kindred

just a little rant

2011-09-06T21:09:00.000-04:00

so, why is it..sometimes you get an exceptional bagger person at the grocery and sometimes you dont?? i mean, i assume they all get some sort of crash course on bagging groceries? eggs on top.. bread on top.. cans and solid containers on bottom.. you see where im going with this? ok..so i love the green bags.. mostly (and i know it should be bc im saving the earth one plastic bag at a time or something) but i really love carrying less bags in the house, and those things just hold SO much! so.. you can imagine what my bags of watercress looked like when i found them buried beneath a 4lb bag of apples, several oranges, biggest bag of carrots they sell, half gallon of chocolate milk, bag of purple grapes and two cement blocks. ok, sorry, no cement blocks, but it SURE LOOKED LIKE IT!!!!!???!!! poor delicate watercress:( was so not happy about it. the plastic bags they came in looked like one of those storage saving bags you use for cramming your clothes into your suitcase. seriously.... what was he thinking?? haha.. oh well, not worth crying over. however...rant, yes.

found

2011-09-03T14:13:00.000-04:00

rummaging through the baking section of the cupboard.. look what i found.. yikes. completely irresistable. it was hopeless..2 tablespoons later i felt as gluttonous as ever..haha but, it was so worth it. LOVE nutella...

oh..delicious chocolately hazelnut dream.. so glad i found you..

and then YOU..peanut butter pretzel..yeah.. perfect indulgent combination.. MMMMmmmm.. happy start to labor day weekend!

its official..

2011-05-31T21:29:00.000-04:00

the shoe/ sock combo, that is. i noticed it in a j crew catalog about a year ago. thought.. ohh im a sock girl, really love that look. but, the real question is.. can i pull it off?? i planned my christmas outfit around a pair of crew socks and open-toed heels. i walked out ready to go and the reactions, lets just say.. were not very positive. at all. most of my family thought i was joking around trying to be silly.. haha, not really the reaction i was going for. so, i chickened out. who knows, maybe people are doing this more up north? it definitely hasnt hit florida yet..so anyway, i saw a ton of pictures on pinterest today.. and well, folks its official. im going to do it. we will see if i can pull it off or not. either way, its happening. anyway, here is a pic of one that i love:

beet cake

2011-05-28T17:43:00.002-04:00

i love this video.. found it on one of my favourite blogs poppytalk.. http://poppytalk.blogspot.com//

this is the kind of baking id love to do.. kind of kitchen id love to bake in.. love the storage of the flour.. so off the cuff and creative.. enjoy! oh.. and happy weekend<3

beet cake from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

night ride

2011-03-27T21:01:00.001-04:00

again.. its been a while. this wont be perfect. it will be short. but, i just wanted to expell these thoughts running through my head.. so here:

i love night bike rides. why did i stop doing them?... oh yeah.. there was that serial killer thing. i think thats past now? anyway.. fresh out of the shower, drying my hair in the wind. watching my streamers dance off the end of my handlebars makes me happy. and wow.. the colour of the skies as they change. i love it. looking at all the houses lit up so big and pretty. the balconies, the climbing vines-they make such pretty sights to see. the confederate jasmine is in full bloom. there are rows and walls and trellises full of them, blooming so heavily dispensing their fragrance into the air around me. heavenly. consistently amused at those people who turn every light on inside their house, yet leave their blinds open. its quite entertaining for me to see what youre doing.. but dont you know the world is watching? a particularly curvy wall, be still my heart. who made you? who decided to make you wavy and not straight? thank you wall-builder person, youve made quite a special wall. a delicately lit back yard, hidden behind a sky-high ficus hedge..so beautiful..the italian opera music drifting out into the night air made me feel like i was some where else. landscaping, just like my moms. you stick out like a sore thumb, but so creative and beautiful. i hope everyone finds some spark of inspiration in you.
turn the corner..home ahead.. ride over the curb, duck under the trees. ive missed this.

