SmallButCharming

Me? Not much. You?

2012-02-12T08:24:00.000-05:00

1200 red roses

300 pink roses

200 yellow roses

250 white roses

200 brown roses

75 peach roses

100 lavender roses

orchids, hydrangeas, tulips, callas, scented geranium, hypericum berries, wax flower, heather, scabiosa, anemones, ranunculus, jasmine, pussy willow, quince, cherry, forsythia,

And sweet peas.

2 flower cleaners. 5 drivers. 5 designers.

Adele 21. LMFAO. Mambo Italiano.

Iced skim lattes. Laughing. Cursing. Constant application of lip salve.

Red t shirt, pencil jeans, gold bangles, silver from Tiffanys, eye liner, no smoking.

Happy Valentine's Day?

10 Things I Can't live Without: Ill Seen Ill Said

2012-02-09T06:51:00.000-05:00

I don't remember when or how I began reading Ill Seen, Ill Said. But I do remember I was immediately smitten by the world of Jane Flanagan.

A Canadian resident with an Irish eye and ear for language and an artists way with color, Jane is totally engaging whether she's suggesting the perfect outfit to wear on a sunny Sunday or reviewing the latest book she has read.

Though we share a name we are very different. Where I'm slapdash, she's thoughtful, when I'm a buy it at the flea market and make it fit she's a researcher who slowly creates the perfect abode.

Go ahead read her list, prepare to be delighted.

10 Things I Can't live Without: Jane from Ill Seen, Ill Said

A huge thanks to lovely Jane for inviting me to participate inthis series! I'm (another) Jane, from Ill Seen, Ill Said. (link:http://www.seenandsaid.blogspot.com/)

There are many things I can't live without of a more abstractnature: A strong sense of home is vital to me. Friends who've got my back.Working and independence. Waking up on Sunday mornings to do whatever I want.My two passports. Creativity fueling all of that, whether I'm the audience orcreator. And words, colour, laughter, love; where would we be without any ofthat?

But I've never been one to scorn the simpler pleasures. They fillin the nooks and crannies of our day-to-day. Not every day is fulfilling atwork or features adventure and conquest. Not every day is suffused withcreativity. But these things are small pleasures that fill in the in-between,that give me a sense of place and of self. They're the talismans I carry andseek comfort in.

Image credits:

First set: Perfectballet flats (Lanvin) | Scented candle(Jo Malone) | Blush (Laura Mercier) | iPhone(Society6) | Fresh flowers (Amy Merrick)

Second set: Yoga(Lululemon) | Pain au chocolat(Nadege) | Books(1st Dibs) | Blanket(Niki Jones) | Coffee (Bialetti)

The Laziest Blogger

2012-02-06T10:59:00.002-05:00

I"ve been trying out for the Laziest Blogger Award. To be in the running all you have to do is stop posting.

You still have to be involved in blog worthy activities: cooking, reading piles of books and magazines, scattering fresh flowers throughout your house and redecorating. Apparently steam cleaning is hot.

I don't know whether to blame my inertia on February itself, the lingering traces of my cold, or my new ability to relax.

3 and a 1/2 months of not smoking has allowed me to linger longer in bed on my days off. For years, rain or shine, I was up around 6:00am, dripping the espresso inside and lighting up my first non filter cigarette of the day outside.

Without my body screaming for nicotine I sleep till 7:30 or 8:00, and upon awakening bring my coffee back to bed and allow myself an half hour or more of reading, relaxing and just lazing about.

And with the dog fully recuperated from her surgery I can enjoy a big lump of fragrant fur curled up and snoring on my feet.

You may have been wondering how the elf is doing. We missed out on seeing him for 2 weeks due to my cold and then his parents'. Finally last Friday we met and went out for sushi.

Two weeks are a long time in a newborns development.

He's grown a mustache!

Alors.

xoxo jane

Back On The Yellow Brick Road

2012-02-01T06:20:00.001-05:00

Don't linger here long for right below is a fabulous 10 Things List By Pigtown Design. Read it and smile.

In a few days we can hold a tribunal and discuss the difficulties of Blogger. Grrrr.

xo J.

Ten Things I Can't Live Without - Pigtown Design

2012-01-31T22:25:00.001-05:00

I have met so many interesting people thru blogging. Some live around the globe, some are 45 minutes away by car or train.

Meg, of Pigtown Design, is almost a neighbor. She is a design aficionado who reports on what's hot and what's not in Baltimore, New York, England and on line. The world is truly her oyster and she probably has the necessary plates to serve it on. And I am so familiar with the cadence of her writing: what she finds funny and what she finds desirable I feel I could pick her out in a line up. Though I hope I never have to :-)
I have to to say, I agree with her "list of" and wonder why some of these aren't a must with me too... enjoy!

1) My dog, Connor. When Ifirst realized I was back in the States to stay, the first thing I did was goto the city’s animal shelter and adopt a dog. Connor was about five then, andwas a wild child. But he’s mellowed into a real sweetie pie. I probably shouldhave put my family and friends first, but since I see more of Connor than anyother living being, he’s tops on the list.

2) Champagne. One of the badhabits I picked up in the UK was drinking champagne. I rarely drink hard liquor, so I alwaysorder a glass (or three) of champagne while I am out. There is usually a bottleof decent champagne in the fridge, too.

3) Down. I’ve had a feathermattress for ages, and to me, winter or summer, there’s nothing better thansleeping on one. I also have down pillows, and an eiderdown duvet. I just use theduvet and the duvet cover, even in the winter when I keep the house ~~cool~~cold at night, and I am cozy and snug. Here’s Connor napping on one of my old eiderdowns.

4) China. I “inherited” a tonof Royal Copenhagen’s Blue Fluted Half Lace china a few years ago, and when I movedlast year, I decided that I should use it as my everyday china. It makeseverything I eat, from poptarts to pork loin feel like it is a little morespecial.

