Woodward Dream Cruise

This last Saturday was the 2010 "Woodward Dream Cruise" - the world's largest one day automotive event which typically draws 1.2 million people to the area.

You see, I live in "car country" and for the last week, strangers became friends as they shared their love of the automobile. This is the week that people state the make, model and year long before they bother to give their name. First things first.

The gist of the event (now in its 16th year) is cruising Woodward Avenue (America's first road paved with concrete in 1909!) and showing off your car. Spectators set up tents, bar-b-ques, lawn chairs and watch the spontaneous parade. The two inside lanes are for spectators who also want to "cruise" and see the cars up close. The two outside lanes are for the show cars, to give the roadside spectators a good view.

Another aspect of the Dream Cruise is walking the event and admiring entire parking lots devoted to one type of car. The car club members are very organized and all park their showpieces (rare, vintage, classic) in one area so that if you love, let's say Mustangs, you can view a lot of them all at once. And it puts like-minded collectors all together "speaking the same language." If you want to see a Model-A, you head to another area. Very cool.

Now on top of all this is the food, music, and people. When you drive down Woodward Avenue during the Dream Cruise, you drive slow. Which gives the spectators a chance to talk to the drivers, ask a questions, give a thumbs up. I found myself leaning out the window, smiling and commenting like the rest of the crowd. It was really fun.

If you have a car enthusiest in your family, tell them about the Woodward Dream Cruise (always the third Saturday in August) - one visit and they will be hooked!

Honey Dijon Rose

If you ask me, corsages should make a comeback! Doesn't this sweep of roses (still on the plant!) look just like a giant corsage from the Lawrence Welk days?

What could be prettier at the neckline of a sweater than a cluster of unusual roses?

This beauty is called "Honey Dijon" and it is one of my favorite flowers to make arrangements with in the late Summer/early Fall. It looks gorgeous paired with beeswax candles and woven placemats.

Plus, it reminds of when I drove through France and stopped in the town of Dijon! We were to only customers in the little Maille mustard shop.

Birthday Lunch

Today is my birthday (wahoo!) and since I believe in celebrating the entire month, I have to say that August has been great!

My birthday lunch is always "sometime in August" with my Mom at my favorite Scandinavian store called Punzel.

The photo above shows my one-of-a-kind lunch of edible flowers, crepes and loveliness from 2007. Can you stand it? I ate every petal!

Summer Ice Cream

One of the things I love about the social networking site, Facebook, is that I can get instant travel recommendations from my connections.

I mentioned that I was planning a trip to Marblehead, Ohio (on the shores of Lake Erie) and heard instantly that I must visit The Dairy Dock for an orange and vanilla twist called "The Docksider."

Yum. yum. yum. A retro twist on the classic creamsicle that can cool off any Summer day.

Over the course of a week, I managed to fanagle three trips to The Dairy Dock, you know, for research.

Jam Jars

Since I have had my own "imaginary magazine" for a while now (the very real issue covers are on my DELIGHT totes), I started thinking about what my jam labels would look like if I had a jam company. (I know, crazy, right?)

You see, for years I have been taking the labels off of jam jars so that I could paint the jars with cute designs. It made me want to put a label on.

I decided that an ANA label would have a gorgeous photo (from my book cover), my Passed As Super Cute logo and lots of pink and orange. The "flavor" is Pineapple Sage.

What do you think?
A customer bought a bunch of my painted jam jars and then one jar like this labelled "Delight." She said she had to have one because, "It's so you!"
Her statement surprised me, and then I realized that when you have a blog, people really can surmise what is "me." How cool.

Melon

I romanticize Summer nights. Every year, beautiful brightly-colored yarns hypnotize me and convince me that I can wear them "at a beach fire" or "on the boat" on a chilly night.

This gorgeous scarf in shades of melon (Lion Brand "Monterrey Lime" and a pretty "Strawberry" in Caron's Simply Soft collection) has yet to see the stars. We have had a particularly humid Summer and I haven't even worn my jean jacket, let alone a scarf!

So wish me a few cool nights before September, okay? I want to wear this with a coral sweater and I'm running out of time!

Circa Winery: Sweet & Tangy

There are a lot of things I like about this dish of pins.
The colors. The words. The concept.

A friend had invited me to join her for a wine tasting at Circa Estate Winery in northern Michigan. It was a gorgeous evening and we had the luxury of enjoying wine and a small plate of whitefish pate, crackers and fresh berries on an open-air patio.

It was so nice to be able to talk one-on-one, rather than the normal hustle-bustle of Summer greetings at a party or by chance in town.

