happy {memorial day} weekend!

wishing you all a wonderful weekend! hope the sun is shining and that family, friends and good food surround you.

and speaking of food ... need a great dessert recipe? well, i got one for you! last july 4th i made this trifle and it was a big hit! i'm actually not a big sandra lee's fan, but i need to give her credit for this one!

via

have a great weekend!

universal truths

i'm not a big fan of email forwards, but i got this one the other day and felt it was neccessary to share. hope you enjoy and can relate to one or two.

here goes...

 

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

There is great need for a sarcasm font.

How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
(i've actually figured this one out! as the innkeeper of a bed and breakfast, i had no choice!)

Was learning cursive really necessary?

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories.

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Speed Trap" and “Avoid Bad Neighborhood” routing options.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent an ass from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my behind everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

Sometimes I'll look at the clock 3 (or more) consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

advice needed ... custom cards and postcards?

i am constantly (probably too much for my own good) thinking of things i can do ... things i can try ... ways to be creative.

so my latest thought is to create greeting cards and postcards with some of the images i've taken at (and of )the bed and breakfast. the postcards can make a nice moment for those visiting while the greeting cards can accompany a gift someone is purchasing.

i've been searching the internet for different ways to accomplish this and i'm just not loving what i'm finding. so, being the creative folks that you are, i'm looking to your for help.

this is what i found, and may actually like, to create the cards. what do you think? other suggestions? i like options.

for postcards, people mentioned vistaprint. which, i'm not the biggest fan of this company, and i do not want their logo anywhere on my card.

at this point it can't be too fancy (aka expensive), meaning i can't go buy a letterpress or something, but any and all ideas/suggestions are appreciated. thanks a million in advance!

i see a tomato ...

... i guess my trick is working.

blueberry banana pancakes

i love the versatility of pancakes. start with an basic, yet amazing pancake recipe.

and let your creative mind do the rest. the finish product will speak for itself!

some of my personal favorite include:

blueberry and banana (add mashed ripe banana to the batter. then add blueberries when the pancake is on the griddle)

oatmeal and almond (just add old fashioned oats and a little almond extract to your batter)

crushed pineapple and vanilla (cut up fresh pineapple into tiny pieces, mix into the batter with good vanilla. make it extra special by serving them with fresh strawberries sprinkle with vanilla sugar.)

peanut butter chips (move over chocolate chips! these taste divine! just add the desired amount of chips (a lot in my case) to the pancake when it's on the griddle.)

an update and something new

remember back in january when i planted some glass orbs with succulents?  well over the past couple months i managed to break two of them (knots in fishing line are not sturdy). and the one that's left ... it's thriving! see..

i don't think i took a close up of this particular one before, but doesn't it look great? i just love it. the plant has various names, but i know it as 'string of pearls'. i found this plant on etsy,  but recently saw a much larger version at lowes.

back in january i also found these glass beaker tubes for a steal on ebay. i was slightly discouraged after breaking two of my other attempts, but with a renewed spirit and a couple extra succulents i decided to try again. as they say, 'if at first you don't succeed...

...try, try, try again.'

so i put a couple stones at the bottom of each beaker, filled them with catus soil and planted my succulents.

i hung them in my dining room in front of the window. i think i need one more tube. and yes, i realize they are a bit weird/different/interesting but that's why i love them. it makes my guests intrigued... it makes them ask questions. it's fun. and i love to watch them grow.

i'm not sure how the light is going to be here, but i'm thinking it could be perfect. not direct, but plenty of it. we shall see. and again, i'll keep you posted.

oh, and i was beyond thrilled this past weekend when a guest commented on how much they loved that my flowers matched my door and outdoor cushions. success!

if at first you don't succeed

so, even though i'd love to have a big beautiful vegetable garden, i don't have the space. once you've had a fresh garden tomato or squash or anything you'll never want to buy another vegetable in the store.

before i purchased the bed and breakfast (oh, and i'm celebrating my two year anniversary tomorrow ... it's hard to believe it's been two years since i signed about a thousand papers and bought my own business. but, i'd do it again in a heartbeat.) ... anyway, as i was saying, before i purchased the b&b, i live in philadelphia and tried to plant tomato plants in pots and i was highly unsuccessful. it was just bad.

what i recently learned is that you can go tomatoes in a container, but you're not suppose to use terra cotta pots (which i did) because they dry out too quickly. i was determined to try again, because i love, LOVE cherry tomatoes. i have an excess of terra cotta pots and didn't need/want to buy something else. so...

before filling with dirt, i lined my pots (i'm only trying two tomato plants this year) with garbage bags, poked a hole in the bottom, then filled with dirt! so now i have the look of terra cotta without it drying out. hopefully this works and i have plenty of delicious cherry tomatoes. time will tell.

