Holiday happenings {late}

I'm having battles with my computer and it's winning!

My holiday photos are late but I wanted to get them on my blog for family to see and memories to be held.

We had a great 4th of July! It was relaxing with no pressure and filled with family time and catching up with old friends. 

The day began with a festive overnight french toast bake ~ sooo yummy!

Bentley was happy to oblige with his holiday bow tie. Not so much, he tried to chew it off!



A blueberry mojito. Cheers!



Having everyone involved in the kitchen is secretly a favorite of mine. The conversation flows and silliness escapes creating fun
memories.




The cute pail idea came from none other than Pinterest. I filled them with a few fun goodies, candy, sparklers, and necessary tools for the lobster dinner. I made crab sugar cookies in two different sizes. The larger one on the bottom was dressed in polka dots. These were a cute addition to the table and a great take away.





Dinner was New England style ~ lobsters, corn on the cob and a roasted potato and pepper salad.

We had mini fruit pizzas that Morgan and Nicholas made in the pictures above.



It was a fabulous being with family and friends. To top all the greatness off, I snuck in a quick afternoon nap ~ pure luxury!

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Stephen Bonanno

 

Quick question ...

Did you order from the Bonanno anniversary sale? Have you received your shoes?

It's been 6 months now and I have yet to see my package on my door step.

I've called, left messages (when they accept them), emailed and no answers! Nothing!

To be honest, I'm really surprised by their customer service. I understand their sale was popular and they are busy but communication is a must!




 

Image not mine {although I wish!} but similar to what I ordered.

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Hello June!

 

                       I think I can, I think I can …..
 

                                                      finally catch my breath!

 

The month of May has been one of endless projects, obligations, programs and commitments since I began teaching and only intensified when my son began school.  When it rolls around each year I take a deep breath and jump in with both feet.  I know that it is going to be intense, but will also offer many highlights. This year it delivered just as promised and feared :)

 {love the colors for spring}

 

{a few of the baskets}

A good friend of mine was celebrated at school for her many talents and dedication.  I was asked to do the center pieces. I filled moss baskets with seasonal fresh flowers.  The baskets offered a bright pop of color on a very cold spring day.  The luncheon was filled with great conversation and an amazing display of girly foods {lots of salads and desserts ~ so yummy!}

 

{not the best photo but you get the idea}

 

 

In keeping with my Pay It Forward/ Do Unto Others theme this year, I altered a prom dress for a young lady who's family needed some help.  When I was asked, my response of “I’d love to!” slipped out before my brain engaged. I haven’t taken on a project like this in years and I’m more than a little rusty.  Working with satin (ie slippery) material is not my strength. I ripped out many seams more than once before I accomplished the task. When I delivered the gown I added a mani and pedi gift certificate to the package. After all, every princess needs a little pampering before her big night!   In the end, it was me who received the greatest gift. Her mother relayed to me that the young lady was SO excited with her dress that she put it on as soon as it was delivered! She treated her family to a preview of prom night with her hair and makeup in place because they needed the full effect! ;) 

 

I adore these over sized headbands so I was thrilled to make one for a friend.

Showering a friend at work wrapped up my fun filled month ~ a true highlight. Kaci is expecting a baby girl in late August. I had sooo much fun shopping for baby girl outfits. Who can resist a ruffled butt or a tutu in teeny tiny sizes?!  As any girly girl knows, you have to have accessories to complete your outfit.  I made a few bows and headbands to match her outfits. So many bows posed the problem of storage. Easily solved!  I made a monogramed bow board.  This was such a fun project for a special baby girl. 

The pace is slowing and I can almost smell summer in the air. I'm looking forward to a summer schedule and tackling a few home projects that I've put off due to lack of time.

As of today, we have 8 days of school left {not that I’m counting ~ ha!} in the school year.  If hurricanes and blizzards hadn’t visited our area we would be out of school … grrrrrr!

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Something Simple

It's hard to believe that it's already JUNE and summer will {officially} be here in a matter of days! Our weather here doesn't reflect the calendar. In fact, I'm quite convinced that Mother Nature is having some sever mood swings! In the past few weeks we gone from 90 degree to 40 degrees in a matter of a day and then back into the high 70s. This doesn't include the heavy rains and snow ~ yep, it snowed here in May! I have both my summer and winter clothes out as I never know which season it will be when I get dressed for school in the morning!


I threw this together one night for dinner when we had a very full schedule and not a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.

