It's a SuNSHiNe Day!!

3.31.11-

Hallelujah!!

Open the door & let the sunshine in!

{I feel like braking out into song with the Brady Bunch... I think I'll go for a walk outside now...}

 I even got to walk on my grass in the front yard today to go get the mail{no snow}-yeah!

I know there is another storm coming up I am ENJOYING this today!

-The Friends & Family door-

I love being able to open up the doors, let the sunshine in, hear the birds chirping & breath in some fresh air.  I even put the homework on hold, right after school, so my kids could go out & PLaY!

Oh, Happy {Sunshiny} Day!!
{M}

* I also did a Costco run & got a bag of Dark Chocolate Pomegrantes- mmmm, LOVE them so much!
I am a happy girl today :)

Snow, Ski Slopes & SuRPRiSe- I was "Pinned!!"

3.25.11-

  My family & I decided that the only way to stay happy with all the snow we have been getting lately is by going skiing! A&E had a 1/2 of school today so we all packed up & off we went.  We are fortunate enough to live only 15 min. from Snowbasin. Oh, that makes it so nice to go up for an afternoon, which is what we did today. 

-Ty & I getting to ride up by ourselves- our girls LOVE to ride up the lift on their own-

-Thought the Mtns. & pine trees looked so pretty with the fresh dusting of snow-

-A&E ready to get back on the slopes after a quick break-

-Audrey-

Miss Mace

Emmy & I

I love seeing my girls develop new talents, enjoy being together & the thrill they get from doing something {riding the lift} all by themselves.  They are growing up so fast

{which makes me sad} but at the same time it is fun to watch them & see what they can do.

& guess what??  I've been "Pinned!" 

{How fabulous is that?}

I couldn't believe my eyes when I got on Pinterest the other night & saw a picture of MY KITCHEN on the website.

  {Thanks Ticey- for pinning it off my blog & posting it on your Future Home pin board}

If I would have known you were going to do that I would have taken a better picture

{wink, wink}

Anyways, thanks- I was very flattered!

Anyone else out there "PiNNiNG" yet?  Please tell me if you are so I can follow your creative/inspiration packed pinboards.
It's soooo much fun!!
F.Y.I- You can follow my pins-HERE-

Happy Weekend!
{M}

**oh, & thanks for all the comments lately- I love hearing
from you- Thanks, it makes my day! :)

Review- A day in my kitchen

3.24.11-

Some of my favorite things about cooking & baking are-

1- I love after a long day of cooking there is no sign that it has been a full day baking.

{ahhh... cleanness!}

-The only evidentce of a day in the kitchen is the ice cream maker & cake on display in the cake stand out on the island- bliss!-

I am a clean-up as you go kind of baker, maybe I learned that from my days in 4-H cooking classes.  Just ask my girls they will tell you

{because they hear it from me all the time as they are making something}

2- My Aprons

I told you I have quite a collection, they are all hung up nice & neat inside my pantry door along with Miss Mace, Audrey & Em's aprons too.

{Maybe I'll do a photo fashion show & tell of who made or gave me each apron}

The darling little royal blue one,on the end, was made by my Mom for me when I was a little girl.  I'm glad I still have it.

3- A Favorite Quote

- "I think every recipe should start with

Pre-Heat the oven & put on your Apron!"-

I came across this in a magazine a few years ago & loved the message. So true & so my motto in the kitchen!

4- Making something hearty & satisfying for my family for dinner, plus it's always a bonus if it looks & smells wonderful too.

5- I love having a reason to use a cake stand

A cake looks so much prettier served up high & presented in such a way, glad I have a collection of stands to choose from.

It always makes it fun!

6- Mismatched China

-Thanks to my wonderful Mother in Law for always giving me little dishes she sees & buys here & there, I love them. Also thanks to the good ol' D.I.  I can always find something there to add to the collection. 

The Basil Ice Cream was De-lish by the way, {so glad I attempted to make it} & the Pound Cake & soup were yummy too. I guess we'll have to see if they get chosen to serve at Gourmet Club in April or not.  Still lots of recipes to try & taste testing to do before we pick the menu. 

Happy{even though it's snowing again}day!

{M} 

What I'm wearing {and doing} Wednesday!

3.23.11-

  Before I begin I must confess something- I NEVER spell the word Wednesday correctly the 1st time.

{Augh... why is that?! I just think the n should come

before the d I guess}

**So...is there a word you always seem to misspell? If so I'd love to know which word it is**

-Anyway what I am wearing Wednesday-

I started off the day going to Yoga at Lone Tree at 8:45 this morning until 10:00

Ahhh... Namaste, it was such a great class.

-Yoga mat in hand ready to go! I need to get better about this whole self portrait thing I know ;) -

I LOVE going to yoga it seems to rejuvenate my body & spirit.  I always feel so invigorated after leaving class each week.

