The Montage

 We spent a couple of days at The Montage Hotel and Resort in Laguna Beach curtesey of my husband's company, he qualified as an Exceptional Producer.  He has qualified 4 out of the 5 years he has worked there.   We are so proud of him.  They take really good care of you while you are at the resort, providing breakfast, lunch and dinner.  On the second night we attended a black tie gala where the producer's receive their awards.  

 The hotel and grounds are beautiful.  The service is amazing.  The hotel is built in the Craftsman style and the lobby is gorgeous.  The lobby is on the fourth floor and the views are incredible.

 We had perfect weather and ate all our meals outdoors (except for the black tie dinner).  Something I found really interesting was that in order to keep all the birds away from the food and the pool, they take a falcon out several times a day and walk him around the grounds.  They put him on a tall stick with a crossbar on it and he sits up on the crossbar and they walk him around the perimeter of the restaurants and pool.  It works really well.

 This is The Studio Cafe restaurant.  It is the nicest restaurant in So Orange County.  The service is amazing and the food is good, but the view is to die for.  Right on a bluff overlooking the beach.  Incredible.

 This is the view from the hotel.

 There is a beautiful path that stretches the length of the property.  It is planted with amazing color, succulents and trees.  The owner of The Montage has a house on the property right along this path.

On the first night, after the cocktail party and dinner, we came back to our room to find this nice cheese board, crackers and Pelligrino from my handsome husband's company in our room.  We had chocolates and fresh bottles of water on our bedside tables every night.  We got complimentary massages and activities while we were there.  I feel very blessed to have been able to enjoy this weekend with HH and that his hard work is recognized by his company.  

Scrapbooking Paris

 I'm scrapbooking our 2011 family trip to Paris and I am using a Creative Memories 12x15 book that they no longer make, but which I bought 4 and all the refills before they discontinued them.  This is my favorite size as it allows you to put so much more on the pages, and when you take 1000 pics during one week in Paris, you want a big platform on which to work.  As usual, I start out creative and then I get really boring, just doing the same thing over and over.

I haven't even shown you a couple of layouts because they are just more of the same.  I've decided to step back from the pages and muse upon them and maybe add a little more.  I just don't want to get too whimsey because thats not really my style. I like to get a lot of pics on the page too.  I am seeing a lot of pages out there with just one pic and a thousand design elements.  I think these are sponsored by the craft companies.  It would cost a fortune to do an entire scrapbook like that and I wouldn't even begin to showcase ALL my photos.  

By the way, I'm making those Oreo brownies today.  Three things off my inspiration list, not too shabby. 

Some Scrapbooking

I was finally inspired to create some scrapbooking pages.  I used to scrapbook all the time, seriously, my kid's younger days are all wrapped up in neat little albums.  I always wished I didn't work, so I could have tons of time to scrapbook.  Then I quit working 5 years ago and I quit scrapbooking too.  I don't know why. I think when we got our iMac, and the pics were on there, it was somehow good enough.  Then our computer crashed in Nov. and I learned that I need to print out those pics and put them in books.  Besides, the kids love to look at the books.  

My goal is to use all the stuff I already have.  I did buy two packs of up to date paper and will have to invest in some adhesive. But for now, I'm on a roll. The words "Easter" are on a card that you pull out from behind that pic and it tells all the details of the day.  

My new favorite thing to use is washi tape.  I've been picking up some here and there and didn't really know what to do with it until now.  Perfect for scrapbooking.  

Hopefully, I stay motivated!

Planted My Urns

 I've got one Inspiration Idea crossed off the list from last week.  I replanted my urns.  I wasn't sure if I just wanted to put boxwood in them or go with the tree roses.  I found this mini tree roses with purple floribunda roses that have a spice and clover scent, so I bought them!!!!  I put petunias and a little white flowered plant that will hang from the pot but they may be only temporary as I might plant succulents later.  The urns get full sun and they need something in them that can withstand the heat.

 I'm a purple, white and pink gardener.  I am very attracted to those colors, I find them soothing.  My oldest daughter likes the yellow, coral and orange flowers so I can get my fix of that at her place.  When she was little, she would always want to pick out flowers for the garden and she would always pick yellow, red or orange even though I would try to talk her into the cooler shades.  I found it gave me anxiety to look at that hot color flower in my cool garden!  The things you do for love.

 These are the tiny purple roses.

I then planted this white, pink and purple ground cover to go in front of this weeping birch tree. 

I am going to plant a hedge of boxwood along the fence, I've purchased the plants, but I don't have it in me to plant them today.

Inspirations of the Week

Looking through pinterest, I found some inspiration for various projects I am working on and some yummy food to try.

