Pumpkins and Fairy Dust

this & that: Countertops

2012-01-15T18:42:00.002-05:00

Shon and I have embarked on a HUGE undertaking...several actually. I told you about the plans for the walk-in closet...well, we're also finishing our kitchen DIY renovation. We've decided to go with wood counter tops...I am sharing a blog post from a fabulous DIY'er. (I am adding her blog to my list for following NOW) I think these will look really great once we install a white subway tile back splash and re-paint our cabinets in white or charcoal. Maybe we'll do charcoal on the bottom cabinets and white on the top ones...add that suggestion to the list. Let me know what you think! xoxo

via This & That

this & that: Countertops: WARNING: this is a really long post that is not very interesting to most people unless you want to know about how we stained and cut an unde...

Yeeee!

2012-01-10T13:31:00.002-05:00

This picture makes me happy! Busy day today...promise more to come soon!

Move Review: I Don't Know How She Does It

2012-01-09T14:47:00.000-05:00

Last night I watched I Don't Know How She Does It with Sarah Jessica Parker. I think it deserves a review because, although I watch a whole lot of movies, this one is sticking with me despite it's fa la la Hollywood ending.

SJP plays an over-extended mom of two, wife of one, employee of "high powered financial firm" {insert grimace here}. Her life is hectic...filled with trips all over the country to meet fund managers, long days at the office, school bake-sales she feels she has to fake her way through, birthday parties, and list making...all the while she tries to maintain a cheery disposition and squeeze in romance with her doting and very patient husband, play by Greg Kinnear.

She works with almost all men...other than one woman referred to as "a robot" for her work ethic. "Momo" (not pictured) is an impeccably dressed, styled and groomed beautiful woman who works as though her life depends on it. SJP's character, though obviously good at her job, struggles to juggle everything in her life. She references "juggling" many times in the movie, noting that successfully juggling is more about throwing than catching. SJP gets a huge chance for professional success when her retirement fund idea is taken up by one of the big bosses in NYC (she is in the lowly Boston office). She has to travel back and forth to NYC multiple times per week, leaving behind her kids and husband, who, by the way, has a demanding job of his own. The boss in NYC falls in love with her, adding another level of difficulty to her life. She is obviously in love with her husband and handles the situation mostly by ignoring it. {insert another grimace here} I felt completely uncomfortable for her whenever there was an awkward moment with the NYC boss and totally frazzled for her just about every other minute of the movie. I was just thankful her husband didn't have something going on with the nanny...something I could have seen the writers throwing in there. In the end, she is victorious...setting her NYC boss up with a friend, convincing her husband and kids that she loves them and will try harder and getting the promotion at work. All in the span of about 3 months...right.

I enjoyed the movie for all of its beautiful Boston scenes...I always love that. I also liked how it pretty accurately portrayed the difficulty of trying to manage everything as a woman in the professional world. There are interviews with her friend regarding childcare and the double-standard in the office. If a father leaves to be with his sick child, he is a selfless loving parent. If a woman leaves to be with a sick child, she's a liability, unreliable and a let down to her team. Ugh. I don't have kids yet but I sure am glad I got out of the office I was in before because this was exactly the attitude there! I'm not sure why the movie has left a lasting impression on me...it's like a dream I can't shake...keep popping into my head. I hope this post isn't too sporadic. I typed as I thought and don't plan to edit very much...at all actually because I am out of blogging time for the day!

Did you see this movie? Did you like it? Feel the same as I do? Feel nothing at all? I want to know! xoxo

Pics via Google search results

Sunday wishes

2012-01-08T18:57:00.000-05:00

Hope you're having a glorious Sunday! It was quite warm here in MA this weekend. I bet our bees were out buzzing around in the sun...poor girls were probably also looking for nectar...but there isn't any. We're definitely going to have to give them some food. All this warm weather means they've been out and about more. They've been using much more energy than usual and their honey stores are probably down for this time of year. Time to make some sugar candy! xoxo

Keeping fit: Breakfast

2012-01-07T18:00:00.001-05:00

Breakfast is a meal that I have never spent too much time thinking about. I dream all day of what I'll have for dinner and most of my mid-morning about what I brought for lunch but breakfast...it rarely enters my mind. I usually have a box of cereal on hand (Some kind of all natural bran flakes or other low sugar, higher fiber variety). Lately, I've been making "power" smoothies for myself and my husband in the morning. They're yummy and keep me as full as the cereal ever does. This week's variety went something like this:

(makes 2 generously sized smoothies...about 20 oz each)

1 C water

1 C non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt (I use Chobani brand)

2 C spinach

1/3 C frozen blueberries

1/3 C frozen mango chunks

1/3 C frozen pineapple chunks

optional: 2 Tbsp. instant espresso powder

1 C ice cubes

Blended all together until smooth - I then remove half and add:

1 Tbsp. sugar-free instant chocolate pudding to mine

and

1 scoop whey protein powder to his

I've been thinking of making a batch of slow-cook oats to add to mine next week for some more fiber and thickness. It has plenty of protein from the yogurt and lots of fiber from the spinach but a little more can't hurt, right? (Well, within reason...I did have a really sore belly one day last week after dropping a spinach salad on top of the smoothie at lunch and 3 pieces of pizza on top of that at dinner. My stomach literally hurt...too much fiber and ruffage that day!)

This is probably just a phase but I like it for now. I try to keep the calories within reason by not adding juice and keeping the fruit to a minimum. I do not add any sugar or honey. The vanilla yogurt is a tiny bit sweet and the fruit obviously adds sweetness. You can't taste the spinach at all. What is your morning routine like? xoxo

Pic via Pinterest, of course!

Have a beautiful weekend

2012-01-06T12:36:00.002-05:00

When I think of a dream weekend, it includes a little productivity and lots of coziness. If I could have a dream weekend spot...this is what it would look like! Our plans for the weekend probably include a whole lot more productivity than I would normally like but there are things that need to be done - especially getting some serious work done on that walk-in closet! I am also gearing up for another season of tax preparation. I didn't think I would be doing it again this year but...I am. So, letters must go out and the office needs serious re-arranging. Have a wonderful weekend readers! xoxo

Pic via Pinterest

Pattern love: Chevron

2012-01-05T10:32:00.001-05:00

Chevron is definitely the pattern to be these days. I am not usually one for trendy trends but I have to admit, it's been catching my eye too! With all of the bedroom remodeling and decorating going on at our house, I'm hoping to bring a little in...in a not-so-permanent way. Thoughts?

On a wall

I like the idea of doing something like this on a large canvas above the bed on on an accent wall.

Oh, that ceiling is TDF!

Cute way to block off a portion of the room!

Maybe an "Ikea hack"? There's an idea!

semi-perm: love it!

Love this!! And it's my favorite color!

Another accent wall...I love these colors too.

xoxo

All images via Pinterest. Follow me!

So fresh

2012-01-04T12:22:00.001-05:00

There is nothing like a fresh coat of nail polish and nicely trimmed cuticles! Lately, I have been home-manicuring it...saving myself bundles. Learning how to achieve that "straight from the nail salon look" is still a work-in-progress but I am getting better at it. I have always been a neutral-nail girl. Here are a few of my favorite colors right now:

Yummy Mummy by Butter London is a slightly gray'ish nude. I love that it has a little sparkle to it without being a shimmer polish.

Topless and Barefoot by Essie - my official favorite nude!

Raise Awareness by Essie is one of their colors for breast cancer awareness. I love that it is a bright pink but still neutral enough for the work week. It also shows up on the first coat - some pinks are so sheer. This is a new fave!

This was my New year look. Used Topless and Barefoot on all but my index fingers. Applied a Sally Hansen glitter nail strip to each index finger and was ready to party! ;)

Going to try my hand at some nail art soon! Will try red hearts on my "Raise Awareness" painted nails. Need a red nail polish pen! This is too cute!

What do you do as part of your routine to make your look fresh every week? Do you get manicures regularly or do you DIY like me? xoxo

All images via Pinterest

Walk-n!

2012-01-03T16:17:00.001-05:00

My husband and I have decided that we're in need of more closet space...a lot more closet space! We have been living with a dreadful system of clothes storage that includes Rubbermaid containers and an old-hardly-functioning dresser for years...like 10! Yikes! As we stood together staring at the end of our loooooong narrow bedroom, I said *what about turning this end into a walk-in?*. Ping* He agreed and we've been plotting since! I'm so excited! The space will include a window and the room's existing closet. We're hoping to find a reasonably priced french door or bi-fold french door set for the entrance. Here are some pics I found online for inspiration:

Perfect! With a window and everything. From Cupcakes and Cashmere

I love the colors of this closet...orange, my fave!

Uber organized...perfect!

And who doesn't love this famous walk-through??? Ahhhhh, a girl can dream!

xoxo

All pics other than the first via Pinterest

Day 2...words of wisdom

2012-01-02T11:32:00.001-05:00

Some inspirational words to live by from the late Steve Jobs:

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." –Think Different Ad for Apple narrated by Steve Jobs

and one more:

“It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.” –William Somerset Maugham

What to take away from these quotes? Be yourself, push yourself and expect greatness from yourself and others around you. Get out there - don't be afraid to fly the freak flag - the one you were born with. I am sad that I did not honor these values earlier in my life but now realize that it is my quirks that the people I admire most find interesting about me. On one hand, I'm a total cliche, on the other, a perfect contradiction...not at all what the book cover suggests. Happy 2012...be original and never apologize! xoxo

2012

2012-01-01T18:45:00.000-05:00

Hello out there! I am taking this opportunity to start fresh with my darling blog. 2012 is going to be slightly different. I may not blog about anything in particular...or I might share an entire story with you. I don't know. Every day I will share something, even if it is just a picture. That way, there's no pressure. Join me for this next chapter, will you? xoxo

Dare I say it??? It finally happened...

2011-10-08T10:03:00.000-04:00

Dear sweet blog followers and dropper-inners...I am sorry for the absence! I am always missing during the summer months but usually return, full-force in September. This year was different...I was doing some serious job-hunting and feeling particularly un-inspired due to the downing effects of the soul-crushing process. However...about 3 weeks ago I submitted a cover letter and resume to a small firm via Craigslist and (drumroll please....) I got the job! yayayyaaaay! Imagine confetti streaming from your computer screen and little party whistles sounding...

