Happy Memorial Day!

 

Hello Friends!  Happy Memorial Day!  

May we never lose sight of the privilege we have to live free. Thank you to all the men and women who bravely fought the battle for us.  

You are the true heroes! ♥

It's a cold and rainy weekend in my part of the world.  Last night John slept over his cousins house so today he's napping.  I have a suspicion they stayed up pretty late last night.  Ahhh to be 13 again : ) 

Rob and I are enjoying a day off and soaking up some R&R.  With the weather the way it is we don't have energy for much else anyway.  I'm still in my PJ's and plan to stay that way for the rest of the day.  I actually love rainy days like this.  Tonight will be a simple dinner of grilled pork chops (on the George Foreman Grill ✔) and pasta salad.  Yesterday I baked chocolate chip cookies for dessert, which I may turn into ice cream sandwiches. Sounds like a plan! 

Yesterday I did my weekly clean and put out some red, white, & blue decorations.  I'll keep these up through August.  It's funny, one minute we are buried in snow and the next we're welcoming summer.   Hard to believe tomorrow is June 1st! 

Long weekends mean colorful breakfasts.  

French toast with fruit is a favorite in my house ♥

And festive lights : ) 

*note my orchid on the mantle....still alive and doing great....whew!* 

We are gearing up for a busy week of finals exams.  This also marks John's last week as a student at St. Francis Xavier School.  He's been at this school since preschool.  I can hardly believe it's over.  

It was the blink of an eye....

Friday is his graduation mass and then summer vacation!  

Wishing you all a good start to your week.  Are you ready for summer?! 

We are! xo 

Stovetop Potpourri * summer edition!*

Hello Friends! Happy Friday! ♥

I learned something this week.  I learned that stovetop potpourri is not just for the fall & winter! Turns out it's amazing in the warmer months too!  Go figure! 

I got addicted to doing this last Christmas.  I would simmer oranges, apples, cranberries, and rosemary everyday on my little stove.  It would fill my kitchen with the sweetest holiday aroma.  Well...the other day I was on Instagram and I saw someone mention a "summer edition" and that got me thinking.  

I quickly turned to Pinterest, where all the good ideas live! 

Viola!  Why I never thought of this before is beyond me! : ) 

If you want to fill your home with the sweetest, freshest, mostly lovely aroma, do this: 

2 sliced lemons

a few sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

2-3 cinnamon sticks

2-3 cups of water

Bring all to a boil and simmer on low.  Add water as need! 

ENJOY! 

♥

After a string of 90 degree days, today's its dropped back down to the 50's.  The a/c is off and I have all the windows open again.  It's a bit cool, just the way I like it.  I have my pot simmering and I couldn't be happier it's a holiday weekend.  We don't have much planned and to be truthful, that's just the way I like it.  Next week will be busy with John's graduation so this weekend I'm looking forward to getting some books at the library (which is now open!) putting my feet up, and having some peace and relaxation.   I will be simmering potpourri all weekend.  I saw another recipe that has limes in it and I'm anxious to try that one as well : ) 

Have a happy weekend friends!! xo  

♥

High Tea by the Sea ♥

Good morning friends! Happy new week! 

It's not often I get dressed up and actually leave the house, so when it happens it should be documented! 

This weekend I was invited to celebrate my sister in law who's getting married next month.  Her bridesmaids threw her a seaside tea party.  They rented a gorgeous house on the beach for the weekend.  I went down for the day on Saturday, which felt like a summer afternoon. 

Off I go... ♥

I arrived at the house to find this.  

The most lovely table, and what a backdrop : ) 

Sara's new last name will be Barry, hence the hashtag "#sarasgettingbarried".  

John found that very clever! 

Cheers!  ♥

The bridesmaids make all the sandwiches which were delicious! 

My favorite! YUM  ♥

This table.  Which I wanted to take home with me! 

The bride and my mother in law.  It was windy but the banner says "Let's Partea"  ♥

The prettiest desserts! (my mother in law made these!) 

It was a fun day celebrating Sara and enjoying this beautiful party.  The weather could not have been better and I could certainly get used to this view.  Now on to the wedding! 

                                                                            

 ♥

  

Have a great week friends! xoxo

A little of this and a little of that... ♥

Happy Friday! 

