orange dreamsicle shake

We've been just a tad obsessed around here with what we are calling a dreamsicle shake.  I may be dating myself, but does anyone else remember Orange Julius?  Oh my gosh, they were so good.  There was one at our local mall growing up and I can still hear the whirring noises of all the blenders going in unison.   I looked up the recipe...well no wonder they were so darn tasty...sugar...and lots of it.  We make ours with frozen yogurt or vanilla ice cream and fresh squeezed orange juice.  YUM!

There are so many different kinds of oranges.  I'm definitely going to make this salad.

Orange is everywhere right now...the California weather has been really warm and the sunsets have been amazing!

Advent Calendar + decorating with old familiar things

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I started thinking about decorating for the holidays with planning this year's advent calendar.  I decided to stick with things I have around the house, my recent thrift and flea finds and my usual color palette of natural, black, white and silver with touches of green.  The first thing I did was paint a 4' x 4' piece of 1/4" plywood with chalkboard paint.  Then I emptied my candy jars, washed and filled them with holiday treats.  I used my black and white ticking stripe pillows from Juxtaposition to wrap around little trees I found at a local nursery for $5 each.  The entire project including the supplies for the chalkboard were less than $50 and it's a whole new look from last year. (You can see last year's advent calendar here).

I used lunch bags and twine and filled 24 bags with little presents for Madeline and Patrick...12 each.

I can never have too much candle light...especially when the days are shorter.  I found all my old jars that were large enough to hold a votive, wrapped twine around the top to give it a little something...my favorite jars are the ones that have writing in the glass like the Bonne Maman jam jar and the De Cecco one.  The candy jars are filled with things from Trader Joe's.  I wish I had not sampled the waffle cookies with chocolate and peppermint...I can't stop thinking about them.

I searched my cabinets for anything silver, gold, black and white and a little green.  The little match holder is also from Juxtaposition and it is a reclaimed apothecary bottle that has been scored on the bottom so that you can strike a match. 

I filled silver Revere bowls with pine cones and silver balls tied with black ribbons.  My favorite bowl is one that my husband won in a ski race.  I remember seeing it shortly after we met on a shelf in his book case...Salt Lake Area Corporate Ski Challenge Series, February 4, 1984, 3rd Place was engraved on the bowl.  I said, "You are such a good skier, I would think you would have come in first."  And yet he still married me...I know....

So are you decking the halls?  Are you using old or new or a combination of both?  Enjoy the season!
 
Linking with:  Mod Vintage Life

I just noticed that this post is featured here today: blog.holamama....Thank you! And at ABCDdesign today-- Thank you Amy!  and here:  Momjeanz.  and The Corson Cottage.
  Thank you Paula  at Two Ellie!

hello there fall . . .

It is officially fall today and I'm thrilled.   I love that the days are getting shorter, that  means I can light candles a little earlier everyday.  I love to cook in the fall and there are so many great things to cook and stew once the weather turns cooler.  Or maybe it's my love of the color orange.

 1.  My favorite Burberry scarf in orange plaid.  2.  Trade Joe's tomato soup and mini cheese panini sandwiches.  3.  Arizona desert flowers.  4.  My laundry room with orange and yellow kid art.  5.  California sunset.  6.  My sons monogrammed white shirt.  7.  Butter nail polish in Minger.  8.  My husbands favorite tie, Brooks Brothers.  9.  Veuve Clicquot champagne.  (Thank you Sydney)!

j u s t p e a c h y

a perfectly peach rose at rogers gardens.  I wished I had taken a moment to find out its real name.

Heart shaped terracotta planters.

Madeline wearing a sweater that feels as soft as cashmere, Forever 21 - $13.80.  Jewelry:  Helen Ficolora and JCrew.

A beautiful California sunset as seen from my back yard.  It's amazing when you get a color in your head and pretty soon it's all around you...where ever you go, it just keeps popping up.