"RAINDROPS ON .... "

... on FLOWERING JASMINE... 2.24.11 @ 4:55pm

JPE & I had an "unexpected" gift today!
 

We got home from WORK before 3:15pm!! 

What a treat!!!

Belinda from UPSIDE DOWN BEE hosted & selected the WEEKWORD! Yes, I'm still playing - wish you were too!

I get a kick out of learning NEW words; visiting different blogs; and trying to "stretch my imagination" to take a picture that suggests my interpretation of the WEEKWORD.  Belinda's selection was "L-A-G-N-I-A-P-P-E" which I had never heard of AND is a word native to Louisiana... 

you can read the definition at my original post HERE or AT THIS SPOT!

I stretched the definition to be "an unexpected gift"...
 

JPE "gifted" us with homemade SCONES for our tea-time!

BENEFIT of coming home early from work!!

DRIED CRANBERRY SCONES

(makes 12 scones)

• 2 c flour
• 3 TBSP firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3 TBSP cold butter, cut in 3 pieces
• 1/2 c dried cranberries
• 1 c heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 TBSP granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet (we use a SILPAT LINER to prevent burning on the bottom).

2. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt & cinnamon in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in dried cranberries.

3. Whisk together heavy cream, eggs & vanilla in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in egg mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.

4. Drop by heaping spoonfuls into 12 mounds onto baking sheet. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Although we've not used other dried fruit - you can substitute dried apricots or cherries. AND, you can also use COARSE SPARKLING SUGAR to add that gourmet touch!

JPE topped his scones with HIS homemade peach jam... aren't I a "lucky gal" to have such a WIZ in the kitchen!?? 

WISH you could smell the kitchen! 

this recipe is "melt-in-your-mouth" goodness...

My "gift" to you... his favorite scone recipe...
have a cozy weekend...
(ours will be wet, drizzly & chilly)

BLOOMING... LOOMING... SWOONING...

brick + delicate, spindly flowers = LOVE-ly (London)

What, I sometimes wonder, 

would it be like if I lived in a country 

where winter is a matter of a few chilly days and a few weeks' rain; 

where the sun is never far away, 

and the flowers bloom all year long?

~ Anna Neagle, British star during WWII

a "splash" of color for a university professor (Radcliffe University, Oxford)

fences + flower boxes = unique combination (Bath, London)

basement dwellings "spread" beauty (Chelsea area, London)

"DUG"...

(a VERB used when playing with flowers) 

...into my London archives for some 

SPRING-like inspiration...

 

 What project(s) will you eagerly 

"plunge your hands" into at the "first breath" of SPRING?

DROP BY...

lovely, lovely sis-in-law's home ~ 2.20.11

visiting family in So California...

spent the night at SIL's "lovely" home 

(as magnificent as a "5 star" hotel)

& "chatted-up-a-storm" with cousins

visiting from OH!!  

 

:: FYI ::

WEEKWORD = 

"L-A-G-N-I-A-P-P-E"

"Lagniappe"

(lan~yap)

 

Thank you, Belinda @ UPSIDE DOWN BEE 

for introducing a new word! 

Also, I copied the following info from her BLOG

to get the creative juices flowing!

(lan‘yəp, lăn-yăp‘)

Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi (origin circa 1844)

1. A small gift presented by a storeowner to a customer 

with the customer’s purchase.

2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. 

Regionally, also referred to as "boot."

Etymology: Creole < Fr la, the + Sp ñapa, lagniappe < Quechuan yapa

Interesting fact ~ Napa comes from yapa, which means “additional gift” in the South American Indian language, Quechua, from the verb yapay “to give more.”

 

DROP by BELINDA'S to let her know 

if you are participating in WEEKWORD!!

WHEEE!!

bike lane ~ London ~ Summer 2010

"The bicycle is a curious vehicle. 

Its passenger is its engine." 

~ John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia

LONDON Bike Taxi ~ Picadilly Circus

LOVE this basket! (London)

another basket!! (San Luis Obispo)

TODAY!!!

It's RAINING!

It's POURING!

"great" day to tidy my photo files...

Was your FIRST bike this cute?

MINE was RED!  I shared it with my brother!!

Did you have a BASKET? 
...this one is AWESOME!!

http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/carrie-bicycle-baskets-pr-25410.html

purple bike + lime green basket
 makes me think of SPRING!

A WOMAN'S BEST FRIEND!

Lounging LOLA ~ 11.27.10

"The greatest love is a mother's; 

then a dog's; then a sweetheart's."

~ Polish Proverb

ACE took this picture at 
the INTERNATIONAL QUILT SHOW 
in Long Beach, several years ago...

same little face??

Do you think she knew a DOG was in her future?

OH, so cute!! 

"O-H" was the WEEKWORD selected by
Elena @ MY QUEST

OH, my... need a definition? 

• used to express a strong emotional reaction such as surprise, shock, pain, or extreme pleasure

• used to introduce strong reaction: used to introduce short phrases that express a strong emotion, such as anger, shock, delight, or triumph

• used to introduce response: used to introduce a response to what somebody has just said or asked

OH... so are you curious about who's playing

WEEKWORD? 

check in with

ELENA!

WONDERING???

V-Day decorations from Alicia's ~ 2/11/11

http://aliciasinc.com/alicias/index.asp

"LOVE absolutely everything in your life."

~ Paul Cantalupo

I usually put some identifying information about the author of the quotes I use on this blog. Today, I googled the author of this quote & in an effort not to misidentify a person, I've chosen not to put anything about Paul. 

BUT, it really got me wondering... how do "quotes" come to the attention of book publishers, authors & others (like me who collect quotes)??

Initially, I found this quote in this book (BTW - if you don't have a copy, you might want to get one! lots of quotes, art, stories... I pick it up whenever I need some inspiration).

So - if anyone out in blogland, reading my simple little blog knows the answer to this question, please let me know.

OH - about the cute little lantern picture at the top of the blog - I caught up with my high school friend, Alicia, last Friday... She has an cute restaurant & gift shop in an industrial park in Brea, CA. She also caters... her gift shop has such adorable, reasonably priced "goodies" - I look forward to my lunch dates (with my mom & sister), but also visiting the gift shop. I did get a few gifts for upcoming birthdays... Alicia always has some fabulously funny stories - thanks for always making me laugh, my friend!!

AND - we ordered the "HIPPIE CHICK" sandwich - check out her menu HERE- portions are generous! & her cookies are scrumptious!