shoes back on

2010-12-24T08:40:00.003-05:00

the day before christmas eve and im up at 7 am.. WHY am i awake?? sleep in, gina! sleep in!!! nope.. for some reason, i just cant anymore, regardless of what time i go to bed.( insert BIG frowny face here.) i hope this phase ends before too long! so, well, i am up.. may as well do something.. it had been- uhm... yeah, like a MONTH since i went for a run.. (i shamefully admit) so i figured time to get those running shoes back on. for the life of me i just dont know what happens to motivation sometimes? where does it go? where are you mr. motivation??? when will you return? ok.. well he peaked his head around the corner yesterday and i yanked him by the collar and went for a run. AWESOME! beautiful south florida morning.. super cool out(even wore a jacket- WHAT?! yep.) went along the intracoastal, sun rising on my left moon falling on my right. so much to take in. passed a church and a maintenance crew was getting the grounds all set for Christmas eve service(i can only guess?) i love the smell of fresh cut grass. and while i dont care for the smell of gasoline at ALL...i LOVE it when i smell those two together. its one of those smells tied to childhood memories. brought me back to sitting on the riding mower with my grandpa mowing their big hilly yard.. i used to think we would tip backwards going up the hill and i would be crushed beneath he and the lawnmower.haha.. the good ole times;) yet, i totally loved it.

shortly after that nostalgic smell, i picked up on something else.. not so nostalgic though.. the smell of construction. if you dont know, this time of year three years ago, we were completing a maaaajor renovation on our home. the project had taken approx. 10 months so far.. it was christmas time.. we had been staying in a friends (a very gracious friends) cottage for FIVE months, we thought it would be two.. but you know how that goes..i was ITCHING to get home. i wanted to wake up in our house, have christmas with our family, have more than 500 sq feet of living space!!!! the walls had seemed to just close in on me the last few weeks of cottage living and i was going to do whatever it took to get home. so we did, but that is another story in itself. so, i smelled the concrete block, the tar paper, the sheet rock, the mud, the dampness that lingers in an open house under construction. and all i could do was say thank you Lord, that we are home this christmas.. that chapter is complete-THANK YOU! it feels like more than three years ago, and i am so very grateful. :)

so, there is this street, my one mile markerish.. elwa.. and im looking.. gosh, elwa.. youre not as close as i remember?? uhm, yeah, gina.. thats what happens when you slack! elwa, elwa, elwa...? you out there?? and just when i thought the street had disappered off the face of the earth.. there she was! my green light to head back home.. past the field that looks like bunnies would have fun hopping around, past the house under construction and finally grass and gasoline.....so glad i got those running shoes back on.

surprises

2010-11-02T12:28:00.002-04:00

if you're a mom.. you' re going to find them. recently, i noticed how many little surprises, aka "junk piles, messes, oddities" i've found around the house. like i said.. if youre a mom, im sure you can relate. so, i kept my camera handy and documented my finds throughout this week. first up..
typical....

a sticky mandarin mess in the fridge... oh yeah, and on the floor too.. crazy thing is-NO one has eaten mandarin oranges lately.. well, not that they will admit..imagine that????

second up.. hello, random??? what little creative person tried doing this?? i really have no idea. it could've been any of them. apparently they thought it might be interesting to tie the ends of tissues up w small hair bands...looks like one of them ripped off in an attempt to create...and lets throw a few pennies in this box and a plastic princess ring..while you're at it.. add optimus primes flaming plastic sword. do you have ANY idea how long we had been looking for that sword thingy???

third up. heres my take on it: kid gets hungry, grabs snack, walks out of the kitchen with it(which is against the rules..but who listens to mom anyway?? ) spots something more interesting and fun to do, gets distracted, forgets about picking up the mess, goes off to do something in the play room. oh, the ear plugs..? i have no idea?? maybe they were tuning me out?? haha :)

AHHHH! seriously.. i dont need to say anything other than i THOUGHT there was a snake in the bathroom.. this could be part responsible for the snake nightmare i had a couple nites ago???... hmmm..

i have to say, theres always something im cleaing up.. sometimes its tiring , sometimes is REALLY messy, and sometimes its just plain amusing. but, regardless, they are continually crossing my path. unfortantely, i am aware that a day is approaching, all too soon for my liking where these little "surprises" will be farther and fewer between. until sadly enough, there will be a day where i barely see them anymore and their existence has dissolved into phtographs and memories. its a good reminder for me to love them for what they are.. the the messy, the frustrating and the amusing.

