We Need A Little Christmas...

And apparently a soldier guarding the gingerbread...

Boys will be boys.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday.
xoxo Joanna

Where Have I Been?

I'm scratching my head trying to remember what I've been doing that's kept me so busy I haven't had time to check-in for a while.  Hmmm...

I did some work, as in a "real job", for an awesome Interior Designer.  Writing her press kit and website info was easy because I LOVE her design aesthetic.  You might have seen some of my (very over-shared) photos on Facebook.  No???  Click here to see her Guest House for the Pasadena Showcase House of Design.

Facebook-- Gawd I've spent too much time on Facebook lately.  I dove into it for the above mentioned job's social media push.  But I'm afraid I'm too easily addicted to endless scrolling through posts that really have no relevance to me just to see what the handful of people I truly love are up too.  It's become a bad habit that takes up too much of my day.  I have to quit cold-turkey!

So anyway... that all took several weeks, was a total blast, and now I'm "retired" again.

And we went to Israel for a fabulous family wedding.  I so love it there.  Great family (on my husband's side), amazing food, perfect weather and wonderful people.  This trip we spent all our time in Tel Aviv.  The purple Jacaranda trees were in bloom.  So were the kumquat trees at our hotel.

We stayed at a small boutique hotel called The Norman.  It's a lovely hotel with a chic Moroccan vibe-- Hip but quiet in the middle of the city's Rothschild section.  My idea of perfect.

Since we were exhausted, we camped out in hotel room's bed far more than usual to catch up on our sleep.  The linens and duvet were scrumptious-- And by Frette!!!  Do you know them?  I did-- and what I know about them is that they are far to expensive to ever be on my bed at home!  But there they were in all their glory at The Norman.  It was like sleeping on, in, and surrounded by, a silky cloud.  Heaven.

One morning I woke and figured out how The Norman tracks these gems of sheets-- Senors!  Yep, they are actually sewn into the seams so guests don't walk off with them!  Never saw that before.

Traveling though, not so fun.  I've come to the sad realization that a 10 hour time change and 20+ hours of flying and layovers are just too much for my body.  Talk about a killer.  It took nearly 5 days to adjust and catch up then it was almost time to come back home again.  Once we actually returned home it took another 5 days to get myself together.

Makes me wonder how I traveled like that for business all those years.  I know I was younger but sheesh-- It really wore me out.

While in Tel Aviv I discovered a new cookbook-- New to me at least, and I'm working my way through the recipes.  The amazing thing about the food in Israel-- and let me tell you-- we ATE and ATE and ATE, day in an day out-- was that both my husband and I actually LOST weight by the time we got home!  The menu is so filled with fresh vegetables and fish that even though we indulged, we felt great and dropped a few pounds.  That was an unexpected treat at the end of a vacation!

So now it's almost May and I'm working on getting central air conditioning in our house.  Last year's brutal two month heatwave was the straw that broke the camel's back. We live close enough to the ocean that we really didn't miss having it in the past but climate change, global warning, or old age-- whatever you want to call it, has changed things at Casa Jenkins!

How are YOU?
Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins

That Moment...

Have you ever had that moment when you took a shortcut through the alley of restaurant you've always wanted to try... only to wish you'd taken the long way around?

That happened to me today on my way for some Indian food.

Cilantro drying in the back alley parking lot.

And to think the front of the restaurant looked so nice.  Sigh, I won't be eating Indian food again for what will probably be forever.

How's your day going?
 Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins

Seeing Red

Sometimes the smallest gift is really a spontaneous gesture filled with so much kindness that it makes your heart overflow with gratitude. This picture is one such gift.

My oldest friend's husband snapped this picture on his phone as he left the church after my mother's funeral.  He was struck by the unusual reds that danced across in the sky, and the fact that my mother had asked all of her family to wear red to the service in celebration of her life.

The cold November day we buried our mom, I watched the stunning sunset unfold from the church pew-- at times filling the entire sky in varying shades of red-- as I listened to the minister speak of our clothing choices.

Now, on the rare occasion the skies blaze the same beautiful reds I saw that day, I take it, in all it's glory, as a nudge from our mother to stay strong and be happy.

My friends recently shared this photo with me, not quite sure how I would receive it.  My eyes opened wide the moment I saw it because I knew instantly when it had been taken... at the very end of the service, just before the sunset faded away.

Truly, it's one of the greatest gifts I've ever been given.

Tis The Season

No matter how you spell it, or what you celebrate, may your holidays be happy and bright.

Big hugs and I'll see you in 2016!

xoxo Joanna

Dr. Who and the Tardis Quilt

Dr. Who collectables scatter my godson's bedroom and Tardis comments pepper his conversation on a regular basis.  I've never seen an entire episode (Shh, don't tell!) but-- I can assure you, Godson has seen them ALL and he and his friends LOVE the show.

Over the years I've searched far and wide for Dr. Who collectibles and treats, picking them up in my travels and hoping it's something he doesn't already have.

This year, I'm pretty sure his upcoming birthday will make me a bit of a hero, if I do say so myself.

This is what I made for him...

(It took a while to put together using the Relatively Dimensional quilt pattern by Hunter's Design Studio.  I made the border slightly larger using Quilter's Linen Metallic-- the solids are Kona Cotton. All are from my favorite fabric store-- Sew Modern in Los Angeles.)

While working on the quilt, I tried to subtly drill Godson about specifics on the Tardis so I could quilt it as "real" as possible.  That process was a bit like pulling teeth but in the end, I figured out enough to give it a go...

Late in the game I learned there is some sort of round seal so I winged it to give the very basic "idea" of where it belongs.

Spoonflower was my source for the printed panels.  Info for that was included in the pattern.

I'll give the quilt wrapped with popcorn and all the goodies to go with an evening of Dr. Who binge watching with his friends.

The quilt has been washed so it's super soft and crinkly, which I love.  And it'll get even better with each washing.

Happy Birthday to my favorite Dr. Who fan!

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins