tulips for March

Hello pretty little things

Spring is in the air

 And in the grocery store floral department.

I couldn't resist these tulips, which are fast becoming my favorite blooms.

If I had it my way, I'd have these lovelies lazing around our home all the time.

But with the amount of diapers and whole milk that we go through in this house, it's not feasible to buy fresh flowers all the time. 

Which is why I planted this variety this past fall. And now their pretty little heads are poking up from the earth.

Spring is in the air....

Do you feel it too?

xox

June blooms & puppy love

Happy June.

Happy (near) summer:).

The flowers are blooming here like mad.

When I was 8 months pregnant, I planted several perennial bulbs around the house, big belly and all. 

I'm delighted that the little guys have made their appearance:). And will bloom for many years to come.

And each year that these blooms show their lovely heads, I will tell Ben that they were planted the year that he was born. The year that our lives changed forever:).



peonies from the garden- my absolute favorite:)



On another note, Ben loves himself some serious puppy.

It may not appear that way from the above photo, but he adores his dog. The phrase 'Benji, gentle...' is frequently said around here, as he wants to take his puppy and devour her. We have to show him how to be sweet to the pup. She may look like a walking teddy bear, but she's much more fragile:).



I don't know many bears that walk around the wild with tennis balls in their mouths:).



This week we had a scary reminder of how precious this life is. Thankfully, everyone will be fine, but there is an overwhelming desire to give extra long hugs, make more phone calls and throw in some extra I love yous to the people that matter. Life is so goddamned good and it needs to be cherished and celebrated. It's too short to do anything but.

Happy almost summer. I hope you're enjoying every beautiful minute of it with the ones that you love.

xoxo

Friday:)

Enjoying the beauty outside.....

And inside......

Happy weekend to you......

May it be filled with many beautiful things.

xoxo

Oh, you make me so happy

The peony is named after Paeon (also spelled Paean), a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower.
(from Wikipedia)

I wait for this all winter long- the first blooms from my sweet little peony bush. I take daily walks (sometimes multiple times a day, much to the annoyance of my husband:)) by my little plant starting in the early spring, eagerly monitoring it's growth. My heart fills with joy at the first sign of the light pink, almost white, buds that slowly emerge. It takes all of the determination and sanity that I can muster to not jump up and down, while clicking my feet together in the air and singing a song of happiness when I see that first floppy mophead (my willpower is not quite strong enough to prevent a little twirling dance, but these things happen). And yes, selfish as it may be, I just cannot leave them outside. So, I clip the delicate little mopheads and place them in a sweet little vase so that I can enjoy them inside. And when I'm inside, I carry them around, room to room, so that I can smell their loveliness whenever I please.

 

And speaking of mopheads, here is our other little mophead, loving herself up some sun. My dad would say that she's 'posing for animal crackers' and I would have to agree :).

 

Thank you all for your sweet and thoughtful notes on my last post. I feel so lucky to have found you in this little blogworld and look forward to sharing our stories of summer.....

xoxo 

Happy March!

We're home from Vermont. We had such a lovely, quiet and relaxing weekend up north, though it is always nice to be back home. I will be uploading some photos of picturesque Vermont soon but I couldn't resist posting about springtime, as we've finally made it through February!! I don't know about you, but to me it seemed as though this February was never going to end. I realize that we're not quite through with winter yet, but hopefully the worst is behind us.

With March comes spring cleaning, re-organization, fresh blooms, indoor seed growing, sunnier skies, pastels, slightly warmer and longer days, lighter moods. Life seems to slowly start to wake up again. I've already rearranged my office, pulled my silver tea set from the basement to clean, and loaded the house with fresh flowers. It feels like we've waited forever, but soon we'll be able to open the windows and let the fresh air fill the house:).

~Happy March to you all~

xoxo

Dinner for 4

We’re having dinner guests over tonight. On the menu is teriyaki salmon (my husband grills a fantastically mean teriyaki salmon, which, let’s be truthful here, is one of the reasons why he is my husband;)), pearled basil couscous and green beans. For dessert, we’ll be having homemade blueberry apple crisp, served up warm with a scoop of vanilla gelato. I could hardly contain my excitement at the grocery store when I bought it!! We’ll also be having Trader Joe’s dark-chocolate covered blueberries. If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, I highly recommend trying these blueberries. They are so delicious:).

I got some fresh flowers for the occasion and pulled out my spring apron (which I got on sale last year at Williams Sonoma outlet), while my little monkey of a dog looked on with a quizzical stare. What a glorious Saturday;).


xoxo

Happy Friday!

I know that we’re only in mid-February, but outside, it’s warm (for February in New England;)) and the sun is shining and inside, my paper white narcissus is in full bloom. It’s really beginning to feel like spring is right around the corner and I am loving every minute of it.

I hope that you all have an enjoyable weekend!

xoxo

SiMpLe ThInGs

Dear sweet friends,

As I was away, I was unable to partake in the Simple Things postings of late January. I thought it was such a lovely idea, so moving and inspiring, that I created my list, albeit a bit late. So, I welcome February with my list of simple things and hope that this month brings peace, love and health to those around the world, including you.



