May Day

Happy May Day!

  When I was a little girl, I always looked forward to May Day. My mom would let me cut flowers from her garden, decorate a hanging vase, and then I was off and running to hang them on unsuspecting door handles.

This morning I treated my friends to pretty May Day posies.

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Another Fun Filled Saturday Night

While it may not really feel like winter here {highs of 63 this weekend} our entertaining has taken on the quiet, laid back, comfort food, feel the season beckons. I really enjoy this after all the fuss of the holidays.


On Saturday evening we had our friends over for one of my favorite meals ... comfort food! The best part was that Kevin did the cooking. He recreated a meal, from a restaurant in our area, he had a couple of years ago. Braised short ribs in birch beer with garlic mashed potatoes were on the menu. Yum!


My only task was to come up with something to nibble on while he was finishing up dinner. I made my stuffed gouda wrapped in puff pastry. This was something I thought up many years ago and it's my go to for something cheesy and savory.



1/3 cup kalamata olives chopped
2 (or more) cloves garlic chopped
1/4 cup roasted red pepper roughly diced
4 sun dried tomatoes roughly sliced
1 heaping teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes




Slice the gouda round in half and layer the filling. The order isn't important.




Wrap the gouda round in one sheet of Puff Pastry. Bring the corners together and seal them by pinching together.


Brush with a simple egg wash.


Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.





Serve with a fruit selection of your choice or with thinly toasted baguette slices. We were already having a heavy meal so I decided to for go any additional carbs.






This is basically my husband's way of appeasing {teasing} me for my endless requests {nagging} of taking pictures. He was being quite the ham behind the camera. At one point I was laughing so hard I was actually crying.





We had a great evening together. The guys talked about boring guy stuff ;) and Courtney and I caught up on really important matters like new phone apps, Pinterest, sales and new nail colors. These are life altering topics of utmost importance! :)

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Holiday Time

I can't believe how quickly Christmas arrived {and left} this year. I was actually doing really well until the last week before the holiday when I was "gifted" the tummy bug and a cold with barky cough ~ these were not on my list to Santa this year.

If that wasn't exciting enough, on Friday before Christmas Eve, after school let out for Christmas break, I was driving down 95 to finish my shopping {delayed due to illness; not insanity} when my transmission went out ~ not the shiny bling I was hoping Santa would bring me this year :(

We rallied {thankfully, Kevin was home and not at sea ... whew!} and enjoyed a beautiful Christmas Eve at our friends. Sadly, I forgot my camera so I have nothing to show of the evening. It was fun getting all dressed up. I bought a great dress for the evening and Kevin looked so handsome. Everything was picture perfect and I have to say that Brenda is a fabulous hostess who remembers every tiny detail and welcomes her guests with such grace and ease. It was an intimate dinner of 17 {her words} with a wonderful group of friends. With amazing talent, she pulled it off in grand style. The evening began with cocktails at their full bar station and then we were escorted to a candle lite dinner. Amazing! Kevin and I are still reliving the night :)


Christmas morning began with a nice slow pace of opening stockings, gifts, followed by a light brunch. It was really nice not to rush around this year.












The pink fleece is a gift from Bentley. He "rearranged" the zipper on mine one afternoon when I wasn't looking. He was very proud of his gift ... hoping to get his paws on this one too, I'm sure.

After a brief clean up, we headed to our friends for Christmas dinner. This was a much more relaxed affair and the best part ... the men do the cooking! How neat is this tradition of theirs?! They wanted to try deep fried turkey so we let them borrow our turkey fryer. Kevin manned the boiling pot of oil ~ he fried two turkys and both were delicious. 





It's the end of December and we have green grass. Crazy! This has been such an incredibly mild winter. I'll be honest, I'm ready for snow. Yea, you heard me correctly. I can't believe I'm saying that after last years never ending snow storms.





We ladies had time to chat and enjoy a glass of wine while the guys were prepping in the kitchen.


Courtney's birthday is on Christmas day. Since we had to arrive before all the other guests to get the fryer ready, I gave her gift. I made soft faux fur scarves this year. I'll post more about that later.



My husband is rather handy around the house which has provided many great additions to our home. This past year he helped Mike with a few of his projects in their home. As a thank you gift they gave Kevin a beer making kit. The best part of the gift was the mustache they drew on the box. I'm sure I posted about this but Kevin decided to exercise his facial hair ability this past summer and grow a mustache while at sea. Let's just say that I'm glad this "phase" has past :)



I was asked to bring a dessert with a request it be something in the  chocolate food group . Always happy please, I made my Kahlua cake. It's easy to make and soooo yummy! It's great for breakfast the next morning as well ;)

We had a great day filled with fun, friends {their families} and {way too much} fabulous food! It is really dangerous to have a circle of friends that enjoy cooking as much as we do.

My word for the new year ... d i e t  ... my jeans are screaming for some relief!



I hope you were all able to enjoy some special time spent with family and friends over the holiday as well.

