A Rosy Note

Going Bananas

2012-03-12T16:05:00.000-05:00

One fruit we always have on hand at our house is bananas...monkeys love 'em and so do we. With every trip to the grocery store, I hear the words, "Don't forget the bananas, Mama!" coming from my little girl's lips. She can eat them one right after the other.

I decided to make some banana muffins last week after I went to see my favorite hair-do girl, Sarah. While she was cutting my hair, we chatted about our usual things...little tidbits of our lives, what was happening on the Bachelor (hmmm, who will he pick?!) and of course, the topic of food. She said that she had just made a loaf of banana bread the day before and that it had turned out quite tasty.

Well, after I got home from getting all beautified, all I could think about was making a banana something or other. Eventually, I decided muffins sounded good, so I went to work putting together a recipe and my little banana-loving girl was right there, eager to help with the baking.

We were a good team, her and I, since the muffins turned out pretty yummy. I did a mix and match sort of thing...some were filled with delicious chocolaty bits and topped with walnuts, while others were plain with a dollop of some sweet cream cheese frosting.

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup light sour cream
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
walnuts, chopped

Mix together flour, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate bowl, cream together the sugars and butter and then add the eggs, vanilla, sour cream and bananas. Beat on low speed until everything is combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.

Line muffin pan with paper muffin cups and fill each section 3/4 full with batter. Sprinkle tops with chopped walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 18 to 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Well, I hope you all have a good week. I've been feeling a little out of sorts lately which is why I haven't been around much, but I'm hoping that everything will be better next week. So until then...

A Few New Things

2012-02-29T08:54:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! Hope all is well in your world.

Earlier this week, my little girl and I decided to go out for a bit, have some lunch, stop at a few stores and just enjoy the day together. According to my girl, the only thing missing was a place to get her ears pierced. Luckily, she didn't spy anywhere that could make that dream a reality, but she's so persistent I fear I'm never going to hear the end of it until her wish comes true.

While they aren't quite as exciting as sparkly lobes, we were able to find something that made us both happy...these pretty purple hyacinths from Trader Joe's. They smell so sweet, reminding me of the scent of lilacs.

We came home with this wicker basket too. I think it's the perfect accompaniment to those flowers. I had a twenty-five dollar coupon for Pottery Barn so I had to find something to buy. I figured this would be just the thing. It will be perfect in my dining room for stowing away clutter...in other words little photo props that don't really have a place anywhere else.

Speaking of my dining room, I gave a hint on my Facebook page about a little project I'm working on for that space. Well, really, it's not so little...I spent about four hours sanding it yesterday. Thank goodness, for power tools because it would've taken forever without them! While I love feeling creative, I'm also feeling impatient...wanting the whole thing to be done so that I can decorate.

Oh, one last thing! I wanted to share this with you...the Card Keyper. Suzanne from Privet and Holly created this wonderful little item as a way to handily organize all of your store reward cards. She recently held a giveway and I was one of the lucky winners. Thanks Suzanne!

Have a good day!

Color, Photos and Drawing

2012-02-24T08:30:00.001-06:00

Hello. Hello. Well, here it is Friday already...it seems like the week just flew by.

Happily, we had some sunny moments over the past couple of days and I was finally able to squeeze in a few photos. I put together a little yellow, white and blue color collection for today's post from things that I gathered around my house. The color scheme for this group of pictures stemmed from these yellow Stock that I picked up at the florist this week. Stock is one of my favorite flowers because of their old-fashioned charm and nice spicy scent. Mmmm...love 'em.

Next time I do a color-themed post, I think I'm going to try adding color swatches alongside one of my photos. Have you seen that before? It's a nice way to see how a bunch of colors work together. You'll see what I mean.

I'm hoping that by doing these little color collections I'll be able to improve my styling, photos and creativity. I've been thinking a lot about photography lately and how much I love it. Sometimes I find it to be so unbelievable frustrating though, because I can't get my pictures to turn out the way that I envision them...they're too light, too dark, too boring. It's always something.

Exploring all possible avenues for improvement, I've been reading my camera manual once again, along with the book Understanding Exposure. So far, so good. I think things are starting to sink in a little better. Sometimes, it's just so hard when you want to be really good at something instantly and it's not working out that way because you have to practice and build your skills first. You know what I mean?

Something else I really enjoy and want to practice more, in addition to photography, is art. Growing up, I had high hopes of going off to art school, but my parents gave that idea the thumbs down. I go in spurts with my drawing. I'll draw and draw like crazy, then I might not create anything for months. I feel like I need to get back into the groove since it's been awhile, so I might incorporate a few sketches here and there into my photos as a way to spur myself on. Yep, sounds like a plan.

Okay, I guess that's probably enough rambling for now. Do you have anything interesting you want to tell me...any hot plans for the weekend maybe? Well, no matter what you end up doing I hope the next few days are fantastically wonderful for you :)

Well, Now What?

2012-02-21T09:22:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! You know when you have a blog post floating around in your head and you think it's going to be all great and wonderful, so you plan it out, put your big ideas into motion and then it doesn't quite go the way you envisioned? Well, that pretty much describes this post.

