Top 10 New Years Eve Blunders

Happy Saturday to you fine folks out here in the blogosphere.

 

My lovely helper Shayla has the day off today, so I am here alone at the bakery, listening to an overly dramatic Lifetime Movie playing in the kitchen and watching the cars drive by....

 

....I suppose I could go do those dishes...

later....

 

I have invaluable advice to give!

 

So, as we all know, New Years Eve is just days away.  I'm sure many of you are planning parties, making reservations, planning out your sexy outfits and searching high and low for a babysitter who is willing to give up their NYE activities in exchange for a fat paycheck from you.

 

Good Luck with that.

 

My husband and I have decided that unless we are invited to a party that is nearby and that is also kiddo friendly, then we will most likely be spending the 31st in the comfort of our very own Arachnid Manor (which, honestly this time of year, turns more into the Rodent Resort) with our two little ladies, a bowl of popcorn, a mountain of blankets and a good animated feature flick. We will all be in bed by 8:30, sleeping soundly, dreaming of the year to come, with nary a hangover from hell in sight.

 

However, I'm not naïve to the fact that not everyone finds tickle monsters, minions, and floor picnics particularly exciting, so for you singles out there who will be gracing the NYE party scene with your sexy swaggin' self, please plan your night wisely and accordingly.

Bad, hasty, decision making can often escalate quickly, and may lead to any of the following regretful occurrences...

Top 10 "Oh Crap..." New Years Eve Blunders 

 

1. A 3 day hangover that could take down a Rhino

2. Acting like a sloppy, slurring train wreck in front of your date, or worse, your ex and their date.

3. A bright and shiny new neck tattoo

4. Drunk texting (as permanent as your new ink, don't forget)

5. Waking up someone's "Old Lady"

6. $37 worth of Taco Bell that will inevitably make it down between your car seats and stink 'til May.

7. Gambling away your tuition money

8.  4-6 weeks of antibiotics

9. Getting back to together with your "huge mistake of an ex"...

10. A baby

I hope that all sank in and took firm root in your ole' decision maker...

For you married and attached folks out there... If you and your significant other do decide to drop off the kids and go out to party it up for the first time in "forever", then make sure you down plenty of water in between drinks to prevent your brain from going stupid and making some downright irresponsible decisions...

 

...just because you are married with children doesn't mean you are exempt from any of the possibilities in the list above....

 

...well, hopefully 5,8, and 9 would be out of the question...

 

...but 10...

 

...be careful...

 

.....otherwise your outrageous New Years Eve babysitter fees will be doubled next year.

 

Catch my drift?

 

So, in conclusion, regardless if you are young, single and already conditioned to the "up all night" partying lifestyle of Miley, Kesha and the Beebs, or if you are married, matured and your typical party includes screaming toddlers and giant talking rat...it doesn't matter....

 

 You must practice safe partying, people.

 

Wait until later in the evening before having that first drink, practice self control, and go home once the big, glittery ball has dropped...

 

...afterall, no one wants to be the out of control, slurring, stumbling mess who mistakingly Snapchats their dad from a bar bathroom at 3:00am.

 

Happy New Years!

 

 

 

 :) Ashley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



My Christmas Eve Short List... there ins't enough rum in the state...

 

oh....wait.... It's today!!!

Hey...shouldn't you be basting a bird, lovingly topping a cheesecake with cherries, or frantically wrapping those last few gifts?

Yeah, me neither...

 

Ok, ok, I'm not completely as carefree as I'm coming across right now. Once all these special orders are picked here from the bakery, I'll leave here and become one of those sanity-deprived women at the grocery store picking up last minute Christmas dinner items, then speeding home like Cruella DeVille to finish up no less than 8 hours worth of last minute to-dos before the family festivities start later today, all in about 3 hours.

I know for some of you, super awesome, always composed, always poised, magazine worthy, got my shopping done in August, the turkey has been brining for two days, the cheesecake is chilled and ready, my children are bathed and dressed in their green and red velvet matching outfits, let me just touch up my lipstick and re-dab my Chanel No. 5 on my long, slender sweat-free neck, overachieving Pinterest moms, that having a long list of last minute to-do's wouldn't be a big deal...

...but I am an unorganized slacker, with under eye bags, paint stained yoga pants and a frizzy topknot that is quite possibly housing an old Cheez-it and toddler snot...so don't judge me...here's the rundown...

My Christmas Eve Short List:

1.Peel and thinly slice 700 lbs of potatoes for Scalloped Potatoes tonight.
2. Frantically Google what temperature to bake 700 lbs of potatoes at, and for how long.
3. Realize I forgot to buy foil to cover the potatoes, "Cruella DeVille" it back to the store.
4. Finish wrapping the Christmas presents whilst my little angels recharge during their naps.
5.  Forgot Scotch tape... screw the store... I'm gonna make this last 3 inches of tape work for me so help me baby Jesus!
6. Find a way to call my mom and tell her that despite my best efforts to sweet talk the guys at the UPS store, they wouldn't overnight her Christmas gift to California for any less than $184.00 and that I sincerely apologize for being an awful, awful child.
7. Layout girls clothes for dinner tonight.
8. Feel guilty about why I don't dress them better.
9. Shower and shave, finally. Crap, this razor has rusted over...don't want to risk Tetanus...just wear long socks.
10. Toothpick the potatoes to see if they are cooking...still hard as rocks... awesome!
11. Girls are awake, get the some snacks ready PRONTO to ward off possible Exorcist-like moods.
12. While girls are snacking, go dry and style hair, put on makeup, and get dressed. 
You have 7 minutes...
13. Get girls dressed.  *Don't forget to put on oven mitts and old welding mask to prevent bites.*
14. Tell husband to go shower and get ready. *Remind him that if he thinks now is a good time to take a long, leisurely 45 minute shower, that he will be greeted with the wrath of a 1000 banshees upon exiting the bathroom.*
15. Check potatoes again.... Still hard, yet somehow burning on edges... double awesome...
16. Take presents out to car to take tonight.  *Open trunk to find the back full of bags of old clothes and toys that were meant to go to Goodwill that you put back there 3 weeks ago when you were all motivated and on-the-ball for the Christmas season....yeah, make multiple trips back and forth in the blustery 4 degree weather to get those back inside the house where they will sit in the entryway until Valentines Day*
17. Go redo hair that was ruined from the arctic tornado outside.
18. The girls are running around naked....find their clothes.
19. Check potatoes...*queue the eye twitch*
20.  Husband is still in shower...

