Spring Break April 2010

Ok so I am so excited about this post. My sister and I and my niece and nephew went to North and South Carolina for spring and I have to say it was FABULOUS! my soul needed it so bad especially after our brutal midwest winter. I was in in sheer bliss the entire week we had amazing weather, we had 8 days straight of sunny beautiful weather. So the little wine shop we stumbled across in Charleston did the cutest dog wine labels and some of the sales went towards dog charity. I am a huge dog lover and guess what they even had a airedale one so naturally that was my wine of choice the one with the Airedale label. So cute .
So this is one of many reasons why I love Charleston , check out this inn how cute is that! One of the reasons I love Charleston all the history and architecture.
So meet my niece and nephew: ~Haley and Noah~ wow they are growing up right before my eyes. The cool thing is that I have been able to introduce them to South Carolina, they have spent most of their lives vacationing there! Now this fountain is one of our annual traditions,we always take our picture there every year then we go to the Godiva Chocolate shop and get some super yummy chocolate. Don't you just love traditions. Anyone who knows me knows this about me I love traditions !!!
Haley and I sharing a grown up moment...
So now meet my sister aka best friend Carrie . We are in sheer bliss relaxing poolside while reading our favorite magazines while sipping vino. I couldn't have been happier that day... well unless our husbands were there! sorry husbands we missed you badly , really we did !
So here we are at our hotel sitting outside enjoying a little vino oh and a dirty martini for my sister.
Now we decided to head over to the Isle of Palms which is a little island just a hop skip and a jump from Charleston. I had to go to the ocean and put my toes in the sand my heart and soul was aching for the ocean.
So I did a little internet research and found a restaurant on the Isle of Palms that was on the water and had outdoor seating. It was super cute and right on the marina.
What a cute little outside bar they had...
So we had a great day on the ocean , and I got a little inspired to be a little creative and drew this little saying in the sand I know it's kind of hard to read but is says " best friends" and yes those are our toes ! We had a picture perfect relaxing day at the ocean. I was so blissfully happy !
Now how cute is this little beach house it is even blue my favorite color!!! I could so live there it is just across from the beach access . Lucky themSpeaking of cute check out my niece and nephew they look like locals! Haley plays volleyball so naturally she wanted to bring her volleyball and get a little beach practice in !
So this was a pleasant new find of a restaurant back in Charleston. Coast how cute is that. I had local fresh caught grouper and it was amazing, I can't wait to go back this June. Yum-0
Ah beautiful sea grass just blowing in the wind.... I just love the ocean.
Check out this pic do you notice something??? yup that is my reflection in the window kind of cool that doesn't happen very often. Love all the window boxes in charleston. So happy .
Check out this place wowzers this is true Charleston charm big historic houses with a lot of southern charm.
I can so see me drinking a glass of vino on this porch. Love it . How cozy .
This is something you see a lot of in Charleston , wrought iron and actually it is a lost art such a shame. This kind of craftsmenship is past down from generation to generation.
What an adorable little yard , more southern charm.
This is a bed and breakfast I would so stay there.... how inviting.
Another inviting porch ....
This set of homes is called Rainbow row because of all the bright colors and these are considered row houses, you see a lot of that in England. I just love rainbow row, I never get tired of photographing it.
While walking around the streets of charleston we were greeted with these little cuties. They were so well behaved we were taking pictures of their house and they quietly walked right up to the fence to greet us without even barking, too cute!
More of that wrought iron that I just love.
Let me introduce you to wisteria if you have never seen it in bloom. This is a first for me it is a spring bloomer and I have never been to Charleston in the spring. Wow was it beautiful, it was hanging from everything .
Me and my sister at one of our favorite pubs Tommy Condons it is a definite must while in Charleston sorry guys wish you were there....
Now for our hotel in Charleston ... what a beautiful historic boutique hotel. I read that Edgar Allen Poe once stayed there how cool is that ???
This was our pool ... super cute and guess what they played jazz all day . I was one happy girl! And check it out the outdoor patio ceiling was aqua my favorite color!

