come fly with me

apology and annoucement

2012-02-17T15:39:00.001-05:00

first i would like to begin by apologizing for the lack of daily posting around here. i really was trying for the first week of february to keep up with daily posting, but we have had one crazy event after another at school and my free time has been taken up dealing with administrative gar-barge. i do feel badly that i am not posting daily and will make a more concerted effort....

...once we get back from our vacation!

that is my announcement for today :) i will not be updating while traveling due to no laptop and no internet (i'm actually really looking forward to not having the constant technology running 24/7). i will attempt to continue photographing the february inspiration each day, along with logging our vacation through photos as well. look for many posts and pictures once we return.

bon voyage!

february 17 : time

2012-02-17T15:34:00.002-05:00

the suitcases are packed and it's time to go!

western caribbean here we come :)

february 16 : something new

2012-02-17T15:33:00.001-05:00

confession no. 1 : i am a bag lady.

confession no. 2 : i bought a new bag for our upcoming trip to the caribbean.

confession no. 3 : i justified it because of needing something new for my photo of the day...absolutely terrible, i know!!

february 15 : phone

2012-02-17T15:31:00.001-05:00

we have a land line phone.

it makes me feel like a grown-up!

february 14 : heart

2012-02-17T15:30:00.001-05:00

this post is dedicated to my hubby...

i love him with all my heart.

february 13 : blue

2012-02-17T15:29:00.000-05:00

blue jeans awaiting the iron

february 12 : inside your closet

2012-02-17T15:28:00.002-05:00

i try to keep it fairly organized! try being the operative word ;)

february 11 : makes you happy

2012-02-12T18:27:00.005-05:00

a relaxing saturday morning with cuddles from the pup

february 10 : self portrait

2012-02-12T18:26:00.004-05:00

another self portrait...

february 9 : front door

2012-02-12T18:25:00.000-05:00

our front door from the inside

february 8 : sun

2012-02-12T18:22:00.000-05:00

soooo...i was up and out of the house before the sun and home after it set...boo. so instead i found the sun in the weather report for the next day!

february 7 : button

2012-02-12T18:19:00.003-05:00

my spare button tin

february 6 : dinner

2012-02-06T20:37:00.001-05:00

ummmm...so i may have been too hungry to take a photo of my dinner pre-eating!

sorry folks...it was a yummy salad with spring mix, spinach, almonds, cranberries, croutons and balsamic vinaigrette. yum yum :)

p.s. and please forgive my eating out of a cooking bowl...it's easier to toss the salad in and saves a plate ;)

february 5 : 10am

2012-02-05T15:20:00.000-05:00

10am

february 4 : a stranger

2012-02-04T17:36:00.002-05:00

a perfect stranger walking down bridge street.

i used my new zoom lens to get this shot and felt quite paparazzi-like. this was a difficult shot to take, as i felt like the woman should know i used her as my subject. i don't know how those paparazzi photographers invade people's privacy everyday for a living!

february 3 : hands

2012-02-04T17:31:00.003-05:00

tiny hands :)

february 2 : words

2012-02-02T18:09:00.002-05:00

sign at the beginning of our dead end street

february 1 : your view today

2012-02-02T10:57:00.001-05:00

school lesson planning and grading for the new month...fun fun.

feburary photo a day

2012-02-02T10:55:00.001-05:00

i can't believe it's already february! where did last month go??

fortunately for me and my project 365 venture, chantelle from fatmumslim got such great reviews and comments from her january photo-a-day that she created another for february and has also announced she will do one for each month this year. yay!

here's the new list of inspiration...

january 31 : you, again

2012-02-02T10:51:00.003-05:00

i've never been very good at the whole self portrait thing...but here's an ok attempt!

january 30 : nature

2012-01-30T16:29:00.001-05:00

little leaves that are currently creeping over the fence in the back garden.

january 29 : in your refrigerator

2012-01-29T20:59:00.000-05:00

yummy, yummy food

in my refrigerator

sort of organized

january 28 : light

2012-01-28T13:50:00.000-05:00

the sun is brilliant today.

we have been having an unusually mild winter in boston and today is no exception. it is lovely and bright and link definitely is loving curling up on the warm floor for a nap :)

january 27 : lunch

2012-01-28T13:46:00.000-05:00

i love my vera bradley retro lunch box. it makes lunch at school much happier :)

link vs. the lampshade

2012-01-26T18:40:00.000-05:00

poor puppy went in for his teeth removal and a dew claw removal re-do on his front right leg today. i dropped him off before school this morning and they called me around 11am to say everything had gone well and he was starting to wake up. he was able to be discharged around 4:30pm complete with the stylish "elizabethan collar". he is walking normally on his leg, but unfortunately hasn't quite come to grips with the new width of his head. poor little guy keeps bumping into the kitchen cabinets, the couch corners, the refrigerator...hopefully he'll start to get used to it as he has to wear it for the next few days!

january 26 : color

2012-01-26T18:32:00.000-05:00

my week in color

earlier this month, i posted about the new martha stewart office line at staples. along with my new organizer, i also bought these great adhesive dry erase organizers for our fridge. our fridge doors are not magnetic and although a clean fridge front is very smart looking, i've missed a central place to keep notes etc. this week long dry erase calendar is always colorful, although somehow my color (green) always seems to appear more than the others ;)

january 25 : something you made

2012-01-26T18:20:00.000-05:00

i posted this scarf last year when i made it and now it's cold enough to wear it, i figured i would post it again :)

january 24 : guilty pleasure

2012-01-24T21:47:00.000-05:00

nighttime + chocolate + caramel = guilty pleasure

january 23 : something old

2012-01-24T21:45:00.000-05:00

original pinewood floors in our 1890 house
i love wondering about what these floors have seen over the years...

