Sweet Niece in Smocked Pink Linen Dress

Sweet Niece in Smocked Pink Linen Dress, originally uploaded by stelladanza's confections.

This is a recent scan of a picture I took in August of 1990. My sisters and I and my 13-month-old niece went to afternoon tea at the Horton Grand Hotel in San Diego.

My sister made the hand-smocked pale pink linen dress that my niece is wearing. Her floral pilot cap is by Hanna Andersson. It's hard to believe that my niece just turned 21 in July....

Lamp Post at Horton Plaza

Lamp Post at Horton Plaza, originally uploaded by confections.

I hadn't been to Horton Plaza shopping center in downtown San Diego, California, in quite some time. On an early morning visit last week, I snapped these photos. Horton Plaza had its grand opening in the summer of 1985, twenty-five years ago. It stirred controversy when it was built, because a number of historic buildings were torn down to make way for its construction.

Jacaranda Blossoms

Jacaranda Blossoms, originally uploaded by confections.

The jacaranda are in bloom in San Diego, California. Lovely sight!

Self-Portrait, Christmas Walk, 2009

Self-Portrait, Christmas Walk, 2009, originally uploaded by confections.

Just before preparing dinner on Christmas Day, I went for a walk at one of my favorite paths in San Diego, which I call the "magical walk" on Point Loma. It's always uplifting and invigorating.

Just Another Day in Paradise

Just Another Day in Paradise, originally uploaded by confections.

I am emphatically not a morning person, but sometimes my late nights turn into early mornings and I treat myself to a take-out breakfast from my local co-op deli.

On such occasions, I will drive to one of my favorite spots along the Pacific and have my breakfast picnic-style and then take a walk next to the ocean.

Here is an early morning shot of surfers at Sunset Cliffs at a surf spot called "Garbage" near Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Ladera Street in San Diego, California.

Extraordinary Desserts--Cakes

Extraordinary Desserts--Cakes, originally uploaded by confections.

Yummy, exquisite cakes fill the display case at Karen Krasne's Extraordinary Desserts on Union Street in San Diego, California.

Enough said! Where's my Valrhona mocha?

Cottage in Little Italy, San Diego, California

Cottage in Little Italy, San Diego, California, originally uploaded by confections.

I parked in front of this sweet cottage in the heart of Little Italy in San Diego the other day. It was a Friday afternoon, people were gathering for dinner at the many enticing restaurants. I indulged in some pistachio gelato at Cafe Zucchero and had a passagiato through the neighborhood. A little bit of Roma right in my own hometown....

Tap Along with My Favorite Tap Dance Guru--Eli Newsom

My sister and I have been taking tap dance classes through San Diego Civic Dance Arts in Balboa Park with the very talented Leslie Padilla for close to a year now. In between those classes, we enjoy working with the DVD's produced by the equally awesome Eli Newsom of "Tap
Dance Made Easy". Eli has podcasts as well as DVD's and usually every month there is a freebie sample to tap along with. Here is one of my recent favorites. Have fun!

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Artichoke Bloom

Artichoke Bloom, originally uploaded by confections.

On my walk last week I came upon this artichoke plant in bloom. My sister and I saw it again on Father's Day (June 21st) and most of its glory was spent. The ephemeral nature of spring blossoms....

A Trip to the Opera

My husband and I went to the San Diego Opera on Saturday night to see Puccini's "Tosca". This was my first excursion to a live opera and I was thrilled by the performance. French soprano Sylvie Valayre sang the role of Floria Tosca. My favorite aria from this opera is "Vissi d'Arte" and I have included a clip of the inimitable Maria Callas singing it at the Paris Opera in 1958:



So you can get an idea of the dynamism of Sylvie Valayre, here is an aria she sings in "La Traviata", "Sempre Libera":

Holiday Glow

Holiday Glow, originally uploaded by confections.

Here is a photo from my archives from Christmas 1983 in San Diego, California. The tree was a floor-to-ceiling Noble Fir and was embellished with 1,000 mini-lights and at least 400 ornaments (we counted them that year!).

The old-fashioned icicles that adorned it are no longer being made. They came from D. Bluemchen, and the German company that made them for over 300 years went out of business five years ago. I love browsing their catalog and finding treasures to add to the Christmas decorations that I collect.

