Crate and Barrel Peony Flower Stem

We finally got the sideboard we needed for the dining room. We haven’t had a dining room since we moved to DC sixteen years ago. But when we relocated to northern Virginia we had a dining room with an empty space that was replaced with a plant console. After a while it became a bit unruly looking. So we searched for a replacement and it the sideboard would also add a bit of storage to our 1000 square foot space. The sideboard is basically a place for the lamp in the corner of the room. Aside from the lamp there is a set of books with bookends and tiny ornate frames of our two tiny grandsons when they were infants. Then there is the tall turquoise glass vase that actually comes in a metal stand, but looks a bit too masculine. So we removed the stand and left the very heavy vase. It was filled with the bamboo shoots that used to be on the plant stand. But it was missing something. We tried a couple of wild flowers and it didn’t look very good. So I had the idea of a single flower that would add a pop of color to all of the  greens. After our morning walk we went to Crate and Barrel to check out their artificial peony stem that I eyed the week before. We did get one and I put it in the vase trying several different options until I think I figured out the best height and angle. One of the bamboo shoots was cut back and the single peony stem was placed at an angle so the flower was facing sideways towards the light rather than forward. The nice thing about it is that when artificial items are mixed with real ones you might be able to get away with it. For now it looks okay. We may end up going back to a single live flower? Who knows. 

Lidl No More

A new Lidl grocery store just opened in the neighborhood. Before it opened there was a huge media blitz to bring in the customers. A coupon arrived in the mail for dollars off over a month period of time. Although we felt bad about abandoning our familiar Giant store, we went in to test the waters. If they don’t have the bread products we like then they are out of luck - and they didn’t. But we did find a few things that were cheaper - crab cakes to name one. Some of the tomatoes and fish items were good. But the chocolate chip cookies and chocolate wafer cookies rang flat. The crab cakes had more other stuff in them than crab even though it was the brand we always get. The coffee was good. I suppose half of what we got we liked or were neutral about. The other half we didn’t care for. We ended up going to Giant anyway to get bread and some vegetables. I’m sure another reason was the store was unfamiliar - the lay out and the brands. Since we went to Lidl we noticed that Giant is having more discounts to compete. In the end that’s what it’s all about anyway. But in our household it is the bread that wins our hearts. And for that Giant has the upper hand. 

52frames What is It?

Every week I need to find an image for the weekly photo challenge. The subject this week was “what is it?”  So we thought that perhaps we could find something at the Futures exhibit at the Arts and Industries Building on the National Mall. We had been to the exhibit when it first opened and were not very impressed. Perhaps a second look with a specific idea in mind might make a difference. It started at the front entrance where there is a huge colorful plastic/glass cloud of sorts. Inside there were several things that would fit the bill but weren’t very pretty including Captain Marvel breastplates, flying machines, AI blobs that move when you do, and lights that change colors when you talk to them. What I liked most was the dome of the very interesting building. Afterwards we strolled through the Enid Haupt Garden by the Smithsonian Castle and found a water feature with plants. My husband liked that image the best. I can’t say it’s very original because it’s obvious what it is but the color was nice. It just looked better than all of the artificial stuff inside.  

Woodland Flowers

It was going to rain this morning but we thought we would have enough time to beat it. So we drove the car over to the neighborhood park for our morning walk. There seemed to be more folks out and about than usual - probably trying to beat the rain too. Because it was more cloudy than sunny the park took on a whole different vibe. We thought we saw a fox up ahead on the path. It kept staring at us and then jumped in to the brush. We haven’t seen any deer for awhile and we spotted two. Maybe they all like the rainy weather more. The hawk was making its usual noise above us. But what got my attention today were the wild flowers that just looked so pretty against the greenery. Even the smallest ones looked majestic - one looking like a tiny orange orchid. And there were berries. We’ve seen a few people pick and eat them along the way. I wouldn’t be so brave. On the way back to the car the planted gardens around the community library were filled with coneflowers. We used to have them in our Midwest garden. There’s just something about flowers - no matter where they are. 

