Favorite NEW TV Series!

I am head over heels in love with this new TV docu-series on Bravo... 9 By Design !

Husband and wife team Bob and Cortney Novogratz are owners of a NYC based design firm... Sixx Design. They're young and hip and artsy and have developed and designed UNIQUE in Manhattan. They've rebuilt entire blocks in the city and turned funky into fabulous! They face daunting construction challenges against rapidly ticking clocks. They create sumptuous spaces from wrecks and empty lots and then decorate with rare and inspiring collections.

Did I mention they have 7... yes, seven... children? The kids are loved and nurtured and put an interesting twist into the program.

The parents have a new book out, Downtown Chic! I saw it on Amazon.com and it's on my wish list.

Here are a few family photos...

They use a lot of photography in their decorating!

To read more about this fascinating family and show, click on Bravotv.com

Our cable company offers 9 By Design on Primetime on Demand so you can catch up or re watch the show. Also check their website for possible episodes online.

Enjoy!!

Joni

Signs of Summer

Today is such a BEAUTIFUL day outside! It's hard to stay inside and work on anything! The rain and wind last night brought down most of the pods from my maple trees so it might be a good day to start raking them up. What a job! So many happenings outside are screaming "SUMMER"! I've listed a few on this layout... Can you add more? Share them with us all!

I hope your weather is as lovely where you live!

Make this a great day!!

Joni

PS Just got back from my doctor and she thinks I have a 'torn rotator cuff'.

I have an MRI next Tuesday.

Always something!

Otter's Album

Otter's album is growing... finally! I seem to have my old love back for scrapbooking. I haven't had any interest in it since Boyd died. All of a sudden it returned and I could 'scrap' 24/7. However, my yard is loaded with newly planted perennials and they require a lot of watering to get those roots to head downward and get established. And my 3 huge maple trees have been dropping their seedlings all over the ground. I'm raking and sweeping constantly but I can't keep up with them. I'll be pulling tiny maple trees out of the flower beds all summer.

The credits for any of the materials used on the layouts can be located by clicking 'Designer Digitals' on the right side bar.

Make your day a great one!

Joni

Otter's Journal

What a day I had today! My mom took me to this place called "See Spot Run"... and I almost ran the other way... to get a bath. I knew I was going to hate every minute of it and I was right. And to make things really bad, my mom left me and went some place in OUR car! And there I was, left to endure all those horrid things like soap suds and eeeeeek... the dreaded blow dryer! Hot, noisy and yuck, yuck, yuck!! They cut my toe nails and didn't even put polish on them like my mom has on hers. An here's the humiliating part... they put a scarf around my neck. I'm a boy, you nit-wits!

Then my mom came back to get me... had a little scare there for a moment... being a shelter-dog and all. Hey mom... I'm over here! Get me out of this place!! Whoa... what's this I spy. A little girl dog and she's a cutie! Wanna share a biscuit?

Home sweet home! Just in time to walk around in all that dirt for the garden.

Wags to you,

Otter

The Best Egg Salad Ever!!

I have recently been trying to make great egg salad and have made batch after batch. This morning I finally got it right and it was YUMMERS!! That's my lunch in the photo below. And here is my recipe... for you sweet people out there!

Joni's Egg Salad

4 hard boiled eggs chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped fine

2 green onions sliced thin

4 small sweet pickles chopped fine

(pickle relish isn't as good)

4 T Hellman's Light Mayo

1 T yellow mustard

Heaping T of Dill

Ground sea salt

Ground pepper

Mash together with a fork and stir well.

Refrigerate so flavors blend.

Serve in pita bread or bread of choice

on a bed of alfalfa sprouts.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Joni

Someday...

This is a photo of my gardener's backyard. It's a small yard but carefully planted to have flowers in bloom all summer. I think it's a fairyland! This is his hobby! But through a mutual friend he has agreed to take me on as a client. He has already dug up 3 feet of my lawn all around the inside of the fence and along the garage. Planting will begin sometime this week. This weekend he's visiting nurseries all over Wisconsin looking for healthy and larger perennials. He's already bought all of my herbs and the lavender. Tomatoes will go in along the garage with green peppers. But, most planting will be flowers that will come up each year. Although annuals will be planted too! I'm excited to see what he is going to do with the window box under the 2 kitchen windows. My yard will still have some grass (for Otter) and a bigger central area than he has in his photo. I have brick patio which will have to do this year.

I'm anxious to post pictures as he uses his wealth of knowledge and works his creativity!!

Make this a great day!!
Hugs to you all!
Joni

Mother's Day 2010

Rarely do I have my picture taken, however the photo on my blog was two years old. So I braved the lens on Mother's Day! Also got a quick picture of Wendy and Kristin... and Wendy took a pic of Otter and I together in our favorite evening chair. This is my whole entire family! No Aunts, Uncles, or cousins. Small lot that we are, I wouldn't change it for the world.

Me

Wendy

Kristin

Otter and his Mom

Otter doesn't mind having the flash go off in his face... good boy that he is! Actually I have so many photos of him that I started working on his album this morning. I made a quick trip to Achievers yesterday and found the perfect album, paper, and embellishments. Boyd's desk is now my work table. Nice to have it!

It was a GREAT Mother's Day weekend!! Thanks for traveling here girls!

I am so proud to be your Mom!!

Happy May Day!

Otter and I came back from a looooooong early morning walk and found my friend Lyn quickly leaving our backyard. Whoops... caught her on a secret mission! A May Day basket was hanging on the gate! It is just lovely and soooooo nostalgic! Otter the-curious-pup had to take a sniff through the pickets. Thank you Lyn for making this a special day!

When I was a child we always made May baskets for all of the neighbors. Usually made from paper and doilies and ribbons. We'd fill them with lilacs, violets, lily-of-the-valley, and buttercups. So much fun having a project to work on and to surprise the neighbors with. I loved my childhood!!

Happy May Day to all of you lovely friends!

Hugs to you all!

Joni