january 22 : your shoes

2012-01-22T19:53:00.000-05:00

doc martens mary janes...best everyday school shoe ever.

january 21 : reflection

2012-01-22T19:51:00.000-05:00

bathroom mirror reflection

lost and found

2012-01-21T12:30:00.000-05:00

those of you who have been following along with last year's project 365 might remember that my first dslr camera was thought to have been stolen from a christmas concert at a church in nh.

this past thursday as i was packing up after my day at school, my phone rang from an unknown nh number. i answered cautiously and was asked if cara hanson was available. what followed next left my jaw on the floor.

a very lovely woman named pat explained that she was the secretary at the church in nh where i had been present for the ill-fated christmas concert. she had a camera turned in a while ago, but through a miscommunication had not been informed that someone had lost a camera and was looking for it to be returned. it had sat on her desk for three weeks until she finally put an announcement in the church bulletin asking for someone to come forward and claim it. the choir director (a college friend of mine) noticed the announcement and realized immediately it was mine. he passed along my phone number, which leads us back to thursday afternoon. i'm still not sure i understand how someone had the camera from dec. 16 - dec. 30ish without turning it in, but, as my mum pointed out, there could be several logical (although slightly frustrating) reasons why it wasn't turned in right away. even though i don't have an explanation for it, i'm definitely very thankful to whoever did the right thing and returned it!

with a school performance on thursday evening, i did not have time to drive up and get it right away, so i drove up after school on friday to retrieve it. the pastor of the church was there and he apologized for not having contacted me sooner. i checked it out and everything is still in working order and nothing appears to be missing -- even my organic chapstick tucked in the front pocket ;) i am completely floored that i have everything back in its entirety.

with my new camera from hubby, christmas photography presents from family and now my former camera back in my possession, i have a very complete dslr camera collection. amazingly enough, the only thing i have double of is the 18-55mm kit lens. i am also really glad i got my fun camera strap back, as it was a gift from my grandmother and holds sentimental value for me.

i will end this post with the same thought i began my birthday post with ...

i am a very lucky girl.

january 20 : someone you love

2012-01-21T12:05:00.003-05:00

how can you not love this little face?

january 19 : sweet

2012-01-19T20:46:00.002-05:00

something sweet as a treat after a busy concert day.

yay for a successful jazz themed third grade fine arts night :)

giveaway promotion over at townsend house

2012-01-19T20:39:00.000-05:00

my sister-in-law is hosting her first giveaway over at her blog sponsored by (in)spired and dayspring. check it out here and leave a comment!

january 18 : something you bought

2012-01-18T23:52:00.000-05:00

i'm a bit of a closet martha stewart fan.

when i walked into staples and saw she now has an office line with avery office products, i went slightly nuts. i treated myself to a new organizer which includes a monthly calendar, lists, notes, mini zipper pocket, plastic pockets and a mini in-binder post it note bookmark. the best part is it's mini! i am totally in love (yes, with an office organizational tool) and have been enjoying filling out my calendar and writing all my lists :)

after this post, i won't mind if you think i am certifiably insane!

january 17 : water

2012-01-18T23:47:00.002-05:00

one of my new years resolutions is to drink more water. strange you might say...but i really drank very little prior to the new year. a terrible habit i know and one i am happy to say i am readily changing. the bottle above was filled four times on tuesday!

january 16 : morning

2012-01-16T10:16:00.000-05:00

enjoying a cup of tea at home (instead of in my car) and the sun streaming through the kitchen windows

link's latest escapades

2012-01-15T21:01:00.003-05:00

a few nights ago, hubby went in the kitchen to check on the puppy. he was nowhere to be seen! after frantically looking for several minutes (well it felt like several minutes...in actuality it was probably 20 seconds!), hubby called me into the kitchen. we crouched down and saw him under the table on the chairs. we have no idea how he managed to jump up given the small space between the chairs and the table, but he has since managed several times. it has become his favorite spot as of late. it depends on his mood as to how he behaves once up there...if he is sleepy, he curls up on one of the cushions and takes a nap....if he is feeling playful however, he jumps about from cushion to cushion barking at us like crazy. it's really a riot to watch :)

january 15 : happiness

2012-01-15T20:51:00.001-05:00

happiness is enjoying my sunday evening knowing that i don't have to get up early for work tomorrow!

january 14 : something you're reading

2012-01-15T20:50:00.001-05:00

a little light reading before bed...namely the most recent pottery barn catalog (drool!)

i didn't even notice the little face in the top of the frame until i downloaded the pictures to my computer...too cute :)

january 13 : in your bag

2012-01-15T20:40:00.000-05:00

in the shot:

water bottle

sunglasses case

hand lotion

umbrella

keys

wallet

masking tape

there's a bunch of stuff you can't see...but i won't bore you with all of that ;)

january 12 : close-up

2012-01-15T20:25:00.000-05:00

cork from triumvirate ancient vines 2009

january 11 : where you sleep

2012-01-15T20:19:00.002-05:00

this has become my early evening sleeping spot as of late...can't keep my eyes open!