I made some little vanilla bean cakes, topped with a mixture of mascarpone, whipped cream and fresh raspberries, hoping they'd be all yummy and delicious. They sound so tasty, don't they? Well, they weren't...according to some people in the household anyway.

My daughter was the first taste-tester. She proclaimed them to be delicious, giving them the thumbs up. The thing is, she pretty much likes everything. For her, a big tub of cottage cheese is just about as good as a container of ice cream. I figured I'd better look to some pickier eaters for feedback. So, my desert was served with a smile to my son and the Mister. Let's just say, I didn't get the response I was looking for.

Looking at my cute but, not so good cakes, I wondered, "Now what?" Well, as far as this post is concerned, just photos without a recipe, I suppose, with a little bit of chit-chat thrown in.

I've been thinking about how much I like styling and photographing little odds and ends...cupcake wrappers, buttons, flowers, fabric...you know what I'm taking about, right? Anyway, I think I'm going to do more of that...mini color collections of little tidbits. Sort of the way this post is. I think it will help me to be more creative. I've been wanting to get back to the part of me that's more artistic rather than crafty.

I've starting putting a few things together for an upcoming color-themed post. I love searching for photo props for that sort of thing and for my food photography too. I just found this round cooling rack last week and I was so excited. I've been looking for one for awhile and, let me tell you, are they hard to find. This one is actually new. I put up a photo of it along with a few other things I found on my Facebook page.

Yep, my Facebook page. I decided to step into the now and make one for my blog. Currently, I'm pretty much over there talking to myself and a few friends that I can count on one hand, so if you want to come over and give me some love, that would be great. I still have to make a button for it, but you can click this link if you want. Anyone? Anyone? :)

Well, that's that. I have to go and work on my dining room decorating project now. It doesn't seem to be progressing very quickly. Maybe I'll try to rework that cake recipe too. Hope you have a good day!

A Little Bit of Love ♥

2012-02-14T14:18:00.001-06:00

Anyone can catch your eye,

but it takes someone special to catch your heart.

~ author unknown

Hello, my lovelies. Happy Valentine's Day to you!

I hope you all have special plans today...making memories with some sweet people who have caught your heart.

xo Tricia

A Chicken Feeder and Some Flowers

2012-02-08T10:32:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! Hope you're having a good week.

Even though it's winter, my brain says spring. There's no snow here and the weather has been so mild. Awhile back wanting to bring a springtime feel into my house, I planted a few containers with bulbs...some paperwhites and grape hyacinths. While I had forced paperwhites before, I had never tried grape hyacinths and wondered if it was even going to work.

Well, as you can see, it did. I had found this old chicken feeder for a few dollars and thought it would help make an eye-catching flower display on my dining room table. I just love it. I also got one for my sister, along with some bulbs and soil, and gave it to her for her birthday so she could have her very own chicken feeder set-up too...that's how much I loved the idea.

I'm in the midst of giving my dining room a little makeover right now. I painted it a creamy white color, which I think I'm really going to love...it feels so much sunnier in there now and it will be better for taking photographs too. I also took the sideboard out and I want to replace it with something else, but I can't decide what yet. I'm thinking either a big, huge shelf or an armoire...we'll see. Hopefully, I can whip it together and show it to you soon.

See ya later ♥

Things I Shouldn't Eat...Like Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

2012-01-31T11:14:00.002-06:00

It seems like every time I go to the grocery store, I need a sweet indulgence of some sort. Usually, I go with a white chocolate raspberry muffin...not a little tiny one either, mind you, the biggest one I can find. Then, pretty much the minute I get home, I put it in the microwave for a few seconds so it's warm, melty and extra yummy...and then I eat the whole thing.

Anyway, I started thinking that I should try to make my own version of this sweet treat, that way there would be more to love. I don't really know if that was a good idea though, because they're so delicious and if I keep eating them there's going to be more of me to love too!

As I was making these, and later when I was stuffing them in my mouth, I decided that I really need to give up sugar...and bread...and Diet Cokes. I think I'm really going to try. I know it will be hard, but it would be worth it, right? It would be like a cleanse of sorts.

I think a lot about food, too much probably. Have you ever seen the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead? I watched it on Netflix and found it to be quite interesting. It's about a man who's overweight and suffering from an autoimmune disease. When he can't get control of his health through conventional means he decides that for a few months he's only going to consume fruit and vegetables that he's juiced...a decision that transforms his life.

It's one of those things where after you see it, you tell yourself that that's what you're going to do too. You're going to eat super healthy and it's going to be awesome! I think I need to watch it again to pump myself up. I don't know if I could drink only juice, but I sure could drink a lot of smoothies.

I wish I didn't love muffins so much. At least, the raspberries are healthy, right?! Well, if you're not quite ready to juice your food and cut everything yummy out of your life, here a recipe you might like.

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 stick of butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup fresh raspberries

Mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder. In a separate bowl, melt the butter and then add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Whisk them together and then add them to the dry mixture. Gently mix in the chocolate and the raspberries.

I used paper cups in my muffin tin and filled each section 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20 to 23 minutes. Makes 12 muffins. One little tip, I always have a problem with my muffins getting too brown on the bottom, but I found that if you put a cookie sheet under your pan that issue is solved.

