My Very First Post

Hello and welcome to my first blog post. I have been reading and enjoying blogs for about a year now. It has become a daily ritual for me to “check in” with my favorites right after I pour my morning coffee. I get so excited to read a new post and find out what’s going on with that person. What have they come up with today. I have been so inspired by some of you that I decided to give this “blogging thing” a try. Some much creativity is out there and I just want to thank you all for that. It is wonderful living in a world of technology where we can communicate and share ideas from all across the globe.

January has been a month of planning for me. I always love to start the year with fresh ideas and goals for the year ahead. Here’s what I’m thinking about:

We are having one of the worst winters we’ve had around here in a long time. It seems there is a snowstorm every week. Cabin fever has set in and so has Spring Fever! The other night I started going through my gardening books, trying to decide what flowers to plant in the yard this year. I would in no way call myself a gardener, but I do love to plant bulbs and flowers in my yard. One of the most satisfying things to me is to be able to cut fresh flowers from my own yard, bring them inside, and make the kitchen bright and cherry. During the long winter months I have to settle for these…. Those of the supermarket variety. .

But that's okay.  They are beautiful and certinally cheer me up whenever I enter the room. I wish I had the space and time to do a veggie garden, but the most I can handle right now is pots of tomatoes on the deck and an herb garden. It’s enough to make me happy, without too much work.

My Martha Stewart Craft Encyclopedia is a bible to me. There are so many cute ideas and projects that I can’t wait to dive into - like embroyered throw pillows for the living room, pressed flower coasters, and handpainted flower pots.  I can't wait!

In my spare room I also have this:

　
This is a pile of lace doilley's and hand embroidered table runners and dish towels that my grandmother made many, many, moons ago. My mother gave them to me last year and I am in love with them. I’ve kept them in my hope chest under lock and key. Sometimes I take them out just to look at them, smell them, iron them, and then put them back (I’m not kidding). The trouble is I have to find a way to display them in the right way and in the right style. At the moment I have developed an obsession with England and English style cottages. I would love to bring some of that style into my own home. There are corners of rooms that need to be redecorated, furniture and shelves that need nice shiny coats of white gloss, and knick-knacks that need to put away for a more clean style look. Color photos to be changed to black and white and china dishes and teapots to be displayed. Now my by biggest obstacle is not how to do this with a 3 year old in the house, it’s how to pull it off, without being too frilly for my hubby - who if he had his way would decorate with a wall of shot glasses and posters of Rocky, Goodfellas, and the Rolling Stones. I love him dearly, but…..ugh. We differ in that way, but in truth I am so lucky to have him. He’s a wonderful daddy to our son and a wonderful hubby to me. He loves and supports all my ideas and lets me be when I need that too. He also empties the dishwasher and does his own laundry. How can I go wrong?

And last but not least - my most favorite goal for the new year is COOKING! I love Susan Branch and  have vowed to cook every recipe in Vineyard Seasons - which is my favorite Susan Branch cookbook. I read all of her books as if they were novels. Each recipe tells a story. Her personality and style come through on every page. I think she is awesome and am so happy I discovered her books many years ago. She is a source of inspiration to me every day. I feel like I’ve know her for years and years. She’s the ultimate girl's girlfriend. If you've never done so, please visit her website http://www.susanbranch.com/

I am looking forward to sharing my recipies and crafts on this blog and hopefully we can share ideas and decorating tips together and have lots of fun!

By the way - there is something else you should know about me. I can’t live without this…..