Brene Brown

Man, I just can't get enough of her. 

Christmas 2013

 

                                            Cookies on Christmas Eve

                                     My favorite people

                             The Men in my life

                                   My boys and I

               Someone is waiting for his presents

                        Cute packages

Holiday Gratitude

Christmas Tunes

I can't stop listening to Pentatonix's Christmas songs.  It's nice when you can listen to the classics in a totally new way, keeps the Christmas music fresh.

Baked Gnocchi

I can't stop thinking about this baked Gnocchi.  It looks so good and it seems easy to make.  What a perfect meal with a salad and some wine.   I'm adding this to my need and easy, impressive meal list. 

Brene Brown - Empathy

I saw this video via Cup of Jo and I had to re-post it.  This is so true, we try so hard to make people feel better or to distract them from their pain instead of just sitting in the pain and recognizing it.

Scenes From My Weekend

I love homemade marshmallows, once you have these you will never settle for those store bought ones again.  I always use this Martha Stewart recipe, it's easy and delicious.  They make a great gift if you wrap them with hot chocolate or all the stuff to make s'mores. 

 

 

I love having a little tree in my kitchen.

 

I never tire of this view, but I do get tired of the snow.  We got at least few feet this weekend.

Making marshmallows while burning my Marshmallow Fireside candle from Bath and Body Works, it really does smells like marshmallows mixed with a wood burning fire, weird.

 

Taste test must happen, right?

Gifts for the 15 Year Old in My Life

 

 

1  ,  2 ,  3 ,

Christmas Ideas

                                           via

I'm loving these simple Christmas ideas via Seventy Nine Ideas, actually I love everything about this beautiful blog.  Things feel so weird this Christmas, selling my house this time of year was not my smartest decision but it just all seemed to work out that way.  I didn't want to go crazy decorating for Christmas since I am also in the middle of packing up the house.  Any of these simple, beautiful ideas above would be so perfect for me this year. 

Scenes From My Weekend

Holy Mother of God is this Peppermint Bark gelato good.  I am a huge fan of the Mediterrean Mint and the Sea Salt Caramel and when I saw this special holiday flavor I had to have it.  It is so creamy and delicious, I can't even tell you.  I bought two and gave one to my sister, let's just say this is so good I tried to take back the one I gave to my sister.   I wonder if you can order it by the case?

I made chocolate chip cookies. 

Started wrapping presents.  I made the tags out of an old little calendar I had.

 

Also, the tree is up and ready for Santa.  I really wanted white lights but the kids wanted colored.  I should have put my foot down on the colored lights.

Happy Cyber Monday

                                                                   via

I wouldn't mind spending my day shopping online from this space.  I love the light floors and white walls.

My holiday weekend was so nice, spending time with family and friends is just what I needed.  I forgot to take pictures of our Thanksgiving feast, I was too busy cooking and drinking wine.  I did however, manage to get a picture of breakfast, my Publix Pilgrims and homemade applesauce in the slow cooker. 

6 Cortland apples, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup of sugar
sprinkle enough cinnamon on top to cover the apples

Bonus, it makes your house smell great too. 

Cook in the slow cooker on high for about 5 hours or low for about 8, you can tell when the apples are completely soft.  You can mash it with a potato masher or use an immersion hand blender to mix it up if you don't like chunks. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello Winter!

The first snowfall is so crisp and clean.  It reminds of the beauty that is all around us. 

 

Oops....I forgot to bring in the furniture off the deck. 

Scandinavian Designed Kitchen

Now that I sold my builder grade home so quickly, I am thinking about what I want to do next. I know I want a place I can make my own, with design that feels like home to me.  Like everyone lately I do love white kitchens but this khaki and black kitchen is so appealing.  The lighting, the cabinet color and the black storage cabinets all go so perfectly.  Who wouldn't love to cook this kitchen and eat at that cute breakfast nook.  The ideas in my head for a new home are running ramped. 





    pictures via My Paradissi

Words of Wisdom

                                                via

Well, things have been happening around here, I had to make a very difficult decision.  I decided to sell my home, our home.  I love this house, we built it with the intention of raising our children here, hosting holidays for our grandchildren and retiring with the neighbors we adore, but things change.  Life changes in ways you can't ever imagine and I've learned adapting and being flexible is the best approach.   Now that I am a single parent the house has just become too much for me to take care financially and physically.

I have been struggling with this decision for quite a while but something just clicked in my head and I knew it was time.  My children are sad but old enough to understand.  They see the hours I spend working just to get by and realize that at this point in our lives the home just isn't worth all of the struggles. 

I feel like this huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders, like I am discovering a new sense of freedom.  I put the house up for sale and within two weeks I had a really great offer.  I just know it was meant to be, the timing is right for us.

Now it's decision time, do I buy a house I can redo and make my own or do I buy a move in ready house?  I really want to redo a house but I need to take my time and be smart.  That is what is so awesome right now, having options. 

Good Morning Sunday

I love baking on Sunday mornings, it's just nice to have fresh baked goods for the week.  This Fall we have been enjoying way too much pumpkin bread, but it's so good.   My boys also love chocolate chocolate chip muffins from Wegman's at $1.25 a piece, so I decided tried Nigella Lawson's super easy recipe.  These muffins are delicious and this way I can save little money too.  I added the chocolate chips on top but the melted into the muffin next time I will add them a little later into the cooking process.

Inspirational Spaces

Do you ever see a space and just feel so inspired, like something in you shifts?  Since we now have access to so many pictures of spaces at our fingertips, thanks Pinterest, design has become so important and readily available.  I see pictures of spaces that I want to live in, that I want to work in and that I want to recreate for myself.  This office is one of those spaces that really moved me.  I could imagine working here, it's just so creative in a  non-distracting way. 



                                     via

Thanksgiving Essentials

I'm hosting Thanksgiving again this year, you may remember last years table.  I am thinking about all the lovely things I could add to my table setting.  I probably wont change it too much this year, maybe just a bit.  This tablecloth from William Sonoma is beautiful, I have a Christmas tablecloth from them and is holds up very well.  The animal place card holders from Pottery Barn are perfect for any fall/winter table setting.  Plus their turkey's are just so darn cute and rustic.  The small plates, with welcoming messages from West Elm, would make great bread plates or salad plates and I think they go perfectly with my table from last year.