rainy days

2010-10-22T16:32:00.000-04:00

theres just something about a rainy day that i love so much. seeing an overcast sky gets me all ready to go home and relax. it calls for a movie, cozy quilts and snuggle time with our cute kids:)

watching the rain fall, hearing it patter against the windows, buildings and roofs is so calming. i remember when we had leaks (yes, multiple) in our roof.. rain wasnt so relaxing then. every time it rained i would get a twinge in my stomach-anticipating where i would have to put buckets and cloths down. waking up in the middle of the nite to a great thunderstorm was lovely, until i realized i had to get up and find all the leaks!ughh! needless to say, i am SO glad those days are over and i am back to enjoying the rain. :)

a few weeks ago i took these pics of duelio.. he saw it raining and immediately put on his raincoat and boots. i love this little guy. and i love that he knows how to enjoy a good rain. he makes me smile every day.

dragon rainboots, of course:)

quietly sitting in the rain

hoooooooo! mom!! im getting wet!

working on getting his "four" fingers up..

there ya go buddy! four years old!!

splish splashing!

oh yeah.. thats a good puddle!

see ya later!

homage to my roots

2010-10-08T12:25:00.001-04:00

its fall. its my favourite time of year. i think i owe it to pittsburgh. yes, ive lived in florida long enough that im officially called a "floridian" and i love it here. but, i have so many memories of living in pittsburgh. especially memories of autumn. crisp air, brilliantly colored trees in every direction. hills, rivers, parks and more parks.. so, just a few pics to start out this weekend.

north park. cant you just imagine laying underneath this tree looking up?

a walk through frick park

some churchyard cemetary

these images could be any quaint town in the north.. but the wet streets with the fallen leaves just remind me so much of western PA.

the city peeking through the train tracks and trees..so home sick right now :(

trees around the allegheny river

schenely park.. wow!..these are all borrowed pictures.. so im not sure if they enhanced the color on this one or not?? but even so..

there is a covered bridge tour you can take in the fall, how fun. maybe we will do it someday.

remember the song.. over the river and through the woods to grandmothers house we go... ? well, we had to go over a river and through the woods to my grandmas house, so naturally my dad and i would sing it along our way. what is the rest of that song anyway? is there more? our bridge wasnt covered like the one above, but i always thought i was so lucky that the song fit our drive to her home. :)

i still call pittsburgh "home" i dont know why.. maybe its a pittsburgh thing? i guess its just something about fall makes me feel all nostalgic and kindof sad. but so happy i have these memories of "home" that are part of me. what a beautiful season, marking a time of change, coming and going.. time moving on. it happens so quickly, the stunning leaves are here only but a short bit...... just like us.

...so thank you, pittsburgh for all the cherished memories of a beautiful season, yet so short and bitter sweet:)

fall begins

2010-09-22T11:14:00.000-04:00

so, ive been in the mood too bake...and today being the first day of fall, what better way to celebrate it than with some pumpkin whoopie pies! mmm!

oh heavenly little yummy delights! so light and fluffy

i got this recipe out of one of those recipe books you get at the grocery check out.. i really like it.. but i think i would either add more pumpkin(might change the consistency though??) OR add some pumpkin spice to it?.. overall.. very yum, light and fluffy. YAY fall!

on other randomness of my day.. the kids and i had running club this morning. oye.. the morning always comes too soon. but somehow we managed to get out of the house and to the school. what a great surprise it was to feel the cool breeze and the LACK of humidity! wooohoo! i think it made me run faster??? i only ran a mile.. but it was an 8 minute mile.. HELLO?! if you know how i run, you know i run slowwwwwwwly. and i know me.. and know that theres no way in heck i couldve followed it up with a second mile at that pace-haha:) but hey, just gonna celebrate my teeny accomplishment. so.. after the kids had their breakfasts..and i took lio to school i passed havanas http://www.havanacubanfood.com/ remembering the conversation i recently had with jennifer about havanas breakfasts, i turned the car around and headed for the walk up counter.. this is what i ordered.. MMMMMMMMMM! breakfast egg, cheese and uhmm bacon. hello bacon- you are delicious and i love you..

needless to say, it was pretty filling and i was unable to finish(for all those locals- great sandwich to share with a friend! )

so from me to you..wishing everyone a happy fall. i hope you get to breath in some crisp air, drink at least a few glasses of hot cider and walk through some rustling leaves :)

and the baking begins!

