* Morning T *

Terrain, etc.

2012-02-01T12:00:00.001-06:00

Another random post today.

Our close friends gave us this fabulous galvanized chalkboard basket and the slate cheese board as Christmas gifts this year. They definitely know my style! This metal basket could be used for so many things~ serving bread for dinner, housing small potted herbs, displaying bottles of wine at a party, etc. Well for now, this sweet little metal basket is home to my latest health fixation~ hemp. Hemp hearts and hemp protein powder.

Chalkboard and tin basket from here, slate cheeseboard here. Terrain is Anthropologie's eco-friendly store with a focus on gardening, green personal care goods, furniture and some great home goods. I just ordered this cute set of mason jar salt and pepper shakers.

OK~ on to the little hemp station in my kitchen.

You'll recall that I used hemp protein powder in my hemp protein bars {here}. While pulling the recipe from Sarah's blog {My New Roots blog}, I became intrigued with the health benefits of hemp, which she describes beautifully right here. Shortly after making my protein bars and blabbering on and on about hemp protein powder and chia seeds, my hubby spotted this bag of hemp hearts at Costco and picked it up for his flower-child-wife. ☺

My oatmeal, cream of wheat, soups and salads are routinely sprinkled with a different seed each day {flax, chia, hemp}. I love the taste of each and notice I'm much more satisfied after my morning bowl of oatmeal [although, it could also be that I'm no longer running 30+ miles per week so I'm not as hungry].

I love cooking with coconut oil and grapeseed oil. I've been using grapeseed oil on my salad instead of olive oil AND I've been using it on my skin after the shower. I read that grapeseed oil is a good, all natural moisturizer for your face so I've been using this at night.
So there you have it, more than you ever wanted to know about me I'm sure~ ha! ☺

Does anyone out there have favorite new finds ~ new stores, health foods, unusual beauty products? I'd love to hear!!

xo~

Tricia

5 movies and a lot of vino!

2012-01-31T00:01:00.001-06:00

Everything is back in it's place today after a somewhat wild weekend.

Lots of laughter, some loud music, soaking up the sunshine on the back porch and having deep conversations over a bottle {or two} of wine....stuff that you can only do with the closest of friends.
This crumpled couch was filled with kids, adults, and the dog all weekend {notice I didn't mention hubby, he tried to stay far away all weekend, hee, hee}. The coffee table was piled high with glasses of wine, platters of cheese, crackers, hummus, cupcakes and candles.

My girlfriend Lisa came in from New York and we had a ball, like we always do when we get together. We tried to cram in as many movies as we could before the SAG awards Sunday night and ultimately the Oscars in February.

At least 20 candles were burning in the room during our movie fest/girls weekend in.

I had to get these cute World Market apothecary candles after Linsey showed us hers last week.
We burned up apple-tv and on-demand and managed to see the following movies in 2 short days:

Paranormal Activity 3 {please don't judge, we like ghost movies}

The Help

Bridesmaids

50/50
We had a delicious brunch at Brasserie 19 on Sunday then stopped by The Bird and The Bear for some prosecco on the patio. The weather in Houston was too dreamy to be sitting in a dark movie theatre but we did sneak out to see The Artist on Sunday and it was great!

Here's to long lasting friendships, entertaining movies, Houston sunshine and staying away from wine for a week or so, eek!

xo~
T

final days for 30% off

2012-01-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hurry, there are only a few days remaining for the 30% off online deal at Francesca's Collections.

Promo Code: MORNING
Promo Discount: 30% off a single regular priced item & free standard shipping!
Promo Dates: 1/1/11-1/30/11
Promo Disclaimer: Online only. Cannot be combined with other discounts or promo codes. One time use. Gift cards & sale items are excluded

I've already piled a few things into my cart in prep for Valentine's Day. I usually wait until the last minute to throw something together for my little sweetheart, but am getting a leg up this year with the 30% off.

*For my little Valentine*

*For my big Valentine*

*For moi*

Head on over to Francesca's online now and use your 30% off before it ends on Tuesday!

Promo Code: MORNING

Promo Discount: 30% off a single regular priced item & free standard shipping! Promo Dates: 1/1/11-1/30/11

Promo Disclaimer: Online only. Cannot be combined with other discounts or promo codes. One time use. Gift cards & sale items are excluded

Happy shopping~

a fresh start

2012-01-27T12:00:00.003-06:00

Getting serious about running over the past few years has really changed my mentality on eating. I invested so much time and energy into training for the marathon last year that I made a conscious effort to put the same energy into what I was fueling my body with. It was a necessary focus at the time, but I kept up with it for so many months that it's just become habit. I've always been a relatively healthy eater but processed foods were a big part of my diet. For the past year I've been able to stick to eating real, unprocessed foods about 90% of the time.

My mother in law is a wealth of knowledge regarding holistic health and nutrition and she's turned me on to so many secret ways to use foods and spices for overall health and beauty. While she was visiting over the Christmas holiday she told me about a juice blend that is recommended for cancer patients, but is something we should all drink every morning, as a fresh start to our day.

My beet, carrot and apple juice {I also added parsley, kale, celery and ginger} from this morning. Before drinking coffee or tea or anything else in the morning, drink this freshly juiced concoction within 30 minutes of preparation.

The recipe is one beet, one apple and three carrots.

Not having a juicer on hand, I started out making these using the food processor. As you can see below it's a thick mess, but it still tasted really good to me. I drank one of these every morning the week before the marathon.

I figured if I could stick with pulling out the food processor and cleaning everything up in the morning before I left for work each day for at least a few weeks, then I would look into buying a juicer. After reading about the benefits of the actual juice versus drinking the entire fruit and veggies, I knew I had to take the plunge and get a juicer.

I really wanted the stainless Breville Juicer but hubby happened to be out and about earlier this week and this was the only model he could find. The Jack LaLanne Power Juicer.

It's a big ugly beast, but it does the trick and best of all, it's super duper quiet, which is critical for the 5am juicing fest going on in my kitchen nowadays. ☺

I watched a few videos on how to use it and clean it etc, and I was a pro my first go round. Within just this first week I have so much energy and I'm able to think more clearly. Of course it could all be psychological but whatever, I know I'm putting something good into my body first thing every morning and I have so much more energy during my early morning runs.

There is so much info out there on the benefits of juicing so if you're interested in starting this yourself click here or here for more info. I'm not planning on doing any juice cleansing at all, but Sarah Britton has some great 'juice feasting' combinations over here.

Here's to starting fresh each and every day!

vintage fresh

2012-01-26T09:47:00.008-06:00

Check out this fabulous townhome in Boerum Hill, New York. Filled with vintage pieces, but with a clean and airy feel.

If I could just crawl inside this picture below and vegetate for a few days I would!

Source: nytimes.com via Tricia on Pinterest

Funny, I wasn't able to save the images to my computer but was able to pin them, ha!

See the rest here.

xo~
T

Healthy snacking

2012-01-25T06:00:00.002-06:00

I know it's not like me to post anything food related, much less food related creations of my own, BUT, we spent a few hours in the kitchen last weekend so I had to share it with you. Being in the habit of seeking out something sweet after every meal, I'm always in search of healthy alternatives for myself and my family. If I find a 6 month old candy bar in my desk drawer, it's down the hatch for me. I'll stop at nothing when I have a sugar craving!

Thanks again to the power of Pinterest, I found a recipe that I love, just by typing 'protein bars' into the search bar. The image above enticed me so I was sucked in even further ~ I was introduced to Hemp protein granola bars AND another great blog.

Image above and recipe pulled from Sarah Britton's site here. Sarah is a holistic nutritionist and vegetarian chef and she explains the use of hemp protein powder in detail in her post here.

Hemp Protein Granola Bars
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (or any other nut)
1 cup dates, chopped (or any other dried fruit)
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup hemp protein powder
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 ripe bananas
1/4 cup sunflower oil (or coconut, olive, walnut…)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
6 Tbsp. water

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a small bowl, mix the chia seeds and water together. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients.
4. In a food processor or blender, mix bananas, oil, vanilla, and maple syrup (you can also just mash everything together with a fork). Add chia gel and pulse to mix. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
5. Spread the batter evenly into a baking pan (mine was 9" x 11"), and smooth out the top with the back of a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Let cool completely, store in airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for longer shelf life. You can also freeze these – take one out half an hour before you want a perfect snack!

My version of these protein packed treats is on the left. I deleted the dates and poppy seeds and used organic blue agave in place of the maple syrup. I added a small amount of raisins and used coconut oil instead of sunflower oil. I will be making these again, they are fabulous!

My little one loves spending time in the kitchen so we pulled out the easy bake oven and she made a few cakes and brownies all on her own {that's her brownie creation in the middle}.

The muffins on the right are wheat bran. I started with the recipe on the Bob's Red Mill Wheat Bran packaging, making a few changes to suit our taste.

Tricia’s wheat bran muffins:
• 2 Eggs beaten
• 1 cup 1/2 Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 cup Skim Milk
• 1/2 cup Organic Blue Agave
• 3/4 cup Organic sugar free Applesauce
• 2 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil
• 1 cup Wheat Bran

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine wheat bran, flour, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate bowl, blend applesauce, milk, blue agave, oil and egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Spoon into greased muffin tin (or paper muffin cups) and bake for 15-20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

So there you have it, venture #1 into the kitchen thus far for 2012 (aside from our usual lunches and dinners of course)~ starting the year off with a bang! hee, hee

xo~
T

a little bling

2012-01-22T19:45:00.011-06:00

I wanted a little something to commemorate my marathon finish . I spent a few weeks searching online for the perfect thing. With the help of everyone's favorite ~~time sink~~ obsession pinterest, I found Erica Sara Designs.