As we were leaving, I noticed this dish of pins on the bar. Patrons are encouraged to take a few to represent how they would describe the wines. Intermingled with the adjectives were pins with the winery's name. Love this!

My only suggestion to them would be to print the website on the backside of the pin. That way when the customers come across "racy" in their desk drawer months from now, they can remember the great wine and order more. Just a thought...

A Fairy Tale: Eggplants as Art

I love when I find an artist hiding in plain sight. I was at the farmer's market this morning (it was packed!) and I couldn't believe my eyes when the significant crowd shifted and I caught sight of this table.

I was mesmerized by the layers of purple vegetables and the simple bucket of flowers that complimented it all so well. This person knows how to make a display! I walked up and said, "Tell me everything."

A sweet twenty-something girl told me that the small vegetables were "Fairy Tale" eggplants. She said that she and her colleagues argued often about best preparation of them. She likes them baked, her boss likes them sliced & sauted and another guy has a roasting method. At that point, "pro-roasting" guy took over and said that all I needed was to prick them with a fork, and dress them lightly in herbs de provence and olive oil and then roast.

He ended his cooking instructions with "Oh, I could just eat them right now!" In my book, that kind of enthusiasm is gold and I bought some on the spot. I am sure they'll be delicious (dinner tomorrow!), but I am telling you now in case you can get to the market and have them for your Sunday dinner too.

Visiting England: The David Austins

As I end my series on "Visiting England", it is time to tell you about the greatest moment of my trip.

When I contacted the David Austin headquarters for some hotel suggestions (I stayed at the Park House Hotel and loved it!), I ended up corresponding quite a bit with a lovely woman named Cheryl. She started reading my blog and it was like we were old friends by the time I arrived for my visit.

I knew that the David Austins (father & son) were private, hard-working men and that meeting them was not "the norm" for visitors to the Rose Garden and Plant Centre. But if anyone loves their roses, it's me, so I let my wish be known to Cheryl.

Lo and behold, they both happened to arrive at the gift shop while I was there! Cheryl introduced me to David Austin Jr. and prompted me to show him my DELIGHT tote that features their pale pink English Rose Heritage on the cover (to see my bag click Delight Totes button, then scroll down to "Visiting England"). He loved it and handed me the cut rose he was carrying in appreciation.

Next walked in the rose genius himself, David Austin. Cheryl introduced me as an inspirational writer that came "all the way from America" to meet him (true!). It was so wonderful to be able to look this gardener in the eye and tell him: "Your roses make me the happiest and I wanted to thank you myself." He seemed genuinely pleased, liked my DELIGHT tote and loved that I had a "Lillian Austin" rose (which he named after his mother) in my garden in America.

It was at the point when I started naming which of his roses I had in my garden, that I started crying. Yes, it is true. You know me by now and sometimes I love things so much that my emotions hit "tilt." He didn't seem to mind, though, he simply offered me the cut rose in his hand as well. A David Austin rose from David Austin himself.

Hoping to capture the moment, I took the photo above. These are the Gertrude Jekyll roses they gave me on a chair in the Plant Centre, along with a map of the grounds and the rose-print tissues I had to buy to dry my eyes.

Visiting England: Bombast Rose Poppy

I felt a little like I was Alice in Wonderland when I found these Bombast Rose poppies blooming at the manor house on the Frampton Court Estate. I thought, "I have no idea what this is, but I have to have it!"

Have you ever felt that way about something? The petals of this gorgeous "peony poppy" are like shredded pink tissue paper. I've never seen anything like it - such big blooms! It is on my garden list for Spring 2011 - please don't let me forget.

Visiting England: A Museum of Garden History

Now that I am home from London, everyone wants to know if I went to their favorite monument. They ask, "Did you visit Buckingham Palace/The Tower of London/Westminster Abbey?" Ummm...no. I might someday, but this trip was all about delight and I had to stay focused.

While I didn't have time to visit some of the classic British sights, I did make it to this gem, The Museum of Garden History. Housed in a 14th century deconsecrated church (St Mary-at-Lambeth) near the banks of the Thames, this Garden Museum is dedicated to both historical collections and the pursuit of gardening in modern times.

I loved wandering through their permanent collection of garden artifacts. A vintage glass cloche, a Sweet Pea seed counter (dispenser) from the 1900's and this miniature iron garden.

This display is about 2 x 3 feet and is protected in a glass box. I peered into this secret garden for quite a while and decided that my favorite part was the man pushing the vintage lawn roller (in the back right corner).

What do you like best?

Visiting England: Practically Pride and Prejudice

When I was plotting our drive through England, I kept thinking about how much fun we would have in "Pride & Prejudice" country. I decided that as we whirled through the countryside, I would want to know if we drove through an area that was featured in the movie.