5) Cashmere. I can’t standthe feel of wool sweaters, so started buying one cashmere sweater here and onethere… Then in my thrift shop travels, I really started finding them, andbuying them for a few dollars each. Unfortunately, the moths ate their waythrough some of them this summer, so I’ve made patchwork scarves from thesweaters.

6) Copper pots & pans.Before I moved to the UK, I had a massive collection of copper pots, pans andmoulds, but I sold most of them. I did keep one great set of French pots andpans that my parents had given me for a significant birthday. There are about adozen pieces in the set, and they’re just great to cook with. And I don’t evenmind polishing them!

7) A Volvo. I’ve driven aVolvo almost since I could drive and have loved every one of them. I even drovea Volvo wagon in the UK, since it was almost the only car I could find that wasan automatic. I love that my wagon fits almost everything I can think to put inthe back – including a six-foot long church pew! But the best thing is theheated seats, especially on a cold morning!

8) Books. I grew up in housesthat had libraries with loads of books. My father used to review books, andthere were always stacks of them around. I read all of the time, and am luckyto have a free bookstore close to my house. I have loads of books on myriadtopics around the house for reference, but I am not averse to reading sometrashy chick-lit books!

9) French Ivory Cutlery. Istarted collecting pieces of this cutlery years ago, and I’d occasionally finda knife, and once in a blue moon, a fork. When I moved to the UK, it waseverywhere and dirt cheap! But I always wondered why there weren’t any spoons.A British friend said they never made them, and then had a set of eight made for me. They are one of my favouritethings and I love them for so many reasons.

10) Friends and family. I amlucky to have both friends that I’ve known since childhood and friends I’vejust met. And even luckier to have a family which is close by!

Meg thank you so much for such a well curated list. I just love this last picture of you and all your boys. look forward to hanging out together in the near future.

xo Jane

Back In Black

2012-01-30T17:58:00.002-05:00

Oops, I guess the one thing I forgot to put on my can't live without list was good health.

That little cold got a hold of me and whupped me good. I even took time off from work and I usually reserve time outs for the 7 year itch or the every 5 year flu.

I'd like to write a paean to the neti pot here but if you don't know what they are never mind, TMI, and if you already use one you know what I'm talking about.

As I was lying about on my fainting couch, sipping hot water, honey and lemon, napping, reading, cursing in Olde English the fates were gathering to make my life just that little nicer.

I won a giveaway from Annie at Lovely Things and and before I could respond to her comment I was opening a smartly wrapped parcel that contained an assortment of black and white objects: beads, #2 Ticonderoga pencils,black and white straws, a beautiful wool black and white scarf and a note from Annie with her signature swipe of blackboard paint at the top and my initial written in chalk.

All this good taste cheered me up no end.

And today I took myself out for a usual Monday afternoon of eating and shopping with my BFF's and Blaise gave me a necklace he had made for me of black pearls strung on black leather. He made the other crazy, Ann, a necklace of black rooster feather trimmed in black velvet.

Needless to say we both felt v. glamorous and ready for the next awards show.

So a big thank you to Annie and Blaise ( named after a Catholic saint, not a stripper).

Wednesday, hump day for most everyone excepting florists and hairdressers, shall be the next 10 Things I Can't Live Without List.

I know you'll all love reading these as much as I have.

Till then, wash your hands, you don't want this cold!

xo Jane

10 Things I Can't Live Without

2012-01-26T06:58:00.002-05:00

Well I had a fabulous opener for the first day of the 10 things I Can't Live Without world series BUT I was shamed by my fellow bloggers into writing my own list first. Fair enough.

10 Things I Can't Live Without:

1. GG of course and the Lab. From our first dinner date at home when GG flung a dish towel over her shoulder and served the soup and then insisted on washing the dishes, I have been spoiled, encouraged in all my endeavors, pushed when I couldn't go one more step in the right direction, argued with, laughed with and occasionally at, praised, scolded and loved for just being me. The real me, the goofy me, grumpy me, bitchy me, funny me. And the Lab? I didn't know from unconditional love till I met her.

2. The printed word: novels, magazines, blogs, newspapers, cookbooks,mysteries, bios. I always have a section of the newspaper folded up in my purse in case I am caught somewhere without anything to read. I didn't grow up in a TV household, we read. It was nothing for me to stagger home from the library with a stack of 10 or 12 books, it still isn't. I would hide a book anywhere. I even tried to keep one behind my sheet music while I was "practicing" the piano or on the windowsill when doing the dishes. I still have a book open when I grind the coffee beans.

3. Baths, long, hot, scented baths where I read of course. But only books, it's too messy to take a magazine or the newspaper into the bath with you. Trust me on this one. I go into the bath a tired, cranky overworked florist and come out flushed, smiling and ready to enjoy life again. Hot H2O, it's a miracle.

4. Ice. Except for a hot cup of tea on a cold winter evening I am addicted to tall glasses full of ice. My lattes? Iced. Lemonade, sparkling water both served on the rocks. Abroad? I'm just one crazy American in search of ice. The one complete sentence I learned to speak in Germany? Haben sie Eiswürfel ? Do you have any ice cubes? Usually met with a resounding no. They wanted to lock me up in Italy for ruining their delicious coffees with ice . I don't even think they'll let me into England.

5. Gardens. My garden, your garden, any beautiful public garden. I love the hope of the spring garden, the hot hell that is the garden in July and August and the overgrown beauty that comes in the fall. I'm at peace when weeding and watering and just wandering from plant to plant admiring a blossom here, a berry there.
My ego is at rest when I am digging in the dirt.

6.. Friends and Family. You have loved me when I didn't love myself. You make me laugh, cry, think, learn when to speak up and when to keep a secret. I've known some of you since high school and some of you I just met these last few years on line. But my life is richer and fuller because of you all.

7. Food. Cooking for others has always been a big expression of love for me. When I'm been in relationships that are ending I lose my appetite for both cooking and eating.
But when all is going well, baby look out and better join a gym, 5 pounds are coming your way.

