by Valynne | Apr 9, 2010 | CC Contests!, Friends of Caretaking Couple, Mountain Girl Organics |
Spring
How wonderful are my friends? Take Rachel, for example. She called me out of the blue this week and asked if I would allow her to interview me and blog about it. Why yes, Rachel…that would be lovely! Thank you for asking!
The interview focuses mainly on the sale of my bath and body products business, Mountain Girl Organics. We had so much fun with this! I am thinking you will enjoy it as well, and I am sure you are wanting to know more about the contest…
It’s a piece of cake. Well, more like a bar of soap. And a bag of malted milk balls. And maybe some honey mustard pretzels…yum. Where was I? Oh, yes.
All you have to do is comment on my blog (feel free to comment on whatever post you are drawn to here), then visit Rachel at www.lostintheattic.typepad.com and leave a comment on her post featuring yours truly and the sale of MGO.
This will give you not one, but two chances at winning a $25 gift certificate for Mountain Man Fruit & Nut Co. in Evergreen Colorado…yum…contest starts NOW and ends next Friday (4/16/10)…ready, set, go!
by Valynne | Feb 14, 2010 | Friends of Caretaking Couple |
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone! Please see below for proof that you do not have to be all hot and heavy with someone in order to share the Valentine’s Love (although hot and heavy is a bonus)…
Flying Heart
Back in January I was reading my friend Rachel’s blog, www.lostintheattic.typepad.com, when I came upon this flying metal heart, created by Carissa Ann Fox. I loved it and I wanted it. The brown eyed fox was giving one away to Rachel’s readers that week and all we had to do to qualify was tell her what made our hearts happy. Out of 68 comments, guess whose name was drawn?
Mine! Now I have my own flying heart! You can have one, too – just click on her Etsy Shop button to the right of her blog, www.browneyedfox.squarespace.com . She makes heart bracelets and belts, also – I love this woman’s style and am still smiling every time I think about how I actually won the flying heart!
While reading my comments one day not long ago, I came across one from “Valynne”. Hmm – that was a first. Come to find out, this Valynne was born on Valentines Day, and that is how she came by her name.
My friend Sean found this picture of Valynne; her father made this rocket for a parade and that is Valynne on the rocket. I love this picture! Valynne, thank you for letting me share this and Happy Happy Heart Day and Birthday!
The Other Valynne!
I was telling my new friend Judy the other day that Paul and I were keeping it simple when it came to gift – giving these days and next thing I know there is a call from her telling me to check the mailbox. Judy had found this heart shaped tea cup at the flea market for $.50 and suggested that I serve Paul his morning tea in it on Valentine’s Day (today). Judy – you are so thoughtful – thank you – Paul loved it!
Valentine's Cuppa for the Englishman
Speaking of tea, I am on an herbal kick these days (today actually marks my second week of Beach Body, which I will blog about soon). My friend Emily of www.thingsgreatdaneseat.blogspot.com fame sent me this little Valentine Package…have you ever had Tea Forte? Heaven, I’m in Heaven…
And she actually knit a heart into this washcloth! Oh, and Rachel (aka she who loves the polka dots), I had to share this wrapping paper with you. Thank you, Em, my thoughtful (and very creative) friend.
Joy
And, Sunny – I am so excited to have yet another heart to add to my collection! Thank you, dear friend.
I met Sunny through my friend Kit. Five of us women met at least once a month to share our creations and otherwise motivate and inspire each other. We called ourselves the BAG ladies – short for Bolder Artists’ Group. I miss you all!
Sunny is working on her website as we speak www.sunnymonacodesigns.com. Keep going, Sunny – I can’t wait to see more pictures of you and your mom’s ceramic & wire wonders!
Oh, my. I seriously had no idea just how much Valentine’s Love I had to share this Sunday. I’m gonna have to keep going – can’t seem to help myself…
Heart Day on the Bay
I mean, just look at this morning! And it keeps getting better…Paul is back with a Sunday Times and a Latte (latte’s signify special occasions for us)…
CC Sunday Morning
And you know what is really yummy with coffee? And just about anything else for that matter? Blosm. Whipped. Cream.
