I introduce to you...Mr. & Mrs. Lonie Fink

This past Saturday one of my best friends got married to one of my really good friends. To say these people were born to be together would be an understatement.

I've known Mahria for about 6 years and Lonie for about 3. The two of them met when I was asked to go to dinner for a friend's birthday. Being the girl that I am, I didn't want to go by myself so I asked (see begged and dragged) Mahria with me. The two of them pretty much made an instant connection and evidently Lonie called people after dinner and told them he had met the girl he was going to marry (I know, I know stop with the cheese).

The two of them dated for 3 years and 2, 3 or 4 days before tieing the knot this past weekend and I couldn't be happier for both of them. I wish both of you all the best in the world!

Vampire Weekend at Pappy and Harriet's

When the new boyfriend and I (more on him later) found out that one of our most liked bands, Vampire Weekend, was playing near Joshua Tree we decided to make a short day trip out of it and head to the concert. They played in a small off-the-beaten-path restaurant/venue called Pappy & Harriet's.

After researching Pappy & Harriet's a few days before the show I started getting excited. I love going to dive type places and this one seemed like it would be a lot of fun! We left around 3:30 and barely hit any traffic. We made a pit stop at Morongo on our way there, Justin won $50 and I won $40 (yay us!) and then were back on the road.

By the time we got to the windy, 2 way road that leads you to Pappy & Harriet's it was already dark. This made for an exciting drive since you literally are in the middle of no where and there aren't any lights but your headlights to guide you. It was so dark that arriving at Pappy and Harriet's felt like an oasis of light welcoming us in.

Before leaving home we had already decided that we would eat dinner and Pappy & Harriets (mainly because there wasn't much else around to choose from). This proved to be a great choice! This place should be on Diner's, Drive-In's and Dives. From the country saloon feel to the DELICIOUS hamburgers this place gets a A+ in my book. Their food prices were really reasonable and with beers being between $2-$4 and liquor between $3-$5 I don't see where you could really go wrong. All of their drinks are served in mason jars and the walls had old glass bottles built into them, which really helped add to the old saloon feel.

(The lighting is really dim so it was hard to get a good shot of the walls and other decor)

After eating we decided to walk around and check out the venue/restaurant some. There was an ADORABLE picnic area outside that had vines growing over it. I wish there had been better lighting so I could have taken a photo to share it with you. Since it was chilly and there wasn't much to see, we decided to head back inside. They were 3 pool tables and then I found the bathrooms! The doors to the bathroom had been painted to match the feel of Pappy and Harriet's...they even painted the stall doors!


The next thing we knew the first band was taking the stage so we headed in over to the stage are to catch them and get a good spot for Vampire Weekend. I don't remember what the opening band was called, but they were pretty good. Finally it was time for the main event...Vampire Weekend! The room filled up really fast and since we were upfront I could feel my claustrophobia setting in and I headed to the back (shortly followed by Justin). Vampire Weekend was really good. They played some older songs as well as some new one's and everybody was loving it. Since we had a 2 hour drive home we headed out as soon as they were done playing, but both know that we will be back the next time a band we like plays there.

If you ever find yourself in the Joshua Tree area, make sure you head to Pappy & Harriet's. Most nights they have live music and with the drinks the price they are, this place is a sure hit!

Silverado Country Fair

I found out about a country fair a few months ago from my next door neighbor Nick who has his own business selling different flavored teas and beautiful tea pots. It's set back in the Santa Ana Hills/Canyons in a town called Silverado and evidently this was their 39th year having the event. When I decided to sell at the event I didn't know exactly what I was getting myself into, but upon arrival it soon became clear that Marie and I were in for a weekend of down home fun.

The people that attended the Silverado Country Fair were mainly locals or people from near by towns in the canyon. To say they were welcoming would be an understatement. Everyone was so happy, accepting and cheerful all weekend long it felt like we had escaped to a different land.

The event raises money for the community and the organizers, volunteers from the Community Center, went out of their way to give everything a country feel. There was a blacksmith making things on site, a pretend jail where you could have your friend "arrested" for $6 and a picture with their warrant printed out, rock stacking, a stage where local bands/musicians played bluegrass, western and country music, and various food eating contests were some of the highlights for us.

Here's some pictures from our weekend and I will definitely be going back next year!

My booth

A closer view of my new sign and plates

The corn and scarecrow in front of my booth were
VERY popular with the carnival goers

Saturday morning Marie notice a hummingbird who stopped by
and tried to "feed" off my fake flowers and bright colors.
Can you see him?

Rock stacking. The more you stack the more points you get.
The size and shape of each rock determines how many points it's worth.

Country Legend Rusty Richards
stopped by to preform Saturday morning

Saturday's Watermelon Eating Contest (she was 2nd)

Watermelon Eating Contest (she was 3rd)

Watermelon winners! The girl in blue won!



The blacksmith hard at work





One of his fantastic pieces

Sunday's Pie Eating Contest

This little girl was ADORABLE! She was sitting on her
Dad's lap and they were eating the pie together.

The guy on the top left ended up being the winner.

Through out the 2 days there was a raffle.
This is Wendy; she won the apron I donated.

Like I said, Marie and I had a great time at this country fair. If you are ever in the area, we definitely recommend a drive through the beautiful Santa Ana Hills/Canyons.

