Jeweled Trees

This year our family is trying to make most of our Christmas presents. This week my mom and I started making jeweled trees. I've seen trees and ornaments like these over the years, but it was seeing Debbie's trees and wreaths at the Pickled Hutch that really motivated me this year. (Don't worry Debbie, we're not going to sell these to people!) We're using old buttons, jewelry and shells, most of which my mom already had, but we did get some big bags of cheap jewels at the flea market. I love my mom's tree. Mom's is the one that's closer to being finished. We've made more progress since these pictures, but here's how they looked a few days ago. It's been a lot of fun making them, and I think they'll make someone's Christmas extra sparkly.

Giving Thanks

We had a great Thanksgiving, and I've been having so much fun with my mom and sister and nephews that I didn't even realize it's been a week since I've posted anything. Here's the apple pie Andrew made from scratch on Thanksgiving. It was delicious! So was the turkey, ham, stuffing, sweet potato soufflé, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, orange cranberry sauce, brussels sprouts, rolls, gravy, and bacon wrapped dates (thanks to William's Sonoma for those and to Andrew's mom who brought them--they were unbelievably yummy). You'd think with a feast like that that we had 20 people over, but it was just 6 of us. Still, we don't skimp on Thanksgiving. My sister took this picture of the apple pie. I tried a bunch of times to get a good picture, but mine were terrible compared to hers. I think she's a natural photographer. I felt like I was at a Gourmet magazine photo shoot. It took a while to get this great picture, but it was really fun. She was standing on her tippy toes here and then there, then standing on a chair, then sitting on the counter, then this prop then that, then this light then that . . . . Thanks sis for the great picture.

Fall Fix

I'm definitely getting my fall fix here in Atlanta. Below are some pictures I took today in my mom's yard. Isn't her little garden cottage cute? It even has its own deck. She uses it for storage right now, but I think it would make a great craft room, kids play room, or sitting room.

Bye Bye San Francisco, Hello Atlanta

Today I leave to go to Atlanta for Thanksgiving. I'm so excited! I'm not even that scared to fly today (at least not right this second). I'm too excited to get there. My mom says it's very cold! I'm looking forward to colder weather. Doesn't this picture of downtown Atlanta look nice and wintry?

Even though the last two days have been pretty chilly here in San Francisco, it still doesn't look like fall. Here are some pictures of a very green, lush San Francisco that I took earlier this week (with the exception of the Golden Gate Bridge Picture, which I took about two weeks ago). Beautiful, isn't it? I think so too, but I'm ready for a more wintry scene for sure.


Here is the fig tree and the apple tree in our neighbor's back yard. This is what we see when we look out of our living room window.


And then there's the Golden Gate Bridge, which always looks incredible.
Atlanta picture from Trombontim.

Holiday Fun at the Hutch

Join Lisa and friends (including me!) tonight at the Pickled Hutch from 5-8PM for some festive holiday shopping and tasty treats. The Pickled Hutch is located at 1605 Church Street (at 28th), San Francisco. Hope to see you there!

Pickled Hutch Picks of the Week - 10/14

Here are my Pickled Hutch picks this week. I had a few other things in mind that I took pictures of a few days ago, but they've already sold! This is the last of my picks for the next two weeks. I'm headed to Atlanta in a few days for Thanksgiving, but I'll be back with my Pickled picks on the 5th. In the meantime, you can see what's happening at the Pickled Hutch on Lisa's new blog! Today Lisa decorated the holiday window, and it looks amazing! Maybe you will see a picture of it soon on her blog.
Oh no, I didn't write down the price of this post. Well, I think it was under $50. I'll have to ask Lisa. I think it's really cool and makes for just being a nice looking architectural piece.

How bout' them apples? Nice still life of apples. $42

Orange metal step stool. $48
And below are two of my picks that already sold. I loved this mustard colored table. And the little boy with the blown glass red balloon.



The Pickled Hutch is an antique store in San Francisco that I love. Every Wednesday I pick three items to post on my blog that I especially like. The Pickled Hutch is located at 1605 Church Street, San Francisco, CA. Open Tue. to Sun. 11 - 6:30. PH 415-641-8875. Ask for Lisa. To see more pictures of what you'll find at The Pickled Hutch, click here.