My SiMpLe ThInGs



My husband’s voice
Daily phone calls with my mom
Being my father's daughter
Friendships that have lasted and grown throughout the years
Having an older brother
Having a younger brother
**
Sand between my toes
Being a woman
Being healthy
Rosy cheeks and freckled faces
Good conversation
My dog’s rare and random bark
**
Old-fashioned street lamps and cobble-stoned roads
Being snowed in
The first sign of spring
Christmas Eve
Opening stockings
**
Gruyere Cheese
Beet & Goat Cheese Salad
A pretty glass of pink wine
The sound of my husband playing the piano
A book that I can’t stop reading
**
Naptime with hubby and Luna
My lovely new couches- just the perfect shade of pale blue
Classics and Jazz- a French radio station that we stream in our home- plays the perfect blend of music, no matter my mood
Hand-written letters
Leaving little notes for hubby
**
The blonde curls and big brown eyes of my lovely nephew
My nephews & nieces (and how they all call me auntie Blair:))
The long driveway leading to my sweet home
My husband’s singing voice
My husband’s dancing face
**
When Luna greets me as soon as I walk through the door, like I’m the most important thing on the planet
Filet Mignon and Lobster
Autumn in New England
Birds eating from my bird feeder
Composting
**
Fresh Flowers
Shades of Blues, Pinks, Whites
Flicking through Home Design and Garden magazines on a Saturday morning
Our Saturday morning routine of eating egg sandwiches, drinking big mugs of coffee and listening to NPR
A pair of shoes that is both cute AND comfy:)
**
Outdoor speakers
Outdoor showers
Canoe rides
Singing out loud to myself
Laughter
**
Watching my parents dance together
*
Dancing with hubby
*

Happy 101!

I was given the opportunity to think of and share a list of 10 things that make me happy. This was actually a fun exercise because for the past few days, I’ve been focusing on things that make me happy, smelling the roses of sorts:). There are so many things that bring me joy, in one way or another, but I’ve captured just a few of them below (small and large :))…..

1. My Husband/ Marriage: I fell in love with him for many reasons, but one of my most favorite things about Matt is that he makes me laugh. Every single day he does or says something silly and he has me laughing even after he’s left the room. He also thinks I’m funny (even during those times when no one else does). Being married to him is the best thing in my life. I don’t usually even think about it because it’s just so natural. Right before we got married I told him that I love being with him because it’s just like being by myself. Had I actually thought about it before I said it, I might have said it more eloquently, but he knew exactly what I meant. I don’t feel like I’m compromising on anything, I just feel that I’m doing what I want to do, with him by my side.

2. Luna: This dog was made for our family. We got her from a local shelter. When we got there, we were faced with about 30 black lab/mix puppies. At first glance, they all looked the same. When I went over to her crate (which she shared with a little white & black polka-dotted male puppy who bit her ears), she pawed at me, as though she was hand-picking me. She uses her mittened-hands all the time as a way of communicating with us and it is just as endearing as it was that first day.

3. Family & Friends: I’m so very fortunate to have such an amazing family. I’ve always been so close to both my mom & dad, though my relationship with each of them has evolved throughout the years. They’re a huge part of my life and I’ve learned so much from them, along with my two lovely brothers and their families. I have a few very close friends who’ve also known me throughout the various stages of my life and we’ve remained close. My life has been shaped by each of these people and it is in part, because of them, that I am who I am.

4. Photographs: I love taking them, documenting my life and the lives of others and being able to replay captured moments, with just the click of a mouse (thanks to fabulous modern-day technology, although there really is nothing like an old photograph with worn edges, showing years of love).

5. Art: All forms of it; music, writing, drawings, paintings, theater, decorating, fashion, movies, poetry. I find comfort and satisfaction in being lost in a painting, a good book or hearing a song that perfectly matches my mood.

6. Good Food/ Wine: Matt and I have recently deemed ourselves as foodies. Whether we’re cooking in (mmmm…. Filet with gorgonzola cheese sauce?) or going out to dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants (going out to dinner on vacation to experience local cuisine also makes my heart skip a few beats:)), eating is such a pleasure. Pairing food with a good wine…..well, that’s the icing on the cake.

7. Plush Slippers & Throws: Though I’m a New England girl (I can brave winters with the best of ‘em;)), I get cold so easily. Even in the summer, you’ll find me curled up on the couch in the evening, under a lovely soft blanket, slippers not far from feet.

8. Gardens/ Harvesting: Having fresh flowers & produce, bringing nature inside, makes me feel calm, at ease. I love the smell of fresh flowers (they seem to smell even better when they’re freshly cut from my garden:)) and I love the taste of the veggies (again, veggies from my garden seem to taste so amazing to me; maybe it’s because I know the time & love that went into growing them).

9. Traveling/ Exploring/ Learning: My life feels more enriched the more I travel. It’s so enjoyable to experience other cultures, forms & styles of life, to see the beauty of places other than home.

10. Coming Home: But then again, it is so good to come home, whether it be after a vacation, a work trip or just an errand run. There really is no place like home:).

Thanks to Dawn from May All Seasons Be Sweet To Thee and Rachel from Mozart’s Girl for sending me the ‘happy award’, forcing me to relax and focus on the little glories of the world. As a recipient of this award, I’m to pass it on to bloggers that make me happy :). Each of the following blogs provide me with a little slice of happiness with each read, so here they are, in no particular order:

1. Amber @ Sunshine Flavored Kisses
2. Dawn @ May All Seasons Be Sweet to Thee
3. Kat @ Kat’s Cradle
4. Heather @ A Day in the Country
5. Koralee @ Bluebird Notes
6. Rachel @ Mozart’s Girl
7. Morwenna @ Bluebells and Butterflies
8. Tracey @ French Larkspur
9. Katie @ Katie Slater Photography
10. Courtney @ Scattering Lupines**

** I seem to not be able to hyperlink the blogs..... if anyone knows how, please feel free to send me a note so that I can direct you to these adorable blogs! I guess I'm still working out the kinks. Thanks:)