I wanted something small enough to wear every day and not worry about it tarnishing etc.

Here's an image of my marathon gift to myself. ☺

26.2 on the front....

...Tricia/ 1.8.12 on the back. Not only is Erica a talented designer of bling and a great business women {we emailed a few times throughout the week about the necklace design and she was very responsive AND I received my necklace within a week of ordering!}, she is a runner and a blogger as well. You can check out her blog here.

Thanks for my new race bling Erica~ I love it!

Happy Monday all~
T

{relax}

2012-01-20T11:21:00.003-06:00

Source: zsazsabellagio.blogspot.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Stéphanie on Pinterest

Source: studdedhearts.blogspot.com via Wynne on Pinterest

Source: 26.media.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

I'm going with it....

have a great weekend everyone!!

xo~

Tricia

WDW Marathon weekend

2012-01-13T00:01:00.005-06:00

*******I did it********

Run 26.2 miles ~ check

The entire weekend couldn't have been more perfect. Gorgeous weather, fun travelling companions, and I managed to cross that finish line without any issues.

I had a leisurely day on Saturday, allowing my body to rest while getting mentally prepped for the big day. After picking up my race bib at the expo I met the family for lunch at Emeril's in Universal. The WDW Marathon Expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex {photo snapped right at opening so no crowds}.
An early dinner at our condo. My pre-marathon meal consisted of pasta, garlic bread, pizza, salad and beer. Carb loading was sure fun!

My gear ~ out and ready for the 2:45am wake up call!
Lights were out at 8:30pm on Saturday night, but my heart was beating so hard {major anxiety} I couldn't fall asleep until around 11pm. Here I am dressed and ready to roll at 3:20am. Hopeful that I have some adrenalin and juice left in me after all the worry and lack of sleep to actually move my legs back and forth for 26 miles! (That's one of several gu's peeking out of my top)
Hubby dropped me at the starting point at Epcot around 3:50am. We were directed to the starting chutes around 4:20am, where we waited...
....and waited~in the chilly temps under the full moon.

Just like I said in this post, I shivered and fidgeted the whole time. Sitting on the pavement from 4:20 to 5:45ish, meditating, breathing, and making small talk with those sitting nearby.
Each wave was introduced with fireworks and major hoopla from the Disney crew.
My wave {F}, was moved into starting position at 6am.
Here I am just before the fireworks send off at 6:05am. I took one of hubby's beat up old LS white tees to wear during this time, only to be stripped off and thrown in the pile with other discarded clothing at mile 6. We ran through Epcot, then over to Magic Kingdom. This photo was snapped at around 730am at mile 11 or so.

I felt incredible during the first half of the marathon. 13 miles I can handle pretty well in just over 2 hours time. The weather was perfect for running and it was such fun getting to run through Magic Kingdom before it opened to the public.
The run from Magic Kingdom to Animal Kingdom was only 4 miles or so and it wasn't too bad. Entering into Animal Kingdom was my favorite. Disney cast members were standing at the entrance with a variety of rare birds, owls, and animals. I arrived just before 9am so there were lots of park visitors there to cheers us on AND I got to sneak a quick picture with Minnie Mouse (first pic in post) without having to wait.

Here I am in front of Mount Everest {another item on my bucket list} at about mile 16.

The stretch from Animal Kingdom to MGM Studios was the hardest. The bright sun was beating down and we were running on the highway for most of this 5 mile stretch. Once we hit MGM Studios we were at 22 miles, so only 4 to go!

This is me leaving MGM Studios.

The final 4 miles were tough, but thanks to a nice friend I met on the course {hey Kim from Greeley, Co!}, we helped each other keep running and cross that finish line, no walking peeps!

Crossing the finish line at 5 hours 11 mins and a big YAHOO! ☺

I truly didn't care about my time and figured I would finish right at the 5 hour mark, including the 4 potty stops and pictures in each park.

While the family made their way to me through the crowds, I sat happily on the ground and stretched, drank water, and texted the world that I had made it~ whew, what an experience.

We actually spent the remainder of the day hopping around between Magic Kingdom and Epcot. While the group rode rides, I mostly sat and rested my legs while people watching.

Our intentions were to stay for fireworks at Epcot that night but by 8pm we {ME} were so wiped out we had to get back and go to bed.

We were scheduled to fly home on Monday but due to severe storms and flooding in Houston we stayed through Tuesday.

The girls were SO excited to unpack our bags and head back out to the parks for an additional day of fun. We spent the day at Universal Orlando.

My legs were sore the first couple of days but getting out and walking felt good. I did schedule a sports therapy massage at a spa here in Houston this weekend so that will be nice.

The grand finale to our extended weekend in Orlando was poncho seating at the Blue Man Group show.

Such fun!

All in all, this was our best Orlando trip yet!

My final marathon thoughts are this;

for those of you who aspire to run {or walk} a full marathon someday, YOU CAN DO IT! With consistent training and the right mindset it is achievable. Going the path of running the half marathon first is the best bet. You see all walks of life out there running, all ages, all sizes, every physical condition you can imagine. It is such an interesting test on preparing your body for something that only your mind can really make happen.

I'm going to give my body (and mind) a break for awhile, but will stick with running two half marathons per year {Napa in July for sure}. I'm not sure if I'll run another full marathon again, but at least now I know I can do it.

Thanks to everyone for cheering me on last weekend. Now it's my turn to give back so I'll be up bright and early on Sunday to volunteer at the Houston Marathon. If you happen to be running, I'll be handing out water at the table right in front of West U Elementary on University Blvd.

Big hugs~

Tricia

Shop til you drop ~ a reminder

2012-01-09T12:00:00.000-06:00

Don't forget about the discount at Francesca's Collections through the end of January, full post with discount details here.

twenty six point two

2012-01-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

Heaven or hell?
Fairytale or fright fest?

In 24 hours I'll know the answer.

I'm a bit scared about the whole thing. Waking up at 2:45am and getting to the starting line by 4am is causing me the greatest anxiety right now. At least the temps are looking good so I will only be shivering from nerves and not cold temps for ninety minutes in the darkness of the night with thousands of strangers. I like running alone but hate waiting to start all alone, such a weird feeling. Like a bumblebee in a mini jelly jar ~ buzzing around full of energy but nowhere to go and nothing to do with that energy, hitting the walls.

I'm pulling out all the stops, this is it- 5 months of training since the Napa half {here} and 425 miles logged during that time. Blood, sweat and even some tears....here I go.

Just in case things turn to an ugly nightmare of the 'why in the hell am I doing this stupid thing' kind, my team sparkle skirt and DIY Cinderella gear will certainly pull me through, won't it??

You know I'm not a costume kind of girl, but if this is the one and only marathon I'm going to run in my life AND I'll be running through all 4 disney parks at Walt Disney World in Orlando, then why not get into character?! My good friend Elz planted the idea in my head months ago.

My shoes already matched the rest of the getup. I'll be sure to tell you all about it, considering I survive the whole thing and manage to cross the finish line, hee hee.
The weather in Orlando should be perfect. I've been carb loading and taking it easy on the legs and the wine for the past few days. :(

All it takes is all you got.--Marc DavisI'm ready to go git-er-done, wish me loads of luck!!

xo~
T

Can you keep a secret?

2012-01-04T08:54:00.014-06:00

I don't want to ruin the surprise for my husband but I am going to meet with my realtor today and buy this house. It was just listed in my neighborhood and it's perfect for us. It's just 4 blocks away from us (still walking distance to bestie's house), 3,800 sq ft, close to a great park, everything inside is brand new AND it's only 1.5 million. He'll be so thrilled he likely won't be able to speak for a few months.

Come on inside and see my new house....

I'm going to ask that they sell the house fully furnished so that will add a bit to the total, but hubby won't mind...we're only talking millions here. ☺ He won't have to lift a finger to move, we'll just simply take our clothes and few special things and have someone haul all of our old furniture away to goodwill.
His very own office. This will be the first thing to win him over. No longer will his business papers get lost in the kitchen, dining room or the bedroom because he will have this whole office to himself where he can pile papers up endlessly and I won't touch them, I promise.
He'll have a spot to visit with adults in this fabulous formal living room.
We'll throw extraordinary dinner parties right here in this dining room, which is adjacent to the butler's pantry, for ease in serving food and wine.
We'll have family movie nights here in the cozy family room.

He won't even have to pause the movie to grab a drink or more popcorn from the kitchen.
I'll be able to talk with my daughter while she's doing homework or watching tv in the family room from this grand kitchen. Of course I'll re paint the green walls first.
We'll once again have an eat-in kitchen so family dinners will happen regularly.
I'll spend hours in the kitchen cooking lavish meals and baking sinful treats. Another big selling point because hubby just loves my cooking. ☺
Our wine collection will finally have a proper home! He's going to love that.
Our master bedroom won't have rolling racks and plastic tubs of clothing because we'll have grand walk in closets, one for each of us.
We won't have to fight for the sink or mirror space in our over sized master bath.