8. My abs and my triceps. It's amazing what an hour in the gym or at zumba or yoga will give me. A high never found from drugs or alcohol, I just smile for hours after. My mind is at rest, I sleep like an angel, I have an abundance of energy the next day. Exercise, what have you got to lose from it except a couple of pounds?

9. Garden tomatoes. And the smell of a tomato plant. That is summer to me.

10. My little house on the prairie. Though I just glanced up and saw a few new cracks in the kitchen ceiling and it seems I work solely to support my home owning habit I love having my own nest to feather. I have been called a homebody and I wear that title proudly. Don't we all need a sanctuary at the end of the day?

Something Wicked (Good) This Way Comes

2012-01-25T18:30:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you but I am a sucker for a "10 Things I Can't Live Without" list. Whether it's found in the NYT , Vogue, House Beautiful or WSJ, doesn't matter to me. Frivolous, serious, tongue in cheek or drop dead serious I'm your audience.

I'm such a fan I decided to ask some of my favorite bloggers to write their own list and let me post it here, once a week, starting tomorrow.

If I haven't asked you yet, I will. So get your thinking caps on.

Not enough for me to ask you to let us into your houses and see your flowers, now I want to get in your heads and see what makes you tick.

I am a very nosy woman. xo Jane

Follow The Yellow Brick Road

2012-01-23T07:47:00.003-05:00

To the post below which is Flowers In The House. Blogger did me wrong and I can't be found on your reading lists......

The hell with Blogger, come on over.

Publish or perish.

xo Jane

Flowers In The Wintery House

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

December with its reds and golds and temperatures in the 60's was so last month. January has brought us grey skies, freezing winds and the first snow/ice of the year. Scarves and boots are being worn for warmth not fashion just as the stores fill with spring clothes and sandals.

At home the tree has long been turned into future mulch, the glitter and the glamor have been packed away in the attic till next year. I have kept my jar of fireflies alight but swapped out richly colored roses for single stems of ranunculus and tulips and barely there pussy willow. The bowl of clementines is not a prop but a constant. And with this weekend's scratchy throat, a necessity. Some pop pills, I pop clementines.

And I think we're all agreed that wax flower is the flower of 2012, much as ranunculus was the flower of 2011.

I say double your pleasure and use them together.

And if you happen to be a florist and have a stem of black raspberry handy, add that to the mix.

A heady mix it is, those tiny wax flowers pack a powerful punch of scent. But just in case my stuffy nose can't catch it, I filled a jar with a few bulbs. A tete a tete, some tulips and a hyacinth, a handful of green moss and a crystal found by GG on yesterday mornings dog walk.

I walk down the same streets. All I see are early blooming forsythia and an occasional fox. GG always finds a treasure.

Looking forward to coming to your house and seeing what treasures you have for us. I'm also hoping for a cup of tea and a few Advil.

Clementines can only do so much:)

xo Jane

It's Only A Day Away

2012-01-22T19:15:00.003-05:00

Oh my God, I have a cold and it's clouding my mind and fumbling my fingers. Pay no mind to what pops up on your blog list from me.

Smoke and mirrors. It's all smoke and mirrors and tissues and tea.

Flowers In The House is tomorrow.

It's all snow and ice here today. Like living in Russia.

What's Going On?

2012-01-18T20:40:00.001-05:00

Baby what's going on......

There's a lot happening around here. I'm marinating pork shoulders for the Cuban Roast Pork dish for a coworkers birthday tomorrow. And I thought it was difficult taking a pie on the bus....others will be bringing bowls of cumin scented rice and black beans. Christine will make her famous salad and Celinda her hot sauce.

We'll be placing our prebook for Valentine's Day and playing around with some magic. Black magic that is.

And some red hot love.

It's fun to work with us. Fun and filling.

On a personal note next Monday is our 1st year anniversary of Flowers In The House. Shall we do it up?

Now that winter has finally arrived both here and across the pond I think a glimpse of spring or a celebration of winter is in order.

Join me?

And if you like join me at Lotte and Bloom today though you already know the answers to the questions I bet:)

Yesterday: My Life In Pictures

2012-01-16T08:55:00.004-05:00

Cue music.

We had a lunch date. Emil was coming with his parents and his befuddled dog, Balu. ( Befuddled because he still doesn't understand where this new creature sprang from or how long he's going to be around and why he's so noisy).

We shined up the house and filled it with flowers.

Set the table.

Created a shepherds pie using beef bourguignon as the filling. Not a photogenic dish but very tasty. The serving dish was scraped clean.

We had a hungry mother and father to feed while GG, myself and our neighbor Nelda wrestled for an armful of Emil.

I got him! Briefly.

I also got a corner of the sofa briefly. As soon as I got up to put more water on for tea the seat was filled... to overflowing actually.

Maybe not so befuddled actually......

Maybe very clever.

Ms. American Pie

2012-01-11T19:16:00.000-05:00

Maybe you remember me mentioning my amiga Betty? Originally from Bolivia, Betty started working in the flower shop while still in high school. She began by cleaning flowers after school and on weekends, becoming a designer after she graduated. A very good designer might I add, endlessly creative and constantly amusing. She is also a soccer mother of two boys, one 14, one 9, a homeowner and as of yesterday an American citizen.

Welcome Citizen Betty.

In the 90's we had a CD we use to play with a 70's and 80's mix of music that included American Pie by Don Mclean. I used to tell her she had to know all the words to become a citizen. Well I guess she learned them. I also told her I'd bake her an apple pie to celebrate the day. Today we ate my words.

Maybe you also remember me saying I don't bake?

I guess I only bake out of love and a great deal of respect. And of course with the peeling and slicing help of GG.

Betty said it was a privilege to sit in the seat at Immigration and listen to the speeches and the music and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I say it's been a privilege to know her.

Nice antidote to the primary madness, no?

