Just Sharing

Today, I'm Happy

A new antiques and collectibles faire is coming to a town right near me. Yes, once a month beginning in mid-February, according to the email I received. I'm so excited as I won't have to travel across the bay area anymore. Well, I will still go to my favorite flea market in Cupertino, especially because it's near a huge Whole Foods Market that is like the Disneyland of food. Opening day is on my birthday; what a great way to start that special day. Who knows what I may find...

Yesterday, I Was Slightly Less Happy

Picnik has informed its users (including moi) that it is closing its website on April 19th. If you haven't tried this photo-editing program, you have a few months to do so. It's so good, that I rarely use Photoshop Elements anymore. Apparently, many of its tools are being added to Google+. I really don't want to use Google+ (even though I have an account) as it's similar to Facebook. However, I will check it out as I will truly miss Picnik. Oh, and its Premium features are now free for everyone to use while it's still up, so have some fun editing your photos. You can even add cool effects, frames and make collages easily. Try it!

(And yes, I know this is really trivial in the bigger scheme of things but I could not help but being just a little bit bummed - it's my favorite editing program!)

Goodbye, Sweetea's!

Photos of my birthday lunch 2011 at Sweeteas

So Long, Sweetea's!

Yes, one of my favorite tea parlours has closed its doors. And just when I was getting ready to go there for my birthday next month, as I have for the last several years. Sweetea's was just the cutest little shop to have a proper tea. Everything about it was yummy.

From the lovely table settings to the gift shop and pretty displays of food, it was always a special treat. A real experience, with time to relax, eat and enjoy good company. Guess this birthday will be at the Cheesecake Factory...not quite the same thing. Fish tacos, here I come.

Just Say Yes To An Organized Closet

What did I do this past weekend? Organized my linen closet, with the help of my mom and Miss Gracie, too. It feels so great to have everything sorted, containerized and labeled. The closet shelves are very deep so things tended to get in disarray. Now that items are in containers, it will be so much easier to keep things neat. Miss Gracie and Nipper aren't quite as happy, but I think they'll adjust. 

Think Spring

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area we've been having very spring-like weather. Last month was the second warmest December in history since the 1800's when they began tracking the weather. Yes, we do have frost in the morning hours, but each day is sunny and bright with rain just a distant memory. 

It's been so spring-like, that I did not change my living and dining room decor to the usual red accents this winter. It is winter, isn't it? Oh yes, I see that we do have rain forecast for some time next week. However, it's just a matter of weeks before the cherry blossom trees outside my window begin to bloom. The good news is that due to snowpacks that lasted until May and June last year, our water reservoirs are doing fine right now. Well, I guess I wouldn't mind a little rain - and neither would my flowers outside. But for today, another one sunny and bright, I'll just continue to think spring.

More Cupcake Love

Can you guess what kind of cupcake this is? It's actually Red Velvet. However, when I shot these in the evening in my yellow kitchen, I got some very strong color casts so I removed some of the color. I actually like this muted look, but it does make it hard to tell what the flavor is!

And what do you think happened here? If you guessed Miss Gracie, the cupcake-eating kitty, you are right. As you can see, she certainly got her licks in! She really liked that cream cheese frosting.

However, my sis and I did manage to split the rest when she was done. But it's almost impossible to photograph it until she has had her fill. 

I have to be quick before she smells it and hears the click of my camera.

Along with the Red Velvet, we also had a super chocolatey, yummy chocolate Rocky Road cupcake. Mini marshmallows, nuts and plenty of chocolate. 

Since chocolate is poisonous to cats, Miss Gracie was not allowed anywhere near this one! The two cupcakes were a New Year's present from a lovely coworker. What a sweet surprise!

Pink Cupcake Love

Ohhh, a tiny little cupcake with pink frosting. Too pretty to be eaten! 

So I had to take it home just to photograph it.

There was a tray of these tiny cupcakes at work, so I knew I had to have one just to bring home. Since I've been photographing cupcakes for a while now, I've noticed that cupcakes actually last quite a long time if you don't plan to eat them. I've left them on the counter and in the refrigerator; it turns out that they can actually last for months!

I set this sweet little gal on my new cupcake pedestal upon which I placed a gold doily. Speaking of doilies, my big kitty Nipper got into my doily folder this weekend, took out a silver heart doily and had quite the time playing with it! Miss Gracie was sleeping upstairs when I took these photos and arrived too late to get her licks in. Maybe she was full from the frosting she managed to eat the night before. I think cream cheese frosting is her favorite. And yes, I photographed that too!