Saturday, March 10, 2012

White...Off White...Creamy White...


I have to tell you that I am not even sure what these are and I still want them.
With jeans...can you imagine this?
No?
I can.
Here are the scarves...I am a scarf fanatic.
These are beautiful.
Help me!


Here are more combinations.  I need to hunt this store down.
What I know is that it is in Texas and besides stuff similar to the stuff above she has tons of decorative stuff...all sort of vintage and shabby chic looking...but tasteful and new.
I have to have that last shirt with the ruffle on the bottom...
OMG...
They all have ruffley bottoms...
Sigh.
Nightgowns!!!
OMG...cottony simple white.
I have to have at least one of these...
Now...
Everything above is from a store called Laurie Anna's Vintage Home.  Usually this much white scares me but these are the stuff dreams are made of.
I know that she is in Texas and that she has an online shop but I have been there and I haven't seen any of the clothing...just unique home items.
I also think she is only open a few days a month.
I know she has a Facebook page, too.

I sort of dream of a summer night's sleep in one of those nightgowns...
I have a feeling it would be restful and peaceful and white!!!

Friday, March 9, 2012

It's Giveaway Day!!!

I have been sort of quiet about what I have been reading this week...shhhh...I know...sort of unlike me!!!

The only book I am not reading is the one I thought I would read.

I have had a little personal goal of blitzing through some of my NetGalley books and I did...plus I am doing a few read alongs with a friend and that has been total fun...and quite by accident I have been reading more than one book at a time...and it's been fun, too.

Anyway...I have two great books to give away...thanks to my friend...

This one...which my friend loved...


and this one...which we both read and loved...it's YA but with a mom you will love to hate.



I am sending along some local and amazing chocolates...Éclat...they are hand made near me and so good you will scream!!!





Sorry...for making you scream!!!

Sorry...we can only send in the US...

Just leave a quick comment and you are entered...name will be drawn next Friday!!!


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Thursday, March 8, 2012

This Could Be Dinner!!!

I yearn to go to one of these dinners. They are put on by a group called...
Outstanding In The Field.

They have a blog and a website and amazing farm to table dinners are put on all over the country.

There are dinners on the East Coast and in the Rockies and the West Coast as well as the Midwest and Canada.

You eat outside...everything is fresh, local and amazing!!!


















Doesn't it look like fun?




Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Comfort!!!

I love comfy clothes...love them!!! I hate tight...hate it!!!

I am of the very firm belief that some things were meant for me...











All of these were meant for me...especially the hat...I love hats!!!

I particularly love this hat...Dennis and Lucy think it is meant for me, too.

Even the name of the store is perfection...it's called Creatures of Comfort!!!

Reading this...and it is totally fun!!!




I love the middle of the week...it's sort of restful!!!

Happy Midweek To You!


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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Coconut Crazy!!!






It all started when I spotted a bag of coconut chips at our local healthy food store. It looked interesting...it wasn't the blue bag on the grocery store shelf...it was really flaked and natural coconut...

Now here is the thing...I have never really liked coconut...but all of a sudden it is everywhere. Trader Joe's has coconut butter, my husband loves coconut water and is also putting coconut milk on his cereal...we are even using a coconut coffee creamer.

We have been nibbling on the coconut in the bag I bought but I wanted to do something with it.

Something interesting.

Something substantial.

I googled coconut and found a recipe for three ingredient coconut cookies. There are a ton of these recipes floating around out there in the Land Of Google.

Macaroons!!!

I find it hard to believe but the recipe is 5 1/2 cups of coconut...which is exactly what was in my coconut bag and a 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Then all you do is mix it up!!!

Oh...

I used an organic can of condensed milk.
It was a really pretty red can with a black and white cow on the front.

See!!!

I baked them for about 11 to 14 minutes at 325 degrees. I baked mine on parchment paper on pans...I didn't even have to wash the cookie pans!!!

Oh...you can make them big or small...I made mine giant because I am an impatient cookie maker.



The result was these amazingly chewy fabulous coconutty cookies.

They are supposed to freeze really well.

And seriously?

I don't get how this works but the cookies are amazing...moist and chewy and crispy all at the same time!!!




Coconut must be one of those magical ingredients!!!


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Monday, March 5, 2012

Exhausted!!!

Of course I put off going to the market over the week end...Den was in Memphis...Lucy and I graze when he is away...toast, soup, cheese, apples, yogurt and veggies...who needs anything else...

But now we have a few no travel weeks so we need more!!! We need serious food!
Stuff for breakfasts and lunches and dare I say this...actual sit down at the table dinners!!!

So...off to the the grocery store by 10 o'clock...now we are stocked and ordered and organized...menus are set...we have fresh food until the week end.
The refrigerator is happy and clean and full...the dishwasher emptied, the table set, dinner prepped...and I have hours to read and check email and watch the Law and Order marathon for the ten millionth time...

I even made 4 jars of layered salad...they look beautiful!!!



There are recipes online everywhere. This one came from The Kitchn by way of Angela from her blog "Oh She Glows".

It's a variation on a Whole Foods ready made salad. You can use whatever you like.

I used edamame and green peppers and celery and quinoa and tomatoes and black beans...oh and carrots...they look lovely in my refrigerator and my husband can grab one and the homemade gingery soy dressing and his lunch is ready to go.

The only thing that will bother him is why he will have to take another container to dump his salad in...

I will hold his hand through this and tell him he can manage...he loves eating at his desk...with a packed lunch from me...something I started a while ago because it was fun but now it isn't any more but he loves it...we even bought him a lunch box.

Whew!!!

Books!!!

Finished this...quite yummy.


Reading this...really yummy.


Lots of delightful books found their way to me last week...I will sort through them soon.

Happy Monday!!!

I am in a relaxed mode now that everything is done.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Reading, Relaxing, Reality TV...

That's what Sundays are for us...late breakfasts, mid afternoon lunches, unplanned dinners that could be Cheerios or popcorn or Chinese.

Our Sundays are a far cry from the Sundays of our childhood...when dinner was at noon in the dining room and cousins, aunts and uncles came over for more food and fun later in the day.

When I was teaching I would be crazed cooking an amazing Sunday dinner and prepping for the rest of the week...now it is more fun doing what we do.

In addition to the fact that we are hopelessly addicted to the Amazing Race and Celebrity Apprentice...

hopelessly...

and we want jammies on, teeth brushed, and Lucy tired out by 8:00 pm
on the dot.

Tiring Lucy out is a lot of work.

Whew!




Hmmm...tired? Not tired? We really never know...

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