fortunately hubby wakes me up so i can sleep the rest of the night upstairs :)

january 10 : childhood

2012-01-15T20:16:00.000-05:00

playground and a little snow...perfect recess day for my little kindergarteners!

monday funday

2012-01-09T21:50:00.000-05:00

today's daily photograph was of daily routine. i tried to figure out how to fit my day into one picture and quickly realized it was not possible! so i chose one part to photograph for project 365...see here...but it got me to thinking about my crazy mondays. so i grabbed my camera and logged my locations :)

6:45am: into my car to drive to school #1

arrive bright and early (no one else in the parking spaces!) at school #1...the first bank of windows on the left side are part of my music room

three hours later i hop back in the car and drive to school #2

arrive at school #2 with the sun shining

two hours later jump into my mobile office and cruise to school #3...i really have come to love my little blue car ;)

arrive at school school #3 for lunch, two more classes and an after school meeting

finally get back into my car for one last trip home!

no wonder i'm always thankful for monday holidays throughout the school year ;)

hope you all had a lovely monday!

january 9 : daily routine

2012-01-09T21:27:00.001-05:00

a very simple, quick, four step process for my morning make-up

january 8 : your sky

2012-01-09T21:14:00.000-05:00

i unfortunately missed the sunset as i did not have my camera with me, but got a cloudy twilight instead.

new blog design

2012-01-07T23:10:00.001-05:00

what do you think??

i have been thinking of redesigning my blog lately and felt that the new year would be a perfect time. it took me the best part of three hours this evening and much googling, but i did it! i even utilized my recently acquired photoshop skills to create the header, as well as updating pictures and the like. i think it has a much cleaner, fresher approach...but please let me know if you have thoughts or comments!

now just to get more readers!!

a very knitted christmas : the in-laws

2012-01-07T19:27:00.000-05:00

back last february when my mum got me back into knitting again, i decided i would make a scarf for everyone in my immediate family as part of their christmas gift. i set about with great enthusiasm, only to then find myself moving house a couple months later and getting a puppy not too long after. my lovely planned summer of knitting didn't exactly happen between unpacking boxes and housetraining and i was back to my usual crafting rush come december 1st! this year we spent christmas day with my in-laws and i was fortunate to have been able to finish all of their scarves on time (my poor family was not so lucky!). i had so much fun making each one and put a lot of love and effort into the inches, feet and yards i spent knitting for each person :)

dusky pink horizontal rib for heather

charcoal grey rib for matt

matching mini-me versions of the above patterns for jack and emma

aubergine purple basketweave for debbie

overall i was really pleased with how they all turned out. hopefully soon i can post my family's, but unfortunately i am still working on them! three of six are finished and gifted, the other three were gifted on the needles and returned home to with me to be completed. c'est la vie!

january 7 : favorite

2012-01-07T18:52:00.000-05:00

hubby's homemade caprese salad over angel hair....nom nom

january 6 : makes you smile

2012-01-07T18:50:00.003-05:00

knitting party with sarah.

taught her the knit stitch and made myself a new dishcloth with leftover wool.

january 5 : something you wore

2012-01-07T18:49:00.000-05:00

warm cotton socks and my comfiest dark wash jeans

january 4 : letterbox

2012-01-07T18:42:00.000-05:00

today's picture was relatively easy given the fact that we have a letterbox right on our own front door ;)

january 3 : something you adore

2012-01-03T22:10:00.001-05:00

hubby seemed the best choice for this one ;)

january 2 : breakfast

2012-01-03T22:01:00.001-05:00

liquid breakfast on route from canton, oh to mechanicsburg, pa

january 1: you

2012-01-03T22:00:00.000-05:00

link and me on new years day

new years day

2012-01-03T21:57:00.001-05:00

new years day always feels like a great new start. a blank page, a new leaf...however you want to look at it. we definitely celebrated the new year in style with my family. big turkey dinner with all the trimmings, followed by flaming christmas pudding!

project 365 version 2.0

2012-01-03T21:16:00.000-05:00

happy new year!

this year has been off to a whirlwind start already with a lovely new years day celebration at my parent's home in ohio on sunday, followed by a 16+ hour car ride back to massachusetts via our friend's new house in pennsylvania yesterday, a very special visit to beverly hospital last night to meet baby draper (born new years day) and finally back to work at 7am this morning! vacation is definitely over!

i umm-ed and ahh-ed over doing another project 365 and definitely decided it was worth doing again this year, however i wanted to give myself some new challenges. this year all my project 365 pictures will be taken with my camera. because this means i will have to blog from my laptop (after uploading pictures, etc.), i will be giving myself a little leniency in when to blog. last year my attempt was to have them done on the day. this year i will give myself around a week to have them blogged (but they will all still be taken on the corresponding day...meaning i will have my camera out for a picture every day this year!!). the other thing i will be doing, at least for january, is following these cute guidelines for the subject of my pictures. last year i found that some days were easy to photograph events, people or crafts and others were more difficult. i also feel like i missed taking some great pictures because i either didn't think of the subject or shot (lacking creativity here...), or i didn't have my camera with me. the guidelines below will hopefully help with that!

here's to another great project 365...see you on the other side ;)

2011 : the end

2011-12-31T23:30:00.002-05:00

i cannot believe december 31, 2011 is here.

this year has been a big one for us and for me.

