To Be Happy at Home ~ Worthy Ambition

"To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labour ends." 

~Samuel Johnson 

The Rambler, November 10, 1750 

Fresh butter's natural yellow

Real butter is a miracle of homekeeping.  3 minutes in the Breville Food Processor turns cream to culinary gold. The buttermilk squeezed out- good enough to serve company- and have them toast you for the discovery.  

Whipping up the latest batch, I thought of Samuel Johnson (1709-1784). An Englishman, he was born in a time when the middle class was rising on both sides of the Atlantic. Suffering from ill-health the length of his life, he was acutely aware of the foolishness of wasting time.  His essays on the moral imperative to join profit and delight are beacons worth searching out.

Wisdom wears well. Johnson's quote at the top are still relevant and worthy  over 200 years after posted in a two-penny rag. 

Fast forward to today. It is flummoxing to ponder  why people aren't profoundly chastened by what they post on social media. All the rants and insults... thanks to technology, could outlive this generation. This generation may be remembered for contemptuous ill-manners, unrighteous indignation and no patience for either spelling or grammar. Can we share a group shudder?  

Which is why I write. In hopes to point even a few souls (including my own) to the gratitude for one more day. 

Fried Okra, Lydia-Style

 Okra was not in my Puerto Rican mother's cooking repertoire. Think she made it once, for I have vague memories of something akin to algae-colored slugs pretending to be a vegetable. 

Thank God this California girl married into a family with roots deep in states with long summers.  Oklahoma, Arkansas and Arizona.

They introduced me to one of the gifts of summer, fried Okra. The family- version was a bit gritty with cornmeal, so I changed it up a bit. In my version, pieces of the vegetable are tossed in a pancake-like batter before rolling in cornmeal. 

When the devil is in me, the battered bits to into a batch of hot bacon fat with chopped onion and chunks of ham. Otherwise, olive or other oil does suffice. At the very end,  freshly grated Parmesan cheese melts atop the hot mountain of Southern Hospitality. 

Poached eggs, Apple wood Smoked Bacon and a homemade turnover topped with whipped cream. 

I confess. I am guilty of binge watching the  The Great British Baking Show and swallowing whole Laura Bolton's delicious blog Fork Knife Swoon,

It struck this summer, this Epiphany. In this Age of Air Conditioning, it's okay to unleash worship from taste buds at the heart of the home, the kitchen range. The Sabbath brunch is nearly a service of celebration. The raspberry- lemon filled turnover, topped with freshly whipped cream was worth every calorie. Which certainly were gloriously ad infinitum.

Where we live is not just a house. It is a deeply personal retreat. We cocoon there, cuddling amongst reminders of what makes us happy. A bed so high, we sleep easily from oxygen deprivation; clinging to each other for fear if we fall off the edge, we'll break a hip. If we want to fight, we don't need to use fists- for there are lots of pillows.

As the bedroom is the first and last memory of the day, I think it the most important. I may dream of raising the ceiling, adding a balcony and improving the bathroom to more modern en-suite proportions. Still, there are elements I would keep if we were suddenly billionaires. No amount of money could ever change my heart. I was born a lover of country and romance. 

That means that we are slow to throw things out. It is better to rethink the purpose than to trash an object with cherished elements.

This nightstand was my passed- along childhood desk. My darling re-imagined it as his nightstand. On my side of the bed, is a similar desk from his childhood. Simply refinished, it serves double duty. First as my vanity- and bridge for the puppies to get in and out of bed on their own. 

Creativity solves waste. 

Inconveniences are opportunities disguised as problems. The downstairs bathroom light bar has been giving us fits. A shade broke. The fixture professionally rewired- but the bulbs kept pulling apart faster than my hair was falling out. Our best guess is that the modern light bulbs were ever so slightly different- causing the bulbs to overheat and sockets to pull apart.

Finding shades that matched both budget and taste wasn't happening when the great ah ha struck again. There were shades I bought on close-out for an outdoor project which never made it to the top of the list. Doggone if they weren't a perfect solution.  

Taking kitchen scraps out to the compost heap, my heart leaped. For in the compost heap, a salvia emerged. Just like in life. Expect, embrace surprise. Love the life you decided to live. 

Until we meet again, Thank YOU for all YOU do to make the world more beautiful- 

Lydia 

Rose Society of Saddle Back Valley ~ California Tuscan Entertaining Home and Garden

There are many styles of design. What elevates the good and proper to the great and memorable is courage and authenticity.

James is unafraid to experiment, mixing roses with succulents to great effect. 

In his youth, this homeowner mowed lawns for spending money. 