Back in the Swing

On Saturday night a Yellow Owl and her husband came over for dinner along with Caroline and Albert. We had a great time, but I drank too much wine. Then, big mistake (for me at least), we decided to go to the Lone Palm. As you can probably tell from the martini glass, it's a bar. Ugh. We had to be up at 5AM to get Andrew to the airport, and it wasn't easy. I wanted to go to the Alemany flea market, but I slept the morning away instead. Looks like I missed a lot of great things.

But later I got some exercise, ahem, while walking to Tartine to get a banana cream pie (a mini pie--I'm not a total pig), which they didn't have anyway. So I got the seemingly less fattening lemon tart (also a mini).

I listened to a lot of good music.

I made a lot of Christmas cards.

And now I feel like dancing. I guess I'll have to wait till I see Andrew on Saturday to do that.

Taking Things Seriously

I came across this book--Taking Things Seriously: 75 Objects with Unexpected Significance--at the Curiosity Shoppe last week. The title appealed to me right away. Although I try not to think of myself as someone who takes things seriously, I have to admit I do take some things very seriously. My favorite essay in the book, out of the ones I've read so far, is the one that appears on the back cover, which you can read here (you'll need to click on "back cover" to read it). Anyone who knows me well will know why this particular story holds meaning for me. I had the hardest time letting go of the dark red wingback chair that my mom sat in for years, while chain smoking cigarettes. (She no longer smokes, thank goodness.) When my mom moved from Atlanta to Virginia she gave me the chair and the sofa that matched it. But over the years the chair in particular became more worn, and later it became the cat's favorite scratching post. After Sophie got a hold of it, the chair was beyond repair. I couldn't even donate it. It lived in our garage for about a year because I had such a hard time with the idea of parting with it. Eventually, though, it went to the dump. I still think about that chair and mom sitting in it. I wish I had thought to saw part of it off to keep forever. I'm sure it will be just as hard for me to part with the sofa. The sofa's been re-built once and re-covered three times (this furniture's been around since I was about 6, I think). But it's a short, low to the ground kind of sofa that you sink into. It's not especially comfortable, and it's terrible for Andrew's back, which gives him problems. But, oh, if only the sofa could talk--the stories it would tell! Maybe I'll saw the arm off the sofa before we say goodbye to it.

Home is in the Art 14

I bought this little oil painting at the Pickled Hutch on sale for $16. I love it. The back reads, "To Else, happy birthday. September 26. North East Harbor. Marie Ealand." The year isn't listed, unfortunately, but I think it's fairly old. You don't hear the name Else very often nowadays, and the handwriting looks like it's from an older generation, if you know what I mean. The scene reminds me of of our trip to Ireland. Below is a picture I took in Bray, Ireland on a particularly sunny day (not many sunny days to speak of during our trip to Ireland).

Vintage Christmas Paper

I think the sight of anything Christmas makes some people feel nauseous and anxious this early in November, but I'm starting to see Christmas everywhere, so I hope this post doesn't give anyone those "it's too early for Christmas!" kinds of feelings. At the flea market on Sunday one thing I bought was this pile of vintage Christmas wrapping paper. Some of them don't seem very old, but I think they're all cute, especially the one with the angels and the one with the neighborhood shops scene.

Pickled Hutch Picks of the Week - 11/7

Here are my Pickled Hutch picks this week:
Oil painting of a potted plant with a black bamboo frame. $42.
Aqua painted table. $135. I think this would look cute in a kids room with two chairs on either side where the leaves are folded down now. A little art table.
Gold velvet upholstered dressing table chair (I'm not sure if that's the intended function, but that's how I'd use it). $125. Fancy. Maybe my French would sound better if I practiced it while sitting in this chair.

The Pickled Hutch is an antique store in San Francisco that I love. Every Wednesday I pick three items to post on my blog that I especially like. The Pickled Hutch is located at 1605 Church Street, San Francisco, CA. Open Tue. to Sun. 11 - 6:30. PH 415-641-8875. Ask for Lisa. To see more pictures of the kinds of things you'll find at The Pickled Hutch, click here.

Flea Market Outing

On Sunday mom and I went to the Alameda Flea Market. We had a great time! For the first time ever I actually made it to the last row. Here's some flea market eye candy.