So I did some research and found a few references here. I also Xeroxed a map from my copy of "The Making of Pride and Prejudice," a great book that shows behind the scenes images, filming locations and includes an insider's peek into the making of the film. This book is a must for anyone who loves the Colin Firth version of the movie, Pride and Prejudice.

To make a long story short, I never tracked down an actual location. Yes, I was definitely within reach, but as you have seen in this blog series, we were moving every second! But I decided that it didn't matter when I arrived here (see above).

This was the "bed & breakfast" we had booked for the night - Frampton Court Estate! The look of this incredible estate was right out of my imagination! We were the only guests that night and it felt as if we had stepped back in time. The furniture in our bedroom was built long before the Declaration of Independence was written! There were sheep grazing in the field and a view from every window.

So while we weren't technically following in Jane Austen's footsteps, we were awfully close!

Visiting England: Full English Breakfast

You will often see that a bed & breakfast in England will offer a "full English breakfast." This is it, minus the Black Pudding!

We had a lovely room at the Frampton Court Estate (more about that tomorrow) and came down to the dining room to find a gorgeous breakfast spread. We started with yogurt, fruit and granola and then were served what you see above:
an egg, roasted tomatoes, back bacon, mushrooms, homemade bread with local jam, plus coffee and juice!

It was a lovely way to start the day and tasted delicious after getting so much country air on our walk the night before. From my seat at the table, I could look out an unscreened open window into the lavender garden and to the pasture beyond.

(Sigh) It was hard to leave this lovely country spot and being that we were the only guests (!) at the estate, we lingered over the coffee for as long as we could.

Windsor Castle

Looking for a knight in shining armour? Try
Windsor Castle!

It seemed like Windsor Castle was a "must see" on our first trip to England. I wanted to see Queen Mary's famous dollhouse (complete with a working elevator, running water and wine bottles full of real wine!) and Dan was there for the history - it's a match!

No cameras were allowed in most areas, so alas, you'll have to watch this video to see inside the dollhouse. I loved it!

This is my favorite photo from the grounds. Care to take a turn about the garden with me?

Visiting England: Lunch at David Austin's

Could this be any prettier? I was so happy to have a very girl-y lunch at David Austin's Plant Center, Tea Room and Garden Shop.

I toured (and photographed!) David Austin's extensive rose gardens for almost 2 hours before settling at a table with Dan for a nice relaxing lunch.

This is definitely a destination spot for ladies. I saw clusters of old friends, mothers & daughters and happy women everywhere.

My lunch was a delicious open-faced ham sandwich served on a gorgeous "Redoute Rose" plate (a china pattern that is available in the gift shop!). Such attention to detail!

I had every intention of coming back for a slice of this Lemon & Elderflower cake, but I ran out of time.

One more thing to add to my "Return to England" list.

Visiting England: Rooftop Garden

What a surprise! Who knew that the Emma Bridgewater Factory & Store in Stoke-on-Trent had a rooftop garden? And chickens too! A perfect wire-front coop is off to the right of this picture and houses a happy clan of chickens.

Inside this building, the new cafe has an Aga stove (jealous!) that has an Emma Bridgewater polka dot front. I was told that the chickens provide the fresh eggs that go into the scones and pastries that are baked in the Aga for the cafe. How neat!

Apparently I arrived just after the baker had gone for the day and the Aga was still warm from the latest batch of scones. Remember the delicious cake I had with tea? The entire experience was a delight!

Visiting England: Emma Bridgewater Black Toast

This is one of my favorite photos from the trip..."Black Toast" by Emma Bridgewater as far as the eye can see. I bought 2 of these mugs and salad plates and matching napkins so that I can have a friend over for tea.

Part of what made my trip to Emma Bridgewater's factory, gift shop and cafe so successful was a salesperson named Sharon. She loved that I was calling my Mom from the store with my international minutes and she could hear (through the earpiece) that my Mom (who collects Emma Bridgewater) was so thrilled that I was actually standing in the shop.

She wanted to know which pieces my Mom had and as she wrapped my purchases in tissue, which items were a surprise for her. Sharon caught "the fever" and was having just as much fun as I was. She even took us up on the roof to see the garden! I'll show you that tomorrow.

As I took my bags and said good-bye, she said,"Say Hello to your Mom for me!"

Thank you, Sharon, she loves everything we picked out and said to say Hello right back!

Visiting England: Emma Bridgewater

Do you know Emma Bridgewater? I mean the pottery, that is. I have loved this company for years and have wanted to start my own collection of "Black Toast" (shown above on the teapot and covered sugar) for ages.

As we mapped out our trip to England, I didn't know if we would have time to go any further north than our visit to David Austin English Roses in Albrighton.