2010-09-15T16:42:00.002-04:00

soo.. i dont really know how much baking ill end up doing this holiday season..(yes, im already starting with the holiday stuff) but, my intentions are high! i really dont want to bake and stuff my face with lots of delicious, calorie-loaded treats. and watch my waistline expand.. and EXPAND and.. disappear..:( BUT- id like to taste them. and i really, just enjoy baking in general. ok, sooo.. first up:

rocky road peanut butter brownies.... oh my- soo good!

oh hello there cute little brownie..

a close up...just incase you couldnt see all the peanut butter cups in the first picture;)

profile..

im so glad i gave most of these away..thank the Lord we have six teachers to disperse them amongst

ok, now this is the REAL close up.. yum yum yum..

the recipe .. easy as pie..or brownie-whatever:

make brownies as directed by your choice of brownie mix.. let cool completely.

then beat 1 (7oz) jar of marshmallow creme, 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter, and 1 tbsp of milk

spread evenly over top of brownies, then add 1/2 cup of chopped salted peanuts to the top. followed by 30 mini reeces peanut butter cups (chopped up). then drizzle with 1/4 cup of semi-sweet melted chocolate.. let set up and cut into however many pieces you want. they are rich, so i made them smaller:) hope you make them and enjoy!

a morning swim

2010-09-14T14:09:00.003-04:00

its not easy getting up at 6 am on a saturday morning, much less getting up to exercise. but this particular saturday i managed to drag myself out of bed to go for a cool swim in the ocean....and if im being honest here, i got up mainly bc my friend, rachel, had gone completely out of her way friday evening to get my swim cap to me..and if by any chance she happened to ask how swimming was..and i DIDNT go??? uhm.. id feel like a punk friend.. so, all that to say, im SO glad she went of her way, giving me that extra motivation i needed to drag my tired self to the beach:) bc, golly- it sure was beautiful. thanks rach!!

vegatation, sea grapes, palmettos and funky old branches

bright blue sky, sandy dune

yes, that would be my foot.. with the worn off blue polish;)

i love this beach because it has such unsual rocky terrain

the water collects in the divots. i think it kindof looks like moon craters..dont you think?

so calm, so early

i seriously could sit and watch the waves pour over these rocks all day long.

close up of the super cool plant life that nestled itself in among the rocks

i dont know if you can tell, but the rocks are covered by a cool carpet of fuzzy moss.. i think in my "mountain" post i mentioned how much i love moss? ok, this isnt mountain moss, its sea moss- but, i SO love it.

seafoam pouring over the top, just like icing a cake.

the water finding its way between the mossy rocks, mezmorizing..

hey! whos that??? jessica!!:) my awesome swimmer friend, who took the time out of her morning routine to give me some swimming pointers.. thanks jessica- youre a swimming rockstar!!!xoxo

getting up early pays off.. i hope this might inspire an early rise to see the peaceful and beautiful creation around us.

to the mountains we went

2010-09-11T23:45:00.006-04:00

i love the mountains, they are peaceful and their beauty is captivating. this summer we took a family vacation with my mom and stepdad, jack, to north carolina. they used to take me there a lot as a kid.. i kind of forgot how beautiful it is there..how it feels to be surrounded by Gods mountainous creation. this trip woke up my warm memories....so, up to the mountains we went..

our week was full... packing in everything from gem mining, white water rafting, visiting an alpaca farm, hiking, campfires, playing in creeks, exploring cherokee and then wrapping it up with a family reunion in charlotte. below are some of the highlights of our trip. i took way too many pictures to share them all.

the alpacas....

these are pics from the alpaca farm. these animals are SO so sweet and cute! they had just been sheared so they were all skinny looking:) we purchased some roving from this farm. my mom and i were on a felting kick during this trip.. it has kindof died off at the moment, but im anxious to start felting again..

