People always comment that Max has an extraordinary soft and white coat.  Part of that is the Bichon/Maltese mix, and that I keep him brushed.  The other part is Buddy Wash.  I found it at my local pet store when he was little.  I use not just the shampoo, but also conditioner, which is a good conditioner.  If you have a dog with a longer coat the conditioner is really important, it helps brush them out after and keep their coat from drying out.  Max gets a bath often- he likes to swim, romp and none of that fairs well with pure white, but Buddy Wash returns him to good as new.

It keeps him cute, white and soft.  It also is natural and safe.  And it smells so good, of course I am a lavender fiend.

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With absolutely everyone, their Mother and Brother having stainless steel appliances it is fairly important to find a great cleaning product.  Especially for those stovetops which are well used.  Inevitably there is oil, cooked on tomato sauce, and other things lurking on my stove top that just don’t want to come off with a quick spray and wipe.  For these jobs I really like Bar Keeper’s Friend.

I personally like the powder which I think works better for caked on things, but there is a liquid I am now trying out because my regular source didn’t have the powder, it works well too, but takes a little more time for really messy things.  Bar Keeper’s Friend works on stainless steel, cooper, ceramic, porcelain, etc.  It removes rust, minerals, and other stains without harming some delicate surfaces, like your stainless steel stove top, knives or Le Crueset dutch oven.  While I haven’t found it at my local Wegman’s or Giant, they claim to sell at those places, but William Sonoma and Bed, Bath and Beyond seem to always carry it, so just keep your eye out for it at most hardware, home or grocery stores.  This is one of my favorite all purpose cleaners, especially for things that need a good scrub that you generally are not supposed to scrub.

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I recently was at a fantastic baby shower where after the main part of the shower we played the board game Encore.  It is so much fun.  The main point of the game is to form teams and be able to sing at least eight (or six) words of a song with a particular word in it.  You go back and forth until a team can’t think of any more songs with that word.  Normally people are a little nervous about singing, but once they get started other players join along and it really isn’t about how good you can sing, it’s about the lyrics you can remember!  I really think you could even play this game without a board, but it makes it a bit easier.  When the word “love” was up I was very glad I had such a strong love affair with everything Beatles for years when I was younger.

Then we were up at Autumn Glory in a rental house.  I am sure if we looked around there would have been a board game, instead we played a game similar to Apples to Apples without the board.  It was super easy to do just on a whim.  First we thought up a list of category/questions e.g. What shouldn’t you say to a cop? OR What’s your favorite Disney Movie?  Each turn there is a reader, who doesn’t play that round.  We let them think up the category/question after the first few practice rounds.  You then write down your answer.  Then the reader collects the answers from people and reads them aloud twice.  Then the participants clockwise from the reader try to guess whose answer matches who.  The reader doesn’t re-read the answers until the turn comes back past them after one round.  If you guess someone’s answer they are out for that turn, and you get to guess again.  If you guess incorrectly your turn is done if and until it comes back around and the reader has reread the remaining answers.  People try to set up other people or just have outrageous answers and it is pretty funny.  You get one point for every answer you get correct on your turn and five points goes to the person who wins the round.  It is great because you really learn a lot about your guests.  And you just need some paper and pencils.

Neither game is overly competitive, and it is a great laugh so it keeps the mood light.  And remember when playing games it normally is best not to put couples as team because that can cause tension, and guests don’t have the opportunity to get to know other people.  Hubby and I were so happy to have such fun occasions to be able to relax and play games and laugh with our friends.  We are so busy right now I think it’s going to be a while until we get that kind of time again and it’s just so fun.

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I happened upon these fantastic kits from The Cheswick Company and I immediately thought about our santas.  These are really neat kits and the end products are so cute.  These would make a great project with someone you enjoy spending time with.  Or a great homemade gift for someone worth some effort.  They have holiday themes, or themes from novels, or just cute little characters from nowhere in particular.

And last but not least, this adorable little monkey:

With the weather cooling down I am thinking how fun these could be for a weekend project.

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Origami Bowl from tea bag wrappers:

Origami Paper Swan:

Pleasantly Plump Origami Swan:

Origami bigger bowl:

It’s correct in color Origami Swan:

Stationary is just not very original compared to these cool works of art.

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Day Three started with a Mini winding across the Bay Bridge and up through Mill Valley to Muir Woods National Monument.  It reminded me of an old growth forrest on the East Coast that was fed lots of Miracle Grow.  The trees were immense and the earth just smelled good.  It was a nice diversion to be out of the city and among giant trees.  Although there were still lots of people.  And we had to walk as far to parking and back as we did through the national monument.  Many of the side paths were closed during our visit, but the main path was still open; however, I wish more of the side trails would have been open where you could have left the crowds behind and done more serious hiking.  But none-the-less a beautiful thing to see.