Now do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Hanging With His Homies

2012-01-10T17:15:00.001-05:00

If there are points being awarded today for photos of the cutest little elf in blogland I'll be the winner.

I know this isn't a baby blog but can you blame me?

Why am I holding the camera and GG holding the baby?

She's 6 I mean 8'' taller than I am and about half my age.

Would you want to fight her?

Through The Looking Glass

2012-01-08T15:16:00.000-05:00

If you have idly wondered what happened to me, you would be forgiven for assuming I was in the kitchen feverishly chopping vegetables for our new diet or spending endless hours oohing over the little elf.

You would be incorrect on both accounts. Damn.

Life has been work-zumba-dinner-sleep-work-gym-dinner-sleep-work-well I think you get the picture.

Today has been taking our house back: back from December. The tree has come down ( and you didn't think I was going to write a new post while attempting to ignore that elephant in the room did you?) Hours have been spent vacuuming up the fir needles and maybe we have indulged in some wild card weekend. Sorry Lions. Next year!

And after this hello I'm off to the shower , then off in the car to Kensington, Maryland to visit the newest member of the family. Tini has provided us with daily picture updates but we're very excited to have and to hold.

Tomorrow I'll be able to resume my regular blog visiting schedule. I saw a yummy recipe for red curry chicken here, a 10.00 challenge there....and I need to know how Shelly is recuperating from her surgery.

I hope you're all enjoying your Sunday as much as we are. Here's to a day off spent feeding your soul and your stomach.

xo jane

Brand New World

2012-01-03T17:43:00.000-05:00

Hello? Are you still there? I've missed you.

Where is everybody? This baby business is tiring. Short on sleep, short on blogging time, eating too much carryout, taking fast showers, no long indulgent baths.....and we're only the Aunts!

What must it be like to be the parents and be responsible for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

My (was it really 10 days off?) vacation is over. I started back to work this morning and a day full of arranging flowers and bridal appointments and delivery times for party work seems like a Caribbean breeze compared to my holidays.

Life and death is not a buffet piece for a party no matter how important the guests. Attending a birth certainly realigns one's priorities.

The idea of a new year is never stimulating enough for me to form a resolution. But a new life? I'm thinking.

I'm thinking of changing up the diet a little bit. Eating more plants and fewer animals. Healthier for us, healthier for the planet and probably easier on the pocketbook.

I've just treated myself to a copy of Plenty the vegetarian cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi. Do you own this, have you seen it? It could inspire the most devoted meat eater to lighten up.

I was just paging through the book waiting for my pics to download and am so inspired I have to rush off to the kitchen to see if I have the ingredients for garlic soup and harissa.

I have just moaned aloud. This will not be too great a sacrifice me thinks. Happy New Year!

Drumroll Please!!

2011-12-30T17:48:00.000-05:00

Under dimmed florescent lights, we blogged, read, text, chugged water, served cookies to the nurses, napped restlessly and cheered Tini on.

Hours in a hospital. Sometimes it was boring. Sometimes alarming. The staff at Washington Hospital Center showed nothing but compassion, patience and a fierce devotion to their mothers and babies to be.

Tini labored impressively but by 8:00AM a C-Section was agreed upon.

At 9:42, cord wrapped twice around his neck and head facing upward, Emil was delivered.

Welcome little elf.

xo Your Aunties

Labor Day

2011-12-29T18:56:00.000-05:00

As much as we appreciate all your suggestions for bringing on labor, none of them worked. So the powers that be have decided to induce Tini and Nirmal's baby. We're now all sequestered in labor room #2.

I was at the mall when I got the call. I was so excited I raced into J. Crew, did a lap among all the orange and hot pink clothes then hit up Starbucks for an iced grande skim latte. Not so sure if I needed the caffeine.

GG and I packed as if for an overnight flight. Extra socks, a cashmere hoodie, moccasins to replace the Uggs ( yes, Uggs might be so 5 years ago but these rooms are cold) moisturizing lotions, nuts, cheese, crackers, apples and bottles of water, books, magazines, newspaper and of course a computer:)

We were told it could take anywhere from 12 hours to three days. Tini is already impatient with the whole procedure and would like to move it along.

Um they have just upped the pertosin so it sounds like it is starting to work.....

I know it's a holiday week but hoping you all keep posting, it's a wonderful distraction for all of us.

Well all of us but Tini. She's a little busy.

xo Jane

Majority Rules

2011-12-28T13:40:00.000-05:00

And me? Oh you know....cleaning oven and refrigerator, doing laundry, mopping kitchen floor, arguing with the IRS.....humph, 2 out of 3 can't be wrong.

I'm off for a nap.

xo jane

????

2011-12-27T16:13:00.000-05:00

Hmmm I know I'm a little tired but it is a mystery to me why I can't get my previous post to link up.

I've posted in intermittently all day and it never shows up on my dashboard.

That's my question.

Any answers?

Magical Thinking

2011-12-27T15:35:00.000-05:00

I don't believe I can fit one more tiny morsel of food into my body.

Perhaps a sliver of toast? I can try but it seems hopeless. It all began at Tini and Nirmal's house on Christmas Eve.

There was a Spanish fisherman's stew served over rice with a beautiful salad full of baby greens, toasted pecans, thin slices of apples and creamy goat cheese.

There may have been plates full of smoked salmon and a runny brie napped with a cranberry chutney and pistachios, that came before or I might be dreaming. And perhaps a large platter of cookies and a bowl of clementines to finish.

Christmas dinner was at our house. We served a beef tenderloin with a horseradish creme sauce with a touch of orange zest, a very big bowl of olive oil smashed potatoes with roast garlic and rosemary from our garden and snappy green beans with a shower of fresh dill.

We finished with a pear frangipani pear tart and very strong coffee. If I say the meal was consumed in reverent silence I would not be exaggerating.

