The Impromptu Dinner Party

The first of last week, a client of mine came over to approve some handmade tile for a project. As we were chatting to coordinate the visit, I invited her to dinner.

"You are coming a long way. Please stay for dinner. It will be no big deal ~ homemade macaroni and cheese, Caesar salad, a baguette and some red wine."

As we lingered over dinner, she mentioned that her birthday was next week; that she was not looking forward to it and could she spend it with me.

"Absolutely," I said. "Let me work out the details and we'll set it up." In the interim, a friend of a friend sent me an email ~ Heidi – why am I only now discovering your blog? It’s fabulous and I’m subscribed so I can get all your decorating secrets. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the kitchen cabinet fix up! Someday I want you to invite me to come see your house so I can copy all your brilliant ideas.  XOXO  Liz

All week long as I met with friends and close colleagues, I invited them to come for dinner. I invited Byron on the way back from the Elwha Dam removal documentary. I called my friend, Audrey, on Bainbridge to see if she was going to be in town. Then, Karen and her husband, Ron. In my brain, it started out as four and, as the week wore on, it ended up with eight.

What to fix? Comfort food. It's been raining like hell all week. Beyond drizzle. As I watched the rain sheet down the windows, I thought ~ potato soup with celery and artichokes with maybe some freshly smoked salmon crumbled on it, some crusty bread, some brie, wine.

I went to the store and bought a whole wild-caught Sockeye salmon, had it filleted, brought it home and grilled it on a cedar plank. Pink and smoky. Oh, yum! The potato soup was easy. While I don't consider myself such a red-hot cook, I do have lovely dishes and they just don't get out enough. So, I brought out the demitasse, the liqueur glasses, the Majolica cabbage soup tureen, the linen napkins ~ the whole shootin' match.

Byron brought an apple strudel pie just warm out of his oven. Laura brought a wonderful chocolate number and a couple of quarts of nice ice cream. Everyone brought a nice bottle of wine. And, we celebrated not just one but two birthdays ~ Laura, my client and Audrey, my dear friend.

At the end of my shopping trip, I had stopped at the store and bought everyone a lottery ticket and tucked it under each plate. Much hilarity ensued. We might be dining with a multimillionaire. What would you do with the money?

The impromptu dinner party? A group of strangers met for dinner and left as friends. At the end of the evening, we were discussing a monthly dinner party. I've always wanted to do that. I'll keep you posted.

When Did The Recession Start for You?

This past weekend, my friends and I worked in the yard. As I was teetering on my ladder cleaning the awning over my front door, I remembered . . . I used to have this cleaned.

Once a year, in the spring, I'd get a call from Summerday Awning Service asking me if I'd like to make an appointment to have my awning cleaned. I always said "yes." I mean really, who wouldn't want to do business with a company called "Summerday?" I asked her once if that was just the inspired choice for the name of their awning service business or their real name.

"Yes, it's our real name." Genius.

I want to say it was in 2008 when I got a call from Summerday Awning to set up my annual cleaning that everything changed. I paused. No, I thought. I know it's only $100 but . . . it's a luxury now and I can't afford it. I really need to be mindful of every penny.

I said "no." I must have given her an excuse, but the gist was still ~ NO.

I've thought of Summerday Awning many times over the years hoping they were still in business and that they didn't have too many customers like me saying "no" while they are tap dancing as fast as they can in this economy.

When I talk with friends about when I thought the recession started, I always think of the day I said "no" to Summerday Awning Service. That is when it became crystal clear that I needed to change my spending habits. I think of the toll this downturn (read "depression") has had on small companies around here. People who work hard to grow their businesses but just don't have the resources to withstand the economic uncertainties swirling around. From customers rethinking their expenditures to banks tightening their lending guidelines, small companies have suffered greatly.

The day I'll know this economic mess is over? When I can say "yes" to Summerday Awning Service.

So, to all the Summerdays of the world ~ A Cheer! Here's to your courage, vision and fortitude. It's really you and the tens of thousands like you that give me hope for the future of the country.