...summon the Banshees...
 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

...where's the Tylenol?

...and the rum...


:) Ashley


Piecing together a beautiful Craftsman Fireplace

Happy Tuesday everyone.

 

Sorry my posts have been so spaced out lately.  We have had a lot going on with last minute house related decision making and I've also been making a whole boatload of changes at work, so needless to say, my brain has been occupied.

 

Today however, I'd like to take a quick break from my daily chaos to run some stuff by you.  I have been debating lately over the overall style and look of our fireplace.  The decisions associated with designing a fireplace have been enough to give me a facial tick and a new love of hard alcohol. 

 

When designing a fireplace you have to choose the overall style, ie. Modern, Craftsman, Rustic, Traditional, etc.  You also, have to choose tile, stone, metal etc, for the surround.  You also have to decide if you want a big mantel or a small dainty one.  You need to know if you want the fireplace to stick out from the wall or be flush with the wall. You need to decide if you want a hearth or not. You need to decide if you want wood trim around the stone, tile, etc.  Gas or wood? Screen or Glass?

ARGGHHH!!!

 

It's maddening.

We decided on a classic wood burning fireplace, and now, it's time to make it pretty.

 

So after approximately 17,000 hours spent looking through photos on www.Houzz.com, as well as perusing home renovation blogs online for people who have tackled this same project themselves, lets just say I'm ready to make a decision, or rather, have one made for me before I spontaneously combust.

 

So, here are some example photos of what I have narrowed it down too.

All thoughts are welcome!...

...unless you plan on telling me you hate what I've picked, in that case you should just be quiet.

 

We are going for a Craftsman style with white woodwork.

  

                                        Craftsman Family Room by Milton Specialty Contractors Seva Rybkine

 

I love the white trim work on this fireplace and the deep mantel is right up my alley.  My husband would however like a hearth so that would have to be added...

 

....kinda like this photo...

 

 Farmhouse Bedroom by Millbrook Architects & Designers Crisp Architects

I'm not crazy about the style of stone, but I totally love the mantel and the beadboard addition above the stone surround on this fireplace.  I am however, a little concerned the carpentry talents needed on this one might be a bit above our heads....

Maybe not...I mean, we're pretty talented people... plus wood glue and putty can make anything look good...right?

I kid, I kid!

I'm not kidding..

So then there is this beauty...

Traditional Living Room by Arlington Interior Designers & Decorators Arlington Home Interiors

Noticing a theme yet? Yeah me too.
So of course, as with the other pictures, I love the trimwork on this fireplace. Clean and classy. Not a huge fan of the tiles on this one though. Too gray and cold feeling for me....

...hey dummy, that's what the fire is for!...

Excuse me while the two opposing sides of my brain duke it out....

Okay, onward.

In our family room, to the right of our fireplace there will be a door going out to the wrap around porch, but we will have space to the left of our fireplace that I would like to put a built in cabinet for the DVD player and cable box as well as movies, games, and extra blankets.  The attached cabinets in this picture are a good representation of what we would like, but they may be a little too tall for my taste. Plus I think our cabinets will actually have to stick out further than the face of the fireplace, as the fireplace is currently flush with our wall....

...was that all clear??...

...as mud? Yeah, I figured.

Here's what I meant...

Photo courtesy of StrataStones.net...obviously.

Anyways, see how the cabinets are out further than the fireplace?  We kind of have to do this, but I think we are going to attempt to build a small frame around the firebox opening that we will wrap with cement board and tile to give it a little depth instead of flat-faced against the wall.

I also like the dark counter tops on the cabinets in this picture.  Helps to break up all the white woodwork.

And here's my favorite...

 Traditional Living Room by Victoria Architects & Designers Christopher Developments

 

I love everything about this photo, with the exception of the river rock surround.  I love the stone, but it may be just a little bit too largely scaled for me.  I do however, ADORE the scale of the trimwork, the height of the cabinets on the sides, as well as the dark wood cabinet tops and mantel.  It doesn't have a hearth, but we could always add one...

 

...or not.  I know my husband wants one, but really, it looks so pretty without it, and why make the extra work for him  us?

 

So after deciding on a pretty solid Craftsman design for the fireplace, all that I am left with is the stone to go inside the woodwork trim. 

 

Here are my 4 final decisions, and luckily, they are actually only two kinds, just different colors.

 

Option 1:

Bathroom Tile by Hanford Tile, Stone & Countertops Pebble Tile Shop

 

I love the look of this stone. Not too rustic, definitely not too big, and it's just polished enough that at quick glance it could look like tile.

 

It also comes in a darker shade...

 

                                             Bathroom Tile by Hanford Tile, Stone & Countertops Pebble Tile Shop

I love both, however, they may be a little too gray... I can't decide.

 

Option 2:

 Bathroom Tile by Hanford Tile, Stone & Countertops Pebble Tile Shop

I really like this one.  Its a little rustic, but since the stones are small and polished, it's not like the whole fireplace would look like it belongs in a backwoods cabin somewhere.

And the darker version...

 Bathroom Tile by Hanford Tile, Stone & Countertops Pebble Tile Shop

I like this one because it's a tad darker and there are different variations of color, however, the name of it is "Sea Green Standing Pebble" so naturally that scares me that it will, in fact ,look green once its all up and attached. 

So, what do you think? Any opinions on the stone would be appreciated, because as we all know, my decision making process is less practical and easy going, and more frantic and spastic...


:) ashley

What to name our Home?...The White House was taken.

Hooray! 

My husband met the inspector out at the Farmhouse today, and to his delight and my relief, he passed!  I tell ya' he's a regular DIY-handyman-genius and thank goodness, because if he had been given a huge list of fix-it's, I may have very well broken down into a psychotic state....

 

...seriously, padded walls and jackets with padlocks may have been called in...

 

Luckily none of those precautions were needed and now we have insulation scheduled for Thursday and drywall to follow the middle of next week!  So, that's all I have on that right now.  Once the men with the big spray insulation guns show up, I'll inform you all. 

I know you won't be able to sleep until then...

With the promise of interior walls on the near future horizon, it has got me really thinking about the final product.  There are still so many features of the house that we have yet to decide on, like the tile for the master bathroom floor, the fireplace mantel, stair runners, bedroom carpet and I still haven't decided which route to go on the kitchen countertops...

...I've lost a lot of hair as of late....

...seriously, my ponytail is the width of a my pinky finger.