The Emma Bridgewater Factory & Shop in Stoke-on-Trent is almost an hour's drive north of our rose destination and I didn't want to be disappointed if we ran out of travel time, so I didn't "officially" include it in our itinerary.

But after spending an entire day outdoors photographing roses, a car ride and some shopping sounded great. I'm so glad that we made the effort!

Now that I've been to Emma Bridgewater, I can't imagine my trip without it! I bought all sorts of treasures and loved it so much. I'll tell you more tomorrow, for now I want to show you my tea service and cake that I ate in the on-site cafe.

I couldn't get over how much I enjoyed having tea IN Emma Bridgewater AT Emma Bridgewater. Get it?

Visiting England: Japanese Sweets

One of my favorite things about traveling is photographing unusual window displays. Look at these beautiful Japanese sweets! Wagashi packaged in pink origami-esque boxes - how could you resist?

This window lures shoppers into Minamoto Kitchoan. There are only three Minamoto Kitchoan locations in the world (New York, London & Singapore) - this one is located on Piccadilly Street in London.

The treats in the center remind me of my sushi soaps! Love it!

Visiting England: St. Paul's Cathedral

A statue of Queen Anne presides over the west entrance of St Paul's Cathedral.

I have been wanting to visiting St. Paul's Cathedral since July 29, 1981. Are you with me?

It was the morning of Lady Diana Spencer's wedding to Prince Charles. What a day!

Eleven years later I chose a candlelight white wedding gown and soft white bridesmaids dresses for my wedding just as Diana did. It was gorgeous!

It meant a lot to me to stand on these steps and enter St. Paul's cathedral just as she did 29 years ago. It was the closest I would ever get to her life and somehow it was a way to pay my respects.

I could tell you a million facts about the cathedral, dome and its history, but honestly for me, it was all about Diana.

Visiting England: Afternoon Tea

Was I happy or what? This mini-masterpiece was just one of the little desserts on our 3-tiered tray during high tea at The Goring hotel in London. I would describe it as a dark chocolate cake with layers of chocolate mousse and raspberry ganache. They must use a razor blade to cut the raspberry in half perfectly!

Afternoon tea at The Goring is served on a glass-walled terrace that has upholstered chairs and accent walls in sunflower yellow. The entire tea service (teapot, creamer, sugar, plates) is in the gorgeous pattern you see here; I had never eaten on bright yellow china and I loved it. The food looked so pretty highlighted with a yellow rim.

I happened to be carrying a yellow cigar box purse with me to tea and I was able to take a gorgeous photo of it on the table before tea was served. What a perfect backdrop! I will post it here soon.

The British Tea Guild awarded The Goring their "Award of Excellence" in 2008 & 2009 and I agree! The food was delicious and the setting was out of this world.

Visiting England: Access To Sheep

Isn't she sweet? I was so happy when I was driving toward Chipping Campden and found this open fence and endless pasture. When I was planing our trip, I had visions of being able to photograph sheep in green pastures and was having a hard time finding some! Yes, I could see sheep in the distance (the English countryside is beautiful!), but not anywhere that I could get the car close enough to really compose a good shot.

I needed access to sheep! Meanwhile, I was planning to meet up with my friend, Lynn, who lives in the Cotswolds for a "cream tea." Unfortunately she had to cancel due to illness, but she kept in contact with me by texting suggestions of things she thought I should see. Such a big help!

At one point, I considered asking her if she had any "access to sheep." I had been driving in the Cotswolds for two days and hadn't secured a sheep shot!
But then I found this sweetheart. Relaxing in the shade and greeting me with a light-hearted "Baa."

Doesn't she look like she wants to tell me something?

Visiting England: Ledbury

We charted our route to include the little town of Ledbury so that we could visit the Elizabethan England shop and kitchen. Elizabethan England is a a brand of jams (they also make a very popular lemon curd) that is available in gourmet shops in the United States. But alas, the tiny flagship store was no where to be found!

I don't know if the brand has been sold, or simply moved locations, but there was no sign of the company I had read all about in Victoria magazine years ago.

However, I was lucky enough to find Cameron & Swan. I quickly forgot my lemon loss when I was able to sit outdoors at this lovely cafe. I had a warm goat cheese tart with roasted vegetables, homemade bread and a side salad that was so fresh it must have been picked that morning. Yum!

Visiting England: Garmin

Let me be perfectly clear...if you want to whirl around England, I think you should have a navigation system. We joked all week that "this trip is sponsored by Garmin!"


Remember last year when I was in Paris and blogged about how tiny the Europe chip is?

