Happy 4th of July!

Patriotic Fun at the Lake

Happy [belated] Fourth of July! We've just returned from a long weekend at Lake Tahoe... Tahoe in the summer is definitely one of my favorite places in the world. Warm days filled with swimming, crawdad fishing and long walks... pleasant nights with lots and lots of stars and the sounds of the lake. It was hard to leave, but I'll be back in August for another fix...

When in Truckee...

If you're ever in Truckee, California,

you must visit the Truckee Variety Co. shop.

Kids going crazy after a long car ride?

Are things getting a little tight in the cabin

and you needed a break?

This store has everything you'd ever need to satisfy any young one,

or anyone who's just plain young at heart!

There's the bins of plastic animals

(anyone up for a game of zoo?)

Plastic wind up toys to play with...

More rows of assorted stuff...

all kinds of stuff...

and even a wall of gag toys.

You know the kind,

the whoppee cushion,

the fly in the ice cube...

those gag toys!

There's plenty more to see

as you can tell by my son's expression!

Puzzles, art supplies, games, cars and more...

So, when in Truckee, make sure you take time to stop!

Find a Good Book, a Relaxing Spot and Enjoy August!

We're enjoying our last couple of weeks of summer here in beautiful Lake Tahoe! Late July and August has been chalk-full of fun; a roadtrip, a state fair, and much more. I'm working on many posts to show the fun.

In the meantime, why don't you grab a book, hop into one of these Adirondack chairs above, and enjoy these last few days of summer!

Can you hear the stream? It's right next to the chairs above!

What about the wild flowers? There's still as gorgeous as ever!

When the wind has picks up in the afternoon, head inside and find another comfortable spot to finish that book!

By the way, I'm knee deep reading "The Help," by Kathryn Stockett. What an amazing read! It's keeping me up late into the night. If you get a chance, definitely give it a read.

Wild about Wildflowers

The Sierras in July... you just can't beat it!
The clean air, the mountain scenery,
the Sierra rocks, and the wildflowers...
ooo, the wildflowers!


The bright colors against the earthy greens and browns
of the surrounding area make these flowers POP!

This bunch looks like the red, hot fourth of July fireworks!

Just looking at these pictures makes me smell that fresh mountain air,
and look forward to our next vacation in Tahoe...

Cabin Style - One Fancy Yurt

Over the holidays, our family was up at beautiful Lake Tahoe. I love it up there... been going since I was a baby, got married up there, and now bringing my own family there. There's been quite a revival of "cabin style" over the last decade or two. Many of the dingy 60's condos are getting updated with a the classic log cabin, rustic look. I'm all for it, since I just love the look... not that I don't appreciate an awesome A-frame ski cabin, decked out with an avocado & orange kitchen, shag rug, and paneling. :)

On this trip, I was treated to an afternoon at a plush cabin style yurt. This yurt (a yurt is one step up from a tent...) sits at the bottom of a ski run and is decked out like a millionaires "great room" in Aspen. Check out the details. I just love it.

Nice wood table with board games to play... This shot doesn't give justice to the set up, though. On each chair is the fuzziest, shag fur cushion. What a cushy seat!

Loved the ski lift bench to adjust your snow boots... also the cushion is a handsome Pendleton blanket.

Old time Tahoe photos, a hanging oil lantern, and more Pendelton blankets makes a great place to relax.


Animal activists close your eyes... This skin hanging on the wall added to the look.

Another Pendleton blanket laying on an Adorandok chair on a sunny deck. Now with a beer in hand, you're set!

Now that's one way to relax after hitting the slopes!

Want more of the look? Check out the book, "Cabin Fever" by Rachel Carley. I'm sure I'll post more about cabin style in the future... and more books. I just love it.

Fireworks and Fun

Another fourth of July spent at Lake Tahoe... it just can’t be beat! Not only is the weather great, but the kids have their cousins to play with, and we get to walk outside the porch and watch a great firework show over the lake!

Our kids are less than enthusiastic about the fireworks show outside the back door.... if they had it their way, perhaps it would be on the other side of California... or even better, it would just be cancelled. Ever since they were babies, I must say, loud noises have always bothered them. (This is pretty hard to believe given how noisy our family is!)

So, my solution this year... give them some earplugs, and give them front row seats and see what happens. Well, it worked like a charm. My daugther watched eagerly... my son, a little more reticent on daddy’s shoulder after it started. At the end of the display, I went to ask him how he liked it and he was asleep!! I guess the earplugs really worked!

Here are more shots from our lazy days at the lake...

Lazy Days at the Lake

We just got back from 10 days at Lake Tahoe.... I already miss it!

I packed an assortment of art projects with all the best intentions, but all said and done, I didn’t do any art for myself... I just had a great summer week with my kids at the lake. Going to the beach, looking for rocks, catching crawdads, a walk in the woods, swimming, mini-golf, face painting and even putting on a play for dad and the grandparents. It doesn’t get much better than that!