Just Add Snow . . .

This has been such a strange winter in our parts of New York.  Not much snow.  Maybe six or seven inches all together.  30 degrees one day and 50 degrees the next.  Winter is my second favorite season.  Behind fall, of course.  : )

So we were very excited when the weather report called for snow last week.  The kids got a half day of school and Megan's adorable friend Genevieve came over for a play date.  At the first hint of snowflakes, those two bundled themselves up and headed outside into the winter wonderland that awaited them. 

I love to watch Megan get lost in play.  I remember so vividly those days of tuning out the rest of the world and focusing only on the world of make believe.  That's what I use Pinterest and Instagram for now.  : ) 

We didn't get much more snow than what you see in these photos but it was the perfect amount for these two for sure!!

Today, we're off to Connecticut to visit with new friends.  My son has been playing Xbox with some kids for the last couple of years and they've become pretty close with each other.  We thought it would be fun if they all met in person.  Should be a wonderful day!!  : )


Happy Saturday ~ Wendy

Getting Back to Nature and a Sunday Saying . . .

I haven't been taking many outdoor photos lately so the other night I decided to take my camera with me when we took Megan to her gymnastics class.  There is just the beginning of a hint of spring in the air with the days getting longer and the energy starting to shift a bit. 

This is a squirrel's nest in a tree outside of the gym.  I honestly have never seen so many squirrels' nests as I've seen since we moved to Cornwall on Hudson.  I'm going to start taking more photos of them so you can see what I mean.  : )

One of my most favorite things about photography is that I see things in such a different way thru my lens.  I never would've spotted the hint of a rainbow that I saw.  It was a very clear night with no rain in the area and yet there was this beautiful piece of a rainbow.  Can you spot it?

The above photo was not edited at all.  It was such a beautiful sunset that night.  Mother Nature truly is a master painter!!!  I've said it before and I'll say it again . . .

AMAZING GRACE!!!


We're having a little Super Bowl gathering later on.  I think most of us are rooting for Denver since he's Eli Manning's brother (the NY Giants' quarterback) and this could very well be the last game of his career before retirement.  When your team isn't in the Super Bowl it's definitely all about the food.  I went out yesterday and stocked up on chips, dips, shrimp, pigs in a blanket and all those other foods synonymous with the big game.  Add to that ribs, homemade mac and cheese, sloppy Joe's, potato salad and whatever else my sister's boyfriend is rustling up (it's so nice having a chef in the family!!) and you have the makings of a party!!!  : )

And now, your Sunday Sayings (I thought they went hand in hand quite well) . . .

Many blessings for a happy Sunday and a peaceful week ahead ~ Wendy

Not Quite Ready . . .

I've been busy working in my Etsy shops.  One of my goals for this year is to build up my businesses.  While packing up for our move, I uncovered boxes and bins of things that had been packed away for years.  Things that I've collected with the hope of having a little shop someday.  I still would like to do that but I don't think this is the best economy for that at this point in time.  So, for now, I'm having lots of fun listing in my Etsy shops and oohing and aahing as I uncover more goodies. 

I recently uncovered these gorgeous vintage paper hydrangeas.  There is nothing like vintage millinery.  Can you still call it millinery if it's made of paper?  Not sure about that one. 

I also found these absolutely gorgeous vintage paper roses.  I'm so tempted to keep these!!

Without really thinking about it, I've been taking a lot of photos of flowers lately.  The photo above is actually a print that I saw in Target the other day.  I think it would have to be handmade.  I was trying to think of a place to put it in our new house but couldn't come up with one.  Maybe when we give Meggie's room a makeover.  Not sure if it would go with a purple "Frozen" themed room though!!  : )

I also fell in love with these mini-bouquets in our local farmer's market recently.  You get the prettiest little bunch of flowers for $15.00.  The perfect hint of spring!! 

The weather here has been pretty mild, especially for January in New York.  It's a little chilly today.  The snow in our yard has mostly melted.  I told my husband yesterday that it felt more like late March then late January.  I know spring is just around the corner once we make it thru February.  I'm not quite ready for it yet though and, honestly, I'm hoping for some more snow.  I love hibernating, sitting in front of our fireplace, making soup in my new extra large soup pot that my honey gifted me for Christmas (practical gifts this year!!) and spending time with my family when I'm lucky enough to have them all home at once.  Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE my alone time.  Always have and always will.  But as time marches on, I truly see just how precious these times are and I'm so very thankful to have them and not quite ready to give them up just yet.


Many blessings ~ Wendy

Some Vintage Goodness and Happy News . . .

Did this week fly by or is it just me??  I've been busy in my Etsy shops this week.  I've been pulling out some bins from the garage.  It's like a treasure hunt to me.  I never know what I'm going to find!!  I have bins that were in the garage at our other house for years and at this point don't have a clue as to what's in them.  Needless to say, I'm having lots of fun and also getting lots of new items listed in my Etsy shops.