As you know from my prior posts on job hunting...this has not been a fun process for me. First off...I am a lawyer. By it's very nature, the practice of law is not overly creative or stimulating. It is dull and painful...especially for someone who really doesn't think of herself as "the lawyer type". Every time I was actually offered a job, the little voices in my head would start screaming and my knife wielding heart would jump in front of my soul saying "get back! get back! don't come any closer you soul crushing demon!"...I would listen to the voices and not take the job. This, however, created problems - obvious, financial ones. I had promised myself I wouldn't just take the first, or even the second or third job that came along simply for the paycheck. I had done that before and that...was a nightmare. This time I would take the job I knew was a good fit. Well, my options were really looking bleak and with the economy not picking up and unemployment staying steady at 9.1%...I had all but given up on this idea. I said to myself..."ok, you can take a job for the money but you have to keep on looking! The right one is out there." I applied for every job on Craigslist and the local legal websites that even remotely fit my experience. By the time I applied for the job I would actually end up with, I was sick of spending entire afternoons writing long, painstakingly perfect cover-letters. Ones that matched my experience with the job description. Cover letters that stripped away any and all mention of my human traits and left only my professional, lawyerly ones. I saw the Craigslist posting right after it appeared on the website - by chance. I said "ok, it's a beautiful day and I probably won't even hear back from this place...I'm not wasting an entire afternoon on this thing..." I cut the middle paragraphs from my usual cover letter - leaving only the intro and the conclusion. Put a two-liner in the middle explaining that I do estate planning and tax. ...and here's where it gets interesting... at the end I wrote a few sentences about beekeeping and my love for interior design blogs and magazines...What the hell, I thought! Sent it off with my resume...and the next day...a call from the owner of the firm...a great call at that...and two days later the job was mine! I danced on a cloud that entire weekend! The job is so freaking perfect I want to pinch myself! Here's what I get to look at on my walk to Starbucks in the afternoon:

It's flexible with the option to work from home if I don't have client meetings that day. I have an office...not a cube and my boss is probably one of the nicest people I've ever met! I LOOOOVVVEEE it! I am one happy girl! And so thankful and appreciative and glad that I waited for a good one. I can't believe it came along...but I am so happy it finally did! I have a new found love for the profession I had been loathing for so long. I attend networking events and am happy to do it! I feel like the lawyer side of me has finally been validated and she can be just the kind of lawyer she wants to be... for so long I didn't think it was possible...but now I know it is! So, hopefully now I can relax a little and return to blogging asap!

In the meantime, I've joined Pintrest. I think you can find me here. If the link doesn't work, let me know. I'm new to it so I'm not sure if I've done that correctly! Follow me there! Happy weekend everyone!! xoxo

Missoni for Target?

2011-09-15T13:37:00.000-04:00

First...I am loving the new season of Rachel Zoe. I don't know what it is about that show that I like so much but it draws me in and keeps me hooked episode after episode. Similarly, I loved this season of Flipping Out and I am bummed it is always so short! ...Back to Rachel Zoe and the whole point of this post... a while back I started seeing (and hearing) the annoying ads for Missoni for Target. I'll admit it, I've never been a fan of the zigzags the designer is famous for. After seeing one of the ads for the first time I thought to myself: Eek, that's the designer on RZ's bed:

Always loathed her bed spread. Then this season I started noticing more of the ziggies:

And then, the Crash of 2011 happened:

Yesterday it was all over Yahoo... "Fashion lovers and savvy shoppers crash Target website and buy entire collection out of stores!" I was scratching my head a bit over this because I just don't get it. I don't like the look at all. ??? I'm so confused. This morning I popped onto Ebay to see how the resale is going and, again, SURPRISED! Yikes! People are paying big bucks for this stuff! I scrambled out of my chair and hopped in my car, went to Target and purchased the (very) few items I could find. I actually like the travel tote I got but not enough to keep it. I guess that's the great thing about fashion, everyone has different styles and tastes they like and dislike! I have listed the items I bought on Ebay like everyone else and am putting any proceeds towards the "Emily needs a real faucet" fund for my kitchen. If you are interested, please check out my Ebay items! Anything that doesn't sell in 3 days is going back to the store!

I would really like to see a Louis Vuitton for Target someday...can they please get working on that collaboration? I will be the first one in the door!

**The spell check on my Blogger isn't working...my apologies for any typos...I flew through this post with very long (soon to be chopped) fingernails!** xoxo

First Day of School

2011-08-30T14:05:00.000-04:00

As I scanned my news feed on Facebook today, I saw pictures of my friends' kids on their first day of school...some were going to school for the first time (big tears), some were venturing off to middle school (!how is that even possible???). A few weeks ago I came across a Polaroid from the first day of school in 1991...TWENTY years ago! I was going into 5th grade. That year I would experience my first boy/girl dance party, shave my legs for the first time, (I kept Bandaid in business that year.) and my very best friend *Tiffany (to the left of me in the picture) would move to Florida, ugh. That's the kind of thing Chapters in Chicken Soup For the Teenage Soul are made of. (Did anyone else read that when they were a teenager??)

L-R: back row: Dove, Greg, Tiffany, Me, ?? front row Topher, CT, Heather

My little brother Greg is the blond boy half-hidden behind the bowl-cut. Sad, I don't remember everyone's name...nope, wait, I think most are coming back to me... see caption. Happy new school year all! Before we know it, fall will be in the air!

*This is the same Tiffany who I posted about with the twins! They were born a month ago (time flies) and are happy and healthy!! More on those sweet little Twin-Beans to come!

Someday...

2011-08-29T13:23:00.000-04:00

I saw this picture a while ago and saved it...have been waiting for the right time to post it. Was at CPK with Rachel last weekend and told her I was going to post something special for her. Rach, I hope you get the reference. :) xoxo

PS: Someday I hope to be a chic old lady in FAUX fur with my hair teased carrying my show chickens around. :)

...annnnnd, it happened....

2011-08-16T12:58:00.000-04:00

I turned 30. Yup, I did...it happened at midnight on Sunday. Happy Birthday to me. Oh how it stung as the clock inched closer and closer to twelve. I watched it, in darkness...the cable box clock...from my bed. Then it happened and I felt no different. No new wrinkles appeared overnight (as far as I can tell). So, I guess this isn't so bad. My actual birthday was quite nice! It was a bit of a gloomy day so Shon and I got breakfast sandwiches and coffees - took a ride around to look at all the beautiful houses in our area - the kind you dream about but have NO idea how anyone can afford! We went my my mom and dad's for dinner and cake which were both delicious! My mom thought it was hilarious that I turned 30 - hilarious! Can't you tell???

Hahahahaa, actually, she was laughing because no one was singing during the family's rendition of Happy Birthday. My dad announced that it was "pathetic!" so they sang again...this time everyone joined in...much better! Isn't my husband so freaking cute?? I love him to pieces. This was my sixteenth birthday with him in my life! I was 14 when I met him!

Here we are on my 17th birthday (above) and my 20th (below)...those were the most handy pictures for scanning...there are probably ones from just about every birthday with the two of us. :)

My new obsession is Spinning. I am in love and so is my scale. This is my fourth week and I've been going 3-4 times/week for an hour each time. I've dropped about 5 pounds since I started! I've also been (a little!) better about what I eat so that's helping too! Spinning forward...turning back the clock! Thirty...I've got my eye on you! Sneaky little devil that "thirty" mark is! Shon got me spinning shoes for my birthday...I get to try them out today! SO excited! And my mom and dad gave me a gift certificate to the studio I go to - that way I can keep on spinning and spinning despite my lack of that ever important thing...a j.o.b.

About the job sitch... it's dreadful! I apply and apply and apply and...nothing. I shake my Blackberry...hello???? Are you working??? Yup, I still get my JCrew, Anthro, Gilt, etc emails that just make me sadder...online shopping? Are you crazy?? =/ I've been trying to do the networking thing - reaching out to friends of friends...going for coffees and informational interviews but even that is getting me nowhere. It's so strange. I look around and think "how did all of these people get these jobs??? Cars streaming out of parking lots at 5:15, colleges full of professors and staff...all around me...and still, no job for me?" In the meantime, I did take a part time position at the conference center where we had my dad's 60th birthday party! I'll be cooking and creating all kinds of yummy foods for the groups that have their meetings there. I'm pretty excited about doing it! More for the fun of it than the money since it's not really much. The kitchen is the best part. There is a 60 year old Vulcan range! What???? Yup, cast iron. Awesome! And two HUGE refrigerators - vintage ones! Oh! And a HUGE built in pantry. I'm cleaning the kitchen next week. Hopefully I'll sneak in some pics for the bloggy! There will be lots of soups and stews on the menu as well as cakes...layers and layers of cakes... I'm picturing this:

and this:

Because there is a great big, huge, ginormous Kitchen Aid mixer on its OWN stand and I plan on using it...a lot! The wisk attachment is about the size of my head - imagine the whipped cream that thing can make?!?!?!?

As far as soups go...I will pair them with grilled sandwiches. Oh, yum! I need to try to make this soup:

It's Panera's Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup. It's fantastic and I hope they add it to the menu permanently. I found some copy-cat recipes online that I am going to try. It's so good! If you haven't tried it yet, give it a shot!

Well, that's all for now dear blog readers! I hope you are enjoying these last days of summer. Can't believe it's almost over! :( Makes me sad. At least fall is around the corner...nothing better than warm soup on a fall day, right? xoxo

A quote that speaks to me...

2011-08-02T07:30:00.006-04:00

As I continue to look for a JOB, this speaks to me. I've always felt like a fish out of water when it comes to my career. As my former boss canned my ass he said something like "we all love you as a person but you're like a round peg trying to fit into a square hole here". Yup. That was what I always felt like there at the financial planning office.

Here I am, almost two years later. No job. I get this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach and on the tops of my shoulders when I think of going back to a job like the one I had before. It's dread and a fear of utter failure. At least, those are the only labels I can put to the feelings.

I continue to try to figure out a way to make my uber-expensive degree work and fit me. There has to be a position out there that lets me be me and also lets me use some of my lawyer knowledge, right? Wait, does Martha Stewart Living need a lawyer for their craft department???? xoxo

Happy Birthday Party!

2011-08-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

Saturday we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday party with a BIG bash! It was perfect weather and everything went according to plan. Honestly, it was the greatest day we ever could have asked for!

We went to set up for the party in the morning. Luckily, the space is used by a day camp (the day camp my brothers and I went to as kids!) so they had tents and tables ready to go. It's a beautiful space owned by a church. It was soooo perfect for the party!

Oh...and I forgot to mention, goats and a sheep too! How great is that?? They were the sweetest animals. I didn't want to stop giving them love but had to help my mom!

Ohhhh!

My dad was really having a blast setting up!

So were my brothers Greg and Pete!

I was in charge of balloons...Pete helped too!

The band was getting ready....

And at 4 o'clock, the guests started arriving. I wish I took pictures of the food but I was like a chicken with it's head cut off from this point forward. I'm amazed there is anything on my memory card and grateful other people picked my camera up and started snapping! Hoping the wonderful world of Facebook brings me more pictures too!

