Lovely May

Hello!  What a lovely May it's been so far.  I celebrated my birthday earlier in the month.  I had a fun day celebrating with a nice lunch out at one of my favorite cafes with Charlotte and my parents, and take-out pizza for dinner with chocolate cake for dessert that I made earlier in the day.  It was a very happy day indeed!  I know 44 is going to be an awesome year!!

I've been doing a bit of gardening here and there.  I planted zinnia and cosmos from seed and they've already started to sprout.  I'm looking forward to lots of lovely blooms this summer.  

Next week is Charlotte's last week of school before summer break.  I'm definitely ready for a more relaxed schedule.  Also, looking forward to spending the first week of June in Charleston.  Happy almost summer!  I'll be back soon!

Our Trip to NYC

We had a wonderful trip to NYC for Charlotte's 10th birthday at the end of March!  I'll let the photos speak for themselves!  I've been meaning to post these, but time hasn't been on my side lately, it seems.  Since today starts one of the busiest months of the year (last month of school) and all the busyness that comes with the end of the school year, I thought I better do a post today.  It's also my birthday month - this Friday to be exact!  Yay!!

This was my daughter's first trip to the city and she loved it as much as I do.  One of the highlights was having High Tea at The Plaza Hotel, and she had a special Eloise birthday tea.  And also going to Tiffany & Co. to select a necklace for her birthday.  We loved walking around Central Park, and China Town, and SoHo, and eating cannolis in Little Italy, and visiting the big American Girl Doll store, and seeing all this lights in Times Square at night.  We did lots of walking and lots of sightseeing.  We didn't get to everything on our list, so we will be back!  We are definitely city mice and cannot wait to visit again!

Hello March

Hello friends!  I hope everyone is doing well. I haven't had a chance to post lately - life has been busy, and Charlotte has had a lot of homework over the past few weeks, it seems.  This week appears to be a bit lighter in that department, thank goodness!

Spring is just around the corner, and so is Charlotte's 10th birthday!  So hard to believe my baby girl is turning ten soon.  We are going to NYC for a long weekend to celebrate her birthday and we are so excited!  I know it's going to be a very fun time for her.  We have an afternoon tea planned, a visit to the American Girl Doll store, of course, and lots of touring around the city. So looking forward to it!

I recently ordered the new Oven to Table cookbook, and I am absolutely loving it.  I've made Fudgy Raspberry Brownies (twice), Oven-Baked Balsamic Beef and Vegetable Stew, and I just made the Faux Sourdough bread this morning, and it looks and smells amazing.  It will pair perfectly with spaghetti and meatballs tonight.  It's quickly becoming one of my favorite cookbooks - so many easy weeknight dinners here.  I hope you check it out soon!

February

It seems like January came and went fairly quickly this year.  I have to say that I really like the month of January.  It still feels like winter here as it should - no snow, but cold and blustery. 

 Charlotte is already thinking about Valentine's Day, as you can see below.  She made this sweet heart for me to display on the front of our refrigerator door.  We will probably go shopping for Valentine's cards next week for her school friends.  I love Valentine's Day!  It's just such a sweet day.

For the past few weeks, I've treated myself to some lovely tulips for the kitchen table.  I really can't tell you just how much I've enjoyed them.  They make me very happy! 

I've also been baking a lot lately.  I made a Meyer Lemon Cake, Raspberry Crumble bars, which have been perfect for breakfast or with a cup of tea in the afternoon, and a Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, requested by Charlotte.  I love to be in the kitchen.  It's definitely my happy place.

I'm making Chicken Wings, Nachos, and Brownies this weekend for Super Bowl Sunday.  We don't really watch the game; it's just an excuse to make yummy Super Bowl food.  Have a great weekend! 

Last photo: Charlotte got to take a break from her school uniform for Country/Western Day at school this week.  She looked adorable!

Cozy January

Hello!  I hope you are having a good week.  It's a rainy and cold afternoon here, so we are staying warm and cozy inside.  I'm planning to make a lasagna for dinner tonight and I'm on my second cup of hot tea this afternoon.  

I went to Ikea the first week of January and bought a new cabinet for our kitchen/dining area.  I really love everything about.  I needed something not too big, but also some much need storage - this piece delivers both.  I also picked up these darling white heart lights at Ikea. They are perfect for winter! 

And my Trader Joe's tulips are just the best.  They are inexpensive and really brighten up our kitchen table.  I love tulips!

Christmas Recap and Happy New Year

Wow!  I feel like I'm finally starting to bounce back from all the busyness of the holidays.  Charlotte came down with bronchitis the day after Christmas and strep throat for me the day after New Year's day.  It seems like for most of her Christmas break one of us was under the weather.   I think all the busyness of the holidays caught up with us.  Anyway, we had a nice Christmas.  We celebrated with my family at my brother and sister-in-law's house on Christmas Eve.  And there was snow, so that made it feel extra festive!

I think Charlotte got everything she asked Santa for - including a new bike.  This past weekend it was unseasonably warm for this time of year and she was able to get out and practice riding a bit. We have a chance for snow showers this coming Saturday, so go figure.

I've been taking it slow the past few days and resting a lot, as strep was much worse than I remembered.  I'm feeling much better today and seem to have a burst of energy, so I'm doing some much needed housework.  Also, I'm going to make out a big market list along with some meal planning.

I love to put the tree up along with all my Christmas decorations, but I'm always very ready to take it all down by New year's day and freshen up the house a bit.  Earlier last week, we made a trip to Ikea and bought a lovely new white china cabinet/bookcase.  I'll share photos with you soon!

Holiday Baking

The first week of December, I decided to bake cookies for some family and friends just as a little early Christmas gift.  I ended up with eighteen dozen cookies and four dozen bars.  I made Chocolate Crackle Cookies, Gingerbread Cookies, Coconut Meltaways, Frosted Sugar Cookies, White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies (my favorite), and Chocolate Layer Bars from the new Smitten Kitchen Every Day book.  It was so much fun and made the start of the holiday season feel extra special!

What are you baking this holiday season?