Serve It In A Hat

I consider myself to be very low maintenance, so when I do require something extra I am terribly embarrassed. I was out to eat with the kids and I had a hankerin' for a certain kind of salad. With a half dozen substitutions, I could get this salad. I had to ask the Waitperson to substitute goat cheese for blue cheese, grilled chicken instead of fried, no onions...it was ridiculous and I was fully aware of this fact. I apologized to the lovely woman taking my order and I said "this is my last special request, could you serve my salad in a hat?" I figured this was a not so subtle way of letting her know that I was being a pain. Unfortunately, Lulu saw that she had written down "salad in a hat" under my order. I sheepishly had to explain that I was joking. I still wonder what the kitchen staff would have done with this request.

I Need Milk And Frost

It seems like we have been in a film slump recently and I need to see something good! We are so lucky to have a wonderful independent movie theater in our town with very cushy seats. I would see just about anything there just to get their popcorn and Coke Zero. I am very much looking forward to Gus Van Sant's film about Harvey Milk. I have memories from my childhood about his murder and the ridiculous Twinkie Defense of his assassin. I am also planning on taking Lulu to see Ron Howard's film Frost/Nixon. I just hope I can shake the fact that the actor playing David Frost still looks exactly like Tony Blair. Have you seen any good movies lately?

He's Really Creepy

We have a Christmas tradition of going to Marshall Field's (now Macy's) on State Street to see their holiday windows and have lunch under the big tree in the Walnut Room. When the kids were younger we always saw Santa at Marshall Field's because this is where the real Santa is known to hangout. I will never forget Lulu's first visit to Santa, she was beyond creeped out by the big guy. When she finally felt comfortable enough to go near him, she shoved her wet little hand into his beard and began twisting the acrylic fibers. Lulu's little fingers had the same magical effect as twisting a fork covered with gum and peanut butter into Santa's itchy beard. She had wound her hand in so tight that her fingers were turning blue. It ends up that the real Santa must not have been available that particular day, because this impostor Santa was not even a little amused.

Boxwood Balls

I plan on making a dozen of these boxwood balls to hang over our dining room table. I think they will look lovely hanging at varying lengths. My only concern is that boxwood tends to smell like a bus load of teenagers returning from camp.

Venetian Mirrors and Frames

This is part of Lulu's collection of antique Venetian mirrors and frames. They look so pretty in her bedroom with all of her eclectic things.

Mystery

Does anyone recognize these??? I bought these at a junk shop last week and I am trying to get info on them. I know they are from the Rockford S.C.C. Company and they have Bakelite handles. I have tried looking for info in Art Deco, Modernist, Arts and Crafts and Prairie Style tea and coffee services, but I haven't been able to find anything. I also wonder if they ever had lids. I got really excited when I first saw them, they reminded me of things I had seen at Cranbrook in Michigan.

Cuckoo Clocks

Gray gave me this wonderful Pascal Tarabay cuckoo clock for Christmas one year. It has a light sensor so when it is dark in the room it won't cuckoo.

I found this lowbrow version of the Tarabay clock at Marshall's for $7.00, it hangs in Lulu's room.

This cute little cuckoo clock hangs in our den. I found this at World Market and I think it was around $12.00!