I put a little whip cream in my coffee this morning, because why not? It's Friday and it's been a weeeeek.... It's late morning already and yes, I'm still in my PJ's.  You would think with the warm temps and the sun shining through the windows every morning I would be more motivated to get up and go....but nope.  The opposite is happening.  I'm getting slower.... 

Must change that! Or not.  Haha : ) 

The weather here has quickly changed from Spring to Summer!  Its been hazy hot and humid.  Three of  my least favorite things. Boo. But I'm not going to complain.  I like to think of Summer as the gateway to Fall, in my opinion the best season! Who's with me??  The warmer it gets outside the more I wish for those cool crisp October days. 

I know, I know...don't rush it.  I won't.  We will hopefully have a lovely Summer and much happier than last years, no doubt about that! 

But first I must tend to Spring.  John is graduating 8th grade in two weeks! Here's his 8th grade photo.  He looks so grown up I want to cry! 

Who is this child? 

 

And just when I think my baby is all grown up I peek inside his room and see this...

And my heart sings! JOY!

This is just a tiny section.  The room is wall to wall Disney/Pixar/Marvel/etc.  I love it!  Although don't call them toys! Oh no...at 13 they are now "collectables".  Ok.  Good enough for me : ) 

I just watered all my plants and things in that department are going well.  With me you never know, but I haven't killed a plant in months so I'm calling it a win.  

Did I show you this lovely orchid my mother gave me for Mother's day? 

She has much more faith in my gardening skills than I have in myself!  I took the advice of friends and am putting 1 ice cube a week in the pot.  So far so good.  Fingers crossed! 

This morning I'm burning a new candle I gifted myself for Mother's Day.  Its watermelon lemonade and if this isn't the smell of summer I don't know what is?  It's beautiful and just what I needed.  I made fish for dinner last night and I could not get the smell out of the kitchen.  That's real life folks!  But yes, this candle is doing the trick! 

I'll be working all day today.  He's a little peek at my kitchen table, where you'll find me most days tapping away on the keyboard.  I'll log off late this afternoon and take a 30 minute rest with a cup of tea on the sofa before I make dinner.  It's something I started doing a few months ago and now my body reminds me when it's time.  Tonight's dinner is baked pork chops and we'll probably watch a movie later.  I've been craving kettle corn so I'm going to attempt to make some to go with the movie.  We'll see how that goes.  I'll let you know! 

Have a nice weekend Friends! 

I'm getting my second shot on Sunday. 

Praying for no side effects.  Wish me luck! ♥

Byeeeee! xo 

Strawberry Cobbler

Hello friends!  ♥

I hope this week is finding you well!  The weather is beautiful here in my part of the world today.  All the lilacs are blooming and there is a perfume in the air.  Most people love it, but not if you're my son who is suffering horribly with allergies!  He's not a lover of spring because of that.  He actually went on a full I Hate Spring rant last night as he was sneezing and rubbing his itchy, watery eyes!  I'm sure some of you can relate.  Thank goodness for over the counter allergy relief! 

 

Anywaaaay.... moving on to something a little more pleasant.... 

 

I made a cobbler! and it was good! 

If I were to ever write a cookbook (and I've thought about it : ) I would want it filled with recipes that are easy to make, take very few ingredients, and come together in a snap. This recipe fit all those categories.  Not only that,  I used frozen strawberries. Yes I did! I had them in my freezer because I was planning to make a strawberry sauce (I'll do that soon!) but instead I decided on this cobbler.  I noticed no difference using the frozen ones.  In fact, I think they were slightly sweeter!  

Yup. I'm a fan  ♥

In my house we are fans of cobblers & crisps.  I think I've tried them with every fruit imaginable! That's the beauty...they work with anything.  Just use what's in season.  

Or if you're like me, use what's in your freezer : ) 

We love strawberries but I rarely bake with them.  

Now that I've made this cobbler that will definitely change  ♥

The recipe came together very quickly and was in fact, very yummy!  

♥ 

Recipe courtesy of The Bitter Side of Sweet  (another winner from Pinterest! Yay!) 

Here you go if you want to give it a try! 

*Use Fresh or Frozen (unthawed) Strawberries* 

For the strawberries: 

2 cups fresh of frozen strawberries, cut in half

1/4 cup sugar

Toss in a bowl.  Set aside. 

