ode to mom

so i made a huge mistake in my previous post. i made mention that i planted the hydrangeas. that was quickly corrected by my lovely mother, who is a very literal lady when it serves her cause or argument. actually, my mother operated the shovel back when those were planted, so she was the one who planted them, not i. since my mom is one peach of a gal, i thought i would not only retract the claim that i, individually, planted those hydrangeas, but put up a post all about her.

my mom is known for many things: her discriminating taste for tchotchkes; being an highly experienced car passenger; maintaining her elite status as a slot machine high-roller at the casinos; having some very strong political opinions that are polar opposite of mine; possessing masterful wallpaper hanging abilities and keen sewing skills; and, most importantly, her love of dressing animals like humans.

i would like to elaborate on the last characteristic. this started with our dear golden retriever, sassy. sassy was just as her name--a sassy ol' broad. if sassy were one of the "golden girls" (rest in peace, estelle getty), i figure she would have been bea arthur's character, dorothy zbornak. sassy was incredibly smart and knew exactly what she wanted. she would always talk smack back to us and didn't let us get away with most things that humans slip by dogs, such as dressing them up in goofy outfits. my mother tried to throw a hat on her here and there, but i don't think, aside from the red bandanna, she ever found success during sassy's 16 years on this earth, since that sassy ol' broad of a dog was having none of that. then came along our second golden retriever, abbie. abbie was a smart dog, but on a different level than sassy. abbie was more of a dog's dog in that she could be easily tricked into things if it meant getting extra pets or a treat. this opened the door for my mother to feed her deep seated impulse of dressing up dogs. over the years, it was as predictable as my father's caterpillar cards that the holiday season wouldn't be complete without a picture of abbie in various holiday gear--santa hat; antler headband; new and improved antler headband with jingle bells; you get the point. i always felt bad for abbie, or any dog who gets dressed up in goofy outfits, but my mom insisted that abbie liked it. sadly, abbie passed after about as many years as sassy had under her belt. the memories will live on since we have many pictures of her, with and without the festive wear.

on to their most recent addition to the family--cricket. cricket came from the local humane society. mom, who came to decide she wanted a smaller dog, as she and my father are getting older, got her when she was a tiny puppy and after the humane society declared she was a terrier and lhasa apso mix and would stay small. it is now better evident that cricket is more likely part giraffe, part border collie. with that said, mom really loves the dog and no phone conversation is complete without many stories about cricket's life. being that cricket is more of the abbie variety of dog--will do about anything you ask her if you offer a pet in return--mom wasted no time to pull out the accessories and the camera. i think i saw it all when my mother sent an email the other day to proudly announce that cricket, in bespectacled glory, made the front page of the local newspaper. it is like my mother has fully come out of the closet and announced to the local community that she likes to dress up dogs. bravo, dear mother, bravo! your unapologetic eccentricity will always be a source of my entertainment.

a small victory for me

i am so excited to see my hydrangea bushes in full bloom. while most people would take this for granted, i am beyond thrilled since this took me four years to achieve this. the first year i planted them, they already had flowers, but were small. the second year, i decided to be clever and fertilize them. i instead killed them. year three, i didn't realize you don't prune the dead looking branches in the winter, so the third year was spent just growing the plants back. year four, no fertilizer, no pruning. so, basically, i just neglected them entirely and they are huge and full of flowers. each day they change color. i love the gradation of colors in these pictures. i know you can manipulate the colors by changing the acidity of the soil, but i am not even going there. oddly enough, all the bushes, while all in nearby locations, are coming up in different colors. the beauty of these flowers are inspiring me to try some new things with metal and color, so be on the lookout for some future posts on some of the projects that have been based on these plants. hopefully the experiments in metal will not take as long to achieve success as they did with these bushes. i don't have the patience!