 

Ingredients~

Pasta of choice

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 Cloves garlic

1 lb shrimp 1 healthy cup of fresh peas {I found them at Trader Joes}

Juice of one lemon

1/2 of white wine ... a glass for yourself :)

1 cup (or more) cherry tomatoes cut in half

Fresh basil lightly chopped {use as much or as little as you like}

Parmesan cheese

How to ~

Boil pasta according to box

In a saute pan add olive oil and garlic ~ saute until golden

Add the shrimp ~ cook until light pink

Add  in the fresh spring peas

Pour in the lemon juice and wine

Toss in the cherry tomatoes and basil

Combine the pasta with the rest of the ingredients

Sprinkle on the grated cheese 

Serve

You could easily replace the shrimp with chicken or scallops.

The count down is in full swing ... only 10 more days of school!!!

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Simplify

At the start of the new year I felt a great need to simplify. Many areas of my life have become cluttered, confused and bogged down by stuff. I would be an extremely rich woman if wealth was measured in excess amounts of clutter!



I kicked the new year off {literally the very first day} with the goal of filling 40 bags in 40 days. This is a task often taken on during Lent but I couldn't wait that long! I breezed by the 40 bags challenge within days. Yes, I have that much stuff! I've donated, recycled, and thrown out more than I care to admit. My husband thinks I may qualify for the Hoarders show. He's just kidding ... sort of!



The next task was to detox my thoughts, feelings and focus of my life. After the horrible tragedy of Sandy Hook I've lost a lot of faith in mankind. I read on a blog, shortly after the incident, that while this was an unthinkable event, we should focus on the good things in our lives and the world. Well, I can't. By doing so we simply desensitize ourselves and emotions. This is quickly becoming an epidemic that is spreading with vicious speed. The timing of You Version's soul detox in my inbox was perfect and just what I needed. It last for 35 days and the readings each day are very manageable.



Over the holiday, I was confronted with a health scare {why do these things always come up when you have absolutely no spare time deal with them?} that really jolted me. It was time for a major health overhaul. We've always eaten healthy, for the most part, and exercised when it fit into our schedule. After many hours of research, we are eating clean. This is a new path for us and I have a lot to learn. Cooking and baking are a true source of joy for me. It's actually my way of decompressing after a long day at work. My goal is to simply transform this into a healthier version. I have to admit that I feel so much better on this path and when I do fall off the wagon I really feel the effects! I've lost 10 pounds and have so much extra energy! Once I've perfected a few recipes, I'll share them with you.



Lastly, I'm trying {really hard} to observe the Sabbath during the Lenten season. Our pastor spoke a few weeks ago about "taking on" rather than "giving up" for Lent. He suggested acts of kindness, giving to others, and volunteering during the 40 days. He also expressed the need to observe the Sabbath. I've always looked at Saturday and Sunday as my catch up days to prepare the busy weekdays. The thought of giving up one of the days was just short of terrifying for me. I know that sounds ridiculous but it's true! Who knew it would be so hard not to do anything! With two weeks in, I think I'm doing rather well, with plenty of room for improvement. I've enjoyed some quiet unscheduled time with my husband, long talks with my son, and time just being in the moment!

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Crazy Train

You know it's been too long when you have no idea where to begin. I've been on the crazy train for months. It just doesn't slow down long enough for me to jump off!

I'm going to throw in some pictures, a few blurbs, and hope you can read between the lines and get the big picture of what's been going on in my little neck of the world.

Nicholas came home to go skiing in Vermont then headed down to spend a few days with me. Time with him was just what I needed! As a nice suprise, he was making dinner for me when I got home from school one evening. Such a sweet boy! We had a great time together, I really enjoy spending time with my son. I'm very proud of the man he is becoming!

We had quite the snowfall ~ blizzard! It lasted two days and left us with almost 3 feet snow. It was beautiful! I'll be honest, it was nice to be snowed in for a few days with no schedule! I was able to tackle many projects that I've been meaning to get to. Nicholas was bummed that he was back in North Carolina and not up here to take advantage of the fresh snow cover.

I made a few goodies for my friends and family. It wouldn't be a special day if I didn't make sugar cookies and homemade candies. This year I made heart hand warmers for my teaching buddies. If you worked in my school, you'd appreciate the need!





I have to be honest, Valentine's hasn't always been a holiday I've looked forward to or enjoyed. I've always done special things for my son and students but didn't really like all the hype for adults ~ expensive dinners out, the expectations of flowers, or expensive gifts and so on. My husband began the tradition of making dinner for me at home several years ago~ as in shopping, cooking and cleaning the kitchen. It's the greatest gift. Now I LOVE Valentine's day :)





I'll close with one of my new recipes ...




I've been experimenting with overnight baked oatmeal. The one pictured is apple and cranberry ~ yum! This is part of my new plan of eating cleaner. I'll go into that other time since this is getting rather long.