if not i can just swoon over this amazing garden or this one.

tell me this doesn't look amazing

saw this here.

pasta with roasted red pepper sauce.

i love pasta. i love roasted red peppers. i love pine nuts. i love parmesan cheese. (are you sure i'm not italian?) i'm seriously drooling and it's 9:30 in the morning.

now i just need an excuse to make this. want to come over for dinner?  i'll even make this for dessert.

everything is coming up roses

i bought four climbing don juan rose bushes this spring and planted them around my little inn with hopes of eventually creating a canopy of roses overhead.

and to my suprise, i already have a rose coming!

don't the petals look like a heart? now i wish my cold would go away so i could smell these beauties!

inspired by ... a stack of magazines - part 3

finally! a beautiful, sunny day in the high 70's! it's about time. i'm hoping it will help flowers grow. how are you enjoying my magazine finds? good? or is it getting boring? well, either way, only a couple more days. and i'm having fun, so i guess that's what matters most.

no. 1 - Better Homes and Gardens

remember the bedroom i showed you yesterday? well, i found another image with the same artwork. cool. right? well i actually really, really like it, so i did a little research and found it! can you believe it?

here's close up...

turns out it's a needlepoint of silk and wool. and of course, i 'love' it. and of course, its $2,750.  ouch. i guess i'll be waiting until i become rich and famous or until they turn it into a poster of some sort.

no. 2 - House Beautiful

i was really happy to stumble across this picture.

the yellowy orange they used on the walls is almost identical to the yellowy orange i used in my dining room. see...

some days i love the color, other days i want to paint it over with a creamy (almost white) yellow. eventhough, everyone that sees it says they like it... and it's so cheery. when i found the picture in above, i was actually convinced i did choose the right color ... but, it just needed finished. see the detail modeling they added?  do you like it? should i do it? i think i should.

no. 3 - Food Network Magazine

it's been a while since i've had/made a really good guacamole. or should i say the perfect guacamole?

my sister-in-law was talking about this recipe the other day. i sort of forgot about it, then as i was flipping through my magazines, there it was! so as soon as i can get my hands on some ripe avocados i will be making this. (although, i'm not the biggest fan of cilantro.... maybe i have to reduce the amount a bit.) do you like cilantro?

no. 4 - Food Network Magazine

i saw this amazing herb pot (three pictures down) and just loved it! i did a little research and found its from a company called 'perch!'. they have the neatest stuff. here are my favs...

goodbye grandma's old crocheted pot hanger, and hello modern ceramic wonderfulness!

i'm pretty sure these are the coolest salt and pepper shakers i have EVER seen. they're called 'shake-a-leg' hehe. they also have a set called bonnie and clyde which are pretty cool too.

the planters that let me to this cool company.

and the coolest bowl.

i must warn you though... while these items are super cool. they come at a price, but i'm sure they are worth it!

happy thursday! (i love thursdays ... parks and recreation and the office are on tonight [nbc] ... and they always make me laugh. often times outloud and uncontrollably. i hope my guests don't hear me.)

inspired by ... a stack of magazines - part 2

i'm trying to fight a cold and i am certainly not winning ... and this weather isn't helping. i put on shorts and flip flops this morning and now i feel like i need a winter coat. i'm not sure if it's the actual weather or my cold, but somethings gotta give. just not feeling myself. i think a week of sunshine would do me us all some good. but, sadly, i don't see it in our forecast. oh well. must. trudge. on.


anyway, back to business. i'm still working on my pile of magazines. if you are just going me, you can read part 1 here.  here's some goodies for today. enjoy!

no. 1 - Family Circle (i didn't actually order this subscription - i think i comes as a result of Country Home [which i miss so much] going under.)

i was shocked when i actually starting flipping through it a couple months back that they actually had some sense of style.

I can appreciate the black walls in this picture, but they really aren't for me. what i do like though are the chairs! i am learning that when using color i defiantly prefer vivid colors over more subdued.

i really like this bedroom too! so fresh and cheery. i'm thinking this could service as a nice inspiration photo for when i go to redo the 'Master Bedroom.' what do ya think?

no. 2 - Country Gardens

i love me a good succulent! and this 3 foot tall rustic urn filled with Angelina Sedum does not disappoint. i loving mixing plants in my pots, but sometimes one type of flower/plant in a pot is just brilliant!

when trying to find this picture i found this link for some really beautiful succulent gardens and the names of the plants used. check it out.

this is my succlent garden. i started it two years ago. i bring it inside in the winter. it was looking a little sad this year, so i just added some more/new plants. i'll show you it when its a little more filled in.