a dark knight during the light of day

so the man of the house wanted to go see the new batman movie on friday. i certainly didn't object since: 1. i enjoyed the last one; and, 2. christian bale is a beautiful, beautiful man. since, in some ways, i am like an 80 year old woman, matinees and early dinners are my friends. being the party animal that i sometimes can be, we went to a 5:00 PM show (yes, this is considered a "late" movie for me). we saw that all the later showings were already sold out--not that it would have impacted when we would see it. there was a little setup in the center of the theater's foyer that was roped to form a queue for each evening showing of the movie (the movie was showing every 30 minutes or so). as we were casually heading towards the theater in which we would be watching the film--no line needed for the 5:00 PM show--i noticed the type of thing that sometimes makes me shake my head at the human race. what i assumed was a father and son go to the front of the roped section and set up lawn chairs. to be clear on this, they actually brought lawn chairs to sit at the front of the line. yes, these guys were sitting at the front of a then non-existent line for a future showing when they could have easily gone, sans the lawn chairs, to the 5:00 PM show that was playing in the theater just to their immediate rights. the man of the house and i brought no lawn chairs, purchased no advanced tickets, showed up at around 4:30 PM and got to sit in good seats to watch the entire movie before these guys. methinks these two probably waited in line for a new iphone, too.

on to the movie. the man of the house can't say enough about the greatness of this movie. i enjoyed it, too, but felt: 1. it was a little too long for my tastes; and, 2. christian bale's beautiful face was covered too often by that mask. heath ledger was brilliantly creepy as the joker. it certainly demonstrated what a real talent he was. one thing that very much confused me was why the mayor of gotham was wearing so much eyeliner. was that part of his character? did the mayor of gotham (who, coincidentally, played "batmanuel" in "the tick") have a circa 1980s simon lebon fettish? it was about as confusing to me as why christian bale's voice turns to one of a 300 pound man who just walked 3 flights of stairs as soon as he puts on the bat suit. anyhow, minor confusions aside, since i have two thumbs to offer, i give it two thumbs up!

the coolest notecards ever.

i believe i have mentioned here before that i still enjoy writing letters that require postage stamps. this is especially the case for thank you notes. i just find it to be so gauche to thank via email. i thank my mom and dad for instilling this belief. growing up, after every birthday, holiday or significant even that resulted in the receipt of gifts, they would hover over us as we wrote all our thank you notes. 1. they had to be sincere in nature; and, 2. always include a mention of the item given. as a kid, i didn't understand why it was so important that we write these things right away. i get it now, as i certainly notice when i have given gifts for weddings, graduations, etc. and don't get a thank you note in return or just a tacky email thank you. if someone puts the thought and effort into getting you a gift, please find it in your heart, time and budget to buy an envelope, a piece of paper and $.42 (i am sure that will change before we know it) to thank the gift giver.

nowadays i always enjoy receiving letters and thank you notes from my parents--my dad in particular, due to the unintentional comedy they provide. i still have saved all the letters he wrote me in college that warned me about the dangers of accepting drinks from strange guys and having my tire pressure below 30 pounds. those two topics made it in every letter. while most "letters" from my parents come via email nowadays, the handwritten thank you notes still arrive. my dad has been using the same thank you cards--now referred to as "the caterpillar card"--for at least 5 years now. "the caterpillar card" is just that--a card with a painting of a colorful cartoon caterpillar on it with "thanks" written over it. birthday thank you card--the caterpillar card; father's day thank you card--another caterpillar card; Christmas--yes, the catepillar; random gifts or post-visit--that damned caterpillar. i swear he bought a case of these things once and probably has hundreds of them left. i figure they were on sale. my dad now will tell me over the phone, "hey, nicole, we got the (insert gift here) today. i need to get around to sending you a caterpillar card, but just wanted to let you know the gift made it here safely." while it has become a running joke in my household, those cards always make me smile. my mother, on the other hand, never seems to use the same kind of card twice. but she is the type to notice if someone sent out the same Christmas card that they sent 5 years earlier. sometimes she does add a little note to the caterpillar card, though.

