happy easter weekend everyone!!

have a wonderful relaxing weekend. 

love sent, xo

happy birthday love!!

happy birthday to the person who made me a mom for the first time.  we learned so much together.
you are an amazing person, someone i am so proud to call my own.  wishing you a wonderful year ahead.  i love you to the moon and back. 

proust questionnaire.

a few weeks ago we had a session at work that was really similar to a proust questionnaire.  it was an attempt to better get to know the people you spend most of your days with.
i have answered these types of questionnaires before.  initially i was really reluctant to have to participate in this  - especially with people i work with.  it's always a bit uncomfortable to share things with people who
are colleagues not just friends.  but in the end it was super helpful and turned out to be fun.  people shared more than i thought they would and some of it really surprised me.  it even gave me a new outlook on
some things.

i love small details, i think they can tell a lot about a person.  here are some of  my answers.

what is your idea of perfect happiness?
sharing a meal with dear friends and family.

what is your greatest fear?
that something would happen to my children

who are some people you most admire in history?
mother teresa, helen keller, rosa parks, steve jobs

which living person do you most admire?
oprah

what is your greatest extravagance?
clothes shopping

when and where were you happiest?
right now.

if you could change one thing about you what would it be?
worry less.

who is your favorite musician?
there are a lot.  too many to count. alan jackson, bruce springstein, billy joel, josh groban
like i said i could go on and on.

what are the qualities you most admire in a man?
sense of humor, humility, intelligence, kindness, and confidence.

what are the qualities you most admire in a woman?
the same.

what do you consider your greatest achievement?
my children

if you died and came back as a person or thing what do you think it would be?
a butterfly.  it is beautiful and free and had to work hard to get where it is.

what is your most treasured possession?
 a poem my daughter wrote about my dad.

what do you regard as the lowest dept of misery?
loathing

who are your hero's in real life?
my mom

how would you like to die?
in my sleep

what is your motto?
dreams are renewable no matter what our age or condition there are still untapped possibilities within us.

there you have it!  (maybe you could leave yours in the comments)

love sent, xo

spring sangria.

 perfect spring cocktail that tastes amazing and looks beautiful.   perfect for easter brunch or dinner.

peach, raspberry and lime sangria.

ingredients

• 1/4 cup simple syrup, recipe follows
• one 1-pound bag frozen peach slices, thawed
• 1/2 cup peach liqueur or brandy, such as matilde, dekuyper or bols
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed
• 1 lime, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chilled club soda
• one bottle chilled prosecco or other sparkling white wine

 

directions
puree the simple syrup and 2 cups of the sliced peaches in a blender until smooth. pour the puree into a glass pitcher. add the peach liqueur and lime juice. add the raspberries, lime slices and the remaining peach slices. stir to blend. refrigerate until ready to serve.

just before serving, add the club soda and prosecco. ladle the sangria with some of each fruit into large wine goblets and serve.
 

to make simple syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. bring to a boil. reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, 5 minutes. remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes. strain before using. 
makes 1 1/3 cups

this was just before adding the processo. 


love sent, xo

happy monday.

i really, really need it to be spring.

my five favorite things today.

1.      so grateful that we had such a nice weekend. filled with friends, family and lots of love.
2.      happy that we won't be getting more snow tonight, only rain.
3.      enjoying pandora radio today.
4.      loving all the beautiful photos around my office.
5.      planning easter brunch and all the beautiful ideas on pinterest.

hope you are having a nice day as well.


love sent, xo  

p.s.  a good book, a cup of tea, and a soft cozy blanket will wrap the day up just right. i so need
some down time.

wise words for a sunday

"everything has beauty but not everyone sees it"

make your heart feel light.

“it may be one of those miracles where your heart sinks, because you think it means you have lost. but in surrender you have won.”
always remember, the truest and lasting friendships are forged during times of transition.
we are, all of us, elevated in our humanity for being your friend.

the friends who are friends and the loves who are loves will rise to the top like cream.
what a wonderful night with true friends.  people who truly care about each other, people who
know what really matters.  

trust life and it will teach you all you need to know  - james baldwin 


love sent, xo

spring fever.

being away gave me spring fever.  today is the first day of spring and although it doesn't look or feel like it - i am excited for a season change.   and the chance to shed the boots, and to watch sunsets and kids playing outside, and to feel the grass. and all that. summer is only 90 days away.
celebrate spring!

love sent, xo

happy last day of winter...

we just got back from a great little long weekend in the sunshine state.   yesterday afternoon we
were sitting by the pool sipping drinks, several hours later after getting off the plane we were driving in a blizzard.  this mornings commute was tricky and especially after only 4 hours of sleep. tonight i will catch up at home.  there is laundry to be done and food to be bought, all the usual stuff.  but it was beyond wonderful to have a few beautiful sunshiney days with my mom.  this is going to be another really fast crazy week.  just wanted to share a few fun photos from the weekend.  we shared the plane ride down with the sweetest little girl on the planet.  she was the best entertainment ever.

