Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen

GOOD DAY ♫♫♪♪♫ SUNSHINE!

           When all is quiet in the house, and the morning is just about to begin, I look out the window and... 

there it is....had to wait a minute or two but the bright sunshine came filtering through the dining room window and illuminated the stained glass hanging in front of it. 

It's the little bits and pieces of the day that make me smile.

 

At the end of the day, the sunlight streams in through the living room window on the other side of the house. Pixie know this and never misses a chance to bask in the sunbeams that I am quite sure she thinks we send out to her every day. Now, I have to ask you...have you ever matched your decor to your pet...or maybe chose your pet to match your decor? 

It honestly was just happenstance that the color of the room and the coffee table/ottoman happen to match the green of Pixies eyes. I'm just being a little silly today...it might be the paint fumes. We prepped the walls and painted the primer over everything...hoping to have the color on the walls to show you next week. We will also be replacing a window and carpeting the room... wall to wall. This is getting very exciting! Here is a sneak peek of the room right now...

The walls will be painted Serene blue, the doors a semi gloss white to match the moldings. Not a huge room, but lots of closet space! 

This post is being linked to Little Red House for Mosaic Monday, Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday, and Smiling Sally for Blue Monday.

♥, Susan

EASY ON THE EYES

            So far, this winter is the most mild and temperate season I can ever remember. Like many others, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop...what does this mean? Will we segue right into Spring time? Should we have planted our peas already? Or....are we being lulled into a false sense of security, only to be socked by the real, snowy winter weather just showing up late? 

Feeling pensive, I am finding the grays of winter very comforting... the weathered woods and garden accessories that are not covered in snow this year. 
I want to breathe easy and relax... let the calm take over... but there is a nagging disquiet in the back of my mind. 
Is it just me or are others feeling this way too? My mind is wandering to the garden...after all, with temperatures in the 40's and 50's we could consider some planting. 
I see onions wiggling their tiny green tips in the garden and the bulbs of crocus I fear will be up and at-em way too soon. 
Maybe I need to just fill these vases with the  pretty pink tulips that I am seeing at the stores. A little colorful cheer might be perfect.

Time to embrace the odd and unique...and go buy those pink tulips!

This post is being linked to How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday.

♥, Susan 

MAKING FRIENDS .... STAYING CURRENT

              Blessed...yes, I am blessed for so many reasons!    ♫♪♫♪...I have learned how to add musical notes and other interesting characters to my posts. I learned that there is such a thing as an interrobang...     This is the character that can be used in place of a ? and an! ...who knew
             So, maybe everyone knows this and I am walking this world in technology darkness, but just in case there is someone reading this post and has some desire to learn how to get with the program, I would like to suggest a new blog to you. AndersTS is full of helpful, easy to understand information. It's like having a teenage tech guru at your fingertips! Oh, wait....I do have a teenage (for 3 more months) tech guru at my fingertips...he lives under our roof. Our son and his friend started a technology business about a year ago. It is amazing to me how quickly they are building their client list, starting with local people who needed trouble shooting and basic lessons to now setting up and integrating entire offices and companies. They have just opened their own office in town. 

            One of the most interesting areas of their business is their ability to understand the needs of middle aged (maybe older) people who don't have continuous access to current trends in technology. This is why they started writing a blog. If you think that you know everything you need to know about computers...trust me...you don't! 

            Here is the blog post/tutorial to bring you up to date on how to use the character board on your computer.

How’d They Do That‽

 Posted on 24th January 2012 in Uncategorized  with 3 Comments  by Brian

You’ve seen them in posts, I’ve seen them in posts, we’ve all seen them in posts (not to mention over the rest of the web).

The question at hand in this post, how do I get those “fancy characters” into my website/post/handout. Well, I’m here to tell you that, fortunately it is incredibly simple! Even more fortunately, you don’t need to install anything to find the characters.

The simple Windows utility to have all of these characters at your fingers (literally) is called the character map, and it is located in the accessories section (where the calculator application is located) of your start menu, specifically, within the folder “system tools”.

So a quick run through of how to find this, click the start menu in the bottom left hand corner of your screen. > hover over (or single click) all programs > look for, and highlight (hover over) the accessories folder > highlight the system tools folder > select character map.