A few of many vintage Valentine's I found . . .

 These two have been keeping me company in the studio. 

Is that a look of contentedness or what??  LOL!!!!

Definitely one of my favorites!!

I also found a bunch of vintage baby cards that I'm still going thru and hope to be listing soon.  They just don't make them like this anymore. 

I need to do some organizing and cleaning up before I take anything else out of the garage.  I'm beginning to not be able to see my counter tops!!


We also had this happen this week . . .

Hurray for Trevor!!!  His cast is now below his knee.  We thought it wouldn't be until the next visit so it was a very pleasant surprise!!!  He goes back in three weeks to have the cast completely removed and then he'll have to wear a boot and finally be able to start to put some weight back on it.  He'll also start physical therapy then.  There's still a long way to go but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!!!  : )
 
I wish you all a wonderful weekend!!  We're expecting rain here in New York.  We did get to see some snow in the last few days but nothing to write home about. Miss Megan has not one but two birthday parties to attend tomorrow.  She'll be making pottery in the morning and bowling in the evening.  She told me she wants to pick out her party outfit as soon as she wakes up in the morning.  Oh, the life of a five year old girl!!!  : )

Taken at last week's birthday party.

Many blessings to you all ~ Wendy

Sunday Sayings . . .

Happy Sunday all!!  I'm about to brave the rain and wind we're having here in New York this Sunday morning to drive a half hour to sit at a Chuckie Cheese with a bunch of five and six year olds.  Megan's first birthday party invite here in our new town.  As long as I have my coffee I can handle anything!!!  : )

~ Wendy 

The Makings of a Social Butterfly . . .

One of my biggest concerns about moving was that the kids were going to be leaving their friends.  We've always had play dates for Megan.  Usually one or two a week.  She likes to be kept busy.  The boys would play for hours on their own ~ lost in a game of cars, blocks, super heroes, etc.  Megan prefers interaction with others while playing.  If a friend or family member isn't up to the task then she always has an imaginary friend or two ready to jump in.  : )  She is a natural born teacher and, in fact, is more often then not, "teaching" a ballet class or hostessing a good round of "show and tell."  I love eavesdropping on her when she does this!!  Lol!!!

A recent tea party at Nana's.

During Christmas vacation a couple of her girlfriends and their moms came to visit for the day from where we used to live.  Our daughters became friends first and then we realized how much we enjoyed each others' company.  We had such a great day!!  It was so nice to talk with friends that I hadn't seen since we moved in November.  I really don't know many people in our new town which is so strange to me.  I go to pick Meg up from school and I barely know a soul.  I go to the grocery store and I don't know anybody.  We just moved from a town where I grew up and knew more people than not. 

In all honesty, I'm pretty much okay with this.  I get my grocery shopping done a heck of a lot quicker.  I've even gone out a couple of times without any (GASP) makeup.  Haha!!!  However, this is the town where my daughter is going to be growing up now and I want her to have what she had before we moved.  So last night, I pulled out her class list and emailed the parents of one of the little girls in her class that she talks about all the time.  They're going to be having their first play date here after school today and then we're going to take them back to the school tonight for a PTA fundraising screening of the Minion Movie.   She also has her first birthday party up here on Sunday.  Chuckie Cheese here we come!!!!  Ugghh!!!  : )

I'm so excited for Megan!!  I'm hoping this is the start of a wonderful new friendship!!  I'll let you know how it goes.  : )


Happy weekend to you all.  The temperatures are supposed to be going up and we're expecting some rain.  Now that my Mr. Bigglesworth is back home safe and sound, I want it to SNOW SNOW SNOW!!!!!  Are you listening Mother Nature???


~ Wendy

Year's End . . .

We celebrated our last meal of 2015 with friends and family in a Japanese farmhouse that was disassembled over there and brought here to New York ~ Central Valley, New York to be more specific.   The architecture is just beautiful with incredibly high ceilings and lots of bamboo and wood. 

There was a very steep staircase that led up to the area where we sat around huge hibachi grills and were entertained by the chef as he made our dinner. 

A view of the restaurant from the outside back gardens. 

After dinner we walked around the grounds a little bit.  They weren't lit very well but we were still able to see a few of the beautiful Japanese touches throughout. 

A beautiful light shade.

Above is a water wheel that helped feed the pond that held so many beautiful koi fish.  I don't know how they can survive in such cold water.  Brrr!!!

The bridge over the koi pond.

Some New Year's Eve party animals!!!  Woot woot!!!  : )

The tree is undecorated and gone now and the two youngest ones are back in school.  I love when they're out of school and we don't have to worry about bed times and wake up times but, in all honesty, by the end of vacation time, I need to have that sense of structure back in our house.  It really does make me a happier mama and, in turn, makes for happier kiddos.

I love my kids but I also love my space and my alone time and I'm not afraid to admit it.  : )


Happy almost Thursday to you ~ Wendy