A Much Needed Break

I went and visited my daughter this past weekend.  I must say it was wonderful.  I flew in on Friday and returned home Monday.  Some may say that it was a whirlwind vacation, I say it was perfect.
There were happy faces...

sunshine and long walks...

We went shopping - four pairs of shoes for my daughter and a skull print scarf for me.  I know... but I LOVE it!!!

We ate great food and drank wonderful wine...

and thoroughly enjoyed the flowering trees...

On Sunday, we traveled to Charleston, SC.  This was my very first time there and I so grateful that I experienced it with my daughter.  We at the  Hominy Grill - which is absolutely charming by the way :) 

They make a pretty mean bloody mary...

and shrimp and grits too...

After we ate, we went to the Angel Tree on Johns Island.  What a treat that was.  The tree is over 400 years old and magnificent. 

However, my favorite thing about the trip was spending time with my daughter.

Nothing can beat time spent with my kids.   Nothing at all.

Easter Weekend Recap

On Good Friday DJ and I traveled to sunny South Carolina...

 

to visit my daughter and her boyfriend and celebrate Easter with them...

Their apartment is lovely.  I think it is very organic...

I cannot forget to mention the real reason I was there...
To visit my grand doggies - Miley and Jenna :)

And to experience some warm weather.  It was actually almost 70 degrees on Saturday.
That, of course, is the perfect temperature for golfing according to DJ. 
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah  DJ :)

While DJ and Mike golfed, Nana and I visited a cupcake shop that won Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. 

It is absolutely adorable...

and the cupcakes are delicious.
I had the coconut cupcake.
Yummy!!!

Isn't that cake beautiful?
Nana and I also helped out at an Easter egg hunt :)

Spent three hours at Ikea (which is definitely not enough).  I had never been there before and just let me say - OMG.  I just may hide away there next time and live there for the weekend.  It is absolutely amazing!!!  I could definitely spend the whole day there and I am not sure I would see everything.

Very Swedish...

and prices are more than affordable...

On Sunday, we went to church, enjoyed Easter dinner and, of course, 

mowed down the candy :)
Today, DJ and I returned home to temperatures that were 30 degrees lower and snow.
More importantly though, we returned home :)

Shout Out!!!

Wishing my beautiful...

happy...

crazy, Pippi Longstocking look alike...

dog loving...

daughter of mine...
a big old Happy Birthday!!!

I am blessed to call her my daughter and I hope her day has been a funfetti cake kind of day!!!
You are my sunshine Nan!!!
Happy Birthday :)

Christmas Bites

It's not really about the baking...

It's about being together...

and making memories...

that they will carry with them...

for the rest of their lives...

and hopefully share with their own children someday...

Create some memories of your own.
I hope your night is magical :)

A Before and After

My daughter will be arriving Tuesday evening and spending Thanksgiving with us.  I can't wait to see her!!!  I haven't seen her in FOUR months!!!  The only thing she requested for this visit was that I redo her bedroom.  Redo her bedroom?  Have you ever seen her bedroom?

Yep, that's it (in all its glory :)  Granted, I was in the midst of painting the closet.  However, it was ugly and messy - broken louvered closet doors, a dirty bed (because Violet thinks of it as the BIG doggy bed), dust pretty much everywhere, holes in the walls and dirty windows.  No more, however.  Gone are the louvered doors and dirty white walls of the closet...

The doors were taken down last month.  They made for a pretty amazing bonfire :)  I took out all the clothes and miscellaneous items (three bags worth) and gave to my friends, family and Volunteers of America.  I washed the walls and painted them Eddie Bauer Ochre in a satin finish, Dave stained the wood pine planks maple.

The bedroom is painted Eddie Bauer Pine Needle (again in a satin finish) and I love it.  The paint brand is Valspar  (it goes on like a dream).  I placed her dresser in the closet which made the room seem a lot bigger, centered her bed, put clean bedding on it and then I placed one of my favorite paintings above it...

I had DJ get the sewing machine stand that I purchased at a church sale years ago for $8.00 out of the barn, cleaned it up and placed a few of Alexandra's favorite photos on it.  I put a beautiful fall wreath that I bought at Dollar General several years ago above it :)

An old rotary telephone stand that held my daughter's papers in the closet was cleaned and is now a plant stand.  My spider plant and Christmas cactus are very happy, indeed...

as they will be exposed to the sun all day long...

I am very happy with my efforts.  I hope Alexandra is too :)  The only money spent on this project was for the paint.  Everything else I already had.  I just re purposed it :)   I am huge proponent of making do with what you have.  You'd be surprised what you can do with a little imagination.
Now if you will excuse me I still have many things to do.  Tuesday night is going to be game night at my house.  Probably at least half a dozen kids will be over.
You know what that means don't you?
Marcia's baking.  That's what that means.  Nothing makes me happier :)
I hope you have a great night and week :)

Home Again, Home Again

Jiggity jig!!  My daughter, her boyfriend and my grand doggie left yesterday morning.  They will be stopping in Pennsylvania to visit Nana's Grandpa and Mike's brother and sister in law, (they live in the same town, on the same road) and then it's homeward bound.
We had such a wonderful time.  The dogs got along.  I won't say splendidly, but they did get along.  There was a little bit of sibling rivalry going on.  My dogs were a little jealous...
Nana's dog, Miley, experienced Canandaigua Lake for the very first time.  Here she is, digging the sand, trying to get close (but not too close) to it :)

We hiked Letchworth State Park.  It is one of my most favorite places in the world.

Nana saved us from a boulder...

Yes, she is a fool :)
But, she is very cute in a baseball cap...

and she loves her Dad...

(and her brother who had to work), so I think we'll keep her :)
If I would have been thinking, I would have made reservations for lunch here at the Glen Iris Inn.  The place is beautiful...

The gardens superb...

The views breathtaking...

Next time she comes home...
I know right where we will sit and enjoy our lunch.
At a table, on a porch next to hydrangeas...

a garden, and a walk way...

with those that we love.
We can't wait.
Safe travels Nan :)
We love you.