We are very blessed and being surrounded by the people we love is a great reminder.

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Duty calls

The past month and a half {or so} has been insanely busy. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to get on top of my lists ~ help! I hope to {try} get caught up this week if all goes well.

It hasn't been all work and no play. My time has been diversified :)

I've had ...

fun time
girlfriend time
school conferences {with my students}
over loaded work schedule
numerous meetings
uplifting woman's conference
fall break visitors ~ my son and his adorable girlfriend Lauren
reuniting with my husband
and
birthday celebrations

In keeping with the thankful heart, I thought I'd share with you our very dear friend Mike. He, and his wife Marilyn, are honestly like family to us. On Friday night the four of us met to celebrate all  of our birthdays. In a period of three weeks we all have birthdays ~ lots of fun. Each year we get together and go out to dinner. Our window of opportunity was very small this year. Kevin has been gone for a few months with the exception of his brief "visit" in October. 

 Not long ago Mike received new orders. Sadly, on Sunday, he left for training which will prepare him for his year in Afghanistan. His absence will be sorely missed.

Our birthday celebration was a tad bittersweet. We knew that it would be the last time we'd all be together for a very long time. Mike and his amazing wife, Marilyn, are dear friends. They are the family you'd choose to have if you could. They call and check in on me when Kevin is at sea or on travel and are always willing to help if I'm in need. Mike and Kevin have know each other since their younger days ;) They attended the Naval Academy together {although a few years a part} many years ago. We all met up again a few years ago when the Navy brought us back together.

What a blessing!

We spend holidays together, celebrate accomplishments, usher in New Years and most of all ... have a blast together!

We wish you a safe journey to and from this point of duty!

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You are Invited

Next week I'm having some girlfriends over for

Friday Night Happy Hour

The weather looks like it will be nice so we'll be able to spend the evening outdoors on our patio.


We will enjoy an outdoor fire, munchies and cocktails.

I LOVE to entertain this time of year!

Keeping with the outdoor theme ....




These are my simple and sweet invites

{yes, they can be redeemed Friday night :) }

I thought it would be fun to "treat" the girls to something fun rather than just a random email inviting them over for the evening.

Hey, kids can't have all the fun of the season.

These brought a smile to their faces.

Last year for Halloween I made up s'more bags using the ghost Peeps.
My students and neighborhood childrened loved them.

{so darn cute!}

Yep, I'll be making those again this year as they were a huge hit!

Since it's not quite Halloween, I tried to go with just a pumpkin theme and use orange and brown {it looks black in the photos} ribbons.
I used what I already had on hand.

The actual invitation is somewhat hidden in the photo since I didn't want my personal information shown for all to see. I used a pumpkin die cut {orange with white polka dots} and printed the time and date in brown ink.

Fun and festive!

For safety purposes {ha,ha} I tested these out ;)

yummy!

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Wedding celebration

*I was ready to share the lovely holiday wedding we attended with you but Flicker decided to practice their new magic act with my photos and make them all disappear. I hope it's fixed and you can see these photos.

Here on the East Coast we've been experiencing quite the on going heat wave. If you remember, the 4th of July weekend was hot, hot, HOT!

We were thrilled to be invited to our friends wedding day and celebrate with them as they begin their lives as husband and wife.

What lady doesn't get excited about buying a new dress, shoes, clutch and spending a little extra time making sure she looks her very best for the event. Not to mention being escorted by her handsome husband who just happens to be dressed in the suit his wife most admires on him.

Well, the day began sunny and bright. A perfect day for a wedding.

I was a tad surprised that the church was not air conditioned. As it began to fill with family and friends to witness the unity of marriage, the temperature began to rise. I know this is frowned upon but at one point I began to use the program as a fan ~ I couldn't take it any longer. A quick glance over at my husband answered my question of how he was doing. He was trying to discreetly pick his pants off his legs ~ they were stuck on him like glue! Poor guy in his suit and tie in a 100 degree church and the ceremony hadn't even begun!

The wedding was lovely and no one {surprisingly} fainted or passed out.

There was time between the wedding and reception so we decided to go back to our hotel room and "freshen" up a bit. Like start all over!

Cocktail hour began at 6:30 on the lawn of the Ocean Cliff Resort. The view is amazing and the breeze off the water was a welcome relief. We caught up with friends and enjoyed the company of family members.

At 7:45 we were invited into the dinning room for dinner and a little unexpected surprise ... no air conditioning. It hadn't been working well for the past few weeks and that afternoon it finally conched out for good.





The flowers on each table were incredibly beautiful. Sadly the end of the evening even they were wilting.



The happy couple ~ Mr. and Mrs. H********


The Best Man's toast.
Dan had us all laughing and crying with his well prepared speech. Dan and Jim are very close and share a special brotherly bond.





Our friends Courtney and Mike. We always have a fabulous time when we are with these two. Mike is from South Africa and has the greatest accent. I always giggle when he refers to Kevin {and other guys} as mates.



