party platters....

Does anyone else love grape tomatoes? I ate a whole box in one day last week. My lunch today: blueberries, grapes, grape tomatoes sprinkled with parmesean cheese, chips and corn/black bean salsa, and a chai tea latte.
I call this a "party platter". Party platters are a common occurence in the Rachel-Penny-Buffy-Davey-Tippy household. For example: If we run out of food, but have some bread and chocolate peanut butter, then we are more likely to be excited about eating it if we cut it into little squares.
p.s: for breakfast I had two fudge mint covered oreos. I cut them into hearts, just kidding.

fun fact: Did you know regular Oreos made in the United States are vegan, but the Oreos made in Europe (at least Spain and Portugal) are not vegan? I am not vegan, but I have some favorite friends that are.

photo from the most beautiful food blog, La Tartine Gourmande

contest!

I feel like having a contest! To enter the contest you have to read Jendar's Anti-Giveaway post and then post a comment here. The winner gets the smaller (2mL) bottle of CB I Hate Perfume. You can either have, In the Library (worn books, wood polish),Mr. Hulot's Holiday (old leather suitcases and salty Mediterranean air), At the Beach 1966 (coppertone,ocean and boardwalks), or Greenbriar 1968 (it has an old man's pipe smell in it and you know how I love old man's pipe).  You have until 11:59 pm on Monday, December 7, to enter. Good luck.  p.s has anyone else ever seen the creepy, but intriguing and beautiful movie, Perfume:The Story of a Murderer?

invisibility cloak

I saw some neat Czech magazines on Hollister Hovey's blog.  I like them. Do you love the comic book I found in Lisbon? (bottom picture)

mad woman

Remember the Mad Men contest in the summer? They finally announced a winner.....Porter Hovey (bottom picture), congratulations.  Thanks for voting for me in the summer. You are sweet and I love all of  you. p.s. Porter and her sister Hollister have really neat blogs and names.

yorkie poo

more pictures from Victoria...in the third picture, we were watching the dog poop in the leaves we had just played in.

kisses from Paris

I saw this video on Prêt à Voyager. You should read her post about the video and the couple making out on the metro....Have you ever been that couple?

thank you.

I need to come up with a new header. I'm also sick of my name, penny lyra. I need to be Anya or maybe Rachel. Until then, have fun with those faces.

Also, I bought these adorable cards from Erin. I love them.(buy her stuff here)......She also sent me a great bear card. It made me laugh and teary eyed, because I miss her...

the joint

We had delicious pizza and Orangina at The Joint Pizzeria & Deli in Victoria, B.C. They had a great selection of pizza, including vegan options.  I had thai peanut pizza on wheat. I've made it twice at home since coming back. David ate el diablo, topped with corn, peppers,baked chicken and bbq sauce.

I feel copper and grey....

left to right, top to bottom: beautiful headphones, bed socks, notepad, Sandra Juto print,  tinsel, Chocolat (I love that movie), a starry napkin, my favorite porridge soap, doggie cookie cutter, spool & scissors, a Chocolaterie chair.

a whale's life for me....

We went on a hike to China Beach, which is part of the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park. The forest was so mossy and mystical.....

and so was this car.

and then we made it to China Beach...I was amazed: of all the pebbles and seashells...

the surfers and their wetsuits having some sort of intense arm raising conversation...

 

because, old ladies always use thier stick canes to get down from logs.

David posed with a sword.....

I cleaned my seashells in the forest.

I've decided what I want to do with my life. I'm going to be a North Pacific humpback whale. They spend their summer months in Alaska and British Columbia and then off to Hawaii for the winter. They also live a long time, one humback whale lived to be 211!

part two

a few more beach stops/beach forest entryways......

next up: fish & chips and my favorite beach.....

beach: part one

Are you ready for a million beach pictures that look exactly the same?! I'm going to do something a little crazy! I'm centering the pictures! You heard me! sintering! We took a drive from Victoria to Port Renfrew and stopped whenever we saw a beach. All of these pictures are from Gordon Beach in an adorable little town called Sooke.