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First Snow

There is something so magical about the first real {as in more than just a dusting} snow of the season. 
It's soft white blanket covers all the brown and barren from the final days of fall. So pretty and peaceful!

 The forecast was to have flakes flying by afternoon. I waited ... and waited ... and waited. NOTHING! Just when I was about to give up hope, white fluffy dots began to float from the sky. YAY! Snow brings out the kid in you. After dinner I talked Kevin and boys into a walk through the neighborhood.
  s
 

Bentley wasn't into stopping for pictures. We tried to get him to look at the camera. Nope!

 
Let's get this show on the road people!

 Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!



The homes in our subdivision look so pretty dressed up for the holidays. I just wish my photos were better. It's rather difficult to shoot a camera, walk a dog and not slip on the snow and ice. 



Pretty lights in the window just make it so warm and cozy!



Heading home to warm up by the fire.

 

Just in case you needed a closeup of these delicious treats from my cookie exchange. They are so yummy.

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Still in the season

  This has been a busy and emotional holiday season. After what happened in Newtown CT my heart has had a hard time with cheer and celebration. I've also been missing my sweet boy Nicholas. He spent Christmas down south with Morgan and her family. They had a great time, and her family was so sweet to him {thank you!} but it just isn't the same without him. 

  Christmas Eve dawned with a last minute rush first thing in the morning. By mid afternoon life had settled down and I was looking forward to our evening candlelight service at church. 

 For as long as I can remember, my family has held the tradition of seafood on Christmas Eve. This year I took the easy road and prepared a seafood stew. Not only was it simple to prep and prepare, it was delicious! We will be revisiting this recipe again for sure! I'll share the recipe.

As we were about to walk out the door I realized that I had just shared at dinner that I've been slacking on photos and would like to get a shot or two of us before we left for church.



Christmas Eve service was beautiful! It was just what my soul needed to put the perspective back in place. Our pastor touched upon the families that are hurting as they deal with their losses as well as reminding us of the true reason and celebration of the season.

After we returned home, with a quiet and calm heart, I put the finishing details on our Christmas so that we could relax and enjoy a slow paced Christmas morning.

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Heavy Heart

I just don't understand.

What took place today, not far from my own school, is beyond conceivable.

My heart hurts for all of those that were affected.

This is a horrific tragedy!

The families and staff memebers will be in my thoughts and prayers.

 

 

To all my family and friends, from states away, who were so worried for me, thank you!





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Dinner Made Easy

It's the holiday season!
 Simply stated, I have more on my to-do list than I do time to accomplish it all.

I'm sure you all can relate!

Meal time is an area that needs to be speedy but yet satisfying during these hectic weeks.

 I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. 
Not only was it quick and easy to put together, but it's on the healthy side too. 

A winner in my book.

Farfalle with Sausage, Cannellini Beans, and Kale

*Changes I made ...

pasta type {what I had on hand}
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes {drained}

If you try it, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

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Join My Celebration

{Image not mine, but I'd be willing to sample :) }

Today is my birthday!

Yep, I'm one year older
and a little wiser.

I've decided to celebrate all week and I'm inviting you along for the fun!

It's going to be a week of giving

as in

Random Acts Of Kindness!

Join in, the more the merrier!

Kindness is contagious. 
{feel free to share with others. 
Let's how many smiles we can share}


Please come back and share.
I'd love to hear what you did 
to brighten someone's day.