{Thanks Syd!}

-Home- showered- hair done & apron on-

Oh- I love me an apron!! I have quite a collection & love to wear them, have had them given to me as gifts {my friends know me so well} & have been known to wear them an entire Sunday afternoon.

Oh, & amp; getting dressed up & doing my hair just to stay home for the day is a really big deal for me.  Usually I just pull my hair back in a pony tail & I'm good for the day but I took the time today to get all ready & it really does make a difference.  Glad I was thinking about posting What I Wore Wednesday {just had to fix the spelling} because it motivated me- maybe I better keep this up.

I have my apron on because I am making dinner for my neighbors & trying out a few recipes for Gourmet Club. 
So far I have made, from scratch, a 
Sour Cream Pound Cake. It's in the oven now & smells so yummy!

I'm attempting to make some Basil Ice Cream
to go along with it.

{Have never made this before but had some in Park City last July & LOVED it!}
I'll let you know how it turns out.



-As you can tell this is a well worn recipe- a Quigley
family favorite!!-

 

& for dinner a tasty
Tortellini Veggie Soup

A recipe from my dear friend Cory D., she gave me the recipe years ago & its one of our families favorites.

Happy Wednesday!

{just had to spell check & fix again & no, I'm not kidding}
{M}

A couple of ?'s

3.22.11-

I have been asking myself Why alot today-

Why- does it have to snow again?

Why- do my kids not listen to me sometimes?

{I really do know what I'm talking about! ;)}

Why- don't people like to leave comments?

Why- do I care?

Why- do I want to take a nap right now?

Why- don't I like to make or return phone calls?

Why- am I so blessed?

Why- have not I not shared this yet?

{the potatoes were so good not to mention the White Hot Cocoa}



Why- do I know what the decor will be for our Gourmet Club turn next month but not all the food yet? augh!

Why- do I always post in colored Georgia font?

{time for a change}

Why- am I not doing something more productive?

Why- does all the Easter candy at the store look so good? 

Why- can I not get motivated to set a date for The Hive?

Why- does the neighborhood Walmart never have all the grocery items I need to get? {ever!}

Why- can't I get enough of those yummy, juicy, little Clementines? {so good!}

Ok, that's all for now

{M}

I'm hooked!! {or should I say Pinned}

3.21.11-

Have you heard about Pinterest?? 

It is the newest & greatest thing that I just LOVE!  You may know about how much I love to flip through magazines for creative inspiration & ideas. I have gathered clippings, ripped out pages & placed them all into folders over the years---well Pinterest allows me to do it online & organize all the fabulous ideas I see onto Pinboards

{Pinboard- n. a visual collection of things you love}

 

Here is a sampling of the visual loveliness that I have pinned onto some of my pin boards

{you can see more of what I like-here}

 

I love this because I need visual stimulation to get me moving- whether it's home decor, thinking of what to make for dinner, a little treat to take a neighbor or just planning for a party.

 

The great thing about Pinterest is that you can share with your friends & see each others pins & pin board as well as give credit to the proper source.  Each time you "re-pin" something you can see where the original source came from if you would like more info. about it. 

{fabulous!!}

 

So you can follow my pins here or click on the Pinterest link on the top right hand side of my blog.  I would LOVE to know if any of you out there are already pinning so I could follow you- please let me know!

{don't forget to follow me too so that we're connected- it will be fun!!}

 

 

So if you want to start pinning here is a link to Pinterest to get started.

FYI- you may have to wait a bit to get your invite- be patient :) it's all worth it.

 

1-be sure to attach the Pin-it bookmark, it makes it easy to pin

2-create & name pin boards unique to you

3- start looking around for things that inspire you

4-pin to your boards & enjoy!!
{it took me awhile to figure it all out but once you get the hang of it its terrific}

Have fun & Happy "Pinning"!!

{M}

Happy {LuckY} Day!

3.17.11-

  Today has been a good day-

I started off by going to my OBGYN for my yearly check-up {how lucky am I right?!?} 

I mean isn't that how everyone wants to spend their St. Patricks Day?  Anyway my Dr. made my day when he told me that I had lost 13 lbs. since my last visit!

{that was fabulous to hear}

I guess all the no caffeine, or pop in general, really watching what I eat, limited sweets & Zumba-ing has paid off! It was so great to hear now I just need to keep it up.

I almost faltered during our NY trip when my husband ordered a Dr. Pepper {it looks sooo good} & when I almost asked the flight attendant for a Sprite on the flight home but I held strong & didn't do it.

{yeah- me!} 

Here's a picture of the terrific antique store my friend Nicole & I discovered on Main Street in Palmyra.  If any of you are planning a trip back there this year you have to stop in.  It was full of so much vintage wonder!  

Dan, the owner, is a very creative person who turns an old antique into a shabby chic treasure.  

{he was very fun to talk to}

I love to met someone who is very passionate about what they like to do. 

There are actually 3 fun little places to shop along main street in Palmyra, I enjoyed shopping in each one of them. {Wish I could have gotten so much more too}

Hope you all have a Lucky day!!