ok.. i had to post one of these pics.. boiled peanuts.. they are everywhere.. people love them. they are kindof mushy for me though.. i like the kind you get from roadhouse or the ground round..and they let u throw the shells on the floor. how fun is that???

we saw this indian show in cherokee, nc. i loved the way their songs had that chanting beat.. it was really beautiful to see them dance and play the drums.

i love the worn moccasins and tattered ribbons on this guy..

more of their dance.

they asked if anyone from the audience would join them for a dance( only children went.. why do adults always shy away from this stuff??) i was tempted.. but i wanted to take pictures of the boys dancing with them. so i stayed put, watching from the sidelines. and at the end of the dance they said whatever name the dance was.. and that all those brave enough to dance it would now live to be 100 yrs old. why did i sit out?!?!? now i have to go back and do this dance sometime before i get to be too old. hey, you never know!;)

this is duelio, feeding the cute duckies. this cool mountain stream ran through town. it was great to dip our feet in, hunt for smooth river stones and float in the current(lots of people tubed here). this fun pit stop occupied us for two hours as we were waiting for the guys to finish golfing.. which i heard was amazingly beautiful.. but we unfortuantely dont have any pics of that little excursion:(

super duper cool bamboo forest we stumbled upon as we left the creek.

i cannot get over the skies.. everyone of them was just so brilliant.

this is kindof a little family joke. my mom always talks about how she used to roast potatoes in camp fires when she was growing up. unfortuantely, we dont do a lot of camping or make lots of fires.. so our opportunites to do this are slim. i dont know if you can tell, but there are little balls of foil- wrapped potatoes deep in the glowing cinders of this fire.. we ate them for breakfast the next day, they were a little charred, but i really liked them:)

and here we have gem mining, folks! we actually did find some great stones.. but getting them cut and polished..thats another story..

duelio, hard at work..

i LOVE, love, love, love. love moss.. i love how it grows and creeps its way up and around anything in the forest. the green, so vibrant and foresty feeling. ahhh...:)

jack, pausing on our hike.. what is better than hiking in the mountains??

finding a cool forest mushroom on a hike-thats what! (they sure are pretty, no wonder people want to eat them)

and a waterfall, of course!

"last of the mohicans" is one of my all time favourite movies.. i love these skies, bc they make me feel like im in the movie.

of course, i was dying to pick my own veggies at a farm.. so we stopped at this charming and ever- so- delightful little place, just perched up on the side of a mountain. what a happy little place for a garden:)

cole picking a watermelon

the boys picking grape tomatoes

and now, moving on to charlotte... unfortunately, i wasnt as good with taking pictures there.. but i do have a few!

as if it needs an introduction....but just incase some of you havent heard me go on and on about it.. ladies and gentlemen................ BUBBLE TEA!

dwill was upset they were out of "bubbles" so he had "jellies" in his.. poor little guy..

and you here have it.. a close up. i just cant get enough of this stuff.. SOOOOOO good! i owe this fascination and obsession all to the lovely, courtney reichely. thank you, love.. yuuummmmm!!!!

and as all adventures come to and, this one did too.. back down the mountain we went.. back to our life by the sea..

"up there"

2010-06-22T15:17:00.003-04:00

saw this documentary on a blog i follow...its 12 minutes. its inspiring. i really respect and admire these guys...soo cool. check it out.
..oh, and watch to the end. it has a cool time lapse of the entire project.

UP THERE from The Ritual Project on Vimeo.

sweet shop

2010-06-03T11:03:00.002-04:00

apparently, one of the latest trends are cupcake shops. they are cute and fun and pretty and you can purchase your very own delicious treat for $4. FOUR DOLLARS EACH? four dollars a cupcake?? who knew.. but yeah- they are worth it. duh!
ive been in two of these sweet shops recently. the first was in delray beach, "cupcake couture" their decadent delights have snazzy designer names such as: red valentino, jean paul peanuttier, donna karrot, coco channel, dolce and banana, and "mound"olo blahnik. they really were de-LISH! i dont have pics of that shop.. but you can see some here: http://www.facebook.com/cupcakecoutureusa

the second shop is "sugar chef".. located at city place, across from the cheesecake factory. stopped by there the week they opened.. mm mmm good! i have to say the frosting is excellent!

what a cute little box, so pink and pretty!

