breakfast with daddy.

i was so happy to see the excitement in sia this morning as jeff took her to school. today was the annual breakfast with daddy event at the preschool. for the past few years, jeff has not been able to attend. so, this was a very happy morning for one little girl.

hello monday.

today i'm just thinking, how much i love us...

and... how lucky i am to be so loved by an amazing husband and three sweet children. hope you are having a happy monday and perhaps are feeling very loved too.

pictures are from our front foyer. the i love us downloadable print can be found here.

the weekend. a few things.

how is your weekend going? i just returned from a quick, overnight trip to north carolina. and after spending many hours in the car, i am feeling a bit lazy today. actually i am trying to clean up my desk, while making my weekly to-do list, while thinking about baking some simple chocolate chip cookies, while watching the kids rides their bikes outside. it's a little chilly out there for me, so i think i'd rather stay right here and warm up the kitchen with some sweetness.

whatever your plans include, i hope that you are having a good weekend, here are a few things that i thought you might enjoy too-

 {images via mignon kitchen co.}

a new and sweet little online shop with pretty packaging

i'd love to make these with my girls

who wouldn't love a cupid's arrow cupcake?

or, chocolate pot de creme to celebrate valentines day?

a different type of art

mini crepe-paper flower favors 

hope your weekend is happy!!

{image via oh happy day}

inspired: stencil a pillow.

i think this will be a upcoming weekend project. i found the supplies and directions for this pillow at  wit & whistle. what a great idea.

{image via wit & whistle}

especially when i saw this stenciled pillow at vivaterra for $159. at that price, i definitely prefer to make my own and customize it with a favorite quote of mine too.  wouldn't you?

{image via vivaterra}

100 days of school.

on friday, slade and elle celebrated their 100th day of school. i don't remember it ever being a big deal when i went to school. do you? but now, mostly in kindergarten, the 100th day of school is a big deal. and although slade and elle are now in 2nd and 1st grade,  the day is still celebrated.  this year, i agreed to bake cupcakes for each of their classes. a couple of years ago, i made these for slade's kindergarten class. 

how about you?? will you be celebrating the 100th day of school this year?

sweet valentine snack mix.

within 30 minutes time, i made this very sweet valentine snack mix yesterday. it looks really pretty in a big glass jar on the counter too!! i got the recipe from betty crocker.

{image via betty crocker}

readjusting.

i know it's been some time a really long time since i've posted anything.. more than a month to be exact. it's not that i forgot any of you. seriously, i have thought so many times of so many things i wanted to share, but i never took time to actually sit down to write anything. and, then the holidays came and went and yet i still shared nothing at all. really, forgive me.

when i first started this blog, right here,  it was because i was feeling a bit consumed by my daily life as a stay-at-home mom while jeff went to work more than 800 miles away from home. honestly, i was missing him tremendously. it was hard for all of us. the situation was not ideal, but it was what was necessary at the time. and so, i decided to blog to fill some of that void. i thought it would give me a reason to take some time each day for "me". i really wanted to focus on everyday simple happiness and i also wanted to share the things that bring me joy. what i didn't realize is how much i would love blogging. and, how i would find a love for following other people's blogs too. for me, i truly felt connected. i came across so many amazingly creative people and i found an outlet where i could share what inspires me, while also being inspired.  awesome, i know. 

fast forward, a couple of years later. this happened. it was really, really great news. actually the most wonderful news in a very long time. finally we would be together as a family. the happiness was overwhelming. but i also knew that there would be some readjusting for each one of us too. and so, that's where i've been- readjusting. it use to be after the kids were in bed, my mom duties of the day were complete and the house was extremely quiet that i would spend time writing a post or catching up on my google reader.

but now, very happily i have my husband back at home and my alone blogging time is now the time i absolutely love spending with jeff. and, i guess the busyness of the holidays, the kids being out of school, throw in a back surgery (for jeff) and a family trip too that i just fell completely out of sync. really, i felt very unorganized in my days. although, a part of me wanted to pull away from it all and get back, i just never made the time.

and so, while i am sorry i missed out on sharing so much, i am so thankful our family is all under one roof again. christmas was a very special time for us and we happily went to new jersey to celebrate the new year. it's gonna be a great new year. i vow to be more organized this year and focus on the things that matter most to me.  so, thank you for being patient as i was readjusting over here. but, finally i am back. i am ready to share my everyday simple happiness and the things that inspire me. i hope you'll find some happiness and inspiration too!! happy new year!

a special wish.

before the day runs out, i have to send a special wish to my twin sister lisa... happy birthday!!!  i love you so much... thank you for always being by my side no matter the distance that separates us. and thanks mom for giving birth to us forty years ago today!! (even though you thought you were having a big baby boy!) can you believe we are now forty??? 

hello monday.

how was your weekend? our weekend highlight was a friday night dinner we shared among friends. i made four different pizzas and an antipasta salad and served an apple cake for dessert. (i found the recipe here). the weather was cooler and it was the  perfect night to have the fireplace burning. i am loving this cooler weather and the way we seem to be surrounded by vibrant hues of red and gold everywhere we go. it seems to make the days a little bit brighter even when it's totally gray outside like today.  

hello monday.  hello wonderful brightness of fall.

friday + the weekend + some things.