My dad and his barber shop group sang a bit.

The cake...OMG, the cake! It was as delicious as it looks! What a great job the caterer did on this! Of course, it was bee-themed!

We didn't make my dad suffer with 60 candles...just two 6-0.

Wish I had a better picture of this guy!

My bestie Janelle's daughter Ana...she liked the cake too!

Me with my dad and allllll my brothers!

The next generation! Almost all the kids are in this...a few were over with the goats or at the swing set. So cute!

My dad sang a duet with Barbara...Jackson. It was great!

I hope this works...I taped the performance but it doesn't play very well on my pc. Hopefully it's better via blogger!

Well, it was an amazing day filled with family and friends! Lots of smiles and hugs and happiness. One of those days you wish would never end. I love my family and am so grateful to have them! xoxo

Like Johnny and June

2011-07-21T07:00:00.001-04:00

I added The Band Perry to Pandora and this song came on. I fell in love. When I listen to this song, I think of how lucky I am to have this kind of love and to have found it so young.

Oh there's something 'bout a man in black

Makes me want to buy a cadillac,

Throw the top back

And roll down to Jackson town

I wanna be there on the stage with you

You and I could be the next rage, too

Hear the crowd roar,

Make 'em want more,

I'll kick the footlights out

I wanna love like Johnny and June

Rings of fire burnin' with you

I wanna walk the line,

Walk the line,

'Till the end of time

I wanna love,

Love ya that much

Cash it all in,

Give it all up,

And when you're gone

I wanna go, too

Like Johnny and June

I wanna hold you baby right or wrong

Build a world around a country song

Pray a sweet prayer,

Follow you there,

Down in history

I wanna love like Johnny and June

Rings of fire burnin' with you

I wanna walk the line,

Walk the line,

'Till the end of time

I wanna love,

Love ya that much,

Cash it all in,

Give it all up,

And when you're gone,

I wanna go, too

Like Johnny and June

More than life itself

No-one else

This endless promise

They don't make love like that anymore

Is that too much to be askin' for?

I wanna love like Johnny and June

Rings of fire burnin' with you

I wanna walk the line,

Walk the line,

'Till the end of time

I wanna love,

Love ya that much

Cash it all in,

Give it all up,

And when you're gone,

I wanna go, too

Like Johnny and June

And when we’re gone, there gonna be no tears to cry,

Only memories of our lives,

They'll remember, remember

A love like that.

Catching up...

2011-07-20T17:42:00.001-04:00

There have been a few occasions that I have neglected to share recently! Here they are in no particular order...

My little brother Greg's birthday was in May. Happy Birthday Greg!! We had a delicious dinner followed by my mom's famous chocolate layer cake!

It's so good!

My childhood best friend Tiffany is having twins any day now. I am so excited for her!! They are little miracle twins, Audrey and Gavyn. I wish I could fly on down to Texas when they get here to hug and kiss them and be a surrogate auntie to them. Tiffany was like a sister to me growing up. She moved to Florida when I was 11 and she was 13. It was devastating! We stayed in touch and I was her maid of honor nearly 6 years ago (time really flies!).

I wanted to find something super special and meaningful for her and the timing of the High Street Market Vintage Baby Sale couldn't have been better!! I got her these little gems... whales - so Cape Cod (where she used to vacation as a child) and Martha's Vineyard (where we would visit as teenagers when she would spend summers up here). I think they're perfect and hope she loves them!

My little brother Pete graduated from school in May. He's a certified auto technician now. Love you Pete! So proud of him!

Mother's Day brunch on the porch...nice family picture. :)

We celebrated Murphy Maragaret Elizabeth Pie's birthday in June. She was breaking all the rules but looked so cute no one cared!

Jump ahead to Father's Day... eating again...this is what we do.

Yesterday was my dad's SIXTIETH birthday! Wow! Happy Birthday Dad! We're having a big bash next weekend to celebrate! The whole family and tons of his friends are coming. I can't wait! Let's just hope it's not too hot or raining!

xoxo

Daily Routine

2011-07-06T07:00:00.001-04:00

Do you have a daily routine? Products that you depend on and really don't like to live without??? I do and here are the ones I am loving right now!

I LOVE Philosophy products. I think it's a combination of getting excited over the packaging and the products themselves. Packaging can only go so far, of course. :) The Purity cleanser leaves my skin feeling clean but not dry and it gets my makeup off! All of it - even my mascara, which is like motor oil.

I use the Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner - I like that it gives me that added sense of clean and refreshed.

Next up - When Hope Is Not Enough. It has a pleasant, unexpected scent and makes my skin feel like little diamond scrubbers are sloughing off anything that shouldn't be there.

Hope in a Jar lotion is creamy but not greasy

Gotta protect my skin!! I read in Allure that this is the best sunscreen for your face so I bought it and use it every morning under my makeup and on my HANDS! It's so important to protect our hands - they sustain a lot of abuse over the years and they're always in the sun - especially if you're driving a lot.

Smashbox foundation primer changed my life!! Makeup has never gone on so smoothly before! If you haven't tried it, please...do yourself a favor!! You will fall in love!

I use Bare Minerals makeup...original foundation and bronzer. I don't use the mineral veil often but sometimes I like the added shimmer from it. :)

Another great find!! The sales associate at Ulta suggested Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in "Dollface" for me. I wasn't a blush wearer until I bought this. Now I don't leave the house without it! So pretty!

My skin gets covered in Hawaiian Tropic spf 30 before I get dressed. I'm sure it's not the best sunscreen but it works for daily use (haven't gotten an accidental, didn't-expect-to-be-out-in-the-sun burn since I started using it! Plus, it smells amazing and people tell me how great I smell all the time!

Speaking of smelling good - I really love the Philosophy fragrances - my favorites are Amazing Grace, Falling in Love and Unconditional Love.

My hair is a frizz-fest. I used Moroccan Oil to tame it on the really bad days!

Almost forgot about one of my new favorites...the Naked palette by Urban Decay. I don't use every color in it but there are great day to night options and it comes with a primer. Try it, play around with it, I bet you'll like it too!

So that's it...all my favorites! Unfortunately, my daily routine is not limited to these products but these are the ones that I wouldn't want to live without right now. :) Happy primping ladies! xoxo

Buns and Braids

2011-07-05T07:00:00.007-04:00

Are you ever amazed by the effortless look of a braid or bun in another girl's hair while you are out and about? I am! I have the most difficult time putting my hair up and hiding the pins! I stole these looks from a blog I follow, Rock, Paper, Scissors. They provide some inspiration for my next attempts...

Although I love a bride with her hair down and wavy, there are some classic updos that look beautiful and perfect for that special day.

Awwww, she's so cute with her milk-maid braids and her kitten is adorable! I love this picture!

I would like to try some version of this one too!

A few months ago I had a client meeting on a cold, rainy day. This was the best I could do. Pretty good actually. It was a braid, twisted into a bun and pinned with bobby pins. :) I bet practice makes perfect! I will keep trying!

xoxo

Braid 1, 2, 3

Second night...dessert

2011-07-02T17:18:00.000-04:00

I decided to go with one big patriotic cheesecake for the second night of 4th of July desserts! The confectioners sugar was melting on the strawberries but I think you can see how sweet it looked! One slight mishap with this dessert...I forgot to put the sugar in the filling! Darn it!!!! I doubled up on the confectioners sugar on top and it was still pretty good! Happy weekend! xoxo

A weekend of Patriotic desserts!

2011-07-01T09:10:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I blogged about my plans to bake my way through this weekend...well it started last night and I must say, I am soooo excited to keep it up throughout the weekend! The inspiration for my baking came from the July 2010 edition of Martha Stewart. The cover pictured delicious little tiny berry pies with stars and stripes decorating the tops. Aren't they the sweetest little things you've ever seen?

I must tell you...I have never been the biggest fan of pie. Crust has never really appealed to me. I think it was due to experiences with lots of cheap store-bought pastries with shortening and lard and cheap ingredients. As a child, my grandmother and mother would make beautiful, delicious pies but I don't think I could appreciate them. It was in my "middle years" that I was subjected to the junk-food version... at showers and school events. Recently, I've been thinking to myself...how can so many other people LOVE pie and all things pastry?? Why don't I? Now I know. My love for pastry is here thanks to a delicious, buttery pie crust recipe and a simple filling! Thanks Martha!! Here's my journey to Patriotic Peach Pie!

I started out with the simplest ingredients...COLD butter, flour, sugar, salt, COLD water...

The food processor did the work in less than a total of 20 seconds! Amazing!

Molded my dough quickly into discs and put it in the fridge for 1 hr... (can you see the butter speckled in the dough???)

Rolled it out and draped it in my pie dish. This is where things got messy and I had to put the camera down...sorry! I couldn't find mini pie plates (but will continue to hunt for them!) so I used a 9" pie plate.

Mixed my peaches with flour, sugar and cinnamon....

My hands were too messy to handle my camera while decorating the pie...I used a large and small star-shaped cookie cutter and a ribbed pastry wheel to cut out my dough shapes. Decorated the top of the pie, brushed egg wash on top and sprinkled with sugar. Baked, cooled and ENJOYED with vanilla ice cream!

Tonight's dessert: mini cheesecakes with blueberry and strawberry topping! We're also having homemade pizza for dinner. This week was a "no-takeout" week! I promise to keep it going through the weekend. I love to be in the kitchen and am so glad the weather has been cool enough (dry enough really) to allow me to be this week. More pictures throughout the weekend! xoxo

Dough: Care of Martha

Filling: 3 1/2 Lb peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced into wedges

1/2 C sugar

1/4 C flour

(*if you have really juicy peaches, you might want to add 1 Tbsp corn starch or more flour)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Baked 15 min at 450, tented the stars along the edge with foil and continued to bake 45-50 min at 375. Left in the oven to cool and to allow some of the liquid in the filling to evaporate more.

Stars and Stripes Forever!

2011-06-30T09:58:00.001-04:00

With the 4th of July fast approaching, my Americana antenna has been up and super sensitive this week! I love love love the 4th of July! All things American...apple pie, cherry pie, fireworks, BBQ, being outside...all of it! I plan on making pies, cooking barbecue style food and watching fireworks this weekend!

I have a serious love for home decor that uses the American Flag in a respectful and stylish way! Would love to incorporate a little more of this into our house!!

I would love to have chairs upholstered in cotton flags or even a headboard...in a guest bedroom! Wouldn't that be fabulous?? This image is from Lonny

I would LOVE to have these plates to add to my...rather large...plate collection. Ralph Lauren Home

I saw this chest as I browsed through my mom's Country Living yesterday! Isn't it glorious??