I met Michael Markley at the Conifer Farmers’ Market in 2008. We traded soap for whipped cream that first day and I knew that it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
I have witnessed the blossoming of Blosm (sorry, couldn’t help that one) and am proud to know him – his whipped cream is natural and divine, and he was so much fun to have as a fellow market vendor.
You Colorado peeps are so lucky – you can pick up Blosm at your local Whole Foods Market! If you are lucky enough to meet Markley at a Blosm demo, please give him a hug for me.
Check out the Blosm website www.myblosm.com and find out what inspired Markley and his wife Kelli. Oh, and be sure to enjoy a can of Blackberry Amaretto for me…serious YUM. Which leads me to this:
Premier Issue of WWC
What does this have to do with Blosm, you ask? Well, both are YUM, for starters. My friend Christine won a copy of this Premier Issue of Where Women Create magazine in my last contest. I love this magazine and am so happy it went to someone who will really appreciate it. Especially since the premier issue has been sold out for a long time now. If you want your own copy, prepare to shell out upwards of $100!
Christine and Markley and I were The Three Muskateers at many a Farmers’ Market (That’s right, I am indeed talkin’ about Christine of Christine’s Canine Cookies fame). Christine and her hubby Simon have a new baby boy named Oliver – so if you don’t see her at the market’s this summer, you’ll know why…
Sweet Milo Boy
Speaking of babies, this boy is most likely the closest Paul and I will get…is he not adorable? And no, I did not plant that teddy bear for a photo op – Milo loves his stuffed animals and must have picked this one out for today, especially. We. Love. This. Dog.
OK, I think it is time for the NYT Book Review…
Again, Happy Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you…Here’s to sharing the love…whatever kind of love it may be. XOX from Valynne and Paul
by Valynne | Feb 8, 2010 | Friends of Caretaking Couple, Music, Travel |
I love it when friends hound me about not having written a post in a while (it leads me to believe people are actually enjoying the fruits of my blog-labor. Or, at the very least looking at pics)…
Honestly: when I hold off on the new posts, it is usually because I want to make sure everyone gets a chance to read the latest, as it may include a contest, a good cause, etc.
Still, it has been a week since my last post. Everyone has had plenty of time to enter the Valentine’s Day Contest (which ends TONIGHT, by the way). So here I go…
Last weekend was spent with our good friend, John Erlandson (aka John E, aka Johnboy) from Evergreen, Colorado. We spent the first day in Boston, which was great, aside from being the COLDEST DAY of the YEAR. Bitter cold. But fun!
John E and Paul in Boston
Apparently it was too cold for me to hold the camera steady (see above). We warmed up with dinner and drinks at the Union Oyster House, America’s oldest restaurant, and right along the Freedom Trail. Mmmm, chowdah…
John E at the Union Oyster House
America’s Oldest Restaurant (Established 1826)
Notice how light it was outside. We had an early dinner, which means the drinking started a bit early as well. Still, we managed to visit some cool places before passing out at the Bulfinch Hotel well before midnight…
Cupcake Tower!
John and I saw this dazzling display at Lyndell’s Bakery (since 1887!) and just had to come in, get warm, and chat with the two lovely ladies behind the baked goods counter. John picked up some treats for us all to share later…good friend, that John E.
Heart Day Tribute
The cupcakes and St. Valentine were both found on Hanover Street, which is located in the Italian Section, also known as the North End of Boston. Needless to say, being there pleased me greatly.
We had a brilliant bottle of 2004 Morgante Nero D’Avola in Strega Ristorante, but I don’t take pictures in restaurants that have “The Godfather” playing on their bar TV. Just sayin’.
