Just Because Emily Watched the TRAVEL CHANNEL

We had to go here. Emily watched this show called EXTREME FOOD - OK anything with the words EXTREME and FOOD and the Cahn's were hooked. Also, the Cahn's LOVE BREAKFAST! The show travels to a town in New Jersey called Ridgewood - about 30 miles from our house! We piled in the car at 9:00am and got to our destination about 40 minutes later.

All I can say is WOW! Americans love their BIG PLATE SPECIALS and lemme tell you this was a LOT of FOOD! Not only do they have 90 different pancake varieties, they serve every other breakfast item as well as lunch and dinner. Signs all over read, CASH ONLY! Now wouldn't that be a lovely business. The prices were very very good -especially for all that FOOD!

None of us finished - even Russell couldn't eat it all.

A good time was had by UNTIL I was asked to drive home. On the highway about a mile from our exit I hit a broken muffler in the middle lane (my favorite lane)of the highway. Guess what - WE GOT ANOTHER FLAT TIRE! All the tires on that car were replaced in 2007. Then last summer 1 by 1 each tire got flat and had to be replaced! I'm so angry with myself. Russell had an impossible time getting the flat tire off the car - so we had to call AAA. The gentleman came 5 minutes after being called and he needed to use a 2x4 to get the tire off the car! Who knew? So for now, we will be driving with the donut on the car until we BUY YET ANOTHER TIRE FOR THE DARN CAR! Oh and also the right front tire looks very low and it might blow too.

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I HATE TIRES - I HATE CARS - I HATE SPENDING MONEY ON THIS KIND OF ITEM!

Enough said.

I guess at least a tree didn't fall on our house yesterday in that horrible storm - nor did we lose power.

Best,
Jane M PS I bet you have never seen anyone taking home breakfast food before! I think I failed to mention they placed chocolate chip corn bread on the table as a snack. Good thing the Travel Channel told us NOT to nosh on the corn bread because we would not have room left for the pancakes - the main event! We took that home too!

A storm blew in!

Holy Crap! Was on the phone when the heavens darken (2:00pm)the winds picked up -the rains poured down - and look what happened! Our town is filled with DOWN TREES! We live on a dead end street - we were trapped at 1 point as trees fell down at the bottom of our street on either side! Luckily no one was hurt - that I know of. so for now all I can hear is the roar of the chain saws, cutting up the trees to let the traffic pass again!

Here are some photos!

Em and I took Gordie out in the rain to have a look.

YOU CAN STILL BUY THE TIES! That was just a hint!

Best,
Jane M

Today is ALMOST over!

And let me tell you, I'm just ready for it. I don't know - it felt like Monday all day long. Was just a rotten day all around. Why - I can't really put my finger on 1 thing but just know that it was. And...today is the Science Section in the newspaper - MY LEAST FAVORITE SECTION OF THE WEEK! Why I read it, I have no idea. I read articles and think I have the same symptoms. I read Jane Brody and want to scream out loud. And then I think why do I torture myself reading this medical stuff - and then I think if I don't well...

So I hope to go to bed now - FALL ASLEEP quickly and wake up tomorrow with a better attitude and outlook on life and TIES! YOU HEAR ME OUT THERE?! HELLO!

I was also told I'm bulking up the family and myself with my fire engine red, 90th anniversary limited edition Kitchen Aid Mixer.

On that note, I think I'll bake up a few batches of biscotti and ship them down to North Carolina to all you buyers coming the Charlotte Trade Show this coming weekend. Listen, BUY OUR NECKWEAR - IT'S FABULOUS! Great product, Great margins - great Customer service (me me me) and maybe you will get a few cookies too! Hey, you have nothing to lose!

Best,
Jane M

I was able to bake 1 more batch

before THIS happened! I RAN OUT OF FLOUR! I MEAN RAN OUT COMPLETELY! I will have to make a run to the store - and I normally keep a back up of both flour and sugar in my pantry. Oh you buyers -- make your orders today so you can get your cookies inside your shipments! REALLY!

By the way - my new fire engine red, 90th anniversary, limited edition mixer is THE BEST E-V-E-R! I am NOT kidding!

It's Monday - please make my day and order some ties. Thank you.

Best,
Jane M PS That's oh so tired Gordie - he had a busy weekend with his buddy!

PIE!

We had PIE! It was so great! Gary had 2 pieces! It was a SLAM DUNK! Wish you had a slice?