oh baby....

if you have self control, unlike me, and buy just one, they come in these handy dandy containers

lets see how this one tastes??

so good.. and check out those chocolate curls.. yum!!

kates turn!

this was such a fun treat..now no more cupcakes for a while!!...haha.. yeah, right.

oh.. and on a side note.. im sure you might be wondering how many cupcakes you have to sell to actually have a successful, profit earning shop?? well, if you must know(as i had to), cupcake couture said they sell approx. 600 per weekend day and during special events. the real dough, however is made with their custom cakes.. you know.. like cake boss? ace of cakes/charm city cakes?? yeah.. they do those bad boys at both locations.. a small, did i say SMALL? let me stress that.. a small, custom cake will run you about $300.. it only goes up from there;)

beach friday

2010-05-14T22:57:00.000-04:00

summer is almost here..and beach fridays have begun! this past friday, after school, the kids and i joined several friends and their kids at the beach. we did this last year and i have such fond memories of those weekend kick-offs. as we drove to the beach i glanced up and wondered if the iffy, overcast skies would rain us out. we already knew they were flying red flags.. so swimming was out.- bo! but, as we found free parking and hopped over the sea wall, none of that really seemed to matter anymore. the waves were huge, smashy and awesome looking. the air was fresh and the breeze was just perfect. the kids played in the sand, amused themselves around the rocks and jumped off the small eroded hills by the sea wall...

as the tide came in, the current calmed just barely enough, giving us the chance to boogie board and body surf. the waves were amazing. they either crushed us or threw us towards the shore over and over again with a gusto only the ocean can posses. the sun even came out and finished the day with us. as did our husbands and a few pizzas:) what more could you ask for??

it doesnt happen often..but, i dont have any pictures to share. i enjoyed the experience without snapping away constantly. my friend jessica does have some however...maybe ill post them when i get them from her. but, in the mean time, remembering the smiles on our kids faces and watching them and my friends play in the surf is just perfect enough of a memory for me:)

peter pan running

2010-04-22T20:58:00.000-04:00

probably because we recently threw a "peter pan" themed birthday part for duelio that my mind is on peter pan.. but seriously.. i really felt like it tonite.

tonite was my second attempt at running after the girls cruise hamstring tear incident. my first try at running was after a full 6.5 weeks!!?!?!! of healing. and, well.. it was bad :( it resulted in my hip locking up. lets just say a big OUUUCH! i was so down and discouraged and feeling pretty old as bones at this point :( i mean.. i am 33.. im not going to bounce back like i used to. sadly, healing is on a completely different time table than it used to be. i stretched it everyday for 3 more weeks hoping, praying that i would be able to get back on this horse soon. mind you.. the first six weeks of healing was PERFECT cool, running weather. this was a true test of patience for me and ultra-frustrating. everyday i would hear about people running, everyday i would see people running, everyday i would hear about a race or think about being in one.. i was salivating over the idea of taking a jog down to the water. and everyday i knew waiting was the wiser choice. so, after all that waiting, i finally gave it another try TONITE!!! and i am feeling as good as i could ask for-yay!! and great advice from a friend (thanks dawn!) was to run some, walk some. i walked in short spurts a few times, it definitely helped me not overdo it:)

it just felt soo good, i cant say how thankful i was to have working appendages that could carry me around. listening to music and hearing the "pad, pad, pad" of my shoes hitting the pavement was a great way to end the day. so, running up and down the streets, i was starring at the pavement in front of me. the street lights behind me made my shadow grow soo tall it felt like i was chasing it down the street. it would streeetch ever so tall every time i passed a new street light. and just as i would almost catch up to my shrinking shadow, it would run away again- so fast! thats what i call "peter pan running."

chasing a sunset

2010-04-10T21:04:00.001-04:00

i love a good sky.. i love the clouds, sunny day or overcast day.. i really love it all. its Gods big canvas up there.. my favourite time of day is dusk..the sky seems to glow, but not just the sky.. the air around me... ive heard it called the "golden hour". and some other name that is not coming to mind right now. im especially intrigued how every second of a sunset changes. the light and colours bouncing around the clouds are brilliant.