Quincy Market
Because it was so cold, we ended up at Quincy Market both days, mainly to get warm and grab some postcards. I love the cobblestone streets and can’t wait to get back to the Market in the springtime, when the street performers and vendors are back! Can’t wait to walk down the Freedom Trail with Paul, either.
And that is what the first 24 hours with John looked like. What did we do when we got to the House on the Bay? We watched concerts and movies and listened to music and went to Woods Hole and Falmouth; and then it all came to an end.
Three days may be long enough for the guys, but it went by too fast for me : (
Union Street, Boston
Boston + Seafood = YUM
View from the Cah - Heading Home
Pie in the Sky, Woods Hole, Cape Cod
It was cold when we got back home, too. Not as cold as Boston, but cold enough that my glasses were fogged up the entire time we were in this little bakery/cafe, which is about half an hour from the house. There was a sweet little old man snoring away at the window. Wanted desperately to take his pic, but restrained myself.
Captain Kidd, Woods Hole
By the way, Woods Hole is known for it’s Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), which is the largest private non-profit oceanographic institution in the WORLD. Cool, eh?
Lunch at the Silver Lounge in Falmouth
Our friend Frank used to live in this neck of the woods, and one of the first things he said to us when he found out we were caretaking in the area was “Be sure to stop by the Silver Lounge“. The food is yum and the waitstaff friendly. This is vintage Cape Cod and I can’t get enough. Hoping to meet Frank and the fam here for lunch one day soon.
Sing for me, John E!
I love music and John E loves to play, so having him all to ourselves was a real treat. I miss my musician friends something fierce, but am looking forward to seeing more great live music out this way, also. If any of you Capedwellers is looking for some fresh from Colorado talent, just let me know and I will hook it up!
Thank you for coming to visit, John E. I knew it all along…you are definitely not just a “fair-weather” friend!
Milo
PS Milo says hi and thanks for the walk! (FYI – this pic was taken on a much warmer day, for all of you animal lovers out there : )
by Valynne | Jan 28, 2010 | Friends of Caretaking Couple, Simple Living |
It is almost the big Heart Day and I have a few things to say about it and am hoping you do too. I know a lot of us are disgruntled with consumerism run amuk and that Valentine’s Day is now seen by many as just another ploy from the greeting card/floral industries to guilt us into spending too much. This got me to thinking and recollecting…mostly recollecting.
What I am thinking is this; most of us are pretty happy when someone they care about (or even a stranger, for that matter) goes out of their way to be thoughtful. And, for most of us, the thoughtfulness does not require mass amounts of stuff (I said most of us). I very much hope we all have touching Valentine’s Day stories that back up my theory. Here are a few of mine.
When I was in fourth or maybe fifth grade my mom wrote all of my fellow students’ names on their Valentine’s cards in Calligraphy. Lots of these kids kept these Valentines in their desk long after the big day because they felt special every time they saw their name all pretty-like on those cheap little see-through white envelopes. Thank you for doing that, mom.
A decade or so later, my then boyfriend Tom wanted to give me a Valentine but had little money. He handed me a single red rose with a ribbon attached. Tied to the ribbon was an abalone shell ring. Tom died last year at forty years old and even though we had fallen out of touch I will always treasure that ring and how special he made me feel that day.
My friend Mary loves hearts and so do I. A couple of years ago my friend Laurie helped me make heart soaps in honor of Mary for Dakota Blonde’s Annual Valentine Show raffle. Last year, during the concert, Mary surprised me with three beautiful black and white photos of the band, one in a sweet antiquey silver frame. Warm Fuzzies.
As for the pot pie you see pictured above, this was not a Valentine – but the bonus red pepper heart brought much happiness that day and this photo pretty much sums up what I am getting at. I was a very happy woman…all for under five bucks (can’t remember – may have even gotten an employee discount on it).
