Yosemite National Park Ahwahnee Hotel and Queen's Table

On Friday we took another summer day trip with grandsons and daughter-in-law, Lisa. This famous view with half dome in the background always takes my breath away.

Excited grandsons, Davis and Reese. Really?

Lisa had never been inside the Ahwahnee hotel. We had 11:30 a.m. lunch reservations and requested the Queen's table, that could not be reserved. Waiting for lunch.

...and Davis's waiting in the grand lounge, can you tell he really wasn't impressed? We took the boys to lunch at the Ahwahnee last summer, that's how we learned about the Queen's table.

After our wait and request we were first into the dining room. Last year as we left the Reese said to me, "This is like the dining hall in Harry Potter."

Here we are being seated at the Queen's table, Jan stayed back and shot the photo of the impressive alcove. Last year when we took the boys I had planned on eating in the alcove. We were seated at the center table and our server told us it was called the Queen's table because Queen Elizabeth dined there on her visit a few years ago. During that meal we were also told that Tim Cook, Apple CEO, had dined at that table just three weeks before. Did that have anything to do with naming the new operating system Yosemite, getting away from all the cat names?

The grand lounge lives up to its name.

Jan took this shot of half dome from one of the windows.

Lisa had to see water, not much coming down this drought year at Yosemite falls. Her t-shirt says, Proud Supporter of Messy Hair and Sweatpants.

A visit to Yosemite always includes a stop in front of El Capitan to watch climbers. Jan zoomed in on two.

Lisa had to do a few Bar Method poses to share with her friends, El Capitan makes a statement.

Carmel by the Sea, La Bicyclette and Tour de France

Daughter-in-law, Lisa, loves the beach and was disappointed a couple of weeks ago when we went to Hearst Castle and didn't have time at the beach.

Friday we made a day trip to Carmel. After a few stops we had to have lunch, Jan and I had planned to go to La Bicyclette at Dolores and 7th street. Lisa and the boys had never eaten there.

What a coincidence! Look at Lisa's shirt and the restaurant window display.

La Bicyclette is like a European cafe. This month the Tour de France is the highlight. Look at the 1920s photo of bikers, smoking and passing a cigarette.

It was very busy, we got to sit at the staff table in the back, great atmosphere with blackboard chalk walls, wood, chairs, and bread. Lisa, Davis, me and Reese.

 Smile, standing next to Jan, my Dutchman.

Isn't the table great? Would be nice to have a couple of similar tables for our back patio.

Lisa and I toasted the day with a sparkling wine, left out our designated driver.

The guys all had pizza from the wood burning oven. Lisa and I had the Tour de France special, stew with noodles. Reese took the photo, a budding photographer.

Lisa was in her glory at the beach, here showing some Bar Method poses.

Reese kept saying he didn't want to go to the beach, mom was thrilled when he got out there.

They dragged me in so finally pulled my pants legs up. What a gorgeous day it was!

Davis had the least fun, just wanted to go home and back to his computer.

Olde England Inn Victoria British Columbia

Making crumpets on Sunday reminded me of the first time I had crumpets.
It was at the Old England Inn in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in the early 1980s.

The inn impressed me because of my love of anything English and I had never been to England at that time. Afternoon tea and dining at the inn were memorable events, staff was in costume. I still remember the crumpets at teatime and the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding at dinner.

Below are the 6 sides of a 1986 folding brochure from my old travel files, each section scanned.

 Such a shame that the inn has changed, it is no longer filled with antiques and is not English Inn.

For a 1980 article about the couple who developed the Olde England Inn go to this link.

Crumpets and Tea

We spent the 4th of July poolside with family. After great hamburgers and fixings for dinner we had TV time with the grandsons.

Today was a quiet end to a holiday weekend. Hubby and I are sitting out after finishing up the last of the crumpets I made earlier today. I also made lemon curd.

Here it is after the sun went down, we had set the table.

Holes in crumpets have eluded me with many recipes. Today I tried a recipe by Titli Nihaan from her YouTube channel, The Bread Kitchen. She has a lovely British voice, watch her make them Here.

All set for crumpets and tea. Hubby poured tea from my latest English teapot.

 Yum yum! Loved the crumpets slathered in lemon curd.

   

Now all the solar lights have come on....

 ... and one candle. Time to say good night.

Paris Cabinet Etsy Shop Featured

It's so nice to be featured! Last Thursday we had a big bump in our Paris Cabinet Etsy shop when an item was featured. Jan was busy making fairy doors and yesterday we got caught up on the orders.

Well, this morning the same item was featured and we've had twice as many sales today as last Thursday.

Here is the fairy door, topiary and believe sign that was featured in the email with other shops items.

 

Our shop has fairy doors in many colors but the teal/aqua/turquoise are the most popular color.

Dancing by Solar Torch Light at the Garden Castle Shed

It was such a delightful view this evening that  hubby twirled me around this scene. We did a quick little dance by the new solar torch lighting.

The doors were given two coats of spar varnish today, hubby touched up the color differences so well you almost can't tell where they were pieced. Notice the solar lights, they do have a bit of a torch effect. I will still add some copper detail, not sure yet how that will be. For now they fit over dowels cut on a diagonal and screwed to the wall.

The desk has got to go! The threshold will be put in tomorrow.

Castle Shed Doors Are Up

What a month, haven't posted in so long. Finally, one of the most difficult things is nearly finished!

We have doors, not totally finished but they are up. They still need the rustic finish and the glass inserts.

 

Above was at the end of last week. Jan had a meltdown figuring it out. The doors are made of two layers of old fencing so there was a lot of piecing, you can see the different pieces.

This was earlier today when he was putting the hinges on.

One big happy smile this evening.

Paris Cabinet Inspired Corbels for the Castle Shed

On Friday I talked with hubby about shelving for the turrets in the castle shed. I wanted something inspired by the lovely and graceful Paris Cabinet. It only took a finger running along the right corner to find a shape.

I drew the shape on a sheet of paper and in not much more time than a blink of an eye hubby had cut out 4 corbels.

In another blink I painted them gray and layered white for a distressed look.

The shabby roses from last week's post look even shabbier but still so beautiful I put them on my painting station to admire. 

We get no rain in Fresno during the late spring and through summer and already the sun was beating in on the glass windows of the south turret. In my sweetest voice I asked hubby to make screen windows and take out the glass to catch the breeze in the shed. The painting station is now uncluttered and look at the corbels and shelves.

The north turret also got corbels and shelves. A future project will be a glass front cabinet for storing table cloths and place mats for outdoor eating. The tray and silhouette canisters are listed on eBay.

The front doors are next but I keep distracting hubby with more honey-dos.