Made in America Monday: Udon Noodle Bowl

It's Made in America Monday, where I feature a company that is producing (or selling) products that are made within the United States. Although you can find wonderful things made in other countries, I think sometimes we overlook the craftsmen and products that are being produced just around the corner.

So with the familiar slogan "Think Global, Act Local" in mind, I give you Made in America Monday.

I'm a sucker for fun design. I just bought a pair of these udon noodle bowls that were designed and made in the US by Flavour Design Studio. Don't you just love how the chopsticks perch on the top like that?

From Flavour Design Studio's website: "Flavour Design Studio is an interdisciplinary design company. Since 1999, élan has gained hands-on experience with commercial, interior, and graphic design projects. Along with contract work, Flavour's main focus is on producing contemporary home accessories carried in North America and Europe.

I strive to design products that make people say "why didn't i think of that!" My pieces aim to be clever yet elegant with a strong emphasis on ergonomics and functionality. I believe that the items you choose to surround yourself with should be interesting. They should enable you to strike up a conversation or at least make you smile."

Do you have any suggestions for future Made in America posts? Please provide any thoughts/ideas you might have in the comment section. I'd love to feature the product and give you credit for sending it.

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Dorothy St. James writes the White House Gardener Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Flowerbed of State is the first book in the series. Be sure to grab your copy while they're still available! Visit with Dorothy on the web or at Facebook. Or follow her on Twitter.

Praise for FLOWERBED OF STATE:
"Credible characters, a fast-paced plot, and a light look at political life in Washington, D.C., will delight cozy fans." ~ Publishers Weekly

"This spunky new romantic suspense series is an obvious pick for readers who enjoy Julie Hyzy's "White House Chef" series (Buffalo West Wing), but also think of gardening mystery series such as Rosemary Harris's (Slugfest)." ~ Library Journal

Order Flowerbed of State from your favorite bookseller. 

Look for The Scarlet Pepper in April 2012. Pre-order your copy today!

Little Blessings Add Up

One of my resolutions for 2012 is to recognize all the blessings in my life, big or small. I'm not going to let the days slip through my fingers this year without sending out a note of thanks for the good things that happened.

Since practice makes perfect...let me get started now:

My May 2011 release, FLOWERBED OF STATE was selected by the Bismarck, ND Public Library system as one of the best Adult Mysteries for Teens for 2010-2011. I'm thrilled to have my work recognized by library professionals. Some of my favorite people are librarians.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

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Dorothy St. James writes the White House Gardener Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Flowerbed of State is the first book in the series. Be sure to grab your copy while they're still available! Visit with Dorothy on the web or at Facebook. Or follow her on Twitter.

Praise for FLOWERBED OF STATE:
"Credible characters, a fast-paced plot, and a light look at political life in Washington, D.C., will delight cozy fans." ~ Publishers Weekly

"This spunky new romantic suspense series is an obvious pick for readers who enjoy Julie Hyzy's "White House Chef" series (Buffalo West Wing), but also think of gardening mystery series such as Rosemary Harris's (Slugfest)." ~ Library Journal

Order Flowerbed of State from your favorite bookseller. 

Look for The Scarlet Pepper in April 2012. Pre-order your copy today!

Book Recommendation

Looking for a new mystery to read? I know I'm always on the hunt for new books for my TBR pile....

Julie Hyzy's 5th White House Chef Mystery Affairs of Steak is available today from Berkley Prime Crime!

White House chef Olivia Paras and her arch nemesis, White House Sensitivity Director Peter Everett Sargeant, must work together to solve the double murder of one of the First Lady's assistants and the Chief of Staff-before they become the next victims of a merciless assassin with a secret agenda.

Get your copy today. This book promises to be a winner!

Click here for a list of all the Berkley Prime Crime novels released today.

Roses on Parade

In honor of the Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl today, I thought I write a bit about growing roses.

Anyone who knows me well, knows I'm more interested in growing plants that feed me than in growing flowering plants. However...roses do provide rose hips, which are a great source for vitamin C!

Poor roses, I've been overlooking their value for too long. But no more. This past fall I planted a miniature rose bush.

The neighbor's lawn service already mowed it down to the ground once, but the feisty little plant came back, winning my admiration.

Quick and Easy Tips for the Care of Roses:
1. Plant bare-root roses in spring.
2. Plant potted roses in spring or fall.
3. Water regularly during the growing season.
4. Prune in early spring.
5. In areas where winters are cold, mulch heavily with mounding soil and piles of leaves topped with another layer of soil. (Or grow in pots and bring in during the winter months.)
6. Your rose bush should flower all summer and into the fall.