At the end of the evening GG and I drove a friend back into the city and then took a slow ride along the National Mall, past the museums whose streetlamps were hung with boxwood kissing balls on up to the Capitol with the brightly tree lit in the foreground.. We had the city to ourselves. It was a magical mystery tour.

Speaking of magic does anyone have any down home recipes for bringing on labor? A soup, a secret salad dressing, a tea blend?

Tonight I'll be serving chicken paprikash with egg noodles. Betting on the properties of paprika. But we have a mother to be who is 2 days overdue and getting a leetle bit impatient.

We missed welcoming a Christmas baby and the mother would prefer not to have a little auld lang syne so if you have a suggestion, send it ASAP!

Feliz Navidad

2011-12-25T09:18:00.000-05:00

Before the roasting and the toasting and the feasting and greetings I want to take a moment to wish each and every one of you a wonderful Christmas day full of love, laughter and calories.

Our halls are decked, the Hai has arrived bearing his signature smoked salmon and seemingly endless bottles of champagne.

Snowdrops and roses jostle for room in the yard and in the house, rooms are scented by narcissus.

The Lab is ready to run after a very successful surgery, today is two months without a smoke, we finally got 8 full hours of sleep and best of all we're waiting for a baby to be born. Comeon Emil!

Glass very very full:)

GG wishes you all a very Happy Christmaquanzikkah.

xo Jane

Feasting By Numbers

2011-12-19T13:30:00.002-05:00

Let's deconstruct yesterday's brunch, shall we?

Homemade pepper jelly. 50 points ( Plus two jars to take home, 1 red peppers, 1 green) 25 extra points

Banana, macadamia nut pancakes served with a little sauce Allison whipped up from fresh blueberries. Also real maple syrup from Canada I think? 123 points

There was a quiche with a crust of meltingly good thin potato slices. No picture available, I had to eat it v. quickly. 97 points

Um, a Caprese salad decorated with thick slices of avocado. 86 Points

And 3 kinds of cookies. The oatmeal raisin and the chocolate are gluten free and vegan. Crazy good. 117 Points if you are either you just might want her recipes.

The Whoppie Pies with the cream cheese filling? Melt in your mouth, not on the plate because we ate them all? 1001 Points

And a little Christmas box filled with biscotti, sugar cookies, chocolate dipped pretzels and CANDIES all prepared by the hostess. 659 Points

Did we have brunch with Martha?

Off to take a much needed nap. Oh and don't worry, I've got a training session at 6:00PM.

That extra 7 pounds "they" suggest we all pick up over the holidays? Well now I know where we get 'em.

And They're Off!!

2011-12-18T08:39:00.000-05:00

Beside herself with excitement she reports "We're going to someone else's house for brunch".

No cooking, no cleaning ( well except of selves), no shopping, no fluffing.

Just popping a narcissus bulb in a jar with a bit of moss, a few tiny pine cones, a bit of raffia and a ornament around the neck.

Wrap a scarf around my own neck, a slick of lipstick and we're off!

That's what Christmas is all about!

Another Christmas Miracle

2011-12-17T09:56:00.000-05:00

City mouse.

Country mouse.

And writing this is a very tired little florist mouse who is off to work for a very busy Saturday. But this very tired mouse is one day away from celebrating 7 weeks smoke free.

A very happy and thankful florist who approached a perfect stranger at the bus stop yesterday to ask "Isn't this a beautiful December"?

I ask you, isn't it? I'm taking in big gulps of air and there is no coughing.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your constant support.

xo Jane

And In This Corner

2011-12-14T08:21:00.000-05:00

Is just that little bit of radiance I needed to lighten the the mood.

The simplest things always make me the happiest.

Shine on my friends.

xo Jane

Flowers In The Holiday House

2011-12-12T01:01:00.005-05:00

In order fit even a small Christmas in our house adjustments have to be made. GG's family trunk moves into the bedroom, the couch is moved closer to the door and our 2 chairs rest uncomfortably side by side. Stacks of books and pots of succulents are moved first here, then there, finally into the bedroom while we ponder what to do long term.

In the meantime GG cuts a foot or two off the tree and all its bottom branches. The tree is then placed into an old crock and the space around the trunk is anchored with bricks and rocks. We fill the crock with water and hold our breath. The water stays, no leaks for another year. The charm of an uneventful tree raising will never pale for me.

Then as I slide a pan of french toast into the oven and start cooking bacon, GG fills tumblers with champagne and orange juice for Blaise and Keeley who have arrived to trim the tree.

This is my secret: I spend so many hours decorating for others I will do anything to have the lights and ornaments put on my own tree. I'll cook for you, watch your children, hell I'll weed your garden. But put lights on my own tree? Never.

We have ornaments from my many past lives, GG's family, Blaise's family and others we have been gifted over the years. There are vintage postcards stuck in between the branches and somewhere there's a pickle.

We're heavy on pine cones and birds, old German crystal pieces and my favorite, little Finnish elves from GG's grandmother Ami. I'll be moving them to them kitchen windowsill where they bring us good luck all month.

I pop a vase into the bedroom, still wondering where all the books will go.

By now it is dark and we turn off all the lights but the tree, pile on the couch and breathe deeply.

Ahhhh. Christmas is in the house December 2011.

Are you ready for a visit or a two? If so link up, and we'll be by for a mince pie and a glass of something warm.

Ho. Ho. Ho.

Party Rock In The House on Monday?

2011-12-09T08:14:00.001-05:00

Hmmm.....Monday? Holiday Flowers in The House?

I should have my tree up, maybe a cup of eggnog to proffer.

You might have a wreath or a blooming Christmas cactus, maybe your tree or a vase of ilex berries and pine.

Visions of sugar plums dancing in my head for sure.

Who wants a holiday hook up?

Yeah I'm A Wanderer......

2011-12-07T17:57:00.001-05:00

Work was a whirlwind yesterday. Besides our normal orders, Betty and I put on our annual December program for a DC Garden Club. In the shop, surrounded by customers, ringing phones, we did a quick tour of 4 states and our interpretation of their holiday flowers.