while my dad has a penchant for caterpillar thank you cards, he also has a short list of guys (living and dead) that he finds very worthy of his admiration. this list includes: clint eastwood (as dirty harry especially); charles bronson ("death wish"--back when i was in college, my dad even gave me a sock of quarters to use for self defense, but was saddened to learn that i used the quarters for the laundry room); steve mcqueen ("bullitt"--while this has to be one of the slowest car chase scenes ever, it still excites him); herman munster; mickey mantle; walter payton (aka "sweetness"); and, jimi hendrix. i always like to give him things that have some short of tie-in with these men of greatness. given his love of thank you cards, how clever would it be to get to send him a thank you card with one of their images? this is where the lovely tristan brando of the bella bella company comes in. if being a pr genius and the nose behind the successful monyette paris and other perfumes were not enough, she has also taken up stationery by using some of her original art and illustrations. i found the most lovely surprise from tristan in my mailbox the other day. lovely mini note cards that feature some of my dad's manly icons and a couple of my style icons. i can't wait to surprise my dad with notes written on dirty harry and steve mcqueen note cards. i am sure those will be special enough to him that he will write a thank you for the great thank you card...

...using a caterpillar note card, of course.

note cards above by the bella bella co.

summer drinking

not too long ago i discovered what is starting to replace what has always been my favorite go-to cocktail--the mojito; introducing the caipirinha (pronounced "kai-pur-een-ya"). what is so great about these drinks is that you can pretty much add any fruit you have in the fridge to the base recipe and it always tastes great.

to make a simple caipirinha:

• put a few lime wedges and a couple teaspoons of ultra fine sugar in a glass and muddle
• add ice and 2 oz. of cachaca
• shake, pour and serve

my favorite variation:

• 2 oz. cachaca
  
• 1 oz. pineapple juice
• 1 oz. coco lopez
  
• ¼ lime
• glass of ice
  

be sure to get your free muddler (only $2 for shipping) from LeBlon. happy sipping!

goldfinger

i always felt i can identify with johan van der smut. not that i participate roller disco or have ever engaged in an evil plot to take over the world, but it is because i love gold. i also love silver. not just the metals, but items that are gold or silver in color. i can't get enough shoes that are gold or silver-sandals, flats, heels, athletic shoes, etc. it doesn't matter. i must have them. it is a sickness. i even recently had a pair of air max 97s custom made in gold, and one pair made in silver. yes, i am fully aware they are tacky, but that is what makes them so fabulous.

i also love chanel cosmetics. although their nail polishes are pretty salty in price, i am willing to pay up since the colors are usually pretty and the stuff seems to resist chipping for a week to two. no other nail polishes i have tried seem to last more than 2 days before chipping. each season i like to buy their limited edition colors and always buy an extra or two as part of my elaborate, but never realized, plan to sell the excess bottles on ebay once they are unavailable in the stores. a year or so ago, it was all about black satin. spring 2008 it was all about the blue satin and azur (which really looks best when you paint the azur over the blue satin). the newest limited release colors came out a few weeks ago--gold fiction (gold), fantastic (a pinky burgundy) and kaleidoscope (a silvery, gunmetal color). yes, gold and silver nail polishes. it was a happy day for me. so i picked up a bottle of each, and one extra of the gold fiction (yes, the always unrealized ebay plan strikes again). i also picked up some of the gold powder highlighter and a tube of glossimers in gold light.

now for the report: the gold polish is lovely on, but, much to my dismay, it chipped within a few days of wear. this is odd for chanel polish. and the fact that this color costs $30--more than the price of your average chanel polish colors--for some reason really doesn't make me too happy about this. the glossimers in gold light is lovely by itself. i am sure it would look great over a base of lipstick, too. the gold highlighter powder is a little too glittery for my liking, but i will probably still use it sometimes. the "fantastic" polish looks great on my toenails. i figure it will look great on the fingers, too. lastly, i have yet to try the silver polish, but that comes next. i will make sure to pair it with some of my best fabulously tacky silver shoes.

