Over the Top Studios

Stone House November Supper Club

If you follow my blog by now you know that I LOVE FOOD. All kinds too. The only thing I make an “ugly face” at is sushi. Sorry all you raw fish fans out there, it just doesn’t do it for me. Oh, and please don’t say, “you must never have had good sushi before”, because I have.

This month it was our dear friends Taylor and Mary Lu’s turn to host and set the theme for the dinner. Usually each couple in the group is given a theme and a course they need to prepare. We are usually given free range but sometimes we are given a recipe to follow or at least use as a guideline.

Taylor and Mary Lu outdid themselves this month. Setting yet an even higher bar for all of us to reach.

Not too far from where we all live is a small Stone House in the original downtown area of Redmond. This “house” is on the list of Historical sites in the city. It has been a  private residence,boutique shop, tea house and now restaurant.  It is said to have secret passages and tunnels which run underneath it used by bootleggers in the 20’s to run alcohol to and from the bar across the street. Currently it is under lease to Chef Ryan Donaldson who has a flair for using local produce and proteins to create an eclectic menu filled with savory sauces and unique flavors. Taylor and Mary Lu arranged for our supper club to have the entire restaurant to ourselves. Chef Donaldson and a small staff came up with an amazing menu just for us and to top it all off, we had the opportunity to help him prepare the meal in the small, but cozy kitchen in back.

Our menu for the night as follows:

Wild Alaskan Spot Prawns with Sherry Cream, Risotto and Lemon Confit

Argyle Champagne – 1999 Extended Tirage Brut

Roasted Pumpkin Parmesean Soup with Apple and Carmalized Onion Slaw

Woddard Canyon Chardonnay

Sekel Pear and Persimmon Salad with Pomegranate, Goat Cheese and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Darby Ie Duece

 

Wild Cedar Sorbet

Braised Beef ShortRib on Ragout of Rosemary Potatoes, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Carrots and Parsnips in Braising Jus

Long Shadows Vineyard Feather Cabarnet

Custard Soaked Brioche with Roasted Apples, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

Airfield Late Harvest  Reisling

I know, decadent!  Tim and I helped with the spotted prawn appetizer, which by the way are only available 6 weeks out of the year. Chef Donaldson goes to Pike Place each morning and picks up his fresh veggies and seafood. Nothing frozen or canned here.

Here are a few shots of us preparing the meal:

Cindy soaking the Brioche

Jeannie and Lynn assembling  the pumpkin soup

Jeff and Ryan (the chef) plating the persimmon salad

Taylor and Mary Lu rolling the gnocchi

and flipping the scallops

The kitchen was in full swing The wine was divine

The Stone House has such wonderful atmosphere.

In the end we enjoyed a wonderful meal matched with exquisite wines. The only downside of Supper Club is it has spoiled me beyond reason. I have become somewhat of a  “food snob”  When we go out to dinner I always compare the meal to our last supper club and, unfortunately it rarely sizes up.

Oh, I almost forgot, Chef Donaldson gave us all the recipes so now I can make these savory dishes at home.  It seldom tastes as good I admit. There is just something special about sharing the meal with good friends that makes it so much better.

Amada

 

I Vant To Be Alone

Greta Garbo would be proud. After all when I’m alone I am in the best company.

In reality, I get so much more done when I am alone.  I guess it is the fact that there are no distractions, no dinner to cook no laundry to do – my sweats don’t count as laundry.  I love having my family all around me most of the time but every so often I relish the thought of an empty house (if you don’t count the three cats and the dog) .  I enjoy the quiet and peaceful sound of the coffee maker as it brews my first cup of coffee.  I do  a lot of thinking during these few and far between times, I watch some good old movies and I spend a majority of my time in my craft room.

I am not a shy person by nature but during these times I admit, if the doorbell rings I don’t answer. I let the answering machine “Take a message” and I try to plan my day so as not to leave the house.

It is a time to take all the little pieces and loose ends of my life and neatly put them back together.  A time for renewal so to speak.

When I emerge I will feel whole.

This week I will have two full days of “Alone” time. 

I plan on locking my door.

and hanging the “Do Not Disturb” sign.

Hopefully, I will have much to share with you. A new crown or tiara. Who knows!

Alone time is important to our mental health.

There is nothing wrong with relishing this time spent with the one person you know the best.  So starting tomorrow I will spending some much needed one-on-one time with ME.  Thanks Greta, I Vant to Be Alone Too.

Till we meet again,

Amada

 

Christmas Whimsies and other Stuff

I know, I know… I have been a half-hearted blogger of late. It just seems like after Halloween everything went on fast forward.  I am way behind getting my Christmas shop up, way behind on some commission work I have to get done and way behind in my garden (my hydrangeas and fruit trees still are not pruned back).

This picture from earlier in the year, I am too embarrassed  to show them to you now.

Whenever life gets “busy” it seems it is my blogging that suffers the most.  It’s not as if I have nothing to write about, on the contrary, I have a ton. Just this weekend I spent two wonderful days at the CKC – Seattle. For you non-scrap bookers that is Creating Keepsakes Convention in Seattle. I try and go every year with my dear friend Carrie, we always have a blast!

 

Friday was the big Common Folk Christmas Open house. We had so much fun getting dressed up and catching a glimpse of all the wonderful things Katherine and Eric have brought in. We shopped as well! Don’t you love our rather large glittered moose? My husband insisted on it. REALLY!

Sunday was Supper Club at the Stone House in Redmond where chef Ryan Donaldson created an amazing menu for us using local produce and proteins. I will only say that much, stay tuned for a blog post later this week.

