied by local artisans to create a balanced effect in a room.

Each room in the castle is unique and different,

 filled with priceless furnishings and art.

There are 56 bedrooms, (and 61 bathrooms!).

 The photographs above depict details in one guest room.

A glimpse of the more intimate,

 smaller indoor "Roman pool", with it's walls and floor of gold and glass mosaic tiles,

gives you an idea of the grandeur and scale of the castle.

Although impressive, the glitz of Hearst Castle doesn't outshine

the beauty of the coast at San Simeon and Cambria.

It is rugged, peaceful, and inspiring.

For more pictures, you can look here.

For more information on Hearst Castle, go here.

Remember, leave a comment to be entered in the drawing!

Become a follower,

refer a friend,

mention the giveaway on your blog,

you'll get additional entries.

(sorry, shipping to continental USA only!)

(Cambrian ground squirrel, one of thousands begging for peanuts)

I'm gathering more goodies for you!

Although not quite as grand

as what's found at Hearst Castle,

I'm sure you'll like them!

Until next time

XO

Heidi

PS. Seriously, what are you driving?

I'm having a heck of a time deciding on my new auto. Help!!

linking to Outdoor Wednesday, at A Southern Daydreamer

and (very late) to Mosaic Monday at Little Red House

In the Closet and a Giveaway at Heart and Home

Calling all followers and subscribers!

I know you're out there, why don't you

drop by for a visit, and learn about the giveaway!

I hope all is well with you.

I'm feeling fine, thank you!

That darn root canal went well, and I can relax,

until my return appointment next week!

-

I so appreciated your words of encouragement!

 I will admit I was a little anxious about the whole thing.

I don't like people putting their fingers in my mouth,

unless those fingers are holding french fries.

I finished a small task this afternoon.

This is my bedroom,

(more of that here, here, and here, if you're interested)

and behind this door

is the (hard to photgraph because it's kind of dark in here)

 master closet where, beside my clothes,

I keep many of my treasures.

 The newest are these photographs I purchased from Mimi Charmante:

They arrived wrapped up in brown paper and tied with a string.

Charming! 

Aren't they lovely?

Kimberly shoots the most beautiful photographs,

and recently returned from a trip to France where these were taken.

I finally framed the prints,

and hung them where I would see them every day.

French market flowers in the softest colors

look great on the pale lavender wall.

They compete for attention

 with all the stuff I've managed to accumulate over the years.

I  may have a slight obsession with funky, beaded necklaces.

Wearing one makes me happy,

 but wearing two or three at the same time

is even better. 

A girl can never have too many baubles, in my opinion!

The antique dresser top below the vintage mirror

holds my jewelry box, and little trinkets and

beloved items given to me by my children.

Believe me when I say

I have a hard time getting rid of things

 with sentimental value. 

I only recently tossed the envelope full of baby teeth

I had collected over the years.

I finally realized I was letting sentiment rule a bit too much! 

But, the ribbon tack board is exploding with

dried flowers, pictures, ribbons, tickets from shows, pins,

 fortune cookie fortunes,

and hand made cards from my husband and daughters.

Every now and then I put everything in a big, dated envelope, 

and start the tack board collection all over again. 

I made a spot for Helga and Ruby,

my two favorite babies from childhood.

They are guarding my shoes.

All the girls in this house wear the same size.

Which isn't always a good thing, if you know what I mean.

 Besides baubles and lipsticks,

shoes run a close second in the obsession department.

  What can I say, I'm a girly-girl!

 

Now, here's some exciting news:

For Heart and Home's one year anniversary on July 27th,

 I'm having a contest.

(Contest open to residents of continental USA only.)

The upcoming giveaway will include

 one of these necklaces,

chosen just for you!

I've also got some vintage linens, pretty cards,

and lots more lovely things I know you will love.

The best part:  You can enter as many times as you want!

Contest ends on July 31, 2010.

You'll be entered every time you leave a comment,

from now until then.

Become a follower

(or let me know if you already are) for an additional entry.

Refer a friend, have them leave a comment with your name,

and you both get entered!

(That's one more entry for you!)

Mention the giveaway on your blog and,

yep, you guessed it, one more entry.

(just remember to let me know!)

WOW! So many ways to join the fun.

I've got three weeks to find even more cool stuff to add to the prizes!

Don't miss out, start right now and leave a comment!

From one girly-girl to the rest of you,

Until next time

XO

Heidi

linking to the fabulous Show and Tell Friday at

the fabulous Cindy's. Thanks!

Moonstone Beach and Wednesday Gratitude at Heart and Home

“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.” -Buddha

Today I am dealing

with paper work

and phone calls for a very minor (honest!) traffic snafu.

