Our Weekend

The drive to Connecticut was as beautiful as I hoped it would be!  I think the leaves were at their peak! Unfortunately, we didn't take time to pull over and take many photos. It poured down rain on Saturday so we didn't get to take any outdoor shots then either. But the weather didn't stop our fun! We were greeted by this adorable little guy as soon as we walked in the door.

Even though we just saw him about 3 months ago, he has changed so much! I think he is days away from walking so life is about to get busier up there! He is so cute and sweet and has the best sounding laugh ever! Unfortunately, Riley did not take too kindly to her cousin. Whenever he came within a 2 foot radius of her, she would yell and he would immediately burst into tears! I have never seen her be such a bully! This photo is a little blurry, but you can make out her glaring at him as she helps herself to his toys.

Brian and Ashley treated us to gourmet meals the entire weekend - we had everything from walnut and feta stuffed beef tenderloin, to blueberry pancakes, to homemade pizzas! I think we all gained 10 pounds! Since it was such a dreary day on Saturday, we headed into the city of Norwalk to the children's museum. I don't know if I have ever seen Riley so happy. She loved every single second! I think her favorite part was the water area.

The kids wear these cute aprons to help keep them dry, but that didn't stop Riley from soaking herself from head to toe. Along with anyone else who was standing within a few feet of her. 

We literally had to drag her away to go see the rest of the place. Riley played with tools

while Baird played with trucks.

He likes to say "vroom, vroom!" whenever he sees a truck!

Next we took them to the outside play area. Even though it was raining, it was covered by a huge tent so the kids could still play.

They had a giant chess board.

Riley Bishop standing next to a bishop!

There were also balls with foam tracks that the kids could set up themselves into any shape they wanted.

There was a shortage of balls so Riley had to battle with this red-head behind us - he was rather territorial over the ball and was not interested in sharing the ball or his track! 

There were also big blocks that were perfect for Peek-A-Boo. Baird had a blast playing with his mom!

How cute is he?!?!? I think Riley can sense some competition - here she is trying to torment him again. 

Giving her uncle Brian high fives for bringing her to the museum!

 Ready to go!

It was a really great place and I am so jealous that they live so close to something like that. I wish I could take Riley there every week! After that outing, we went to a fantastic burger bar and devoured gourmet burgers and fries. I think the parents were more exhausted than the kids when we got home!

We had to wake up early so we could head home on Sunday morning. The weekend went by too fast but it was such a good time! The best part is, we get to see them again in a few short weeks when they come to our house for Thanksgiving! Thanks again for having us Brian and Ashley and Baird! It was such a nice visit!

This is the only picture I took on the drive home. We were driving over the Tappan Zee bridge. Aren't the trees gorgeous? 

Just because I like them

These images are totally unrelated - I am posting them just because I like them. I hope you enjoy them too!

 

Design by Greg Stewart and David Oldroyd | Image via Katie-d-i-d

Ken Fulk

Cheryl Tague

Ruthie Sommers 

Ken Fulk

 

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We had a great time in Connecticut! Check back later today for a post with pictures from our trip!

My First EBay Purchase!

They just need some paint!

*Thanks to MFAMB for posting these a few weeks ago!

Weekend Recap

As predicted, I was too distracted by good friends, food and wine to take many pictures of the wine dinner. This is the only one I took and it isn't really even in focus. Oh, well. It was a great time and Lauren and Dar did a great job hosting! I'm not sure if the empty wine bottle total at the end of the night broke the record or not, but I definitely did my part :)

The rest of my weekend was spent watching football, hanging out with my Mom and Riley, and building a cornice for the guest room. It was great having my Mom here to help me build because it always seems like you need at least three hands to fold and staple the fabric. The window in the guest room is almost 12 feet wide so I just used a 12' board that was 10" wide. I was originally going to use the foam core method because I thought I wanted a curved shape and I wanted to make the cornice more lightweight. However, after cutting the shape out in foam core, I realized that a straight cornice fit in better with the rest of the room. After that decision was made, the project was pretty simple. 

We used L brackets to attach the side pieces to the face board,

spray adhesive and a staple gun to attach quilt batting,

and then we wrapped the board in fabric. 

Fabric: Waverly Cross Section in Charcoal

I can't show you much of the finished project because I haven't made the curtains yet. But, here is a little peak.

Our Sunday Supper was Texas Chili again with cheese biscuits so I don't have a new recipe for you this week. It was a pretty relaxing weekend. Too bad today is super busy again - ordering window treatments for a client, mailing out Etsy orders, and meeting with a woodworker about hanging a fireplace mantel are just a few things on my long list today. Better get back to work! 

Today was a good mail day

Usually it is just a bunch of junk mail, but not today!

There was fabric,

 

and more fabric,

 

and still more fabric!

 

And happy, yellow rick rack.

And a pretty thank you card from my friend Amy.

 

And an adorable birth announcement from my friend Julie! 

Don't worry - something came for Paul, too. 

I love a good mail day!

Turns out,

I am not the only member of this family who likes to repurpose things. Remember when I bought this basket to store Riley's books?

She has decided it is better for storing herself

Despite playing this game for about an hour on Monday, yesterday she was back at it

I am really beginning to wonder why I even bother with toys...