And of course, putting the finishing touches on my Christmas Whimsies.  I really wasn’t going to do anything this Christmas, but I decided to do these boxes, crowns and cones when I just happened upon the images on greeting cards and the swans online. I was just so inspired by them. They are all available in my ETSY shop.

 

 

So, as you can see I have been busy. I have decided to designate this week as “Catch Up Week” I will be catching up on my commissioned pieces, catching up on my ETSY shop, catching up on some swap items and catching up on my blogging. 

Catch me if you can :)

Amada

Holiday Open House at Common Folk

Common Folk Co.

15600 NE 8th St, Suite A5

Bellevue, Washington 98008

425-747-4100

Katherine and her crew are busy transforming Common Folk  in into a winter wonderland.  The fun will be going on all weekend long with some items up to 70% off. I have been working hard on my Over the Top Studios Christmas Treasures for this event.  I always make special items just for Common Folk and only available through the store, so…. come by Saturday and Sunday November 7th – 8th and get a glimpse of what I have been up to. You never know what you will find, perhaps a Christmas gift for a friend or a special little something for yourself. Either way you will be inspired!

See you there…

Amada

 

We Have A Winner

To say I had a good time participating in Vanessa’s Halloween Blog Party over at Fanciful Twist last week is an understatement.  It was a blast, but I have to admit I didn’t always think so.

I had the idea of “The Uninvited Guest” weeks before the actual party. The vignettes and camera shots were all in my head and I knew exactly what I wanted, unfortunately, because of all kinds of “personal” challenges I kept putting off the actual photo shoot. 

Finally, the day before the party I decided to shoot all the images, write the post and edit the whole thing. Of course it can be done. RIGHT?

Anomaly #1. We had the heaviest rain of the year, it was coming down in buckets. Half my shots were going to be outside. The rain was so bad my poor “uninvited guest” couldn’t keep the candle on her candelabra lit.

#2. I started making cupcakes only to find, I didn’t have all the ingredients. There is no “quick trip” to the grocery store where I live.

#3.  I couldn’t find my witches costume from a few years ago. All our costumes are in a trunk and it just wasn’t there and then I remembered. I leant it to a friend last Halloween and never got it back. Commence the panic! Thanks a lot _________, you know who you are. :)

As you can see it all worked out in the end thanks to my wonderful sweetie of a husband who patiently walked me through the day. I appreciate all of the wonderful comments – especially the ones praising the camera work.   

Come closer… I have a secret to tell you. 

My husband Tim, not I, is the genius behind the camera. I conjure up the shots but he gets all the lighting right, sets up the camera and takes the shot. Then into Lightroom they go where we both get the image exactly the way I want.

Alright you have waited long enough. As I promised I am announcing the winner of my blog giveaway, my first ever.  Here it is:

Can you see it? Catching a glimpse are you?

Is that a witch I see?

Ohh! Black roses and feathers. Could it be….. YES! a crown. How did you ever guess?

 

Now for the winner. This was harder than I thought, but I used one of those random number generators to pick the winner. And the Winner is …. drum roll please!

Terri Gordon at Designs by Terri Gordon

(I will be contacting you for a mailing address)

Thank you all for participating. This was so much fun, I may have a Christmas Giveaway as well. Take care all – can’t wait till next year.

Amada

The Uninvited Guest – A Halloween Tale

It was a dark and stormy night – REALLY! The time had come, the night of the Halloween Haunt Blog Party. Every last detail had to be in order. Every candle lit, every candy dish filled, every decoration dusted. Dusk was just setting in when in the distance we caught a glimpse of the uninvited guest…

 She was dressed all in black from her pointed toed shoes to her witches hat, in her hand…a candelabra . We followed her quietly, discretely, until she vanished in into the garden.

 Where can she be?   There by the shed! Can you see her just turning the corner. Come back, who are you?There in the shadows where the angel stands guard.

Or behind the tombstones.

She left her broom, has she gone inside?

She must have come for the treats!

 

Or for her long lost cat.

It’s hard to know who is who with all the masks and costumes.

Perhaps she is just looking for her long lost Sister Witch

Dusk has turned to night

And night to mid night.

Until every last candle has burned out.

Our uninvited guests slips back into the shadows, back to where she came from. No one knows her name or why she came. It is all just a blur now. Good night my friend and thanks for the visit.

Please don’t be like the Uninvited Guest. Leave your name and a comment and I will put your name in my own witches hat and perhaps you will be lucky enough to win a very special gift. You have until October 23rd and then a pick a winner my dearies.

Now get on your brooms and go visit A Fanciful Twist and see what positively bewitching things Vanessa has in store for you.

 

Relax – Take a Break

 

I am finally kicking up my feet after working all day on things I would rather not be. Every once in a while I feel like all the energy has been sucked out of my body. I can relate to this picture, it just about sums today up!

So I decided to spend the last couple of hours of the day looking up lovely things on the net. Images that would  whisk my mind away to a place where the only decision that has to be made is what tea to dip my cookies in. My fantasy place……..

Here is my bedroom, where I will awake tomorrow morning rested and refreshed.

 Courtesy of Country Homes

Oh, by the way, in my spare time I would be painting this picture to hang on my dining room wall. I love Flamingos!

 image found on the web/unknown

My kids are so perfect, just look how clean my daughter keeps her room.

image from Sqiudoo Decorating

Oh my look! My new dress is almost done. It took me weeks to fold all that paper. It’s done just in time for my big date with Sweetie this weekend.

image from French Blue

But first, a romantic dinner for two on the patio

Designs by Hemingway

Is it time for a nap yet?

image from This is Glamorous

Wait one last cup of tea before I wake up.

image from French Garden

Goodnight my friends, let’s hope tomorrow brings a better day filled with “Pretty Little Things”.

Amada