I wonder if he'll miss the 3X3 shower and blue tile in our current house? hhmmm....
Superbowl parties in the game room perhaps?
Two large guest bedrooms, one for buddy Jeff and one for granny when they come to visit.
They'll even have their own guest bathroom, no more sharing with our daughter.

His precious daughter will have this sweet room with her own private bath.
We can park both cars in the garage here because all of our Christmas decor boxes will be neatly tucked away in the massive storage closets in our new home. Heck, gone will be the days of doing laundry in the garage- not hearing me complain about that any more is certainly worth 1.5 million plus, right?!
Max will even be happy with this small but well kept yard.

A sprinkler system? Ah, heaven.
It's also the perfect size for a small putting green for hubby to practice his golf swing.
He's going to be SO happy with me I can't even stand it, what a great way to start 2012. He might even take a long celebratory trip somewhere far, far away with his buddies and let me have some time alone here to get everything all set up.

Well, I'm off to sign some papers....

....likely two different sets of papers if I really went through with this without him, if you know what I mean. ☺

xo~
Tricia

source

Kicking off the new year with a deal for you!

2012-01-03T12:05:00.001-06:00

Around the holidays I always make a stop at Francesca's Collections to find unusual gifts, stocking stuffers, hostess gifts and jewels for my holiday party outfits. During our trip to Chicago this past December (here) I popped into the Lincoln Park store and found some great things for my kiddo's stocking, along with some baubles for myself and girlfriends.

While running some errands the other day I stopped in one of the Houston stores to check out their big after Christmas sale. I started chatting with the sales associates about fashion, shopping and blogging. They were so sweet and allowed me to take pictures in the store, then proceeded to offer me a sweet deal for my blog readers~ YOU!

**30% off any reg price item online throughout the month of January and free shipping!!**

If you haven't visited one of their stores you have to check it out, there's always so much to see. The sales associates were telling me that this is low stock levels, LOW ~ wow, I see lots to choose from.
The girls at the Highlands Village store in Houston.
Jewelry galore.
Artwork for your walls, mirrors, lamps...

Handbags, wallets, scarves, tights, leggings, fur vests.
A wall of candles. While in Chicago, I picked up a few of these great silhouette candles to keep on hand as hostess gifts.

Stationary, books, pillows, you name it, they have something for everyone here.

They even have great clothing. Last year when New York bestie came to Houston over New Year's weekend (here), we picked up some festive pieces at Francesca's for our evenings out.

See anything you like yet?
Didn't get everything you wanted over the holidays?
Need a gift for someone special?
They even have gifts for pets.

Here are a few of my favorites~

Hostess gift: tea towel for only $10 after discount.

Sister's birthday gift: ruffled apron for $22 after discount.

Kid's birthday gift add on: iphone or itouch stand for $6 after discount.

For moi: I'll take this scarf for $23...

...and a couple of these bracelets for $13, thank you. ☺

Simply go to Francesca's Collections.com and pick out a regular price item and enter 'MORNING' as your promo code and you'll get 30% off AND free shipping.

Promo Code: MORNING
Promo Discount: 30% off a single regular priced item & free standard shipping!
Promo Dates: 1/1/11-1/30/11
Promo Disclaimer: Online only. Cannot be combined with other discounts or promo codes. One time use. Gift cards & sale items are excluded

Be sure to check out the sale stuff online as well. This cute sweater is regularly $64, on sale for $19.
Tell all of your friends and spread the word before the deal ends.

Cheers to you and thanks again to the Francesca's team for offering us this great online deal.

xo~
T

wake up~ it's a new year!

2012-01-02T08:58:00.005-06:00

January 1, 2012~ I had to shake off the post holiday dull drums and pry myself out of bed. I had lofty goals this weekend...visions of organization and major purging throughout our upstairs bedrooms.

Mission accomplished ~ almost.

Two bedrooms just about completely done. Although I'm not one for new year's resolutions, a big goal for me in 2012 is to get my master bedroom into shape. I cringe whenever anyone goes upstairs in my home and I beg and plead with them to not look into my room, ugh. One big walk in closet of a mess.

We had a large canvas {painted by our daughter when she was 3 years old} hanging above our bed and while I love it dearly, we needed a change. I took an old oil painting that used to hang in my grandparents house {at least 30 years old} and painted the dark stained wood frame (first coat gold, second coat pewter then sanded to let some gold show through). I placed a piece of fabric over the oil painted canvas for a simple yet soft look in place of a headboard. I have a small sunburst mirror on order so once that arrives it will go just above the frame.
Sorry for the iPhone pics and crumpled bed but into my groove too much to go downstairs and get the good camera. Once all of the piles of hubby's clothes are properly stored and plastic bins are moved out from the corners of our room I can show you the whole thing {ha, I think I told you the same thing last year at this time}.

From my imperfect world to yours ~ here's to starting big projects early in 2012 and celebrating each little accomplishment along the way.

Wishing you health and happiness this year friends!!

xo~
T

Celebrating the holidays

2011-12-27T10:03:00.005-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone~ I hope your holiday was everything you dreamed it would be and more. I have a bit of the blues today, my last day at home with the family before I head back to work tomorrow. I'm sitting here mid morning in my pj's ignoring the cluttered and messy house, dirty sheets on the beds, full dishwasher and neglecting my morning run~ denial.

We had such a fun week leading up to Christmas last week. Full of everything that I mentioned in my last post {here}.

Family luncheons and holiday shopping.

Our family luncheon was followed by ear piercing for my little one, she was ecstatic!

Adult lunches at amazing restaurants serving 25 cent martinis!

Family gift exchange dinners with besties.

Christmas cookie decorating with cousin.

Christmas Eve party with extended family.

Christmas morning brunch with cousins.

But the holiday to me means getting to spend lots of quality time with these two peeps.

And this little fur ball.

{merry & bright}

2011-12-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

via

Last weekend was spent wrapping gifts...

...attending Houston's Nutcracker Ballet,

...sprucing the house to prepare for out of town guests,

...and putting the finishing touches on wine bottle gifts.

Oh, and I ran my final long run {21 l.o.n.g miles} in prep for my first full marathon {post here} in just 2 1/2 weeks~ eek!

I'm taking the rest of the week off from work and am ready to go full tilt into holiday mode. Decorating sugar cookies, family lunches out, last minute shopping, a holiday movie or two, picking up Christmas brunch and dinner items and adult only dinners with friends~ YAY, it's Christmas!! ☺

xo~
T

A warm glow

2011-12-19T16:57:00.003-06:00

feel the warmth ~
bask in the glow ~
soak up the solitude ~
breathe in the scent of the season ~
embrace peace and quiet ~
indulge in relaxation ~
now inhale through your nose ~

and exhale through your mouth ~

Wishing you a peaceful yet festive week! ☺

xo~
T

source

DIY ~ mason jar snow globe gifts

2011-12-15T13:00:00.001-06:00

Mason jar snow globes seem to be all the rage this year, perhaps thanks to this fab store for displaying them with their knockout Christmas decor. We jumped on the bandwagon one night this past week and made some ourselves, using stuff we already had at home.

These little cuties are all wrapped up and ready to be given to our teachers, grandparents, and close friends.
It was such a fun project that we'll likely make it a tradition going forward!

I did buy the little wreaths and snowmen/penguins at Michael's, but the rest was pulled from our Christmas village set (that's been in storage and unused for a few years).

Things you'll need:

* Any size jar {mason jar, tomato sauce jars, spice jar, honey jar, etc}

* fake snow/ salt/ glitter {whatever you can find or have on hand}

* small trees and/or fresh greens

* little people, pine cones, etc...whatever you want to place inside

*glue gun or epoxy

I glued kraft paper to my lids first, but you can spray paint or leave as is. Glue your scene onto the lid, pour the snow {you could use table salt, epsom salts or the fake snow stuff} into the jar, flip over and screw the lid onto the jar.

Voila~

It only took us an hour to make 11 of these! My daughter went back and put sticky notes with the names of those that she wanted to gift these to. We kept the smallest one for us.

**Happy crafting**

xo~
T

A green Christmas...

2011-12-13T12:41:00.010-06:00

...in more ways than one.

My paperwhites are going crazy and are just about to topple over, but wowee~ they smell divine!!

Christmas card display solution on the dining room door using leftover upholstery binding fabric.
We've been crafting almost every night after work/school, using only things we already have at home. Christmas music sheet angel wings,
...and paper snowflakes to place on packages and wine bottle gifts.

Using cardboard from paper towel rolls. Adorned with some glitter, a pearl or rhinestone and fabric scrap or twine to hang.
Fancy, right? ha...

Anything to keep us busy while we count down the days! ☺ We're getting antsy over here.
We created silhouette gift tags using a picture of my daughter and some good old fashioned tracing and copying. I uploaded the silhouette image in picnik and added the textured background with the snowflake border, then printed on cardstock paper.

This was by far the most fun {and messy} project ~ will share details soon.

Ho, ho, ho!

xo~

Christmas in Chicago

2011-12-09T06:00:00.001-06:00

Aside from the cold/sinus infection that I likely caught on the airplane, our weekend in Chicago got us in the holiday groove!

Tall buildings~

Bundle up and snuggle-worthy weather~ Buildings trimmed in green and red~
Carolers travelling by trolley to entertain shoppers in line~
Firehouses dressed up for the holidays~

Florists geared up with Christmas blooms~
We arrived Friday evening and went to the closest pizza joint to get our Chicago style pizza fix.