Anyways, I picture myself standing in the entry of the house with all these decisions flying through the air, around my head and through the house waiting for me to call out and point my finger at the ones that are to stay and to shout and wave my hand at the features that are to go. It's a lot of stress.  So, as I picture this tornado of tile, mantels, carpet, light fixtures, trimwork, etc flying at my head like angry seagulls, I begin to get a wee bit overwhelmed, and I then picture myself slowly backing out of the entry way, out the front doors and all the way up the driveway to the safety of the calm dirt road outside the gates.

Ahhh, sanctuary from the madness.

So, anyways, crazy interior decisions aside, as I picture myself outside the gates looking in, I notice another detail that needs addressing...

...this house needs a name.

We will have poured countless hours of hard work and brainpower into creating this home, not to mention the usual blood, sweat and tears.  A lot of love is going into building this home, just like a lot of love goes into making a family, and all those family members get names... so why not this member of the family?  It's practically the most important member really. Afterall, it keeps us warm in the winter, cool in the summer. It hold all our things, give us a place to rest, and protects us from wind, rain, blizzards and a possible zombie apocalypse.

So, yeah, I think it deserves a name.

As I pondered the idea of giving our home a name, a sign from above was dropped directly into my lap.  The movie "The Holiday" was playing on TV and in case you haven't seen it, Kate Winslet's character owns a small home in Surrey, UK that is the quintessential adorable little English cottage, and of course, it has a name....

Rosehill Cottage.

How stinkin' cute?! 

So needless to say, it got my brain wheels crankin' and I wondered what other homes in movies or in real life that I'd seen or heard of that had names.

Instantly, I was reminded of quite possibly my favorite movie house that has a name...

 

"Bramasole" from Under the Tuscan Sun.

 

It's so, so cute and makes me want to pack up the family, a copy of Italian Rosetta Stone, and head to Cortona. 

 

I couldn't think of anymore movie houses with names off the top of my head, and could only think of one real house/property that was given a name...

 

 Perhaps you've heard of Graceland?

 

You get the idea.  Got a pretty house? Give it a name.

 

So, the question now is, What shall I name our home?  Do I go cute and cozy, or cool and bold?  Or practical, or foreign, or obscure, or grand, or modest or a little scary to deter burglars??

 

Here are some ideas:

1.Welch Ranch

2.Sycamore Farm

3.The Shire

4. Silent Hill

5. Fort Knox

6.Crabapple Manor

7.Alcatraz

8. Bramasole II

9.Westhighland

10. Little Salt Farm

11. Green Acres

12. Starship Enterprise

13. Overlook Hotel

14. Narnia

15. District 12

 

See? It's really hard to pick.. So many obvious choices!

 

argh.

 

Any suggestions?

 

:) Ashley

 

 

 

The First Rule of Black Friday is DO NOT talk about Black Friday!

Well, did you survive Turkey Day and Black Friday?

 

I certainly hope so.

 

I myself have never personally partaken in any Black Friday activities.  Every year after our family has stuffed themselves to the brim, settled into their couch or loveseat of choice, and have had at least a good 2-3 hours to converse and digest, the men then settle in for a game of Texas Hold 'em or high stakes TV watching and nearly all the women get locked and loaded for a full on Black Friday marathon starting at about 11:00pm.  Every year I am invited to join in on the hunt for Christmas dealbusters, but every year I must decline the offer.  My main reasons for passing on the midnight shopping extravaganza mainly revolve around being too full and tired to move, but there's a little part of me that declines simply because I wish to live to see another day.

 

I'm sorry, but shopping already stresses me out enough by itself, so once the fear of being trampled, thrown in a headlock, or shanked between the ribs enters into the mix, consider me out...

 

...every time I envision the crowds waiting outside of the store doors, I picture one extremist Black Friday shopper at the front of the crowd with a torch in one hand and a mega-phone in the other giving a speech to all the other die hards... 

It goes something like..

 

"Welcome to Fight Club Black Friday. The first rule of Black Friday is: you do not talk about Black Friday. The second rule of Black Friday is: you DO NOT talk about Black Friday! Third rule of Black Friday: someone yells "stop!", goes limp, taps out, the fight shopping is over. Fourth rule: only two guys to a fight. Fifth rule: one fight at a time, fellas. Sixth rule: No shirts, no shoes, no service.  Seventh rule: fights shopping will go on as long as they have to. And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club Black Friday, you have to fight shop!"

 

 

"Now GO!"

 

 

By the way, in my quick Google search for the perfect Black Friday picture, I was shocked to see how many photos there were of people who had been seriously injured by the violent shoppers....
...only in America will we trample a person to death in order to save a couple bucks, 3 hours after sitting at our dining table with family to give Thanks for all that we are grateful for...

Ugh.

So for those of you like my in-laws who practiced peaceful shopping in a herd of crazies, I salute you!

 
If you were one of the shankers, not so much...
 

Anyways, if you are like me and didn't have the energy or Fight Club mentality to risk life and limb for a pair of $5 slippers, then you probably spent your Thanksgiving night eating a 2nd or 3rd helping of pumpkin pie and dreaming about the next big Holiday..

...the Holiday to end all Holidays...

...the crème de la crème of Special occasions...

Christmas, baby!!!

I love me some Christmas.

I'm that person who started playing Louis Armstrong and Judy Garland music on the radio the second it started playing 24 hours a day. I have the urge to bake constantly, sip eggnog from a flask, buy bags upon bags of fresh cranberries, light candles that my make house smell like freshly fallen snow (apparently, according to Glade) and watch National lampoons Christmas Vacation, day in and day out until the man in red arrives at my door.

I love Christmas. 

It's not really about the gifts for me...hence the reason I didn't go out for Black Friday, but rather it's just about the spirit of the whole season.  I love the festivities, the great classic movies, the baking and the smells. The snow, the pretty lights and watching my children grow with anticipation a little more each day that Santa's arrival gets closer.  It's just good, wholesome, stuff.  I know that I will have to go buy  gifts eventually so that my children have presents to open on Christmas Eve, but for the most part, I just want them to enjoy and bask in the warmth of the season, gifts aside.  I really want to instill in them that a few presents are nice, sure, but family time will always be most important....

...and when they get older, I'd rather they cozy up on the couch with mom in slippers and sweatpants and a Christmas movie marathon to do a little peaceful, online Cyber Monday shopping while we stuff our faces with baked goods and eggnog with nary a Black Friday shanker in sight...

