Skies over Butte Valley

Fall Leaves

Closer look, originally uploaded by eadamsdesigns.

I made a couple fall table swags for an upcoming silent auction. I added a feather into this oe that I brought home from Phipps Ranch last week!

Adding Color

We have added color to our bedroom! We have had a brown room for the last years. I thought it was pretty nice. But, it was a little boring. Our bedspread was brown. At our old house, we painted our bedroom walls sky blue. So, there it wasn't so uni-color. But, we moved here & the walls were painted a very nice brown - nearly the exact same color as our bedspread.

This last weekend we were inspired to step out, away from the boringness. We went to Monica Emmert's Open Art Studio, showcasing her vintage fabric quilts.

My photos don't do the quilt justice. It is absolutely gorgeous. Now I need more pillow. What colors, I wonder? I need to figure that out. And, I think we need new curtains. My husband told me that a long time ago. I said, "what is wrong with these fantastic Ikea ones?!" But, now I can see. The windows could use some help. Ain't it always the way? You get something new & it makes all your old stuff look worse? Oh well. Little by little.
I had a goal for my life. Make a queen size quilt for my own bed & hand quilt the whole thing. Since it is so hard to finish hand quilting a little baby quilt, I was starting to doubt I would ever accomplish this. Now it has been done, by Monica, for me!

What We've Bean Eating

We had a 5-bean chili today. I hope it is okay if I say that I did a really good job with this chili.

We had some special Phipps beans in it. I used beef stew meat. I threw in Epazote. Epazote is the magic herb you can buy at a Mexican market that helps tone down flatulence. That's what I am told anyway. I'm not sure it works. But, I use it in my beans. It is a scary herb, in that, it smells really strong & nearly exactly like gasoline. I think scientists should look into it as an alternate fuel source. Cuz, it smells the same.

Anyway.

Stew Meat, browned

Beans, soaked overnight in a lot of water

Peruano beans

Vallarta beans

Mexican reds

Black beans

Pinto beans

Onion

Serranos

garlic

beer

tomatoes

tomato sauce

water

bay leaf

oregano

cumin

cayenne

smoked paprika

salt

pepper

I cooked it for over 4 hours. The beans & meat were nice & soft.

I didn't go out at all today. So, it turned out to be quite productive. I made 2 giant pots of this chili. So, even with my brother David here for dinner, there is still plenty to freeze. I got two pans of enchilada done & in the freezer, too. All this stuff can go with us on our quickly approaching Macdoel trip.

I did my back logged dishes. The oldest was from Friday. Not too bad, for me. The way I see it, I finished my dishes this morning. But, that is not technically accurate. I didn't do my vases or wine glasses. Those never count. They sit on my kitchen counter for ages unwashed. Because, they aren't dirty enough to be offensive. I finished a lot of my laundry. I only have 1 basket left to fold. And, I am 1/2 way done with making a skirt for Gillian's halloween costume. (More on that later another time.)

Me & Mine

My sister Krista took pictures for me, of me with my kids. Thanks Krista!

Beans All Winter

We drove up to Phipps Farm & Country Store today. That is in Pescadaro. What? Where is Pescadaro? South & inland from Half Moon Bay. Gorgeous country. The folks there grow beans. Lots of beans. Here is my take home collection. We will be having chili, bean soup, bean stew, beans on the side. Stuff like that. All winter.

The weather was amazing. We took a long walk. We fed carrots to the farm animals. We played on tons of rusted tractors. We had a good time on the farm.

Cousins & an Uncle

Uncle Jacob with all of his nieces & nephews.

Fall is Here!

The arrival of Chinese Lanterns means that fall has also arrived!

I love mini bouquets. And pincushion plants, too.

My son's hand is in the shot. He wants to touch these all day long.

My living room

Let's Get this Party Started

Gillian is so ready for her party to start.

I am pretty much ready, too.

A Fairy House

My daughter is really into Tinkerbell & such right now. I decided to make her a "fairy house" for her birthday. I got the idea from Magic Cabin. And, then a few issues ago in Family Fun magazine, they had some basic instructions. SO, here is my version.

I hope she enjoys playing here!