a little bit of sewing

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

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

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...

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..

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

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

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!!:)