Sunday, July 29, 2012

i love summer nights...

i am not really a planner.  there is no such thing as a planned anything (for me anyway).  a planned career,  a planned pregnancy, a planned vacation.  heck i can't even plan an afternoon -  it rains or someone gets sick.  but that is the magic.  we have no idea until the storm passes and we can see all the beauty that remains.  there is so much magic. magic exists in the littlest moments and in the lightening storms of life. it doesn't matter what i wanted, or what i thought i'd be, or who i wished i'd be, things happen. then more things happen, and more things after that.  and all the things that aren't suppose to happen will happen because all the things that were suppose to happen didn't.  that's just how life goes  - dealing with the unplanned.  magic lives between the to-do lists, and the dead battery, and the rainy sunday afternoons.
these moments remind us we are not in charge. but i want to be part of the good, the bad, the painful,
the beautiful, and everything in between.  it makes me feel alive. the water might be choppy but i will always navigate through it.  the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. "those who don't believe in magic will never find it." (roald dahl)  i am immensely grateful, more than i can express, at the frequency in which the world, and my life takes my breath away.
slow down.
notice and pay attention.
because soon the day will be over.
and the lights will go out.
the moments will pass.
because all moments do.



hope you had a wonderful weekend.
love sent, xo

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

happy birthday sandy...

may this be your best year yet.  xo

Monday, July 23, 2012

your heart is made to break.

if you’re really listening, if you’re awake to the poignant beauty of the world, your heart breaks regularly. in fact, your heart is made to break; its purpose is to burst open again and again so that it can hold evermore wonders.
~ Andrew Harvey

love sent, xo

Friday, July 20, 2012

package life's moments.

whether it's a fun lunch with friends or a romantic get away for the weekend.  it's summer and
we should be enjoying every moment.  if you stay home this weekend try this clam recipe.  pare it
with a nice crisp bottle of sauvignon blanc.

recipe via food network
ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and grated (on a box grater or zester)
  • 1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
  • kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly crushed with the flat side of a knife
  • 1 large hothouse cucumber, washed, dried and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 large bunch scallions, sliced thin, green and white parts both
  • 3 dozen littleneck clams, thoroughly scrubbed of all sand and grit
  • juice from 1 to 2 lemons, depending on taste
directions
preheat the grill on high heat.
cook the garlic: in a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. when it gets hot, add the garlic and ginger. season lightly with salt and cook, stirring constantly, until they turn golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. remove them from the pan and immediately transfer to a medium bowl to cool. stir in the pine nuts.
in a larger bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with the cucumbers and chili flakes. toss to coat them with the oil. season them lightly with salt. sprinkle them with the sugar, vinegar and the sliced scallions and toss to blend. combine with the garlic and pine nuts.
cook the clams and finish the dish: scatter the clams on the grill in a single layer. have a pair of tongs and a large platter ready. clams will being to open after 3 minutes and should take about 10 minutes total. as they open, use the tongs to remove them from the grill and place them on the platter. when they are all opened, squeeze the juice from the lemons over them and scatter the cucumber and pine nuts all around. try to get the mixture inside the clam shells as well. it's so delicious when you bite into the clam and get all the other flavors (and the char on the outside of the shells) all at once. serve immediately.

Monday, July 16, 2012

sum sum summertime....

with cream on top.

life as it is.

right here.

right now.

we truly had a perfect weekend.  our hosts could not have been sweeter.  thank you for
all you did to make our weekend so special. it's a memory to hold on to forever.  from chads
famous mojitos to the incredible pizzas, it was all just superb.
i also don't know when i have ever been sorrier for not eating more pizza,  it was that good.  

grilled pizza.

dough (buy this ready made at your local pizzeria)
good olive oil
fresh chopped basil
fresh chopped garlic
fresh vine ripened tomatoes
fresh grated cheese ( mix mozzarella, parmesan, and cheddar together)
stretch out your dough.  brush with olive oil. spray your grill with pam.  flip the oil side
dough right down on to the grill.  when the top gets bubbly check underneath to see if you are
getting some nice looking grill marks. flip over onto a pan spread more olive oil on the
cooked side build your pizza, add the chopped garlic, cheese, fresh tomatoes and basil.
carefully push the pizza off the pan back on to the hot  grill until the cheese melts 3-4 min.
the grill temperature should be between 350 - 400 degrees.

seriously, for your own good don't make too many of these - you will never stop eating them.






the house was filled with happiness, lots of laughter and so... many stories.

in the evening we headed down back and sat around the camp fire. we swung glow sticks over our heads and squirted whip cream into our mouths out of a can. (shaka shaka girls club)
but the crowning moment of the whole day was feeling the love.
so. much.  love.


then we fell asleep under the starry night sky reminiscing of other wonderful memories of days gone by.

thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  xo


the sugar house and all its memories.







love sent, xo

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Sunday, July 8, 2012

sometimes...

... happiness feels like it goes on forever... this 4th of july week/weekend has been filled with
love and awesomeness.  we started on tuesday night with a rehearsal dinner for the friday night family wedding and it was -

                                                               so. much. fun.






gram and shan

wednesday was filled with fun and fireworks.  seriously -  thank you stacey and johnny for a fantastic day/evening. 
and the amazing espresso martini.



thursday -  we made waffles for breakfast -  just to start the day off right.
then on to friday night for the wedding -but  not just any wedding -  a family event to hold in our hearts for a long time to come.  congrats to shannon and steve on this very special day.

marry me - say you will 

" together forever can never be long enough for me. "



"promise me, you will always be - happy by my side,  
i'll sing to you when all the music dies. "
wishing you a long and happy life together


                                                                       love was all around.



today we spent the day in rockport and it was awesome.
just an incredible day. a day when the sun is warm and the sky is so blue.
and it really feels like happiness can go on forever...
so, it was an amazing start to july. 

 happy 4th weekend.  hope you enjoyed some fireworks of your own.

boom.

boom.

boom.


love sent, xo

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

megan and jeremy

“Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then it subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being “in love,” which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what’s left over when being in love has burned away.  It doesn’t sound very exciting, does it?  But it is.  It is both an art and a fortunate accident, and when you find it, you will see that your roots grew towards each other underground.  And when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from your branches you will find that you are one tree, and not two.” 

megan won me over with the turquoise cowboy boots she wore under her gown.  this couple knows how to laugh and they really know how to have fun, the perfect way to start off a life together.

being such a country girl at heart, i loved every song they chose.  their first dance was "she's like texas", a song i had never heard before and totally loved.  they followed that with the bride dancing with her dad to "didn't have to be" that pretty much left me crying.  the groom danced with his mom to "you're going to miss this" another favorite of mine. 

love sent, xo