my summer bedroom

hello everyone.
  i've sorta been missing in action.

my allergies have really taken a toll on me.  they keep me up pretty much throughout the night, which makes daytime quite dreary.  i have SO much gardening to do but i can only look at it right now.

i can't wait for all this pollen to die down.

thank you EVERYONE for your great suggestions.

so far the xclear and neti-pot are helping the most.

i've been bored so i cleaned out more junk and got rid of 1/2 of my jewelry.

i've been washing the sheets every 2 days seeing if that helps with the sneezing. 

the roses are just for these photos.

just looking at them makes my eyes itch!

this is opposite the bed.  this is where larry stores his clothing and some of mine too.:)
those silhouettes are of me when i was about 12.  i paid for them myself at disneyland of all places!
my friends all bought mickey mouse ears and i bought these.


we are heading to los angeles in a couple of hours to see jack white perform at the wiltern.
i am so grateful that we got tickets.  it's a small theatre and sold out quickly.


i hope you are all doing well and i hope to be back to myself soon.

xo
janet

read more ››

77

blueberry recovery smoothie*

i just finished a two week yoga challenge that pretty much kicked my rear.

everyday i came home and made this smoothie and i think it was the reason i was able to keep up and finish the challenge.

1/2 cup uncooked organic oatmeal (pulse in blender first)

1 cup frozen organic blueberries

1 ripe banana

1 1/2 cups purple kale
1 T agave

1 thin slice of lemon with peel

1 1/2 cups almond milk

just blend until smooth. 

*no animals were harmed making this smoothie

p.s. - i want to thank you for all your wonderful suggestions re my allergies and my sticky situation.

i'm pretty much using them all!

xo

janet

read more ››

43

out of the blue

i'm so, so glad the weekend is here.
i've been a little "off" all week long.  my allergies are in full force and i had an out of the blue attack of extreme envy, so not pretty.  i got the envy under control but not the allergies.

do any of you have a girlfriend that you love but you're not so crazy about her husband/boyfriend?
i've got that sticky situation going on right now. 

hopefully next week i'll have something exciting to post about, although in reality that's not likely.

so i guess it's just the simplicity of this american apparel chambray skirt and black t shirt to get me through the day.

oh and i'm truly honored to have been asked by san diego fashion stylist vanessa valiente to answer a few questions on her blog, v-style.  i've fooled vanessa into thinking i've got style, when in reality i'm just cheap.  if you have a moment, pop over and say hi, she's gorgeous, talented and a sweetheart too.  click here to read the post.

thank you vanessa!


have a beautiful weekend my gorgeous friends.

xo
janet

read more ››

64

rose bowl style

this past sunday we were at the the rose bowl swap meet and i decided to take a few pictures of the locals.  i thought you might enjoy a glimpse of LA style.  

this darling woman was considering this pillbox hat.

it suited her perfectly.

this woman was gorgeous.  her mate wasn't that happy to have his pic taken but he did manage a small smile. 

this pretty young woman was just too cute.  she's wearing a vintage jacket and handbag.

her gold flats were cute too.

i'm sorry i didn't get a better pic of this outfit.

the seafoam top and yellow skirt are covered in sequins.  she just glowed.

boots and sundresses and large handbags are very popular.

i don't know who this is but she was being interviewed and filmed.

chambray, skinny black pants and desert boots.

flowy maxi's were everywhere too.

ttyl.

xo

janet

read more ››

34

lighten up

hey there.

i'm so happy to share this dana buchman silk top with you.

i've been its owner for close to 30 years now.
it was pretty when i bought it new and i think it still is.
it made it through every single wardrobe purge i've made over the years, and some of them have been ruthless.

.

i'm slowly but surely working my way through my small wardrobe list and i'm loving the lightness of it all.  to be honest with you, i was a little scared to let go of so much but the payoff has been so calming.  i wonder why i didn't do this sooner?!




have a beautiful monday.


xo
janet

read more ››

44

the best mothering advice i ever got and pancakes!

happy mother's day weekend to you all.

when i was a young mom there wasn't a lot of books to read about mothering like there are today.  of course there was no internet either.  the best advice i ever got as a new mom came from a quote and i can't even remember who said it.  but i never forgot it and tried my best to live up to it.