~we bought our first home~

~we got our first puppy/fur-baby~
~we celebrated four years of marriage~
~i began my fifth year of teaching, as a new professional status teacher~
~i completed (almost!) a handmade christmas -- a goal from last year~
~i took two photography classes and learned how to use my camera at little better~
~and most amazingly...i completed my project 365~

i am so proud of myself (i hope that's ok) for making it through the entire year. i stuck to my goal of taking a new picture everyday...instead of taking a bunch on one day and posting them separately throughout the week. i tried mostly to post on the day they were taken as well. i did post a few late, but out of the whole year, only about 15-20.

as i sit here today looking back through my posts (while my holiday pictures were uploading), i am shocked at all i was up to this year. the crafting, the nights out with friends, the trips we took, the goals i accomplished. it really is so exciting to have it all logged by date and picture. the best part is that hubby gave me a gift certificate for christmas to have my 2011 year blog posts turned into a hard back book! how cool! i will be ordering it in the next few days now that the year is complete.

i will leave you now, as i go to celebrate the beginning of 2012 with my family. i do have big blog plans for another project 365 next year, but i will save that for another post.

blessings for a wonderful new year!!

link is back

2011-12-30T23:13:00.000-05:00

as i have mentioned in a couple of the previous holiday posts, link has not been feeling very well. this started on tuesday and he was slowly getting worse. after a couple calls to the vet back home, they asked us to take him in to a local vet. i was very worried as he was spending the days curled up in my lap sleeping. he was still eating, but had no interest in playing and couldn't stay awake for more than a minute. there were some other health things going on, but i will spare you all the gory details!

after a successful visit to the vet, link is now on several medications to get him back to normal, but we are already seeing a huge improvement just since his appointment this morning. as you can see below, he is up and playing with his toys. it was such a relief to see his normal personality and energy return. we definitely had the new parent worries going on....and with only a dog! my parents thought we were hilarious :)

family brunch

2011-12-29T23:02:00.000-05:00

link was still not feeling well today, so after once again taking care of him, we started the day a bit later than expected. my dad whipped up a quick brunch of pancakes, eggs, sausages, muffins, coffee and tea. i snapped a quick picture and i just love the truth portrayed here. if you look closely, my brother is actually asleep sitting up and olivia is wide-eyed, bright and bushy-tailed. according to my mum, this would be a typical morning (minus the brunch) as my brother really isn't a morning person. i thought it was very nice of him to get up and join us earlier than he normally would on his vacation days!

second christmas

2011-12-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

~second christmas 2011 in ohio~

my parents got hubby his own chef's jacket. as you can tell by the grin...he was well pleased :)

my dad :)

adam modeling his new scarf...he decided he was going for the judge's wig look!

pepper opening her gift from us

a happy hubby wearing his assassin's creed hoodie that i secretly procured for him from england, as well as smart techie gloves that my sister gave him (they have a silver kind of thread that allows them function on a touch screen...i.e. his iphone)

my baby sister (can't believe how grown up she's getting!!) with her new scarf

apparently all of my family members decided to find intriguing new ways to wear their scarves. matthew decided on the ninja look.

daddy sporting a new tea cosy for his teapot (a british thing)

and finally...hubby wearing the hat my mum knitted for him that matches a knitted coat for link. loving the crazing threads on top!

sunrise

2011-12-27T20:32:00.000-05:00

unfortunately we woke up early this morning as link was not feeling so good. after getting him taken care of, i decided to use the imminent sunrise as some photography practice. with being on vacation, i haven't photo edited any of these, so i could probably make them look at little better with some post processing...but here are the raw pictures. the view is from my mother-in-law's deck in the back garden. they were taken over the span of about 20 minutes.

after this lovely sunrise, we headed out to breakfast at our usual spot in augusta with the in-laws as a last holiday celebration together before we left for ohio.

boxing day

2011-12-26T20:31:00.000-05:00

we ended up having our big christmas dinner on boxing day (december 26) this year due to the copious amounts of leftovers from the christmas eve party. we had so much food, it seemed silly to cook another big dinner, so we held off one day. the kids put on their christmas outfits, hubby cooked the whole meal (ham, brussel sprouts, turnip, green bean casserole, etc.) and we enjoyed a meal altogether.

matt and the kids

hubby (a.k.a. the family chef) preparing the food

christmas 2011

2011-12-25T20:25:00.000-05:00

~christmas 2011 in maine~

link's first christmas ... getting a new toy from his stocking

hubby got the new zelda game which he was extremely excited about

nana and jack opening gifts

the boys with their morning coffee...which may or may not have included baileys...hence the goofy grins...

emma opening the tea set we got her...(something she really wanted that hubby unknowingly chose for her...she was so excited!)

link's gift to hubby...a little stuffed link toy

heather and emma with their matching mother-daughter scarves i made them (more on those later)

christmas this year was very relaxed and after opening presents we spent the rest of the day resting, eating yummy food, watching movies and playing games. a great way to spend the holiday!

cookie decorating...with kids :)

2011-12-24T19:33:00.000-05:00

my sister-in-law planned a fun christmas eve party for family and friends. the highlight of the party was the cookie decorating. it was wildly fun with a one year old, two year old, three year old and six year old. needless to say there were sprinkles everywhere and way too much sugar ingested in the hour it took to decorate! it was hilarious watching them interact and "decorate" with large globs of icing and mountains of sprinkles and m&m's.

and the christmas holiday begins...

