the granola years



Kork-Ease platform sandals ~ they're back!!!



There is a bit of a 1970's vibe going on these days. Or if you're the beautiful Vix, it IS Your Vibe!
A Lovely Inconsequence just did a sweet post about her Summers with Seventeen Magazine when she was young. You can read it HERE.
I think it was probably the last era when we weren't all plugged in and connected by Social Media. If someone called you on the phone and you weren't home, you didn't even know about it. Or if you wanted to watch something on tv and you weren't going to be around when it was showing, well too bad for you. We could only get information by asking a real person or looking in a book. During the 1970's we all wore very groovy clothes but we very rarely took photos of our bad selves and when we did snap a photo, we usually had to wait days to see the results. And there were only about four types of shampoo in the stores but we all used the yummy dark green one called Herbal Essence. 

  You could wander around for days and nobody knew where you were or what you were wearing or what you were eating or what your feet looked like from your personal perspective. We were Free, just like Joni, Unfettered and Alive.

I refer to these ancient times as The Granola Years. If you'd like, you can check out my 1970's Pinterest Board right HERE.
~~~~~~~~~
I actually love our present era of connectedness. Instagram, Google, YouTube, Pinterest, BLOGS!!! Heck Yeah!  Even though I have my flip flops firmly planted in my 2016 era kitchen I have decided to cook up a batch of my Home-Made Granola using the same recipe I have been using since about 1972.

BASIC GRANOLA ~ makes about 3 cups
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats - not instant
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/3 cup honey &/or maple syrup
1/4 cooking oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts &/or seeds of your choice
Mix this all together until well blended.  Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 300 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for 15 minutes. Stir the mixture around and continue to check and stir every 5 to 10 minutes until the whole thing is a nice toasty brown and the house smells awesome. When it is cool you can add 1/2 cup dried fruit or raisins if you'd like. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

And in keeping with the spirit of the '70's I'm wearing a pair of vintage flair jeans and an embroidered Baja Surfer tunic from FenixVintage on Etsy.

Do you have a favorite recipe that you've been making forever???

By The Way.

A Big Congrats to the Always Amazing, Gorgeous, Talented and Hysterically Funny GOODY of EAT THE BLOG. She won my Give-Away.

You know Goody don't you? Well if you don't, do yourself an enormous favor and get over there and introduce yourself.!!!





overalls

Do you Recall your Very First Personal Fashion Moment???

My first Memory is of Overalls.

I must have been about three years old. At least I hope I was only three! I was wearing the type of Toddler Overalls that snap on the inside of the legs for quick emergency trips to the potty. The snaps were unsnapped, the pant legs were flapping around and I started twirling around singing, "I'm wearing a dress." My First Fashion Moment. Tra La.

Well, the fashion neurons in my brain must have imprinted on those overalls because I have owned and worn some form of bib overalls practically every decade of my life.

Meanwhile it is finally RAINING in SoCal!!!

El Nino ha llegado. YIPPEE!!!!

We're hunkered down doing inside rainy day things like

packing up holiday ornaments

baking cookies

and searching for new knitting projects

How gorgeous is Daphne Selfe in this Rowan knitting book?

striped turtleneck ~ Anthro
overalls ~ vintage 1990's from enidandedgar Etsy shop
Calgary slip on clogs ~ Vionic

Soooo....My Friends. What was YOUR Very First Fashion Memory?????

Do Tell.

meanwhile I'm linking up with the Super Smart Patti at Visible Monday

 Ooooohhhh.

This post is just perfect for Spy Girl's

Fashion Rosebud.

Check out the other Rosebuds HERE 



Carrots

Ahhh... October in Southern California. Warm during the day and cool at night. Most of the tourists have returned to their leaf strewn inland homes. The beach and the streets and the taco shops are ours once again.

While the rest of the world is enjoying pumpkin spice this and that and boots and sweaters, we're still wearing tee shirts and flip flops and eating guacamole.