....Sounds good to me :)

Merry Christmas season everyone!

:) Ashley




 

 



The Five "S's" of Facebook, and why cat pictures are a better choice...

Happy freezing cold day to you!

 

It's days like this that I dread walking out the door.  I channel my inner agoraphobe, hunch inside of my oversized Old Navy fleece zip-up like a little homeless lady, and just stare out the window like a bored cat.
 

There's no snow, so the cold yet cozy feeling hasn't yet overcome me, and it's only day 1 of the arctic-like season, so I'm sent into an instantly grouchy mood knowing that at least 4 more months of this frozen hell are still to come.

 

Oh well. It's still the Holiday season so that's enough to keep me going for now.  Oh, and we might finally be getting insulation and drywall in the next two weeks!

 

In case you have forgotten, this blog is actually about building our dream Farmhouse and the life that goes with it.  It has, however, been a bit lackluster in the world of construction these past several weeks, so in the interest of not boring you to tears with talk of "running wires" and "air duct offsets", I decided to fill these blog pages with talk of California, deep thoughts, and other random musings that may or may not have kept you entertained...

 

...I'm sorry if you have been holding on by a thread...

 

So what's on the docket for today? Well, I was wondering that myself the past couple days...racking my brain for ways to put an amusing spin on heating and air, fireplace caps, or why vents from bathroom fans need to be no more than 15 feet, but I just couldn't come up with anything more than

 

"'Cuz if the vent is too long, your poop fumes will get trapped and will float back into your house"

 

 As I thought and thought and thought on what to talk about, I spent my time over-snacking, staring off into space, and of course, browsing Facebook to kill time in between loads of dishes and sweeping at work.  As I slouched in my chair, sipping my coffee, scrolling through post after post, it hit me like a book to the face...

 

I'll do a post about Facebook!  More specifically the stuff I see ALL. THE. TIME....

So without further ado...

 

The Five S's of Facebook

 

1.Selfies

So we've all seem them and most of us have done them. It's the selfie.  You know, those pictures people take of themselves because they can't resist the urge to show off their sexiness to the world.  Please, selfie addicts, refrain from posting these pictures all the time.  We get it.  You're pretty.

Amidst the abundance of selfie posts, I have come to notice that there are 3 main types of selfies:

 

A. The Serious Selfie

This is the selfie that shows off just how serious a girl in a tube top, or a dude at the gym can really be.  A little secret guys, you just look constipated.

 

B. The Bathroom Selfie

Some selfies are taken in the comfort of ones own bathroom, because nothing says sexy like a wet towel and underwear on the floor and a vanity top caked with hairspray and blush powder with a few random tampons scattered about...  Clean up already.

 

C. The Pet Selfie

Every once in a while, you'll see a selfie that features the person smashing their little Cockahauhaushitzadoodle against their face while doing the duck lips face that we all know and love.  These selfies would be cute if you're tiny fluffy friend were also duckin' it, but sadly, they just look concerned, so please, keep these frightened pet photos to yourself or someone is going to call the ASPCA.

 

The only time selfies should be allowed is if you have a really cute friends picture to show off, a seriously funny face that just had to be shared with the world in order to brighten someones day, or if you have become a mother in the past 3-4 years and haven't shown the world that you actually exist outside of your children. Then it's okay to prove that you are still alive by posting a selfie....

 

...A tasteful selfie that is... not a,

 "Hey! look at my new boobs and flat tummy thanks the Mommy Makeover that I just got thanks to a handy surgeon and my lifesavings!"

 

Moving on in my series of top 5 Facebook posts...

 

2. Symbols

I love when I'm scrolling along and I see a post that is just a smiley face, or a heart, or some little random emoticon... I just don't understand...you took the time to post that, knowing that no one will know what you are talking about? That's all I have on this topic because I have no additional information to give....

 

3. Song Lyrics

I hope you don't find me snotty for making fun of the song lyric posts, but they always make me laugh a little.  I can understand if you're super enthused about a song and want to show your love...

 

"OMG I just LOVEEE the new Miley Cyrus song! "I came in like a wrecking balllll, all I wanted was to break you offff"  GOOD STUFF! Love me some Miley!"

 

But please don't just write out a lyric (or 8) from a song. We get that you are in some kind of melancholy mood and your whole world is crashing down around you because your boyfriend just dumped you or your BFF talked trash behind your back, but please, write your own sad lines. Copying songs is just lazy...and it's plagiarism.  It's punishable people.

 

4. Sad Stories

It really brings me down when I open up the Facebook only to be bombarded with sad and depressing news headlines or status updates about awful happenings that really should be kept private amongst the family members.  I mean no disrespect for the those you who are just trying to spread the news, but seriously, please keep the depressing stuff to a minimum.  A girl can only take so much sad. In fact, next time you want to post something utterly depressing, just post a cat picture instead....

 

 

See?? SO much funnier!!

 

5. Secret Messages

Ok, these are probably my favorite. We have all seen them. You know, the message where someone is obviously mad at someone and they feel the need to leave a cryptic message telling their disgust with this person.  They never say who its about, and they never say exactly what it's about, but they for DAMN sure want to make sure that this secret person is publically shamed in the world of Facebook for their super top secret awful actions!

 

Shame Shame Shame on you secret person!

 

But seriously, we all know that the people posting these messages are secretly hoping that the person they are directing the message to sees the post, realizes it's about them, thus causing them to want to call out the person who posted it, but they can't because they don't have proof that it's actually about them, and they don't want to look stupid in case they are wrong, so they have to just sit and stew instead...

 

It's just so complicated to be mad at someone these days. I mean what ever happened to rounding up your posse to settle in it the streets with a good old fashioned dance off??

 

 

Well there you have it. The top 5 posts I see on Facebook.

 

I, in no way mean any offense to anyone if you are a compulsive Selfie taker, symbol lover, plagiarizer, Debbie downer, or cryptic messager, but please, if you find yourself feeling the urge to commit any of these acts of Facebookery, please, oh please, just post a cat picture instead.

 

:) Ashley

 

 

 

 



The Perfect Turkey and Business Names...

Hello there!
 

 Only 8 days until Thanksgiving!  If you are hosting this year, then bless your heart. 

 That also probably means that you are on turkey duty. Here are 3 tips to make sure your bird is a hit:

1.Remember to take out the "bag o' guts".  Speaks for itself.