Me and Kevin with our healthy HOT glow.



Courtney and I trying to cool off with a glass of wine ~ it didn't work but that didn't stop us from having several anyway.



Chrissy was upset that she wasn't in the first photo so we had to take another one with her. She is SO much fun to around.



No they did not smear the cake on each other's faces. Jim just had to tease her a little.



They are patiently waiting for the cake to be cut.

Both Jim and Chrissy come from very large families. These little cuties are from Chrissy's side. This little lad was so polite and did his very best during the wedding but when it came time to party he gave it his all. At the reception he stripped off his white knee socks and saddle shoes so he could dance ~ and that he did! The little ladies were all so sweet.

The flowers and sashes are really a deep pink but I just can't seem to photograph that color with much success ~ suggestions?



This childs highchair got my husband in a lot of trouble with the management. Kevin used it to prop the door open {remember, there was NO air condition and several hundred people in the room} and the manager would come and remove the chair. This went on several times. The managers explanation was that the restaurant on the deck would be bothered by the noise. It was the 4th of July. There were only a handful of people out there and they had children. I don't think they would have been bothered. Kevin even offered to buy them a round of drinks. Nope, not happening! I felt so badly for the men dressed in long sleeves and ties. We gave the guys at our table permission to shed the jackets once we were seated. I was more worried about health than etiquette at that point.



See the fan behind Courtney?
That was Ocean Cliff's answer to our situation. They placed another one on the other side of the room. Newport's finest cooling system.

If you're going to be hot, it's best to be with fun people and we were. Despite the uncomfortable temperatures we all had a wonderful time!



I love the dress that I wore. The light ruffles at the bottom added the perfect feminine touch.

We wrapped our evening up with friends, laughter and after dinner drinks at the Viking {my favorite in Newport}.

Remember how I just told you I loved my dress? I loved it even more when I was able to peel it off my body and jump in the shower before bed.

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Celebrations

This weekend will be filled with celebrating. We are packing our bags once again for an exciting event.

Our dear friends have invited us to be a part of their very special celebration in Newport, RI.

My husband I are looking forward to partaking in all that the New England coast has to offer in the summer. Such a delightful treat to all the senses.














As we toast to our sweet friends Jim and Crissy on their wedding day and wish them many, many years of happiness!




Whatever your plans may be this weekend, I wish you and your families a most enjoyable day of celebration!
 
Happy 4th of July!

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Supper with Friends

I can think of no better way to begin summer vacation than to celebrate with the women that I enjoying working with side by side each day.

We don't often have the opportunity to have "real" conversations during the school day. In fact, I'm not sure if we have ever actually completed a thought without several interruptions.

On Thursday evening I invited the girls over for a relaxing evening. There was plenty of chatting, good food and wine.



We started on the patio despite the wind. I had hoped to serve supper outdoors as well but the gusts were a bit much at times.

I tried to grab a few shots before the guests arrived. By the time everyone was mingling, this table was over flowing with fabulous additions. Not only are these women great teachers, they can cook!



I had to add this photo for the vivid colors. This time of year is my favorite when the fruits and veggies are ripe and plentiful. I served my crudites platter with two different hummus and a curry dip.




In keeping with my light and fresh theme, I decided to use the flowers from my own flower garden. There isn't a photo but I actually have roses this year as well.



The hydrangeas are lovely this year. Believe me, it's nothing that I did. It is certainly a freak of nature. For the last couple of years we haven't had a single bloom.



A quiet moment in our dinning room.




Have you spotted the silver I picked up at the Elephant's Trunk? I bought the sweet silver tray with feet in the first photo as well as a few serving pieces in this photo.




We dined on a selection of salads and crusty breads.


I must admit that these aren't the best photos possibilities from the evening. It's rather hard to entertain, converse, hold a wine glass and take photographs! ;)





These are the incredible women that wear many hats all in a period of time from 8:50am until 3:25pm. This is no easy task and it's done every so lovingly.




I sent each of my guests home with a sweet summer package. It included a jar of homemade salt scrub and a pedicure brush.

It was a wonderful evening that didn't end until 12:30. It's a good thing we are on summer vacation because that is WAY past my bedtime on a school night ;)

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Relax and enjoy

Last evening we had our good friends over for dinner. We decided to keep it simple and just enjoy the evening. My husband offered to do all the cooking ~ gotta love a man who can cook!

I have been craving the mussels and cherry stones that he and my brother made over the holidays.

They have a little kick to them but I like spicy foods. If left alone, I could easily make a meal out of these alone.

They are best enjoyed with a loaf of crusty bread and a nicely chilled Chardonnay.

Then we enjoyed a fabulous Grilled Seafood Salad Nicoise

It was fabulous! The scallops were so tender. I like my tuna a littler on the rare side but there a small mishap at the grill.

It's just what the doctor ordered after all the heavy foods from the holidays.

I guess this means I have to make dinner tonight, huh? ;)


Have you ever noticed how much better something tastes when you don't have to cook?

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