We cruised the streets for a bit before bed on Friday night.

Saturday morning we had breakfast at Mary's Cafe, delish!

From there we walked a few blocks to the Navy Pier, to check out Winter Wonderfest.
Snapping pictures along the way~

Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier was complete with falling snow and lots of overly decorated trees and sparkle.

We were in and out of the Navy Pier and back onto the busy streets to shop!
Michigan Avenue:

After lunch we taxied it on over to the Lincoln Park area to check out the more unusual boutiques and walk the less crowded streets. This is such a cute area.

Lori's shoes was our first stop, LOVE this store.

From here it was back to the hotel to rest our feet for a bit before heading out for the evening.

City lights:We checked out Kris Kringle Market but it was far too crowded to see anything so we ventured on.

We wrapped up our weekend with an early lunch at Gibsons,and more Christmas shopping.

It was a whirlwind {pun intended} getaway! ☺

xo~
Tricia

My {holiday} home

2011-12-05T06:00:00.008-06:00

**Welcome to stop #3 on Jennifer Rizzo's virtual holiday home tour**

Welcome to my home ~ all dressed up for the holidays. Come on inside....

Thanks to Donna from Funky Junk Interiors blog for sending her visitors my way.

Where shall we start? Let's get straight to the tree.

We had to replace our tree this year and ended up with a 9 foot, pre-lit artificial tree. It's not quite as wide as our previous tree which is better for our small home.

Our tree is filled with sentimental-gifted and homemade ornaments. The little one helps decorate the tree so we tend to have more ornaments down low, but I never go back and change it~ after all the tree is really for her, not us. ☺

I have a mixture of wide jute ribbon, thick twine, fresh baby's breath and candy canes mixed in. Since taking these pictures I added some French script paper ribbon along with a few large pine cones to the tree (iPhone photo).
No angel or star on top, just a jute ribbon bow. We moved the wine tasting table and kooboo chairs to each side of the tree. Our skirt is a $10 drop cloth from Lowe's.

No gifts under the tree just yet, but we're getting there.

I tried really hard to keep it simple this year and not go full out Griswold Christmas overload in my teeny house {VERY hard for this hoarder~ish girl}. Hence, no holiday decor in the bookshelves, except for the glass block light on the left side. My beloved grain sack tree from Gina's '3 fine grains' giveaway last year {here}.

New stockings from Target, thanks to Rie's cute post here.

Some fresh greens on the mantle {I've since added a few large pine cones and changed out the stockings}. Our large nutcrackers stand guard of the stockings.
Keeping it simple and neutral where ever possible.
Glitter trees on the industrial end tables and a final view looking to the tree at the front of my family room.
Festive~filled ironstone bowl on the coffee table.
The hall tree at the back of the family room where a simple cloche ornament hangs and some fresh greens are strung into the chandy.
Fresh greenery, holiday sparkle and a few traditional Christmas items leave the tree as the main focal point in my family room {click on photo to see full width of room}.
Let's head to the other side of the entry, into the dining room.

A little sparkle under the cloche and a white tree plate on the server. I used to put a large metal tree here to hang my cards but that went against my 'keeping it simple' plan. Any great ideas for displaying holiday cards? I'd love to hear how you display your cards. Fresh greens and sparkle in the light fixture. On the table I have two chicken wire/beaded trees and a gorgeous white flower arrangement that I received at work last week. That's it for the dining room. To the left you can see the front entry and to the right is the kitchen~ let's head on in....
...some snowmen candles on a shelf and the powder bath on the right {click on photo to see full powder bath}. A few simple holiday touches in the powder bath.
The bakers rack received a little holiday love with some fresh greens and two Christmas plates from mom. More pine and another plate in the window above the kitchen sink.

Let's make our final stop in the cozy sun room. A few feathery snowmen up on the shelves...
...and pictures with Santa on the server, which was temporarily moved here to make room for the tree in the family room.
Oh, and an iron tree on the nesting table~ about as simple as I can get.

This wraps up our whopping 4 room tour! I'm going to lounge right here on the daybed and tour all of the other homes. I hope you'll join me while I hop on over to Jennifer's house at Dear Lillie Blog ~ this way!
Thank you for stopping by my little home and thanks so much to Jen for including my home on her virtual tour. Here's to a Christmas holiday filled with love and cheer~ from my home to yours.

Hugs~

Tricia

Chicago bound

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Peggy on Pinterest

We are headed up North for the weekend ~ in search of bright holiday lights, cold temps and some big city gift shopping!

I'll be back bright and early on Monday, just in time to welcome you all into my home for the tour.

Have a great weekend everyone.
xo~
T

DIY {FREE} garland

2011-11-30T08:55:00.007-06:00

Thanks to Susan's post last year {here}, I learned to go to Lowe's or Home Depot to pick up *free* tree trimmings to use in my home during the holidays. I picked up a bunch last weekend and used the trimmings in various spots inside my home {if you check back on Monday you'll get to tour my home all dressed up for the holidays, thanks to Jen Rizzo's home tour!}

With the leftover trimmings I wanted to make a fresh garland for my front porch.

With a glass of wine, scissors and wire in hand I set up shop on the back porch after work last night. Clipping the greens and securing the ends using the wire.

Voila~ it ended up being the perfect length! I added a strand of clear lights and secured some large pine cones to the garland to thicken it up a bit. I also wrapped some thick twine around it to add texture and secure it to the pillars.
Free, quick, easy and instant gratification! It smells SO yummy. Now if it stays put for another 30 days I'll be even happier. ☺

xo~

Tricia

In the spirit

2011-11-28T08:28:00.002-06:00

It's a chilly Monday morning here in Houston and we are all decked out and ready for Christmas!

We spent Thanksgiving day with close friends and family, making it an all day celebration. The rest of the weekend was spent replacing our Christmas tree and decking the halls. Now it's time to shop and get the gifts wrapped!

How was your holiday weekend? Any die hard black Friday shoppers out there? I don't have the guts to face those crowds on Friday...I'll stick to cyber-Monday.

xo~

Giving thanks...

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

...for physical health, education, spirituality and creativity~

...for a peace and love filled home, family and opportunities~

...for dear friends, great bosses, blue skies and a green haired angel to brighten my days~

...for wine, the desire to see the world, and a soul mate in which to share it all~
...and for YOU~ thank you for sharing your time, your thoughts and your self.

**Gobble, gobble**
xo~
Tricia

Feeling crafty

2011-11-21T05:41:00.001-06:00

I've had a surge of creativity over the past week. I haven't much to show for it, but the juices are flowing nonetheless.

We did manage to sneak in some crafting time last week, in between homework and a big school project. We started with these cute fabric owl ornaments.

You can go here for the owl tutorial and pattern.

We always spend a lot of time cutting out paper snowflakes this time of year, to make up for the lack of real snowflakes down here in the South. I found a great tutorial on these 3D snowflakes which are too cute and don't leave behind the scrappy mess that typical snowflakes do. Paper snowflake tutorial here.

We are just practicing and getting warmed up for some more crafts in the coming weeks. Last year I was knee deep in creating linen and burlap ornaments {here}.

This year I'd like to stick with something that my little helper can work on too, as she's quite the artist {and she loves doing projects with mom}. ☺

I spend a lot of time here during the season, pulling vintage clip art and images for gift wrap and crafts. Karen has the greatest stuff, including the simple burlap texture image below, which I added the 'noel' to via picnik.

Pinterest has been a great 'DIY' source for me so far this year. Below are a few things I'm hoping to try in the coming weeks:

Source: craftster.org via Tricia on Pinterest

Source: fleamarketstylemag.blogspot.com via Tricia on Pinterest

Source: simplythesweetlife.com via Tricia on Pinterest

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Tricia on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Tricia on Pinterest

Are you feeling inspired and/or crafty yet while getting in gear for the holidays? Please share any great sources for inspiration and things you've made in prep for the holidays.

xo~
Tricia

A step ahead....

2011-11-18T12:05:00.001-06:00

Although I've been playing it like I'm coasting along, not giving a thought to the quickly approaching holidays, I've actually gotten some big prep~work out of the way.
Thanks to this efficient and oh so talented friend, our holiday cards are ready to go. We have our holiday card address labels uploaded and ready to print. Our holiday photo stamps have arrived, along with our wine labels and gift labels {photo collage below is the collection used for everything this year}. I'm sticking with black and white gift wrap this year with some butcher paper wrap mixed in. I'll use the bright green tulle ribbon and some red and natural twine as well.
One set of paperwhite bulbs were planted this week and are hidden away in a dark spot. I'll plant another set next week just to make sure I have fresh blooms right at Christmas.
And thanks to my fashion savvy hubby {and a quick business trip to London last week} I have my holiday party outfits hanging and ready to go! Lots of sparkle and shine...
....and some slither for Thanksgiving day.

Pulling the gift wrap and holiday outfits together excites me...but the thought of pulling out the countless boxes of Christmas decor kind of makes me nauseous. ☺

We always start the day after Thanksgiving and it usually takes most of the weekend to get it all set how we like it. The inside stuff is always fun once I'm in the groove. I'm always in charge of wrapping the tree trunks with lights and hubby handles all of the electrical stuff.