 

happy friday. has your weekend officially begun yet? i am so happy it's friday. i'm looking forward to enjoying a cool fall weekend at home. i am hoping we'll enjoy smore's by the fire and i want to spend some time in the kitchen baking. i have a basket of apples that i need to use, so i am thinking an apple pie with a cheddar crust is in order.

whatever your plans, i hope you enjoy the weekend! here are some things you might enjoy too-

diy- festive fall fabric pumpkins 

love this thanksgiving pie topper

funny party idea

25 ways to wear a scarf- what a great tutorial

and, a simple and inexpensive hostess gift

happy friday. happy weekend!

{photo via martha stewart}

my little saint and some tears.

today, sia participated in the all saints day parade at her preschool. as i packed the costume in her school bag this morning, i couldn't help but become a little teary-eyed. this costume has been worn by all of my children. slade first wore it just after he turned three during his very first year of preschool. and, today sia wore it for the last time. next year she'll be off to kindergarten. i am definitely a mama who is sad about her babies growing up.
 

halloween.

hope your halloween was wonderfully fun as ours. we had such a great time with some of our closest friends and neighbors.  and, our subdivision seemed like it was filled with thousands of kids and adults walking the streets in merriment. it was such a great night to be out and about. needless to say, we had a puppy, ladybug and rock star that were quite happy with all of their treats at the end of the night too!

hope your halloween this year was a good one!

now he is eight.

my sweet slade turned eight years old yesterday. 

jeff and i woke him up early with birthday wishes

and surprised with a brand new bike before he went to school! 

i cannot believe how quickly my little boy is growing up!!

happy, happy birthday slade!!

happy monday & two weeks later!

so much has happened in two weeks!! i just took a big gasp of air when i sat down and realized it has been a whole two weeks since i've last been here!

so.... let me catch up you with the most exciting, best news ever for our family.... jeff came home a little more than a week ago and this time it is FOR GOOD!! can i just tell you, i am gushing with happiness! after 3 long years, his company has moved him back to a job here in atlanta. whoooo hoooo!! no more monthly weekend visits. no more goodbyes. no more missing my husband (and daddy) because he is more than 800 miles away. he is home and our family could not be any happier. and so, for the past week i have been absorbing the awesomeness of having my husband back at home. it's where i've been... indulging in being back together as a family! today, i think the reality that jeff is home for good has finally settled in and for that my monday is very, very happy!!  hope that you are having a happy monday too!!

happy monday + some things.

how was your weekend? we had a last minute visit from my dad on saturday, who is staying with us until wednesday!  my kids have been keeping grandpa busy, while i have been trying to work on a few projects here and there.  i missed posting my usual friday, so, here are some things i've seen and wanted to share with you. hope you enjoy them now...

glow stick lanterns for halloween might be fun

ten ways to amaze the kids 

perfect cup of soup for this weather

what does your favorite color tell about you?

love this, diy party candles

such cute costumes!

have a happy, happy monday!

she's got spirit.

   

i love my sia for all the happiness and love she immensely generates everyday. she is always smiling!! she is my one child that i can honestly says beams of happiness all of the time.

she was so excited today was spirit day at her preschool.  and, in honor of spirit day, we re-fashioned her plain preschool t-shirt with a few cuts and stitches here and there and added some iron-on letters, paint and glitter (which isn't showing in these pictures).

 and, of course, she insisted on wearing preschool logo tattoos too!

sia loves her school and totally thinks it rocks! i think she rocks for showing so much school spirit and being the happiest little girl ever. she can totally brighten any day of mine. i am truly blessed to have such a happy spirited little girl.

 

UPDATE:  Sia came home from school with even more excitement.  She won the Principal's Award for the Most School Spirit... whoo hoo!! Way to go Sia!!

enjoy the weekend.

happy first day of fall. although i have a true love for summer and being at the shore, i am looking forward to the cool, crisp days of autumn. it is definitely my favorite time of year to be in the kitchen. already i am feeling the urge to bake and cook.  during the past week, i baked biscotti, caramel cookies and buttermilk biscuits. tonight, i'm craving a pumpkin & sage pizza and this recipe for butternut squash ravioli will definitely be on my dinner menu soon. i just love all the flavors and foods that represent fall.

this afternoon, my girls started the weekend off by enjoying a game of hopscotch while i began making pizza dough and prepping the toppings.  it seemed like they jumped, hopped and skipped for hours.  i am sure with this beautiful weather, they'll be hopscotching throughout the weekend too.  