I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of My New Orleans " creepy Christmas" as I refereed to it only to myself and B. But it was in a black urn, dripping Spanish moss with grey flocked branches and smokebush, almost black hypericum berries, burgundy kangaroo paws, silver brunia and a few white roses, an ornamental kale and tall tallow berries. Love. Strangely enough it sold instantly. Usually these are just for show.

And B.'s take on a Charleston, South Carolina Christmas flew out the door also. A clear glass compote lined with green moss and filled with magnolia leaves, blooming camellia, cotton, hydrangea, cypress and pittisporum. Swoony.

We left Charleston and took our tour group down to Miami where I did a citrus inspired arrangement in a vintage cookie tin.

And then where to you wonder? Why, Palm Springs,California, of course, for a wreath created by the always creative Betty with an air plant or two, a handful of echeverias, pepperberry and several kinds of eucalyptus.

Travel weary we paused for lunch, then bid the ladies adieu till next year.

46 more states to go, at 4 a year, this gives us 12 more years of garden club presentations.

Hmmm, maybe we can start squeezing in 5 states a year. I don't think I have another 12 left in me.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

2011-12-05T09:35:00.001-05:00

Last week was crazy. This past weekend was crazy fun.

My friend Larry was in from New York. He's recently discovered his inner athlete and has begun swimming competitively.

He's a sun and fun kind of guy and over the years has taken me to the beaches of Capri and Nantucket, I've spent summers in Fire Island and winters poolside in Palm Springs with him but rarely does he come down our way.

He owns a gallery in Chelsea so a visit usually entails a museum or two. But not this visit. It was all about food and conversation and swimming.

Saturday night was a restaurant in DC. Sunday was supper at home.

We hung our wreath and roasted a pork shoulder a la Cubana, which entails a marinade complete with lime, orange and lemon juices, a jalapeno or two, garlic, shallots, olive oil and parsley for us, cilantro for you all. Then brushed with a hot pepper jelly for the last 15 minutes of roasting.There was acorn squash and beautiful black kale sauteed with onions , garlic, red pepper and olive oil and topped off with a splash of balsamic.

We fluffed the house and brushed the Lab and let a few bottles of wine breathe.

The Lab had a huge grin wrapped around her big rawhide bone. Larry is all about ocean and sand to her too.

Next Sunday the tree. The following a visit from our garden mentors and then? A baby?

December.........looking up.

It's The Hap Happiest Season Of All

2011-12-03T02:00:00.002-05:00

May I interrupt your regularly scheduled Christmas to offer you a few stories of life in ye olde flower shop?

Where to start, where to start.....the house we were decorating in DC where the owner asked my coworker if she would place and climb the ladder at the back of the tree. This way is she fell, she wouldn't break any of the favorite ornaments that had been hung on the front. Swear to God.

And the law firm we spent a lifetime in last Friday?

Tomorrow we're sending a crew back to take down two decorated trees ( one of them being the replacement tree we just put up last Saturday) and 4 ga-huge wreaths.

They are rethinking their take on holiday decorating and are removing any symbolic gestures that might scream "It's Christmas" to those who don't celebrate this occasion. Fair enough I guess, wish they'd rethought it last week though, preferably before we got there.

Next year we'll be bringing in a winter solstice look. I guess this year they'll be celebrating Festivus. With the rest of us.

I couldn't make any of this up. I'm too tired. And it's only December 2nd.

And to add insult to injury I couldn't get any good pictures in the art deco house we didn't break any ornament or limbs in.

Just one shot of the loo,but trust me it was all this and more. Much, much more.

And no worries, we do laugh our way through all of these adventures. We live to tell the tales, over and over, year after year.

Every holiday Betty says "Jane, tell the story about the driver who stole the van or the driver who stole the jeep, or the driver who told us he lost all his cash and couldn't buy toys for his children and you gave him all your money".

And I do. Now I'm telling all of you too.

Anybody wanna buy a flower shop?

On The First Day Of December

2011-12-01T07:55:00.000-05:00

I hear those sleigh bells ringaling.

Strapping myself in tightly for the magical mystery ride of global warming:)

And, of course, taking you with me. Wheeeeee....

Christmas Rapping

2011-11-30T09:06:00.002-05:00

I wish I had taken pictures of the sweet peas I passed yesterday morning on my way to work. But it was raining and I was clutching a broken umbrella with my right hand and holding my iPod in my left as I listened to the Beiber belt it out on Drummer Boy. Loud. Yes, I am 13.

I am having a quiet morning moment here waiting for the shower. Work is threatening to engulf us and my desire to participate in a good old American Christmas is ebbing. The more black Fridays and Cyber Mondays I hear about the less likely I am to get in the mood.

As of November 30th, 6:30 AM, 31 days smoke free, all I want for Christmas is:

A healthy baby ( due the 25th by the by) for Tini and Nirmal. And under 9 pounds please. With a smallish head:)

Lots of sleep. Whenever and wherever possible.

Delicious salads full of pomegranate seeds and avocado chunks or sauteed walnuts, apples and feta. Toasted whole grain bread and chunks of cheese. Tumbler full of cold cold water.

A Christmas tree that stands it's ground. And a stylish front door wreath.

Time with friends and family.

Oh and a new something something to wear to GG's glamorous work holiday party. She's a medical assistant at a hospital in DC, in their Plastic Surgery Clinic, so since we may be the only people there able to wrinkle our foreheads surely I can have a new frock?

Off to shower/ dry/hair/pack yogurt/catch bus/ ride 20minutes/ turn up iPod walk 25minutes/ blast the Beiber.

Your holiday thoughts and wishes please? And what are you listening to to get your party rocking?

The Aftershock Survival Summit

2011-11-27T09:56:00.000-05:00

Swear to God this is this first available moment I have had to myself since I wrote my Thanksgiving post.