How about you guys....are you getting in gear? Will you put most of your decor up next weekend or is that too soon for you?

xo~
Tricia

Still life

2011-11-15T17:05:00.002-06:00

I had to run home during lunch today.

With a million things on my mind and a storm starting to brew outside, yet the minute I walked into my little home I felt at peace. No noise, no clutter, muted tones surrounding me and the last bit of sunlight filtering in before the rain storm.

This house was filled with kids and people all weekend. Friday evening cocktails with family visiting from out of state.

7 year old giggling girl sleepovers both nights. A dinner party with new friends on Saturday night. And more family festivities on Sunday afternoon.

There were kids shoes strewn all over, cupcake wrappers on the counters, cracker crumbs on the floor. Cheese platters in the living room, opened wine bottles in the dining room and dirty dinner plates lining the kitchen counters. A house full of people.

Adult conversation could be heard inside the house, while the sound of laughing and cheering kids could be heard out back. A house full of life.

Today my house is clean, organized, and the only sound is that of birds chirping outside. When I return back home this evening it will be just the 3 of us. A house full of love.

There's something about an empty house in the middle of a weekday. It's almost as if the house is resting, rejuvenating itself after a full weekend. Like you walked in unexpected and caught it taking a snooze.

Like me, it's as if my house is taking a few slow and steady deep breaths.

Could it possibly know that within the next week things will be changing?

Everyday accessories will be packed up and replaced with holiday decor. The traffic will steadily increase as out of town guests arrive and depart. Packages will be snuck inside and hidden away, the fridge will slowly fill with goodies, outlets and timers will be at their maximum capacity and our wine collection will gradually dwindle.

Well, for today~ I'm holding on to the peace and quiet. I'm enjoying the feeling of a slight stir coming on, just off in the distance.

xo~
Tricia

....blog, what blog???

2011-11-14T12:06:00.003-06:00

oh yeah, MY blog, the one I've been neglecting this past week.

Source: crushculdesac.tumblr.com via Tricia on Pinterest

I'm here floating about with not much going on. Just enjoying the calm.

Source: google.ca via Kim on Pinterest

I'm certain I'll have something of interest to share with you soon.

Source: Uploaded by user via Tricia on Pinterest

But for now, I think I'll keep kicking back and lurking around your blogs.

Source: cdnimg.visualizeus.com via Tricia on Pinterest

After all, I find YOU much more interesting and inspiring than my own silly self. :)

Source: lostinamerica.tumblr.com via Tricia on Pinterest

Cheers~
T

{blanche:white}

2011-11-07T11:48:00.006-06:00

I have been suffering some major design withdrawal lately. Is it just me, or is everything feeling pretty stale out there? The real estate market has slowed and I've pinned every awe-inspiring space that I can find on pinterest.

Before we start seeing holiday decor take over the blog world, I'm going to soak up every bit of this drool~worthy, non holiday~ish home.

Enjoy!

Antique grain sacks and white walls everywhere.

Sparkly chandys in every room with floor to ceiling windows. Tufted linen and stacks of design books.
Chippy, peely paint, mismatched chairs and antique mirrors.

Open shelving in the kitchen with a skirted sink and petite chandy. Collection of milk glass on display.

Claw footed tub, fireplace in master/bath, painted wood floors, exposed ceiling beams and white shutters.

All so romantic and dreamy to me. Nothing beats dreamy spaces in far away places....ah.

Happy Monday all!

xo~
Tricia

source

favorites

2011-11-04T10:53:00.020-05:00

Recently I've been plowing through countless family photos for our holiday card and wine labels etc. While looking at hundreds of pictures it was fun to see which photos still jump out at me, while others could easily just be deleted. Although I've shared many of these photos on the blog over the past couple of years, I thought I'd put some of my favorites together into one post....one llllooonnngggg, bbbbooorrrriiinngg, post. Excited aren't ya?!

Ha~ enjoy. These aren't in any order and most were taken with the old Nikon.

Lake Como, Italy Paris

New York

Napa Valley, Ca

Myrtle Beach, SC

Odense, Denmark

London

Roissy, France

London

Argegno, Italy

Paris

London

Lake Lugano, Switzerland

Paris

Argegno, Italy

Paris
Destin, Florida

Cancun, Mexico

Calgary, BC

Norfolk, MA

Lake Como, Italy

New York

London

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Hope you're all enjoying the calm before the storm. Halloween is past us and in the next week or so we'll be full force into Thanksgiving plans and you know what happens after that point~ utter, glorious, holiday chaos!

Happy Friday.
xo~
Tricia

Fall getaway ~ Boston

2011-10-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

The final post on our weekend trip to Boston.

I have to share the full story with you before recapping the trip.
Hubby met a super nice and cool couple while on the golf course in Las Vegas 5 years ago. They all hit it off and casually said "come visit us in Boston sometime." A couple of months later we did just that.

We didn't stay with them that first trip and they were sans kiddo back then. They lived in the back bay area (I think) with a patio overlooking the city~ it was great. We went to a Red Sox game and the whole works.
Hubby has seen them a few times since that first trip in 06 but I haven't.

They built this beautiful home in Wrentham a few years ago and there was plenty of room for us to stay with them this go round.

The first morning I walked around their property taking pictures. The weather and the changing leaves was the perfect backdrop for a fantastic weekend. This was the day that we went to the farm (post here) and the guys went golfing.

Headed out to dinner on Saturday night and to surprise our friend Jessie for his 40th birthday (he lives in Boston). Our good friend Yuki was doing business in NYC (he lives in London) so he hopped up to join us for the evening. Erin and I showing off our new matching JCrew suede ballet flats. ☺
Dinner at Tastings in Foxboro, yummy!
The group before Jessie and Alex arrived.
Hubby, Yuki and moi.
Joe and Erin.

A surprised Jessie and his sweet wife Alex.

I snuck in my long run (post here) on Sunday morning then got geared up for a day of beer and football ~ Patriots vs Cowboys game. We had a fun little tailgate party before the game and a total blast at the actual game.
We spent Monday in the city. The frog pond playground.
The frog pond carousel.

Public garden.
Ducklings.
Beacon Hill.

Lunch at Stephanie's on Newbury.
Enjoyed the sights and shops on Newbury then we were off to the airport.

We bid farewell to the falling leaves, the crisp cool weather and our dear, sweet friends.

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.

C.S. Lewis

xo~
Tricia

A change of scenery

2011-10-28T06:00:00.003-05:00

Another long run

in another beautiful place,

just one week later {see previous week's run along the beach here}.

From the ocean breeze and sand under foot,

to crisp, cool autumn air and the crunch of leaves...

ah, love it.

"I see my path, but I don't know where it leads. Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me to travel it"

Rosalia de Castro quote With my trusty iphone in hand, I set out to pound the pavement in unfamiliar territory. Thanks to a small map that our friend Erin drew for me, my run through the streets of Wrentham, Ma was a success and I found my way back to their fabulous home.

I couldn't resist snapping pics of some of the charming homes along my route. All dressed up with pumpkins and fall displays. Nothing appeals to me more than the traditional colonial and cape style homes found on the east coast.

Pretty churches in the center of town.

Town center shops and businesses.

Gorgeous foliage on display.

Bright blue skies overhead.

And back to the casa.

Our friends tried to convince us to make a move to this area. Country mouse {moi} was all for it, but mr. big mean city mouse says NO.

Guess I'll be huffing and puffing on my weekly long runs deep in the ♥ of Texas for a few more years. ☺

xo~
Tricia

on the farm

2011-10-24T17:07:00.001-05:00

Thanks to everyone for your sweet comments after our string of yucky luck and health issues last week. I suddenly felt much better after the bags of rotten freezer food were picked up from my curb on Friday afternoon, whew!

Now, back to some pretty pictures and fluffy~blog~stuff. ☺

We spent an afternoon at Jane and Paul's farm in Norfolk, MA during our trip to Boston the weekend before last.

While the guys did some golfing, we loaded up the kiddos and the new pup and drove a quick 10 minutes to the visit the farm. We picked apples.......and ate a lot of apples.
We fed some goats and dodged some free~roaming roosters.
We posed for lots of pictures in the pumpkin patch (some of us a bit less thrilled than others to keep saying 'cheese'!)

We saw a pretty blue heron on the farm...
...and a couple of very cool barns. I loved the purple door on this barn.

We got lost in a corn maze. Luckily we spotted the barn with the purple door through the corn and we knew we were headed back in the right direction.

We goofed around on a hay ride.

And even got in trouble for trying to bring our friend's new pooch named Boo to the farm.

Such a fun afternoon at the farm with our friends on the East Coast. They live about 45 minutes outside of Boston in such pretty 'country~esque' surroundings. So different from where we live here in Houston, what a fun experience!

The huge bag of apples that we took home that afternoon magically transformed into the most delicious apple crisp ever the next morning, thanks Erin!!

xo~
Tricia

Reality stinks

2011-10-21T13:20:00.010-05:00

This blog isn't all about pictures of pretty homes, chic fashion and fun vacations, nope, today I'm going to share with you the yucky reality of my week. But let me warn you first, some of you may find the following words repulsive, so for the faint at heart, don't read below~ just look at the pictures.

It started with finding out that our garage freezer was broken. At first I thought, no big deal, we can live without it. But then hubby told me he thought it had been broken for about a week or so AND we needed to clean it out. Freezer filled with meat, in a non-air conditioned garage, with outside temps in the mid 90s, broken for about a week. It pains me to even type this right now.