Pottery Barn has a cute painted flag for sale. I think I could make that!!

What are you up to for the holiday weekend? Shon and I are going to paint a few rooms, hopefully! I would also love to do a little crafting. I have a few very cute 4th of July outfits to rock so I hope to hit up a few bakeries for coffee and goodies and hope to find some good, old fashioned American fun somewhere! Who knows where this weekend could lead??? xoxoxo

What? Wait, who is turning THIRTY????

2011-06-25T09:52:00.001-04:00

Oh yeah...me...in less than two months. yikes... (scared, little tiny voice)

Well, maybe there are some birthday gifts that would make this transition a little easier???

Yesterday I saw a very nice sales associate wearing this necklace from Jennifer Zeuner. Instant infatuation! I love monogrammed anything...this has my name (initials) all over it!

Speaking of monogrammed....Next up....Louis Vuitton. I know, I know... and I don't want to hear it..."everyone has one...they're out...blah, blah, blah"! Guess who doesn't have one??? Me! That's who! I don't think the classic styles can ever be "out"! I love the "Neverfull" (pictured above) but will always really love the Speedy - and it's the cheapest one! Yay!

Guess who else loved the Speedy????

There you go - proof classic! I will wear anything Audrey wore and carry anything Audrey carried because it is ALL classic!

Next up...something there is no picture for...the job I interviewed for last week! Ohhhhh! I wish I could put details here but I think that would be frowned upon so I won't. Let's just say I would be happy going there everyday. It's somewhere I've spent a lot of time but never in this capacity. Sorry if that's too cryptic. Just keep your fingers crossed for me, ok???

If I get the job, I would also like my dream house of the moment:

The entire inside of the house needs a little face lift but it has great bones and could be spectacular!!! I want this floor in one of the bathrooms...right under the claw foot tub.

Floor pictured from A Perfect Gray

So, that's all for now! Of course there are many many more little birthday items I could add but that's what's on my mind this rainy, somewhat manic, Saturday morning! xoxo

Bee happenings in the new hive

2011-06-06T10:09:00.002-04:00

When I brought the new hive to my house last week, we didn't have enough frames made to fill the box...well, the bees got sick of waiting for me to give them a place to make comb for egg laying and honey storing and they decided to make a bunch, frame-free! Boy was I surprised and a little uncertain of what to do yesterday when I went in to place the new frames in and found this! I took a few minutes...thought it through, shook those bees into the hive and scraped the comb off of the cover it was attached to. Now I have some nice clean beeswax to play around with. Luckily, the queen hadn't started laying in it yet!

That was yesterday...this morning I went back out and fed the little ladies and gentlemen sugar water. It's about 1 part water to 1.5 parts sugar. Because my girls are so busy making wax, they need the supplementation.

I snuck it into the top brood chamber...will get a honey super to put it in later today. For now, this works!

A quick close-up

I left some of the wax outside the entrance for the bees to clean up. It had some honey in it...they will transfer the honey to the comb inside the hive. I will save this wax to put in the hive later this summer if there is a dearth and they need it.

My suit and boots must be so welcoming for guests! Do you think I fence on the weekends? I wonder what people think when they drive by and see that hanging in the garage! Ha! Keepin' peeps guessing...that's what I do.

Happy Monday morning everyone! The sun is shining and it is going to be a lovely weather day...going to get some walking with my favorite little dog-boy in! xoxo

Happy Place

2011-06-03T09:43:00.001-04:00

I have two. First is my alma mater, Framingham State University. You may remember my post about it last summer. :) Second is Martha's Vineyard. Ohhhhh how I love that island. As I get older, I appreciate the way it never changes and has a laid-back New England preppy but not to stuffy style about it. These pictures are from the last time I was there...2009... with my mom and dad for 4 or 5 days. We went to the beach everyday, clouds or sun - we didn't care! We brought all our own food and hardly ate at restaurants. I think we went out for breakfast at the diner in Edgartown once - pretty sure that was it. I do hope my feet will hit these sandy beaches once again this summer!

My dad, he's a beach bum...there all summer! Only sits under an umbrella if my mom is there...he's part French and I did not get any of those genes.

We were on his turf! No snacks were safe from him...he ate ziplock bags whole! He was fun to watch. I kept my pb&j close...I wasn't sharing.

I love this picture! The sun had just set - we were at the Lighthouse at Gay Head

So relaxed

You might just find free range chickens in the neighborhood...we did!

E's Cupcakes...that place had my name all over it...too bad it was closed when we went by!

This flower box had little twinkle lights in it. I want to copy it at my house this summer.

Our last few minutes at the cottage - we finally propped the camera up on the car for a family pic. What a fun time!

Beware of swarms...

2011-05-31T10:33:00.000-04:00

When bees sense that there is no longer enough room in their hive for more bees, they swarm. We knew a swarm was approaching because the bees in one of our hives had started making "swarm cells" which are new queen cells located at the bottom of the frames holding brood (other baby bees). We were confused as there was plenty of room and we JUST put the new package in on April 3! How could they be ready so fast? We tried pulling off the new queen cells...hoping that would deter the swarm...but it did not. The bees swarmed into my mom and dad's barn last Friday.

My dad hopped up on the mezzanine to try to locate the swarm under the insulation between the rafters...weird, we couldn't seem to pin-point the cluster. They were all over the place...where was the queen. Then a light bulb went off...she's still in the hive! So we pulled the hive apart and, yup, she was still in there. Ok, still a bit perplexed - and really hot! It was 90 degrees and we were outside in our ridiculous suits all day long.

So, I called in the big guns...Ken Warchol...state bee inspector...help!!!! Luckily, he was heading to our area and he came to save the day!

He helped us split the crowded hive into two and now I have my very own! We taped it up and I drove with about 20,000 bees in my trunk 1/2 hour to my house. It was a little unnerving but I was more worried about them dying in the heat than getting out and stinging me!

Here it is...my very own hive. I have to slowly raise it up off the bricks over the next month or so. Now that the bees have adjusted to their new home, I can only move the hive about an inch or so per day. It will be a slow climb off the ground but once it is up a little higher, it will be easier to work in. I will also put something soft underneath for easier landing. Perhaps Shon and I can make a box with sod for them...we shall see. Adventures in beekeeping continue! Stay tuned!

***Sorry for the not so great quality of the pics! All I had was my Blackberry! I wasn't prepared for the swarm when I got to my mom and dad's! This is why I should never leave home without my camera!***

The first pic was from Anthropologie's honey/bee themed stores a while back. Isn't that awesome???

Ever thine, ever mine, over ours...

2011-05-27T10:22:00.001-04:00

Last weekend my best friend got married...and she was beautiful.

Janelle has been there for it all...since we were 14. For the awkward teenage years...we met in seventh grade chorus class...still girls...we talked about nails and horse-back-riding. I knew she was a special soul but at 12 things aren't as clear as they are at (gulp) almost 30 and I don't think I realized I'd found a forever friend...the kind of friend that becomes your family. She became my family's family too and we all love her like a sister, my parents love her like another daughter. She introduced me to Shon. Soon after she said "you're going to marry him". I could only wish. And she was right. But last Saturday was her turn and, just as she had been for me, I shared the duties of Maid of Honor with her little sister, Ashley...and here's the story of the day, in pictures.

Janelle's daughter, Ana (right) and her other flower girl, Ainsley (left).

Ana was apprehensive about getting in the limo

So beautiful, my bestie

Here she is right after the ceremony...the day was so sunny and beautiful. Lucky because it had rained and been about 60 for almost a week. The sun came out just for Janelle and Jason on their big day!

The party got started when the bride and groom took to the dance floor. It was such a fun day!

The cake!! I had 2 pieces of the lemon cake and even one piece of the best ice cream cake you can imagine! It was more like ice cream pie. Delish!

Ron and Janelle - the father-daughter dance always tugs at my heart!

Here we are! I love my girl!

My mom and dad! Aren't they so sweet together?

The little boys dancing were so cute!

Janelle and her mom

It was a beautiful day! I am so happy for Janelle and Jay and wish them all the love in the world! xoxo

P.S. Janelle had Beethoven's words inscribed in Jay's ring. So beautiful...and yes, she loves SATC!

When I was a little girl...

2011-04-27T15:38:00.001-04:00

I rode the bus to school every day. My bus drove up historic Salem End Rd in Framingham, my road, and I admired a piece of my ancestral history, the Sarah Towne Cloyes house located at 657 Salem End Road. Today the house stands in terrible disrepair. The town is struggling with deed issues and the historical society is attempting to save the structure. It would be a shame to let this house of such great significance to the town, our state and our country's history fall victim further to decay.

view from the road

the windows that are not boarded are broken and falling out

a path divides the home from the barn

I always imagined parking my car in the carriage house as a child... that I would live here someday....

the barn doors are just barely hanging on

formerly used screen doors and windows, as well as some lumber are all that is left in the barn

The back of the barn is the most well preserved portion of the entire property. It is beautiful and reminds me of the way the rest of the house looked when I was a child. Forest green accents and old windows...

doors are boarded up to keep vandals out

there are so many little reminders of the lives that have been lived in this home. I wish I knew more of the history or that there were more pictures available online....

an un-boarded door

I hope that the historical society is able to determine who the actual owner of the home is. I believe there are problems with the property being held in nominee trusts or other vehicles that protect the actual owner's names. I know the property has changed hands several times in the past decade or two. I love every inch of this property. It was so nice to walk around and take pictures of it! This part of town is quiet and gentle and relaxing.

If you are interested in some of the history of the family or the street, this website is a good start:

Sarah Towne on RootsWeb

xoxo

How I picture this sunny Saturday turning out...

2011-04-09T10:05:00.000-04:00

Today is one of those days that I am just certain will be a fun, sunny, laughter filled day!!! Today is my friend Mary's (of Mary Casey Cakes) Confirmation. She has decided that Catholicism is the religion for her so her family (and I...almost family) are getting together to see her take on her new religion and then to...celebrate, of course!!!

I just love Mary and her sister Caron - who you hear a lot about on my blog because she is my Siamese twin who was apparently disconnected from me at birth and no one ever told us about it! No matter where I go with these girls, it always feel like we're in a magical place like this:

So for today I picture sunshine that looks like this

Oh and we're wearing FUN outfits with cute stuff in our hair which I am psyched about because these days I never get dressed up anymore!!!

And we will toast to friendship...the best kind of friendship...the kind that feels like family. More importantly, the kind of family you always want to have around!

Have a FUNtastic Saturday!!! I hope it's sunny and warm where you are! xoxo

All pictures from Postcards From Far Away

Spring has sprung! Here come the newbees!