Life was good.  Coming home to his native California after time living in Virginia, he and his partner found this home in the enclave of  Nellie Gail, an equestrian friendly luxury subdivision of Laguna Hills.

Approximately 250 of 350 roses were planted this year 

The home and garden was a bit more ordinary in appearance when the publicity-shy  couple took possession  of the 4,296 square foot home 7 years ago. Then, it was sheaved in proper elements of anonymous origin.

The homeowner recalls the front landscape  at the time they moved in was not much more than  " a big rolling lawn with a stucco planter around the base of the coral tree." Near the garage was " a  no man's land of volunteer palm trees and weeds."

Lawns are used for soft footing to wander through planing beds on.

The well-traveled couple understood that while the home was beautiful, it did not achieve its full potential.  It needed character, a sense of place, an aura of generosity.

With this mission in mind, for each of the past 7 years, the couple sculpted and adorned their home and garden, one area at a time.   James explains the wisdom of  choosing one area at a time to upgrade as "by focusing, we got the detail right." Not only that, the majority of the property remained usable at all times.

Living in an area blessed with the rare climate of Mediterranean Tuscany, many of the design elements and plantings reflect the uncommon commonality of good weather.

From one approach the home is first seen where the horse trail crosses

The garden is about balance. An English garden would be out of place without the strong California influence  created by use of succulents and cactus as well as the more traditional outposts of foxglove and daylily.

Stacked stones visually added textural interest while pushing out the framing of usable planting areas from the lawn.

Iron lighting grounds the froth of roses from visually floating away. 

The garden is both beautiful and serves the practical purpose of providing a cutting garden for entertaining at home and away. As James delightedly reports, he suspects their frequent dinner invitations are due to the lavish hostess bouquets picked the same day as they are presented.

Before we go inside, take a look at the creative mix of foliage and flower potted up at the entrance.

Most of the home was closed to prying eyes, but from what we were allowed to traverse, behind the beauty you sense how the rooms were planned with the intent to entertain larger groups of people who might be enjoying a live performance of the caliber of someone such as David Burnham,  the man nailed the role of Fiyero in Wicked.

The inside renovation began at the front hall. The staircase was originally white wooden spindles. James arranged for cutting back and rounding off the base of the design for aesthetic appeal- and more room for people to move about with ease at the bottom landing.

Plain plaster pillars were cut, fitted with molding and painted in a replication reminiscent of fine European woodworking found in manor houses.

The old gold of the chandelier adds a restrained pop of elegance against the deep wood tones of a formal library.

This library benefited from the luxurious appointments observed on a trip to India just 2 years ago.

Michele Dawn Designs  brilliantly executed depth of color on the interior walls. The magic glow conjured from wines, copper  and metallic gold rubbed into each each other....  magnificent! Equally stunning were the lighter tones of Venetian plaster- a technique requiring patience beyond the  typical house painter. 

Let's walk through a bit of the home without any words. Let my humble images let the house tell its story....

Ah, in the backyard were wonderful reminders that fine design is not about being high end. Fine design is about comfort and beauty appropriate to the owners and the setting.

Little vignettes I found absolutely charming included this hall tree  in the shelter of  the patio . 

James says "I needed something tall and narrow to cover up an old intercom system that we have yet to remove.  I found the damaged hall tree at a second hand shop for about $20 and used some leftover fabric from redoing the headboard on the bed in the master suite. I tacked it to the back and used some of the gardening tools." Voila!

Close up detail

Different proportions of related warm colors highlight the architectural interest. Tall urns are available at Lowe's. 

For those of us old enough to remember the decade of brown, tan and sand- how dreary that color scheme dated so quickly. Here's the design note to explain  what saves this arrangement from the same decorate- by- numbers dullness. The traditional tones of gold, brown and terracotta are saved from cliche' by the  jade rim on the slender ceramic urns. Repeated further back in the picture, it little touch of diversion from a strict colorway adds charm.

James  says of the enchanting cabana on the far side of the pool, that  when they moved in, it was an avoided eye-sore of weathered wood and worn-out fabric overlooking a dusty horse trail.

Fresh paint, clean fabric and dense plantings- voila'- a destination perfect for an intimate chat between friends.  

This lovely outdoor room...

 on a chilly night- the double armed heaters allow more guests to linger before heading home.

Thank you dear readers, for joining me on this tour of  a home loved to its full-potential. 

Until we meet again, Thank you for all YOU do to make the world more beautiful!

Michelle Dawn 949. 350.3340

Rose Society of Saddleback Valley Elegant and Enchanting- Part III

"Begin with the end in mind." 

