Carmel, California

Tomorrow we are heading down to visit friends in Carmel. I am so excited.

We will be back on the 25th.

Enjoy Springbreak.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I finally finished my Celtic collage just in time.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Slainte!

Irish Garland

This weekend my sister and I got together and did some crafts. I finally finished my Irish garland.

Yippee!

Ann

Summer Day In Winter

Hi everyone!

Sorry I've been absent. It has been a whirlwind around here. We've had basketball tournaments, basketball games, baseball tryouts, and a quick trip to the beach.

And what a trip to the beach -Oh Holy Night!

It was t-shirt and shorts weather in early March. Sunny, warm, and windless, which is quite a treat when you are on the Oregon Coast this time of year.

But the best part was walking down to the bakery. If you live in the area this place is a must. I highly recommend the marionberry scone.

http://www.pacificwaybakery-cafe.com/1/Bakery.html

Cheers!

The Key To A Perfect Gift~Aesthetics

If you're struggling to find a perfect gift for mother's day or for a dear friends birthday, this idea might do the trick.

1. Find a book that you can purchase from a antique store. This is important because the book needs to look old. If you find a book where the title alone captures your attention but you don't know about the story, get it anyway. Books can be used to decorate. Even if the person never cracks it open, they can still place it on a shelf or tuck it under a vase to raise the vase a little. Each time they look at the title they will think of you and how clever you are.

Examples Of Themes:

-I have a friend who loves castles. How about, I Capture The Castle?

-For a Jane Austen lover, anyone of her classics.

-If your mother or friend is an early riser how about, The Hours Before Dawn by Celia Fremlin-I have no idea what this book is about but it looks old and the title is a clever nod to your friend or mother's early rising habit.

You get the idea. By doing this they will know you took the time and thought of them.

2. For a tea lover, find an old tea cup, even if it's slightly chipped (it adds character) get it as long as its aesthetically pleasing. For a coffee lover find an old mug or one made to look old.

3. Purchase a book mark that reflects the theme of the book. You can custom order them from me. annmpep@comcast.net

For a Christmas present my friend commissioned several book marks from me. They were gifts to a lumber family here in Oregon. So, for the dad and brother, I found some original clippings about the language of a logger. They turned out really cool because they were from 1936 and in this case they were original clippings. For the two girls, I made two whimsical cat lover book marks and for the third girl I made a fairy bookmark.

Now put all three elements together and you have a very thoughtful and aesthetically appealing gift.

The picture is my favorite theme. I love anything British, so the book is, I Capture the Castle, The cup and saucer have several chips in but they are still pretty and functional. The bookmark I made with clippings from a 1798 London Herald newspaper. So so cool.

I will be putting the book mark on etsy in the next few days. If you would like to purchase it ahead of time please email back at the above address.

Ahhhh, now I think I'm going to sit down, enjoy my tea, and relax.

Cheers!

Brick Tea/Interesting Info

Did you know the tea that was dumped over board at the Boston Tea Party was brick tea?

You did?

I always invisioned millions of Lipton (Okay, maybe Earl Gray) tea bags floating about the harbor or on an intelligent day, I invisioned loose leaf tea (the kind you get at Teavana).

But never in my wildest daydreams, did I invision brick tea.

In fact, I didn't even know it existed until I purchased a brick at Fort Vancouver Historical Reserve. I even tired it. It is very good and smells yummy.

The brick shown above is from the same Chinese company that supplied tea to the Hudson Bay Company of London in 1845.

Brick tea was very popular with the fur trappers because it was so concentrated that it only took a small amount scrapped into a cup of boiling water to produce a great cup of tea.

There is your history lesson for today.

Cheers!

A Favorite Coffee Mug

Lately, I've been pondering the importance of a good coffee mug. One you love. One you cherish. One that makes you smile when you reach for it.

I basically have tons of coffee mugs but I tend to only use three or so, over and over, again. This week, I'm into the mug, feature above. Thanks Mom!

My mug selection comes in waves like a song you download from ITunes, play to death, stop listen to, then rediscovered the next month.

But I often wonder, why do I only use three out of the gaggle I own? Is it something about the size? A sentimental feeling for who gave it to me? The way the hot mug feels in my hands? Or could it be the design I tend to stare at while I'm mulling over my next scene in my book?

Does coffee taste better when you drink it from a mug you really like?

These are questions that may never be answered but are worth pondering.