 

2 Cut up a few yellow onions, garlic cloves, carrots, celery, herbs and salt and completely cover the bottom of your pan. This will create a delicious braising liquid for step 3.

 

Oh step 3... you are glorious...

 

3. Roast the bird upside down (yes, breast to the bottom) for 75% of the time it's in the oven.  Low and Slow baby.  The white breast meat braises in it's own juices as well as the yummy veggie juices, making it so very delicious.
 

This happy accident was discovered by my friend who had never made a turkey before and decided to host a friends Thanksgiving one year. She, unknowingly, place the turkey in the roasting pan upside down, and when it came out, we all cocked our heads to the side wondering why it looked so funny, but then dug in and realized it was the juiciest white meat any of us had ever had....

 

...I hate the word 'juicy', so the fact that I voluntarily said that means it was exquisite.

 

Once you have about 45 minutes left to go on the timer, take the bird out, carefully turn it over so it's breast side up (have a couple sets of hands available as well as tongs, and oven mitts...it could get a little messy), baste with butter, and continue to roast for the remaining time so the skin can crisp up and brown.

 

 

Boom.

The most moist Thanksgiving turkey ever.

You're welcome....

 

...I hate the word 'moist' equally as much as 'juicy' so again, you know it must be good.

 

...and 'crusty'...I hate that word too...

 

Turkey wisdom aside, that's not really what my post is about today.

 

I'm at a crossroads with work, and I could use a little input from you.

 

Yes, YOU.

 

I am currently in the process of making my bakery a bit more professional and by that I mean I am finally investing in having a real logo made in order to have some marketing materials made up to boost and expand business. 

 

One of the issues I have come across with designing a logo, is the business name...

 

...yes, I know I already have a business name, Bittersweet Bakery, but during my countless hours of research, I have come to realize that there are about a million other Bittersweet Bakeries out there as well...

 

...not sure how I missed that two years ago, when I chose the name. One of them is even in Nebraska!

My face when realizing the abundance of Bittersweet Bakeries.

So, naturally, as I'm never satisfied with anything, I now wonder if I should change my business name before I pay to have a logo and marketing materials made up.  My overall customer base is still small, so if I was going to do it, now would be the time.

I just really dislike the idea of being one of a boatload of Bittersweet's out there.

I want to be unique.
I want to be one of a kind.
 I want to be memorable... ya' know?

For example, I really love the show "Unique Sweets" on Food Network.  Many a nights I have sat Indian style in bed, watching this show, drooling, running to the kitchen during commercial breaks to search for old Halloween candy or freezer burnt ice cream just to satisfy my sweet tooth, and every once in a while they highlight a bakery that has a very unique name. 
My two favorites are Craftsman and Wolves, and 4 in 20 Blackbirds. Both neat shops, and both with very interesting and memorable names.  The name alone makes you want to visit the place.

When I first opened my bakery, I decided to go the safe route as far as the name went. I chose a word that was baking related, and of course, sounded cute.  After a couple years, I now realize that that may not have been the best decision for me personally. I know the name shouldn't matter, that it's the products that I sell that I need to keep my focus on, but I just can't help this nagging feeling that there is a better name for my little bakery.  A name that makes it stand out on the street as well as on print. A name that makes you wonder how the owner came up with that? A name that makes you want to come in and check it out. 

So I've been brainstorming...

...and drinking wine...

...and brainstorming some more, and what I have come up with is 3 different ideas. Not names, but methods for choosing a name. 

1. A name that doesn't even sound like a bakery, but rather something on the opposite end of the spectrum. For example:

The Butcher Shop

This name is actually taken already, by an east coast bakery. It's neat. I feel like this is a good way to show a little quirkiness and that you aren't afraid to think outside the box.

2. I like business names that play on either someone or something's name, or sound almost like a book title. For example:

 The Girl and the Fig
Country food with a French passion

(yes taken. It's in Sonoma and its adorable)

I use a lot of dairy products and honey in my recipes, so I thought about maybe a play on words involving a cow and a bee... like,

Bumble + Pearl
(a bees name and a cows name)

See what I'm saying? Cute, but curious.

3. And last but not least, a name that takes a simple yet consistent physical feature of the business itself and makes it into a short and sweet name.  For example:

Blackboard
Old School. American. Bake Shop

This one I actually came up with.  My bakery has lots of blackboards and I love them.  I actually plan on adding more as soon as I can find the time.

So, I don't know...thoughts? I have so many ideas running through my head and I can't seem to wrangle them and sort out the sick ones...can you tell we deal in cattle too?

hmmm, a name with cattle in it could be fun...

Argh!!! What to do?!

I should turn this joint into a wine shop too so I can drink at work...

Any thoughts? Please?  Respond in the Facebook link if you don't mind...


:) Ashley

 

 



California Part 5: The Most Beautiful Farmer's Market eva'...

Hello there!

I hope your Thursday is treating you well.

Mine is going pretty darn good.

Sure my Lean Cuisine lunch was sketchy (at best),  I've got a tight knot of a muscle under my right shoulder blade, and still have a full sink load of dishes to do here at work, but that's ok...not gonna bring me down.

Why you ask?

 Because, I just cracked my back for the first time since giving birth to my first child 3 1/2 years ago, and it was magical.  I've felt like I have a rod up my back for a few years now, and I've been longing for that satisfying crackle you can get from a simple twist in your chair...

Don't make that disgusted look... you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Sure, I can't feel my legs now and a violent eye twitch has developed, but that's ok...

Relief comes in many forms.

Anyways....

California
Part 5: Farmers Markets

Have you ever been to a farmers market?

 

And I'm not talking melons on the back of a truck or a big fancy sale at some shopping center..

 

..no no. I'm talking real farmers and merchants who grow and/or make their own goods from their own dirt and/or from their own two hands?

 

Hmmmm???

 

Well, I never had until I went to one in California, and it was without a doubt the most beautiful Farmer's Market ever.

 

The colors that flooded the market from the mountains of fruits, vegetables and handmade goods were glorious, and the sweet seductive smells from the local small restaurants selling their baked goods and ethnic cuisine were enough to send me into a near catatonic state.  Sure, every once in a while I'd get a whiff of hippie stank, but it didn't alter my blissful state one bit.

 

I love hippies...

 

...even if they do smell of patchouli and failing crystal deodorant stick.

 

We parked the car, unloaded the Little Tykes wagon and pulled the girls along the sidewalk to the market.

 

 

We found out we were a bit early for the farmers market as many of the merchants were still setting up their booths, so we stopped off at Gypsy Café for a light breakfast. 

