I haven't had a clue what to write about for the past week. I feel like y'all are probably getting tired of the daily grind around here (I am) and I wanted to write something dazzling and inspiring. While I am not sure that this post will meet that criteria, I will tell you its idea came to me as I was pulling a jar of pickles out of the refrigerator. No, I am not going to write to you about pickles - although I do love them. I am going to write about how my pickles were plain. They had no funny eyes made out of olives, or toothpick arms. The point is, they were not creative.
Do you remember in "My Best Friend's Wedding" when Julia Roberts says to Cameron Diaz, "You are NOT Jello. You are ne-ver gon-na be Jello." As far as the creative world is concerned, I am never going to be Creme Brule. I am Jello.
I have known for quite awhile now that I am not artsy, creative or really a DIY-er. Then I joined Pinterest. I was floored by how little I actually know how to do and how CUTE everyone seems to be. Did YOU know you can make a wreath from a few feet of tubing from Lowe's, a glue gun and Christmas ornaments? I actually vowed not to join this new site when it first came out. Why do I need more reasons to procrastinate/stare at a computer screen? But I broke down. Several of my friends at home were talking about how great it was....and I caved. So for the last few days, I have been perusing ideas for a new kitchen, recipes, DIY holiday ideas and clothes. I actually described to Mike the kitchen I wanted and what walls I would tear out/colors I could use to create the perfect space. I could be Creme Brule! And yet, Mike reminded me we are renting....and not buying a house anytime soon. Back to Jello.
So, for me, the best thing about this site is the recipes. Did you know that everyone in America has a blog now? I guess I wanted to believe that I was one of the elite few. I'm not. You like to cook? You have a cooking blog. Do you sew? Log into that clothing blog. Anyway, I have found some of the best recipes on this site, and that is one thing I KNOW I can do. Y'all may not get a made from scratch, cutesy holiday ornament from me this year (ok - none of you will) but I can buy ingredients and put them together! And in the future, I will have some ideas for the house I want, the children's birthday parties I will throw and the cute wreath that I will just go buy at Target.
Now that the jar of pickles are gone, I hope you are dazzled and inspired by this post. And if you are Jello, don't worry - we too have our special, hidden talents! For proof, go join Pinterest. You just might just find them.
*This is not a paid advertisement for Pininterest, but we are accepting donations.*
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
A Little Piece of Heaven
If you look closely off Highway 97, you might notice a dirt driveway covered on either side with beautiful old trees. If you venture in, you will be transported to a little spot where Wi-Fi doesn't work, your cell phone doesn't get service and nothing is around besides Mom and Pop stores, the water and clear skies. You can see the stars at night, and you don't have to worry about locking the door when you leave because no one is really around.
Usually there is a sailboat tied to the dock, but it was being cleaned for the summer. My parents have used the water and sailboats for years to get away from the stress of everyday life and rejuvenate. I am so thankful that they included their children in the majority of their trips, and now, that they have a place that they can escape to whenever they want.
Even though Mike and I arrived at the same time Tropical Storm Lee did, we were still able to enjoy the solitude and quaintness of the area.
Don't you just love this bench? I sat on it and have no idea how much time went by. The breeze and the ocean just take you away. (By the way, pretty much everything in these pictures was built/planted by my parents.) Sometimes I think if they were stranded somewhere and no one could find them, it would be just fine with them. :-)
Here are some pears that my parents grew this season:
And here is mom doing a little weeding before the rain came back....
I have been wanting to try this cheese store that my dad always raves about. I don't know what I was expecting, but he told me he thought my expectations were a little high. He tried to explain that some "hippies" made cheese from the cows they keep on their land. And he was right.
We walked into a room not much bigger than the room you are probably sitting in now. The cheese was displayed in front of us and you can taste whatever type you like. I think Dad was getting embarrassed because I made sure to get my fill of samples! The cheese was delicious - I thanked the cows on our way out.
That evening we put the boys to work just so we could have a taste of this:
I love oysters. Baked, fried or raw, I do not discriminate. The crazy thing was, with the storm, many of the oyster boats were not going out. After calling at least four different places, we were able to reserve two boxes of oysters that Dad and Mike shucked with great tenacity.
Don't they look thrilled? I think they were tired from all their hard work. Seriously, nothing beats fresh seafood.
And here is just a cameo of mom and me - were enjoying some wine with our oysters. (No, I am not expecting. That is just a really bad angle...)
So what did we do over the weekend? We woke up, ate breakfast, traveled to one of the stores or watched football, took a nap and then just hung out until dinner. It wasn't a lot of late nights, but it was exactly what we needed. Yes, if the sun had been out, the pictures would probably have included tubing and laying out, but this was just perfect. We can't wait for the next time we get to escape to my parent's little oasis!
Thanks Mom and Dad - we had a great time!
Usually there is a sailboat tied to the dock, but it was being cleaned for the summer. My parents have used the water and sailboats for years to get away from the stress of everyday life and rejuvenate. I am so thankful that they included their children in the majority of their trips, and now, that they have a place that they can escape to whenever they want.
Even though Mike and I arrived at the same time Tropical Storm Lee did, we were still able to enjoy the solitude and quaintness of the area.