2011-04-06T10:42:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again! The honeybee keeping is back as a weekly attraction in my life and I promise to share the excitement with you every time I am in to visit with the girls (and the few boys too) this season!

Here's a picture of the bees that survived over the winter! They are in their brood box (where the queen lays eggs) - well, the ones we can see in this picture are on top of the frames of the brood box. That white stuff is a combination of (vegetarian) shortening and sugar. They eat it all winter to stay alive and to keep the hive warm. Hopefully this hive will give us honey pretty soon this year!

George (my dad), very proud, with the new bees that will be replacing the hive that, sadly, we lost last month. C'mon girls! Start doing your magic so queenie can lay eggs!

Here's the queen! She's marked with a white painted dot so we can find her more easily. Sorry, the picture is more of the screen but we had to move fast because it was chilly!

We rested her down between the frames. The other bees will smell her pheromones and chew the sugar on the other end of her cage to free her! We will check to make sure the process is complete tomorrow (5 days after putting her in.)

A good firm tap on the box to get all the bees to the bottom and the fun begins!

Shake, shake, shake, shake! All the bees drop into the hive. The ones buzzing around will eventually find their way in because they smell the queen!

Ahhh! It's so exciting! And there is nothing like the smell of the smoker and the crisp spring air and the bees! Yes, like any livestock, even the bees have their own, interesting, scent!

All in and ready for another fabulous season!

Below is my dad with an unassembled hive. He's going to make a template from the pieces so we can make our own going forward!

What a fun first-time-in-the-hive we had this spring! The weather was perfect and everything went well. Updates to follow!!!! xoxo

Brand new

2011-03-26T16:00:00.000-04:00

Last weekend my cousin Courtney and her husband Brian welcomed a brand new little baby boy into the world. His name is Kellen James and he is perfect!

My mom and I went to meet him yesterday! Here are the pics of this sweet little bundle of pure joy.

I'm so proud!!! Next week we're doing a more organized mommy and baby shoot with him...can't wait!!!

Spring showers bring May weddings...

2011-03-24T12:10:00.001-04:00

My best friend Janellski (Janelle) is getting married in May! We had her shower last weekend at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts. It is the country's oldest inn and it is pure New England perfection!! We had such a great time! It was intimate with only 25 women but to me, that's the best kind of shower. Everyone knows each other for the most part - anyone who didn't know each other before the shower, knows each other by the end. The inn was nice because it was cozy and felt like someone's home..except there were people serving us food and we didn't have to do any dishes! Hollerrrr! There was even a fireplace - of course I failed to get a good picture of it...WTHeck? I was on MOH duty...not photog duty I guess! Here are some shots from the day. (My Photoshop is down so these aren't fixed up... bummer but at least the lighting in the room was nice so they don't need much help anyways!)

Here she is walking into the room and seeing everything for the first time!! (Wish those pesky closet doors were closed behind her!!)

These gents were there for a Revolutionary War reenactment...they were so nice to let me take a pic with my 21st century camera!

I wish I took more pictures of the food because it was amazing!!! This chocolate espresso cake is the type of things dreams are made from!! Oh yeah...that's real whipped cream...I wish I had a piece of that right now!!!

I was one relieved MOH as the festivities got off to a good start and everyone seemed to be having a good time! yay! success!

Janelle with her daughter, Ana, and all of her loot behind her!

The bride and her maids.... and flower girl!

Me and my stylish mama!

Ummm, yup...that's a cookie buffet! What a smash hit! All of the work that went into making that was totally worth it...everyone loved it!

The flowers were also fantastic! (If I do say so myself.) Luckily I am a hoarder and had all the vases... 18 bunches of tulips from Trader Joes and some strategic chopping later...viola!

I am so thankful that Janelle loved her day! She is such an amazing friend and I love her to pieces! She deserves all the best in the world!!!

Do you like planning parties??? Have you thrown any showers to beat the band? Tell me all about them!!! xoxo

Branded

2011-03-15T20:35:00.000-04:00

Have you ever taken that quiz online with all of the logos? You have to name the company that the logo represents as quickly as possible...before the time runs out? I love logos... I think they say a lot about a company and become the face of the brand, hence "branding". There are some logos that are iconic to me...ones that make me feel something, Chanel - classic style, Pepsi- childhood fun, Starbucks - comfort and happiness... Have you branded yourself? I was trying to think of the brands that I would like to have rep me... I came up with...Hermes.

It has to be that orange!!! I love love love orange - it's my favorite color! And this is the best orange of all!

This camera is like a million dollars...no, not really, but a lot...more than I could justify. But I shall love it from afar.

When we chose the logo for Shon's company, I knew I wanted it to have green and orange... I think what the designer came up with was so resh and clean. I still love it three years later and we always get compliments. How do you think we did with our branding???

Happy Friday.... I'mmmm baaack!

2011-02-25T10:19:00.000-05:00

Hi faithful bloggettes! I've been a bad little blogger and have been neglecting my duties for a few weeks now. I'm so very sorry! It was a combination of taxating up a storm with smoke coming off my finger tips and out my ears and the fact that every time I sat to write a post something would go wrong technically so I would give up. However, I am missing my blog-time very much and promise to be back with some fun stuff soon!! In the meantime, have a happy Friday and, hey, why not have some candy today!!

Image via Postcards From Far Away

SATC...because you just gotta love Charlotte!

2011-02-23T18:24:00.002-05:00

I saw this on Facebook today and just had to post it.... I don't remember this scene but I think she's so darn cute!

Missing my pretty honey bees

2011-02-03T19:09:00.001-05:00

With spring just around the corner (RIGHT??) and at least3 feet of snow on the ground, plus snowbanks approaching 8 feet in my neighborhood, I find myself looking forward to spring and what will undoubtedly be my favorite of activities, beekeeping!! I miss these fuzzy, buzzie little misses... and the few misters in there too... They are so darn pretty, aren't they?

Pretty and complex and fascinating! They live to work and are so good at their jobs! I envy them for that sometimes.

Well, here's to spring and our girls and boys in yellow and black fuzzy suits. I can't wait till we meet again and get some good one-on-one time in!! I promise to blog about each and every hive opening this year - that should be about once per week... more if I really get them for my house in addition to the hives at my mom and dad's house!

I know this picture will overlap the border but that's ok... I wanted it to be nice and big! Can you spot the queen?? xoxoxoxo

The Christmas Parties go on!

2011-02-01T22:38:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I went to my fairy-god-mother Jan's house for a belated Christmas party! This is not unusual for us! We are famous for having our annual Valentine's Day Christmas party. :) I loved every second with my fairy-god-family... here's a glimpse!

Isn't she the cutest??? I loved her sweater... pink with snowmen. Can you see how magical her house is? It's decorated in a way that matches her perfectly! Pink and flowery and glittery and warrm and wonderful! She truly is a fairy-god-mother! I am so lucky!

The food was delish!!! Pasta and salad and bread... mmmmm!

There was birthday cake too for Jan's daughter, Debbi. She and Shelly are my f-g-sisters!

Poppi, Debbi, Shelly and Jan!

A close up of one of the pics in that little shelf... who is that little chubby baby???

I literally grew up in this house and some of my first memories are right where this family picture was taken! When I was little, this was a dark den with wood paneling and orange/brown/red shag carpeting. There was a wood burning stove to the left of the group and every night Poppi would come home from work and get it going to make sure I was warm!

I've known just about everyone in this picture since the day I was born and I love all of them so very much! They are as much my family as my genetic family... they are the family I have chosen and I cherish all my time with them!

Jan's mom and Jan's brother Warren. It's always so nice to see both of them!

There's always a little dress up.... here's Jan in the "outfit" her mom picked out for her. In her words: What a hoot!!

Don't forget Abby and Isabella!!!

How cute is this hat??? Totes adorbs!

I was so jealous of Debbi's glitter squirrel... I need to find one!

Matching hats! I borrowed Jan's sister's for the pic... What a great day!!!!

Love love love you all!!! xoxoxox

Similar Bloggettes!

2011-01-28T20:11:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've been super surprised by how similar I am to some of the fellow bloggers I've come across!! Eeerily similar it seems! If you're reading this, you're probably a follower and when I say fellow bloggers, I am probably talking about you!!! (Caron, Mary, Anna, Alexis, Erika...)

For one thing I looooove my family! Love love love my family!! all of 'em!

And the rest of my family not pictured here!

Speaking of love! I love my husband! He's wonderful and sweet and thoughtful... one day I'll tell you the story of us...

My pets are my babies...

I'm also a pretty big fan of.... my friends! I'm a loyalist when it comes to my besties... you're in or you're out and if you're in, well, don't try to leave me because... I'll find you!! Just kidding... kind of...

Janelle was my MOH... she's been my BFF since 9th grade! That's my wedding day!!! Ahh, the fall!

Almost all my best girlfriends... Jen, Tiff (Tishy), Janelle (Nellskie), my little Valentina.... she's so little here!, ME, Rachel and Mary. There are a few missing!!

Like Michela (in the middle!)

Here we are at her wedding!! And Val... she's on the end in blue!

And Caron Pie and Marissa (left)... Caron! Your eyes are cloooosed!

Here she is with her eyes open and her babies!!

I hope I didn't leave anyone out!!

I love being crafty and keeping my bees!!

And sipping coffee... in coffee shops or bookstores or in my car or pretty much anywhere!!

especially in holiday Starbucks cups...

I love everything about pretty homes and papers (wallpapers, wrapping papers, cards, etc.) and great magazines!!! I love vintage finds

...and vintage looks

and photography...

...and sparkles...

...and fairies and pumpkins...

... and a million other things I'm forgetting... but for now, these are the people and things I love... do you feel the same?? xo

Most of these pics are mine... a few of the last are from Postcards From Far Away.

Baby love... and photography

2011-01-26T13:50:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I had a "shoot". I don't know why I am so timid... people have asked and I'm always freaked out that I will screw it up and waste their time. I would really love a new little baby to have a mommy and me session with soon.... remember this sweetie pie??

I'm going to have to make some calls!!! I need a brand new baby to take pics of!!

Dream house (world)

2011-01-26T12:11:00.002-05:00

In my dream home, everything would be white or some version of white, including cream, with splashes of color here and there. I understand that this dream is just that, a dream. It would be impractical and impossible to maintain, but, perhaps I could just have a country house with this color scheme? Please? In the winter, this would be the scene from my kitchen window, above the sink:

Speaking of sinks, this would be my sink:

And the rest of the kitchen would flow beautiful despite the subtle way nothing actually matches:

I would bake and bake and bake all day with fresh eggs from the chickens in the barn:

Here and there you would find aprons and linens hanging:

And there would be beautiful flowers in every room (straight from our manicured gardens!)...