Team Tough Titties

This past weekend was the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure in Orange County. My friends over at www.DiNGLIFE.com put together a team called Team Tough Titties and threw a fundraising ball Friday night for it. While I wasn't able to attend the race, I did attend the ball and supplied one of my cherry purses for auction. If you aren't familiar with the Susan G. Koman Foundation I highly suggest you check them out. Last year they raised over $3million for breast cancer research and support. 75% of the money either went to research or people fighting the battling.

Here are some pictures of my friends and I getting ready for the First Annual Tough Titties Ball. Silly me forgot my camera at home so I don't have pictures from while we were at the ball. We danced the night away and had a great time supporting such an amazing cause.

Bri and Jessica

Sue and myself

All of us...so fancy!

One of the reasons this event was so important for the 4 of us to attend is because Jessica's Mom is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in Oct. 2007 and has been done with treatment for a year and a half! While I have never met this women (she lives in Delaware), Jessica speaks very fondly of her and I can tell she is an amazing Mom, friend and an all around great human being. We truly are lucky that Susan Pelillo-Smith is still around to fill us all with laughter.

Jessica and her Mom (Susan)

Ode To The Weird

There are some creative people on Etsy, there's no denying it. But what about the creative people with a sense of humor? These people are probably some of my favorites! I've been perusing Etsy for the past few days trying to find the Best of the Best and these are some of the items that make me laugh so hard I think my sides might split open.

Doody Pops believe it or not, these are actually TREATS for your dog!
They are made with fresh meat and other simple ingredients that dogs go nuts for.


A Breath Of French Air creates these mervelous soaps...that's right, these teeth are actually made of SOAP! Even though they are peppermint "flavored" don't eat try eating a delicious treat with them unless you want a mouth full of bubbles!


These parking notes from Wry and Ginger are absolutely hilarious and were a big hit with my friends when included with their gifts this year. They are PERFECT to leave on the widshield of the driver that decides they are important enough to take two parking spots.

There's a ton more great stuff on Etsy so head on over there and take a look...go on, what are you waiting for?!

The Last Weekend of Summer

The last weekend of summer, AKA Labor Day, arrived just over a week ago. I celebrated it in a way that my family has for a little over 20 years; a trip to my Grandma's house in Pismo Beach. If you remember my last blog I talked about how my Grandma passed away this year on July 20th. This was the first Holiday weekend we have been up there that she hasn't and to say it was difficult would be an understatement. Luckily, we brought my best friend Sue and her daughter Izabella with us and they really helped "lighten the load".

It was the first time either of them had been to the area so we decided to start off the Saturday of our trip with one of our favorite places to have lunch, The Apple Farm in San Louis Obispo. If you have never been to The Apple Farm it's an adorable shabby sheik hotel and restaurant nestled a little of Highway 101. The Apple Farm also features an old millhouse that is a replica of one from the turn of the century. When my brother and I were younger you could watch them make apple juice and ice cream here. Unfortunately when we visited this weekend the mill was broken and so was the ice cream maker. None the less we still had a great time sampling (and buying) the apple juice they make. It's 100% apple with no added sugar or preservatives and probably the best apple juice ever. Here's a couple shots from our visit:

Where would you like to go?

Stopping to smell the flowers

Sue and Izabella waiting for lunch

Izabella and Nanny Sue

The Old Millhouse


Behind the millhouse there is a quiet little waterfall and the perfect place for a photo opportunity

Sue and Izabella

Izabella and Me

Watching the waterfall

Sunday we took Izabella to the beach for the first time. What a trip that was!! The water in Pismo is MUCH colder than it is down here in Orange County and felt like ice water. However, she LOVED it and we had a good time running in and out of the waves and playing in the sand. Those pictures are on Sue's camera but hopefully I will have them soon to post in another blog :).

After the beach we headed back to the house to give Izabella a nice warm bath. There is a rather large bath tub at my Grandma's that I have many fond memories of soaking in for hours at a time as a child. Naturally when Izabella saw it she was impressed with it's size and turned to me and in her almost 3 sweet and innocent voice said, "Auntie, you take a baff wiff me?" What was I supposed to do? Say no? What kind of Best Auntie Ever would I be? So, I (kind or reluctantly) said yes and bathing suit and all climbed into the bath tub with her and we had a great time playing, washing and laughing.

Armpits! Armpits! Armpits!

I hope all of you out there had a fun "last weekend of summer" and an all around GREAT summer!

Once Again...

It's been a while. I apologize for my absence. Life got crazy there for a few months with everything from shows to loved one's passing away. Well, I'm back! And I promise, I'm really really going to try to keep updating this more often...hopefully I can make good on that!

I hit a rather large milestone this month...100 sales in my Etsy shop! I'm so excited! Bike basket liners have been keeping me VERY busy this year...the request for custom orders has been very fun and it's great to see how unique each person truly is. One of the most popular pre-made liners is the "Fiesta Skull". He's so fun and bright I can see why he's well liked.


This summer also included a few trips to the Orange County Fair...something that has been a favorite of mine for many, many years. This year I decided to try more of the fried treats than I have in the past. I wasn't a big fan of the friend Reese's or avocados. But, the fried pizza bits and s'mores have become a favorite and I can't wait for them to come back next year! I was so busy taking in all the sites, smells, sounds and food that I forgot to use my camera a lot but here's some shots from when I did remember.

Izabella in foam Pork and Beans

Have you seen my pig?

Sue, Strawberry Shortcake and Izabella

Izabella and Auntie (Me)

I hope you are all having a great summer and enjoying what's left of it!