We drove back through Saucilito, but it was so crowded we just drove right through and back into San Francisco.  We parked between Golden Gate Park and NOPA where we brunched.  I had Butter Basted Farm Eggs – Roasted Spring Onions, Romesco and Crispy Polenta, with a side of bacon, it was decadent, crunchy, but not overly filling or heavy. MMMMMM. But Hubby really beat me, he got the Chili Braised Pork –Purple Runner Beans, Chard and Buttermilk Biscuit and that was killer good, rich in flavor, but nicely balanced with the beans and greens that weren’t done in a heavy way. I want to try to make this at home.

After our quite filling, but not heavy brunch we explored the portions of Golden Gate Park that we previously hadn’t gotten through.  We visited the conservancy of flowers to look at their orchids and the exhibit on Wicked Plants.  We walked through the dahlia gardens and explored for a bit.  We then went back to the car by way of Osso & Co a fantastic dog store where we picked up some goodies for Max.  We did not get him one of the amazing dog houses they had there, but you never know, he might get one in the future, they were amazingly chic.  We then drove and checked out the shops around Hayes Valley, a very hipster area with great boutique shops.  There is a very good guide here.  I really loved Stark Home Furnishings.

We were so tired from all the walking we crashed at the hotel for a nap.  I had really considered visiting the excellent Nob Hill Spa, and looking back I can’t imagine why I didn’t.  The spa is beautiful with an amazing view from the pool.  And the treatment rooms really pretty.  Next time this will be a done deal.  My sore legs and tired feet could have used some pampering!

That night we had reservations for Boulevard, but neither of us felt like fancy, so we went and had spring rolls at the Slanted Door, which were killer good (we should have just eaten dinner here) and then we had fish tacos a hot dog and fries at Gott’s Roadside, which was good, it was, but not anything as good as the rolls at Slanted Door and the amazing smells emanating from that place. I am still regretting not eating at the Slanted Door right now.

We then wandered our way back up Nob Hill, we stopped in Chinatown to pick up a few goodies before the stores closed.  I got a silk pouch and jewelry roll for travel that pair exceedingly well with my Michael Aram Hartman.  And got some cute gifts for friends and loved ones that you can’t get in our area.

The next morning we wandered Chinatown and I bought some jewelry from an exceptional little jewelry store off the beaten path where you can find nicer things than the junky shops that are mostly visible.  I also drooled over a beautiful gold desk with with cranes for my guest bedroom.

We had a chinese pastries, a mung bean cake for me and a bbq bun for Hubby, and ate an early lunch before the airport at San Sun, which I highly highly recommend. They have some amazing noodle dishes, and that’s what I would order here. The broth, noodles and meat choices were great. You pick the broth-meat, then you pick your noodle type rice noodles, thin or wide, egg noodles, etc, etc, and you can do a combo, they also have some specialty noodle dishes. They have a huge menu so there is other stuff, but most people around us were also slurping up different noodles. Even at 11:00 a.m. people of all ethnicities came wandering in for a meal.  The flavors of the broth were complex, but so comforting.  We then headed off to the airport where I picked up  some dinner at the Napa Farm Market in the airport which had some really nice looking meals- for me roasted chicken, roast potatoes and asparagus.  They even had gluten free cupcakes.  Surprisingly fireworks from a plan are not as cool as you would expect.  Just little poofs of light far far away.

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If you are looking for interesting and good quality art for your home it is a great place to start that search.  With collections from abstract to landscapes, etchings, illustrations, commercial and everything else.  I have a love-hate relationship with art collecting, I love finding interesting pieces, but it takes so much time to find something- trips to antique stores galleries and there is so much that isn’t my style.   This place has an online site, it’s like a huge gallery at your fingertips.

The best part is that the art is reasonably priced.  Seriously.

This G. Heald oil on canvas board is priced at $315.00, it reminds me so much of hiking in Yellowstone and the Tetons.

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This is made out of DC!!! Well at least maps.  Find it here on Etsy.

I also really like this scarf on wireless.com:

Last, but not least some fabulous napkin rings!