 

I ordered the Eggs Benedict.

It was so delicious I almost died. 

 Just sayin'.

 

After breakfast we reloaded the girls into the wagon and off to the market we went.  As we walked around the back of the booths looking for an opening in between to sneak through, I could hear the hustle and bustle of the merchants and the eager consumers ready to load up their "Made from 100% recycled materials" shoulder bags full of bright and colorful veggies, fruits, and handmade leather wallets...

 

Hmmm, constructed well, hand-stitched, intricately embossed...I give you a $1. Final offer.

 

 

We found our way through the flowing linens that separated each booth and were immediately greeted with a sea of bright colors and the smell of Earth.

 

You know the smell.  When you pull a vegetable that you grew yourself straight out of the dirt.

 

It's a good smell.

 

I'm pretty sure my cholesterol levels just improved merely from typing that sentence...

 

Anyways, check out nature's beauty...
 

 

 

 

You see what I'm talking about? This market was full of this.  I've never wanted to stop washing my hair and wear dresses made of hemp so bad in my life.

 

Oh, and here's an adorably farm-to-table-esque, gluten-free bakery that had a booth set up amongst the veggies...

 

Even the wooden display cases made me happy :)



So, there you have it folks.
 The cutest, most brightly colored, honest to goodness Farmer's Market ever, takes place in Sebastopol, CA every Sunday at 11:00am.  If you're ever in the area, you most definitely need to make a trip.

 I kid you not, you will leave there with a whole new appreciation for fruits and veggies and will never want to set foot in a grease riddled fast food place ever again.

I know most of you will never find yourself wandering the streets of Sebastopol, so instead, seek out a farmers market in your area as soon as you can.  Find yourself a gigantic tote bag made of wheat and alpaca hair, load it full of heart healthy morsels, then go home, empty your bounty onto the kitchen counter and channel your inner Julia Child. 

I promise this will change your outlook on food forever, and your heart will thank you...

...not to mention your colon will give you mad props for your new found regularity. 


:) Ashley


I regained the feeling in my legs...

...guess I have no excuse to put off doing those dishes anymore.
 

 

 

 



Keeping the Magic in my childrens lives...

I'm going to take a little break from the California posts today.

I'll probably end up being a little sappy too, I just have some thoughts on my mind.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are closing in on us, and I, like most of you, don't mind a bit.

I absolutely love this time of year. 

 

Honestly, what's not to love?

 

Twinkling white lights and shiny ornaments are beginning to grace store windows, the end of every grocery store aisle is piled high with holiday scented candles and the exact ingredients required to make a pumpkin pie. The sound of sleigh bells are in the background of every television commercial and Burl Ives, Judy Garland and Bing Crosby classics have begun playing on the radio.

 

It's the time of year, when a person gets sentimental and nostalgic.  It doesn't matter how in tune you are with today's technology and the social media frenzy, or if you've been too busy to cook a homemade meal in the past 11 months so you've been living off of Five Hour Energy and Powerbars, or if your entire life revolves around the detailed schedule on your iPhone...

 

...people tend to slow down a bit this time of year.

 

I believe that this time of year, more than any other, is the time when people miss how things used to be.  They reminisce more about their childhoods, and the traditions that their families had created when they were younger.  They have the urge to recreate these warm memories once again, whether it be simply for themselves, or to pass these heartwarming traditions on to their children. The realization that life flies by too fast is like a slap in the face, and the sudden urgency to slow things down and just "be" together as a family takes precedence.  They may look back on regrets that they have, or they may make promises to themselves to make a change for the better, for themselves and their families.  Less technology time, more family time.

I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to spending too much time attached to a phone, iPad or my laptop.  Most of my tech-time takes places at work during the slow times of the day.  I catch up on emails, blogging, updating any of my 3 Facebook pages, etc.  Sometimes, I catch myself at home in the evening looking at my phone or opening my laptop to check in on things that I feel just can't wait.  Most of the time, I realize that I have exceeded the 5 minute allowance I gave myself to be on one of these devices, and I immediately shut it down and get down on the floor to play with my children.  Other times it's my husband who, from across the room, will say something to the effect of

"You are ALWAYS on your phone" or, "Do you really need to do that now?"

I, of course, will get defensive and say something back defending my technological actions along the lines of ...

"Oh geez, I was only on for 10 minutes. I'm done now. You're always on your phone too ya' know..."

And it's true, my husband is just as guilty as myself when it comes to staring at phone, or getting on the iPad for "just a sec"...

I think when we call each other out for using our devices during family time, it's a snarky little way of making ourselves feel better. We know that sending emails or checking Facebook can and should wait until after our children are in bed, and the fact that we just scolded our spouse for it means that we were obviously not on our phone at the time, and therefore were being the "good" parent at that moment.  It's a dirty little way of making yourself feel better, but at the same time, you know you've done it too, and you feel bad that you let that little device rule your world as often as it does.

We have all done it.

We all feel guilty about it.

Whether it's time spent ignoring your spouse or children, or just time wasted in general browsing Facebook, Twitter, etc, we get that guilty feeling, that regretful feeling, that sad feeling...

 "I'm wasting my precious time staring at this stuff"

But just like any addiction, you go right back to it, saying "one more time", or "just a few more minutes", or "just one quick post"...

This is why I love the Holidays the most.

 Sure I love the decorations, the feasts, the movies, the snow, the smells, the general heart warming feeling and that joyous flood of childhood memories, but most of all, I love the slow pace. I love the disconnect from the modern world, and the reconnect with old memories. 

As a mother, and still a new one when compared to the long scheme of things, I am beyond excited to watch my children during the Holiday season. They are still very little, and they still aren't really sure what Thanksgiving and Christmas are. They know we eat a lot on Thanksgiving, and they know we will decorate a tree and a jolly man dressed in red named Santa will break into our home on Christmas Eve and leave them toys, but they still aren't exactly sure why...

...and I love that.

I love knowing that, as parents, we are at the very beginning of the road when it comes to creating a world of joy and magic for my children, especially during the Holidays.  I believe that creating magic in an otherwise manmade world, is crucial to the development of children.  It scares me to my core when I think about my children having cell phones, Facebook accounts, or their own iPad when they are 8, 9, 10, 11 years old. A child at this age, is just that...a child.  They should be playing outside, running, getting dirty and exploring, not walking malls, covering themselves in makeup and staring at their phones.  I see an incredible amount of children this age, who are walking around as if they are teenagers or adults these days, and it makes me sad. I'm not saying they are bad kids by any means, I just feel like they are missing out on their childhoods, and they won't ever get that back.