Oreo Truffle Brownies via on Jelly Pin

This will be the next dessert I make.  We are all chocoholics here!

Ah, chateaus of the Loire Valley.  I dream of going here.  I've tried to go twice and it hasn't worked out.  The closest I've come is a London airport, a bought ticket and ready to board a plane when all flights were cancelled because of rioting in Paris.  Bummer!

 Beautiful place setting found in The Dallas News.

You know me, I'm a nut for a beautiful place setting.  I've really been inspired by all the various shades of orange lately!  I used to hate orange until 2 years ago, Now I love it!

 Aren't these flowers and vases beautiful!  I love the softness of the cream, pink and yellow and the vibrance of the green.  I'm going to try to recreate this for something soon!  (couldn't find the source).

 Beautifully planted urn by The French Tangerine

I'm replanting two of my urns in my back yard.  I had some ornamental potato vines planted in them along with a tall plant that I do not know the name of.  Lately, when I watered one of them, it wasn't draining properly and the taller plant started looking sick and the potato vine started getting yellow.  I decided it was root bound and better replant it.  Well, it wasn't root bound in the traditional sense, potatoes where growing in the planter and had blocked the drainage hole!  The urns were full of potatoes.  They were even growing outside the drainage hole into the ground, and let me tell you, when I began to dig into the big mess, it smelled so bad!  

 Chicken Skewers by Kitchen Meets Girl

I'm starting up my Weight Watchers diet again and these are just the kind of recipes I need to motivate myself.  I can eat tasty things that are low calorie - gee, what a good idea! 

 Pincushion by Laurie's Charming Designs

I'm afraid it's sold out in her easy store, but I'm going to keep my eye out for a sugar bowl or gravy boat so I can try to make one myself. 

 Great layout  and design by Boston 333.  I've really been wanting to scrapbook lately.  I used to be a fiend about it and I haven't scrapbooked since I got my mac 6 years ago.  I've gathered my supplies, cleaned off my work surface and I've been inspired by pages such as these.  I'm ready to go!

I just giggled when I saw this.  What a great line. Scarlet O'Hara was a fool and Rhett Butler was just the man to give her a run for her money.  Too bad it was too late when she realized it.  

Nespresso Machine

When we went to Park City in December, the condo we stayed in had this espresso machine. The little black cylinder with the red dot is the milk frother.   My Handsome Husband loved it.  He tried all the different flavors and experimented with the amount of shots given to each cup, and he frothed the milk and added it to the coffee to make lattés.  He loved it.

 For Valentine's Day, I bought him one from Macy's (it was even on sale).  We found a Nespresso store in our local Bloomingdale's and the fun began.  HH looked up how to make all the various coffee drinks on YouTube and began to record which flavors he liked the best.  The Nespresso store is very helpful in describing the coffee to you as well so it makes it easier for you to find the ones you like.

 Here is a wonderfully delicious latté he makes for me on the weekends.  It is incredibly tasty.

It is a weekend treat for us, we have regular coffee during the week. 

Easter 2013

Good Morning and Happy Belated Easter.  Warning: this is a long picture filled post.

We had a great time yesterday, christening Greg and Alyssa's new house with a Easter Lunch.  

 I arrived a little early to set the table and put out the decorations.  The two 6 foot banquet tables were a little narrower than I thought and the tablescape was a little cramped, but what the heck.  I wish I would have bought taller azalea trees so the garland would have hung a little higher, but I didn't want it to obstruct the view from person to person.  It did look cute when finished.

 I used the burlap carrots and I bought some little burlap bunnies from Joann's.  I added the burlap goodie bags filled with candy to each setting.

 We had a six year old, so he had his little plastic mustache cup, the crystal is a little heavy for him.

 I made this little bunny garland (inspired from one I'd seen on pinterest).  Really easy: cut bunnies from scrapbook paper, added little premade tails that I bought at Joann's in the scrapbook section.  Clothes-pinned to garland bought at Roger's Gardens.  When I was putting this up, the puppy got a hold of the garland and ran all over the back yard with it as Alyssa and I chased him.  Luckily he only tore it in half and we were able to fix it and use it!

 Place settings using my first set of china (eternal beau from Johnson Brothers) and goodie bags made from burlap with a bunny stenciled on them, once again inspired by some creative person on pinterest.  

What started as a craft for the 6 year old, turned into a fun time for the twenty-somethings!  They call themselves "the bunny council". 

 The bunny ears even stayed on through dinner.  We had a wonderful feast with everyone contributing a little something.

 President of The Bunny Council enjoyed this the most I think. 

 The 6 year old and the puppy playing non stop.  The 6 year old actually tiring out the puppy.

 The Bunny Council adds a few members.

We had a great day celebrating, I hope you did too!