Wanderlust & Pixie Dust

Winter in Southern California. Oak Glen & Los Rios Ranch.

Hubby is winding up a week long vacation but is still a bit stressed.  Now I'm stressed because his being stressed stresses me out.  In between shifts (I'm a crossing guard at a local elementary school) I suggested that we run off to check out the recent and local snowfall.

We had originally hoped to go as far as a friends cabin which really wasn't all that far but to no avail.  The roads were still blocked off and covered with snow. Instead we made a detour to Oak Glen, Los Rios Ranch to be specific.

A casual cruise and a half hour away from home, we felt like we were in another world.  We
were.

This was my first time here after a snowfall. How strange and beautiful to see what is normally green fields and apple trees.

Layered in snow now, this field is the site of old western movies on hot summer nights. 

Here is the link to their list of Special Events.  Apple Butter festivals, Cowboy Chuckwagons, Down Home Gospel Nights.  If you live even remotely nearby and the sound of events like a "Currier and Ives Christmas" make you all fuzzy inside, you'll have to wait till next year. The "Currier and Ives Christmas" nights are all sold out for 2008!

Another ranch, Riley's Farm,   holds civil and revolutionary war reenactments.   Alpacas are also raised in the area.   Next time around I'll have to check them look see.

 

If I remember correctly you can pick your own apples in the fall.  Which reminds me.  Somebody stop me before I do this again:

 

Fresh apple pie and hot apple cider.  I overdosed on sugar and apples.  Let me tell you, I was snoring by the time we pulled up to our house.  It took all  I could muster to cross the kids during my afternoon shift.  Boy did I crash!

Before I crashed:

I'm wearing a knitted flapper style cloche that I'm just goofy about.  I found it in the wonderful Etsy shop, Granny's Boutique.

 

What's up with that?  My pictures are suddenly uploading all crooked.  Hmmm.

Here is something that I wasn't aware of.  It appears that Mayor Villaraigosa wants to plop power lines across the valley.  How nice, and I do mean that sarcastically.  Hey! Note how the top of this poster is chopped off at the top?  My husband took this photo.  This was after I gave him the camera with loving "Knock yourself out." This was also after he had been critiquing my photo taking.  "You're too close.  You're too far.  You're supposed to zoom in." Yes dear. And you took photography classes when???  I haven't shared this with him yet.  I can't wait.

A grand afternoon was had by all.  The grouchies and stress disappeared from both of us and I got to sleep like a snow baby on the way home.  Darn it.  We forgot to bring a freash apple pie home with us.

Bluebird

There's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I'm not going
to let anybody see
you.

C. Bukowski

Freaky Freaky Little Elves

I never used to pay much attention to these little guys.

Now I do and I blame it on my sister.  I may have written about them same time last year.  I'll have to double check.  This little guy is new.  Note his distinguished profile:

He came to live with us recently courtesy of an elderly neighbor.  One table top vintage white tree, 1 elf and 2 discombobulated elf heads to be exact.  

I had stopped to chit chat with her one cold morning while I wrestled my two dogs. Desperately I wanted to ask how her own dog was doing but I dared not.  I hadn't seen the poor thing in ages and I knew that he was elderly and great difficulty walking.  Turns out that he was sound asleep in the house and snug as a bug. Would you believe that he's 19!?!  Sigh.  If only all doggies could live to be 19.

I digress!  I always digress.  Shoulda named my blog I Digress.

For the longest time these pointed headed men really gave me the willies...pause to look up "willies".....I'll be darn!  It's there.  For some reason I had the vague feeling that "willies" might be a made up word. Like the words my mother made up and I always took for granted to be real.  Do all Mexican mama's do this? 

Then one day little sister announced that she liked them dang nabbit.  After that, I couldn't help but think of her ever time I saw one.  Wouldn't you know it?  The freaky little things grew on me.

This one above is not so bad.  He has a non-threatening smile.  He did have freaky pointed little white feet however.  I tried to photograph one and failed.  But eeek. Check out tiny dude peering through the branches at us as I tried to take care of business.

He looks cheeky. Something tells me that I had better keep him in a locked cupboard at night.

Feign to deny it, they sure are amusing.

SWEET TREATS and Yummy Bath Time Goodness

I had heard about Lollishops a while back but was still unsure of what exactly a Lollishop was.  In the nick of time, for some reason I decided to check it out.  And lo and behold, guess what I found?