2011-12-23T19:33:00.000-05:00

my mother-in-law's tree upon arriving in maine for christmas.

i'm so excited to celebrate the holidays, visit with family, eat good food, sleep and relax!

birthday celebration take two

2011-12-22T18:56:00.000-05:00

any of my northshore readers will know that a local restaurant named not your average joes sends free entree/dessert coupons to you for to use during the two weeks surrounding your birthday. both hubby and i look forward to them and it's a great excuse to go out and celebrate your birthday again :)

we were limited on time for mine, as it would be out of date once return from the christmas holidays, so after dropping my car off in my nana-in-law's garage for the week, we stopped by and enjoyed a yummy meal. i had farfalle with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and arugula in a tomato-basil sauce. it was accompanied by a holiday sangria. fortunately they let you take home your dessert if you are too full, so i had their chocolate pecan pie to go :)

nom nom!

progressive dinner

2011-12-21T23:31:00.000-05:00

this evening we held our second annual holiday progressive dinner along with the drapers and the kirks. we started this last year and enjoyed it so much, we decided it should become a tradition for the time being :) this year we hosted first for appetizers. unfortunately i had to teach private violin lessons until 15 minutes before our guests arrived, so hubby spent the time preparing all the appetizers. he did a great job and the food was well received. my favorite was the kumato tomatoes with mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinaigrette on garlic crostinis. very yummy.

after letting the appetizers settle, we moved on to mandy and andrew's for the main entree. they made spinach stuffed shells, garlic chicken sausages and side salads with champagne vinaigrette. again...super delicious.

finally, we made our way to dan and becca's for dessert. there we had freshly made cheesecake with strawberries in syrup and chocolate drizzle. we also had hot chocolate to drink or "ho-cho" as becca likes to call it :) the cheesecake was fantastic and even my favorite part, the crust, was superb. (for me the crust is the most integral factor in a decent cheesecake!).

the evening was lovely and we look forward to trying this again next year...although the draper's baby will be in the mix next holiday season, so we may have to make some modifications!

now off to bed with a very full, but satisfied, tummy. such a shame i have to get up for work in the morning!

quick in-law christmas visit

2011-12-20T22:04:00.001-05:00

this evening my mother-in-law brought my nana-in-law over to our house to visit and see our christmas decorations. nana is 94 and unfortunately quite blind. she doesn't get out much, so little visits really brighten her day. it was fun to show them all the decorating we have done. our house feels very cozy and warm with all the twinkly lights and the smell of the pine tree. as my camera battery was charged today, i grabbed a quick picture with hubby, his mum and nana by the christmas tree.

the birthday party

2011-12-20T21:59:00.000-05:00

i am a very lucky girl.

yesterday my hubby planned a lovely party for my birthday. although i was at work all day, i came home right after the end of the school day (thanks to my principal) and hubby scooted out of work a bit early to come home and open presents. i received some lovely gifts from my family and look forward to using/wearing them :) my gift from hubby took my breath away. those of you who are regular readers will recall that my dslr camera was stolen last friday...not so great for someone doing project 365 and taking photography classes! a few months ago when i was taking my first class, i found out that there are some pretty snazzy options that i would like to have, that were not available on my then current model. my instructor mentioned the possibility of upgrading my camera body, since all the other equipment i had would work with another canon body. fast forward to my birthday yesterday when i opened up my gift from hubby and saw a new camera bag and the box with the new model camera that i have been keeping my eye on these past few months! apparently he had already bought me the camera body a few weeks ago and was saving it for the actual day. when my camera was stolen on friday, he went back to the store and exchanged the body for a full kit (includes all cables, battery, kit lens, etc.) so that i would be able to continue taking pictures (and hopefully get better...now i have all those aforementioned snazzy options). i am so happy to have my new camera, although it's a bit bittersweet still thinking of having lost the other one so recently. this new one isn't going out of my sight!! hubby joked last night after i opened it, "you better not get this one stolen because we can't afford to do this every year!" i think i should lojack this one ;)

after presents, we headed out to dinner at red lulu in salem with nathan and sarah and kevin and sarah. the restaurant has recently opened and is a mexican cocina and tequila bar. the food was good, but the decor had me more mesmerized. as sarah eloquently put it, "it's like a spanish roman catholic church meets nightmare before christmas." it's definitely very hip and trendy for sure! after a yummy meal, we all came back to our house where marc and katie and dan and becca joined us for some light snacks and eventually birthday cake. unfortunately no one got a picture of the evening (my new camera battery was still charging), but it was a lot of fun. i received some more lovely gifts from my friends and am very grateful to have them in my life.

the day was lovely and i couldn't have asked for more.

completely official

2011-12-19T00:03:00.000-05:00

after a fantastic birthday (too much to write right now...post to come), i can also now say i am completely official able to travel in and out of the u.s. for the next ten years. can't believe i got my passport back in nine days...and on my birthday to boot! they told me 4-6 weeks, or i could pay $60 extra and have it in 2-3 weeks. i think i like my nine days better thanks ;)

seat stealer

2011-12-18T00:05:00.000-05:00

link has taken to stealing my seat in the kitchen as of late. i was crafting at the kitchen table all afternoon today and when i stood up to cut a long stretch of fabric, he hopped right up. and then stayed there for the remainder of my crafting time! sneaky little guy ;)

kissing under the mistletoe

2011-12-17T01:10:00.000-05:00

it would seem i have been replaced under the mistletoe this year by a younger, much cuter model...