bonus points if you can spot my canine taste tester

 

It was a perfect Fall day today. I discovered some frozen Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies in the back of the freezer, which is almost as good as finding a forgotten $20 bill in the pocket of your jeans. So I brewed up some Detox tea to hopefully counteract the sugar. Yeah..right...

 

I was reading through the blogs like you do and I noticed that Anne's prompt for this week's

 52 Pick-Me-Up is Carrot / Perseverance.

Heck. I can do that. In fact I am actually doing that right now. It was meant to be. That Anne is not only talented but she is psychic. 

 Check out these crazy carrots! So beautiful. 

 

And I'm wearing a carrot colored dress with my face on it! 

 

So. Perseverance.

As you know (because I blather on about it endlessly. blah blah blah) I have had my share of health issues. Even though I have had more than one Debbie Downer of a doctor tell me that I need to suck it up and just accept my current situation, je refuse d'accepter!

 Oh Hell No!!!

I am sticking with my recovery plan, which of course includes frozen Thin Mints. And one day very soon I will be jumping around doing Cartwheels.

YES I WILL. So There!!

Carrots and Perseverance. 

carrot colored Mexican or Guatemalan dress, I'm not sure which ~ rock street vintage via Etsy
colored glass bead necklace ~ I've had it for so long I don't remember where I got it
black flip flops ~ Reef

 

 

Join me as I make a psychic connection at Anne's 52-Pick-Me-Up.

And I'm bringing the carrots to Patti's Visible Monday.

See you There!

 

 

 

 

 

Nicely Done

When I was a kid and probably when you were a kid, at the end of every doctor or dentist appointment we were usually given a lollipop for our good behavior. 

Hmmm...I'm not sure how healthy it is to give sugar to a extremely active kid with cavities but I sure didn't complain much at the time.

In fact, I sometimes wonder how anyone born before the 1990's survived all the junk we were fed as children.

 But lo and behold. Here we are.

Now as a grown-up, after a doctor or dentist appointment, we are rewarded with a Nice Hefty Bill ~ especially if we live in these here Good Old United States. Sigh...

 These days I try to avoid sugar as much as possible because I am, after all, a real live Grown-up.

So since I have been a very brave girl throughout all of my scary doctor appointments. And since I am so amazing that I have actually started (finishing remains to be seen) making Holiday presents in the Summertime ~ one of the Upsides of Downtime~

 I have decided to reward myself with a little Etsy shopping.

I deserve it, God Dammit.

I treated myself to this beautiful 1990's era gauze dress from BeigeVintage. It Is Enormous. And very breezy and comfortable. I just love it. And I could quite possible eat a lot of sugary things while wearing it....if I wanted to...but I won't...well, maybe I will...but I probably shouldn't...but I could...do I smell cookies?? Anyhoo...

Nicely Done, Me.

Meanwhile, my sidekick and interior design partner Pancake has started a pine cone collection. Every time we come home from the park he brings another pine cone which we have turned into a lovely organic coney centerpiece. 

Nicely Done, Pancake.

 

How do you reward Yourself????

 

 

So happy to be back in the game.

Joining the Brave and Beautiful SpyGirl Anne's Red Party at 52-pick-me-up.

 

Hold That Thought...

One of the best things about blogging is connecting on so many levels with kindred spirits all around the world. But I don't have to tell you that, do I? You all KNOW it's true.

 I am in the process of recovering from my latest Prolotherapy treatment.

Believe me, it is Not Blogworthy.

So I shall now entertain you with some photos of an Apple Tart baking session.

I like to use Golden Delicious Apples because they hold their shape when baked.

Wish I could say the same for myself...ba-da-bum.



  

 

 

 

Monsieur Crepe, My Bakery Assistant.
I should probably make him wear a hairnet.

 And just when I was feeling really really sorry for myself...

 

 

THIS came in the mail. And It Made My Day!!!!

All hand made by the most amazing Suzanne Carillo.

We all know that she is amazing. She made everything here.

You really must check out her Etsy shop.

Really. The photo does not do this necklace justice.

It is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

Thank you Suzanne. The healing crystals are working their magic.

I feel better already.

XXXXOOOO