OK, I'm done with the rotten meat part. Next stop~ stomach flu central. Sweet girlie girl got sick at 1am, and every 30 minutes thereafter until mid morning. The next night, I was awakened by hubby's constant flushing of the toilet.

Last night~ my turn.

This is me today, snuggled up with my pooch and my kiddo's blanky. Called in sick to work at 4am, once I got back into bed after countless trips to the bathroom. Resting and sucking down as many fluids as I can.

I didn't get it nearly as bad as the rest of my poor family, and truth be told, I'd take the stomach flu for a week straight before I'd clean out a broken freezer again.

Happy, healthy thoughts my friends.

No 'xo' or 'hugs' today ~ for your sake of course.

Tricia

The Grand Strand

2011-10-18T12:15:00.001-05:00

Hola friends~
We had the best time ever in Boston last weekend!!

I'll share the details with you later this week, but for now I'd like to wrap up the Myrtle Beach trip with mom and older sis (posts here and here).

Watching the sun rise over the Atlantic was a highlight~

We enjoyed some delicious seafood at the following restaurants~

Crabcake sandwich and hush puppies~ yum!

The view from our patio table at Drunken Jack's~

Shopping in Pawley's Island~

Lobster traps~
Flea Market in Surfside Beach~
Gator in a swamp in Murrell's Inlet~
Seasonal decor in shopping area~ Gorgeous weather and blooms~

One full, lazy day on the beach~

As you can see, the beaches weren't too crowded at all and the temps were in the low 80s. Breezy, sunny and gorgeous. The water was a bit cool but we braved it a few times just to cool off.

It was the perfect weekend getaway for us girls, just wish my little sister could have joined us!

Such a fun transition to go from the sunny and warm beaches along the Grand Strand one weekend, to the cool and crisp fall weather in New England the next weekend.

Such a phenomenal country we live in. ☺

xo~
Tricia

whiskey

2011-10-14T17:07:00.002-05:00

Would you believe that I'll be getting on yet another airplane this evening? Crazy I know, lucky yes, but crazy. Well packing for this weekend getaway was a bit more difficult than the quick, casual getaways of late.

We are headed to chilly and rainy Boston to visit some friends we haven't seen in years and to help another friend celebrate his 40th birthday. It's a family weekend so nothing too snazzy, but considering that all of my boots and sweaters are still packed away, I've struggled to get my fall fashion groove on.

Where to turn? Everyone's favorite time-sink site full of endless images~

pinterest of course! All of these images are pinned in my style files if you want to see the credits for them. I wasn't able to embed them with direct links in the post for some reason.

I am so into whiskey/cognac/camel colored bags and boots right now.

But what to pair them with and not look too casual? Cameron looks cute here. I have the same bag and just ordered some simple whiskey riding boots courtesy of Piperlime's fall sale (see below).
Black leggings, whiskey boots, black wrap, messy up do~ check!

Long socks under boots are back again this year.

My new boots {here} were a great deal and they have a smaller shaft so I'm hopeful they'll fit my scrawny legs.

There is something so cool to me about having stuff sent via overnight shipping to the house. This is only the second time I've done it, but it's so cool to see how quickly my boots travelled to my doorstep and it was only $22! Yippee... ☺

Oct 13, 2011 1:30 PM Delivered Houston, TX Left at front door.

Oct 13, 2011 9:07 AM On FedEx vehicle for delivery HOUSTON, TX
Oct 13, 2011 7:03 AM At local FedEx facility HOUSTON, TX
Oct 13, 2011 5:27 AM at destination sort facility HOUSTON, TX
Oct 13, 2011 4:21 AM Departed FedEx location INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Oct 13, 2011 12:44 AM Arrived at FedEx location INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Oct 12, 2011 11:53 PM Left FedEx origin facility COLUMBUS, OH
Oct 13, 2011 2:26 AM Shipment information sent to FedEx
Oct 12, 2011 10:19 PM Picked up COLUMBUS, OH

Have you added anything new to your fall wardrobes yet? So much cute stuff out there. I'm loving capes, off the shoulder sweaters, and leggings with flowy tops, like in the first picture.

May your weekend feel cool and crisp, yet be warm and fun.

xo~
Tricia

voila~

2011-10-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

~two kooboo chairs with my antique Swedish wine tasting table!

As I posted here a few weeks ago, I'm loving my new table but wasn't thrilled with my yellowish Ikea wicker chairs. I've been coveting these kooboo chairs ever since the big family room redo here, and finally gave in figuring once we're in the full swing of the holidays it will never happen.

I love to sit at this little table and rest my feet on the ottoman after a long day at work, while I sip a glass of wine and ~~watch my family watch tv~~ chat with the family.

There is quite the waiting list for these chairs nowadays...they originally told me I'd have to wait about 6 weeks but luckily it ended up being only 1 week. They are sturdy and comfy for the price and I love the various hues in each chair.
No other projects around the casa these days...not even any fun Halloween decor going on, which I hear 'boos' about from the peanut gallery on a daily basis. We'll visit the pumpkin patch next week, but that's it. I'm saving up energy to pull inspiration from all of you during the Christmas season. I'm starting to see gift wrap and Christmas decor images pinned on pinterest. It'll be here before we know it!

xo~
Tricia

sand in my shoes

2011-10-10T12:10:00.002-05:00

The weather in Myrtle Beach was just divine this past weekend. After spending a relaxing Friday shopping and feasting on crabcake sandwiches and hognose snapper, I went to bed with a bit of anxiety on Friday night. The crazy, youth chasing side of me registered for my first FULL marathon in January and I'm fully entrenched in my training now. Work deadlines and vacations aside, training must continue. So, the sneakers were packed, along with my trusty garmin watch and all of my gear. Logging long runs in my own neighborhood can be difficult enough, but lacing up for a 2 hour stint in unfamiliar territory brought on some worry for me. Mom and older sis really wanted me to run on the beach as they thought it would be safest, but we all know how hard it can be to walk on the beach, let alone run on it for 10 miles, eek.

Well, a bit tentatively and chilly from the cooler temps, I ventured out to the beach {just steps away from our funny little studio Inn} at 6:45am on Saturday. Just a slight breeze and low tide left me with plenty of compacted sand right up against the shoreline. My anxiety was instantly washed away at the first glimpse of the grand show taking place before my eyes. There is nothing quite like greeting the rising sun while digging deep within to push yourself outside of your comfort zone . Seeing people from all walks of life enjoying the same spectacle as you, but in differing ways. Some were taking professional family portraits with the sunrise, older couples walking hand in hand, young couples cuddled under blankets awaiting the sun's first rays, toddlers walking hand in hand with their parents looking for shells, there was even a large group being baptized in the waters at sunrise. Two hours of breathing, moving, seeing and feeling ~ an awesome experience. Life, love, health and mother nature all wrapped up into one grand journey.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

5 miles up the beach I ran, taking in the changing hues from the rising sun, along with my fellow early birds. Although strangers, we greet each other warmly, although on a different path, we all have one end in sight.

5 miles back down the beach, but on this final leg I was faced with the realization that I wasn't alone. Just up ahead of me, a figure is with me, guiding me back to our beach, where my mom and sister were waiting with a big breakfast and bloody marys. ♥

Life is good.

Peace.
Early mornings seem to be filled with peaceful souls. Quiet, peaceful reflection and dreaming. Soaking up the stillness of the day before the chaos of daily living begins. ☺

Here's to living our lives to the fullest and staying on our paths while greeting passersby warmly as they trot along on their paths.

"let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me...", hee hee. ☺

A well rested and thankful,
Tricia

Good morning

2011-10-07T06:34:00.008-05:00

Happy Friday

Happy weekend!

Love from T

National night out

2011-10-05T08:55:00.007-05:00

Last night was National Night Out in Houston. Our neighbors pulled together an activity and food filled gathering for the blocks of Sunset and Albans between Buffalo and Edloe.

The kiddos were visited by the West U fire department. They got to chat with our local fireman and tour the big red truck.

An inflatable jumpy house was set up for the kids (in the left of this photo).

The Chick-fil-a cow even joined in our fun.

Ghosts and goblins ran through our median-lined block from dusk to nightfall.

It was such fun meeting new neighbors and catching up with everyone.

Anyone else out there celebrate national night out?

xo~
Tricia

first photo source here.

{r & r}

2011-10-03T17:30:00.001-05:00

I'm headed to Myrtle Beach this weekend with my mom and sisters. Just some family bonding time in a relaxed setting. My older sis lives in Pa so we don't get to see her that often. The timing couldn't be better for me as I'm just wrapping up doing double duty at work so things are finally starting to calm down a bit for me overall. As my lack of blog posts over the past couple of months may have indicated, it's been non stop for me from sunup to sundown and now I can come up for air~ ah. ☺

Anyone been to Myrtle Beach? Recommendations on non touristy restaurants and things to do? Shopping? The weather should be cool and beautiful, yay.

xo~
T

weekend wishes

2011-09-30T16:38:00.004-05:00

may your weekend bring sunshine and blooms

may all of your plans fall into place

may you get your 'stuff' done early so you have some time to relax

may you fill your body with good food...

...and your mind with positive thoughts

may you overcome any obstacles or darkness with confidence and ease

may you take a new path or test a new skill

and may you enjoy each and every minute of all of it.

