Desk for Sale!

$225.00

Painted a soft creamy 'enamelware blue' by Martha Stewart, drawers lined with vintage maps and waiting to find a new home. I can paint a chair to match but the stool is original to the desk and they should stay together.

I Am - Exclusive: Tom Shadyac Interview

LOVE this!!!

Please hurry over here and have a feast for your eyes and then buy something lovely to make you feel pretty and sexy! Jeanne is sooooooooooooo talented. sooooooooooooo pretty. sooooooooooo sweet. soooooooo real. soooooooo inspspiring. Check it out!

St. Patrick's Day at Wegman's

Yesterday afternoon I was getting groceries and when I walked in I noticed the sound of bagpipes. It seemed too clear and too loud to be coming from the radio. I got my cart and headed for the produce area and sure enough...this is what I see. A real live bagpipe player and to top that they were giving away samples of Irish beer. This grocery store is phenomenal. Their customer service is extraordinary. If it is raining they have people follow you out to your car holding umbrellas for you so you can get your groceries and yourself into the car and stay as dry as possible.

They have ready to eat food that surpasses most restuarants. They have excellent produce. A huge selection of just about everything. If you are looking for any type of ethnic food then just head to Wegman's.

They have a coffee shop, gelato, sushi, pasta bar, burrito bar, Chinese food, Indian food, soup, subs, pizza. If you want fresh seafood you can pick it from the case and they will cook it for you on the spot. Oh and the bread............don't even get me started on the bread......D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s.

 Wegman's is not a grocery store it is an experience. Occasionally, I will shop somewhere else but whenever I do I am always reminded that getting groceries is actually a chore. Wegman's makes it so enjoyable.

When I think about leaving the area (which I do, frequently) I think about how much I would miss Wegmans'.

Isn't that funny? Does anyone else have a grocery store this amazing? A grocery store so wonderful that you wonder if you should move? That says alot doesn't it? 

I wouldn't normally blog about groceries but seriously, how can I not?

Bagpipes, Beer and Groceries on a Thrusday afternoon?

It just feels so thoughtful, so unique and it makes me want to sing their praises.

Plus, my roots are Irish so I feel extra special....being Irish just feels so special doesn't it?

Thanks Wegman's...you are simply the best of the best.

Gator-rama

On our recent trip to Florida my in-laws took the girls and I to Gator-rama.

We had a great time and learned alot.

They have always been so good about educating our children about animals and nature.

I really appreciate that about them. When our older kids were little my mother-in-law use to take the little bug or wildflower guide outside and teach them what was what. They were always all ears and loved spending this time with Grandma. She chose teaching for her career and it was a great fit because she has always been a teacher at heart.

Now....look at the face of the man about to hand me the alligator.....that is the look of a man who is about to scare someone. And that he did....just as he placed the alligator into my hands he jumped and made a big 'rah' sound and of course I jumped out of my skin.

I told him later that it was too bad my husband and teenage sons missed that moment because they love to scare me. He said that he tries to scare one person like that every day and today was my day.

Lucky me.

Thank God for tape....they are not slimy....they are very solid feeling and kind of dry....

and smooth and rough at the same time.

Lilly was feeling uncertain.....

Feeling proud of herself.

She was also feeling grateful for the tape on his mouth right about now.

Even big sister Heidi decided to join in the fun.

Stay tuned for more photos and stories of our adventures in the sunshine state!

Family and Friends

I am one of 26 cousins....here I am with two of them.

This is Evelyn Mae. Her father is my cousin Justin. He is on my right in the above picture.

Uncle Bill (my Dad's brother), Aunt Mary and their first grandchild....Evelyn.

Grandma Lettie (Aunt Mary's mother) She is 90 years old and going strong.

Last January she lost her husband of 68 years.

Can you imagine???

I am proud of 21 years but apparently I have a ways to go!

This is Phyllis, she is dating my father and she is so kind and generous.

Exactly who I would pick for my father.

She loved Lilly and here she is being taught how to play Uno by a 4 year old.

It has been so wonderful to see my family while traveling.

We went out for Mexican food on Saturday night and it was delicious.

We were amazed that after fajitas for 8 people, two margaritas and 5 glasses of wine the bill was only  $69.00. With a tip it was just over $10.00 per person. That is a bargain in today's world!

Lilly mangaged to rope lots of people into playing Uno. She wins more often than not.

She even has her stuffed dog..."Frank" play too and then she plays two hands while everyone else plays one.

I am fearful that my 4 year old may be smarter than her mother.

On Sunday we were invited to Uncle Bill and Aunt Mary's house for a BBQ.

My cousins Justin and Matthew were there. Justin is married to Mandy and they have a little girl named Evelyn. She is so beautiful and so sweet. Justin is a wonderful father and of course it goes without saying that my Aunt and Uncle are over the top happy with their new grandaughter.

They are are a wonderful  family and being with them makes me miss them more.

I realized that if we lived closer we would spend more time together. Justin played Uno with Lilly and everyone taught her how to play Go Fish. These are relatives that I have only seen once a year (sometimes not even that) so we don't get chances to spend extended time together.

They were so good to us and so kind and gentle with Lilly it made me see that we would be even closer if the miles didn't seperate us. I really enjoyed our time.

Thanks Uncle Bill and Aunt Mary..I love you both.

We stayed those two nights with the woman my father is dating. Her name is Phyllis and she is so wonderful.

She is exactly who I would pick for my father if I could. She was wonderful with Lilly. She is a family oriented person and very easy to be around. I thought about how the upside of your parents being divorced is that there are more people who love you and more people for you to love.

More people who love my children is a blessing for all of us.

Stay Tuned !

The Beginning

Listening to Sugarland

This is always so  nice to see....who doesn't smile at a place called the Sunshine State???

Lilly picking her first orange

A little help from Dad Dad

I love how intent she is on what he is telling her

Our first orange eaten right from the tree....it doesn't get better than that!!!

So here we are at Day #6 since we left home. We have actually fit in quite a bit.

We drove all day Thursday and then spent the night in Fredricksburg, Virginia.

A very nice hotel with an Olive Garden right next door.

We had dinner there and turned in pretty early to get rested for another day of driving.

On Friday we made it to Florida and stayed overnight in Jacksonville. This time we ordered pizza in and just relaxed and again went to bed early. On Saturday we made our way to my Dad's friends house. They live in

Tavares which is just north of Orlando. They live on a lake with cypress trees and orange trees and grapefruit trees and of course the dreaded fire ants! I forgot to ask about alligators and look how close we are to that water. Do you ever get scared in retrospect??? Kind of a strange sensation isn't it???

Knowing my father the way that I do I can't imagine we would be in any danger, he is the King of Safety.

After our snack and a quick visit with my Dad's friend Helen we traveled on to Tarpon Springs.

I will post the pictures of that leg or our journey later today or tomorrow....but for now we are off to the library with Lisa and her sister Jody. Then some lunch and then some more relaxing. I am beginning to rest way down deep inside of myself. It feels very healing.