Mondayness

Good Monday!

Confession: I'm kinda of a Monday person. Yep, there it is, i like Monday's.

I like the fresh start of the week. Sort of a clean slate. Don't hate me.

This morning i took a walk through the yard {it's a bit less swampy today} and was almost knocked over by these iris's.

Yesterday when i was out here, they hadn't opened up yet. What a nice surprise!

We have a nesting Robin in our arbor up front. Every time i pull the car in or out, she swoops out of her nest. I tried to catch some pictures of those fuzzy bird heads. I took these from my car- they're not great, but you can see a little beak sticking out!

FEED ME!
The chaos keeps building in our dining room, with all the stuff i need to take Up North this week to the new house.

Found these cute tables at an estate sale a few weeks ago. Already painted and chippy!

This is by far the most important item to go with me {and chocolate- who are we kidding}

That's my Mondayness, hope you have a good one!

Travelin', Ramblin' and a Project

Ramblin': I know, i know- i've been a bad blogger. I'm the first to admit it! It's not for lack of thought, every where i've been, every picture i've taken, i've composed into a post in my head. Time has been my problem. And i think i just needed a break. Life's been crazy! The project: Sweet man and i finally closed on our dream get-away in Northern Michigan. We're so geeked- like little kids and their first play house! Planning, painting, shopping {i've never spent so much money at target at one time- ugh } I'll share some photo's when i go up in a couple weeks.

The travelin': Last week sweet man, Ms. B and i took Ms. A and three of her friends to New York for her bat Mitzvah present. These girls are so sweet and such a pleasure to travel with. : )

We stayed at the beautiful London Hotel

We walked, and shopped our socks off.

We took in two musicals. "Spiderman" and "Wicked". We took the tour, "Behind the Emerald Curtain" before we saw "Wicked" It was amazing!

We rode through central park,

and snacked our way through "Dylan's Candy Bar"

mmmmm...

We took some time to reflect at ground zero

and viewed New York's beauty from the water.

As always, it's great to get away, but coming home is the best.

More ramblin': Our soggy Michigan spring has turned our yard into a swamp. I'm aching to get outside and do some gardening. The little sprouts i started inside are leggy and in need of some serious sunshine! School doesn't let out until the 21st- half the summer is already gone by that time! And now i think i'm hooked on "Extreme Couponing"! Have you seen this show? It's somewhere between hoarding and super saving...i'm still not sure it's healthy. Speaking of unhealthy, have you watched the Show Time series, "Shameless"? My new guilty pleasure. It makes me want to steal toilet paper. Weird, i know.

There, i think i'm done.

Happy Thursday!

Honey, I'm Home!

That's about how i feel! Like i've been gone for-evah!

Ms.A became a Bat Mitzvah on Friday night. All her hard work {and my nagging!} payed off. She did a beautiful job leading the service and reading from the Torah. We partied afterwards till midnight, finally able to let go and relax!

This baby girl turned 13 last week

I don't even know when she became so grown up...

We spent an amazing weekend laughing and eating with our crazy family. Even the cherry tree cooperated in blooming right on time!

The candy tuff joined in, too.

I've been so consumed with finishing projects around the house, and i've been wanting to share with you a few of my favorites.

Our powder room is teeny. I've admired those little rooms that are made into jewel boxes forever and decided to begin a miniature gallery in ours. I started with this weird head {sorry it's sideways...just tilt your head...}

...and sprayed it 'Heirloom White"

I've been buying these little pictures at estate sales for the past year.

I'd love to eventually cover most of the wall with miniature pictures.

Remember these silhouettes? They cleaned up beautifully. I just adore the horse pictures.

When we reno'd this bath seven years ago, i painted it chocolate brown and stenciled a floral pattern in pearl paint. I was just at the point of wanting to re-paint it, but now i think it's a keeper!What do you think?

Gotta go catch up on everything you've been doing. I've got some blogs to read!

Happy Wednesday!

Almost There

Tick, tick, tick. That's what i hear in my head.

Ms. A's bat Mitzvah is in eight days. EIGHT DAYS! Yes, i'm freaking out. No, i have not finished with my list yet. Yes, it's all going to be O.K.

Ms.A has been working so hard to memorize her Hebrew, it just amazes me. I never could have done what she's about to do at 13.

Passover ended last week and i wanted to share with you one of my favorite passover desserts. I've seen this recipe made with saltines, but i think matzo rocks it.

Matzo Brickle

Line a cookie sheet with foil and lay about 4 boards of matzo on the pan, breaking to fit.

Pre-heat your oven to 450.

In a sauce pan over medium heat, heat 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar till melted into a caramel sauce.
Pour hot caramel sauce over matzo. Bake for 4 minutes until bubbly. Remove.
Sprinkle on 12 0z of chocolate chips. return to oven for 1 minute. Spread chocolate evenly over caramel/matzo.Break up about five Heath bars { make it six, i always end up eating one!}

Sprinkle and press Heath bars into chocolate. Refrigerate to cool.

Lift the foil and break into big pieces. This never lasts more than a day in our house.

Enjoy!

It's been raining like crazy here. Just thought i'd share with you the latest craze in Ladradoodle fashion- mud mittens. They're stylish, they're hip, all the dogs with fuzzy feet are wearing them!

She loves to showcase them on her runway, my newly cleaned family room carpet. Mud mittens, get yours today!

Is it too early for a glass of wine?

Happy weekend!

Great Get -Away

I feel like i've been gone for ev-ah! Sweet man and i took off for a weekend to Washington. Every where we went we kept saying, "We have to bring the kids here!"

I hung out with the most inspiring men {aside from sweet man ♡ }

Enough said
I spent some time hanging out in Julia's kitchen {sort of}

How cool is it that she totally got that shabby french/farm kitchen look, even then?!

Spent some quiet time with two of my favorite people

And some of my childhood friends. Love those guy's!

O.K. I had to show you the chair in our hotel room. Could you die? MAP fabric. Gracious me.

And of course this surprise in our closet. Yup, three animal print robes, and you guessed it- sweet man modeled them all. Heaven help us!

Over all it was a wonderful weekend.

What have you all been up to?