Hopefully, I'll have good things to report about my new rose bush (and pictures of its flowers) in the coming summer months.

If you have any tips on how to grow lush roses, please share them! After all, I'm a newbie when it comes to my roses.

Get your hands dirty!

The Retelling of a White House Ghost Story

 Since I was talking about ghosts yesterday, I thought I'd post a reprint of a blog I'd written for Killer Characters (A Blog Where the Characters Come to Life) that's a true White House Ghost Story. Enjoy!


By Gordon Sims, White House Gardener
from FLOWERBED OF STATE book #1 in the White House Gardener Mystery Series by Dorothy St. James

Halloween is just around the corner. My assistant Casey Calhoun thought it might be fun if I stopped by and told a ghost story. A true ghost story. One that was set at the White House.

I’ve worked at the White House for the past thirty-five years, mowing the lawns, planting the flowers, and watering the hedges. In that time, I’ve seen and heard some eerie things, but nothing like what my predecessor told me he heard and saw.The year was 1947. President Harry Truman—the farmer who had turned politician—had taken office a few years earlier. My predecessor, Harold, started his first day like many new White House employees: with a tour of the residence.

The Chief Usher was showing him around the grand old house’s second floor when he had to leave Harold for a moment to take a phone call. While Harold waited, he wandered around the Queen’s Bedroom, inspecting the furnishings. He was looking at the antique canopy bed when he heard a loud pop. Before he knew what was happening the door to the bedroom flew closed with a loud crash.

The Queen's Bedroom 1947. (photo source: www.whitehousemuseum.org)

“Did you hear that?” President Truman demanded as he threw open the heavy wooden door and rushed into the Queen’s Bedroom. “I was in the Lincoln Bedroom. I swear it happens several times a day.”

“S-sir?” Harold stammered. This was the first time that he’d met the President, and he was feeling more than a little awestruck. Harold, a simple gardener, was standing in one of the ruler of the free world’s bedrooms. It was a guest bedroom, but still... Harold’s first thought was, “wait until my mom hears about this!”

The door behind the President slammed closed again. Both the President and Harold jumped.

“What do you think could be causing the door to swing like that?” Harold asked.

“Doors opening and closing on their own? Strange groaning sounds? And popping and creaking, like the past inhabitants of this old place are restless? I tell you this place is haunted. Sure as shooting, it is haunted,” President Truman said.

“Ghosts? With all due respect, sir, you must be pulling my leg. There’s no such thing as ghosts,” Harold said with a nervous laugh as the floor seemed to take a life of its own. It sagged and bounced underneath him as if the unseen visitor in the room was anxious to see him leave.

Harold sucked in a quick breath and grabbed hold of the canopy bed’s closest post. “Should I go, sir?” he asked, thinking that his first day and last day at the White House might be one and the same day. No sane man would willingly work in a place like this.

“No. Stay where you are. I want someone else to witness this,” Truman ordered.

“Y-yes, sir,” Harold said even though his legs itched to carry him as fast and as far away from this cursed place as possible.

“Do you feel that?” Truman asked as he held out a hand. The President appeared more curious than concerned with the fact that they were sharing a room with a noisy and apparently unhappy ghost.

“Feel what, sir?”

“Come over here,” Truman said.

Harold had to peel his fingers from the bed’s post. He cautiously crossed the room. The floorboards still bounced, but not a violently as before.

“Hold out your hand,” Truman said.

Harold did as he was told. A cold draft, surely sent straight from the depths of hell, spiraled up his arm. He jerked his hand away and rubbed it vigorously.

“I think you must be right, sir,” Harold said. “This place is surely haunted.”

“Haunted? Yes, that’s what I thought a minute ago, but now I’m not sure. That draft, my friend, is coming from somewhere up there.” He pointed to a large crack in the plaster above their heads that hadn’t been there before. “I’m afraid the White House is about to fall down around our ears.”

The President grabbed the room’s phone and asked the operator to call in the Commissioner of Public Buildings. “This home needs a full inspection before someone falls through a floor or a chandelier crashes down upon some state dignitary’s head.”

After giving the White House a full inspection, the commissioner agreed saying that the White House was in dire need of renovations and that the old place had to have been “standing purely from habit.”

In 1950, the White House was completely gutted. The walls strengthened and rebuilt.

Interior of the White House (photo source: Truman Library)

The basements being added to under the North Portico, where the grounds offices can be found today. (photo source: Truman Library)

The renovation, they say, put the end to the creaking, moaning ghosts.

Or did it?

Late at night when the lights are turned off and the wind blows the right way, I have heard the steady footfalls of an unseen resident wandering through the halls.

Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever met one? Tell us about it!

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Dorothy St. James writes the White House Gardener Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Flowerbed of State is the first book in the series. Be sure to grab your copy while they're still available! Visit with Dorothy on the web or at Facebook. Or follow her on Twitter.

"Credible characters, a fast-paced plot, and a light look at political life in Washington, D.C., will delight cozy fans." ~ Publishers Weekly

"This spunky new romantic suspense series is an obvious pick for readers who enjoy Julie Hyzy's "White House Chef" series (Buffalo West Wing), but also think of gardening mystery series such as Rosemary Harris's (Slugfest)." ~ Library Journal

Order Flowerbed of State from your favorite bookseller. Look for The Scarlet Pepper in April 2012. Pre-order your copy today!

White House Ghosts Captured on Film?

On December 5, 2011, I was invited to attend a White House Holiday Tweet-up.

When I returned home and looked at the pictures my husband and I had taken, I noticed strange orbs showing up on some of the pictures.

Even though we took tons of pictures in loads of locations (inside and out and under various lighting conditions), these orbs only showed up in a few locations and only within the White House.

It was an overcast, unseasonably warm December afternoon.

Most of our pictures turned out well. It's just that there were a few that raised a brow.

First, in the Vermeil Room.

 

And then I noticed another strange orb in the next image taken in the Center Hall.

But we didn't see anything odd in the pictures we took a moment later with the same camera in the Library...

 Or in the China Room.

 But back in the Center Hall, the mysterious spot returned.

The pictures we took of us climbing the stairs show nothing out of place. But then at the top of the stairs...

...It's back!

Nothing unusual showed up in the pictures of the large, shiny East Room or in the Green Room decked out with aluminum ornaments and trees.

The Blue Room, with the official Christmas tree filling the space, produced some of our best photos.

And then we entered the Red Room with its blood red walls.

 The orbs are back (or are they different ones?) And they're stronger than ever.

 And then they disappeared again...until we came to the high school students singing Christmas carols in the Cross Hall and entrance at the North Portico.

Is it dust on the lens? Was the camera picking up shadows of other camera's flashes? Possibly. Possibly.

But what if what we're looking at is the sign that some dedicated White House servants (or maybe even a President) is lingering in these hallowed halls, making sure the job gets done right?

A romantic thought? Perhaps. But what's Christmas without a rousing ghost story?

Merry Christmas! Happy Chanukah!

And Have a Prosperous New Year!

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Dorothy St. James writes the White House Gardener Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Flowerbed of State is the first book in the series. Be sure to grab your copy while they're still available! Visit with Dorothy on the web or at Facebook. Or follow her on Twitter.

Praise for FLOWERBED OF STATE:
"Credible characters, a fast-paced plot, and a light look at political life in Washington, D.C., will delight cozy fans." ~ Publishers Weekly

"This spunky new romantic suspense series is an obvious pick for readers who enjoy Julie Hyzy's "White House Chef" series (Buffalo West Wing), but also think of gardening mystery series such as Rosemary Harris's (Slugfest)." ~ Library Journal

Order Flowerbed of State from your favorite bookseller. 

Look for The Scarlet Pepper in April 2012. Pre-order your copy today!

My Holiday White House Adventure (PT. 3)

((The White House!))

On December 5, 2011, I was invited to attend a White House Holiday Tweet-up.

The night before we saw the White House all dressed up for Christmas from the outside.

This afternoon, we had the privilege to see the glittering lights and trees that we had only been able to glimpse through the windows the previous night up close and from a more personal angle!

We entered the White House the same way nearly all visitors enter the main residence: through the East Wing's visitor's entrance.

On our way to the East Wing's visitor's entrance, we spotted the gardening staff hard at work mulching the winter beds.

 

Finally, we made it to the steps leading into the East Wing, where the First Lady and her staff keep their offices.

Greenery greeted us as we entered.

And we caught sight of the first of 37 Christmas trees!

Under the direction of the White House florist, 136 volunteers from 36 states flocked to the White House and began decorating the day after Thanksgiving. In just five days the president's residence was transformed into a holiday show-stopper!

• Volunteers created a wonderful Christmas display!
• 37 Christmas trees.
• Theme this year is Shine, Give, Share.
• Unofficial theme: Find Bo.
• Bo, the First Family's playful Portuguese water dog, is featured in every room.

Curious about the floor plan of the White House? Visit the White House Museum's website for a virtual tour.

 A cotton ball Bo sits at the East Wing's security desk to welcome visitors. He's wearing glasses so he can check your ID.