 I have very fond memories growing up. I was an average kid, just like most of you reading, I'm sure. I played outside, I walked to where I needed to go, I earned an allowance, I wrote stories in notebooks, I explored outside, I drank from a hose, I talked to my friends on the phone that we had hanging on the wall in the kitchen...and the list goes on.  I didn't wear makeup until I was 13 and even then it was a tinted lip gloss and a little blush, that's it.  I didn't have a cell phone until I was 16 years old when I got a car, and it was only for emergencies.

Don't get me wrong, I know the world has changed since I was a kid. I know the expectations and standards for children have changed as well.  But still, this makes me sad.

Last night, after dinner, my husband and I curled up in bed with our two little girls with a big bowl of popcorn and the movie "The Polar Express" in our bed. We turned off the lights and pulled up the covers and as our little ladies watched the movie, my husband and I watched them.  At the end of the movie the little boy is given a sleigh bell by Santa Claus himself. It's a moment in the movie that demonstrates the magic and wonder that resides inside of children. At the moment the little boy shook the bell and it made that wonder jingle noise, my husband nudged my arm and whispered for me to look at Lucy's face.  The look on her face was of pure fascination and wonder at watching that little boy suddenly believe in the magic of Christmas.  Her eyes were wide and bright and her mouth was open with awe.  It was one of those moments that I will never forget.  Everything she was seeing on that movie screen was real and existed in her world. 

Magic was real, miracles were real, and this could all happen to her, just like that little boy,
 as long as she believed.

It's moments like these, the moments of purity and sheer amazement, that I hope to continually produce and encourage in my children's lives for years to come.  As a mother, I will do everything I can to make sure that my little girls believe in magic, that they lose themselves in play, that they continue to grow their imaginations, and that they never doubt the possibility of miracles.

We as parents will do our very best to create memories for our children that will stick with them, front and center in their minds, for the rest of their lives.  I never want to regret not making the most of a moment for them, and more importantly, I never want them to feel like their childhoods were anything less than incredible.  When they grow older and have children of their own, I want to strive to recreate these wonderful moments with their own children.

The Farmhouse that we are building is more than just new house. It will be a whole new life for us and for our girls.  We spent 3 years searching for the perfect house plan. The kind of house that you would want to grow up in. The kind of house they will come home to spend Christmas with us in. The kind of house that gives you a hug whenever you walk through its doors.  In addition to the house, we will have the wide open space.  They will be able to run, explore, raise animals, ride horses, chase chickens, run through sprinklers, pick blossoms from the trees, ride bikes and so much more, all in the safety of our own wide open space.

As many parents do, we have a vision for our children. We dream of being the perfect parent who gives them the perfect childhood fully stocked with the best of memories and this holiday season I will be making a true effort and pledge to myself to put down the phone, to close the laptop and to stop wasting my time reading my news feed in order to make these memories happen for them.

 None of those other things matter.

Living life to its fullest, spending precious time with my family and keeping their lives full of joy and wonder is my number one goal this Holiday season, as well as for the days that follow.

You won't be missing out on anything if you begin ignoring your phone, iPad, Facebook, etc....

...after all, you spend hours upon hours with those devices, but when's the last time they smiled back or gave you a big hug for it?


Have a wonderful Holiday Season with those who matter most.

:) Ashley


California Part 4: Northern California Bakery Tour and not wanting to go to jail...

I own a bakery. No secret there.

 

I love bakeries. Also probably pretty obvious.

 

I like scoping out other bakeries to see what they're baking, how they decorate, and the kind of crowds they pull in.  It's all in the name of market research.

 

 So, while we were in beautiful Northern California, I decided to take a few scattered opportunities to drag my brood to a few different bakeries in the area to check them out and to see what makes them unique and successful. I didn't hear many complaints...

 

So goes the next chapter...

 

California

Part 4: Northern California Bakery Tour

 

 Amongst all of our many activities during our vacation, I decided to do a little research for work.  I know the demographic in California is different than here in the corn belt, but I figured that no matter where you are in this grand country of ours, that there still exists those fine folks who truly appreciate and love a small, independently owned, made from scratch and love with the owners two bare hands kind of bakery. 

 

 So, after a couple days of letting the girls run the show, I decided to throw everyone in the car and we headed to our first stop.  Luckily the first bakery in my list was en route to Bodega Bay. For those of you who don't know, Bodega Bay is an adorable little town on the coast that has an abundance of beaches that draw in surfers and tourists, as well as gift shops, clam chowder, and houses that are teetering on the edges of the rocky cliffs...

 

...if I lived in one of those houses, I would sleep in fear.  Seriously, they are teetering on the edge...

 

...a slight ocean mist could take them down...

 

Anyways, Bodega Bay is also the setting for the avian horror classic by Alfred Hitchcock...

 

"The Birds"

 

 

If you have seen it, you may remember the old school house up on the hill?

 

 

Anyways, it's still there. I saw signs that they were having a haunted schoolhouse tour one of the nights we were there, but we missed it.  Super bummer.

 

 

So back to the bakery tour..

The first bakery we hit on my list was a very cute, very rustic, very out in the middle of nowhere kind of place. I had been cyber stalking it for some time now and when we finally pulled in to the tiny, yet packed parking lot, I became like one of those hyper dogs pulling at the leash trying to get everyone out of the car and into this place.
 

 

  Wild Flour Bread. 

 

 

It's basically one big room, with a wood oven at the back, a large table in the center where the bread bakers are rolling and weighing dough, as well as where they display their finished products...

 

Me happy.

We managed to squeeze our way through the crowd of about 800 people waiting in line, and secured a place amongst the chaos...

 

...it reminded me of the way the stock market used to work with everyone yelling and holding up their hands, buying and selling...

 

...I'm pretty sure this place is where all the gluten-free fakers come to reload their secret gluten stashes. 

 

Anyways, after a few minutes, we were up. We had to move fast because the crowd was beating down on our backs and I really didn't want any bakery related casualties on my conscience.  We ordered a sticky bun that was literally the size of my 2 year old...
 

 

It was made with wheat dough, a lot of raisins, and a whole lot of cinnamon goo.  You could taste the wood oven in it. Interesting and unique. It wasn't rolled up like a traditional sweet roll, but rather it had lots of pockets and nooks and crannies.  I'm not sure how they even got it like that, but it was definitely different.  I'm not a huge fan of raisins in my sweet rolls, so I only ate 2lbs of the 4lb sticky mass.