Congratulations! You’ve made it! (I hope)

If you’ve made it here you can start looking through all the wonderful characters that are at your fingers (told you). So, by default the font is (usually) set to Arial, however, if you want the full gamut of potential characters switch the font (up at the top) to Arial Unicode MS, this will show the full list of characters available for use on the web. Now you can be at ease, knowing that you can use interrobangs ‽ instead of a question mark and an exclamation point. Or, my personal favorite, you can include the infinity symbol in your posts ∞ , or in my mothers case a heart ❤.

If you have any questions that you want answered in future posts (or about this one) leave it in the comments below!

Additionally I’d like to note that we are having a giveaway!

This giveaway features one free visual guide (yes, a guide with pictures) on the subject of your choosing, it will be printed on nice stock, bound (or sleeved) and mailed to you, as well as posted online as a downloadable PDF. Just shoot a tweet @anderstech, or leave a comment below with a link back to your blog to enter.

Article Written by Brian

You are welcome...

♥, Susan 

PLAYING CATCH-UP....FINDING PRETTY

                There are some parts of the month of January that I really like...others not so much. Winter finally arrived with the bitter cold and snow. I will spare you the pictures...yes its pretty, but I still don't like it. 

                 Instead, I went to my favorite market to bring you pictures to warm your souls and delight your eyes! 

Walk with me through the greenhouse at Sickles Market in Little Silver. The greens are so soothing to the eye and the planters are so inspiring. 

One of my favorite plants, the Oxalis or four leaf clover. This plant and the daffodils or jonquils are always there to remind us that warmer weather is not far away. 

How cute is this meditating frog sitting cross legged in the field of clover.

 

Providing some blue inspiration, these ceramic planters are giving me ideas for the back deck and front porch. I love the over-sized cup/planter filled with a babys tears plant.

Just when you think all is calm and serene, a big wooden table is full of those pops of bright springtime colors...bright yellows, pinks and purples...yes, way better than looking at the snow today.

    A pre-snow storm picture from Friday...the river was quiet, no boats out at this time of year...but in years past, this is when we would start to see the ice boats come out. Ice boat races are one of those fun winter pastimes that are completely dependant on several cold weeks in a row...like ice skating, you want the river or pond to be frozen solid! 

One of those little things that tickles my fancy every time I see it..the stop sign at the end of the road by the boat launch...could be, they put it there because one of our favorite pubs is right there as well. I have to imagine that more than one bar patron didn't realize that the road ended and the river began....right there! At very high tide...the sign is actually in the water!

Leaving you with one last hopeful picture...

That on-going renovation, well the closet doors are going up as I am writing this post! I can't even express how excited I am by this....the guys are doing an amazing job!... I can't wait to paint!!

This post is being linked to Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday, Little Red House for Mosaic Monday and Smiling Sally for Blue Monday.

♥, Susan
 

IS IT SPRING YET?

                 Maybe it's the warmer than average weather here at the Jersey Shore, or maybe it is a deep desire to skip winter all together. I did something really weird this week...I started Spring cleaning! The "stuff" in the basement had gotten so out of hand that I went through container after container, organizing and tidying. 

Treasure!! Yes, I found treasures galore. Like a big stack of holiday decorations that I bought from the estate sale of a teacher. I remembered her because she was easily in her 80's when I met her. 
She taught at the local elementary school in town in the 60's and 70's. Retired for a very long time, she was selling her house and moving on. I honestly forgot that I had these safely tucked away. 
Oh, the rewards of cleaning out a messy basement!! All of these fun and nostalgic decorations are being offered for sale on Etsy ...all in one group! Now, if this didn't make you smile, than you didn't grow up in the 60's or 70's!!

 One other holiday picture that I wanted to share with you is a store window that I saw today... The sun was shining on the window so it was hard to get a really good shot, but look at this pink doily heart made of heart shaped doilies...not to mention the pink sequin jacket right next to it....an over the top girlie valentine for sure! 

This post is being linked to How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday.

♥, Susan

THIS IS THE YEAR!

              This is the year....the year to be inspired, finish projects started last year, learn something new, reacquaint with old Friends, meet new friends, and to accomplish goals unrealized. 

               
If the Japonica, azalea, and the daffodils aren't afraid of this amazingly warm weather at the Jersey Shore...maybe we should take advantage too! Every where we have been the last few weeks has been packed with people enjoying themselves.

We even found a yard sale yesterday! Late in the day as yard sales go, there wasn't much left, but I did find two tablecloths in this blue and white check cotton and a vintage copy of Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts. Inspiration on a budget...one of the checked tablecloths will be cut and sewn to be a curtain in the recently finished upstairs bathroom. 