Treasures, treats and all sorts of fanciful wares.  A wonderful and curious site in it's infancy and bound for frou frou glory.  So much so that I decided to become a part of the festivities myself.  You can find my goodies HERE.

In the midst of adding items to my own Lollishop I made a delightful discovery, the Sweet Treats Cotton Candy and Mango Sorbet Mini Cupcake Bath Bombs in the yummy shop Sweet Treat.

Oh my goodness.  These looks so gosh darn good.  My brain is telling me that they are entirely inedible and are meant to melt in a hot bath but...I just know that if I was able to get in one little lick, maybe two, they WOULD have to taste like the real thing right?

Kinda reminds me of some of the latest doggie treats I've come across lately.  I know that some of you know exactly what I'm talking about.  Y'know.  Freshly made doggie cookies baked up with real peanut butter.  That type.  The kind that make "Hmmm.  Couldn't hurt to try a small bite" float across your brain.  But I digress.

These SWEET TREAT CHIA TEA BISCOTTI BATH SLICES WITH CARAMEL CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE are also calling my name.  Apparently they're created with dead sea salts and vitamin E.  Come to think of it, my muscles are achy.  I need something like this don't I now?  These tasty looking treats are necessities, not wants.  These are necessities, not wants.  What do they say about repeating something enough times?  I NEED them. 

Wonder if the "These are necessities, not wants" line will work on the husband.  It's certainly worth a try.

I'm such a sucker for anything with chocolate.  For baked goods.  I also love things that smell like baked goods.  I love myself when I smell like a chocolatey baked good.  

Yumm. I can smell em already.

SWEET TREATS LOLLISHOP

Window Shopping

Whew. The fingers ain't what they used to be.  Anyhows.  Thought I'd share some pictures I took of downtown Riverside shops, a few nights ago.

I love the way these photos came out.  All that pink.  Simply delightful.  Can't help digging it because I'm such a girly girl. 

I realize that some may look at this and think that it's too busy in this room but I look about and wish that my house looked just as busy.  I think about what a room like this must look, through the eyes of small child.

I wish I knew a stroller sized baby to push around.  He or she would tilt their chubby neck and gaze up in awe.

Which reminds me.  Recently we were discussing our first trips into It's a Small World at Disneyland in Anaheim.  Mine took place at the age of 6.  I thought that all those Small World kids were real and spooky.  Do six year olds still think this?

 

Can't have too many parasols.  Especially pink ones.

 

Not sure what those hot pink chopsticks are but I certainly like the effect.

A corner to dream in .

 

An Eiffel Tower shaped wine rack.   Boy I would love to have this even though I don't have an inch to spare for it.  Nor do I ever have enough wine around the house at one time to fill this baby up.  However, I'm sure I could figure out another use for it.  It's pretty tall actually. If I had one of those newer homes with a high ceiling,

I'd wrap it in Christmas lights first of all and then maybe stuff it with pretty roses.  Or use it to display ornaments instead of a Christmas tree.  Okay, now I REALLY want it.  Sigh. No can do.

This window belongs to my beloved store Tiggy Winkles.  I flat out want every single thing in this window.  No ifs ands or buts.  The silver Christmas trees.  The repro Santo.  The bottle brush tress...speaking of bottle brush trees. 

One of my Lollishop friends, Priscilla, is offering these wonderful hand dyed bottle brush trees:

in her Sweet Rememberance Lollishop.  Aren't they cute?  To get a few of your own click HERE. 

I'd love to have a six foot tall blue one.

I especially want this antique, hand embellished with gold, glass fence.  I actually ran in the store and asked if it was for sale years ago when I first saw it.  Nope.  No such luck. Each Christmas it shows up in the holiday window display and I press my nose to the glass to worship and want.

I love this window scene. If you look closely, you'll notice that the Christmas tree on the left is upside down.

I'm eyeballin that glass thingy on the left. 

Love this costumed character.  She (he?) reminds me of a 1920's boudoir doll.

Here's a close up.  A tad blurry but what a wonderful, fun character!  Swingin from a beribboned hoop no less.

Oh I think this threesome is sooo cute. 

 

 

Check out this grand golden angel.  She reminds me of something but I can't recall what exactly.  A movie perhaps? 

A dream more likely.

 

Wow.  Didn't realize how many pictures I really had!  I'll be adding comments later and a second post with my remaining photos!