This here is where we had breakfast and after dinner cocktails at out hotel patio, we really enjoyed that.

I highly recommend this hotel to anyone who visits Charleston South Carolina . It is the best western king charles hotel. This hotel is located in the heart of downtown charleston, no need to ever drive anywhere it is so close to everything. We really love this place and highly recommend it. I hope you enjoyed out pics as much as we enjoyed the trip. I can't wait until we go back this June! I raise up my glass to Charleston I LOVE that city .
Cheers!
S~

Long Day at Work

Ok so when I got home from work today I decided I wanted to do a little yard work and look what I found!!!! The Airedale decided to dig a huge hole in my garden!!! UGG darn dog she is quite the hole digger as you can see, oh well what can you do

How can you be mad at a face like that. The funny thing is when I went over to fill the hole in she went right over by the hole and sat up against the fence and just looked at me. She knew what she did she is so smart !!!
So after I did all the damage control I decided to break open a bottle of vino and start on some yard and pond work.
So as you can see it's early spring and the pond doesn't look that great so I am taking before and after pictures this year... stayed tuned I will be posting pics of the pond when it is in full swing. I just love my pond, it has brought me a lot of joy. I just love the sound of the waterfall while I am out sitting on my deck. The sound of water trickling is so calming to your soul.
So you know how earlier I was saying that I came home to a huge hole in my garden well I also came home to my tulips blooming yippee! that put a instant smile on my face.
Happy little tulips, I planted 50 bulbs last fall and I was kind of bummed when I saw them come up it didn't look like the were going to have buds on them. I guess they just needed a little more coaxing for some reason. None the less they all opened and that made my day.

I also came home and saw the lilacs, now I was so excited to cut some and bring them in that I didn't even notice they were not completely opened. Oh well there will be more to cut in the next few days when they open. So after a long day at work and all the negatives I focused on the positive things that my own backyard had to offer me. I guess the lesson here is that even when you have a stressful day and you feel all the negatives, there truly is always something positive to appreciate. I guess You just have to be open to discovering it. So thank you happy little tulips and lilacs you made my day brighter. Have a super day tomorrow and remember to look for something positive in your day!
S~

Fresh Friday

So here we are another fresh friday and today's recipe is a little different than usual. My recipe is for ...

~ A FABULOUS DAY ~

You will need to mix

A whole lot of sunshine.....

A little antiquing....

A little vino...

Some yummy food..

Mix all ingredients and

ENJOY!!!

p.s. I am heading South for spring break see you all in a week!

Have a Fabulous weekend, can't wait to put my toes in the sand :-)

Birthday Winter Beach Party!

So I had my 38th b-day on march 14th and my girles threw me very thoughtful winter beach party ! Girls you are the best love you! You made my day. Now as you can see by the looks on our faces we are all very serious about our photo taking abilities LOl... I can only imagine what our husbands are saying at this point! Knowing my hubby he is probably just shaking his head, oh well we had a great time.
Look they even went as far as dying the water blue to look like the ocean! They know me all to well... everything was just so happy, I feel so lucky to have such awesome girls in my life.

They even did a little collage of some of our fun times together they really thought of everything. They really made me feel special.


And yes that is what it looks like in the background a dark chocolate fondue with fruit ! So sweet ....
and of course you can't have a beach party without little umbrellas and cute little drink stirrers...

What a great birthday and I just want to thank everyone who was a part of it and for going out of your way, I can't thank you all enough. It's so nice having people in your life who really know and support you for who you are ! Thank you friends and family you "ROCK"
S~

Happy Friday!

