Diary of a Domestic Diva: Happiness is~ A Bohemian Kitchen

Diary of a Domestic Diva: Happiness is~ A Bohemian Kitchen

Happiness is~ A Bohemian Kitchen

I decided to write what makes me happy. Today that happens to be the look, the feel, the textures, and the smells of a bohemian kitchen! Ive always been a little bit bohemian and my house usually reflects the chaos of colors and thrift store finds that most people wrinkle their noses at. It makes me happy and cozy. It makes me feel nostalgic. I dont do a lot of cooking. Its not my strong suit. But when I sit down at my table to a bowl of generic brand spaghetti O's, I like to do it in style. In short....Happiness is a bohemian kitchen.

An Ode to Joy......

There are many things in this world that fill my heart with joy and make up who I am as a person. I want to pay tribute to the things I love, offering a glimpse into the strange world of Jeri Lane. Many of you already know my eccentricities, interests, and quirky tastes, but for my new friends and family id like for you to get to know me a little better....So hear goes! 30 factoids...My ode to joy.....

1.) Chocolate and I love each other...and feel our relationship is on the cusp of obsession.

2.) Disneyland is my happy place...When I hear the music on each ride I get giddy. I love that I can share this with my husband. This was our very first date, and the dates we continue biweekly.

3.) I love 70's funk.......I love anything I can shake my ass to, but 70's funk makes me shake it like a salt shaker.

4.) Toms cooking, snuggling, and little gestures...Without these, I would be in a sad state..He makes me smile daily and I love him.

5.)Being a massage therapist....I love doing what I do. I love explaining the benefits and making people feel so much better. I'm pretty good at it. You can't hate what you're good at!

6.) Sex.....I dont have to go into detail on this one...but without it, I am quite miserable.

7.) Photography...I love my photoshop pin-up gals, and making memorable moments immortalized. I love our theme shoots, and capturing my kids growing up.

8.) Mocha almond fudge waffle cones.....pure ecstacy. mmmm

9.) Caddy Shack...This movie has been my favorite since I was a kid. I don't know why.

10.) Tank tops...They are my top of choice on any occasion...

11.) Converse...They are my shoe of choice next to flip flops. They are retro, and I'm all about that....

12.) Writing...I love to express myself through writing. I'm not very good at it, but I feel very fulfilled when I get an idea down on paper. I love writing stories using my family and friends as characters. It makes them smile...which makes me smile. :0) oh yea...I also love blogging.

13.) Roller Derby...If it weren't for my work schedule, I would be a roller derby girl right now. I'm obsessed with the idea and am desperate to be apart of this.

14.) Peanuts cartoons....As a kid I always felt just like Charlie Brown. They are my favorite cartoon classics. My kids are now avid fans.

15.) Playing games...Ive always been very competitive and enjoy laughing it up with family and friends. Park and Shop by Milton Bradly is my all time fave.

16.) Rat rods...There's just something about an unfinished poor mans hot rod that makes my heart palpitate. I was born in the wrong time.

17.) Tubing down rivers...This is probably the funnest summer time adventure ever!

18.) Seattle...This is my home. I love it. I miss it. Its a culture all its own and feel this is the only place I could truly be happy.

19.) Knit hats...I have a knit hat fetish. I don't really look good in hats cuz my face is so chubby, but I have a need to feel warm all the time, and knit wear is apart of my Washington culture. The cuter and funkier the better...

20.) Theme Parties...I used to throw a few of these a year with pretty good success! I love providing an escape for people to come and laugh and be someone else for a night.

21.) Disco Balls....enough said.

22.) Toms hobo beard....Everyone thinks he should shave it. Teri (his sister) thinks he looks scary. For some reason I dig his beard. I can't explain it. The scruffiness just seems manly to me. (Although its nice when its a little neater trimmed..like around the lips.)

23.) Pig tails...I am probably the only adult woman you will ever see consistently sporting this look.

24.) Halloween...Its my favorite holiday. I decorate like a mad woman. I've already started on next years costumes..its December right now.

25.)Planning adventures for my kids!!...I LOVE filling their lives with memorable moments. Their life will never be dull so long as I have a bank account.

26.) Sara and Hans...My two best friends. They are my brother and sister. I couldn't imagine life without either of you. True friends are very hard to come by in this life. I'm glad I have two of them!

27.) Olives and Artichoke hearts...they make every meal better. I always have them in stock and in everything made to eat. Thankfully Tom (who does the cooking) complies with my cravings.