a black day

2011-12-16T23:24:00.001-05:00

it is with a heavy heart and great sadness that i write today's blog post. unfortunately, after attending a concert at a church in nh, my wonderful camera was stolen. and unfortunately again, by camera I mean camera body, lens, polarizer, 4 sd cards, computer cable, cute camera strap cover (from my grandma), manuals and software and the camera bag it was all in. even though we were almost the last ones to leave the building, no one came around asking if anyone had lost a camera, etc. (what i would do/have done when you find a personal item left behind). i still in a state of shock and can't quite believe it's gone. why did this have to happen to me and why right before the holidays when i was hoping to get some beautiful pictures?? i think a little bit of my faith in humanity has gone and won't be coming back any time soon. i know i should be forgiving, but it's really hard right now. there is still a slim chance that someone took it unknowingly or has now realized and intends to return it to church on sunday, but the fact that it disappeared so quietly, i don't think i will be seeing it again.

after a tearful car ride home and a talk with hubby and my mum, i was reminded that at least these things are replaceable to a certain extent. nobody got hurt, link is healthy and our house is safe. i had decided to stop my blog with the loss of my camera, but both my mum and hubby asked me to post a picture tonight using my phone. so here it is...a christmas decoration that i didn't get around to hanging until a few days ago. my mum made it for us and i always think of her when i see it. particularly tonight, when a hug from my mum would be the best, it's a comfort to be reminded of her through this simple, yet beautiful, wall hanging.

after the week i had at work, and now this, i feel like i have a black cloud hanging over my head. hopefully things will start to look up sometime soon...

colleagues

2011-12-15T23:48:00.001-05:00

the lovely holly lunching with me at panera in between teaching for the morning and curriculum meetings this afternoon.

i'm very thankful for smiling colleagues who make the not-so-great days seem not quite so bad!

yankee swap

2011-12-14T23:24:00.001-05:00

this evening was one of my school's holiday parties. as we have to pay to attend, i usually just pick one (of four) to go to. as many holiday parties do, we had a yankee swap. i brought a bottle of merlot in a sock monkey wine holder. cute, functional, enjoyable and partly reusable. it was a huge hit and got traded several times. it was even the gift the number one person chose to go home with out of 23 gifts...not that i'm bragging ;) who knew my little sock monkey would be such a hit? :)

unfortunately i did not fare so well in return. i got stuck with the re-gifted sweatshirt, handcrafted by some of the lovely 3rd grade teachers. it has appeared in many swaps and now is sitting on my kitchen table. what you are missing in the picture below are the large jingle bells attached strategically for being worn by a woman...(the last teacher to receive it actually wore it to school on a dare and moved them down to the hem in order to not be as offensive during school hours). i tried to pawn it off on my fellow colleagues, but alas it followed me home. fortunately for me, one of our teachers was not in attendance this evening. she may well find an anonymous "you were missed" gift on her desk tomorrow morning ;)

quick and easy scrapbook christmas craft

2011-12-13T22:36:00.000-05:00

this evening i whipped up a quick christmas craft after i got home unexpectedly early (violin student's finger meets door by way of little sister = blue swollen finger and no violin lesson). this really only took 30 minutes, it was so simple and quick.

i got the frame for $5.00 and had the scrapbook paper left over from last christmas. the tree was made by 9"x2" strips taped together to and then cut from bottom points to the middle at the top. i cut out a pot shape for the bottom and one of the poinsettias for the top. tape it all onto the background and voila...instant christmas decor :)

looks great behind the stove top in the kitchen

chocolate pretzel bites

2011-12-12T22:31:00.001-05:00

chocolate pretzel bites

small pretzels

rolos

m&m's

spread out the pretzels on parchment paper and place a rolo atop each one. cook for 3-5 minutes at 350 degrees, just until the rolos begin to melt. press an m&m into each one (i preferred the m facing down so you only saw the color) and cool in the refrigerator.

p.s. you may want to let them warm back up a bit before eating or the hardened caramel centers may or may not break your teeth upon chewing!

*this was not my invention or recipe...but felt like sharing since they are so super easy :)

second thanksgiving

2011-12-11T20:45:00.000-05:00

after some last minute planning, we had a mini second thanksgiving with the drapers this afternoon. instead of turkey, we had roast chicken with sides of turnip, cauliflower cheese, green beans, mashed potatoes and stuffing. as always (this is year number five), it was absolutely delicious. we are so blessed to have such wonderful friends. and at next year's second thanksgiving we will have a little draper with us too. it seems funny that we have (perhaps even without realizing it) created our own family traditions that we will be sharing with and passing on to our own children. so cool!

a christmas tour

2011-12-10T21:54:00.001-05:00

finally as promised...a quick christmas decor tour :)

wreath from canaan farms

coordinating swag for the back door

we don't have a fireplace...so the windowsill seemed like the next best place for our stockings (including the newest addition for our little furry friend)

i was looking for some way to bring christmas into the kitchen and had a few ideas. unfortunately i think i will have to hold onto a couple for next year due to lack of necessary supplies, but i did find these cute jingle bells on sale at pier 1 imports that look just great.

i think i was most excited to have stair rail to decorate this year! i found some pre-lit garland to wrap around the banister and added bows that i already had from decorating in the apartment in previous years.

our 2011 christmas tree.