We also had a violent 10 minute storm with HAIL!

WOOT WOOT! Sunday evening - Next Foodnetwork Star is coming on soon!

BUY SOME TIES - pu-lease!

Best,
Jane M

Our Blueberry/Peach Pie

Here are just a few photos of our unbaked pie -- the pie is now out of the oven cooling. Will snap more photos ASAP! Can't wait to dig into this treat!

Just another Sunday

Well you want to know how today started?

Beep - Blip - Beep BEEEEEEEEEEEEP! The hard wired smoke detector on the 1st floor started going off 1 beep at a time at 6:00am! Isn't that awful? The 4 of us got up to try and fix this problem. We waited for the 2 minute interval to decide which detector was to blame. OK problem 1 fixed. Then we had to try and fix the detector. Rummaged through the junk draw to find a new 9 volt battery. CHECK. Replaced the battery, 2 minute interval BEEEEEEEP! Now what? By now it is 6:45am and we are all frustrated.

Emily looked up in the phone book for the fire department and called. She started the conversation by saying, THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY and proceeded to explain our circumstance. In probably 2 minutes up the hill comes a bright shiney red fire engine - no siren - but blinking lights! Out pour 3 big firemen dressed in their gear. They were so VERY VERY nice! They ran through the exact same tests as we did and could not find out the problem. We started to talking in our front hall - when all of a sudden a BEEEEEEEEEEEP went off! It was then determined that our hard wired smoke detector installed in January of 2003 is BROKEN! WOW I'm told things are meant to break. BREAK? Good grief, we would probably have been better off buying a $5 detector and calling it a day. But back in 2003 we did some work on our home which meant taking out building permits which made us have to install these fancy now BROKEN hard wired smoke detectors! And so it goes.

Been hanging around the house pretty much all day - took care of the Webster a few times already down the street. Did a little weeding and flower snipping. Right now I have pie dough I just prepared in the fridge chilling and Em is going to run out to purchase some peaches. A blueberry/peach pie is in the menu for dessert tonight! PICTURES TO FOLLOW!

And so it goes --

More later!

Jane M

Babysitting a friend's doggie

Just another summer weekend in July - watching our friend's dog down the street.

So I feel as though things are getting back to normal after the Trade Show - kinda feel like we lost 5 days but then again - it's only a few times a year! And we got to show off our gorgeous ties too.

The big black dog is name Webster and he's 11 years old. He's a Portuguese Water dog - I think he's somewhat related to Gordie the poodle, but look how different they look next to each other. Plus, our Gordie turns 13 years old on Wednesday and he is really getting so so gray. While walking down the street to the neighbors, I ran into our new neighbors! LOOK - EVEN MORE DEER! 2 more babies to the herd that roams our street. Like I said, if I can't grow plants off the roof of the house, the deck is the next best place.

Gotta get Emily to the train. She's meeting a college friend in the city for dinner tonight - Russ is bringing the GF over here for dinner tonight.

Best,

Jane M

I've just got to show you my first crop of tomatoes!

LOOK - we have ripe red tomatoes on the vine! YIPPEE! The only way we can grow tomatoes at our house is to either hang them from our roof top or up on our deck away from all the critters who live here. Don't get me wrong, I love the animals, but I also love my flowers and veggies too. Oh well - but LOOK I HAVE RED TOMATOES TO MY MATCH MY RED 90TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION KITCHEN AID MIXER!

Life is sooooooooooooooooo good! Now I have to think up a recipe to use the tomatoes and my red mixer -- guess I'll skim my cookbooks now.

On a side note, to all those that I met while toiling away at the Warwick / Designer Forum the last 5 days - THANK YOU FOR MAKING THOSE GREAT ORDERS! For those who have not yet seen our Fall 2009 neckwear line -- come see us in Chicago - or all our sales reps in Charlotte!

Back from the WARWICK

Wow was it ever a marathon of 5 straight days driving in and out of NYC. But Gary and I did it and we are back now in NJ toiling away - GETTING OUT YOUR ORDERS WHICH WE THANK YOU FOR! Really! Our neckwear line was so well received - and we know once you receive your orders you will be emailing for MORE MORE MORE! We saw some of our wonderful salesmen who can't wait to get on the road as well.

NO time for more details at this moment but I'll be blogging later on. I've got to bake too! But who can complain baking with that fire engine red drop dead gorgeous Kitchen Aid mixer? NOT ME! I love love love it!

