Road Trip, Summer 2011: Route 66. Day 2.

The Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico. One of the "most historic hotels on Route 66," I found it listed on my Route 66 iPhone app and made reservations a few days before. (As is the Cattlemen's Steakhouse, it's listed in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.)

Our car stall, with a mural of Easy Rider.

I always wanted to stay in Tucumcari because Lee Van Cleef stopped a train there in For A Few Dollars More. I was sad to discover that the city of Tucumcari didn't exist until 1908, long after the movie action took place.

My son and I arrived in the early afternoon. After checking in with Nancy at the Blue Swallow, we tried our best to ignore the 100 degree heat and went mural spotting through the town. (I didn't take any photos of the murals, though?)

Later we hung out in front of our room and chatted with the other motel guests.

Sorry for the rambling. I'm writing from LA; we drove in from Flagstaff today and arrived in the late afternoon...2 beers, one large Father's Office burger later and I'm really tired! Tomorrow: Day 3.

Road Trip, Summer 2011: Route 66. Day 1.

Our first stop on our pseudo-Route 66 Road Trip was the Cattlemen's Steakhouse in Oklahoma City.

Me under the sign, dying in the heat and waiting for a table.

Max under the sign, looking happy even though he doesn't really like steak.

My Strip Sirloin, served with a baked potato (butter + sour cream, yes please) and a homemade roll. God Bless America!

Sunset from Oklahoma City's Stockyard City.

Road Trip, Summer 2011: Route 66.

My youngest son, Max. is taking my beloved Saab 9 3 convertible back to Los Angeles with him for his final year at the University of Southern California. I'm devastated but it's definitely a car that is happier in LA. (Max calls it his little Swedish spaceship.) And a perfect excuse for a Road Trip.

This is not the Saab's first 2,000 mile excursion to SoCal. In late December 2006, my husband, oldest son and I drove my then new (to me) car-baby from Illinois to Santa Monica where I was starting a new job in January. Unfortunately, the timing was bad. We hit Amarillo just as a terrible storm bore down on New Mexico. The state closed down the main highway, but in our zeal to reach the coast, we cut south and took two lane roads through the storm. Two days later, we arrived on the other side, into Arizona, with the Saab having performed admirably but looking like this:

So although I'm currently watching a dust storm from my hotel room in Holbrook, Arizona, this road trip has been much less stressful!

Other than my trepidatious 2006 voyage, I've been along the Route 66 corridor before, long ago when my boys were young, my husband was in the Army and we were moving from Illinois to Ford Ord (we always seem to end up back in Illinois, I don't know why, we don't have any family there!). But Max doesn't have any memory of that trip and it also took place in winter, so this time around it's a different adventure.

Next post, day 1.

Tea & Madeleines

I've spent my afternoon going through my old Victoria magazines*, which inspired me to make some Madeleines. When my sons were at home, occasionally we'd have Sunday afternoon tea and I'd make Proust's famous tea-cakes, but those times are past and I haven't made them in awhile. I don't know why not, because Madeleines are not difficult, although they do require some pre-prep and a special pan.

Anyway, today's Madeleine's are amazing, even though I'm the only one at home right now to enjoy them. And of course I must have tea to dunk my cakes into! Tilleul (tea made from linden tree leaves and flowers) is the recommended type for Madeleine dunking; I found mine at a local tea shop but Harney's ( I love their tea) sells a version as well.

Recipe here.

You can buy a Madeleine pan here.

*The Nancy Lindemeyer edited issues. See Nancy's blog here!

Hermès Scarf Ring II

I continued to play with my new toy. I was looking through the Purse Forum and I came across a thread on stacked bracelets; one member had used her Mors scarf ring with a leather Hermès wrap bracelet. I got to thinking: What could I use to create a bracelet with my new scarf ring? Hermès ribbon! (Um, yeah: Bolduc!)

Voila, the Bolduc bracelet:

Appropriately, the Bolduc I used for my bracelet was from 2002, Year of the Hand!

PS: I initially practiced tying the bracelet on my husband, and it looked great on him too!

Hermès Scarf Ring

My newest Hermès beauty: a Permabrass Mors scarf ring. For this photo, I "borrowed" my husband's Bolduc pochette and paired it with a J.Crew tee shirt.