Having a navigation system charting our way took alot of the stress of driving on "the wrong side of the road" away. The little pink line on the screen showed exactly which exit in the roundabout to take and reassured us time and again that we were on the right road - it was heaven.

We were on tiny dirt roads, quiet lanes and beautiful pasture-edged tracks that really let us see rural England. It was so pretty and the entire time we knew that we were still on the way. Love it!

Visiting England: Chipping Campden

Of all the sweet villages within the Cotswolds, I took the most photographs in Chipping Campden. I found the combination of stone buildings, rambling roses and blue sky impossible to resist.


The look of this house and courtyard is right out of the mini-series Cranford! It was all so inviting that I could almost "see" an apron-clad mother putting a batch of ginger cakes in the oven to bake.

I wanted to walk up to the door and invite myself to tea.

Visiting England: La Fromagerie

It is not often that I walk into a shop with articles about the place torn from a magazine. But I was very organized on this trip and I wanted Patricia Michelson to know that I had been reading all about La Fromagerie and had been wanting to visit her store for a long time.

La Fromagerie was on my "Moments of Delight: Visiting England" tour and I thought that she would be pleased to know it. Luckily, Patricia was in the Moxon Street shop when I came for lunch and I was able to introduce myself to her. She is so nice and what a beautiful shop she has!

Dark shelves of vinegar, jam and chutney. Beautiful open baskets of local produce. A glass-walled cheese room showcasing the prettiest selection of cheese I've ever seen.

Dan and I had lunch in the tasting cafe and shared an Ewe's Milk Cheeseplate (Perail, Wigmore, Ossau & Beenleigh Blue) served with Confiture de Cerises Noire (Black Cherry preserves) and a variety of fresh breads. It was delicious! We also shared a La Fromagerie Charcuterie Plate, which was a selection of cured meats accompanied by Duck Rillettes, Celeriac Remoulade and Cornichons. It was a midday feast and we ate every bite.

My visit was certainly a "Moment of Delight" and I was sorry that I wasn't going to be in town just a few days longer to be able to attend an in-store event in honor of Patricia's new book, Cheese.

If you are in London, be sure to visit La Fromagerie. I know ewe will love it.

Visiting England: Rose Gardens

Who could possibly have enough roses in a garden to make the landscape look like fabric? I'll tell you who, David Austin!

I thought I knew what I would see when I made a pilgrimage to David Austin's Rose Gardens in Albrighton, England a few weeks ago. Roses, pathways, pergolas - I love gardens and I couldn't wait. But let me tell you, I was not prepared for this. This garden far exceeds anything I have seen in any category anywhere.

This garden is decadent. It is beautiful. It is hard to believe that it is real. Every aspect of "what it is to know a rose" is shown here in its best light.

David Austin (and his son of the same name) design roses. They use science to breed new roses by developing the color, scent and shape from exisiting species. You must look here at how they explain the process. Fascinating!

David Austin knows how to care for roses. The water, the fertilizer, the pruning and shaping. The experts in their field tending to their specialty on site. Each plant is strong, healthy and loaded with blooms.

David Austin knows how to arrange and display roses for maximum enjoyment. A garden wall, a reflecting pond, a shaded bench. Perfect pathways lined with rose after rose after rose. The literature says that over 800 species planted in the garden. But I'll tell you now, there are far more rose bushes than species. I walked every inch of their 2 acre rose garden and every direction I looked was as full as the photo above.

There is no limit to roses here. The David Austins love roses and they want you to see why. Bravo!

Visiting England: Blenheim Palace

"Honey, I'm home!"

Can you imagine? This spectacular residence turned museum is Blenheim Palace, a gorgeous estate, park and museum about 90 minutes from central London. While the history of this spectacular estate dates back to the early 1700's, it is most famous as the birthplace of Winston Churchill. I saw his "onesie" (cotton baby shirt!) preserved under glass as proof - such an unexpected memento from the life of a very important man. The museum is also loaded with fantastic artifacts, letters and paintings (done by Churchill!) - history buffs will be in heaven. And the palace has the prettiest gift shop too. Don't miss it!

It was a hot and quiet afternoon the day I visited and as a result, my photos have no tourists in them. It looks like I own the place! Oh the dishes I would buy if I could entertain here. And soup tureens, gilded chargers, demitasse cups...

Visiting England: Living Wall

In 2009, I read an article in Wired magazine about Patrick Blanc's "Living Wall" at the Athenaeum Hotel in London.

He created a vertical garden on the exterior of a building and I wanted to see it! The plants on the wall thrive on a network of slats, artificial felt and an automated water/fertilizer system. You can read all about how he does it here.

But as you know, London is enormous and although I carried the article with me on my trip, I thought the chances were slim that I would be able to find/visit it during my short stay in London.