Best,
Jane M

Tomorrow is the BIG BAKE

Yep, it must be a trade show coming up because tomorrow I will do the big biscotti bake for the show! I HAVE MY NEW MIXER TO HELP ME THROUGH THE BIG JOB! I can't wait! I love love love my shiny red mixer because it works so great and my baked goods have come out so so tasty. YIPPPEE! I love to bake!

The painters are working so very hard on our house. They had no work this past June because of all the rain, so now they are making up for all the lost work. Today, there were 6 men working on our house - and to me, they still have so much to finish! The house is so white and clean and bright that it is almost blinding. I'm looking forward to seeing the black shutters go back up to make some contrast.

OK I have to go and get some rest so tomorrow I can finish up and pack up for the show!

COME SEE US - PLEASE -

Best,

Jane M

So it seems we just can't

get away from these Village Idiots, John and Kate Gosselin family. Now it seems the father idiot is collaborating with his new girlfriend to design children's clothing. Oh PU-LEAZE! Make this duo GO AWAY! He claims to not want to be in the spotlight any more and to just live his life - and yet he's galavanting in St. Tropez with his new flame and becoming a FASHION DESIGNER. No wonder why he was all excited for his "new" life. He is away from OH SO VERY IMPORTANT CHILDREN, doing whatever he feels like but also being the devoted father at the same time. Good Grief. And to think he is going back to PA to film more scintillating TV shows this week. I WILL NOT WATCH, I WILL NOT WATCH - LISTEN UP TLC - TAKE THE SHOW OFF THE AIR - NO ONE CARES! We're all so OVER this story!

Friday we set up for the Trade Show at the Warwick ... I'll start baking MID WEEK!

The painters are already priming the house! Does it stink from OIL BASED Primer! I'm a little loopy in the head right now! I baked this cake for the workers so that they will take extra care in doing our job. RIGHT! WHATEVER!

A lot of the new collection is up online! BUY THE TIES! THEY ARE DROP DEAD GORGEOUS!

Best,
Jane M

No MORE EGG on the house

The painters showed up bright and early yesterday. They had a lot of prep before all the noisy sanders officially got going. We contracted to have only the front of the house sanded to the bone - the other sides will get spot sanding and we'll hope for the best. It wasn't until AFTER lunch that the men sanded off that mean egg splat on the center and front of our home. YIPPEE! IT'S GONE GOOD-BYE! The painters need to sand down the ceiling of the portico (I think that's what it is called) and the columns. Then it's off to the sides of the house. Look they work under that blue tarp - I really don't know why as they sand into vacuums and I don't see any paint chips on the ground. We live in an old house so the windows don't close too well - and we have so much dust inside now! I guess it's a small price to pay to have THE NASTY EGG SPLAT AND PEELING PAINT gone!

I baked up a sour cream coffee cake to give to the men this morning when they arrive - hoping that this will make them do an A+ plus job! I ran out of walnuts and had to substitute almonds - WHATEVER - I'm sure it tastes real good.

Gordie got out at their lunch break. He made a mad dash for their picnic area and danced around the painters for scraps. Gary got annoyed with me, said Gordie is a giant bother and with his delicate tum tum he didn't want to risk any sort of issues. So Gary had to carry Gordie back inside. Oh poor Gordie! Maybe today he'll get lucky as Gary and Russell went off early to play baseball. Emily has 2 swim lessons to give and I'll be here over seeing the job. Like, "look, you missed a spot!" Oh that's really annoying don't you think?

Just finishing up making the 9 FOLD swatch cards. That's a huge job. HUGE.

Buy some ties - they are gorgeous - really!

Best,
Jane M

As Promised, more pictures of Emily's werk!

Isn't this a beautiful setting? We are not members of the Orange Lawn Tennis Club and I had no idea how pretty it really is - and only 2 streets away from us!

The pool is so NOT BUSY - but on weekends it is. So on weekends, there are 2 lifeguards to handle more of the patrons.

Notice the grass tennis courts and also Hard Tru as well? I never walked around to count or see ALL the courts but it is wonderful if you like to play the game.

I like to spend a 1/2 hour or so keeping Emily company up there - when she's not too busy.

OK the rest of the ties will be rolling in any day. Then more photos and Trade Shows and the start of shipping!

Happy Summer to ALL!

Best,
Jane M