And this is what, Sunday?

Tini says she's waiting to see how I sum up our holiday dinner. I said the best I can think of is " Have you heard the one about what happened when the Englishman, the German and the Indian sat down at the table?

Can anybody say tower of babel? But the food was delicious and there were no misunderstandings over who wanted coffee and who wanted tea. And everybody loved the pie. Momentarily all were in accord.

And so I remember next year: it takes 2 and 1 half hours to cook a 14 lb. turkey cut into two. That's all Jane, plan accordingly.

And my personal Black Friday? Spent, as always, in the company of 5 co workers for 10and a 1/2 hours decorating a law firm. 4 trees, miles of stairwells, balconies and walls of wreaths. Shared leftovers, several Starbucks runs, and the rather large disappointment of having a trees lights burn out. After being decorated.

Saturday morning 2 of us were back with a new 7.5 ft. tree, more ornaments, a ladder and a very colorful vocabulary. Could you hear us, I bet security could.

Meanwhile we had a house guest. The Hai was staying with us. Patiently spending the days with the lab and the box cat waiting for conversation, the excuse to pop open another bottle of champagne and the inevitable cry "What's for dinner"?

But now it's Sunday morning and of the advice of several of you I have overslept, and as soon as I sign off we're out for a dog walk and then some quiet time with a morning coffee and the Sunday papers.

And what have you all been up to while I've been ruining my complexion?

I Like To Be In America

2011-11-24T08:08:00.000-05:00

In a minute I keep promising myself. I'll get moving in just a minute. Empty the coat rack for guests. Get out the tablecloth and napkins and put them where GG can find them. I'm a terrible ironer.

Clear the piles of papers and computers off the table and get down more chairs from the attic. Chop vegetables for the dressing, peel the potatoes, chill the champagne, last minute grocery list, what am I going to wear today?

But right this minute the house is full of sleeping females, the sun is shining brightly, my latte is iced, the flowers are done and the turkey has been wrestled into submission, cut in two halves and in resting comfortable in its marinade.

It's beginning to look a lot like Thanksgiving, a day of gratitude, family, friends and feasting.

And I am most grateful for the virtual appearance of all of you in my life. You make me laugh and cry, you've got my back, you've shared recipes, gardening advice, flowers in your homes, your hearts and your souls.

Americans get sappy on Thanksgiving. Wherever you live, what ever your day holds, whatever you're eating, let's remember to be grateful for the food on our tables. Hell, for the fact we're living under a roof and have a table, and a computer and each other.

Minute's up, I'm off. xo jane

The Omen

2011-11-21T21:49:00.000-05:00

I'm surrounded. The shop is full of flowers and berries and leaves and corn. My kitchen is bursting with potatoes and red cabbage and a 14 lb. organic turkey. The Hai is en route, the guests are calling for dinner time and recipes and GG is getting excited.

And the question that begs to be answered? Can I cope with all of this goodness?

Many years ago when I stopped drinking I had to relearn my craft. I literally had to take arrangements apart and start them over again. I had to learn to design from a different angle. A straight angle so to speak.

And without the nicotine (and massive cocktail of chemicals in each cigarette) to propel me through the day I seem to have to lost both my appetite and my desire to cook. Want a salad? I'm your girl. Turkey, cut in half and marinated in lemon and olive oil and herbs and garlic for 24 hours before roasting? We'll see.

I'm a bit slower and a little awkward at work too. And all the centerpieces waiting to be assembled? I've taken to going into the shop a little early and taking time just to warm up, hoping to get myself in the zone by the time the game starts.

The good news? I'm not alone in either arena. At work I'm flanked by hard working, talented designers, retail staff who juggle phones and customers plus listen to me freak my way through the day without a smoke.

At home in the kitchen I have GG on one side and a hungry trusting lab on the other.

And in the dining room you ask? A cat on a box of course and a praying mantis.

Wait, did I just find a praying mantis on the table?

You're right. Everything is going to be just fine.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

2011-11-20T09:36:00.000-05:00

Dear Cigarettes,

It's been 3 weeks since my lips have touched you. Do you miss me? Do you miss the 50.00 a week I paid for your company?

Do you miss the time we spent together? Outside, irregardless of the weather, rain, excruciating heat, freezing winds, balmy spring days, we were together forever. Or so you thought.

My friends and family tried to tell me but I didn't want to hear them. My doctors begged, offered help. I was deaf to their pleas.

Like anyone caught in a destructive relationship I was immune to the dangers of the loved one. But then I had a moment of clarity. I listened, I believed, I stopped.

You have not made it easy. My body has missed you. My mind, yea my very cells, have called out for you. Sometimes my skin crawls I want to be with you so much.

But I'm not coming back. I will resist your blandishments and your siren's cry.

Life is too wonderful to be in an unhealthy relationship. Forget me. I'm trying very hard to forget you.

Till death do us part? I don't think so.

Jane

And She's Dancing Like She's Never Danced Before

2011-11-15T18:23:00.000-05:00

I have mere minutes before I'm off to the gym to spend another pleasant hour with Andrew. Gentle yoga I mutter to myself as I catch a medicine ball mid air in preparation for a grueling bout of side twists.

At the gym I'm called Janiac and forced to make a muscle while my bicep is poked at and (jokingly) admired.
I'm quizzed on my nonsmoking and offered tips on staying stopped. I'm told to lie down on the floor and given deep touch pressure for my lungs. A treatment I understand is also effective on anxious autistic children.

At the end of my hour, I'm red faced with shaky legs or arms depending on the targeted areas, slightly nauseated from all the core work, extremely happy and very hungry.

I vaguely remember when my nickname was Princess and my gifts came from Hermes and Tiffanys.

Now I'm a Janiac and my gifts come from short men with over sized muscles who are helping me regain my waist, my strength and my lung capacity.

Better than a bracelet any day.

Who Knows Where The Time Goes

2011-11-13T09:12:00.001-05:00

Sunday morning, downing my iced latte and chomping away on an apple.