Oh, & happy March Madness to- Good Luck to my Duke Blue Devils in the Tourney this year I hope they take it all!

{M}

Treasures!

3.16.11-

Just wanted to share what I found antiquing in Victoria,Canada & Palmyra, New York this weekend.

{Oh, I wish I could have carried home everything I saw & wanted to buy}

 I better take a UHaul with me next time ;) I was happy to be able to stash these little treasures into my luggage & bring them home. 

 Just had to have the glass mason jar {with glass lid} with the stamped crown on it & Toronto stamped on the back, the dainty little frame was just too cute to leave behind, the donut cutter for Miss Mace & just couldn't leave DAntiques in Palmyra without the fabulous colorful old tins.

I am so LOVING antique tin cases lately.  I thought the little birdie was adorable & fell in love the lime green color of the other tin. Hmmm, now what to fill them up with or use them as?? Maybe a place to hold clothes pins, jewelry or stray buttons.

Anyway they make me smile!

{M}

Rethinking & rearranging

3.9.11-

I love old windows & have several hanging up here & there around our home.  They aren't used in the traditional way though & I thought you might like to take a peek at them too.

One thing I enjoy is finding a purpose or a reuse for something different than what it was intended to be used for.

Old window panes + dry erase markers + this & that=

Memo board



-Mine hanging in my closet! I love the little letters the girls & Ty leave for me. I love looking at it every morning to start the day & every night-  



-My hubby has one hanging up on his side of the closet too-

-Miss Mace's in her newly decorated room {more pics to come sometime soon} LOVE the color we painted it!!

Family pictures + old window pane= unique picture frames

-This pane was given to me by a wonderful family friend who rescued it out of an old barn in good old Lewiston. It fits 8x10's perfectly in each pane-

-The perfect pane to display cute pictures of my 3 girls. I can hang it either vertically or horizontally depending on the photos-

Also while in my closet, taking pics of my memo boards, I decided to rearrange my closet by color. Thanks to a suggestion from a sweet friend & now looking at my closet I can tell I am fully in the winter mode- too many dark clothes!  {it's good to step back & take a look at things}

So I need to go shopping & bring in some more color!  It's always good to have an excuse to go shopping, right? 

{M}

-Some of you may have noticed that I took off The Hive button off from the side- it's because I am "re-thinking" the dates.  I have a lot of things coming up in April so I'm trying to figure it all out- I'll keep you posted on what I decide {I'm thinking maybe May}

Lookie what I spotted......

3.8.11-

 

While I was blog hopping last night I came across this cute family sitting upon some H&H benches! 

{I love these little things- they are the best decorating accessory ever!!}

I think their pictures turned out adorable & I love all the bright colors. 

The best thing about spotting this is that I met Angela {the cute Mom} through my blog & she has been such a sweet supporter & even better a nice new friend.  I have so enjoyed getting to know her. Isn't new friends & making connections the best?!  I just love it.

{you can see more of there cute pictures by going here to my friend

Haley's photography blog}

Oh, if you have one of those benches it really is a treasure!  My wonderful husband made each one of those by hand & created each unique design. Wish he had the time to make me some more to sell  {hint, hint} but he is a busy guy with lots of things demanding his time.  So if you have one in your home - consider yourself lucky & enjoy having it around!  

Have a wonderful day!

{M}

Desperately seeking SPRiNG!

3.4.11-

I am so over with Winter! {anyone else?}

I am longing for warmer weather, spotting daffodils poking up through the ground, being able to sit on my porch in the sun while sorting through the mail, seeing the grass in my yard & just seeing some color around me!!

Since outside isn't providing too much I decided to look around my home for some cheerful color spots that make me :)

Love the combo of turquoise & mustard yellow.  I found the globe at a local thrift store & bonus it is actually a light too!



-Honeysuckle {color of the year} Lime, Turquoise & Orange 
We got the candy tin as a gift at Christmastime & I fell in love with the color & just had to keep it around, even before I knew it was the color of the year.
{the contents of the tin  however did not last long-yum!}



In my search for SPRiNG {although signs of winter still linger outside} I decided to pack up all these chilly friends in hopes that it might make the snow melt faster. {fingers crossed}



 And I found this as I was packing up all the Winter/ Valentines decor.  Isn't the crepe paper heart the sweetest?  I don't know if one of my girls made that or if it just naturally appeared from stringing the crepe paper up for our Valentines dinner- anyway it made me smile when I saw it.

Here's to hoping that SPRiNG is quickly on it's way!

{M}

One thing marked off!

3.1.11-

  One weekend project done- I have seen the light!

{hallelujah!}

-the Before-

 & after



-a few skeleton,& odd shaped keys & a glue gun later-
TA-DaH!!



I love when you finish a task & are able to mark off something on your to-do list. Ahhh!

{Now onto the 25 other things! ;) }

Happy 1st day of March

{please, please Spring come soon!!}

{M}