I think I hear the whistle blowing in the distance~ I'm outta here!
Happy Friday y'all.

♥ T

source

I have issues

2011-09-28T12:07:00.000-05:00

Well my friends, aside from suffering from bloggers-block, job-stress, full time working~mom-guilt, not spending enough time with hubby~wife-guilt, nightly glass of wine-habit, etc, etc,... I also suffer from I DON'T WANT IT WHEN I SEE IT, BUT ONCE I GET HOME I DECIDE I MUST HAVE IT~ buyers-hesitation-obsession {see previous occurrence of this here}. HELP!

Episode #2,524,893 occurred at Round Top this past weekend.

Mom and I braved the 90 mile drive and horrendous, 100+ temps on Saturday to visit the big antique event at Round Top/Warrenton. We spent the full day there. I came home with 3 small things and spent a whopping $70. Despite the heat, we had fun and felt like we covered enough territory in our 4+ hours in the hot and dusty fields.
There were a few things I saw that I liked, but not enough to move my sweaty, sunburned arm to my purse to pull out my wallet and actually purchase.

I ended Saturday with hopes that I'd forget about those 'few things' left behind and awaken Sunday with only quality family time on my mind.
I woke up at 2am on Sunday morning in a slight panic. There were things I passed up that were quite reasonably priced. How could I pass them up? Why? After this weekend I won't be able to get back out there. I must get back and find them.

I NEED that Swedish, tilt top wine tasting table for my living room. I'll call the vendor in the morning and if it's still there, I'll head back.
So back we {thanks for keeping me company AGAIN mom!} went, late Sunday afternoon. Returning home just in time for dinner, Swedish table, crock, and bread board in tow. The two cute pieces on stands were my big purchases from Saturday (ha!), along with the flower vase in the first pics.
Next stop~ 2 kooboo chairs and eventually moving the gray hutch out of the room.

Anxiety and extra mileage aside, I'm very happy with my new wine table. Perhaps the silver lining with indecisiveness is once my mind is made up on something, I'm typically very satisfied and happy with it in the end.

Many of you commented on my weekend post that you're also suffering from bloggers-block. How's it going out there, getting any better? I'm sure with the approach of fall, Halloween and the big holidays we will all feel our creative juices creeping back.
Patience I guess.

xo friends~
crazy T

On my mind

2011-09-23T17:05:00.001-05:00

Hello...are you still out there?

Source: 500px.com via Tricia on Pinterest

I'm an absentee blogger.
A touch of busy + a heap of bloggers block = silence.

Source: frenchbydesign.blogspot.com via Tricia on Pinterest

I'm not ready to talk about pumpkins and cooler weather.

Source: nymag.com via Tricia on Pinterest

Boots and sweaters will have to wait awhile as well.

Source: simplysadiejane.com via Tricia on Pinterest

So a visit to your blogs and a long stroll around pinterest and here we are.

Source: wine-magnet.blogspot.com via Tricia on Pinterest

I'm heading to Round Top this weekend so perhaps I'll come home with a few treasures and something to blog about.

Source: sunnysblog.typepad.com via Tricia on Pinterest

For now, I'll wrap up my long work week and spend a quiet weekend with the family. Reading, playing, running, and drinking wine...you know the routine.

Source: imgfave.com via Tricia on Pinterest

Here's to you and yours and a new dose of blog inspiration in the very near future.

xo~
Tricia

{l'amour}

2011-09-15T09:11:00.005-05:00

Look what I came home to last evening~

Right there on the kitchen counter when I got home from work.
The flowers are gorgeous, but what stood out most was seeing those 3 little words written on the paper. You know, those words you can't get him to say on the phone to you when he's out watching football with the guys. hee, hee. ☺

Je t'aime ♥~

Tricia

Escaping the Texas heat

2011-09-13T07:55:00.002-05:00

It's pretty sad when your heat-escape destination is Orlando, Florida~ but it was a good 15 degrees cooler than the Houston temps over labor day weekend.

In all honesty, hubby has family there and we've made a promise to visit them every year. It's not a hard promise to keep considering how sweet his aunt and uncle are and how they completely spoil us with a fabulous home cooked Indian meal AND tickets to Universal Studios every year. ☺

Now that our little one is in elementary school it's become tricky finding the time to go and not have her miss too much school. This year we opted for a 5 day stint over the long labor day holiday weekend.

Here are a few {iphone} photo highlights from our escape:

EPCOT

MAGIC KINGDOM

The highlight of the trip for this kid was finally being able to get a feather in her hair, after begging all summer. She also lost an upper tooth while on the 'It's a small world' ride (thank goodness it didn't happen on splash mountain!).ANIMAL KINGDOM

*Notice the fingers crossed in hopes of our safari jeep not falling through rickety bridge into croc pit below! UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

The 'simulated' Harry Potter ride through Hogwart's was absolutely incredible!!
Believe it or not, we really only spent a full day at the Disney parks and a half day at Universal. We spent a lot of time relaxing and playing around the pool and even snuck in some shopping at the Orlando outlets.

Coming back to the Houston heat/drought and the horrific fires just North of our city was a major bummer. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the fires.

Enjoy the rest of the week.
xo~
Tricia

Coming up for air...

2011-09-09T14:44:00.006-05:00

...for just a quick second, then it's back to the grind. It's been one of those weeks at work and home and I've been a bad, bad blogger.

Source: tradgardsflow.blogspot.com via Michele on Pinterest

Source: blog.patulrichphotography.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: justcallmegrace.tumblr.com via Jenna on Pinterest

Source: None via Maria Antonia on Pinterest

I'm chugging along and needing about 10 more hours in this day, while managing to still count down to the official start of the weekend. In just a few hours I can let my hair down, throw on a tank top, shorts and flip flips and pour a BIG glass of vino and BREATHE.

Enjoy your weekend friends!
xo~
T

The long weekend in Napa

2011-09-01T06:00:00.006-05:00

**Warning~ this is a long one so go ahead and pour yourself an extra cup-a-joe first**

I'm just now getting around to the full post on our long weekend getaway to Napa in mid July. I ran {post here}, and we did the spa thing {post here}, but the true highlight of our weekend was the wining and dining that took place.

First stop is always CornerStone in Sonoma where I pick up my race bib.
Alsina Grill:

Artefact Design & Salvage:
The foggy drive up from San Fran. We fly in late Friday evening and stay near SFO (major money saver), then get up early and drive up North to Sonoma / Napa.
Such a scenic drive.

OK~ back to CornerStone.

Messing around in the gardens after getting my racing paraphernalia.

The race always begins at the Domain Carneros Winery. Funny, we still haven't visited this winery but someday...

After last year's trip {post here}, we learned that our bodies just can't handle too many wineries in one day, so this year we planned differently. We made reservations at one winery per day, but we made those 3-4 wineries really count and went for the big guns this year.

SHAFER:
Oooh la la, Shafer.

The Shafer visit starts with a short tour of the grounds and the Stags Leap region.
If only I could have bottled up the smell of all the lavender. It was intoxicating.

This was a group tasting in the large dining room. It was very informative and by far my favorite wines of the trip. No cave tour and no frills {other than some crackers and a tasting book to take home}, but some damn fine wine!

Nothing like a wine buzz at 11am on a Sunday morning. ☺

REVANA:
We were headed up to Calistoga from Shafer and our guide at Shafer recommended we stop for a quick tasting at Revana, located in St. Helena.

Another opportunity to bring out the fruit, cheese and crackers that we toted around with us to each winery.

As you can see the grounds were impeccable, but the wine was a pleasant surprise, especially coming straight from a Shafer tasting. Revana is a very small production and complex wine, the speciality of consultant Heidi Barrett. Like most wines she touches, this is said to move to a 'cult' wine status soon. I loved this wine and am looking forward to receiving our shipment in November (when the temps are cool enough in Houston for wine to be shipped).

QUINTESSA:
Our first day in Napa we had a reservation here as it's one of our favorites. Another hard to find and complex Napa wine. The tastings at Quintessa are always informative and personal but this was our first time taking the full tour.

Each winery has a different story behind their French Oak barrels. Some only keep the barrels for 1 year while others keep them for years. Some are hesitant to open the barrels at all while others allow tastings straight out of the barrel. Some barrels costing upwards of $1200 each....very interesting.

You start with a tasting in the dining room area, complete with cheese and crackers. Then you move down to the production area and the caves, then up to the hill overlooking the valley and the vines.

PRIDE:
After the race we had a reservation here {thanks to our friend Stephen, mentioned below} The winding mountain road up to Pride Mountain Winery had me a bit green, but after stepping out of the car and taking in the view and the fresh mountain air I was just fine.

The tasting at Pride was quite thorough starting upstairs in the wine tasting room, then heading down into the wine cave for tastings right out of the barrels.

Then on to a large patio to finish our wine.

The ruins from the Summit Ranch winery dating back to the 1890s.

We brought some cheeses up with us and sat on a picnic bench overlooking the mountain tops before our drive back into Napa.

Restaurants:
Rutherford Grill:

We stopped in for a late lunch at Rutherford on our first day in Napa and the place was packed! Luckily we found 4 seats at the bar. Although we didn't have a true meal here, this was one of our food favorites of the trip. Amazing how just salad and sandwiches can make such an impression. We'll make a reservation next year and have the full experience.
Oenetri Restaurant, Napa:
Oenetri was recommended to us by a Napa local and it didn't disappoint. Casual atmosphere and somewhat unusual menu. Delicious!

