Birthday Boys

We celebrated two birthdays today :: born forty-seven years apart :: my baby and my dad.  

I made Alicia's Best Chocolate Cake in the Whole Wide World with Cloudburst Frosting.  If you haven't seen her creations you should run right over and take a peek.  She has a knack for putting together the prettiest little cakes you ever did see.

The birthday boys decided to make crab eating an annual celebratory tradition.  One likes bay crabs and the other prefers Dungeness.  Bellies are full and hearts are too.

Happy Birthday to two of my very favorite guys!

Company's Coming

Our niece is visiting for the night.

It's always fun to have another girl in the house. In fact, the boys are doing their thing (a steak dinner out) and the girls are having a pedicure. She deserves it :: she just finished her third year of nursing school.

We might need a little snack before our appointment, so I made these no-bake cookies.  Peanut is my nut butter of choice and I like to sprinkle sea salt on top for some extra pizazz.  This quick and easy recipe has been a staple of mine for quite some time. It's perfect for those moments when you need something now.

Knock-Out roses and peonies are prettying up the place.  Their scent is more beautiful this year than ever before.

She stays in the upstairs guest room when she's here, in an old twin bed that used to belong to her great grandmother.  And, of course, there's always a little something special waiting for her on the nightstand.

Another Girls' Day :: Part One

Yesterday, the girls came for our first post-wedding craft day.  I was in charge of the ideas and, knowing these three, cupcakes were definitely a must.

We used our favorite recipes for the cake and icing, and then we tried something new.  Fresh out of the oven, each cupcake was scored with an "X" and a truffle was inserted into the center. There were lots of oohs and aahs as we waited to see just how much melting would occur.  After a bit of taste testing the consensus was that this truffle thing is a very good idea.

It brings me joy to watch these girls experiment and gain confidence in their creativity.  We tried different decorating tips and colors of frosting and then we played with packaging. Because, you know, sharing cupcakes is fun :: almost as fun as eating them.

I ordered super-cute baking supplies from Nashville Wraps - single cupcake boxes and some that hold four.   Inserts help to keep everything in place (ordered separately) and polka-dot ribbon was the icing on the cake cupcake.  

 

And just for fun, we made stickers to fancy up the boxes.  These were created using glossy white round labels from Avery, and their free, easy-to-use template designer.  I purchased the labels from our local Staples and received a mail-in rebate discount.

There's something wonderful about spending the day with a group of girls.  It's like a breath of fresh air to see the sharing and support that occurs. Our day was filled with creativity and a few laughs too (notice the hair bow?).  Fun.  Really fun.

Come back soon for "Another Girls' Day :: Part Two".  I'll show you the other project we worked on yesterday.   It involved a beautiful collection of scrapbook paper and my first adventure with a bottle of Mod Podge.

Christmas Auction Success

The weekend passed so quickly.  It was good.  Very good.  The kids arrived on Saturday morning and we spent the day together in the kitchen.  Everyone had their own task to complete :: preparing something special for our Christmas Eve Gathering.

The auction gift exchange was a huge success.  There was lots of interaction and laughter.  Everyone started the evening with twenty-five Santa bucks.  If you could recall all of the gifts from the Twelve Days of Christmas you earned extra bucks :: even more for knowing all of Santa's reindeer.  There were other ways to increase your financial standing.  Here are just a few:

• If you made your bed this morning
• If you knew the birthday month of the person on your left
• If you were wearing a holiday article of clothing
• If you brought a coat to donate to the local coat drive

I hit the Christmas auction jackpot.  This beautiful cutting board, handmade by my eighteen-year-old nephew, Kevin.  He says it's constructed with end grain and I can use it without worry.  Maybe some day but, for now, displaying it proudly feels like the right thing to do.  I'm in love.

Christmas Eve :: It's Here

Well here we are.  It's Christmas Eve.  Our family will begin celebrating in about five hours and I'm kicking my feet up for a bit.  A few things that seemed important yesterday, have fallen off the To-Do list today.  I'm good with it.  During this holiday season I .......

sewed one gift (details to come)

discovered these fun little treats (great for topping off mini-chocolate mousse desserts)

spent a day baking with my niece who's home from college

Used the last of our gift wrap and turned to my vintage linen stash

The kids are on their way and we'll spend some time in the kitchen before heading to our family gathering.  We changed things up a bit this year, asking each person to bring an appetizer or some type of finger food.  I'm making these warm and comforting sandwiches on potato rolls.  The guys like them.