Let the party begin! :)

  ~~~

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Artichoke and Mushroom Chicken Chili

I just had to share my new my new favorite chili for the chilly season ahead of us. This was a big hit when I served it in my home.

 It began as a recipe to combine some of my favorite items and a need to clean out my frig. It's hearty and filling but the flavors are light and blend very nicely. 

Ingredients 

2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 large onion, chopped 
4-6 garlic cloves, minced  {based on your taste}
2-3 large chicken breasts cooked and shredded 
2 tablespoons rosemary 
1 tablespoon fennel seeds 
1 tablespoon thyme 
1 tablespoon dried oregano 
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
salt and pepper as desired
1 can artichokes, drained and chopped 
10 oz package baby bella mushrooms cleaned and sliced 
3 15oz cans white beans, rinsed and drained 
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock 



Directions 

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan heat the oil and add the onions and mushrooms and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. To this add the spices and chicken stock. Cook, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer on low for at least 45-60 min to allow flavors to meld.

Serve with a nice crusty loaf of bread.

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Land of Light and Power

It is SO good to be back! 
Who knew how lovely the sound of a flushing toilet and garbage disposal would be to the ears! In celebration of our liberation, I treated myself to Starbucks before heading out to accomplish a few errands. The sight of Christmas red and white threw me. Due to Hurricane Sandy's timing, I have been out of school for an entire week and Halloween has been postponed until next week. When I saw the season change via Starbucks I felt a little out of sorts... I'm behind a holiday! I'll try to catch up next week with a quick turn around for Thanksgiving. Whew!



Once we were up and running with power I was able to check my school emails and catch up with my other life outside these four walls. One of the messages was requesting support for those still without power and the reminder that the temps were dropping this week so there was a great need for blankets and warm clothing. Please remember that many families on the coast lost not only their homes but everything inside them. We were affected by the storm, we have been without power, several very large trees have fallen, and our yard looks like a world war was fought on it BUT we were lucky, the only thing we LOST was power and food items. SO, one of my errands was to BJ's Warehouse to purchase items for those who are still in need. There were a few more bags of food and clothing in the back seat. I need to go through our coat closet and donate a few jackets that we don't wear and can be used by others.



Back at home the clean up has begun ... sort of! As luck would have it, my husband's chainsaw thought this would be a good time to stop working! Ugh. He has a great friend that is coming over not only to loan him his but also help with the cutting and removing of the trees! There are plenty of small limbs, twigs and leaves to keep everyone busy in the meantime. 

The yard should be cleaned up and back to normal in no time with these two power house helpers!

Bentley is in charge of watching the leaves so they don't go anywhere. He takes his job very seriously!

Bozley is the official stick chewer. These are taxing jobs and not for the light of heart. Ha!

In keeping with my celebration of electricity, I made up a new recipe for dinner. This may sound off but I was rather excited to be able to cook and serve a meal. It represented being normal ... what a great feeling! My creation basically consisted of what I had on hand and a combination of flavors that sounded appealing. This evening White bean, artichoke,mushroom and chicken chili came to dinner.  It really needs a catchier name ~ I'll work on that later. I have to say that it was delicious! Both my husband and I agreed that is was keeper. In fact, he requested that I make another batch so we could take it for lunches next week. He's a sweet talker I tell ya ;) 

 I'm having issues with blogger {shocking, I know!} this evening so I'll post the recipe tomorrow.




Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers, they made all the difference! It's so nice to have such wonderful friends :)

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Sandy's Aftermath

* I am sending this via my phone so please excuse any mistakes, and I'm sure there will be plenty! Monday arrived with an eerie dawn and worked its way to intense! We awoke to a slight breeze but nothing over the top. We lost power on Monday a little after 9am and by mid afternoon it was getting scary. There were wind gusts of 80 miles an hour! By mid afternoon the winds and weather were wild! I was upstairs organizing my closet, my lantern light, when I heard an extremely loud crack. I ran downstairs as fast as I could fearing the tree was going to land on our house and me! When the tree landed the impact shook the entire house! Thankfully it missed our home but ripped all the power lines off the house. It will take a significant amount of time to get that all back in place. Once high tide hit, with a full moon, things intensified well into the early morning hours. Neither one of us slept! Morning brought the realization of 5 downed trees ranging in 40-50 feet, many branches, all the leaves. Even with our damage, I am well aware that many others are far worse off. Many lost their homes and some their lives. My heart and prayers go out to them. School continues to be canceled due to power and road ways being blocked by downed trees. There will be no ghost or goblins trick or treating at our doors this evening. Halloween has been postponed until next week for safety reasons. To be honest, I'm not sure it's safe for me to have all this candy in my house with no other distractions! Boredom invites needless snacking! :) Thank you for all your kind words, sweet emails and prayers. They have been greatly appreciated!! For those of you celebrating, have a safe and happy Halloween!

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Hurricane Sandy

Let the wind and rain begin!

* the patio furniture is put away

* yard lanterns secured

* garage rearranged

* generator prepped and ready to go

* essentials on hand {see photo}

* house is clean {OCD}

* laundry done {OCD again}

The evacuations began this afternoon and the closings list has grown lengthy as the day has gone on.

My school, as with most schools on the coast, announced their closure early in the day. This was a huge relief since we have many rivers and streams near our home that quickly flood and make it nearly impossible to get to our subdivision. This was the case in the last hurricane and I almost had to stay over at a friend's simply because our district didn't make a safe call early enough.

At this time, our town and all neighboring towns have shut down in preparation for the storm. There is a strong sense of being in a ghost town. Only essential personal will be required to report Monday morning. I give the decision makers a lot of credit for making these calls, they are not taking any chances when it comes to people's safety. Thank you, it is greatly appreciated!

I am extremely thankful that my husband is home and not on travel which has been the case with serious storms in the past.

How the tables have turned, my son is calling and checking up on us to make sure we're safe in the impending storm :)

So sweet, Nicholas!

Keeping all those affected by hurricane Sandy in my prayers!

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