sunglasses, heat waves and careless waiters (in no particular order)

well, the aero 57mm glasses decided to never make another appearance. being the OCD type that i am, it haunted me until i finally caved and purchased another pair. i took a gamble this time and purchased some off ebay since the person had some good feedback for selling authentic pairs. lo and behold, the real thing arrived in my mail only three days later, so i had them in time for my all too short, last-minute trip to california. while i am still beside myself for losing the original pair in the first place, it stings a little less to know i got another pair below retail. i just hope i am not supporting tony soprano or something of the like. i don't see how some of the ebay resellers get the goods they get, but i don't think i want to know! my only beef is that i don't like the case that came with them. i miss my old case. i just hope that someone out there is appreciating their jackpot find and takes good care of them.

now on to the trip. it was on short notice, but i at least got to see some friends and family. it was nothing monumental since i was just going back to the bay area, where i lived before for years, but do want to point out to the world that i will NEVER eat at amarin thai again. yes, folks, my go-to place for years has now been added to my list of grievances. those who know me know that, while the list is pretty short and selective, it is not a list one wants to be on since occupancy is permanent. long story short, after being distracted by two trashy ladies walking by, the waiter spilled chili sauce all over my handbag--one of my investment bags. yes, i like to convince myself that my expensive bag purchases are "investments." granted i probably couldn't use them as equity for a loan, i like to tell myself they are wise purchases that have more value to them than being an attractive holder of my wallet and powder compact. *somewhere in a quaint oakland hills home, suze orman sheds a tear while picking out her blazer for the day.* as i am trying to remove the chili sauce that has soaked into the soft leather of the bag, one of the other employees checks in on me. i show her the damage and politely tell her that there is some value to the bag. she asks if i want to "talk to someone," then proceeds to tell another about it in thai. i wish i knew what she was really saying. the only "someone" she summoned up for me was the doofus, clumsy waiter who said something to the note that "sometimes mistakes happen." that was it; no attempt to make things right; no offering to at least comp our meal; nothing. well, sometimes fender benders happen, but the person causing the accident has to pay for the damage. the guy's logic that mistakes don't hold consequences was severely flawed. not really wanting to create a scene, we went ahead and tried to eat our dinner which was absolutely bland and salty. it really sucked. the quality of the food there has gone down the toilet. the combination of my disgust with their apathy towards the situation and a horribly crappy meal made me lose my appetite pretty quickly. when they had the nerve to present me with the check for dinner, after they ruined my bag, i quickly decided i would never return again and tell the world about how badly they suck, in hopes it will show up when someone is searching for them on the internet. on the other hand, lamponi thai on the eastside of the seattle area is fabulous--consistently good food (better than amarin thai--at one time i thought i would never say such a thing about any thai place), wonderful flavors and fabulous staff. i bet they wouldn't spill chili sauce on someone's bag and act like it is no big deal.

on a high note, i did manage to get a new pair of sunglasses during the trip. hopefully i will not lose these. they are oliver peoples leyla in black and gold. i need to get them tightened since they are a little too big on my head, but, otherwise, they are pretty swanky looking on me. so the short trip wasn't a complete bust.


oh, in case you didn't catch it the first time, i no longer like amarin thai and hope that others don't waste their money there. the food isn't worth the price anymore and now the service is bad. if you must go against my suggestion, please make sure you don't wear anything nice. if you are around downtown mountain view and are seeking asian food, check out totoro instead. it is a korean restaurant with good prices for what they offer. i like the kim chee and tasty chap chae. i have never tried their soon doo boo, since i am a creature of habit and get the chap chae each time. just, please, don't go to amarin thai.

came back to a heat wave here in seattle. summer came out of nowhere here, since, just a few weeks ago, everyone was still wearing fleece and scarves. each year we have been here, we get more of these heat waves per summer and they are longer each time. and to think some feel global warming is a myth... a few of my plants that i have been nursing for a couple years got scorched. that was a bummer. every time there is a heatwave here, i question why the majority of homes here don't have central A/C, especially considering the prices of homes here. it wouldn't be a huge loss to throw in a unit. the need for one is a topic of debate each time the thermometer hits over 85. as a compromise, we put in a hideous window unit in the master bedroom last year and pulled it out again a week ago. at least we can now go in there for an arctic blast.