Mystic Bound

After recovering from the worst summer cold I ever had.    I'm back !    Only to tell you that we are going on a vacation !

I'm heading to Mystic Connecticut.

Bringing my camera will 

be posting from the road !

Pool Side Dinner For Two

All the kids are gone for the evening.

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So it was just Doug and Me for dinner.

Really simple menu tonight.

Just a salad and some amazing mac and cheese leftovers.

Certainly not a hard ship eating leftovers, the macs came out to good to be true!

So while things are heating up in the oven,  I thought I'd show you my new domes I made.

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What do you think?  I only used two but there are four of them. 

Here is a link to the making of them and a little story that goes behind the scenes.

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I like how the plates came out.

Look we have some dinner guests that have already shown up.

Think he see's me!

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My favorite all time flatware.

It was the last two sets of the  green  handled flatware Horchow had.  

I was impressed that I really got them. The first time them mailed to me it was the wrong set and I was told they were all gone.  I called the next day and was told they found two last sets, did I want them? Oh Yea.

I put out the bigger (soup) spoons so we could twirl our noodles on them.

the glassware is from Homegoods.   More than one store to get a set of them.

Laundry Room Renovation Time

Here is my Laundry Room.. I wish I had the real before picutres.  When we moved into this house years ago.  We didn't  even  want the kids in that room.  Well, I loved how it turned out!  It was the most loved laundry  room of all time.

I  loved everything in this room, the wallpaper was so much fun to hang.  New washer and dryer!  New cabinets.  Space to store whatever.

  

 I went a little crazy with the boarder  papers..   But, hey I had fun !

 

See.....

THEN...

It took some wear over the years.  But the worst part was the  day  the structural engineer  walked through the house while we were doing  this...

And... this

This too...
(don't be scared, it has a happy ending)

Back to the laundry room...

When we had the roof of the house inspected for all the work to be done we found major load problems and  EVERY  room in the house was going to have to have walls opened and steel beams put in the walls..

Stunned! 

 

Pulled myself together and went for it.

I'll do some before and after shots for another post some point.

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Where Do You Keep ....

Where do you keep it  ALL  SOME.

What a way to get to know everyone.  You want to look in my  drawers ? 

Take a walk on the wild side and go to The Tablescapers blog for a second look  party of where you put it all.

Here are some of the pictures I took to share.  I think you will understand it I tell you it's not all of it. 

Sorry I had to use my flash, it's darker than night outside!

Have fun...

I have a  HUGE  Kitchen

This is a 10 foot island in the center of it all.  It gets used  everyday !!!

Yikes... the insides...

Wallpaper

I   love wallpaper

Looking through wallpaper books can keep me  busy  for hours.  I love papers with  bright  colors, flowers or patterns.

This is a Thibaut pattern that I fell in  love  with.  I bought this paper and hung in up in my house in Boston.  It came out  beautiful.   I painted my cabinets white.  We put in a white tile floor.  Finished the kitchen and boy was I happy after waiting so  long  to do it. 

Then...

We moved.

There were a lot of things we left behind Family and Friends.  The paths I pushed my baby stroller on one child after another.  Everything that had become so familiar was going to change.

It wasn't that I even had this paper up very long in the Boston house.  

But I  loved  it.

One day while packing I decided I just had to order this again and  hang  it in my new kitchen.

Some how it was like  bringing  a piece of my home with me.

When I called to order it, I found out it had been  discontinued. 

I called  Thibaut to see if they could help.  I got a lady on the phone who listened to my whole  story  and she went in to action and found me a whole case of it.   There are still times I think of  her.

Planning Stage • 2011 U.S. Open • Congressional Country Club

Washington revolves around Golf.

Golfers have a better  creed  than the post office.

We have  Herbert Hover  to thank for it !

Congressman Oscar E. Bland and O.R. Lubring of Indiana, founders of the Club, set out to provide an informal common ground where politicians and businessmen could meet as peers, unconstrained by red tape. They took their idea to Herbert Hoover, then Secretary of Commerce, who agreed to serve as Founders' Club President and, from 1922-1923, Honorary Founding President of a soon-to-be-built Congressional Country Club. Primarily because of the determination of these original two visionaries, the Club was incorporated in December 1921. Construction of the Club took two and one-half years from concept to completion. Its international recognition, intended for the world of politics, has been achieved instead in the world of golf.

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Welcome to the US Open.

The Congressional is a  beautiful  club.

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Think of all the national   decisions  that have been made between the 1st  and 18th holes.

This is  serious stuff.  Look at the tee markers used on the green.
Not everyone can  bring  the office with then.

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 This year we will be hosting  Japan  for a good part of the event.

Our business relationship with the Japanese was called into play this year due to all of the earthquakes.  Friendships became enhanced to the point that when you heard another round of quakes hit in Japan,  you had to call to make sure everyone and their families were okay.

Don't we live in a small world now?

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All of the restaurants are booked. They were book up a whole year ago.

Husband Said  "How are we going to  feed  all these people"?

Calling in the troupes !!

Meet Main Event Catering !!!!

This is my version of the National Guard.
Peggy McGuire, Event Designer, bless her, is there to deal with the menu, the event colors, the staff and to give you a  smile  before the first person walks in the door.

Doesn't this looks so good !

And this...

Or this...

And they work in some  craziest  places.

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This is like Midnight at  the  Museum.

In the DC area we have access to most of  the  government buildings for events!
Wonder how many people have tried to talk the the  elephant  after a few drinks.

Look at this event they did.

But when it comes down to it the food has to taste  great.  After eating my way through their entire menu I can say it does in fact taste  amazing.



So now that you've seen some of the food, you will not be  surprised  at all if I tell you ...

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I'm using all my own tableware ! Do I have enough  plates,  sure !



Do pigs fly... ummmm no they don't.



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I'll be blogging for the week of the open.
You may want to stop in and take a  peek  to see how I'm holding up!

Thanks for stopping in. Feel free to leave a comment.    Jules ♥