Stick With Moby Dick

We just don’t go to sit down restaurants anymore. It’s sad but that’s the reality of it. The places I miss the most are two breakfast places in our neighborhood. We did go to several lunch and dinner spots too. A few have closed and we still do pick up at a few others. What’s even sadder is that when we do pick up, we are oftentimes disappointed with it. We actually prefer our own cooking, but it’s nice to have a break from that too. What’s nice about going to restaurants is actually going to, sitting down and ordering what you like but that’s just not the case for us anymore. But one place continues to be our all time favorite. It was always a pick up place to begin with so nothing has changed. When we lived on Capitol Hill we had to drive to Arlington to pick up Moby Dick kabobs. Now that we live in northern Virginia there is a Moby Dick a block away from us which makes it all the more convenient. We always get the same thing and are never disappointed. There’s a new competitor opening soon just a couple of blocks away called Maman Joon/Z Burger. I’m sure we’ll give it a try. But in the end I have a feeling that Moby Dick will always be the place for us. The food is just perfect. It’s the same as it’s always been. 

Ice Cream Bite

Who doesn’t love ice cream? My first recollection was driving with my family to Michael’s Dairy in New England for a vanilla cone. My dad would always take the first bite so I could manage the rest more easily without making a mess. I was never a really huge fan but liked it whenever we got it. The flavors changed to strawberry over vanilla and I loved orange sherbet. In the days of going out to dinner, finishing it off with a sorbet was always nice. Whenever we visit the Midwest we always stop for custard. My husband and I rarely kept ice cream in the house. We would get it when we had family over for Thanksgiving. Lately however, we keep a small container of vanilla ice cream and a sherbet of some sort. After dinner for dessert we always have tea. My husband has a chocolate chip cookie and a few assorted others; I have a slice of angel food cake. Now we also have literally one bite of vanilla ice cream. It sounds bizarre, but it’s just enough to give you a taste of something delicious. It’s like the single Hershey kiss that I have after dinner. It’s just enough. I’m sure over time it will become too much. But for now it just seems like the best way to have the best of both worlds. 

Mayflowers Purchase

It was raining so we went to the mall for a morning walk. When we passed by Crate and Barrel the fake plants got my attention. We have many live plants scattered throughout the house but we have one or two fake plants in spots where the real thing doesn’t grow well. When we updated the dining room with a sideboard the large turquoise glass vase was placed on it and it was filled with bamboo shoots. The leaves look good, but a pop of color might do better. So I looked at the fake peonies and one large flower might be just what was needed. But my husband dislikes fake flowers and plants and didn’t want to look at them. So on the way home we stopped at Mayflowers to see if we could find a single flower to dress up the large vase. I had read about this shop and it is known for unusual and interesting flowers. We explained what we were looking for and decided upon two long stem wildflowers. They did look interesting and we have seen them in the Enid Haupt gardens by the Smithsonian castle. When I put them in the vase they just disappeared - not exactly the look I was going for. We didn’t need more stems and I certainly didn’t get the pop of color against the already green surroundings. It was rather disappointing. The vase needs to be in front of a plain wall rather than a mirror to even see the flowers. The price we paid was probably the same as the fake peony- which was what I had in mind all along. The flower shop had a lot of beautiful options. We just picked the wrong one. 

Cleaning Under the Kitchen Sink

It’s been over three years since we moved to northern Virginia from Capitol Hill. With that comes three years worth of things pretty much staying where they were originally placed. Over the last couple of months we have been rearranging furniture in the den and the bedroom and clearing out cabinets. The addition of a new sideboard in the dining room also disrupted the plant console. Most of the plants needed to find new homes elsewhere in the house, but some were tossed. That left a few places untouched but nevertheless required a look over. So I emptied out the junk from underneath the kitchen sink and started sorting it by the stuff we use all of the time to the stuff we rarely use and could be put somewhere else. Then the protective mats were removed to reveal a bit of dirt and grime that had accumulated under the garbage and recycle baskets. No matter how careful you are something gets dirty - including the inside of the cabinet door. So that was all cleaned up and new protective mats were placed. I always save containers that can be used over for something. We kept two small dish racks that do the trick to keep all the components organized. So what started as a junky place ended up being a bit more clean and neat. After that I went through the rest of the kitchen cabinets that thankfully didn’t require too much work. All I can say is that it feels good once it’s done, but you really need to be motivated to do it.