Love is a Verb

IMG_0010, originally uploaded by TTT with Toulouse.

Isn't this perfect!
Love is a verb!
This little vignette was in Natellie's (well, her family's) bathroom.
a great thought to start the weekend off with.

Plum Crazy..

I have been told that I am a bit whacky,

quirky even

but now

I think I'm

PLUM CRAZY!

Our plum tree is loaded with

plums~

a plethora of plums!

"John!!

let's make jam!"

recipe search....

.a jam that is not too sugary as the plums are really sweet!

Eating Well!

One of my favorite foodie magazines with

great "healthy" recipes!

John picked some of the plums -

like a bucket load!

We pitted about a third of the bucket.

followed the recipe ...

cooking away

added the sugar

and the pectin

cooking...cooking ...cooking

HOT!!

and messy!


Finished!

let cool 24 hours

and then freeze

Making jam reminds me

of taking pictures

using

F I L M

you have to wait to see how the pictures turn out.

The jam seemed a bit liquidy in the jar

not like real

JAM

Hopefully,

it will jam up.

If it doesn't,

what to do?

Fage yogurt with plum sauce and granola?

(don't you just l o v e Fage yogurt?)

Duck with plum sauce?

Chicken with plum sauce?

Lamb with plum sauce?

Tofu with plum sauce?

Plum smoothies?

hmmmm........

Keep your fingers crossed that the Plum Crazy Jam jams up!

........

Meet Natellie ~ a Most Amazing Artist and Cute as a BUG!

Travels

to Morro Bay

brought me and Toulouse

to the home of

Natalie Saia,

a young artist who's art is

knocking my socks off!

I actually met Natellie about

four years ago.

Her mom, Barbara, is the rock star

that raises funds and runs

marathons

and half marathons

for Team in Training,

and for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I knew Nat as a runner and

serious basketball athlete

and a neat "kid".

....

flash forward

.....

I casually pop by one of my favorite junk haunts,

Ruby Rose.

There is Barbara (HI Barbara!)

and her daughter Natellie

and

Natellie has her

OVER THE TOP

fun

Mixed Media art

cheerfully

displayed

among all the really cute things

that Ruby Rose sells.

WOW!

I bought a couple of cool pieces:

1. a cool knife, fork and spoon drawing

and

2. an amazing drawing of keys and more keys and more keys

(like to your heart)

titled

"ESQUELETOS"

(skeleton keys)

the keys unlocked my heart

and I love

Natellie's art!

So, we talk! Natellie is studying Graphic Art and plays serious basketball and has only a couple of weeks left in SLO -

I am thinking that maybe Petit Soleil

would be the perfect

"second"

stage

for

Nat's art.

Toulouse and I went to Morro Bay

to discuss this further

...

Nattelie has been

seriously

painting and creating

beautiful

works in a little,

tiny corner of her bedroom!

Every nook and cranny was

colorful

with amazing stuff

to look at

Natellie collects everything NIKE...

she has some

300 pairs

(or some crazy number like that)

There are Nike shoes,

Nike shoe boxes and

Nike shoe drawings

(that she drew)

proudly displayed

everywhere.

In the kitchen

are these

precious little

cupcakes

(that look almost good enough to eat!)

Back in her bedroom hangs this super cool chandelier

(surrounded by Nike boxes)

It was a feast for my eyes - everywhere!

And you know,

Barbara, her Rock Star mom,

is an

avid collecter and artist

in her own right....

(that will be a whole other adventure with Toulouse)

Natellie has a portfolio

of really creative

work

that she did

for school

...

I ESPECIALLY LOVED THE CRANES!

like the origami cranes

in Japanese legend that

come to life and grant wishes,

good health

and healing.

the colorful

Dia de los Muertos art

were tucked in

behind

baskets of cherries

..

Back to her little corner

next to the closet door that she drew

a

Nike shoe on

she creates

...

and types little quotes

and

goodies

on

an electric typewriter

I had such a fun couple of hours,

inhaling all the

colors,

the collections,

the smiles

and cheeriness

of the home that

Natellie

lives in

(while she's home from college)

and

creates in

and shares with her family

and dogs...

Thanks, Natellie (here with Betsey Johnson)

I had so much fun

and

I cannot wait to see all the fun,

colorful

amazing creations

you will

show at

Fete d'Arte

at Petit Soleil!

Au Revoir,

Well here's a fun coincidence....

so,

you know I posted a recipe for

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

a while back?

Well, who knew?

There is a fabulous blog

called

Zucchini and Chocolate

or

Chocolate and Zucchini

that I fell in

L O V E

with

and there is a recipe,

under chocolate recipes,

for a

Chocolate Zucchini Cake!

Is is quite similar

to the bread recipe,

but it doesn't have

yogurt and I used

olive oil .

It looks really moist and

I love the coffee addition

to

bring out the

C H O C O L A T E

flavors!

I sent half of the cake back to

Santa Cruz

with Annie~

She LOVES

ANYTHING

AND

EVERYTHING

CHOCOLATE!

I'll let you know what she thinks!

and

if you make the cake

or the bread

or

BOTH,

please let me know what you think~