The house itself would look like this on beautiful spring days:

Our living room would be beautiful:

Every room would be required to have a fireplace for cuddling by on chilly nights:

We would have picnics outside:

Which would include tea and cupcakes...

And a porch for sleeping on warm summer nights:

The interior bedrooms would be lush and have hints of gray and blue, and lots of cream, just like the rest of the house:

This is the guest room... or the quiet time room...

This would be the master and I would blog straight from my bed every day...

And have beautiful slips hanging by the window to catch the light:

And I would hang beautiful classic paintings of bees doing their beautiful work all over the house...

And outside there would be a plaque to greet my adorable, wonderful husband when he gets home so that he knows how very much I adore him...

That's my dream... now off to scrub my floors because they are covered in salt!! (not so dreamy!!!) xoxo

Most pics via A Cottage In The Woods, barn and living room via Country Living (it's the Beekman!! love those boys!)

Quiet time

2011-01-25T18:47:00.001-05:00

Boy... I love my alone time. It seems as though I haven't had any in a long time and I don't know why that is. I think it's because even when I am alone in my house and the tv is off and Roscie and Kitty are sleeping, my brain is going a hundred miles a minute. I'm sure you know what that's like - it's exhausting! I am really thankful for all the quiet time I do get now. There were years that I went weeks, months without it. So now, I'm a spoiled little brat who needs it all the time!! Let me tell you about what's been going on...

Well, by now you know about the SNOW here.

We have a few feet on the ground, freezing temps and a lot more on the way tomorrow. I am sooo thankful for all the snow in so many ways because snow = income in the winter for us. However, when there is snow one or more days every week, that means the phone doesn't stop ringing and the accounting software is smoking... a lot of tracking and input and follow-up. So, there's that.

Then there's this peskie computer issue. For now, we bought a fan that goes under the laptop and keeps everything cool and working. phhew! That buys me a little time! I had a mini-meltdown at Best Buy last week when the nice but not-so-helpful child helping us buy our laptop told me that I would be without my computer for 24-48 (read: 48-infinite) hours while the guys I don't really totally trust to transfer everything from my old laptop to our new one, transfer everything. Everything that we depend on every day!!! Yikes!!! So, sweating and battling a migraine....on the verge of throwing up on the poor kid, we left...with no laptop. ugghhh.

SooooI ate.... all weekend long! There were two pizzas, lots of chocolate cherry pecan cookies and the grand finale was takeout from The Cheesecake Factory, including cheesecake. yowza! Let's add feeling totally bloated and chubby to my list of stressers!! ahhhh!

Tax season is just around the corner and I am bracing myself for the possible (probable) insanity that will engulf my life in about a month. Calls have started coming in from prospective clients which is amazing but scary at the same time. Thankfully (singing) thankfully! the technology angels at the software company that I use were able to restore all of my files from last year for me from my external hard drive. Yeeeeeeeeees! Here I was thinking that it was impossible and that I would spend days and days imputing the info all over again. But no... ahhhhh... it's back! So, that saved me some time! Thank you tech center!

Finally, I'm helping to plan a shower... the happiest of all the news! My bestie Janelle is getting married and I am so excited to plan her shower and be a part of her special day! In honor of this... here are some images that make me so happy to be planning a happy shower!!

It's not a baby shower but I love how this looks!!

Hoping for a little quiet time tomorrow!!! Please, voices in my head, quiet down!!! xo

pic #1: mine, pic #2, pic #3, Pics #4,5,6.

Snowed in again... but I like it!

2011-01-21T16:01:00.000-05:00

Here I am in snowy Massachusetts, digging out from yet another snowstorm! We woke up in the midst of it today and now it is sunny again. That's a strange feeling... you wake up to big snowflakes and dark skies... then it clears and suddenly you're wondering why your car is covered in 7 inches of fluffy white snow. I like the storms that last all day and are gone the next day when I wake up! This makes me feel lazy for being at my desk all day. In my own defense, I did get out and shovel!!! Our walks are clear!

Here are some snowy images that made me feel better about our situation today:

Isn't this the cutest thing??

Awww! I want to recreate this scene with Shon soon!!!

And, not that this is a snowy scene, but this picture is exactly where I would like to be during the next big storm!!! Isn't it a beautiful bedroom? I would tell you where the pic is from but I found it on another blog and there was no link....

Today I am firmly planted at my desk getting ready for tax season. I have to say, the help desk at my tax prep software company saved my butt and restored all of my 2009 files with me over the phone today!!! Thanks to all the help desk folks out there who know what they're doing! Back to the grindstone!

Stay warm! xo

Let's make some cookies!

2011-01-20T11:09:00.003-05:00

Last night I made these beauties:

They are Cherry Double-Chocolate (Pecan) Cookies from Gourmet magazine... They are delish! Here's how it's done:

(the recipe can be found using the link above...)

add the eggs to the creamed butter and brown sugar...

mix it all up

separately whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt...

These are the cherries I used... mmmmm! thank you Trader Joes!!

I also used Cadbury milk chocolate. I'm not generally a fan but for this recipe it sounded perfect! (and it WAS)

toasted my pecans...

put 'em in a brown paper bag and gave them a light smashing with the rolling pin...

Mixed everything all up!

Cookie sheet with parchment paper. Be sure to smoosh them down a little to help with the shape and the baking! (pay no attention to the cooking spray stains on my cookie sheet!...errr... or the bend on the front!)

Taaa-daaaaahhh! They are chocolatie and delicious and chewy and crunchy and soft on the inside and crisp on the edges! Perfection!

And I presented them to Caron at Starbucks for our coffee date! Yum!

Happy baking blogettes!!

PS: More snow on the way tomorrow! Yikes! What a winter!

Ever felt overwhelmed???

2011-01-18T17:07:00.001-05:00

These days I try my best to keep calm and carry on... just like the poster says... but today has been one of those days that makes you feel like you're spinning and spinning and spinning and you just want to get off the ride!!!! I don't know exactly why... I guess there are a million reasons...sensory overload. First off, it started out snowing this morning... but the best part is that the snow turned to rain which means ice-covered snow... awesome! As if a snowstorm isn't enough to contend with... now we have major ice issues. Poor Shon is out in it again which means his stress level is up...which means my stress level is up. =/ I have to say, he handles all of this better than I would!! I love that man! Every time we have a storm I am amazed by his resilience and good attitude about everything. I would seriously:

if I had to be out in a blizzard for 20+ hours in a truck going forward, backward, forward, backward... never really knowing when it would be over. But he doesn't and I love him more and more and more for it.

We're also in need of a new computer. I have mentioned here and there that ours is on the fritz and since my busy season is just about upon us with taxes and his busy season is just around the corner (spring cleanups), a new computer is necessary. We wouldn't want a scene like this in the backyard any time soon!

Buying the new laptop would be fine and dandy if I had ANY clue about hard drives, RAM, gigawhoots, megawhats, etc but I don't so Shon and I walked around Best Buy in a daze yesterday touching laptops, picking them up, pressing the keys...pretty much acting like two 5 year olds in a computer store... we had no idea what we were looking at! I was originally planning to switching over to a Mac because I would love the nice screen for photos and not to have to worry about viruses any more but honestly, from what I can tell after a little research, that wouldn't be best for us right now because we would have to buy all new software, learn a new operating system and pay like 3X what we will for a PC... so a PC it is. I think I've narrowed it down to one... let's just get all of our old info from out current laptop to the new one!!!

I am also lost in a world of bills... not bills I have to pay but bills I have to send out to our customers. I don't know why I let this task overwhelm me but it always does.

I need that poster for my office!

My house is freezing... not only am I technologically un-savvy but, apparently, I can't figure my thermostat out either! doh! I did manage to light up the old space heater and prepare myself what was probably the most delicious cup of hot cocoa with cinnamon and whipped cream ever!!!

So, here it is:

1C skim milk,

1 Tbsp high fat dutch process cocoa,

1 Tsp sugar,

sprinkle cinnamon,

1/4 tsp vanilla extract,

all the whipped cream you want!!

Heat milk in saucepan until steamy, whisk in cocoa, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until smooth... pour, smoother in whipped cream and LOVE! Seriously, it is delicious! Better than any powder brand cocoa and just as easy. TRY IT please!!! I am adding some Baileys tonight to "calm" things down a little more.

I will leave you with a soothing image from Postcards From Far Away.... doesn't this look yummy??? How very Valentine's Day!

Thanks for letting me vent!! I will try not to let this become a habit!

Getting my Skinny Girl on from a Place of Yes

2011-01-16T18:51:00.001-05:00

So, I was always a fan of the Real Housewives of NYC. However, during the last season I realized that the only person I cared at all for was Bethenny Frankel. She's hilarious and inspiring and knows how to tell it like it is. As you probably know, she branched out and did Bethenny Getting Married last spring...away from the other "housewives". I'm telling you, I watched each episode at least twice and was borderline depressed when it was over! Recently, my new friend Becca of My Crazy Life with 4 kids! posted on my other bestie Caron's Facebook wall something about Bethenny coming to town. You know Caron, she's from Pie, What Else? So, naturally, I butted in and jumped all over it and the three of us headed to Lowell for the show last Thursday. ...Probably one of the top 10 nights out, ever!

We started the night at Caron's, briefly. Murphilurps and Sturdy Stan were sad to see us leaving.

Sturdy Stan


Murphilurps

We headed to Cobblestones in Lowell for dinner. It was sooo good! And adorable inside:

Becca, Caron and Me

We each had a cocktail... Becca and I had some kind of chocolate cookie martini and Caron had a martini with cucumber.

Our dinners were spectacular. Caron and I had scallops and Becca had risotto with beef. YUM!

Then it was off to the show!! We walked waaay too far for the boots I'd decided to wear but it was well worth it!


Becca and Caron outside of Cobblestones

I swear I'm not a big boozer but the drinks were outstanding that night! We got to the show and Caron bought me a Skinny Girl Margarita with cranberry. It was probably one of the best things I've ever tasted!

Me, Caron and Becca with our Skinny Girl Margaritas!

Show time!!! Bethenny put on a great show! It was funny and inspiring. She has so much great advice for young women. I wish I could re-cap all of it for you. For me, I think the main message was if you feel you have to approach your career in your own way and don't want to follow the path that has been laid out for you, do it! Don't let someone else tell you it cannot be done. This is something I have been struggling with for some time now. Thanks Bethenny!!! Here are some pics from the show. I will let them speak for themselves.

getting miked (is that how you spell it???)

she asked for lotion because she was as "scaly as a god damn alligator" she's funnay!

soooooo close!!! She was like 4 ft away!!!

this fan was so cute! she bought Bethenny a drink because somehow, she didn't have her own.