so i was going through some old pics tonite, and found these.. love them. it happened on a quick trip to my moms house..kate and i were on our way home.. the sun was setting.. oh my, it was gorgeous! and my poor daughter, im sure she thinks im crazy, had no choice but to go along with me chasing the sunset. i had to find a great angle over a big field.. i didnt want anything in the way. so we chased, until i found my self on a dead end street on the outskirts of belle glade. to say the least, it was oh-so-not- friendly looking.. chase came to a hault.. and i had a camera full of these bright skies..

evening blooms

2010-04-07T22:09:00.000-04:00

its that time of year again.. the gardenias are blooming:) as im bustling in the front door the fragrance stops me in my tracks.. i hault and look over my shoulder.. and there they are- the big, white, billowy blooms:) i love the way they fill the evening air.. that delicious smell yanks me right out of my "oh- im- so- busy" world and replaces it with the "stop and enjoy the world around you feeling".. calm.

evening bloom..

floating blooms...

ahh.. adding the candle..now, its perfect :)

a little bit of sewing

2010-02-18T17:04:00.000-05:00

just a simple and quick post... made a couple holders for my phone and camera this afternoon..

yeah, i know, they do seem a tad christmassy..but i still like them;)

and here are a couple shots of my work/studio space.. i always like seeing other peoples space.. so heres mine;) well, what it looked like this afternoon anyway..

and my sweet little kate.. who is not so little anymore.. i love seeing her snuggled up somewhere with a book.
happy thursday everyone:)

orange picking

2010-01-09T23:57:00.000-05:00

a recent trip to my mom and jacks house "produced" these orangey pics.. scads of oranges... just dripping off the trees. love it, and i love that one day, the kids will have this memory to look back on. just like i have mine.

growing up, i had the delight of spending much time at my grandparents house. settled at the bottom of a hill, their house was surrounded with many nooks and crannies to explore. their yard was huge and was a vast source of forging cherished memories. some of my adventures include the summers i spent picking wild blackberries.

...oh the countless pricks my little fingers would recieve from too greedy of a reach..and the stains of blue and purple they turned from the squished berries. hundreds of bushes lining the side yard...the excitement of spying a new cluster would make my heart leap. my grandfather and i would gobble them down, saving just enough to make into homemade blackberry pies. my tastes buds still water when i think about the ooze of a slice falling over my tongue.

my three little ones dont have wild blackberry picking memories... but the do have the sweet citrussy memories of picking oranges..and that makes my heart happy:)

cole using the picker to get the fruit out of reach

kate, eyeing it up and selecting

and duelio, carting around the juicy pickings
its hard work juicing!
together..
can you smell it? ..soo fresh

here are some random pictures from their backyard..

a good find

2010-01-04T20:29:00.000-05:00

mhm, yep- found another treasure at our local goodwill. oh, love that place!!! while others may think those resale or thrift stores are dirty or smell funky and not worth the trip.. i beg to differ.. beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? or, as my grandfather used to say.. "in matters of taste and color there can be no dispute." so, here it is.. the latest of finds.. cute little white christmas tree. its actually more of a biscuit color.. oh... and did i mention it was only $1.99!!!!

...and at its new home.... i always wanted shell-themed tree!

and of course.. a close up:

pasta.....good...

2010-01-01T21:01:00.001-05:00

mmm.. i love it.. not because im italian.. just bc its totally delicious.. my mom gave me this pasta to try.. why i did not save the packaging, i dont know?! she got it on vacation brought it back for me. it tastes just about as fresh as making it at home. a bit of sauteed garlic.. diced tomatoes... and of course.. i love my pecorino romano!! freshly grated over top.. you just cant beat it. i totally heart pasta.

and a close up...

mangia!

its possible..

2009-11-10T11:27:00.000-05:00

my family and i recently took our first offical road trip.. this was a doozy(well ,the ride home was anyway) .. south florida up to virginia with a few day stop in the ever -so- charming greenville, south carolina. oh- i heart greenville!

we got to do a little exploring around one of those days in greenville.. everything was just so peaceful and beautifully perfect.. i couldnt quite pinpoint why i was enjoying the trip so much...its possible, i was just excited to break from our daily norm. or, its possible i was simply bissful to breath in some real autumn air and drink up all the colors of fall... OR... its possible that i couldnt have been more thrilled to spend some time with dear old friends.:) but for whatever reason... SOMETHING made finding this dairy farm extraordinarly delightful. so much, that i had to share..