 

From the lobby, we entered the Garden Room, a room filled with windows that look out over the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. 

In this room, we found the Gold Star Families Tree. This tree honors those who gave their lives in service to our National. Photos, medals, and messages from family members hang on the tree in remembrance of the fallen soldiers.

There was a table set up in the room where visitors could write messages to troops stationed overseas for the holidays. You, too, can write a message of thanks to a member of the military at Joining Forces.

From the East Garden Room, we looked out into the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. The flowerbed have been cleared and mulched for the winter, but the topiary bushes and trees are still lovely.

Next, we wandered down the long, but brightly lit East Colonnade. Paper ornaments alternated with wreaths. Photos of events from past Christmases lined the north wall.

 At the end of the colonnade, we found more greenery over the arched opening!

The East Colonnade led us to the Visitor's Foyer for the main residence. Paper trees and traditional paper decorations on real trees filled the room with a playful, children's tone. Oh! And there's a paper Bo waiting to greet us!

 

Through this doorway (above), we entered the main residence of the White House. The East and West wings were both later additions to the main building.

The ground floor of the White House is traversed by the arching Center Hall. You really feel the weight of the building down here. And look, there's a staffer bringing coffees from the kitchens to a meeting.

The first room we poked our heads into was the Library where holiday greeting cards were on display. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent the first Christmas cards featuring the White House in 1933.

Look! There's Bo again! This time he's made out of trash bags.

  

 The Vermeil Room looked sort of sad and empty. But it did have a lovely portraits of some of the First Ladies.

 

The China Room has one of my favorite portraits in the entire house--the portrait of Mrs. Coolidge. Of course I love it because of the dog! And yes, this is the room where they store/display the different sets of China.

 

Although, there is also a display case of presidential china in the Center Hall.

 

Once we'd gotten our fill of the ground floor (by this time we'd long lost our tour guide), we headed up the stairs to the first floor.

  

The room we encountered on the first floor was the largest...the East Room. And there, at the base of a topiary Christmas tree, we spotted a tiny Bo!

 

 

 

At the center of the room is an elaborate manger scene that would take hours to see everything going on in it!

From the East Room, we headed to the Green Room, which was decorated with funky aluminum trees!

 

And another Bo!

 The Blue Room holds the official White House Christmas tree, a balsam fir from Neshkoro, Wisconsin. The tree is decorated with cards from military children and medals, badges, and patches from all of the military branches.

 

 The Red Room has my favorite...button Bo!

 

And more Christmas trees!

The State Dining Room holds what everyone was waiting to see...

Not the trees, although they were lovely.

 

Not Jim and me, although that's my Christmas card picture this year!

  

The show-stopper was the 400-pound white chocolate covered, architecturally accurate, gingerbread house complete with Bo, kitchen garden, and bee hive!

  

As we left the State Dining Room and headed into Cross Hall and Entrance Hall, I came across portraits of two great presidents. (Kennedy on my right and Reagan on my left. HAHA!)

 

 Cross Hall took us to the entrance at the North Portico where a high school chorus sang Christmas carols.

 

(The door behind them leads to the Chief Usher's office.)

 I love the phone on the windowsill. It reminds us that this is a house. A family lives here.

 Stairs led up to the bedrooms. We weren't allowed up there.

It's a beautiful house that's filled with history. It's smaller than you'd think. Most CEO's and movie stars would probably find it cramped. But I think it's just the right size for our country. Cozy. Homey. 

It's truly the People's House.

 I hated to leave!

 Hopefully, I'll be invited back soon!

Are you interested in volunteering to help decorate the White House next year? Fill out an application in March at the White House's website. I'll keep an eye out for you!

 I hope your holiday season is bright and shiny and filled with mystery!

*P*E*A*C*E*

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Dorothy St. James writes the White House Gardener Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Flowerbed of State is the first book in the series. Be sure to grab your copy while they're still available! Visit with Dorothy on the web or at Facebook. Or follow her on Twitter.

Praise for FLOWERBED OF STATE:
"Credible characters, a fast-paced plot, and a light look at political life in Washington, D.C., will delight cozy fans." ~ Publishers Weekly

"This spunky new romantic suspense series is an obvious pick for readers who enjoy Julie Hyzy's "White House Chef" series (Buffalo West Wing), but also think of gardening mystery series such as Rosemary Harris's (Slugfest)." ~ Library Journal

Order Flowerbed of State from your favorite bookseller. 

Look for The Scarlet Pepper in April 2012. Pre-order your copy today!

Tomorrow: Ghosts in the White House? What were those mysterious orbs that showed up in some of our pictures?