 

 

 i read some tips about detoxing after a fun weekend of lots of  food and lots of wine.  for the first few mornings after you get home have some hot water and lemon in the morning. it's suppose to be like giving your insides a steam.  sounds really good to me.   then a healthy lunch and dinner and a hot soak in the tub.  not sure there will be time for that.

love sent, xo

happy st. patrick's day everyone!!!

have a great day!!!

Finally over...

today...

 for the first time in what felt like eternity our evening felt like the same old routine.. such a good feeling.

today was filled with sunshine, cleaning, music, shopping, laughing and cooking beautiful bolognese.

 i'll take ordinary happy any day.

love sent, xo

the sun set on a beautiful day

love sent, xo

god bless a snowy friday...

this very day is an extra special gift.  i woke early this morning before the sun was up and i peeked out
the window and thought wow the weatherman was right on.  it was snowing really hard and already
there were several inches piled up.  the wind was howling and i crawled back into bed.  i lay there
briefly before checking my bb.  a txt popped up -  my boss saying i think we should work from home.
seriously,  no sweeter words were ever read.  yes, i can stay in my pj's. and drink hot chocolate all day
long.   i hope your day is filled with potato pancakes, hot chocolate,  kind neighbors and something that fills your soul.   later tonight if the snow lets up we might venture up town for a fireside dinner and some beverages,  but for the moment i am walking around here feeling sunny and grateful and just admiring the view.

love sent, xo

for st. patrick's day.

perfect healthy snack to celebrate irish month.

healthy milkshake.

makes 2

2/3 cup vanilla almond milk 

1 banana (peeled, sliced, and frozen) 

3 cups baby spinach 

1/4-1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract 

1 sprig fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish (optional) 

1 scoop vanilla protein powder  

3 cups ice cubes 

2 tablespoons chocolate chips 

photo courtesy of yummy mommy

blend all ingredients except for chocolate chips until smooth. add more milk if mixture is too thick to turn. add chocolate and pulse until ground into chunky pieces. transfer to glasses and garnish with fresh mint leaves, if desired. 

    vanilla protein powder sweetened with stevia is what makes this taste milkshakey.

dear me,

this past week we went through piles of pictures of days gone by.  pictures that made me
laugh and some almost cry.  i sat there looking at a picture of myself when i was quite young.
i sat there wondering what she thought of me and wondered what i might tell her about
moving forward and navigating her world.

i would want her to know how to prioritize good experiences,  learn all you can, and that a good education
will broaden your horizons. 

money, yes money is important but if you make enough to eat well, dress for the season, and have a
vacation now and then,  you will be content.  more is not always better.  although some days you will think so.

you will care about and fall in love with some guys that aren't right for you, but it's ok it's better
than being closed off.  i promise, you will meet someone who will make your life better and you
will do the same for them.

some essentials in life are: good olive oil and coarse salt, they make most things better.  a pair
of good fitting jeans and a plain white tee will always come in really handy.  shoes matter too, but
trust me,  you will buy way more than you need.

these essentials should rest upon a caring heart, a safe home, self confidence, and a small group of people who believe in you - lucky for you, you already have this.

you will be happy and you will be sad too, but the two actually add depth to your life.

just remember to step aside once in a while and look around, it's all good stuff.

                                                   and don't forget the olive oil. 



love sent, xo

change...

i am not good at change. i like to keep everything i love close by. would i trade this time to have avoided this change? never. but knowing our day to day contact is ending makes my heart heavy. for 8 years i have gotten to share in your boundless energy, every. single. day. from my first week here in the office when you showed up announcing that you were down the hall and available to help with whatever might be needed. little did i know then how much you meant that, and how many times i would call on you to get me through one of "those" days. whether  a personal challenge or a work challenge you were there steadfast,  always. i will miss my daily IM's that pop up on my screen to say good morning, how are you? hope you enjoyed your weekend "my friend". flashes of our time together pelt me today, our joyful days, our tearful days, our celebratory days. all those days that made our friendship what it is today. some days trials stacked up on each other but knowing you were down the hall was always such a comfort. we sit across from each other and tell stories to each other and that's what makes our challenges lighter. i know that light comes from the very things we desire to flee. we grow when the walls press in, we grow when life steals our control and we grow in the darkness. we have become settled here, it has become a secure place. but change is needed to transform our thinking, and ahead there is freedom for a new adventure, one that i am sure you are ready for.   i'm just not ready. i will miss our day to dayness more than you know,  but i know for certain i am better because of you.            i'll miss you so much patti.

i hold on to my little paper that states  "when it rains on your parade look up rather than down without the rain there would be no rainbows."
wishing you all the best life has to offer.

sending lots of love and hugs.  xo