..here are kate and cole..enjoying the smells of a dairy farm.

this would be the sign that lurred me in. now, convincing steve to stop was another matter. oh- was i dying to buy these eggs!! farm fresh eggs??? right off the farm.. i love it!

the vehicle of which they sell the eggs.. seriously, ive never seen anything like this before.. and to top it off.. its not like there is anyone there to receive the funds for the eggs...yeah- thats right.. the HONOR system!! holy cow... btw, they need egg cartons..

just a close up.."please pay the box in the refidgerator"...written on what has clearly been a used and re-used piece of foam board....yes, i was totally loving the whole experience:)

can you tell??? money in hand, fresh out-of-the-chicken eggs in the other! woohoo!

they may as well have been gold.. as i sat starring at the little treasures in my lap:)...can i please have my very own chicken coop?

to top it off, this was the charming view i looked at while travelling on to our next destination..please excuse the glare;)

so, yeah, its possible that buying eggs from some random dairy farm isnt all that charming and fascinating for most people..but for me, it was.

in progress

2009-10-28T18:08:00.000-04:00

so, its been forever since ive made a card or invitation.. so now, im slowly getting back into it:) ..i missed that creative outlet. a friend, (thank you jennifer!!) asked me to design an invitation for her mother in laws golden anniversary party.. so heres a quick little snap of my work space..........in progress.

gardening glory

2009-10-06T21:15:00.000-04:00

we all have that list of college jobs.. some more memorable than others, and some more enjoyable than others. one of my most likeable jobs was spa attendant at mar-a-lago. great pay, delicious employee dining options, beautiful surroundings and of course... complimentary spa treatments!! now that was some serious papmering!:) it was the free facials and massages that helped me not mind the never-ending supply of mega-plush robes that needed to be folded, the solid brass sinks that had to be wiped drip free after every use, the hair brushes that were to be “de-haired” after every use and the toilet paper refolded into a point or fan...you guessed it- after every use. but, it was the exposure to the magnificant gardens that drew me in and grabbed my attention every time my foot hit the lush grounds. always taking note of what was in bloom and memorizing the names of tropical plants id never laid eyes on before. Im sure I annoyed the gardener always tagging along while he planted or manicured something exotic, but I couldnt help it. one of my most favourite plants i saw was the “datura”..a lushy green plant with huge leaves that illuminated when touched by sunlight. also called “angels trumpet” for the shape of its bloom-a gorgeous upside down trumptey-looking form. i would smile gleefully every time I saw them. always thinking to myself: one day when I grow up and have a yard of my own, I want this datura growing there. so, years down the road, my step mom, who has the greenest thumb you could ever imagine, gave me a cutting of her datura. It has been one of my favourite presents yet. it started out a foot or so high and has grown into this amazingly beautiful huge plant that towers over all our heads. I still smile with glee every time I look out my kitchen window and see the dozen or so blooms dripping off its crooked branches. thanks for the cool find mar-a-lago, and thanks for this awesome treasure, elaine!!:)

its fall, right?

2009-09-17T16:50:00.000-04:00

living in florida, you would hardly know it. actually- you wouldnt know it at all. with our daily average temperatures still in the 90s, im left dying for some real fall weather. so, when its not fall outside, you resort to making it fall inside. start with lowering the ac just a smidge. buy some yummy, scented fall candles and then finish with simmering some mulling spices.... just take a moment to enjoy the smells that make you want to swim in the belly of a spiced pumpkin... so, thats what ive done here. i cant wait for the kids to get home today.. walking into a house smelling of cinnamon sticks and pumpkin:) wish they had a walk home that included gazing up at the autumn skies. taking in all the brilliant leaves starting their fantastic color show, all the while feeling the crisp air pushing on their sweet little cheeks... oh I love the fall..

(a simmering pot of my favourite mulling spices..i bet you can smell it from here!)

in the mean time.. i suppose ill get back to this huge pile of laundry screaming my name...with the hopes of the laundry genie appearing soon.