For the crust:

3/4 cup flour 

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 sugar

3/4 cup milk

Add to a small bowl.  Whisk together.  

Prepare baking dish:

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non stick spray.  

Melt 4 tbls unsalted butter in the microwave.  

Pour into the baking dish. 

Now pour the flour mixture into the baking dish over the butter.

Place strawberries in an even layer over the flour mixture.  Do NOT stir. 

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until golden brown and strawberries are bubbling  ♥

Enjoy! 

We had ours slightly warm and it was insanely good! The next morning I had some - ice cold - straight from the fridge! Also yummy! 

Don't you just love a "dessert" that is acceptable for breakfast? Me too!  

I hope if you need a pick me up you'll try this cobbler and enjoy it.  I promise it will make you smile, even if you are a sniffley mess due to allergies.  Worked in my house...wink, wink!  ♥

Have a great day friends! xo 

City Walk ♥

It's not often that I venture out of my little suburb and head into Boston, but a few times a year I do get the urge.  Boston is only about 20 minutes from where I live, but with traffic sometimes it can seem like an eternity.  The way around this is to go early on a Sunday morning.  The springtime is the best time to visit because the weather is perfect and all the flowers are in bloom. 

Rob knows my favorite spot.  Right here in the public gardens.  

We took a ride in yesterday morning for a coffee and a stroll.  It was very lovely.  

I always say if I lived in the city I would visit here all the time.  

There are so many locals, spreading out blankets, and having picnics.   

There is always music coming from somewhere too.  

The famous Swan Boats were up and running! I think they opened yesterday for the summer season.  When I was in elementary school we would come here on field trips.  It was so much fun! 

We didn't go on the boats yesterday, but I stood on the bridge and took looks of pictures.  

*check out my Instagram stories if you want to see more of that : ) 

It was nice to be outside, roaming, and admiring all the pretty flowers, statues, and monuments. 

Our city is full of charm & history.  

You can actually feel it when you are here  ♥

We were lucky enough to find street parking but we still had to walk a bit.  

The awning across the street there is the famous Cheers bar (from the TV show).  

We stopped in and visited the gift shop.  

We do this every time.

It's fun being tourists in your own city : ) 

I'm always fascinated by these brownstone type apartments like you see on TV.  I wish I knew someone who lived in one so I could check out the inside : ) 

 

I'm definitely more of a country girl and could never live the city life, however I do like to visit from time to time.  

We got a coffee, bread, and pastries from a North End bakery (which is the Italian section of the city!) to take home.  

That was worth the trip all by itself. 

So that was my morning yesterday.  

Thanks for coming along on this walk with me! 

How about you? Do you prefer city life or are you a suburbs person like me?  Or do you love both?! 

♥

I hope you all had a nice weekend and a happy Mother's Day too! 

Have a great day friends! xoxo 

 

Rainy Wednesday ♥

    Good Morning Friends ♥

Hello from rainy Massachusetts!  Today its literally pouring out and I have to say I'm quite enjoying it. I love the feel of a rainy day.  The sound of the tapping on the windows, the glow of the twinkle lights in the kitchen, and the smell of the air.  I'm having a moment.  And I like it. 

The good thing is that where I live the weather is always changing, better or worse...nothing stays the same.  The rain will eventually stop and the sun will shine again.  My father in law always says "if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes..."  

He's absolutely right : ) 

I am one of those people who look forward to rainy days.  It's an excuse to wear extra comfy clothes and be a bit lazy.  The rain makes me tired but I don't mind that either.  The couch feels extra comfy on days like this and tea is an absolute must (don't tell my coffee but I like tea better on rainy days...:).

Have you ever been to Disney World in Florida and experienced one of their daily thunderstorms? They are massive.  I have and I LOVE them!  I love them because once they are over, the air is so fresh and clean.  It's such a nice feeling to walk around after a storm.  It's also a perfect excuse to go back to the hotel, change into warm clothes and take a nap. Does anyone else do this on vacation? 

Jeeze, I miss that place.  But that's for another post...lol  

How is the weather where you are today?  

I'll just be here watching the rain and waiting for a rainbow ♥

Have a lovely day friends!  

Byeeeee! xo