And now, for my favorite Valentine’s Day story…Paul and I had our first date on Feb 12th, 2006. We had such a nice time that we decided to meet again the next night. Instead, I ended up in the ER (car accident) and don’t remember that Valentine’s Day at all (pain meds) but I do remember him picking me up at the hospital and taking me back to his house and nursing me back to health for the next several days. He has been my Valentine ever since : )
I am pretty sure I don’t need to tell you this…but it would be great to hear some of your very own Valentine’s stories : ) Just click the comment link above and type away.
PS I have nothing against cards and flowers. I love them both. I just think we could all use a little reminding that there are lots and lots of (inexpensive) ways to love and be loved. Here’s wishing us all extra X’s and O’s this Valentines Day!
by Valynne | Jan 19, 2010 | Caretaking / House and Pet Sitting, Friends of Caretaking Couple |
Bob The Cat
Kevin and Alicia Shea make it easy for me to refer them for several reasons. I met Kevin while browsing a house sitting forum on www.housecarers.com. It was here that I noticed that he and his wife Alicia live in Massachusetts (not far from our current sit) and had recently been profiled in a New York Times article (please see my November posts for the full article).
I contacted Kevin in hopes he would be interested in exchanging ideas and we have established a rapport these past few months. Alicia designed their website www.kevinandaliciashea.com, which happens to be the best caretaking website I have come across. All that aside, the biggest reason I can give for referring this couple stems from Kevin’s most recent post on the Housecarers forum…
“Later this month we are off again. This time it will be a repeat sit in Northeast CT taking care of our now long term friend, Bob the cat. I can’t remember exactly but this will be the 5th or 6th time for this client. They were our first way back in June 2008.
We thoroughly enjoy this sit as we have our choice of staying in the main house or at the cottage down the path from the main house. We sometimes stay in the main house for the week and then “vacation” to the cottage for the weekends. A different driveway to the cottage makes it feel as if we are truly in 2 different places, … except that Bob knows where we are and saunters over.
Bob’s favorite thing is to pluck on the window screen in the office. He gets to it by hopping up in the porch handrail, and then strums it so as to tell us, “Hey, open the door!”. So the door valet gets up, opens the door and waits the designated time as Bob slooooowly enters the house. Of course, he then eats a bit and leaves quickly through his cat door.
We have gotten to know the homeowners friends and they will be our dinner guests, again, on our first weekend there. It is rather funny to be entertaining folks who know the place better that we do and who can tell us where their preferred beverage is located. Our dinners with their friends have been such fun and so talked about, that the homeowners invited us for a weekend just so that they could enjoy the fine cooking and have a few laughs.
We have already made reservations at Still River cafe, considered the #1 Destination restaurant in New England. http://www.stillrivercafe.com/ and we are also looking forward to sipping some Cointreau Noir in front of the fireplace in the cottage while playing with Bob. Next up — who knows?”
So, my main reason for referring this couple is that these are the kind of people I would want to be taking care of our home and pets. Kevin and Alicia not only caretake – they establish relationships and clearly enjoy the lifestyle they have created for themselves. Thank you Kevin and Alicia for allowing me to share a bit of your story!
*If you are looking for caretakers in the near future, you can contact Kevin and Alicia through their website, which is listed above and to the right, under blogroll. If you are interested in caretaking, feel free to contact me for ideas and inspiration. Or, If you simply have any questions and/or comments to share, please click the comment link at the top of this post – I love comments!
by Valynne | Jan 9, 2010 | CC Contests!, Friends of Caretaking Couple |
Thank you, Michele for this new and improved display pic...
Second – I would like to announce the latest CC prize winner! Paul drew one name from the pile and guess who it was? DENISE S! Yay, Denise! You, who actually reads my blogs and comments often, have obviously been blessed by the blog gods…luvly jubly as Paul likes to say : )
Third – Paul and I are off to New York City tomorrow for a few days. I am not your typical city girl but I do love NY. Paul has a business meeting there and the homeowners are here with Milo so I am off to wander (especially looking forward to reacquainting myself with the Village and SoHo). There will be blogging involved…stay tuned!