The day we arrived, as we rode from the airport to our hotel in a taxi cab, my ever-calm husband casually pointed out the window and said "I think that's the hotel you wanted to see."

All I can say is that I practically gave the taxi driver a heart attack with my exclamation. He quickly realized that all was well and that I had simply "found something" that I was looking for.
There it was! We had found it by accident! The next day we made sure to walk by The Athenaeum on our way back from dinner so that I could photograph it properly.
Love it!

Visiting England: Cath Kidston

I have loved the work of Cath Kidston for years and made a beeline to one of her shops when I arrived in London.

I love her light-hearted prints, her vintage-style travel accessories, her commitment to oilcloth. Seriously, I believe in this brand and I think her approach to lifestyle design is perfect. I have seen very few designers with such a complete vision.

Cath Kidston just started making a magazine out of her print catalog (genius!) and decided to commission vintage candy tins (full of travel sweets) to sell in her store. A tin of sweets was the first thing I picked up when I arrived at her Portobello Road shop.

Because if you are going on a Summer holiday and you are packing your car full of vintage-style luggage pieces and oilcloth travel pouches, you'll need some candy for the trip, right? I love how she thinks.

I hope that someday everyone will know the name Cath Kidston.

Visiting England: High Tea

I couldn't wait to have High Tea in London. As I did research for our trip, I poured over travel books, magazine articles I had saved in my "England" folder and everything I read pointed to Brown's Hotel.

It was lovely. We had a table for two at the window in a formal wood-paneled room. You can see photos here - we sat just to the right of the fireplace. A pianist played a baby grand piano softly in the corner and nothing could have felt more like a vacation in England to me than to sit and share a pot of "Brown's Afternoon Blend."

Delight is about appreciating the wonderful moments of your life and while this was an exceptional experience, I made sure to relish every minute of it. We enjoyed our table, the food, the soft music for 2 hours and I wouldn't change a thing.

The angle of this photo is so that you can be right there with me. We started with homemade scones, strawberry jam and yes, that is clotted cream. It is silky and cold - absolutely delicious and much prettier than it sounds. In America, I haven't found many scones that would turn my head. They are all too big, quite dry and easily skipped for something higher on the tiered tray. These, however, were so light and satisfying that I ate three!

Our reservations for tea at Brown's Hotel (Note: you can book online!) was at five o'clock and since it landed between shopping and the Columbia Road Flower Market and visiting The London Eye, our high tea became lunch and dinner. We ate trays of tea sandwiches, scones, sweets and topped it off with cake! I have more pictures to show you, but for now enjoy the first course.

Would you like one lump or two?

Visiting England: A View from The London Eye

Now I couldn't tell you about the London Eye without showing you too, could I?

We had a spectacular night to view the city - it was around 8 o'clock when we "boarded," the sky was as clear as a bell and the sun was beginning to set.

I took this photo through the glass walls and I am so happy with it!

I wanted to tell you about a neat event that will be taking place on The London Eye in October of this year. During the London Restaurant Festival, the London Eye will become a revolving restaurant with 11 celebrity chefs! Doesn't that sound wonderful?

I know, someone bid on (and win) the Gordon Ramsay charity capsule and I'll fly over and join you!

Visiting England: London Eye

When I am talking to my friends about the highlights of my trip to London, not everyone is familiar with The London Eye. It is a giant observation wheel on the banks of the Thames that was built to celebrate the millennium (the wheel is said to be symbolic of time turing into a new century).

Giant glass pods rotate so slowly that the wheel never stops. Guests simply step out of the pod when their rotation is complete, the wheel slowly moves to the next station where new guests step on for their "flight."

I love a beautiful view, but am wary of standing too close to the edge of anything, so I wasn't so sure about The London Eye. I wanted to love it, but was a little nervous. Poof! My fears disappeared the moment I was on board. It is roomy, solid and moves so slow that you hardly think of it as a "trip" at all.

I decided to show you how impressive The London Eye is by letting it dwarf Big Ben. There is no camera "trickery" going on. I simply stood on a bridge and captured both structures in the frame.

Now you can say what I said, "Wow."

Visiting England: David Austin English Roses

Our trip to England was to celebrate our wedding anniversary and was planned with one thing in mind: David Austin English roses.

My dream was to visit David Austin's Shropshire Rose Garden when it was in full bloom. I'll tell you now that I cried.

You see, my favorite roses are by David Austin.

It might sound funny to use the word "by" but it is true. David Austin and his son design roses, propagate them and nurture them into the masterpieces that you will see here.