 

My husband got a meyer lemon blueberry scone, but as it took two hands to eat my giant sticky mass, I couldn't snap a picture.  Please don't be mad...
 

Before we were getting ready to walk out, at the last minute I spotted a savory scone that was loaded with cremini mushrooms, fontina cheese, caramelized onions, and loads of herbs on top. I almost passed on it in order to ensure the survival of my children from the ravenous crowd that hovered over us...

 

...but then I realized I really wanted it, so I shielded my children for a minute more, frantically threw a few bucks at the cashier, scooped up my offspring and the lovely scone, and line-backered my way back out the doors towards the car...
 

I want my mommy...

It was heaven on Earth.

Seriously, it was worth endangering my children for...

...Sorry girls. Mommy does love you...

...but she also loves cremini mushrooms and fontina cheese, sooooo...
 

 

After we sat and noshed silently in the car for a good 15 minutes, we decided it was best to move on and let someone else brave the crowd.

A day or two later we stopped by another small bakery in town to grab a few gluten free goodies for my mom.  It was a cute place called Patisserie Angelica.  More of a fancy dessert place, but cute nonetheless...

Very inviting front door. Super cute.

 

I ordered a croissant which sadly, was just ok.  It was a little heavier than I feel a croissant should be, but at the same time, getting croissants just right isn't easy, plus what they lacked in croissants, they more than made up for in cakes and chocolate confections, so I'm sure they'll be just fine.  This bakery, just like Wild Flour was only open on weekends, so they must be doing something right.

I wasn't overly into this place as its not really my kind of bakery, but still, it was a nice little place.

The next stop a day later was one of my favorite places. This bakery is located in downtown Healdsburg, CA.  Healdsburg can only be described as the "Small town for Old Money".  It has a little park in the middle of towns square, the shops that line up in a square around the park are full of cute bookstores, boutiques, candy shops, wine shops, high end art galleries, a Sothebys or two, and also...

Ahhh, Costeaux's... We meet again.
 

Any bakery that has Boulangerie written in big cursive letters has my vote. 

If it's French, me likey.

Mommy! Pumpkin Cookies! Ghost cookies!
Mamamamamama!

I love how Lucy felt the need to bring her face down to the cookie instead of the cookie up to her face...

Whatever works kiddo.

Looking at these two pictures show just how different my two little ladies really are.
Love.

 

In addition to the two pumpkin cookies for the two pumpkins, my husband got a caramel tart that he always gets whenever we are there, and I got a Chocolate Florentine...

...it got eaten so quickly that it never stood a chance of a picture.

Never in a million
 

This little Florentine consisted of a crisp caramel and pecan shell that was rolled while still warm into a little tube, like a cannoli shell. It was then filled with an espresso pastry cream and dipped in dark chocolate on either end to trap the delicious cream inside.

 

It was the kind of sweet treat that made my eyes roll back into my head and I sank into my seat....
 

...if I hadn't lifted my arm to take another bite, people may have started to get concerned.

 

Oh, and they make some pretty perfect cakes too.

Costeaux's. Good stuff.

 

So, we took a couple day break and before we knew it, it was the day before we were set to leave...

...is there anything more depressing than the day before your last day on vacation?...

...I mean aside from the obvious stuff, like divorce or hunger, or death. 

Just sayin'.  Going home is no fun.
 

Our last bakery on the tour was the one I was most looking forward to.  I had purchased a cookbook from the best bookstore ever in downtown Sebastopol; Copperfield Books.  Its the cutest, coziest bookstore ever, and every time we visit, we go there and I buy a cookbook.  It's just my thang.

This is the cookbook I splurged on this trip... 

I spent $50 on this cookbook because I really, really wanted it.

You can imagine how happy I was to see that I could have bought it online for $23.00 when I searched for this picture to show you.

What. Ever.

 

Anyways, after reading through the entire book and drooling over ever picture in this thing, I decided to look up to see where exactly it was located...

It was located in Yountville, CA...and hour away from where we were.

 

We had to go.

 

So that oh so sad second to last day was the day I decided we would go to Bouchon Bakery.  Did I mention I was even more excited to go here because the owner was the same guy who owns
The French Laundry? 
 

Oh, you don't know what the French Laundry is?  Its a super expensive, super high end restaurant that only mobsters, movie stars, and the guy who owns Virgin Airlines can go to.
 

Those are facts and in no way am I being dramatic.
 

So, after a beautiful drive through Napa valley, we had made it to Bouchon bakery...

 

 

 I unloaded the girls as quickly as I could, and with one kid under each arm, I power walked myself and them across the street straight up to the front doors.

 

I took a deep breath and walked inside...

I pretty sure I blacked out for a moment after walking in.  All I remember is walking in, seeing all the deliciousness, then before I knew it we were all seated outside with bag upon bag of baked goods...

...no one seemed to complain about the abundance of goodies.

 

 

 

I see your caramel macaron, and I raise you one espresso macaron....

Actually, just give me both.

Seriously, just give it.

 

Mom, I'm not kidding! I WILL bite your hand if you try to take my raspberry Macaron!

 

Everything we purchased was delicious but even I couldn't finish it all.  The croissant was delish, the Pain au Chocolate (not pictured) was divine, all the macarons were perfect, and my little ladies really enjoyed their OhOh's. (Bouchon's gourmet version of the HoHo)

 

All my bakery stops were awesome and I loved seeing the diversity when it came to baked goods. I learned a few things and I hope to be able to try out some new recipes and techniques soon at my own bakery. 

 

I love bakeries.

 

 I may have eaten my weight in butter and sugar during that trip, but I'm not complaining...

 

...well maybe just a little when I try to get my pants up...

 

But let's not go there.

 

 

:) Ashley

 

 

Oh, and while I was stuffing my gob with pastries outside Bouchon, a little birdy told me that

 The French Laundry was just down the road...

 

Hmmmmmm...

 

 

So what did I do?

 

I took a picture of course.

 

The French Laundry has this famous blue front door...

 

 (I did not take this picture, as I am a coward)

 

 ..but ironically, its around the back side of the building, and I'm pretty sure someone was guarding it...so I settled for a quick snapshot with the sign out front....

 

...a picture with the blue door seemed too risky...

 

... and I'm not cut out for jail.