new jersey love.

after spending almost a month vacationing in new jersey, we arrived back at home last night. as always, we hated to say goodbye to the family, people and things we love in new jersey. yet, after a 14-hour car ride, we were all very, very happy to be back at home. and so, i will be spending the next few days, unpacking and settling back in.

p.s. i am loving the watercolor paintings of state love found at poppy and pinecone. i think the new jersey state love perfectly represents my love for new jersey. which state would you choose?

{print available from poppyandpinecone.}

happy friday + some things.

we've had such a busy week. i can hardly grasp the idea that it is already friday. my kids have been having so much fun with their cousins. it's been so fun watching them all together. tonight, i am hoping to enjoy a mojito with my sister-n-law while the kids continue to play. and tomorrow we are heading to the shore to enjoy one last day on the beach before heading back home next week!

i hope you have a happy friday. here are some things you might enjoy while we are enjoying our last few days in new jersey-

i am in love with outdoor summer parties
beautiful blair family photos in france
i want a grilled portabella & peach burger for lunch
and a good mojito tonight
this table would be perfect in my dream craft/work room
how fun- free printable photo props and more fun ones here too
do-it-yourself: a 4th of july striped tote
and a cute patriotic idea for kids

have great weekend!!

{images via kitka.ca}

heading to a.c.

today i am headed down to atlantic city. my mom has been a bartender in atlantic city for more than 25 years and this year she has decided to retire. tonight her co-workers are celebrating with a party in her honor and i am lucky enough to be in town to attend. my in-laws will be taking care of the kids for the night and i will be back tomorrow!

have i mentioned that my mom is retiring this week, packing up and moving down south with us until she finds a place of her own? although i know it will be a very big adjustment for my mom, we are all very excited and happy and so thankful that she has decided to retire near our family!

goodbyes + a week at the shore.

this past week we said goodbye again after spending a whole week together as a family, including a few days by the shore. jeff boarded a plane last wednesday and headed back to work and the kids and i stayed behind in new jersey. we spent the rest of the week at my sister's beach house on the shore in sea isle.

we truly spent the entire week on the beach. jeff and i indulged in long walks alone, hand in hand, we talked about our hopes and dreams and what we think our future holds. i actually sat down and was able to read while jeff played ball with the kids. slade, elle and sia found a love for boogie boarding and enjoyed playing for hours in the surf. we were lucky to have both of our parents join us for a relaxing day on the beach too.

and, after long days on the beach, we had dinners of clams, shrimp, ceviche and even rolled out the brown paper one night for a crab feast on the porch. yum! our vacation at the shore couldn't be any more wonderful!

a big thank you to my twin sister lisa for welcoming us to her beach house for the week. we hope it wasn't our last goodbye to the jersey shore for the summer. hopefully we'll be back soon!!

enjoy the weekend + some things.

do you have any plans for the weekend? we plan on heading down to the shore to enjoy some time on the beach before jeff heads back to work on wednesday. i am looking forward to long lazy days in the warm sun, walks along the shore and playing in the sand and surf with jeff and the kids. i can hardly wait. being on the beach brings me such peace and contentment and just makes me happy.

whatever your plans... i hope you enjoy your weekend and some of these things too!!

perfect DIY for those empty wine bottles
reminder to play everyday
sweet gift for father's day
painted votives
i'll be doing this soon
love the new issue of sweet paul magazine
a backyard office

now she's six.

my little elle belle turns six years old today!!!
happy birthday to my sweet little girl...
mommy loves you so, so much!!

today, i am happy, happy.

i am very happy today. jeff arrived (and surprised our children) very, very early this morning to spend a week with us while we are vacationing this summer in new jersey! the five of us are together again for a whole week and today i am happy, happy!!

{print via farouche}

gone fishing.

today, my children took a break from the pool and went fishing with their poppop. i think my girls have found a new hobby, at least a new one while we are here visiting this summer! from what i hear, they caught a total of eleven fish during their afternoon down by river with poppop and loved every minute of it!

happy friday.

hope you are having a happy friday. i have spent most of the day packing. i really do not like to pack, let alone times four. however, we finally are all packed and the kids and i (and my mom) are heading out very early in the morning for a long drive north up to new jersey. ever since slade was born, we've been spending part of our summers there with the family that we love. i will still be posting while we are away, but until i get unpacked and settled, here are some things i've seen that you might enjoy too. have a great weekend!

try this to patch your jeans
an adorable cookies + milk party
i can't stop staring at these bouncy balls
balloon banner DIY
a really neat way to wrap flowers
a site dedicated to artful pancakes- i'm amazed!
and love this summer list

{image found here}

morning bubbles.

what a happy way to start the day...

my girls decided the perfect thing to do first thing this morning was to blow bubbles in their pajamas on our back deck. they are loving the washable colored bubbles by crayola.

red wine sangria.

the other night i made a pitcher of red wine sangria. it's been so hot and humid lately and i was craving something refreshing to drink after a day at the pool. a good friend of mine stopped by that evening and luckily, i already had a pitcher on hand to share. i love it served over crushed ice and with a straw to sip. here is the sangria recipe i use. i came across it more than 10 years ago in real simple magazine and have been using it ever since. it is so easy to make and so, so refreshing on a hot summer day.

{image via insiders passport}

happy june.

it's the first day of june and already very hot here!

happily i am packing the kids up and we headed out to the pool for the entire day! it's suppose to reach a high of 97 degrees here!!

hope you have a happy first day of june too!