Don't you just love this bench? I sat on it and have no idea how much time went by. The breeze and the ocean just take you away. (By the way, pretty much everything in these pictures was built/planted by my parents.) Sometimes I think if they were stranded somewhere and no one could find them, it would be just fine with them. :-)
Here are some pears that my parents grew this season:
I have been wanting to try this cheese store that my dad always raves about. I don't know what I was expecting, but he told me he thought my expectations were a little high. He tried to explain that some "hippies" made cheese from the cows they keep on their land. And he was right.
We walked into a room not much bigger than the room you are probably sitting in now. The cheese was displayed in front of us and you can taste whatever type you like. I think Dad was getting embarrassed because I made sure to get my fill of samples! The cheese was delicious - I thanked the cows on our way out.
That evening we put the boys to work just so we could have a taste of this:
I love oysters. Baked, fried or raw, I do not discriminate. The crazy thing was, with the storm, many of the oyster boats were not going out. After calling at least four different places, we were able to reserve two boxes of oysters that Dad and Mike shucked with great tenacity.
Don't they look thrilled? I think they were tired from all their hard work. Seriously, nothing beats fresh seafood.
And here is just a cameo of mom and me - were enjoying some wine with our oysters. (No, I am not expecting. That is just a really bad angle...)
So what did we do over the weekend? We woke up, ate breakfast, traveled to one of the stores or watched football, took a nap and then just hung out until dinner. It wasn't a lot of late nights, but it was exactly what we needed. Yes, if the sun had been out, the pictures would probably have included tubing and laying out, but this was just perfect. We can't wait for the next time we get to escape to my parent's little oasis!
Thanks Mom and Dad - we had a great time!
Babies!
It's been awhile huh? I didn't realize when I booked my plane tickets that I would be gone for a full two weeks. Even though I had a great time visiting with friends and family, I was ready to get on the plane, see Mike and Lullabelle and get back into the swing of things. One of the best things about this trip is that it wasn't rushed. Usually when we are home for the holidays, we feel like we are cramming as many events and attempting to see as many people as possible. This trip, I was able to take my time and see almost everyone I could. (I miss you Rach and Anna Barton!)
I had a wonderful lunch with a friend and her sweet baby girl one afternoon. We had not spoken in almost ten years - not for anything important, life just drifted us apart. It was so nice to be able to pick up where we left off and sit for two hours chatting and laughing. I missed you Ellen! I wish I had a picture of her gorgeous baby,Vivi. But never fear, I think I have enough pictures of babies to make you smile for awhile.
One Thursday evening, five women thought it would be a good idea to bring four babies together into one room. My very best friend of 29 (yikes!) years was in town from New York and I had never met her eight month old baby! I still can't believe I went that long without seeing him. You can believe I soaked up all the time I could with him. I think his Grandmother was getting jealous....
He looks a little concerned about Crazy Aunt Jenny here:
How could you not want want to squeeze him?
And now, introducing for the first time on the blog, (in random order because they are all beyond cute.)
Harper Miller:
Kate Maple:
And Riley Cook:
And here's what happens when you mix them all together!
Kate was over it. I think we were having a stare down...she won.
And Harper was avoiding the paparazzi at all costs. Don't you love that smirk?
It was chaos, but so much fun. It is amazing to me how much these little people have already developed such big personalities!
Did you think I was done? I went to lunch with another friend from high school who has 2 year old identical twin boys. Randomly, we reconnected through someone else's blog! We hung out at Whole Foods while her boys played.
They are precious things, John David and Timothy, and their mom Catie, is not so bad herself.
I planned to write about Mike and my's trip to the beach with my parents, but this is getting long by itself. I will make you wait for another post about our trip to Elberta, Alabama!
I had a wonderful lunch with a friend and her sweet baby girl one afternoon. We had not spoken in almost ten years - not for anything important, life just drifted us apart. It was so nice to be able to pick up where we left off and sit for two hours chatting and laughing. I missed you Ellen! I wish I had a picture of her gorgeous baby,Vivi. But never fear, I think I have enough pictures of babies to make you smile for awhile.
One Thursday evening, five women thought it would be a good idea to bring four babies together into one room. My very best friend of 29 (yikes!) years was in town from New York and I had never met her eight month old baby! I still can't believe I went that long without seeing him. You can believe I soaked up all the time I could with him. I think his Grandmother was getting jealous....
How could you not want want to squeeze him?
And now, introducing for the first time on the blog, (in random order because they are all beyond cute.)
Harper Miller:
Kate Maple:
And Riley Cook:
And here's what happens when you mix them all together!
Kate was over it. I think we were having a stare down...she won.
And Harper was avoiding the paparazzi at all costs. Don't you love that smirk?
It was chaos, but so much fun. It is amazing to me how much these little people have already developed such big personalities!
Did you think I was done? I went to lunch with another friend from high school who has 2 year old identical twin boys. Randomly, we reconnected through someone else's blog! We hung out at Whole Foods while her boys played.
They are precious things, John David and Timothy, and their mom Catie, is not so bad herself.
I planned to write about Mike and my's trip to the beach with my parents, but this is getting long by itself. I will make you wait for another post about our trip to Elberta, Alabama!
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