"mother's aren't for leaning on, but rather for making leaning unnecessary."

nowadays that sounds kind of cold-hearted, doesn't it?

my own sons don't call me much these days.  that's ok with me b/c i didn't call my mom much at their age either.  i didn't want advice at that age, i wanted to spread my wings and live life how i wanted.  i'm grateful they don't call me with every little thing.  i'm proud that they make their own decisions and live with the consequences.  they have all made their share of mistakes but that is how character is built.
i am super proud of all of them.

ok, from moms to pancakes...

i know i have posted a lot of recipes for pancakes and you are probably thinking that's all i eat.
the truth is i just really love making them on the weekend.  and mother's day weekend wouldn't be right without them.  i've shared a couple of recipes here before

but i'm telling you forget them, this recipe is the one.

thanks to the alkaline sisters i am learning to work spelt into my recipes.
after reading the following and doing some research of my own, i'm hooked on spelt.

"If you aren’t familiar with spelt flour you’ll be happy to learn that it is far superior to white flour and even whole wheat in that it is a much smaller crop and not a stored grain, therefore leaving it free from the long term effects of grains in storage that are prone to developing molds that end up in your flour bag.  Although spelt is not gluten free it is packed with good fiber, niacin(B3), protein and lots of manganese, a key mineral found in our bodies in a minimal amount.  Manganese ensures healthy bones, good absorption of calcium, proper function of your thyroid, regulates blood sugar, and many more intricate functions for a healthy body." - the alkaline sisters

spelt vanilla pancakes

1 cup organic spelt flour
2 tbsp aluminum free baking powder
1/8 tsp fine himalayan salt
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp agave syrup
2 tbsp cold pressed sunflower oil
1 1/2 tsp pure alcohol free vanilla
coconut oil for the pan

i measure the dry ingredients and then add the wet ingredients, mix gently and let the batter rise a few minutes while you prepare the griddle with a small amount of coconut oil.  once the pan is ready then i give the batter a quick mix and make them just like traditional pancakes.  

it is practically raining strawberries around here and they pair perfectly with them.


wishing you all a lovely weekend and a very happy mother's day.

xo

janet

read more ››

41

a fine line

hi, how are you?

lately i've been pulled in a lot of different directions and i'm getting pretty tired of it.

does that ever happen to you?

  

someone asked if i change things around seasonally.  well i do try to lighten things up around here when the temps go up.  i'm kinda stuck in the furniture placement though so overall things stay the same.  

i've been decluttering and simplifying things around here and i realize that there is a fine line between extremes.
on one hand i want less of everything but at the same time i want just enough.
finding that balance is different for everyone.
i'm never afraid of getting rid of things because there is always more if and when you ever want it.
this world is full of stuff.


i recently even sought out design help.  if i had more money, i'd definitely hire someone to help me but i don't right now so i have to figure it out for myself.
it's funny that i know just what to do to someone else's home but my own paralyzes me.

i ordered this dash and albert rug because the casters were destroying the floors.

the thick jute rug wouldn't allow the casters to move at all.

this is a flat weave and so far i'm liking it.

i really prefer no rug at all but i'm pretty happy with the way this looks.  i think.  maybe.

brother.

it's always a fine line with me, what about you?


xo
janet

read more ››

68

less is less

did you all have a lovely weekend?
  on saturday while larry was hiking, i met some girl friends for lunch.
the weather was hot and i was super comfortable in my striped skirt and a tank top.
that was saturday.

sunday was a different story.
i don't know what has come over me (i blame hormones) but i got rid of more stuff in my house and basement.
alex came over and we filled his truck with stuff for him to sell at the rose bowl next weekend.

i got rid of...

vintage luggage
an old black vintage kitchen scale
vintage tea cups
cookbooks
books
rugs
various other junk including,
 fingers crossed, one rude commenter.

hope your monday is simply beautiful.

xo
janet

read more ››

77

rain drops

super busy day today, glad it is winding down.

we had a beautiful spring rain yesterday.

i couldn't stop myself from taking a few pictures, the roses were so lovely.

i hope you have a relaxing weekend before you.

larry is going on the grueling cactus to clouds hike in palm springs that will start at midnight tonight under the full moon (the biggest, brightest full moon of the year) and end sometime tomorrow afternoon.  

i on the other hand will be sound asleep.

happy weekend everyone.

xo

janet

read more ››

45

white and stripes

i was helping a friend clean out her closet (don't you love doing that?!) this past december and she was going to toss this dress.  i instantly fell in love with the soft fabric, navy stripes and the fact that it was made in the usa, but it didn't fit me.  i held onto it anyway and last week i took it to my tailor and had the straps removed and the waistband refinished nicely.

so $5 later it's now a skirt.  

rrl white shirt - gift from alex

striped skirt - free

navy painted sandals - $6

so this will be added to my small wardrobe list  just in case you are keeping track.

maybe there is something in your closet that can be reworked?  maybe.

xo

janet

read more ››

35