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We recently ventured to Guanajuato, Mexico for our dear friend’s, Warren and Estela, wedding.  Traveling there I knew nothing about the area, except what Wikipedia said: UNESCO World Heritage Site, mining history, yadda yadda.  Getting there was pretty easy, fly to Houston, fly to Guanajuato/Leon and then take a short car ride to the city.  Once we got there we quickly realized that this was an extremely beautiful historic area.  Many of the roads are under the city in old aqueducts or pathwayd carved for traffic, so taxi rides are kind of neat darting in and out of ground.  The houses are all beautifully colored due to subsidized paint costs to make the town welcoming and colorful.  The central square with its thick perfectly groomed trees is a wonderful place to hang out and relax while settling in to the rustic beauty of the area.  And they have a Starbucks for you who need your fix.

We stayed at the El Camino Real.  This was a great hotel. The restaurant and bar had wonderful staff.  The rooms were nicely appointed and spacious, the beds were comfortable, the hotel was impeccably clean, the staff were friendly.  I especially enjoyed the pool which had a zero entry platform so you could lay in the water and relax.  We had one of the rooms up on the terrace and ours had a brick dome ceiling that was really neat.  (Check the internet for specials, their website list price is much much more than what we paid.)

We had a lot of planned wedding activities, but luckily we had some time to explore the city, as well.  There are many beautiful historic buildings definitely worth checking out.  I highly suggest going in the ornate Teatro Juarez near the main city square, if there is a show playing it would be worth the price to see the show and the theater.  Lots of marble and ornately carved wood make this a real jewel. Many of the buildings date back to the 1600s when the Spanish still occupied the city.  Just wander through this city and it’s winding corridors around the central square, the university and the market, giving yourself time for stops. Stopping in the churches and neighborhood squares you can admire the beauty of the areas architecture.

The market is a great place to plan a stop.  There are food stalls to eat at, fresh produce, local crafts and all sorts of goods for sale.  I found some really well crafted leather purses, as well as, some neat gifts for family and friends at home.  I picked up a great, colorful woven market basket for me, that even when packed full is easy to carry.  Specialties in the area are candies, silver and gold jewelry, leather goods and pottery.  You can find jewelry ranging from very classic hand crafted to modern and sleek styles.  Wandering around town make sure you stop into one of the local candy stores to pick up some goodies.  I especially liked the caramels and coconut candies.  This was my favorite part of the visit.  Every corner revealed more city with interesting buildings and neat neighborhoods and stores.  Often one store had many functions, the neat traditional jewelry took the counter space in the front of a shop, while barbers groomed clipped and shaved in the back.

Another neat stop is the Capelo Art Gallery, website here.  One of the galleries also featured really neat pottery from the area.

If you want to see where all that silver came from head up to the La Valencia Mine.  This is where the wedding took place and it is a neat old mine, now a garden and quite challenging golf course.  Surrounded by stacked stone walls you can envision what it would be like when those shafts were active.

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We had some great meals downtown.  Casa Valadez was a great breakfast spot, with out of this world bread and salsas. I highly recommend huevos rancheros. But really you can’t go wrong on their breakfast menu. I wish we could have had another meal here, as well. Website here. They also have nutritional information on the website.

We also ate at the Hotel Santa Fe and both had enchiladas mineras a regional specialty. Chicken thigh over cheese enchiladas with a sauce with tomatoes, carrots and potatoes. A tiny bit bland for what many think of as Mexican food, but very good and homey, especially with the chile sauce that was on the table.  This is comfort food for this area.

The rest of our meals were at planned wedding events, save a stop at a local bakery for some freshly made doughnuts.

This town is best for the laid back traveler who wants to be off the beaten path from the touristy beaches, and wants stuff to see and do, but not a jam packed schedule.  It was really fun to wander, shop and interact with the people in the town who were all generally very friendly.  Not much English is spoken though, and we appreciated help from our friends communicating at times as we know no Spanish.  And do be alert to drinking water and eating vegetables washed in water when you aren’t in a big hotel or central restaurant.  El Camino Real has filtered water even in the showers which meant less worry when you were showering and brushing your teeth and you didn’t have to ask if the water for your morning tea was filtered.

This is a place that I loved.  This to me was very quintessential Mexico. It was about people and experiences.

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I was delighted to find out the source of all these goodies is the Welsh Garden in Warrenton Virginia.

A sustainable lavender farm.  I am big on supporting local small business and micro-enterprise and I am thrilled to get my lavender fix from Virginia and nearby Virginia too.  They are at the Thursday White House Market, Saturday Silver Spring Market and Sunday Palisades Market.  They have an online Order Form for their products here, but now they have one up-ed themselves by opening a store in the main hall of Union Station, so go check them out and you can sample their products too.

I particularly like the lavender shortbread cookies, which are great tea dunking cookies.

Photos courtesy of their website.

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