I'm A Campbell's Kid.....

I must confess I am a Campbell's Kid. I grew up on Campbell's Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. It was always good and inexpensive during hard times. I guess to me it is a comfort food. I love soup !

As a mother now, I too, make my children Tomato Soup & grilled cheese sandwiches. It has become a favorite lunch staple in my household, with crackers on top.

In 2004 The Campbell's Kids celebrated 100 years ! Though Campbell's Soups (Joseph Campbell) has been around much longer than that. I adore the chubby cheeked children illustrated by Artist Grace Wiederseim Drayton

( later known for her Dolly Dimples & Dolly Dingle illustrations & paper dolls)

so much that I even started a collection of vintage mugs and soup bowls.

I couldn't resist these sweet little cherub like dolly's for my daughter... which will soon reside in her playhouse this Spring. I found the little book from the 50's last year.... too sweet !

I will always be a Campbell's kid I suppose.

It's HMMM HMMM good !!!

Click here for more

Campbell's History

Queen Califia's Magical Circle

Just 4 miles from our home nestled in Kit Carson Park, we romped around

Queen Califia's Magical Circle

(Be sure to go to this site to learn about each part of the mosaic art structures.)

The only American sculpture garden

and the last major international project created by

Niki de Saint Phalle

(born France, 1930-2002).

Inspired by California’s mythic, historic and cultural roots, the garden consists of
nine large-scale sculptures, a circular “snake” wall and maze entryway, sculpturally integrated bench seating, an egg shaped fountain and native shrubs and trees planted within the interior plaza and along the outer perimeter.

The garden opened to the public on October 26, 2003.

An undulating circular wall measuring 400 feet in length (with varying heights from 4 to 9 feet surrounds the garden. Monumental sculpted, playful serpents, decorated in colorfully patterned mosaics, slither along the top of the wall.

Their curved bodies form a pattern of solids and voids that allows visitors to see landscape vistas
beyond the garden.

The snake wall has one entrance into the garden.

It opens into a maze whose walls and floors are covered with bold patterns of black, white and mirrored tiles.

This gate announces that you are
crossing a threshold into a magical world the world of your past, your roots, your land, your unconscious dreams, observed Marcelo Zitelli, the artists curator and longtime assistant. Once through the maze, visitors
enter into the central courtyard.

Getting caught in the mouth of a totem.

A great place to touch.

Or even ride a silly serpent.

It is a great place for a photo shoot...with all the colors and textures it offers. We had fun playing around. It was like walking into an Alice in Wonderland dream.

The garden promises to become an instantaneous cultural landmark for the San
Diego region

—a place where visitors can roam at will, play, touch, dream and “find inspiration".

A Stitch In Time

Here is a sweet three little kittens embroidery that I am working on for my daughter. I will surprise you all later as to what it is going to be exactly.

I love the sweet vintage embroideries of the 30's and 40's and found this free pattern at

The Pattern Bee

Lot's more FREE stuff where that came from !

One more kitty to go and I am half way through with the finished product.

Stay tuned !!!

China Town.....

Today my friend and I took the kids to Los Angeles. One big reason was to bring our teen boy's to a home school field trip event to the Federal Reserve. Since it was for high school teens only we had to come up with something to kill time while they were there. So we decided to go to China Town. That is one place I have never been to in L.A so off we went with the little kiddo's.

What I enjoyed most was the architecture of the old china town buildings and the vivid colors. My daughter had fun browsing through he little shoppes and found a few treasures of her own. A few little elephant trinkets and a pink parasol to block out the very hot, sunny California Winter day.

Another part of this little town that I loved were

the paper lanterns that hung everywhere. The brilliant colors were memorizing.

We strolled through a bit more, tried on hats played with the parasols and dolls,

had a bite to eat and fed the birds.

I certainly don't need LUCK, just took the picture for the humor.

After our lunch I had a fortune cookie which read this:

I needed that !

Hee Hee.

We went back to pick up the boy's. Each teen was given this bag of shredded money !!! You mean they couldn't spare some real money out of the 43 billion dollars that they saw in a huge vault ! What is Mama gonna buy with worthless shredded money? and what about that $10,000 dollar bill he had the chance to see ? Oh well. It was a good thought. Cameras were not allowed in the building so,

if you are interested in knowing what

The Federal Reserve is all about visit:

www.frbsf.org

www.federalreserve.gov

www.FederalReserveEducation.org

My Sock Monkey Family

Welcome to Friday Show & Tell Hosted by Kelli

There Is No Place Like Home

To welcome in the New Year I wanted to share with you another part of my family. Introducing my vintage collection of Sock Monkey's. I am not one to believe that man comes from apes...... but these guy's are a part of my family.

The nice thing about these crazy monkey's is they never get into monkey business, they sit still for pictures and they don't throw pooh.

We are just one big happy family !

I started collecting these sweeties about three years ago after Mr. Darling bought

me my very first sock monkey.

( I was deprived as a child )

Then it grew to where I even started making them myself.

Except the one's I made all went to new homes.

Aren't they yummy?

Thank you for popping in.... Hope to see you again !

Visit my Sock Monkey Blog here:

A Vintage Sock Monkey Tail

A White ( Pacaderm ) Elephant Party

I am sooo excited !

This was my first White Elephant party I have been in years ! It was pretty fun... you know the rules? People bring a gift ( can be old stuff or new stuff ) you pick a number, when your called you pick a gift or take a gift you like from someone else. ( Vicious isn't it ? ) If you get a gift taken away from you then you pick another. Well, it goes on for a bit... but, it is fun. Some people got someones old books, or DVD's. There were candles, bath yummy's and a gift card for I Tunes. Which my son got, but then someone cold heart idly stole it from his hands.... ( mean I know ) J.K..

Well I was #5 out of 38... got myself a brand new purse with tags still on it.... wooo hoooo ! I needed it, and no one took it from me either

(The stuffed White Elephant in the photo is my daughters which she brought to the party.)

Well, remember when the person took the gift card from my son? He picked another gift... which was of no use to him. So, he generously gave it to me.... It was a vintage tin, inside were lovely antique/vintage linens

( a table top cloth and 4 napkins nicely pressed and in wonderful condition.)

There was also a little white ceramic loaf pan...perfect !!!

Right up my alley.....

I scored !!!!