Well happy friday everyone.... hope you had a great week! my fresh friday recipe is

Feta and Pea Salad


Super easy and so yummy
Blanch 2 cups shelled peas about 2-3 min

drain peas rinse in cold water.
Whisk together 2 Tbs olive oil, 1 tbs honey
2 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs red wine vinegar

add peas,3 radishes thinly sliced
throw in some diced fennel if you like
and sprinkle with feta
yumo-o!!!


Oh and just a little happy photo of the day. I am getting really inspired to get out and start taking some photos, I think I will start posting a photo of the day or maybe a photo on fridays with my fresh friday recipe. I am saving for a new camera I can't wait to get it. Just have to finish a few projects and pay of my braces!!! I really love photography it get's you outdoors and in touch with all of natures natural elements. So I leave you with this happy little pot of poppies.
Hope you have an inspiring weekend....
S~

" In order to succeed we must believe we are capable of success"

Boutique Chic

So the weather turned out better than what was originally called for and it pepped me up so I decided to do a little mini bedroom make over. I like to call it Boutique Chic! Just by changing a few little accessories you can achieve a completely different look. I always forget to do a before and after when I do a little project oh well...I get to involved that I forget to take the before pictures! Now almost every other room in my houses has a beach theme so I thought I would do something different and I love it. This bench used to have a tan striped fabric on it and all I did is re cover it so easy and looks brand new. I love being able to use something I already have and just re do it, plus it saves you $$$ so that is a bonus. I even found a wine that had this damask pattern on it, plus the wine is great too, bonus! I love this pattern I think it has a boutique chic feel to it and it is super HAPPY !!!

Now I can't take credit for making the pillows kudos to my sister. She is going to teach me how to make pillows so I won't have to keep having her make them for me. Now all the room needs is a cute little boutique chandelier and a couple of white fuzzy rugs. I will have to do some looking!!! I think that will make it perfectly charming .

I am so happy the weather is starting to shape up now I am ready to start doing some outdoor projects. It is so amazing what a little sunshine will do for your spirit!

"Happiness... it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."
Vincent Van Gogh

Fresh Friday

Welcome Friday!!! so I thought I would share of few pics from a recent sister day I had. That's me enjoying a little vino at one of my favorite places The Stray Dog . This place is so fun in the summer, they have a really awesome rooftop deck that overlooks lake michigan. So my sister and I did some shopping at the outlet mall and then headed over to the Stray Dog for some pizza and wine.
And then over to another one of my favorite places Brewster's ... for some more vino!!! What more could a girl ask for in a day shopping, pizza and vino with your best friend!!! We had great sister time, I cherish every minute we get to spend together. Sisters "rock" You can always depend on your sister, she is the one person who knows exactly what I am always thinking, even sometimes before I do!!! There is a special connection sisters have, and there is no other bond like it. I can't say enough how much my sister means to me we have been through good times and bad, cried together, laughed together, talked about our hopes and dreams together and most importantly we spend a lot of time together. I think having a sister that is also your best friend is kind of a rare thing, some siblings don't even get along or talk to each other, so for that I am most grateful.
So now on to my fresh friday post. I am super excited to share this one it totally ROCKED MY WORLD
So here you have it PEA AND FETA SPREAD

This was so stinking easy and so so yummy
all you do is bring a pot of water to boil and add 2 cups of peas and blanch for about 3 min then toss in the blender and add 1 cup of feta, pinch of roasted garlic, 1 tbs EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in case you are wondering :-) 2 tbs mint leaves and some salt and pepper to taste, pulse everything until slightly chunky, serve on your favorite toasted bread. This recipe called for ricotta but I am not a fan so I switched it up and used feta , I love feta and it worked great! This was so incredibly easy and so so yummy! I think it is my new favorite spring bruschetta. I had this with a really yummy shrimp mango salad with lemon grass chille vinaigrette. I will be posting that next fresh friday recipe. I hope you give this one a try , if you love peas you will love this spread! Hope you have a fun and creative weekend, I think I will make a new spring beachy inspired wreath!
S~

"Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself" Zen Proverb