by Kelli Donley | Oct 25, 2009 | Celebrate!
My friend Tom turns 60 today; last night his wife Shan threw him a party at their beautiful home. She worked months to get the details just right. Such as: signature drinks with bartenders who kept the evening hopping; mini aloe vera centerpieces Shan grew and potted...
by Kelli Donley | Oct 23, 2009 | Domestic Art, Goals, Happy Hippie
Home simplification project No. 1, complete. I am still getting used to falling asleep reading vs. watching television, but it is a nice change and I find I’m certainly sleeping better as a result. Not surprisingly, I’m also making a dent in the stack of...
by Kelli Donley | Oct 21, 2009 | Celebrate!
Delicious meatballs that is. I made these for the first time this weekend and they were good! We went to some friends’ house for a potluck and I volunteered to make spaghetti. And meatballs. \ While in the garden gathering supplies, I noted a lot of holes in the...
by Kelli Donley | Oct 20, 2009 | Goals, Homebody, Media
I’ve been reading, “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,” — a short story collection by Sherman Alexie. He is one of my friend Juliann’s favorite authors. This was such a quick and shocking read. I very much enjoyed it. Alexie...
by Kelli Donley | Oct 19, 2009 | Domestic Art, handmade, Happy Hippie
I spent the weekend cooking, organizing and sewing like my imaginary in-laws were coming for the holidays. It was a sheer blur of activity, fueled by weeks of neglected podcasts, caffeine and the motivation of simplifying and using what I have. This included tackling...
by Kelli Donley | Oct 17, 2009 | Domestic Art, Journal, Kitchen Talk
Dear Finny, I got around to making the first of our October CRAFT selections and wow, this recipe is so very good. I made a few substitutions, including avoiding the half/half. Instead I used a bit more sour cream and this was out-of-this-world-good. (I made an ass...
by Kelli Donley | Oct 16, 2009 | Good to Great, Happy Hippie
I am redecorating my home this month; while I have dreams of new furniture delivered in trucks in complete pieces that are gently placed in just the right spot, let’s be honest. I think I’ll be in the damn nordic screwdriver/chest of drawers in a box...
by Kelli Donley | Oct 15, 2009 | Happy Hippie, Journal, Travel
Want to hear a secret? I have a love of dinosaurs. I know. I know. This makes me even dorkier than the knitting/baking/gardening nerd you already knew. But imagine my delight when I heard there would be time in the Windy City for the Field Museum, home of Sue and...
by Kelli Donley | Oct 14, 2009 | Earth Mama, Happy Hippie
I think I may be coming down with a case of Stendhal’s. I could have spent hours spinning around the garden in Chicago, dizzy with cool air, soft, golden tones, and steam rising from the plants in the morning. The simplicities of life once again make me more...
by Kelli Donley | Oct 13, 2009 | Celebrate!, Journal, Travel
I’ve been in Chicago for the last few days staying with these two. Jen and Kelsay were gracious enough to host several of us who traveled for another girlfriend’s wedding. Some 260-plus photos later, I have more than enough proof we had a lot of fun. So...