Our family members range in age from fifteen to ninety-four so we try to keep the evening fun for all.  This year our gift exchange will be held auction style.  We're making our own rules, but found lots of great ideas here.  I'm adding one silly gift to the mix, just to keep everyone laughing.  Mums the word.

Thank you for visiting, friends. 

Happy Holidays!

Birthdays and Herbs

Twenty-five August 25th's have passed since I was given the greatest gift on earth.

And if that wasn't special enough, this little guy was born on his grandfather's birthday. They're like two peas in a pod.

As a side note, I've been making our version of this lately and it's been a hit at our house. Just snip a few stems of your favorite mint (we have basil mint and spearmint).  Gently roll them in your hands to release some of the oil and stuff the stems into a pitcher (or two) of water.  Let steep for a few hours or overnight, remove mint and refrigerate.  It's a super-refreshing way to hydrate and so nice to mask that not-so-pleasant aftertaste when taking supplements. 

Today I'm grateful for mint and jalapeño peppers (the two things that have flourished in our garden this season) and my two birthday boys.

Settling Into Normal

It's been an unusual summer in our neck of the woods :: a very rainy spring followed by one long heat wave and unrelenting drought.  Keeping the gardens happy has been challenging. I'd have to say we've done a mediocre job.  At some point in the season I decided it was O.K. to "let it go".  Letting go isn't one of my strengths.  I'm working through it though, re-directing the negative chatter that bullies me and pressures me to strive for perfection.  I'm trying to be kinder to myself.  I think I'm making progress.

We're all settling into normal once again, now that the wedding is behind us.  The kids were given an amazing gift :: a honeymoon in a beautiful Cancun resort.  They're home now and back to work.  Now the marriage begins.  Their home is an hour from ours and you can take the highway or the back way.  The highway allows for more speed and is a tad bit quicker,  but the scenery isn't spectacular.  The back way consists of windy roads, beautiful views, and two thrift shops to browse through.  Can you guess which route I prefer?

We took a little trip on Sunday to fill up the honeymooner's fridge before they returned home.  Two old enamel pots were just waiting for us in one of the thrift shops along the way.  So glad we went the back way instead of the highway.  :)

Several of my very loyal readers asked nicely to see our wedding attire.  Below is a photo of hubby and I (in the center) and four of our dearest friends.  I should note that all of the wedding photos were generously provided by loved ones.

Addition To Our Family

On a lovely day in August our family of three loaded up the car and drove four hours in anticipation of a very special occasion.  

We couldn't have chosen better weather if we'd created it ourselves.  The sky was brilliant blue, the sun was shining, and a very gentle breeze was in the air.

Friends and family dressed in their fanciest clothing and gathered to show support.

Two best friends made a commitment to each other and hubby and I gained a beautiful daughter.

Amidst the formality there was lighthearted fun...and a little romance too.

For the last year or so this bride's been keeping a very guarded secret surrounding the design of her wedding gown.  Try as we might to make her spill the beans, she never faltered.  I found this site that allows you to create the gown of your dreams.  She and I had great fun one day  (and lots of laughs too) as we designed three wedding dresses that I thought might possibly look just like the real thing.  As you can see from the photos above, I completely missed the mark (on purpose of course).

The real dress was stunning and the bride and groom made an absolutely gorgeous pair. And now we're a family of four.

Celebrating Early

We're having our Independence Day celebration tomorrow.  I've been busy in the kitchen making barbecue and marinade and chopping onions for hot dogs.  The kids are coming and Matt likes onions and relish on his hot dog.

The marriage between these two, happening next month, was meant to be.  Do you see?  They looked like they belonged together twenty-three years ago.

And the star sprinkles?  I'll give you three guesses where they'll end up. If you said cupcakes you'd be right.

For those of you who celebrate, wishing you a very safe and happy Fourth of July.

Showering the Bride

This bride's been lovingly showered by friends, family and co-workers.  She's now ready to begin married life equipped with every little household thing she'll possibly ever need.

On Sunday, my dear friend hosted a bridal shower for our soon-to-be (in 46 days to be exact) daughter-in-law.  Aren't girlfriends the best?  She filled her home with flowers, food, guests and generous hospitality.  It was a super fun-filled girls' day.

Photo courtesy of Dana

The Menu

Crab Dip with Pita Chips (ordered out)

Beef Brisket

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

Mini Frittatas

Fruit and Veggie Trays

Spring Mix Salad w/Balsamic Vinaigrette 

Bride and Groom Cupcakes

w/tried and true white buttercream

and Hershey's chocolate buttercream

Chocolate Mousse

Assorted Cookies (Trader Joe's)

Very best wishes to a truly special girl!