Daughter #2 woke up sick this morning, again.

My root canal is scheduled for this afternoon.

I am looking out the window at dripping fog and wind.

All in all, kind of a gloomy day!

I'm grateful you are here,

 and that I have Wednesday Gratitude to distract me

as I write this post in the middle of a dreary morning.

Please use Linky below to link up,

 and remember to link back to Heart and Home in your Gratitude post!

This is Cambria-by-the-Sea's Moonstone Beach.

My daughters and I spent a few days exploring the shore,

 and visiting Hearst Castle.

I'll share castle pictures with you in a future post.

Today is perfect for these foggy, dark, ocean images.

It's quite dramatic on the beach here, with the dark sky, and the dark sand.

There is jade and moonstone ( a type of quartz) to be found if you look hard enough.

I brought back pockets-full of rocks to add to my collection.

No sea glass anywhere, though! 

The boardwalk runs the length of Moonstone beach, 

in front of a long row of inns and small hotels. 

In one area the sea lions and seals cover the rocks 

for sunning and sleeping. 

They don't notice us at all, but there are signs warning:

"Please do not pick up Sea Lions".

Who would do that, I wonder?

Fields of wild flowers and beachy vegetation

roll down to the edge of the cliffs. 

 

The local surfers never let the fog or rain stop them

from taking their daily ride!

And I didn't let the weather stop me

 from taking a long walk along the shore. 

Actually, the water is warmer here than at our beaches.

Even with the fog the temperature was pleasant.

I didn't mind getting my chubby toes wet!

I'm thankful for the time I spent with my daughters, 

enjoying each other's company,

and a change of scenery.

I'm thankful that I like the fog!

I'm thankful I have auto insurance.

I'll be thankful when my 3:00 appointment is over and done!

I'm thankful you stopped by!

Oh, and thanks to all of you who left a comment yesterday regarding my Fireplace.
I knew I could count on you for great advice!
I was actually referring to the dark, empty firebox opening,
 not the mantle, which is an antique and I love just the way it is. 
 One of you made a great suggestion,
but today for some reason
 most of the comments on that post have disappeared,
and I can't remember who it was.
Don't know where the comments went,
 but I hope I can retrieve them eventually!
Anyway, thanks again!

Until next time,

XO

Heidi

PS. I'd love for you to join Wednesday Gratitude next time.

And if you're not already, why don't you follow along with

Heart and Home?! The button is in my sidebar!

                        

I'm also linking to Outdoor Wednesday, at A Southern Daydreamer.

Thanks, Susan!

How to Paint a Sisal Rug Beachy, at Heart and Home

I'm back!

Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July!

I got back from our "adventure" in time to whip up some deviled eggs and peach crisp

to take along to our annual celebration with friends.

Before I left last week to see the sights with my girls

 (more on that in a future post - I took LOTS of pictures!),  

I finished this project,

the one I hinted at in my last post.

(Kathryn, you guessed it!)

This sisal rug had seen better days.

It was bleached out in spots, and looking tired.

I knew it could be brought back to life

 with some imagination, and a little paint.

I taped off 2" lines along the length of  the rug.

This part took the longest.

It was hot out there, taping on the driveway!

I made a measuring stick to help me tape evenly spaced lines.

I thought about doing the whole thing free-hand, but decided against it.

My hand gets a little too free sometimes,

and I didn't want my rug looking like a Salvador Dali.

Anyway, after taping and destroying my poor knees on the sisal,

 I poured a bunch of many tiny bottles

of leftover blue acrylic paint together and mixed.

I wanted a nice, clean, deep ocean blue.

I thinned the paint considerably with water.

Then I rolled it on and let it dry.

Easy!

The result is exactly what I had imagined.

It's beachy and fun, and you can't see the bleached out spots anymore.

Because it is summer, and we do live near the ocean

I like a beachy look in my living room,

without going overboard and throwing surfboards into the mix!

rug:  $0

paint:  $0

tape:  $0

massage to heal my aching back

after bending and taping and painting all afternoon:  $80

Totally worth it, I think!

Now, does anyone have any ideas for the big, dark, non-beachy fireplace?

Let me hear them, I'd appreciate your input!!

Thanks for stopping by, 

come back again and look for news about the upcoming giveaway.

If you don't want to miss a single post,

 become a follower or subscriber.

It's quick and easy, and you'll be a member of the Heart and Home team!

Until next time,

XO

Heidi

linking to the following parties:

Metamorphosis Monday,

Blue Monday

Making the World Cuter

Just Something I Whipped Up

Thanks one and all!!