Category: see

…of the beach. i have always loved the sea, and all the good weather we’ve been having has me thinking about salt water and sand.  when i ran across a photo by massimo vitali, i had to see more of his work.  i love the colors, the expanse of water, and the mood that these images provoke.  makes me want to pack my bags and head somewhere sandy immediately.

we had a great weekend around here.  the weather was beyond perfect, the windows have been open constantly, we were pleasantly busy, and spent lots of time as a family.  i had a fabulous first mother’s day, complete with a long stay at the park, frozen yogurt (with sprinkles!), a steak dinner prepared by my dear husband, and a lovely new ring.  thanks j and b-man!

my dad is said treasure.  he is the most nurturing, supportive, loving father two kids could possibly wish for.  the ultimate dad really – pancakes on saturday mornings, at every event cheering us on, a jokester, and in our adult life, someone we can talk to about anything.  he has always encouraged us to pursue what we’re passionate about, and to enjoy the journey of life.

he and i share a special bond, and he has always been able to put things in perspective for me – when i’m confused, he can help me make sense; when i’m down, he can cheer me up – simply said, he gets me.  just like i’m turning into my mother, i find myself turning into my father too.  honestly, i couldn’t be happier about that – they’re pretty great.

dad, you are the ultimate father, and now grandfather, and i am your biggest fan.

happy birthday.  love you daddy-o.

i find that, as everything is turning green (finally!),  i want to bring outside in…so, i did.  sometimes, you need something high-impact, and i think this fits the bill.  i just lobbed off a branch of a shrub we have in the backyard – instant centerpiece, and a sure sign that spring is here!

and just for fun…despite the mess, i think last night’s dinner was a hit.

i’m in the mood to change up the built-ins in our family room, so i’ve got bookshelves on the brain.  here are a few photos that are tripping my trigger at the moment.  it appears i’m into a ‘stuffed’ look right now.

{i grabbed all of these from i suwannee}

{do you spot the wee one?}

happy weekend to you!

…for a game of fetch.  we swore it wouldn’t happen – that when beckett arrived we would let miller ever be ignored.  sadly, it’s kind of inevitable sometimes, and he has adapted to our new situation like a champ.  when you have kids, the attention certainly shifts – from the dog, from your social life, even from yourself.  and i think that’s ok (to a certain extent) – it’s what you’re supposed to do.  but, you should definitely make time for your important relationships if you want to keep them – your family, your buddies from college, old co-workers, friends new and old, and yes, even your dog.  since i can’t handle both the jogging stroller and miller on walks, i try to get outside with him while the short guy is napping.  glad the the weather is warming up again, so this can become a much more regular occurrence.

{good dog}

did you think peanut butter banana ice cream and not guilty could be in the same sentence?  neither did i – until i tried this recipe.  oh. my.  goodness.  it is pretty heavenly, and as is usually the case with the recipes i post about, super easy.  i made this in under 5 minutes and we had a nice little treat.  i’m sure this will be a staple around here this summer!

the best news is that you probably have all three of these ingredients in your home right now – start freezing those bananas!

{three ingredients!}

{finished product}

it’s been a while now since sex and the city 2 came out in theaters, but i still remember loving carrie and big’s apartment.  i searched for some pictures of their place, and i would still move in in a heartbeat.  lots of straight lines, but it still has a warm feeling that makes you want to curl up and have a long chat with a friend.  check out all the books and the lighting in that back room – i’d like to get in there too.

the chandelier!  the bookshelves!  the chairs – ok i could actually live without the chairs – but again, i love the overall feeling of the dining room.  and we get a little peek of the kitchen too.  that tile looks pretty interesting.

i think i could just set up shop in here.  holy cow.  do you hear the angels singing or is it just me?

hobby lobby has pretty great drawer pulls and hooks – and there are a lot to choose from.  they look like they came from anthropologie, but they’re about 1/4 of the price and they often go on sale for 50% off.  that’s a win in my book!

hobby lobby doesn’t have a ton of fabric, but i did peruse…because i have a problem.  i think i would have a room filled with fabric if my husband wouldn’t have me committed for it.  i ran across this really pretty one that reminded me of a monet painting.  perhaps i was subconsciously looking for pastels given the holiday this weekend.  then, when i googled monet’s water lilies to grab a picture, i discovered that the nelson-atkins (here in kc) actually has his water lilies right now.  glad i stumbled into that – it’s going on my list of things to do!

{fabric at h.l.}

{water lilies 1907}

happy weekend and happy easter to you!

i love fresh flowers, and when you only have to walk a few feet to get them, that’s all the better.  thanks to the original owners of our home, we have 2 gigantic lilac bushes.  all we have to do is ignore them all year and they produce a ton of blooms.  that’s my kind of gardening.

my parents have had it for about 5 years.  it’s a little bit in the middle of nowhere and we like it that way.  we had a great trip filled with lots of lounging and eating.  my dad’s new hobby is smoking (meat, not tobacco), so he and jared manned the smoker all day on saturday.  the problem was that it was about 40 degrees and windy as heck, so they set up shop in the garage.  i found them out there, both in rocking chairs, chit-chatting away – they looked like bartels & james.

while they held down the fort, my mom, the short guy, and i went on a little adventure to windyville – seriously, that’s the name of the town.  it’s where my granny grew up and we often visit the house where she was raised and the old general store that her father ran many moons ago.  well, the people who now own the store have a goat.  we named him leroy.  he was very friendly and in need of a haircut.

{leroy meets beckett}

my great grandmother had a very green thumb, and used to have peonies, petunias, and other plants covering their property (about 50 yards from the store).  her pink dogwood still stands and was in full bloom to greet us.

my dad bought a little present for beckett and had it waiting for him when we got there friday.  it was his very own ‘coon-skin’ cap.  of course we had to try it on him.  we were laughing hysterically, and he seemed to like it too.

{king of the wild frontier}

{howdy partner}

we so love living in a city, but it’s great to get out to the country when we can.