Week 18 -- Pasadena Showcase House

Last week, some of my great Chino Hills friends, Nancy Sorenson, Valerie Gallagher, Monika Tolman, and Lauri-ann Hart and I, spent the day living like "ladies who lunch" and went to the Pasadena Showcase House http://www.pasadenashowcase.org/mcontent.php?mid=25. They really are "ladies who lunch"; I had to take the day off work to join them.

Lauri-ann, Monika, Nancy and me -- Valerie took the photo.

To get to the house, you park at the Rose Bowl and go by shuttle to the actual house. There was such a crazy route to get to the house, I could never find it on my own or drive to it again. I really can't even tell you where we were -- its called the Pasadena Showcase House, but the book said the house was in Flintridge -- either way, great house, great neighborhood.

Anyway, the rooms in the house -- well, really, mansion -- are amazing. The entire exterior as well as every room on the inside has been redone by some of the top designers in Southern California. Some of the before and after pictures show that before the redisign, some of these rooms look like they could be a part of a haunted house -- and after, well, they're gorgeous. I don't often covet, but some of these rooms make me wish I had a few mil of my own to live in and surrounded by such beauty!
There is a strict "no camera" policy at the house -- so I can't show you how amazing some of the rooms were. But, my favorite was this green bedroom -- the "Lady in Waiting".

Its that amazing bed that I just love. (If you look back a few weeks, I used a similar photo with a poem.) I think I need to find a bed like this and that way I can pretend I'm sleeping in the woods like in some intense fairytale. (I was raised on the authentic Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Anderson fairytales -- the ones that are kind of scary with tragic endings.) Anyway. I LOVE this bed and room. I can so see myself plopped on those pillows reading a book -- while eating one of those apples.

And, this garden is what I am constantly trying to achieve in my own backyard. And I shant (it is an English-type look, so I can words like shant that when I'm in the cottage gardens) give up until I have achieved something very similar. I've had two trailers full of mulch brought in so far this Spring alone and plan to continue to do whatever it takes to bring more green into my life and yard.

After touring the lush yard and gardens, we had a great lunch after the tour (I chose the Rosemary Chicken with Balsamic Mushrooms) and enjoyed shopping in the boutique. -- Well let me rephrase that -- my friends enjoyed the shopping. I cased the whole place out in about 10 minutes. My friends spent about an hour there -- some of that time, I sat on a plastic lawn chair watching all the other ladies -- now that's enjoyable (lots of facelifts and plumped-up lips -- ugh, who says that looks good?)

I don't often buy stuff (most people who know me know one thing -- I really hate shopping) at such venues. But, I found a pair of comfortable black OKA b flip-flops that I understand can be washed in the dishwasher (or clothes washer)...but the dishwasher thing is what makes them sound so unique and just right for a shoe-abuser like me.

http://www.shoesthatloveyou.com/?gclid=CIzT552D8KgCFQImbAod_FJQDw
I've got my eye on some higher heel sandals called Flora at this website -- I'm just trying to decide between the two colors now -- dark brown or camel....now, this is how I like to shop!

On the way home, I stopped by Lauri-ann's house, saw her gorgeous rose garden and she hooked me up with lots of seeds and plants to try to fill up the gigantic hillsides in my backyard. I came home and planted them all. I have the before pictures ready....but, it might take years and LOTS of work for the "after" to be ready to share.