we had to downsize a little due to space in the living room, but i still think it looks rather grand :)

lovely ornaments

link's favorite ornament to grab and run! he really has left the tree and the ornaments alone for the most part, but if there is one he's going to take...this little goose would be the one :)

garland previously used in our apartment in a new spot this year

our dicken's christmas village -- which continues to grow every year thanks to my mother-in-law. she has been giving us one each year and it's great to see the collection growing the longer we have been married. i even got one as an early birthday present this year...anglesey cottage...named after william and kate who are currently residing in anglesey, wales. the collection so far includes: the east indies trading company, west lott chapel, boz's books, anglesey cottage, swift's music store and the holly tree inn.

finally i will conclude with a (terrible quality) picture of the lights we have outside. i have always wanted to have candles in the windows, but have not had much luck with them this year. the first batch i bought were defective...not even one in the ten i bought would turn on. needless to say, they were returned and i began my search again. i finally found these on sale in stop and shop, but didn't realize quite how orange the flames were until i put the batteries in. the one good thing is that they are on a timer, so i never have to remember to go around and turn them all on. i definitely think i would like to switch to whiter flames in future years though. as far as the twinkle lights go, again i'm not as impressed as i hoped for. we bought the l.e.d. lights in an effort to try and conserve some electricity, but for some reason the style we bought can't be connected to make a really long chain of lights. fortunately we have two outdoor sockets right at the front of the house, so i was able to plug both strands in, but again, i think i may look for something different in years to come.

overall, the house is looking very festive and cozy. i have enjoyed having a bit more space to decorate and still have a few last things to make and put up. gotta love pinterest for some nifty christmas decorating ideas :)

merry christmas everyone!

candle in the window

2011-12-09T23:59:00.000-05:00

found these on sale in stop and shop today.

i will include them in my christmas decor post coming tomorrow. i've always wanted to do the candles and it wouldn't have looked that great in our former apartment building, so i'm definitely having fun decorating the new house this year!

it's all in the name

2011-12-08T18:12:00.001-05:00

i can definitely see where these little dogs get their "lap dog" name!

after getting home from a particularly long day at work, link came and curled up in my lap and went straight to sleep :) he clearly had a very tough day of napping, listening to christmas carols on the radio, playing fetch and eating! poor guy was sleeping for all of mankind! unfortunately (well not really) i have to head out to church choir rehearsal...would have preferred to stay snuggled up and take a nap with my little lap dog :)

p.s. he also makes for a really good heat source. no need for a heat pack or extra blanket!

advent thoughts

2011-12-07T22:17:00.001-05:00

"rejoice in the lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! let your gentleness be evident to all. the lord is near. do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to god. and the peace of god, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in christ jesus. ~philippians 4:4-7

we are already half way through the second week of advent! as i am feeling the stress of work and holiday preparations, it was helpful for me to think upon this verse from philippians as a reminder to not be anxious. this season is a time of preparation for the nativity of jesus...something for which we should rejoice in! it is great to take a moment and reflect on the true "reason for the season" amidst all the hustle and bustle of work and school.

"christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...

2011-12-06T23:11:00.001-05:00

...please to put a penny in the old man's hat!"

we are slowly, but surely, decorating for christmas in our new house. it's taking us a bit longer due to time constraints with busy work schedules, but i'm also taking my time deciding what to put where and exactly how to decorate in the new space. it's definitely fun coming up with new ideas, but it sure takes longer! i will leave you with a sneak peek of one my ideas. once we are all finished (and i have time to do a mini photo shoot), i will post a full array of photos :)

salem fog

2011-12-05T23:32:00.001-05:00

7:15am this morning on the salem common.

becca's baby shower #2

2011-12-04T21:38:00.001-05:00

today i was graciously invited to join in becca's second baby shower thrown by her home church family in new hampshire. they were a lovely group of women and i'm so glad i was able to attend.

lovely set up in the kitchen

they even made their own edible arrangement!

super cute polka dotted cupcakes (they knew about the theme from her first shower in ma)

holiday spirit

2011-12-03T23:59:00.000-05:00

today we spent the day getting in the holiday spirit.

it began with a trip to canaan farms in wenham to pick out our christmas tree. link came too and spent the time sniffing every single square inch of the farm! everyone loved him.

it was a gloriously sunny and mild morning, a slight difference in from past years when we've gone in the dark after work and usually in several inches of snow!

next i headed over to the phillips house in salem to play with the harbor flutes for the salem christmas walk. we played through tons of christmas tunes and entertained the visitors walking through.

unfortunately we were in the former entertaining living room on a 100 year old rug used by the original homeowners in 1911. due to this fact, no one is allowed on it with regular shoes. they kindly provided us with medical booties in the lovely blue color seen below. it complemented our holiday black and red beautifully! if you look carefully, you'll even notice our music stands had to wear booties too! haha :)

following the christmas walk, hubby and i attended the gordon college christmas gala. we went with dan and becca and becca's family. it has sort of become a bit of a tradition over the past 3-4 years and we all cram into the aj chapel pews together. this year's gala was particularly wonderful. it began with a very magical processional with candles and a men's choir performance. the women's choir, college choir, children's choir, wind ensemble and symphony orchestra also performed. i was especially excited for the latter, being an orchestra alumna myself. "back in the day" the orchestra never got to play for the gala, so i'm really glad they were included this year. nathan skinner (hubby to sarah) planned and orchestrated the entire evening with a colleague and i was truly blown away. a great way to start the holiday season and to finish up this saturday.

pears

2011-12-02T16:30:00.000-05:00

somebody dropped off these pears in the teacher's lunch room today. we would have eaten them except they were definitely not ripe. we agreed a week in a paper bag would improve the situation. so instead of eating them, i photographed them :)

hubby love

2011-12-01T23:40:00.001-05:00

i am very thankful for my hubby. after a long day at work for both of us, he joined me in the kitchen and made shrimp scampi for dinner while i baked chocolate chip cookies for church choir tonight. it was delicious and i am a lucky girl. :)

p.s. i am currently feeling like a domestic success. between the two of us we had a healthy, homecooked meal, took care of tonight's choir snack with homemade foods and my kitchen is sparkly clean (including no dirty dishes!). and all on a week/work/school night to boot! go us!!

christmas?