I have so many moments and images I want to share from my visit that I have decided to sprinkle them throughout the series (rather than have an entire week dedicated to roses). I promise they will take your breath away.

This magnificent show was on one plant, happily wafting in the breeze. My only regret is that I couldn't whisper the name of it into my camera to be able to identify the bloom for you. I know that you will enjoy it just the same.

Visiting England: Cupcakes at Treacle

Flowers and cupcakes? I told you that I was in heaven at London's Columbia Flower Market! After making my way from one end of the market to the other (and then back again), I was ready for a snack.

A pretty bakery caught my eye and as I approached, I read the motto painted over the window: "Our true intent is all for your delight."

I was in the right place! These yummy cupcakes are from Treacle, a bake shop dedicated to new nostalgia (old-fashioned recipes, vintage-style aprons, enamelware tins). 

I've never heard it called new nostalgia before, but I like it!
I wanted to show you this interesting display. They have taken mini cupcakes and put them on a wooden skewer (like a shish kabob!) on an outdoor grill. Certainly eye catching and the cupcakes look even prettier than if they had simply been in a box. So clever!

I had a traditional vanilla cupcake with pale purple frosting, edible glitter and candied violets on top. I ate it on the street with gusto and think I sold a few more cupcakes for them in the process.

Visiting England: Columbia Road Flower Market

I was in heaven. I arrived at the Columbia Road Flower Market around eleven o'clock on Sunday morning. Though hardly an early bird, I was certainly in good company. The place was packed!

Vendors were shouting seductions into the crowd like, "Here you are, Love, something for the front room."

Although it was dim in this photo, the sun eventually broke through clouds and it was like wandering through an Impressionist painting. I loved every second of walking this stretch of historic road. I may have been a million miles away from my garden, but I was right at home.

When you are in London, be sure to come to the Columbia Road Flower Market on Sunday morning and buy a bouquet of flowers for your hotel room. What a delight!

Visiting England: Fortnum & Mason

One of my first experiences in London was shopping at Fortnum & Mason.

I was bleary from travel, but the moment I saw these window displays I was snapped back to reality! The entire ground floor is dedicated to tea, jams, honey and sweets. Somebody pinch me!

I wandered the entire store (established in 1707) nibbling a homemade raspberry marshmallow and making mental notes of all the things I wanted to buy.


If I had it to do again, I would scrap the "mental notes" part and head directly to the checkout counter. I thought that I was being smart and considering my choices, but I couldn't decide and missed out on some beautiful souvenirs.

The good news is that the Fortnum & Mason website does ship internationally if I decide that I just have to have the tin biscuit box that plays "Happy Birthday" when you crank it. Seriously! It was so cute.

What I did end up with is this darling tote and lots of motivation to return to London!

Visiting England

Won't you walk with me through the gate and into the beautiful world of England? I have an incredible number of photos and stories to share from my private tour of England and I am starting the blog series today. While I am still working on my book dedicated to Paris, I have no doubt that I will write another on the delights of England.

On my flight home, I found myself thinking about what my friends had asked me so often before I left on my first trip to England, "Which do you think you will like better - England or France?

As I sat in my seat thinking about my experiences and all of the people that I met on my trip, I realized that I get two completely different (but wonderful) reactions from people in each country. While the French seem genuinely happy that I am visiting, the English didn't want me to leave.

Time after time, I was greeted with warmth, interest and a gentle chiding that if I wasn't moving on to the next region so quickly, they could have sent me to so many places that I would love. Most concluded that, "Well, you'll just have to come back and spent some more time with us." How nice is that?

And there is no doubt that I will.

What a Day!

It was a gorgeous day for an art show and I am so happy with how everything went.

I want to say thank you to everyone who came by to say "Hi" - what a day!

This picture is from the entrance to my booth. I wanted to greet people with flowers! I put a collection of my hand-painted and "ANA" Private label jam jars vases for sale. So pretty!

Shades of Gray

There are times when we all could use a little mystery.

You know me for my love of color, sugar and all things "super cute."

But I also love layers. I probably notice a collection of similar shades before anything else.

I took this striking photo years ago from my room at the Hotel Beau Rivage on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland.

The ironwork balcony, the rolling fog, the slope of the landscape was just beautiful. I think the hum I heard was the historic paddle steam boats on the lake. A moment like this gives you the freedom to think.

Just after this photo was taken, I went down to dinner and the waitress expressed her regret that I wasn't seeing the area at its finest. I smiled with understanding and assured her that it all looked beautiful to me.

When you are presented with a cloudy day, make sure to look for the beauty in all the shades of gray.

Watermelon Gazpacho

If a waitress ever mentions "Watermelon Gazpacho," say "Yes!"