28.) Orange...This is my favorite color. Its happiness to my soul. Its the color of pumpkins on Halloween. Its always apart of my hippy funk retro thrift store decor...

29.) Computers...I may need an intervention on this one.

30.) Used books...I am addicted to buying used books. I love to read. I hate paying full price for anything.

Today I salute the Disco Ball

It has long since been recognized that I have an obsession with Disco Balls, dating back to my youth. Recently my daughter Chloe asked why it is that I'm infatuated with these spherical wonders. I will explain.....To me, Disco Balls are are everything beautiful in the world. They represent timelessness, radiance, and a groovin good time. When you see its mirrors lit up and bouncing all over the walls, you're reminded to dance! It sparkles...And like a fish to a lure, I'm attracted to sparkly things. I can't help myself. I think of music with its funky rhythms and deliciously wicked beats. I think of friends laughing and having fun. I think of parties! When a disco ball is around, I have yet to find someone who wasn't immediately drawn to its glorious beams, enveloping her followers in a twirling sea of refracted light. I have always been the girl who threw parties..The girl with the 70's obsession..The girl who lights up when shiny things are present...The girl who loves a good time. That is why it will always be my symbol in life, embossed on the 'coat of arms' of my soul...If I believed in reincarnation, or the reincarnation of inanimate objects, I could only dream of coming back as a disco ball. Does this help?....hehe

Not your typical date night......

Last night Tom and I went to the Queen Mary's Haunted Harbor for the first time. From this experience I learned that people in costumes jumping out at me, really pisses me off. My first instinct is to punch them in their faces...leaving me quite irritated. I don't enjoy surprise attack situations..However, Tom is the type to go seeking out the zombies, ghosts, and burn victims lurking in dark corners. I wasn't wearing my glasses so the black corridors and thick synthetic fog made it impossible for me...I should have been better prepared. The floors were uneven so I tripped half a dozen times. Bands were lined up to play, but never did..probably due to the rain (which was technically a light mist..not even a drizzle..)Tom really got a kick out of it though (despite my unruly temper and frustrations). At one point he convinced a few ghouls to come accost me while I was sulking in the corner. I really hate people in costumes. He continued through the mazes of terror alone, armed only with his cunning wit and a stomach full of vodka. I chose to roam around the inside of the ship instead.

Can I just stop a minute to say how much I LOVE the Queen Mary? Its been an obsession of mine for a long time. The only creepy experience I had last night, was standing in the rain alone on the deck when it felt so much colder all of the sudden..sending shivers up my arms. The hallways had a very "The Shining" feel to them..(Maybe it was the crazy carpet...)

After Tom was finished getting spooked, he joined me in my quest to explore the ship. The thing about Tom is, you cant do things like a normal person...We had go through every unauthorized unlocked room..Rummage through all the stuff stacked up in the storage staff rooms..And found lots of "souvenirs" to bring home. The backseat of my car is full of things we don't need..(Cloth napkins, a silver soup spoon, pens and notepads with the Queen Mary logo, name badges of the work crew, candy, etc..)His pockets just weren't big enough. We pretty much had the ship to ourselves, though, which was nice. I hope to return soon to have lunch at the Art Deco Lounge. Here are some pictures. Click on them to make them bigger..Enjoy.

Starting the night off...with a bad picture.


Orbs encircle the outside of the ship..Click on this pic to see them larger. They are pretty trippy.


Tom has the ship in his hands..



The Ghost Ship


Entering Hell Fire..Tom attempts "concern"..


Where the band was suppose to play..


I sat under these metal containers shooting fire to keep warm, while Tom ventured through Village of the Damned...


More Pyro Tech...


Tom walks past me to get a beer...Can you spot him?



Overlooking Village of the Damned from the Sun Deck..


My journey through the Queen Mary alone, begins...


Did you know you got to choose between bathing in fresh or salt water aboard the ship? crazy...



This is for you, April...


Covered deck


View from across the Harbor..


All by myself...on the biggest ship in the world..This is the deck that gave me the willies..


Oh to have a Big Wheel to ride down these halls...


My fave picture..


Tom is the King of the world..


These horses were used for actual betting back in the 40's..I have a picture in one of my books where men and women watched these races as entertainment..We found them sitting in this nursery. It was cool to see them in person, after seeing them in that book..


This room was breath-taking to me...


Art Deco..everything..



Checking out?