no. 3 - Better Homes and Gardens

back in january, bhg did a little feature on the beautiful home of Sherily Wright. turns out she's a fellow blogger and i've been following her ever sense.

her house and photos actually remind me a bit of posie gets cozy, who i also love. (her blog is actually the blog that inspired me to start blogging. i think it may have been the first blog i ever read. and i'm still reading it. she always inspires me.) anyway...

everything looks just so clean and cozy. comfortable. homey. lived in. love the look.

this is my favorite. i would love to start a collection of globes. aren't the colors beautiful?

all images are from her blog, lovelydesign. check it out.

that's it for today. i need a nap ... but sadly ... i'm horrible at napping, well unless my three month old niece is sleeping in my arms.

inspired by ... a stack of magazines - part 1

wow. what difference a week makes. things have slowed down a bit around these parts. i'm actually guest free for the next couple of days, which is sort of bittersweet i suppose. i do take advantage of my 'free' time. in between catching up on laundry, taking my time to clean rooms and maybe painting the ceiling in my hall tomorrow.

last night i actually made time to go through some of the magazine in my stack. finally! (it actually about doubled since my last post - between new magazines and others scatter around the house.) i usually wait a bit (about a year) before going through older magazine, tearing out pages i want and tossing the rest. but last night i couldn't resist. anything older than two months is going!

so, what i decided to do for my posts this week, is to share some of my favorite finds (in hopes they may inspire you too). i do apologize because the pictures may not be the greatest as some may be pictures of magazines, but i'll to my best in trying to find images online.

alright, so here goes. 

no. 1 - House Beautiful
i love that each issue features an amazing cookbook (and a recipe from ina garten in another section)

this particular month's cookbook was Salt to Taste (and from what i can tell it's italian. and i love italian.)

although i need to learn how to do more of this ... i love the idea behind the book .... ' that great food is not the product of sticking rigidly to exact measurements. the best cooks rely mainly on their senses.' love it. and the reviews on amazon seem great too! anyone have this gem? thoughts?


no. 2 - Canadian House & Home (my free sample issue - too expensive to ship to the US - ouch.)

do you ever see something in a magazine and fall in love instantly but know in the back of your mind, just by looking at it, you will never be able to afford it? well... that's what happened with these chandeliers. but it is nice to dream.

beautiful right? they would match the fixtures in my house perfectly. just love them (wipes drool from chin). i'm afraid to research the price, so i didn't, but they are from a company called South Hill Home and are part of their ochre collection.


no. 3 - This Old House

and here comes a picture of a picture. can you see it?

it's a totem pole made from stacked stone. i think it would look ah-mazing in my little garden out back. supposedly you can glue stone, one on top of the other, with a two-part masonry epoxy. (Conap K-20 EasyPoxy clear epoxy). it then goes on to say that taller structures should have a hole drilled through with a hammer drill then treaded on a pole. wow. sounds a bit complicated, but still looks super cool. maybe i can tackle this in a couple years. i don't even know what i hammer drill is and god knows i'd end up with a rock expoxy-ed to my hand.


no. 4 - House Beautiful ... i think

i know, it may be a bit much...

...but i just freakin' LOVE it! white/creamy walls. beadboard ceiling. black and white photos in red frames with white mats. i have goosebumps. i think this is one of those things you either love or hate ... and as i said, i freakin' love it.

that's it for today, but there will be plenty more this week! and plenty i won't have room and/or time to show... maybe another time. i would love to know what you think or what your favorites are. feel free to share.

have a fabulous week friends!

one of my favorite things

like Oprah, i too have many favorite things. and one of my most favorite is heading to the local greenhouses. that exactly what i did (with my mom) this past (beautifully sunny) weekend. i didn't take any pictures while i was the the greenhouses (i didn't want to look silly and i just wanted to enjoy the process). i did take pictures of what i brought home.

inspired by my newly painted front door and new chair cushions i went with oranges, reds and yellow this year. last year i did a mix of anything and it looked that way. pink mixed with reds mixed with purples mixed with oranges. it just didn't look right.

sticking with a smaller pallet of colors makes everything look cohesive, while the variety of flowers keeps things interesting. plus it goes much better with the color of my house (red brick).

love geraniums. a must for my garden!

window boxes on the carriage house. i never really liked marigolds, but i took my mother's advice and they couldn't be more perfect. i love potatoe vine too!

i love planting too... even though my excitement makes the planting process happen really fast, before i know i'm done. i wish it would last longer.

every fall, when i clean up all the dead flowers, i tell myself i'm not buying as many next year, but some how i always do.

i just can't help myself.