Such a Lovely Word ~ Spring! Oh, and . . . Cleaning

This was such a lovely weekend in Seattle. Warm. Sunny.

S*P*R*I*N*G

'Course the thing about spring is the increased light and ~ what the hell! Cobwebs everywhere. Dust. Uck. I guess that's why it's call Spring Cleaning.

On Saturday morning, I decided to tackle the cupboard about my stove. Now, the thing about my kitchen is it's small. I like it very much, but, I don't kid myself. It's minuscule.

When I "remodeled" my kitchen several years ago, I clad the rift cut oak with bead board, replaced the doors of the cupboard above my stove with an old window with true divided lights. Luckily, it was exactly the size of the original doors. Popped right in.

Then, I painted the whole shootin' match the perfect "white." I had this romantic idea of having an interesting display cabinet in my kitchen. After I'd loaded up the cupboard, I realized it was missing visual interest. The cupboard holds my every day dinner dishes. While I'm very fond of celadon, there wasn't enough going on. Dullsville. What it needed? Flavour, please!

Which brings me to the beautiful solution. One of the things one buys when traveling in Italy is a calendar from the little kiosk in Piazza del Duomo. Of course, what do you do with that calendar when the year is up? The images are way too pretty to end up in the recycle bin. Mine ended up in my plan file.

While rummaging around for inspiration, I found my old calendar with botanical images of fruits. Perfect. I lined the entire interior of the cabinet with brown shopping bags turned inside out. Pawing through all my craft supplies in my studio shop which I laughingly call "The Well of Despair," I assembled all my half empty jars of matte medium, my brayer, sharp scissors and got to work.


I deckled the edges of the calendar pages and cut individual fruits to overlay the pages. When I was finished, it did everything I wanted it to do. It was visually interesting, beautiful, and utterly romantic. Best of all, my celadon plates coupled with oxblood porcelain made a show-stopping picture.


I covered the spice shelf with entry tickets and pensione bills from the places we visited and stayed during our trip. Now, when I pull out the sage or the marjoram, I'm reminded of that wonderful life-changing trip my sons and I had.

  

 

Friendly, beautiful, romantic and exactly what I had in mind.

We All Have Our Flaws

We all have our flaws. Mine is that I like what I like. I have favourites at restaurants; a favourite breakfast (my own smoked salmon, fresh sesame bagel, capers and sliced tomato with dark roasted French Press coffee with whole milk ~ every day!); favourite shoes (black ballet flats), favourite earrings (gold studs)  . . . you get the idea. Certainly, a case could be made for boring, but, I prefer "steadfast."

In the late 70's, I started wearing my favourite perfume "Secret of Venus" by Weil. A client of mine used to wear it and every time I met to talk about the project, I had to restrain myself from putting my nose on her neck. She used to carry "Secret of Venus" in her store. That's when it started ~ gateway drug! I've worn it and used it daily forever.

Then, quelle horreur, it was discontinued and I've been reduced to buying it online auctions when I need to resupply. Then, yee haw, Weil reintroduced it. Thank God! Uh oh  . . . you know how it feels when you see the big red band of letters on your favourite product "New, and Improved?" Death knells! You just know it is ruined. Yup, the new and improved "Secret of Venus" smells like unrepentant Raid. I've now been reduced to rationing my own supply.

Which brings me to this: one of the thing I've noticed during the last quarter plus century is that the "go to" present for women (much like ties for men) when you can't think of a thing to get for a special occasion is perfume. Nice quality, preferably French. Over the years, I've received some very nice bottles of eau de cologne and parfume ~ Chanel, Dior, Balenciaga, etc. Unfortunately, I never wore them ~ lovely though they are.

As I've been working hard to treat myself with little luxuries, I've started using those lovely perfumes every week. I spray my sheets with my gift fragrances. That coupled with the well-made bed ~ exquisite! Lovely! Generous! Totally atmospheric. Nothing like sliding into crisp fragrant sheets at the end of a busy day.

Now, I am able to put one of my major flaws to good use. Heaven.