2011-11-30T23:56:00.001-05:00

i honestly feel like i have no clue where the past year went. december will be here in about ten minutes and bringing with it advent, holiday functions, gift organization (and crafting completion), term 1 grades for school, long car rides and the holidays themselves. i am looking forward to most of it (minus the grading and running around like a headless chicken) and am excited to decorate for christmas in our new house. i haven't ever been able to get into decorating right after thanksgiving (although those of you who have do a lovely job of it!) and typically like to wait until december is underway. this weekend is chock full of events and grades close on friday, so i have a feeling it will be next week before we get to our decorating, but who knows? :) i will leave you on this eve of advent with a picture of our neighbor's porch, as they just put up some garland with fairy lights and bows. how festive!

mini bouquet

2011-11-29T22:23:00.001-05:00

this afternoon i was presented with this delightful "mini bouquet" from one of my very excited 3rd grade violinists. sometimes children can be quite sweet :)

black friday butterflies

2011-11-28T23:04:00.001-05:00

hubby and i did brave the black friday shopping (although not during the wee hours of the morning!) and came away with some good deals. with the unseasonably warm weather we've been having, i was able to wear one of my new shirts today...a lightweight cotton 3/4 sleeve blouse that, when discounted off the clearance price, totaled $4! somehow clothes just feel better when you get them for such a bargain price ;)

i especially love the butterflies. don't you?

quick dinner night

2011-11-27T22:17:00.001-05:00

after returning from maine and attempting to get the house back in order, i had to run out to a rehearsal. i am very thankful for a pizza place right across the road that makes quick and yummy pizza! yay for a late night dinner.

gardiner area high school alumni holiday show

2011-11-26T21:30:00.000-05:00

i am terribly behind on posting this entry...sorry!

hubby performed in the gardiner area high school alumni holiday show after thanksgiving. his high school band director, mr. walker, has been organizing this for 11 years and hubby was happy to join in the fun this year. he performed schubert's ave maria as a solo, as well as joining the alumni chorus for some holiday tunes.

hubby being hubby also decided that he should play in the alumni jazz band. he played pretty much every band instrument in high school and ended up being the drum major his senior year. since i have known him (over seven years) the only instrument he has touched is his drum set. it was quite strange seeing him up there on the trombone! i heard a couple wrong notes from his side of the stage ;) but for the most part he just picked it right back up again. no idea how he does that :)

it was a very fun evening and i'm glad we were able to attend and support the music program in gardiner. mr. walker has done amazing things in the 18 years he has been working there and it is great to give back, especially for hubby.

one year later

2011-11-25T22:50:00.001-05:00

this evening we met up with some friends of ours who also have family in this area of maine. hubby and kevin have been friends since they were five and he just married his new wife in august. they live down on the north shore near us and attend our church (sarah's uncle is the minister of music). we have enjoyed getting to know them better as a couple over the past few months and were excited to get together in maine during this holiday weekend. it's hard to believe that this time last year we met them for dinner so kevin could introduce us to sarah (they had a long distance relationship between oregon and massachusetts!!!). we are very glad to have such lovely friends!

happy thanksgiving

2011-11-24T21:14:00.001-05:00

happy thanksgiving blog friends!

today we celebrated at my sister-in-law's home and enjoyed a really yummy meal together.

dining table pre-food

fork and napkin awaiting use :)

nana and her grandchildren

dining table in full use...we had a small mountain of food!

after the main course was cleared and dishes and leftovers put away, hubby whipped up some red wine poached pears served with a red wine reduction syrup and a vanilla honey cream. we all agreed they were delicious.

this year's thanksgiving was particularly special as it was my first as an official u.s. citizen. i have so many things to be thankful for:

-my husband

-my family and friends

-our furry puppy dog

-our lovely new house

-my good (fingers crossed!) health

-a job and steady income

-my new u.s. citizenship

-the joy of music

...the list goes on, as i hope it does for all of you. it really is lovely to take a moment and reflect on all those things we are truly thankful for, especially those ones that are sometimes taken for granted.

happy thanksgiving!

thanksgiving or christmas?

2011-11-23T22:28:00.001-05:00

we almost weren't sure if we had slept through thanksgiving and were heading to maine for christmas on our drive up today! the surprise winter wonderland threw us completely :) i love the snow though and won't mind having it around...even if it is only thanksgiving tomorrow!

summer love

2011-11-22T23:06:00.001-05:00

my final product after photoshop practice today (the instructor chose the images...too funny). clearly it was practice and nothing spectacular, but i now know how to use all the different selection tools (magnetic, quick, polygonal), how to defringe an image, how to add text and modify and/or warp it...the list goes on. i'm learning a lot for sure, but i kind of wish they had listed at least a basic computer requirement for the class. we unfortunately spend a good few minutes every week just showing my classmates how to open the photoshop program. it's slightly painful, but they are all very well meaning and fun to work with :) hopefully it stuck this week and we'll be good to go next tuesday!