Working from blue inspiration, the color is popping up in more and more places in our house.  

As I sit at my desk and write I am wondering just how many rooms in a house can be painted the same color? Serene ...a pale gray blue by Behr at the Home Depot  is the favorite color for me this year...and that is a carry over from last year. 
Inspired by a finished office/lounge area upstairs in our house, with lots and lots of clever little storage areas, I am looking forward to finishing off the bedroom across the hall. 
The wall has been rebuilt and customized to accommodate four sets of doors. These are the doors that I was unbelievably lucky to find on Craigs List last year. One town over, someone was redoing their house and wanted to sell 10 sets of doors...I couldn't have bought one set of doors for the price he quoted for the 5 sets that we bought. Picture this...one long wall, four sets of white doors, the walls painted Serene blue, and the trim and ceiling painted white. Are you getting the feeling for how this bedroom is going to look? I have to be honest...the idea for the wall of closets came from two places. The first was a show house in the area, and the second was a house that Sarah Richardson did on one of her shows. It makes me giddy just thinking about how this is going to look!!

                  So, this is the year...the year that I change things up a little ...for instance...I put away the aluminum trays that have been on this hutch for such a long time now and filled it with vintage Bennington pottery dishware...made in America! The fabulous sunflower platter on top was a gift from my daughters boyfriend...it was inspiring! 

 It is also the year that I start framing more of my photos. I don't know if you were as taken by the bee's nest of 2011 as I was, but I thought the pictures were pretty amazing. I will also try to write more about the vintage aluminum that I have collected over the years. The long narrow tray in the picture above was made by Arthur Armour more than 60 years ago. He called it "Snake in the Garden" , and the handles have bakelite inserts. I consider this hammered aluminum tray a work of art!  

            Another interesting and fairly new publication is the magazine/cookbook from Stampington and Company...Where Women Cook...It is a real treat for those who appreciate an interesting kitchen and a home chef who thinks "out of the box". 
Anyone who has been reading this blog knows that I collect cookbooks so this new publication is pretty interesting to me. Last night I finished reading The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman. A national best seller, it is definitely worth the read!!

                Like most of you reading this, I am hoping that this will be the year I blog more regularly, lose some weight, do good things and be a better person over all...and like those of you reading this, we can keep up with the annual progress on the "internets"...I promise to read your blog posts and leave comments...and keep in touch via facebook. This is the year!

This post is being linked to Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday, Little Red House for Mosaic Monday, and Smiling Sally for Blue Monday.

♥, Susan 

PARTY SHOES

               Did your heart go pit a pat when you read the title of this post? Do you love, love, love a wonderful new pair of shoes...especially the party variety? I know that I do, even to this day, I can remember going to Stride Rite with my mother and picking out, along with the snazzy saddle shoes we wore to school a shiny new pair of black patent leather Mary Janes.

Here are two pairs of shoes that I snapped pictures of during the holidays this year...they were so fabulous, that they had to be noticed!
These pink sparklers are from TOMS shoes...the company that will donate a pair to the under privileged every time you buy a pair...such a win win deal!

This pair of fabulous designer shoes belongs to my good friend Susan... they just shout whirl me, twirl me and take me to a party! 

     Did you get a new pair of party shoes this year? I bought a pair of black patent leather heels...I know, kind of boring, but they go with everything and although they weren't Mary Janes, they did make me happy!

This post is being linked to Beverly's How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday.

♥, Susan

NEW YEAR GREETINGS FROM THE JERSEY SHORE

            Happy new year everyone...from my family to yours, we wish you good health, much prosperity, and lots of happy family moments in 2012. 

            The weather at the Jersey Shore has been down right magical for this time of year.

We took advantage of the remarkably warm temperatures and spent quite a bit of time at the beach...walking on the boardwalk
and popping into the Asbury Park Convention Center to see what was new.

It was actually pretty quiet inside but that didn't stop some of the local pigeons from looking for crumbs inside.
It was so beautiful outside though that I heard the roar of the Atlantic crashing against the rocks and just calling my name. The air smelled like the salty sea, and it was wonderful!

           So what have you been up to? Did you celebrate the New Year with a crowd or ring it in quietly like we did?

This post is being linked to Little Red House for Mosaic Monday and Smiling Sally for Blue Monday...because the ocean and the sky were as blue as blue can be!

♥, Susan