~Stephen R Covey

One of the differences between humans and God's other creatures is we can have an emotional reaction to a photograph. This gift is a sign of our significance to Him.  I look at this picture and feel the ocean cooled breeze as it was that day; smile at the thought of seagulls floating across invisible currents. I feel the warmth of the open hospitality of the homeowners. 

 This view is certainly where Rick and Julie Borgens began as they planned their home and garden. Every wall. Every stone. Every decorative object. 

Sea shells and succulents  inset into a recessed hallway are just the right note.  Usual items displayed unusually catapults the sum of artistic value above any individual component. 

 Blue walls. White wainscoting. Whale motifs.  The art sparks conversation that for whale-watching, 2013 was a stellar year. 

Two rooms. Two fireplaces. Both in sync stylistically with the one we passed on the way in (see the previous post). Rough- hewn surfaces hearken back to a day when hand craftsmanship was valued. 

A solid vintage cabinet holds down the bold shiny newness of the stainless steel barbecue  to a visual level comfortable with the classic New England influenced architecture.  

Note the stone backsplash.  Not only does it protect the flame from ocean breezes complicating the cooking process- it completely cocoons this living space from neighbors. The arch prevents its visual weight from being too heavy handed a design feature. 

 The back garden is casual- with little houses set about for feathered friends.  

A classic lantern serves as a terrarium on the sideboard.  For textile interest- a bit of fisherman's net  drops in just the right amount of rugged.  

This is a very hard home to leave. Don't you love the humor of a mermaid doorstop holding the door open for visitors to come- and when we must, leave? 

Design note- there is nothing wrong with changing up the hardscape. The trick is to have the materials relate in some fashion. The higher the traffic, the sturdier the footing should be. Hence the mortared-solid main walkway; with larger stones set casually within  a miniature creeping ground cover- a softer look of a  less traversed side path.  

And so we close this chapter, leaving as we came, happy to have been invited. 

Until we meet again- thank you for all YOU do to make the world more beautiful. 

Southern California Spring Garden Show Season Opener Part 2 of 2

Meet Kathryn England. Born in Hawaii, she was raised near San Francisco during the era of Flower Power- the 1960's. If this did not infuse her senses full of color- she lived for two years in El Salvador before studying art and art history in London. Prior to becoming an influential member of the Fullerton art movement Kathryn traveled throughout Europe, the Far East and much of Central America. 

Her pots, hearts, globes and benches- some at the show were by her student's Sue and Nancy- these are the ultimate in low water, low maintenance color for the garden.   A generous person, Nancy not only creates- she teaches others. Sign up for a class or workshop at her studio  here and maybe we will run into each other.

Back in Fullerton, not only does Nancy operate a studio and teach classes- she's a mover and shaker behind "All The Arts for All the Kids Foundation."  The City displays these 5 foot tall mosaic hearts in the downtown area- then they are sold to private collectors  to raise money for the arts program. Click here to learn more. 

Anyone who thought planting pockets were a passing phase- think again. At the show, this display added charm no painted masterpiece could have. A simple wash of of green ivy is encrusted with the long-lasting warm colors of  kalanchoe- nature may reign inside as well as out.

Color is in vogue. This display at the Epiphyllum Society of America called to me.

Particularly this bloom of 'Great Waltz'. 

It took all my will power to not bring home this mature pink 'Giant Empress' specimen at the show courtesy of Marcel's Orchids and Succulents. Soon.  

Speaking of orchids- they were everywhere, in full and glorious bloom. 

I wish I lived in Orange County so I could get to know their master gardener Robin Russel better. Oh, the stories about bunnies we shared during our al-too brief visit. LOOK at that Apron- she embroidered the flowers and garden tools whilst her husband drove on road trips. 

Bonsai. The ultimate reduce, reuse and recycle of living art. Exhibitor Paul Minerich described this bougainvillea  was a substandard performer in his established garden for 35 to 40 years. He axed it out. Put it in this gorgeous antique pot he believes his father-in- law brought back from Japan.  His hint to those of us always on the hunt for GOOD pots- seek out bonsai shows and demonstrations at our public gardens, like this one upcoming at the LA County Arboretum. 

What brings the outside beauty of nature in more convincingly than bold over-sized bouquets?  If you are ready to break down and purchase the US made stacked vase sets  by the Horticultural Institute of Southern California- don't wait for the next fair or garden show. Order here. 

Next up will be selected scenes from the Fullerton Open Gardens Day. 

"All The Arts for All the Kids Foundation" Image is from the non-profit site.