Morning Ritual

Every morning we have coffee in bed when we wake up. I check my favorite blogs, Paul checks his sports sites, and Riley sits in between us drinking her milk and playing with her toys. I think it is my favorite part of every day.  

Lately, I have been having major computer issues. And of course, it isn't just one issue, it is one issue after another*. My internet is painfully slow and I can not figure out why. My battery will not hold a charge even though I just bought a brand new battery. And, when my computer is not frozen in sleep mode it is about 10,000,000,0000 degrees. It literally burns my legs - I have red rashes on the tops of my legs for hours after I use my computer. While I was at the craft store the other day, I came up with the perfect solution. 

Paul made fun of me and said I looked like an old lady sitting in bed with my hospital tray. But, I was in love. It was so functional and all it needed was some paint and a little fabric to make it pretty. 

First, I painted the tray gray with some paint left over from our dining room. (Benjamin Moore - Chelsea Gray)

Next, I cut a piece of fabric (Robert Allen's Cat's Cradle in Midnight) and used yellow ribbon, green rickrack and white thumbtacks in the corners to finish the edges.

It holds my laptop

or my coffee and a book.

Now Paul is jealous and I know he wants one of his own he just won't admit it. 

I also found another tray that was in need of a makeover. Here is the final product. 

If you like it, it can be yours. 

*Among my other computer issues, I am also having trouble with my blog posts not updating in Google Reader, etc. It takes several hours for my latest post to show up when it used to take several minutes. I don't know why it is happening so I don't know how to fix it. If anyone knows how to fix this problem, I would love your input! 

Sunday Supper - Tacos Carne Asada

I know this probably feels more like a summer meal, but it is a favorite in our household. 

Tomatoes, onion, lime, garlic and cilantro. I think this might be my favorite combination of ingredients. When you combine these ingredients with a little olive oil and sea salt, you get pico de gallo. I could eat pico de gallo for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

If you want a little kick, you can add some jalapeno peppers. We like peppers in this house, but I used all of my jalapenos in the marinade for the steak so I didn't have any for my pico. 

Speaking of marinade, here is the recipe:

Tacos Carne Asada (Food Network - Tyler Florence)

2 lbs flank or skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat

1 recipe Mojo (recipe follows) 

Olive oil, for coating the grill

Salt and pepper

16 (7 inch) tortillas (Recipe calls for corn tortillas but we used flour tortillas)

Shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce

Shredded pepper jack cheese

Pico de Gallo

2 limes, cut in wedges 

Mojo Recipe

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

2 limes, juiced

1 orange, juiced

2 TBSP white vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

For marinade: In a mortar and pestle, mash together the garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper to make a paste. Put the paste in a glass jar or plastic container. Add lime juice, orange juice, vinegar and oil. Shake well. (If you don't have a jar, just wisk ingredients together in a bowl.) Lay steak in a baking dish. Pour mojo over the steak. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours. 

For steak: Preheat an outdoor grill and coat grates with olive oil. Pull steak out of marinade and season steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook steak 6-8 minutes per side, turning once, until medium-rare. Remove steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to settle. Thinly slice the steak diagonally across the grain. 

Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds per side on the grill. 

To serve: Stack two tortillas on each plate. Lay steak in the center of the tortillas. Add lettuce, cheese and pico de gallo. Serve with a lime wedge. 

Enjoy!

The Great Outdoors

It is almost 80 degrees here today and sunny and windy! It is beautiful! And from the forecast that I have seen, this may be the last day like this for the next 8 months. So, I thought I would spend some time outside and enjoy it.

This is an old chandelier that we inherited with the house when we moved in.

 

It was in the dining room and came down the day after we moved in I think. There is very little about this chandelier that I like in its current state. I don't know if it can be salvaged, but after my spending spree the other day, I am trying to be thrifty so I am going to give it a couple of coats of paint and see how it looks. Of course, the wind is making this project a bit more challenging, but it is supposed to be cold and possibly rainy tomorrow so I am making do.

As I was outside spraying, I suddenly heard a huge commotion and discover that my dog has captured a terrified groundhog! They are staring each other down and the groundhog is growling (? I didn't know that they growled!) and my dog is acting like he is going to rip it to shreds. I finally get hold or my dog and basically have to lay on top of him to pin him down so the groundhog can escape. I feel like I am living in the wild kingdom! So far this summer my animals have managed to capture several snakes, a chipmunk, birds, mice, and now a groundhog. Plus, almost every night we are visited by deer, and occasionally a skunk and a opossum. And almost every night my dog is darting around our sunroom foaming at the mouth trying to get out the door so he can catch them. Luckily for the prey, I would say they have about a 90% survival rate so far. 

Here is Reagan standing guard over his territory.

Guinness is always on the prowl.

I tried to round up the other two cats but they must be hunting on someone else's property today.  

All of the noise woke Riley up so she had to come out and join in the fun. 

Almost every picture I take of Riley outside is from behind because as soon as I put her down she turns and runs away from me! She didn't round up any animals, but she did attract a neighbor who stopped by for a visit. 

I hope you are enjoying one last day of great weather too! Have a great weekend!

Etsy Additions

Over the last few days I have worked on uploading some new items to my Etsy shop so stop by if you are interested in anything! I had my first sale earlier this week and I hope it is the first of many!

 I plan to add more soon so keep checking back!