creating space for beauty & simplicity
Yesterday I was filled with a sense of peace and renewal. We hadn’t even rung in the new year but my heart was full of hope and anticipation for a fresh start.
So far it has been a good beginning.
A few shots take last night before our new years eve celebration with friends.
Happy new year to you!
xo
Our little Norah turned 11 today!
She celebrated with some of her favorite people on Saturday pressing apple cider, playing outdoor games and watching a movie outdoors.
She made her own birthday (cheese) cake and topped it with caramel acorns.
I don’t know about you but I adore wintertime. I am that person who nods their head, but secretly disagrees with others who complain about how early the dark comes. I don’t mind one bit when I need to turn on a lamp at 4:30 pm. Nope, I say embrace the darkness!
But really, I do love each season. I always seem to be ready for the next one as it approaches. I’ll welcome spring with open arms in a few months for sure. But for now, I greet the darkness with gratitude and I appreciate it’s many gifts…..
::The busyness of a day ends a bit sooner as the light lessens. A calmness sets in. We all tend to slow down.
::We hunker down as nighttime rituals happen earlier.
::I cherish the time spent around the cozy glow of the fireplace in the evenings keeping warm, playing games, making music.
::Earlier bedtimes are always a plus. More sleep equals healthier immune systems to fight off winter colds and flus.
::Cheery twinkle lights stay up even after the holidays to brighten things up a bit.
::Candles and more candles! I even light candles outside to greet guests.
These shots were taken last Tuesday during Dinner with Izzy.
Yes I know I haven’t been here in almost two whole months!
All I can say is I have been trying to live in the moment.
No documenting, no blogging, no social media, very little screen time at all and to tell you the truth it’s been rather nice.
But after some time to ponder I have realized that I do miss this space.
Thanks to all of you for your gentle nudges and inquiries. It’s heartwarming to know that so many of you enjoy it here.
I do too.
We had the most lovely holiday. In between baking, gift making and decking the halls, we hosted a caroling party, a new years eve party, several dinner guests and tonight we end our vacation with a little Downton Abbey party. There’s a chocolate cake in the oven right now!
I look forward to sharing more of our home, garden, projects, traditions, recipes and every day life here with you in the new year.
Happy new year my friends!
xo
We had a lovely holiday weekend at home full of festivities, food, fireworks and an outdoor cinema all right in our own backyard.
Not a day goes by where I don’t appreciate our community, our town, our neighborhood and the wonderful traditions we have created around them.
If I won the lottery I wouldn’t change a thing.
I would stay put right where we have so luckily landed.
Life is good.
Our weekend has been full of family, friends, food and fun.
On Friday night we hosted our annual Media Five Miler Party. We had loads of fun as usual, so much I didn’t take the time to snap a single photo!
Last night we hosted family to celebrate Father’s day and my Nana’s 91st birthday. The evening ended outdoors with card games on the patio and then down to the ball field to release sky lanterns!
As you can see Chris has been busy building us a new back porch. It is not quite finished so stay tuned for an entire post on that project. We are excited to share with you the many details involved.
In the mean time check out the beautiful Kentucky Coffee Tree table he made for our patio, perfect for card games and a cold G&T! He’s thinking of burning a chess board into it!
Last weekend it was Chris’s turn to be celebrated so we hosted our favorite friends for desserts and drinks.
I made this chocolate almond torte that I now make for almost every party. People of all ages love it. I asked Chris to cut out a design from card stock for the top of the cake. I said maybe a “C” for Chris? But he had other plans in mind.
I also served my mom’s baked brie recipe which I had forgotten all about. It was a huge hit. I plan on making it more often.
While all of the kids were upstairs watching a movie our friends had us participate in a mad lib they created all about Chris. It was a hoot!
Mimi’s Baked Brie
1 large brie wheel
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup of pecan pieces
Melt butter. Turn off heat and mix in brown sugar and pecan halves.
Pour over brie and refrigerate.
Close to serving time bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Let set for 15 minutes before serving.
You can half or quarter this recipe for a smaller wheel or slice of brie.
A few weeks ago the girls asked if they could host their own craft circle with friends. I guess after watching their mama have fun crafting with her friends each month for the last 15 years they thought they should give it a try.
They decided on the first Sunday afternoon of every month and hosted their first one yesterday.
Each girl brought along a craft to work on and they all sat around the fire chatting and working on various projects. A few worked on crocheted ipod charger cords, Hannah began knitting a hat while her friend worked on a knitted bear project. There was some duct tape art and after much finger knitting over the years Norah began her very first knitted project on needles~ a scarf!
And of course there were refreshments. Norah made back bean brownies again and served them with peppermint tea.
Although there was a bit of a generation gap and the conversation may have been a bit different, craft circle on the first Sunday afternoon of the month with the girls looked a lot like craft circle on the second Wednesday evening of the month with the ladies. There was laughter, lots of chatter, sharing of tools and ideas and of course tea and goodies.
I know that this Sunday afternoon tradition may not last forever but for now I will cherish these moments and feel a little bit proud that my girls want to follow in their mama’s footsteps.
Last night was dinner with Izzy and it was my turn this week.
I have written before how we love salad bar night around here and it’s even more fun when we can share it with guests.
Last night I put on the works and served an array of toppings including bacon, avocado, shredded carrots, cucumber, pickled beets, hard boiled eggs, slivered almonds, dried cranberries, tuna, garbanzo beans, edamame and quinoa.
I roasted an entire cast iron skillet of sweet potatoes doused in coconut oil and made a batch of pita chips.
It’s so much fun setting the bar up but it’s just as much fun seeing everybody’s creations.
And there is always a trip back for seconds.