I have been meaning to experiment with this type of cold soup - something that could be sweet, spicy and refreshing. This soup was made with an incredibly small dice of celery, cucumber and other crunchy bits - I loved it and am made up a recipe for myself (and you!).

My gorgeous lunch is from Martha's Leelanau Table in Suttons Bay, Michigan. Martha's is a relatively new restaurant in Leelanau county and I was pleased when chef Mario Batali praised Martha's in Esquire magazine last year. What a compliment!

Do you remember my Mario Batali story?

Blue Angels

Wow. wow. wow. Seriously. You know how I love the Blue Angels and once again they put on a fantastic air show at this year's National Cherry Festival in Traverse City.

I went to the air show twice (Friday & Saturday) and loved every minute of it.

On Saturday, I also went to the official NMC Aviation Pancake Breakfast at Cherry Capital Airport with some of my friends and was able to meet one of the Blue Angel pilots. Lieutenant Jim Tomaszeski flys in position #2 (in photo above, second row, plane on right) and spoke to the group about having big dreams, the importance of time management and his favorite part of life as a Blue Angel, being a positive role model and goodwill ambassador for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. It was a great speech and the applause were loud!

I have a cute Blue Angels story for you. One Christmas Eve, my entire family was exchanging presents and I was handed a small odd-shaped tissue-wrapped gift. When I opened it, I was amused to find a metal replica of the Blue Angels F-18 Hornet. My three nephews (approximately 8, 6, 4 years old at the time) were sure that I had been given the wrong package and that this model plane was for them.

"Oh no, boys," I said, "this gift is definitely for me."

I keep my model plane in my office and it reminds me of how much fun it is to have a life full of varied interests.

The United States of Jell-O

Do you love it? The 4th of July is not complete without The United States of Jell-O. My Mom bought this mold years ago through the Jell-O website, and I am sad to say that they don't offer it anymore. Perhaps if they hear from enough people they will bring it back. Although the USA isn't available anymore, you can celebrate with a darling flag mold.

I love this mold because it is so funny to see the family going through the line and picking "the Dakotas" or "California" for their serving. This year I chose the coastal area near Washington, D.C. - yum!

Slight Delay

Oops! I brought the wrong computer with me and I don't have my England pictures available to me. I promise to overload you with British delights starting on Monday, July 12th.

Fort McHenry

When we were in Maryland, we had a day to fill before our night flight back to Detroit. A day trip to Fort McHenry seemed like the perfect activity and on a clear day like this, the chance to photograph an historic fort was irresistible.

Fort McHenry is the birthplace of our National Anthem. Francis Scott Key was inspired after witnessing the British attack on Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814. When he saw the American flag still flying over the fort the next morning "in the dawn's early light."

I thought it was neat when I heard that each May, three to four thousand school children re-create a "Living American Flag" at the fort by standing in a particular spot in either red, white or blue shirts. From above, it makes a giant flag of stars and stripes. Cute! (Click this link to see an example!)

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!

Parade Route

Every small town in America has a parade on the Fourth of July. It is a time of sunshine, school marching bands and, occasionally, a really great float. This cow, Ruthie, which is sponsored by the Leland Mercantile ("The Merc") is my favorite by far.

I have been in Leland for the 4th of July parade every year (but 2) since I was a baby. I remember years watching the parade with my entire family, including both of my grandmothers. I remember hoping for candy to be thrown my way.

Now a million years later, we have an even bigger crowd - my parents, brothers and sisters-in-law and all the kids sit on blankets along the road and enjoy this little bit of Americana.

The parade is exactly the same every year and as "short and sweet" as this moment is, I love it just the same.

And now its my teenage nephews that make sure to hand me a Tootsie Roll after the floats go by.

Beach Fire on Lake Michigan

Tonight is the night! The first beach fire of the year and I can't wait. If the wind stays calm, we can sit on the shore of Lake Michigan and watch the sun go down.

Sitting at a beach fire always makes me want to write a screenplay. I can't think of the last time a campfire at sunset was the setting in a movie, can you? I really think that the romantic comedies of today are missing out and I would love to see some honest conversation in front of a crackling fire.

I can see it now...

Local Flower Market

And I mean LOCAL, these are all from my yard! Just before I left for England, I told my Mom to come over because I was going to cut ALL the flowers in the garden and we were going to make arrangements.

"No," she said in disbelief..

"Now is the hour!," I explained. I was leaving town and no one would see the garden for 2 weeks, so I could cut everything and make bouquets!

It was really fun. We got out a variety of vases, containers and bottles (including jam jars and French lemonade bottles) and some floral food (to prolong our creations) and got to work.

What you see is only a fraction of our "inventory" - it was glorious!