Cake, Flowers & Sunsets

 Hello, friends! I hope you had a lovely Easter. Cake, flowers & sunsets are among my very favorite things! I couldn't resist the lovely tulips from Trader Joe's. The pink ones are called peony tulips, and they are so pretty and fluffy - like a double tulip, I guess you could say. They made our dining table look extra special for Easter. We went to church and had lunch back at home yesterday. I made a quiche alongside roasted asparagus and a carrot cake. It was a good day celebrating the resurrection of our Savior. But I felt sad at times and missed my mom a lot - (she was the glue of our family) and my brother (who lives in Florida now). Holidays look and feel so different without my mom here. I miss her every single day. Our holiday gatherings are now just the three of us, unless we get to Florida to spend them with my brother and sister-in-law, which isn't super easy since they live ten hours away. Life goes on, though, because it has to. 

I mentioned in my last post that I had a Blueberry Ricotta Breakfast Cake recipe that I wanted to share with you. This cake is delicious, and it's one of my very favorites. We enjoyed it for breakfast and snacks! It would also be perfect to serve with brunch. Ina's recipes never ever fail me! If you make it, please let me know what you think. I think you'll love it, too! Have a wonderful week!

Happy Spring

 Hi, friends! Happy Spring! Yay!! Who else is happy to see the arrival of Spring? I know I am! The longer, brighter days, along with warmer temperatures and flowers popping up everywhere, make me so happy. Except for the yellow pollen, which is everywhere and on everything right now.

Last week was Charlotte's Spring break, and it was also our baby girl's 17th birthday!! I really can not even believe she is 17! It's like I just blinked and here we are. She's the sweetest, kindest person I know. She has the sweetest heart.🩷 She is a gift that's for sure.

We flew down to Florida for the week over her break. The weather was rainy at first, but thankfully cleared off nicely for our last few days. We ate yummy seafood, spent as much time as possible soaking up the sun, did lots of beach walks, and really just took it easy and relaxed. My brother drove down and spent the last day with us, just hanging out, and it was a lot of fun. Last time we stayed two hours north with him and my sister-in-law, but this time we decided to go further south. We weren't sure what to expect when we got to the airport, with all the delays we were hearing about on the news, but thankfully, we didn't have any. Our flights were on time, and everything went smoothly.

I took the sunset picture last night at 7:50 pm, and it was still light out. As I've said, I'm loving the brighter evenings. 

Since we were out of town on Charlotte's birthday, I made her a belated chocolate cake once we were back home. It's something she looks forward to every year. I have to say my homemade chocolate cakes are really good! 

I have a cake recipe (think blueberries and lemon!) I want to share with you soon. I made it earlier this month, and I'm still thinking about it. 

Have a great week, and I hope Spring is finding its way to you. Be back soon!

It's Almost Valentine's Day

Hello, friends! It's almost Valentine's Day! I've always loved this holiday. What's not to love about pretty flowers, sweet things, yummy food, and chocolate! We always stay in on Valentine's Day and make dinner at home. I'm making lasagna along with a Caesar salad this year, as I have for the past several years, and something chocolate, of course. I likely make a chocolate cake! Do you have plans for Valentine's Day? If so, please share what you might be doing.

Recent glimmers from the past few weeks...

Freshly painted nails! I treated myself to a manicure last Friday, and I'm so glad I did. I haven't had a manicure in way too long. It was so relaxing, and I have to say I feel really put together when my nails are done. I'll be doing this much more often. 

I also treated myself to a sweet treat and a cappuccino after my manicure!

 The cutest Valentine note cards and stickers from Emily Lex Studio.

A sweet bunch of daffodils from Trader Joe's! Seriously, the best $3.95 I've spent in a very long time! They continued to bloom and bring me joy for several weeks. Just to say, January was a very blah month for me. Early February, too, if I'm being honest. The weather was very cold and gray, along with some snow and ice. Years ago, I didn't mind winter so much, but now, at fifty years old, I'm definitely not a fan. I'm a true summer girl now! Who would have thought?! I keep reminding myself that spring is getting closer each day.

I made two baked ziti recipes lately. The first one was Baked Ziti with Meatballs from Smitten Kitchen, and it was delicious. The second one (which I forgot to photograph after baking) was also from Smitten Kitchen. I've been making this Old-School Baked Ziti recipe for years. It's one of our favorites.

Freshly chopped veggies for oven-baked beef stew.

 Little Rosie was not a fan of the snow, and neither was I! 

And a cute watercolor painting I've been working on, also from Emily Lex Studio. I still need to finish the flowers, but it's coming along nicely. Something I'm trying to do more of this year since it's such a relaxing hobby. 

The sun is shining today, it's supposed to be 65 degrees, a taste of spring, and you better believe I'm going to take full advantage of it and go for a walk this afternoon! Have a great week, dear friends! 🩷

 

Weekly Glimmers

 

Hello, Friends! Just a quick pop in with a few things that have brought me joy this week.

My favorite go-to frothy matcha. There is something so special and relaxing about taking the time to make a cup of tea and also to sit and enjoy it!

I baked a delicious Chocolate Beet Snack Cake. And you have no idea the cake contains beets! It's very good and very chocolaty.

We ordered a cozy new bed from LL Bean for Rosie, and as you can see, she loves it!

And a beautiful winter sunset. 

I hope you have a cozy weekend! It's been so cold here. Hopefully, a warmup isn't too far away!

Happy New Year!

 Happy New Year, friends! I wish each of you a healthy, happy, and peaceful 2026. I'm going through my pictures from Florida, where we were a week ago, and desperately missing the sunshine and blue skies. It's dark and rainy today, and I'm so unmotivated. I know I've said it before, but I'm a sunny day girl. For anyone else who's missing the sunshine, I hope these pictures help brighten your day.

I don't usually choose a word for the year for myself, but I sure did this year! My word is Relax - something I need to do much more of. I'm always rushing around and in a hurry to do things and get things done, and there's absolutely no reason for it. Here's to more relaxed days ahead! Do you choose a word for yourself each year? If so, I'd love to hear what it is.

Now that we are back home, I'm enjoying slow days filled with pretty tulips and lots of tea!

How are you spending these January days?

I hope you have a lovely weekend, whatever it is you might be doing. Ours will be quiet for the most part. Our daughter is recovering from being sick and catching up on schoolwork, and we are planning to clean the house, wash our sofa slipcover, and give the dog a bath! Hopefully, the sun returns on Sunday, and we can get outside for a nice walk.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, dear friends! I am so thankful for your friendship!❤️ 

Cozy Autumn Glimmers

Hello, dear friends! I wanted to pop in with a few glimmers of what autumn has looked like for me. Warm cups of cappuccino and the best mixed berry cream cheese danish at the cutest French bakery, lots of candlelight as I'm not a fan of the early, dark evenings, cozy meals, matcha at home topped with frothy almond milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon, lots and lots of walks, our sweet Rosie, sunsets always and forever - and even more special to me this time of year when the days are short, freshly baked chocolate chip blondies, and the cutest book that I just started which will hopefully help to get me in the mood for the upcoming holidays. Not photographed, but I'm also watching lots of cozy Christmas movies, too!

How are you spending these autumn days? We are expecting a cold front overnight, bringing our first cold burst of the season. We will definitely be turning on the heat tonight. How's the weather where you live? Thanks for visiting, and have a great week!