Plums, comments, magazines, and some linky-love

I am obviosly way behind on addressing all my fine comments, but I promise you I will get to it later or sooner (I like to put the most likely to happen in first place.)

We had some of the last of our plums for breakfast this morning.  I chopped them up, put a dollop of plain yogurt on top, and a sprinkle of cinnamon/sugar for appearance and a bit of zip.  Lovely and delicious.

Last weekend I picked up some beets at the Farmer's Market in Coeur d' Alene.  And lo and behold, what does Roz over at La Bella Vita post but some excellent beet recipes including Beet Salad with Avocados and Machego Cheese.  Thanks, Roz.  Even if you hate beets and, trust me, people either love them or hate them, you must see Roz's pictures.  All her pics are the best!

The "other" Adrienne at Rich Life on a Budget offers up Tasteful vs Tacky,  Fiona at How to be Chic gives some hints for Instant Chic , while Debra at Bodeci Body brings us Of Women, Wine and Weight Loss - three fine posts that compliment each other nicely.  I keep these ladies in my Google Reader section labeled Inspiration for good reason.

 Introducing:


The Parisienne Farmgirl

Spend some time perusing this lovely blog.  It's fun, elegant, and informative.  According to her profile she likes:  Family, Gardening, NASCAR, Fashion, Politics, Cooking, and Bordeaux Wine.  My favorite thing about PF is her ability to be real.  No playing Miss Perfect for this smart and very pretty lady.  She also has her very own on-line shop full of very cool things at super reasonable prices.  And do be sure and tour her garden while you're there.

Magazines

Last week I received one of those "subscribe to our magazine for really, really cheap and we'll send you this bonus whatever for free 'cause you know you really want to do this since it's only twelve cents or less per issue" offer.  It was Victoria, a mag I like anyway and have subscribed to before, so I sent in the postage paid envelope and am eagerly awaiting my first issue.  Ladies, show some patience when it comes to subscribing to mags.  Sooner or later you'll receive an offer you can't refuse. 

From their website:

Simple, soft, and elegant...

Lunch is served...

Love these glasses...

Beautiful simplicity

The garden awaits. See you later...

Blogs of note ...

While wandering the inter-webs,  I've run across some very fun blogs.  I've even started a new category in my Google Reader and these ladies are some of my first entries.  

First up is "The Rich Life (on a budget)" by a beautiful young lady named - ta da - Adrienne, from Sonoma Valley, California.   Her motto is  "Spend Less, Live Better"

In her words:  

 "Living a rich life isn't about money. It's a mindset; a lifestyle. You can spend less without sacrificing quality. I will show you how! I live in the beautiful Sonoma Valley. Travel, books, cooking, exercise, wine, foreign flicks and a love for simplicity and sophistication is my rich life."

Adrienne has two darling Yorkies and a couple of bigger doggies, she likes Costco (and we all know how I feel about Costco!), has a handsome husband, and a little blue dress.  You'll have to go over there to find out about the little blue dress.  She is also over 6 feet tall  to my lowly 5"2", but I'm willing to overlook that 'cause she's such a nice lady. 

Here's Adrienne and her handsome hubby in France for her birthday trip...

While hanging out over at her place I noticed she follows the wonderful Diann at The Thrifty Groove, another great site.  

Next up is Fiona (don't you just love her name??) at How to be Chic.  We'll let her tell you about what she's up to:

"In real life, I don't live in a chic Paris apartment. I can make my real life more fun without having to move countries though. All I have to have is a little imagination. This is my online inspiration journal."

Pay this ladies a visit and plan to spend some time reading their delightful posts...

Great Art

Timothy Jones
American Realist

I don't remember anymore how I came to stumble upon this wonderful artist but I'm certainly glad I did. Surrounding ourselves with beautiful images and learning to appreciate fine art is all a part of living a beautiful life.

I'm sure you've heard that old adage, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." But when it comes to music and art that is not true. While the beholder may think something is beautiful, it doesn't make it beautiful in the objective sense of the word. Beauty has objective standards and we must train our minds to recognize true beauty whenever it is encountered.

Just so you don't think I'm some kind of arty snob, I have my fair share of Big Lot prints. For $10.00 you can get a really fun large and well framed image that will brighten a corner of your house (or in my case the bathroom where I don't want to put my fine art).

Tim has some wonderful art at super reasonable prices. It's nice to invest in something you really, really love and there is nothing like fine art to make your home look special.

As always - click on picture to make it really, really big...


The above painting by Tim named Nymph Lake, is one of my favorites. You can visit Tim at his Etsy store or drop in on his blog, Old World Swine. Tim is also gracious enough to show us some his methods at the Daily Painting Blog.