Oh! Jason was there too! I wasn't close enough to him to get his pic. Damn! But I did see him! She loves her Bryn more than life itself and that is just so darn cute! Apparently, baby number 2 is a definite possibility. Woo-hoo! She's no longer a "housewife" but has her own show "Bethenny Happily Ever After" coming on in Feb! whoot whoot! That's way better anyways! Who needs the drama of the other women??? What else??? Max is gone - no surprise there really. Julie is still there. I can't think of anything else... If you're a fan and she's coming to a town near you, go! It's FUN!

Here are some pics from the rest of the night! Thank you girls for sooo much fun!!! xoxoxoxox

me and Caroners!

Becca (being naughty??)

Me and Becks

Becks!

Caroners and Becca

Yesterday was a mucho productive day!

2011-01-12T21:34:00.001-05:00

Yesterday started out as any other day...except I had an appointment to try on bridesmaids dresses for my bestie Janelle's wedding. Ok, no big deal, just go try them on, pick out the cutest one, kindly inform the shop owner that I've (ahh, hem) gained a few holiday pounds, ask her to order one size down and hand over the plastic, right? Well, kind of. You see my favorite antique/fabric store is up the street from the dress shop so I decided to drop on in... hence the earlier Etsy announcement. First things first! The dress is very cute! I tried to take a pic of myself in it in the dressing room being sneaky because the shop had "no pictures" signs everywhere but it is not blog-worthy, so here's second best:

That's not the best pic of it either, but you now know what I'll be wearing on May 21, 2011! Ours are going to be in dusty rose (I think). It'll be purdy!

Sooo, next up was the antique store!!! Yippee, yippee! I love antique stores so very much! I also love buying antiques and hoarding them in my basement for "someday" use. My husband is not such a fan of this quality of mine. So, I've decided to share the wealth and put the fun finds on Etsy as I mentioned earlier today! I did score a box of antique ornaments for next Christmas which I will NOT be selling... I don' have a picture of them but I am sure you will see them next December. :)

Productivity was just getting started... I also signed up for BEE SCHOOL again!! Yay! I can't wait! I am really excited to be getting hives for my house this year. Hopefully we'll have lots and lots of honey and we can give it away to friends and family and sell some online to recoup our operating costs. The attire is designer and very pricey... I shop at only the high end beekeeper stores:

Shon wanted to go to Home Depot for some pellet stove gel so I tagged along and somehow we ended up purchasing an entire kitchen appliance suite! Whaaaat? Yes, us! The two people on Earth who shop for months and months, sometimes years, before making a big purchase! We have been renovating our kitchen for 2 years! Finally! Appliances! They are fantastic and I promise a full before and after on February 2... the day after the appliances arrive! But, for your viewing pleasure... here's a pic of the microwave!

Aint she a beauty??? I can't waaiiiitt!

What was next??? I did a little work, ordered some girl scout cookies from my adorbs niece Valentina and did some stuff around the house but those were the biggies! I can't wait to finish the cabinets, counter top and sink...oh and back splash... then the appliances will be here and I will, I mean the kitchen will, be complete!

Healthier eating update: I had pasta (wheat but that's ok) for the first time since last Wednesday night today and it was as glorious as I remember it! I did not fall off the wagon though, I promise! I had 1/2 a serving (I KNOW!! So small!) and mixed it in with zucchini ribbons. OMG - dEEEEElish! Oh! I made some bomb tomato soup today and will share that with you tomorrow my dearies!!

Poor Shon has been plowing for 16 hours straight in this winter-wonderland. I hope he comes home soon!!!! Until then, Eat, Pray, Love (the movie), self-mani and bed. xo

OH MY GOSH!!! BTDubs: Going to see Bethenny tomorrow!! As in Bethenny Frankel!! I have tickets and am going with Caron and Becca!!! YAAAAY!

And now I'm on Etsy!!!!

2011-01-12T17:07:00.001-05:00

Hello dear darling readers! Today I started an Etsy shop! Right now there are just a couple vintage finds but I hop that over the next few months the selection will grow and grow! I also hope to add a "handmade" section to the shop and include some little crafty projects as well as delish honey from my bees this summer!!

So please check it out!! This is by far my favorite item in the shop!! Try using the Etsy button to the right!!! xo

NOR EASTAH'!

2011-01-12T09:28:00.000-05:00

Yayyy! It's a snow day here in Boston! That means my handsome hubby is out plowing and I am stranded in the house. We already have 12" and there's more to come.

My car is covered...and I have to clean it off. booo! I also have to shovel our totally ridiculously long walkway but I can't find a shovel. Totes redick I say!

Rosco had to use the facilities when he woke up (the outdoor facilities, of course). He was so cute! Up to his neck in the fun white stuff. He, however, does not think it's fun AT ALL. I think he's sure he might drown. He keeps his eye on me the whole time. "Don't leave me out here!" He was bookin' it towards the door by the time I got my camera... it's a little blurry.

Here's a tree outside my kitchen window. Isn't it beautiful?? I can't wait to get out there and take some more pictures! If I had kids, I would take them out for a snowball fight and capture it all on camera! I remember one time in high school we got a HUGE blizzard. My besties Janelle and Jen were at the mall with me when it started. When we got back to my house we had the mother of all snowball fights with my brother and his friends. Ahhhh! Those were the days! I remember the three of us were freezing when we finally came in! Our feet were so cold that we were hanging our legs over the side of my bed onto the baseboard beater that ran along it. We fell asleep like that and all had roasted tootsies when we woke up the next day!

Kitty thought she might like to jump out the window. I had it open to take the pic of the tree. Naughty girl! She would be lost in the snow if she did that! Luckily she's a smart cookie... she didn't jump!
Ok, lots to do today. Yesterday we did A LOT and I can't wait to tell you all about it. As a matter of fact, telling you about it is on my list of things to do for today. Isn't that funny?? More later, right now I have to do some taxes (yay!), clean and get cookin'! Stay warm love-bugs! xo

2011-01-11T09:03:00.007-05:00

Tuesday 1/11/11... had to say it! I didn't have a chance to write 1/1/11 because I was in a post-New Year's Eve stupor for the few first days of the New Year but I'm on top of this one! Today I am off to buy my Maid (Matron, cringe) of Honor dress for my BFF Janelle's wedding! I don't know what it looks like yet but I will update you later with the choice.

Last night I was looking through the newest Lonny and was mesmerized by something about this room. I think it's the yummy velvet chair. mmmmm... I wouldn't really want to live in that room but I would like very much to visit it and jump on the bed and drink coffee in that chair please!

There is also a full article dedicated to the creative process behind Lilly Pulitzer. I LOVE Lilly but it's always been a little too rich for my blood! Why spend $200 on a colorful summer shift when I can get one almost as cute at Target for $20? Well, dur, because it's a Lilly Pulitzer! Someday I will have a little girl and she will have the snap purse with wooden handles... (does anyone know what I'm referring to? I hope so!) In any event, I love the designs and all of the colors that go into the making of these wearable works of art!

I would love to get my hands on that adorbs woodland owl bracelet!

Pretty, pretty splashes of color! Yuuuum, oranges!

They had a couple of delish looking recipes for sweets. I can't have them right now but. someday. I. will!

Last but not least, I came across this great photographer's blog this morning thanks to one of the blogs I follow. Check her out - she's really inspirational!!

Serene Sunday

2011-01-09T08:45:00.013-05:00

Happy Sunday everyone! What will you do today? My house is very quiet and I am getting ready to make a pot of coffee for myself right now. It' decaf because we're out of the motor oil I usually drink but that's ok, I love the taste! It also gives me a good excuse to visit Starbucks later this morning for the real deal.

I am loving something about hands today. Speaking of hands, recently, I told you about my amazing gel nail polish manicure. It was beautiful and amazing until I tried to get it off myself and, well, it was stuck to me like glue! Damn! I used the 100% pure acetone and wrapped little pieces of cotton with aluminum foil around my fingers for 10 min TWO TIMES (because the first time clearly had not loosened anything up!) but that didn't work. I was able to scrape about 75% off eventually but my nails are wrecked under there and, obviously, still have some red sparklie polish on them which I cannot seem to get off!

I estimate it will take about 4 wks for the carnage to grow out. I can't wait to sport the naked nails I have been weating for the majority of my life. In the meantime, I will have to stick to dark colors on my fingies - something I am not generally a fan of. If I do wear polish, I usually have a nude or light pink color on my nails... this goes back to my childhood and the fact that I am as white as a ghost. Dark colors usually look pretty trampy on me! However, I cut my nails as short as I could and applied black'ish maroon the other night...I like that. I am also loving the red on this fellow Canon lovers nails. (*below) Splendid! I think that's next!

I was feeling EXTRA chubby the other night after our Christmas party/birthday celebration...all the pasta, cinnamon buns, cookies, cakes, macaroni and cheese, triple-cream brie, ice cream and lattes have officially caught up with me! So, I cut all that crap out and am sticking to "clean eating" for the next few weeks. I am missing my crackers and cheese BIG TIME but it's already paying off... I feel much less bloated and have officially dropped 4 lbs since Wed night. I know it's all water weight but what do I care??? I'm not looking to strike a pose for Vogue or anything...

I feel a little better after seeing this awesome ad campaign! It says to me "Don't beat yourself up too much!!!... it's ok if you sneak in a little cream cheese here and there!" Isn't she adorbs?

All images other than the one I clearly took at my computer from my camera phone and Gisele are from Postcards From Far Away on Tumblr. Gisele is care of Vogue.com. Have a grrrrreeat day!

Last of the Christmas celebrations!

2011-01-07T11:05:00.023-05:00

My brother came over last week with his beautiful family to celebrate Christmas and my niece Elise's birthday. It was sooo much fun!! We had the delicious sausage/fettuccine dinner I was so enthused about a few posts ago and a great big pink layered birthday cae for dessert.

The kids loved their gifts...well, kind of. My nephew, little Patrick, liked his Patriots wind-breaker suit until he realized there were no toys under the tree for him. He was tired and that did him in! Poor little guy! Shon told me it was the lamest gift I could have gotten the kid...bad aunt! I should have known! Kids don't like clothes! On the other hand, the girls liked their gifts - some spraklie-sequin encrusted accessories for Val and a beautiful pink dress-up dress for Elise!

*Once again, I apologize in advance for the messed up layout... I can't get the posts to line up correctly!!!!

This is Val. She's my eleven-going-on-forty-year-old niece. She's the sweetest girl in the world...well, she and Elise!

