The Lunch Date

This past Tuesday was a nice escape from reality, back to what I used to have in my life. There was a time when I would be out all day. A nice walk, breakfast out after, a bit of window shopping, maybe a purchase or two, lunch with lady friends ....this was one of those days.

A few days earlier I had received an email from my new friend Martha . She asked if I was free for lunch on Tuesday. I had met Martha Cooper through winning a contest on Facebook, with the company DDH aka Decor Dream Home . The contest was for a dream bedroom make over , 500.00 gift card from their company towards that,( I was unable to add to the total, so instead just ordered accessories) and a visit from one of their franchise owners/decorators. Martha Cooper was the one to visit me.

(This is Martha )

Martha said that Karen Powell , the founder of the company was to be in town, would like to meet me , and treat for lunch. There was an offer to pick me up, but I wanted to walk. I would meet them at The Fountains for lunch around 11:00 .

I got up bright and early that Tuesday, as to beat the heat and not make a mess of my dress up clothing. I decided that since I had a few dollars left to my weekly 20.00 that I would treat myself. So I headed off to Boudin Sourdough...a little touch of San Francisco right here in Roseville.

The cafe was pretty empty still when I arrived. Many were at the Farmers Market in the nearby parking lot. But it was perfect for me , a nice quiet breakfast, looking out onto the lovely gardens through the big windows across from me.
I thought about ordering the sourdough toast, I do love sourdough and toasted ....but the blueberry scone called my name, and paired with fruit and French Roast coffee it was the perfect thing to start my day.

After I finished my leisurely breakfast , I decided to walk around the fountains , and take a seat , they would soon turn on for the day. Can you think of a more delightful way to start ones day than to music and dancing waters? While I waited I enjoyed sitting amongst the roses and other flowers in the planting areas and listen to the birds sing in the trees.

Soon the music started....U2's Beautiful Day....and I watched the waters dance to the beat and felt the cooling mist on my face, and and the children near by laughed and pointed with huge smiles on their faces, and for a moment, everything in life was really good.
Soon after I wondered over to Farmers Market, and purchased some peaches to bring home for daughter Rebecca. Then over to Whole Foods for lemons as we were to have artichokes for dinner and what is an artichoke without lemon butter?? Before I knew it , it was 11:00....Martha called and they were running a tad late, so I found a bench and waited patiently . I had a green tea on ice , so I was content.

We had decided to eat at California Pizza Kitchen. I always enjoy eating there, so was looking forward to it. Once inside we ordered....I had the Ginger Sesame Chicken Dumplings, my fav, and my usual.

Karen Powell is a very nice woman, very down home and very engaging, and during our luncheon I asked her how she started her business, and well it was as she put it " a long answer to a short question" . I was so engaged by her story, that I forgot to take notes . But managed to find an interview that she did a while back and copied a snippet from that ....


"Josie Cicerale I and founded Decor&You More, Inc., in 1994, as an interior decorating business made up of home-based independent decorators. After perfecting our systems and training programs, we began building a structure for a business that would respond to economic trends in the 90’s and the nature of the changing workforce in the decorating industry.
We concluded that our new business concept would best be implemented by a network of franchisees, who as full-time entrepreneurs, would be committed to growing and developing their individual decorating businesses to their fullest potential. On that basis, in January 1998, we launched the Decor&You® Inc. Franchise Program."


There was so much more to the story, I really wish I had taken notes. We chatted about so many other things, and it was so lovely! I really enjoyed this escape back into the life that I had once led , where I would have lunch with friends and we would discuss everything under the sun and then some. We parted ways and as we did so, stopped to have a picture taken as to always remember this day.

Karen Powell, myself and Martha Cooper

As they drove off, I headed off to explore one of my favorite kitchen shops Sur La Table.....
The window of while porcelain always draws me in......




But there is so much more once you step inside. Colors, textures, and delight at every turn!











But I always go back to the white porcelain.... isn't this cute??? I really must put up a shelf one day and collect creamers to go with my tea pots! But for now I just admire and "visit" .

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