I have just wasted the better part of an hour writing a post lamenting the lack of time in my life. If you would like to read it go to edit posts and open.

Right? Blah, blah, time change, workload increase, hours at the gym, dinners to be cooked, books read, baths taken, blogs perused, holidays coming, girlfriend time, dogs, friends and family. Same old story of love and glory. Delete post. Add more images from Wednesday's party.

Today looks glorious with highs in the 60's. We have a baby shower to attend for Tini and Nirmal (sister and brother in law). There will be champagne, samosas, flowers by yours truly, the usual international community of fencers, climbers, South American beauties and their assorted offspring. Pictures will be taken.

I ask you , when did I have time to smoke? At 11:00PM tonight it will be two weeks since I last indulged in a lungful of nicotine. I must admit though, every afternoon at around 4:00 I would murder for a smoke. That's my time of want, of need. Do not come by the store then, if you ask me how I am I'll tell you. This is why I fly away to the gym. Burning desire erased.

Enough of me. Let's all enjoy out Sundays, not worrying about the time that's flying by but enjoying every moment we're living in. Delete nagging thoughts! As our manic dancing machine Zumba instructor says, "Smile, let out those endorphins".

Random Acts Of Kindness And Senseless Acts Of Beauty

2011-11-10T07:59:00.000-05:00

10 days Camel free. I think it's time to tell you how I came to stop smoking.

How did I even come to start smoking? I grew up with a father who couldn't seem to stop. He switched from pipe, to cigar to cigarettes and back again. I hated the smell, I hated the smoke But then one year I moved to Nantucket and stayed thru the winter. No boats, no beach, only bars and smokey ones at that. I caved and eventually craved.

Came to stop: on August 30, a Saturday, I walked out of the shop to have a cigarette. From out of nowhere appeared a man on a mission. I can help you stop that he said. I blew a cloud to the side of his head and said oh yeah, how?

Pick a day 3 months from now. That would be October 30th. Then start telling everybody that is your stop date, your last day of smoking. Tell friends, tell strangers, tell everybody, pretty soon you will come to believe it yourself. And you'll stop smoking.

I thought this was a wonderful idea. I immediately rushed over and told my smoking buddy from the frame shop about my stop date. That guy's a psycho, he told me. A psycho with a good message I said and I kept telling everyone for 3 months.

The rest is herstory.

And speaking of her story, a big thank you from the lab for all your kind words. She is healing rapidly, smiling broadly, thumping tail furiously and happily chewing away on her BIG rawhide bone from her good friend Christine and occasionally partaking of a Frosty Paw treat from a well stocked freezer. Today is her last day of antibiotics, Monday her staples come out.

The Lab and I are two lucky ladies:)

Every Picture Tells A Story

2011-11-07T10:19:00.000-05:00

Don't it?

Mission Impossible: 2 months bed rest. 3 five minute walks a day. On leash. No playing.

2 antibiotics every 8 hours. Pain meds every 12 hours. Icing 5 times a day for 15 minutes. No licking.

Luckily, no time limits on loving.

Heavy Metal Musings

2011-11-05T08:02:00.000-04:00

What would I do without you all? When I run out of words you send me a poem. When I need a smile you send me pictures of your bunnies and laughing dogs.

You reply on my daily facebook status, you send me emails and write the best comments full of love and laughter.

An Olympic contender should have this much support.

To honor this I have remained smoke free for 5 WHOLE DAYS! I've gnawed on endless carrots, crunched into many apples, bit into nut after nut after nut, guzzled bottles of water, lived at the gym and taken a Zumba class, covering myself in laughter and sweat.

Everyone at work has been very kind ( or they're very afraid). I've told my pharmacist, my bank teller and if I had a piano teacher I'd tell her.

Pros: My skin is glowing. My heart beats strongly. I have saved 35.00 so far this week. Autumn smells delicious. I no longer stand outside of work smoking a Camel and apologizing to the people walking by from yoga class.(imagine the shame?) Now I'm only outside to take pictures of flowers. Or just to breathe.

Cons: On Monday, my first day of non smoking I signed up for 40 more training sessions at the gym. 40. What the hell? It was pointed out to me this costs less than my yearly cigarette habit. In my condition this made total sense. So I signed.

I think that's the only con.

I thank you all. I didn't know if I could do this. It's unbelievable to me I haven't had one puff in 5 days and I'm happy about it. I don't harbor resentment, I don't feel that something precious has been taken from me, I don't feel as if I deserve something "fun" to do. I have often felt like this in the past and plotted the day I could sneak a secret smoke. Today I found a cigarette in a jacket pocket and almost tripped over myself getting to a trash can.

This had been edited and written the morning of day 6. Who know what stresses lie ahead, but i intend to crunch my way through them. And save another 7.00 in the process.

Unforgettable

2011-11-03T07:03:00.000-04:00

Much goes missing in the world of nicotine withdrawal. Parmesan cheese is gone until it is found in the drawer with the plastic wrap.

At work the word balloon is gone and replaced with umbrella.

Also a request for pink and purple flowers, I sent oranges and greens instead.

I'm sorry we are temporarily unable to hold that thought.

But today is the beginning of day 4 and if I don't smoke again I never have to feel as bad as I did on day 1,2 or3. And that seems like a good tradeoff.

Today GG starts a new job. Hurrah, hurray. And the Lab goes in for her surgery. (I've been waking up since 4AM worrying about this).

Tini and Nirmal will be taking her to the surgery so she spent the night with them. And we skyped with her.

She was quite worried that no more food would be available after 8:00PM.

We are quite worried we won't see her until Friday after work.

But not worried enough to smoke.

Everybody hold on. Drink a lot of water. Chew endlessly on carrot sticks. Live in the gym. Take a long bath every night and go to bed early. And send up a thought for Nika.

Remember: if it was easy nobody would smoke.

xo jane