whatever your plans, i hope you enjoy this first weekend of fall. and perhaps, you'll enjoy some of these things i've seen and thought i'd share with you-

creating fun photos with chalk

thirty adorable hand-made masks for kids

maybe we should replace our bed for this

i would go glamping 

can't wait to make these paper mache tea cups

i am loving this site of inspiration & ideas from ikea

would you try galaxy nails?

love this reminder to remember when

 

happy weekend. happy fall.

anxiously waiting.

last wednesday night, jeff arrived and he left again on monday morning. our long weekend together always brings a roller coaster of emotions. the excitement of seeing one another again... the contentment of just being together... the happiness of a family united... and then the struggle of saying goodbye. over a three year span, we've said goodbye dozens of times, yet it is never easy. jeff leaves and i have to find the strength again to be on my own. sometimes it takes me a day or two to get back into the flow of daily life at home without jeff here, but thoughts and dreams of us being back together as a family under one roof never leave my mind. i am anxiously waiting for that day to arrive.

{image via irenesuchocki}

weekend craft: birdcage.

{image via honest to nod}

when i spotted this adorable birdcage in a recent land of nod catalog, i wanted to make my own. luckily, the catalog also included a link to the land of nod blog, honest to nod, where you'll find lots of crafty things and things to try. and so, over the weekend sia and i decided to make (our version) of this sweet little birdcage for her bedroom.

although we used an empty 2-liter bottle as the directions instructed, we chose to wrap our bottle with fabric strips (cut from a old baby crib sheet) instead of fabric strapping and used bright pink twine instead of multi-colored embroidery floss. it was what we had on hand and seemed to match sia's room perfectly.

and, sia already had the perfect stuffed birdie she wanted to hang inside, so we chose not to make one, but could've easily done with fabric scraps too. you can find the complete directions and tutorial for the land of nod birdcage and little bird here.

sia decided to hang her newly crafted birdcage next to another birdcage which hangs next to her bedroom window. isn't it sweet? if you haven't been to honest to nod, then please check it out.. there are many things to craft and try.

the weekend.

as of right now, there is officially only an hour left of the weekend. so, i didn't mean to, but i missed wishing you a happy weekend. i hope whatever you did, it was happy and here are some things you might enjoy too-

good question... what would you take?
seriously want to do this in my office
make a golden alligator pinata
almond + orange cupcakes- yum!
beautiful apple cider lattice cookies
think my girls would love these for fall
and, have you see issue #2 of styled yet?

hope your weekend was happy!!

(p.s. jeff- see the picture above?
this is how i am going to paint the office floor!!)

{image via coastal living}

we remembered.

and never forgetting 9-11, ten years ago today.
today, there were so many ways that we remembered.

{image via my sister, lisa}

i'm here. you're there.

perfectly said.
i am still missing my husband tremendously.

{image via yellowheartart}

stormy weather + togetherness.

it seems as if labor arrived and we quickly said goodbye to summer. it has been so dreary, dark and rainy since monday. i don't like this weather at all. especially, weather that creates tornadoes. and monday we had the perfect weather conditions for one.

i had been out buying paint when the tornado sirens began to blare. i had just walked into the store and employees and customers were being asked to take cover in a back training room. my heart stopped, i was alone. i had left my children at home with my mom and i didn't want to be away from them now. definitely not now. my first thought was, i needed to get home. i wanted to be at home. so yes, i disregarded the warnings, i left the store, got into my car and drove home. i was just in front of the tornado.

i now know a tornado definitely touched down not from where i had been and not far from our home at all. some of the homes in our neighborhood have been damaged and many trees are down. scary, yes. lucky, yes. thankful, yes. and very happy i was able to safely get home to be with my children. after i got home, the sirens continually went off, it continued to storm and we lost power, yet we were all together and i couldn't imagine it any other way.

happy, happy weekend.

do you have any fun and exciting plans for labor day weekend? slade has a football game on saturday afternoon, but besides that our calendar is empty... (hoorah!) i would love spend some time painting and perhaps we'll enjoy a day or two by the pool. whatever your plans... have a happy, happy labor day weekend!! here are some things you might enjoy too-

easy to create art for your walls
newspaper nails
would you let your kids paint with squirt guns?
perfectly said
were you a kid of the 80's?
and, diy.. dixie cup garland

{image via heygorgeous}

happy september.

although it is only the first of september and my children have been back in school for a month now, i am already missing summer. actually, i am missing the jersey shore and i wish we could sneak back before fall truly arrives.


maybe it's the fact that our temperatures here are still in the 90's each day. and maybe because labor day weekend is upon us. i am just feeling like we should be at the shore celebrating with family and friends and enjoying the last big weekend of summer.


being at the shore is one of my favorite places to be during the summer. it always has been since i was a little girl and i think it will always will be. thankfully, my children enjoy it as much as i do and together we love to spend countless summer hours there.


how about you, does it feel like it is fall where you are at? and where is your favorite place to be during the summer?

happy september!
(even though i am still dreaming about summer!!)