Portal View..(my 2nd fave picture)

The Dream of Perpetual Motion

The Dream of Perpetual Motion, by Dexter Palmer, is the craziest sci-fi book Ive read in a while. Harold Winslow, a greeting card writer, is imprisoned aboard a zeppelin that circles above a bustling metropolis completely over-run by technology. The only ones aboard this vessel are Harold, the disembodied voice of Miranda Taligent (the love of his life), and Miranda's dead, cryogenically frozen father, Prospero...the insane man who put him there. With no hope of ever escaping this perpetual motion machine he chronicles the life which got him to this point...It has some really disturbing moments of visualization that you can only really appreciate in your own dreams..This book took me a while to read.. I only appreciated Dexter Palmer's story after it was over...thinking back on this morbid fantasy world he created. It was worth struggling through. I expect the movie to be coming out soon..ruined by the acting of one of todays leading stars. Fingers crossed!

Home-sick

Aaaaah Washington! Home to coffee shops, the Seattle Seahawks, Mariners, Indian casinos, and Rainier Beer! The great birth mother to grunge rock, Prozac prescriptions, and umbrellas!

We are on the verge of Autumn, which is a time of home-sickness for me. California will forever be one of my favorite places to live due to warm weather, beautiful beaches, and Disneyland..But Washington is my home.

I miss the changing of the seasons...especially around the holidays. I miss wearing my funky knit hats and toasty-warm coats...I miss my best friends Sara and Hans, with our adventures to musty used book stores and the best thrift stores on the planet..(Something completely lost on Californians..)....

I miss the old architecture with its ivy covered buildings and gargoyles...The smell of cedar hanging in the air from all the neighborhood wood burning stoves...

I miss tubing down the Green River during the one month in Summer it usually doesn't rain. My under arms raw from rubber friction..Cheeks sunburned..Lazily floating about 3 hours to our check point..Hitting occasional rapids or rock up yer bum. Good times.




September through November means visiting the pumpkin patches...and The Puyallup Fair! (The 7th largest fair in America..with the worlds largest Earthquake burger and elephant ears!)


Winter time means trips to the local Starbucks for apple cider with cream (This picture shows the original Starbucks)..Espresso stands take up permanent residence in every parking lot of every shopping center, strip mall, and gas station. You can get anything from coffee to Italian sodas to girls in bikinis in the dead of winter..(True story). .

I miss the Skagit Valley Tulips of springtime.

Tacoma and Seattle provided me with the best times of my life.The people are more humble, down to earth, and even a little bit "back-woodsy"..Especially with our terrible Canadian/Washington accents. (Yes we have them!!)..I long for the day I can return for a visit. Sara, I need my Frisko Freeze french fries and Butterscotch milk shake!

Here is a special shout out to my husband and his fanaticism for Modest Mouse and the Beatles..Below is the Seattle Edgewater hotel where the Beatles stayed in 1964 after playing 2 concerts at the Seattle Center Coliseum. (Led Zeppelin also stayed here in 1973..where the legendary shark incident was rumored to have happened.)



Modest Mouse hails from the great city of Issaquah..Home to a lot of snow..and amazing artists! (check out the redneck condos of Issaquah Highlands..)




Amazing!!!


I miss my Washington.



Here are some more pictures of home (click on them to make bigger)....Enjoy...and you're welcome!


Deception Pass Bridge..My grandparents live just passed the bridge a couple miles into Oak Harbor. I lived here for 2 years...Its in the book of world records for having the most fast food chains in one single city, in the entire country.


The Experience Music Project..(EMP)..I learned all about the history of Funk from this place..and became a fan of Parliament and the Funkadelic.


A typical home in a typical Washington neighborhood...Notice the wet ground and gloom..It rains 75% of the year here..This house is selling for $240,000, btw..


One of my most favorite places in the world..Pike Place Market!(Hilarious post cards, fresh produce, and jewelry!)I can do without the famous fish throwers, however..


Even better still...Pike Place at Christmas time!


Road trips down the Olympic Peninsula will take you to the Rain Forests...


..Waterfalls.....


..and creepy beaches...


Tacoma on the waterfront...



Great little shops and restaurants...



Narrows Bridge from Gig Harbor into Tacoma..(Wave to Crystal from across the bridge!)


Where I spent most of my teen and half of my adult years...


Tacoma's Thornwood Castle...the haunted dwelling where Stephen King filmed Rose Red.






My Seattle...Where I feel most at home