You can't celebrate a little girl's birthday without some bling and look what I found at Walmart! A light-up, battery-operated tiara, a bag of gorgeous cocktail rings and a 3-pack of pirate patches and earrings - all for $1/each! Best $3 I ever spent!!

Here's the birthday girl decked out in her new dress and her tiara! You can't see her little fingers but every single one had a cocktail ring on it! She was so proud of herself (and I was pretty proud too!) We were talking in the garage when we realized she was nowhere to be found. When we came back into the dining room she had set the table for her party with the pink silverware, plates and napkins. She had also placed our drinks at our seats. She is so adorable!!

Rosco was a pirate too! He and little Pat have a love/hate relationship. They exhausted each other that night!

Our dinner consisted of the pasta with sauce, ciabatta and salad. The recipe is too easy!

For the tomato sauce:

1 large can San Marzano crushed tomatoes

1 C white wine

2 shallots

1/2 palm full Italian seasoning

1/2 palm full dried basil

1/2 lb seasoned chicken sausage (I use the garlic herb chicken sausage from Whole Foods) - removed from its casing

Few Tablespoons of heavy cream and Parmesan cheese

Pasta water if necessary

In a heavy pan, saute shallots until translucent, add chicken sausage to pan - cook until browned

Add white wine, allow to reduce by 1/2

Add dried herbs and tomatoes and cook over medium-high about 20 min

Meanwhile, cook 1 lb. noodle pasta (I use Pastene fettuccine)

Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese to taste

Add pasta water to loosen if necessary.

Add sauce to cooked pasta and ENJOY!

For the garlic bread, I cut a loaf in 1/2, spread butter and a little garlic powder on each side, put back together, wrap in foil and bake in the oven for 10 min at 350 degrees. It is SOOO good!

HERE'S THE CAKE!!!! OMG it was amazing! I used this white cake recipe. I doubled it to make 4 layers. I added various amounts of pink food coloring to 3 of the layers and purple to one of them (the batter).

The frosting is super easy and oh sooo delicious!

1 lb room temp butter

1 1/2 lb powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

milk as needed

Place butter in bowl (You can use a stand mixer or do this by hand if you don't have one. If you do it by hand, it will not be as fluffy or white but it will still be amazing.)

Add sugar a few cups at a time, loosening it a bit at a time with a little milk (about a Tbsp.) When all is mixed in a has a creamy consistency, add in vanilla. Whip the frosting until it is fluffy. YUM!

Shon and I had the best time with my brother, his wife Annalisa and his kids! I can't wait to do it again! xo

Merry Christmas from my house to yours!

2011-01-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

Our Christmas was quite a success this year! The morning started out with a beautiful tree with lots and lots of presents beneath it for all the people we love! I actually had my act together this year for us to have breakfast before heading to our parents' houses. Mmmm...cinnamon buns!

As ususal, I made Roscie wear his Santa hat... he puts up with it for about 5 seconds then...OFF it comes! I love this dog with all my heart!

Then we were off to my mom and dad's to open presents with them and my brothers, Greg and Pete!! It was sooooo much fun!!!

You did know that I'm pretty gangster, right? Greg gave me these shirts - Wu Tang Clan and another that says "I noticed that you're gangster... I'm pretty gangster myself" I LOVE them!!!

My dad got in on the gangster vibe....

We then headed to Shon's dad Fred's house to open presents. This is Fred with his canvas from Rosco - a self-portrait. Roscie LOVES Fred - more than he loves us I think!

"What are you guys laughing at??"

"Do I have wrapping paper stuck to my face?" hahahahaha!

Then it was back to my mom and dad's for Christmas dinner!

As I said, Christmas was AWESOME this year! I love being with Shon, my family and his! It was even better than usual because we took Rosco everywhere with us! He was pretty pooped when we got home though... he laid his new duckie on the pillow for a much needed nap at the end of the day. Isn't he the sweetest???

I hope everyone had just as wonderful a day as we did! I am so lucky to have my family and wonderful husband and Roscie and Miss Kitty! I love you all soooo very much!!!!

Belated Christmas posts!

2011-01-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know I am waaay late here! But I couldn't let the holidays go screeching past without sharing what is possibly my favorite tree ever - and the DIY craftiness that went into it...

Take a moment and adore it with me.....

Can you spot what I made??? Glittered cupcake garland and some glittered wooden ornaments (covered in newspaper, decoupaged and edges glittered.) Ahhh! love, love, love it all! Oh, and a cupcake garland flower too. :)

I did not make this cute little guy but I thought he deserved a cameo. He's from Papyrus 2006. I love those ornaments! I have Santa ones too.

I glittered over 150 cupcake cups of various sizes - all in white or natural. I also used some natural coffee filters. I was originally planning on bringing the garland to Caron's for her sparkle party but then I realized that I wouldn't really know all of the other guests and they might think I was a crazy glitter freak if I showed up with such a thing... next year Caron, I promise! Oh! check out Caron's BLOG here! She's so darn fun and creative! You'll love it!

I hope you love my creations as much as I do! xo

Sparkle-icious Sparkle Partaaay!

2011-01-03T02:59:00.000-05:00

You may recall my blabbing about my friend Caron, of Pie, what else, and her Sparkle Party! I am finally getting around to a recap of the over-the-top fun and glitterie, sparkle-icious night!!

Here's the (non) birthday girl! Recently tatted with a henna pie (what else??) She's totes my goats adorbs!!!

Caron was attempting to apply a henna gun to Nico, Rihanna style...

This is Murphy, aka Murphilurps! She is one of Caron's chihuahuas! She is so dainty and cute!! i love her!

And this is Stan, aka, Sturdy Stan and Stan the Man... he is a cuddle-bug!!!

Caron's non-birthday cake was off the charts rockin' and prepared by her sister Mary of Mary Casey Cakes!!! It was a true work of art!!

Here's Mary!!!

I think now would be a good time to tell you about just how awesome Caron is! Um, ok, I'm pretty sure I've known her my whole life - just on a soul/cosmic level! She's the most fun girl in the world and I am sooo glad I finally met her!! I mean, look at her!!! Doesn't she look fun??? Well she is!! We wrapped up the night with some hilarious On Demand karaoke, including Boyz to Men. Mary and Caron can rock the remote-mic.... let me tell you!!! American Idol, I have a sister combo for you!!! Seriously, they were sooo good!!! I love you girls!!

Happy New Year!!

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Happy 2011 everyone!! I hope everyone had a fun and safe NYE. We went one of our best couple-friend's house, Huff and Mary's. We've known them forever and were so excited when they invited us over to count down to 2011! We've stayed in for probably the past 8 or 9 years so it was nice to go out. I think there were about 12-15 people there, including Huff and Mary's baby, Mikey... easily the most adorable one-and-a-half year old boy in the world! Our friends Valerie and Dave's baby was there too - Abby - she's equally precious and she and Mikey have been betrothed to one another. It's the cutest thing to watch them interact with each other. :) Ahhhh... adorable little babies. So, we rang in 2011 watching Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark and then a little Snookie on MTV. We were there until 2 am... wayyyyy past my bedtime. I've been suffering from exhaution since! Feeling a little better today than I did yesterday - probably due to my 10 pm bedtime last night and a full 10 hours of sleep!

Last year I had a looooong list of plans for 2010. Please take a look at it here! Ok, time for a little review:

1. Never used any wallpaper on anything! I tried to but it's damn expensive and not as easy to get remnants as I thought... that's ok!

1. I did get a canvas of Roscie and I can't wait to share it with you!!! Kitty is a little trickier to photograph but she's next!

3. Cringe... I never did learn to sew, embroider/crochet or knit in 2010 but my friends and I are actively planning to take knitting lessons SOON!

4. Shon's birthday was underwhelming again but he doesn't like birthday parties so what can I do???

5. Working on the bedroom still!

6. Home and business organization are on a good track to organization! I have to face the fact that organization is not my strongest trait naturally so I really really really have to work at it!

7. Baby... yeah, that didn't happen!

8. We entertained a little more than in years past. I am hoping that we can do this more and more in 2011.

9. I NEVER made doughnuts!!! I always think about it and then the little voice in my head says "they're soooo fattening!!!!"... and I never make them. I guess I'll leave this one to the experts for now!

10. Finally! Something I followed through on! My photography skills have improved dramatically! I did get another lens - a 50mm low aperture lens that is great for portraits. I did start to use Photoshop. Good, at least I accomplished SOMETHING in 2010!!

11. The kitchen is still a work in progress... this makes me mad and I will not elaborate!

12. Yup! I did make it to the thrift stores and we did paint a mirror that was my aunt's... check!

13. budget... I think this falls into the organization category... not my strong area!!

14. I did send more cards and stay on top of birthdays, etc. as I had hoped to. :)

15. My holiday shopping was a lot less stressful than usual this year! I tried to at least KNOW what I was getting everyone this year. I also tried to worry a lot less about how much I spent. As long as the person was going to love it, DAMN the cost!

16. Hmmmm, start my own business... this was not as successful as I'd hoped. I did well with the tax preparation but then I didn't market myself enough to get off the ground with my solo law practice. That's ok... I'm not sure I'm cut out for that!

One thing I never expected to do in 2010 was to become a beekeeper. This was BY FAR my favorite accomplishment and quite a surprise! I think it more than makes up for all of the things that fell by the wayside on my original list. I will compile my 2011 list soon and share it. I think it will be a little shorter than last year's and might include a few repeats. It's great to have goals...some just can't be accomplished in one year's time.

My best wishes and lots of love go out to all who read my blog! Thank you so much for following and commenting!! xoxoxoxoxo

Ana's third birthday party!

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I can't believe my BFF Janelle's little girl is 3 already! She had a cookie decorating party and it was adorable!! Here's the birthday girl... isn't she the cutest little munchkin????

Janelle's sweet little boy, JJ. He loved every second of the party!

Look at the chef's hats Janelle whipped up for the kids. They were soooo cute!!

Adam and Natalie are two of the babies (*well, they were babies not too long ago) Janelle takes care of in her daycare. They are so precious! Natalie is a girl after my own heart. She was doing frosting shots all day long!

I think I've seen that garland before!?!?!?!

Things came to a screeching halt of awkwardness when Barney came sauntering in shaking his creepy purple dinosaur tail for the kids. There were screams and a lot of crying... he was asked to leave early! I went into the corner and sobbed quietly while he was there myself! hahahaha, just kidding... kind of... it was painful for all involved! Note to self: NEVER!

Back to the fun! After Barney tucked his tail between his legs and waddled back to his 4 Runner, the kids resumed the decorating.

Jordan and Maddy are two of the sweetest little girls ever! They are Janelle's neighbors.

Time really flies! It was just yesterday that little Ana was a newborn! I can't believe she's already three! Such a fun party!!! xo