Angele, Napa:
Another recommendation by a local. This was my favorite meal. We sat outside, brought our own bottle of wine, and ate the best hamburgers in this world (off the menu).

Strolling around Napa before dinner.

CELLAR COLLECTIONS:
If you're ever in the market for smaller production and hard to find wines at much better prices than what you'll find at the winery, shops, or even on the internet, Stephen at Cellar Collections is your man! He'll ship it to you or pack it up so you can check it in with your luggage for your flight home. We bought most of our wine from Stephen on this trip rather than buying directly from the vineyards~ which was a huge savings for us.

He and his wife Janice had a small wine tasting for us one evening and we ended up leaving with a few cases of wine to take home on our flights. They are the sweetest people and great wine afficienados. They hooked us up with many of our dinner reservations and (some hard to get into) winery reservations.

Finally, the run. The Napa to Sonoma half marathon is such an incredible experience that I hope I'm able to return for years to come. Just when I get burned out on running and training for more events I look back at pictures of this event and can instantly recall the smell in the cool and dry Napa Valley air and the feeling of crossing that finishing line and it keeps me getting up at 5am to train, train, train.

I am blessed with a committed hubby who travels with me on running trips and great friends who do the same.

Love to Rob and Tara for making the long trek with us!

Overall, this was the trip of the year for us. We really had a phenomenal time {even though we missed our little bug} and Rob and Tara were great travel companions. Everything was easy and relaxing, no fuss, no rush. We stayed at the Marriott Hotel and Spa in Napa which was a good location and comfy rooms. Love those beds.

Cheers~
Tricia

Solage

2011-08-26T17:05:00.000-05:00

As you know, we took our yearly pilgrimage to Napa ~~to drink wine all day~~ for the half marathon in July {here}. I'll share the full post with you soon but we spent an afternoon at a place so incredibly serene and heavenly that it deserves it's own post.

We were all in need of massages and couldn't get in at our hotel spa. I reached out to one of my favorite bloggers Melissa, who just so happens to live in the wine country. She recommended Solbar in Calistoga for lunch and mentioned that they have a spa there as well. We only had time for a quick lunch at Solbar before our spa appointments. The restaurant was so California~chic inside with never ending people watching and out of this world food!!
Our walk over to the spa.

The guys had massages and the girls had the special mud slide treatment.

*Step 1~Our personal mud mixture and essential oil was created
*Step 2~Lay in a heated mud lounge (aka:steam room) for 20 minutes covered in our mud mixture
*Step 3~ Soak in a geo-thermal mineral water bath for 15 minutes
*Step 4~ Float in a gravity defying chair with sound vibration for a 20 minute power nap.

You can see the mud bar on the right side of this picture.
The treatment rooms line this walkway and the private pool is straight ahead. Pure heaven, right?

Here are some fun images off the Solage site:

I don't know about you but I could really use a quick spa getaway after this week. Between the craziness at work right now and the hustle and bustle of back to school I'm wiped!!

Have a restful and re energizing weekend everyone.

xo~
Tricia

Visit Solage Calistoga here

While the cat was away...

2011-08-24T07:00:00.007-05:00

...this mouse did play!

That is, if you consider this sort of thing 'playing'.

While hubby was away for the weekend I got a wild hair and started dumping. Once I plugged my ipod into the stereo system and started jamming some tunes, I really got into my groove and had a blast!

We have a pretty extensive book collection, ranging from some Shakespeare favorites, to quite a few by Kahlil Gibran, lots of political and economic books, books about wine and entertaining, interior design books, world travel, family heirlooms, and a wide range of religious and philosophical books. All of the travel, sports and finance books went upstairs, most of the rest stayed down here.

This is a very busy and cluttered 'before' shot of the bookshelves in our living room. Hubby actually set the original version up when we moved here over 3 years ago. I've spruced and edited here and there, but never had I pulled everything out and started all over, until this weekend.

'After'

Edited down about as far as I can take it.

{click on image to see both sides}

I pulled everything down, organized the books by theme, and separated all of the knick knacks on the coffee table with a favorite pile and a giveaway pile. Once I thoroughly dusted the shelves, I started putting only our favorite books and 'stuff' back onto the shelves.

It took some thinking, looking through saved images, and texting good friends, begging for pictures of their newly re-done shelves {thanks for the sneak peek Lins!}.

Magnums of wine up top and some neutral books and decor below. That plaster owl is a favorite as I have a thing for owls. They remind me of my father and since he passed away a few years ago I've had a few strange owl-encounters in my neighborhood.

This is such a focal area in our home and while I would love to have a matching collection of all antique vellum books, that would leave us nowhere else to house our collection of 'our' books. This unmatched collection is my favorite as these belonged to my father and were some of his favorites.

A picture of hubby proposing to me in our old backyard. A small group of close family and best friends were sitting around the table when he popped the question. When they brought the bottle of Dom outside during a casual Sunday evening get together I began suspecting that something was up. In this picture he's holding the ring in the silver box after giving me a sweet intro into why he wanted to marry me and that he'd already obtained my father's blessing while at lunch earlier that week. I'm looking at Ashley, saying 'did you know about this'? I think I asked her that before I actually said yes. ;)

He knew I'd say yes. Best friends, soul mates, travel companions~ and now parents to a little angel bug~ for life!

Ok, I digress....back to the shelves.

Books from a street vendor along La Seine in Paris under the cloche, dried lavender, gray pot and gray kooboo basket. I love the neutral and simple feel of these shelves.

The left side:
The right side.

On the fourth shelf down from the top you can see an owl canister with a top, on the left of the large stack of books. This canister belonged to my dad and he'd had it for years and years.

So there you have it, a bit less cluttered overall.

I've already edited and moved stuff around a bit since snapping these pics so I'm sure this will be an ever changing thing, but I'm glad the hard part is finally over. It only took me 3 plus years~ ha!!

xo~

Tricia

Whew...

2011-08-22T08:45:00.005-05:00

...finding our classroom was a bit of challenge, but we were on time and organized AND there were no tears from either of us~ we did it! She had a hard time falling asleep last night, the back to school jitters~ part excited, part scared she said. ☺
With freshly pressed clothes (her cousin wore this top on her first day of 2nd grade so it was a must), coiffed hair (she likes to have me straighten her hair now), and some food in her tummy (eating a bagel while walking to school), the first day of grade 2 started out perfectly. I can't wait to see her this evening and hear all about it!

Dad was away this weekend so we had lots of girly bonding time. Just mommy and me at nail salon.

And some movie time with bestie. ♥

I snuck in some 'me' time as well~ ha!

I'll share my updated shelves with you later this week.

I hope you all had an easy morning. Here's to getting that first week of back to school under our belts!

xo~
Tricia

Feast your eyes....

2011-08-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

...on this Houston charmer.

Not much in our local area has gotten me excited this summer. But this Southampton home made me remember what that excited, house stalking conquest feeling is like.

The neighborhood, the street, and the outside of the home had my interests peaked.

It's listed for under $1 mil and is only 2,800 sq feet. I prefer smaller, more intimate homes and they are a rarity in Houston.

Let's pop on in and take a tour.

The formal living room is precious with built in bookshelves and nice windows. After reading Joni's recent post {here} on coffee tables, I have a new appreciation for unusual tables such as this one.
Simple but pretty dining room. Fantastic kitchen in all white. Whenever I spot a dairy slab (see the 'pure butter' reproduction in the left corner?), I typically love the interior design elements of the home.
I love this built in breakfast nook!
The sweet and simple powder bath.
This is the sun room, complete with wet bar area. This would be a great place for family game nights and entertaining small groups.
The comfy den. Whew~ and I thought we had a lot of wine!!!

The master bedroom with seating area.

Clean and chic master bath.
This children's room is just precious done in all white.
The child's bath upstairs.
The back patio is underneath a wisteria covered pergola.
The side courtyard feels secluded by the front hedges. I can envision a pretty table set up here for intimate dinner parties with the French doors opened up to the sun room. I can also envision sitting on the front porch at dusk in the cooler fall and winter months here in Houston.
Such a lovely Houston home! I'd add a few pieces of great artwork and more dining room chairs, but other than that I could move in tomorrow.

xo~
T

source

* Morning T *

Terrain, etc.

5 movies and a lot of vino!

**final days for 30% off**

a fresh start

vintage fresh

Healthy snacking

a little bling

{relax}

WDW Marathon weekend

Shop til you drop ~ a reminder

twenty six point two

Can you keep a secret?

Kicking off the new year with a deal for you!

wake up~ it's a new year!

Celebrating the holidays

{merry & bright}

A warm glow

DIY ~ mason jar snow globe gifts

A green Christmas...

Christmas in Chicago

My {holiday} home

Chicago bound

DIY {FREE} garland

In the spirit

Giving thanks...

Feeling crafty

A step ahead....

Still life

....blog, what blog???

{blanche:white}

favorites

Fall getaway ~ Boston

A change of scenery

on the farm

Reality stinks

The Grand Strand

whiskey

voila~

sand in my shoes

Good morning

National night out

{r & r}

weekend wishes

I have issues

On my mind

{l'amour}

Escaping the Texas heat

Coming up for air...

The long weekend in Napa

Solage

While the cat was away...

Whew...

Feast your eyes....

final days for 30% off