Have a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year 2009!

Starbucks Patio at Liberty Station, San Diego, California--TtV (through

Starbucks Patio at Liberty Station, San Diego, California--TtV (through the viewfinder), originally uploaded by confections.

Continuing my latest fascination with the "pencil sketch" application available at this website, here are a couple made from photos shot "through the viewfinder" of my vintage Kodak Duaflex camera. The original TtV (through the viewfinder) photos are below as well for comparison.

Detail of Applique Quilt

Detail of Applique Quilt, originally uploaded by confections.

The 2008 San Diego Quilt Show has been happening over the last few days. Here are some of my favorites from the exhibition.

Eye Candy from the Quilt Show

Eye Candy from the Quilt Show, originally uploaded by confections.

My preliminary haul from the vendors at the San Diego Quilt Show....

Tall Ship "Gloria" through the Viewfinder

Tall Ship "Gloria" through the Viewfinder, originally uploaded by confections.

The "Festival of Sail" is happening in San Diego this week, and I went to one of my favorite vantage points on Wednesday morning and watched the tall ships sail into San Diego Bay.

For some of the photos, I used the "through the viewfinder" technique, viewing the ships through my vintage Ricohflex Model VII camera and snapping the photo with my digital camera. The photos look as though I were viewing the tall ships through an old spyglass like Captain Hook!

Pay close attention to the more detailed pictures of the "Gloria". There are sailors standing above the sails on the mast!

Tall Ship--The Star of India--San Diego, California

Tall Ship--The Star of India--San Diego, California, originally uploaded by confections.

Today there will be a Festival of Sail in San Diego Harbor and at least twenty tall ships will be on parade, including San Diego's own "Star of India", seen here.

I hope to take my camera down to the bay and capture some of the majesty. Below is a collage that shows the San Diego skyline twenty-five years ago (in May 1983) and the way it looks today. San Diego Harbor used to have a free anchorage which lent a lot of character to the bay, but it was outlawed many years ago. I think the harbor view is less appealing now that it is gone.

Historic Old Greek Theater at Point Loma, San Diego, California (Through the Viewfinder--TtV)

Historic Old Greek Theater at Point Loma, San Diego, California (Through the Viewfinder--TtV), originally uploaded by confections.

This ethereal photo depicts the first Greek Theater built in America by Theosophists in the early 20th century. It is situated above the Pacific Ocean at Point Loma, San Diego, California.

This is my very first attempt at Through the Viewfinder (TtV) photography. I found a vintage Ricohflex Model VII camera at one of my favorite haunts; the image through its viewfinder of the Greek Theater was captured (without a contraption--I have to build one to help with light control) with my Pentax Optio M20 on a macro setting.

I'm already hooked and looking for additional old cameras to experiment with this technique.

Vintage Handpainted Porcelain Salt & Pepper Shakers

Vintage Handpainted Porcelain Salt & Pepper Shakers, originally uploaded by confections.

I have a passion for handpainted porcelain, and these signed thrift-store salt and pepper shakers are bona fide treasures to add to my collection. The gentleman who waited on my sister and me had known the painter, Debbie Shattuck, who passed away a few years ago. These are dated 1952.

Other items painted by her had been donated to the shop, but these were the last of the lot. My sister got a set, too, and we feel lucky to have found them.

Handmade Straw Hat

Handmade Straw Hat, originally uploaded by confections.

A dozen years ago my sister and I took a straw hat class with Diana Cavagnaro of Designer Millinery in a loft in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, California. This is the mad-hatter style hat I designed on an ancient wooden hat block.

The class was excellent and I enjoyed the process of sewing the braid with raffia to create the hat, and steaming it into shape. It's a little snug for my head, but I display it proudly on its hat stand. I may decorate it with one of my needlefelted flowers and wear it to tea with my girlfriends next time.

Tea Cups & Chopstick Rest

Tea Cups, originally uploaded by confections.

Featured today is a grouping of thrifted tea cups and a chopstick rest that my sisters, niece, and I found during their San Diego visit at the beginning of June. Total eye candy and great additions to our tea table!