Mmmm, enjoy!

Well, lovely people that's all for today. Maybe I'll see you later this week.

xo

My Blooming Heart

2012-01-26T10:34:00.002-06:00

Hello. Hello. Hope you've had a good week.

Can you believe how quickly January is flying by? I've been thinking about Valentine's Day and how it's just around the corner...that special time of year to give the people who mean so much to us a little extra lovin'. I've already bought a few treats for my children. I'm easily swayed by cute packaging so if I see something that calls out to me, I'm likely to get it. Candy isn't always the answer though, is it? No siree...flowers are a big part of the holiday too.

Of course, you know that a bundle of flowers always catches my eye, and I thought of a pretty Valentine's Day inspired craft, using beautiful blooms, that would be a nice gift for that special someone.

It's nothing too complicated. See here? It's a blooming heart...a heart-shaped candy tin turned into a vase of sorts...filled with something pretty instead of something fattening.

To make it, you first need to get a metal heart-shaped candy tin...make sure it's water-tight. I chose an M & M container that was rather small since I didn't want to buy a whole bunch of flowers. Eat the candy to make room for the flowers and for an extra burst of energy :) Next, put a piece of wet floral foam inside the container and then just cut and stick your flowers into the foam.

While the outside of my container had a nice pattern on it, it didn't seem to work well with the flowers. To get it more to my liking, I attached some double-sided scrapbooking tape to the outside of the tin and then covered it with a ribbon to finish the whole thing off. That part was kind of a pain, but it came out pretty good.

And there you go, you're done! Quick and easy...pretty too. Throw a few pieces of candy in the mix and you're good as gold :)

Well people, that's that. Best wishes for a wonderful weekend!

xo

I'm sharing my post at:

French Country Cottage

My Romantic Home

Beauty, Bugs and Browsers

2012-01-20T08:47:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone!

Wow, I can't believe it's Friday already, this week sure got away from me. Both my daughter and I were sick with the flu bug this week...not fun, let me tell you. I did lose four pounds from it though, so that made me feel a wee bit better...not much, but a little ;)

I didn't get out much this week due to all of our illnesses and also because of the weather. Ughh...it's so chilly! Up until lately, we've been spoiled with unusually high temperatures, so our current weather is kind of a shock. Yesterday, despite the alluring look of all the bright sunshine, it was ten below outside with about a minus thirty degree windchill when my son left for school. The Mister drove him...I stayed in.

Luckily, I did manage to get out for a bit the day before. Feeling like I needed a dose of some brightly-hued beauty, I picked up a bunch of flowers while out and about on a much needed trip to the grocery store. I decided to combine them with a little of this and a little of that, take some photos and finally put together a post.

Besides having a keen eye for spying flowers, I'm always on the hunt for interesting little tidbits...some things old, some things new. Since I've been doing more and more food photography, I have a new-found love for kitchen-related items, fabric always calls out my name too. But what I really like, is when I find an item a little out of the ordinary, something that has a hint of charm and feels nice and natural too.

I love worn woods...things with texture. Mmm, yumminess. If I remember correctly, I think I scavenged these wooden spools from Mom's house along with some vintage clothespins. Weird little things like that make me so happy. I especially think they look so pretty paired with a few beautiful blooms. I could spend ridiculous amounts of time rearranging it all and enjoy every minute of it.

Speaking of rearranging, there are a few little projects I'm hoping to get done around the house soon so that maybe I can have a decorating post for a change. Hopefully, I can work on one of them this weekend...fingers crossed.

Oh, one last thing. If you are still having problems leaving blog comments, I've noticed two things...it seems to randomly happen on blogs where the comments are embedded under the post and also the browser you use appears to make a difference. I downloaded Google Chrome and now all is well. It only took a few minutes and I can still use Internet Explorer whenever I like too. Maybe that will help some of you that are having the same problems that I was.

Well, my friends, have a great weekend!

Light and Simple

2012-01-12T09:30:00.001-06:00

Hello, hello. Happy Thursday friends!

Well, I can see from the comments on my last post that I'm not the only one who had a little too much to eat over the holidays...hmmm? There seems to be an epidemic of tight pants going on right now! Mine still look like they're painted on my body, but I'm doing my best to overcome that sad situation by getting back to healthier eating habits.

Gone are all the cookies, candy and goodies and in their place are more fresh fruits and veggies. I've been eating lots and lots of salads lately. The one I make most often only has a few items and doesn't require too much preparation...it's sooo simple and yummy.

Here are the ingredients, if you want to make it too. Oh wait, let's see, I have to give it a name..how about Simple Spring Salad? Oh yes, that sounds good. Here ya go...

Simple Spring Salad

Mixed greens such as romaine, arugula and spinach
Green onions, sliced
Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
Dried cranberries such as Craisins
Caramelized walnuts
Pink Lady or Granny Smith apple slices, if desired

For a little more flavor, I usually use a very small amount of store-bought raspberry vinaigrette or raspberry walnut dressing. I'm not a big fan of dressing because I don't like it to overpower the salad, plus salad dressing, for the most part, has lots of calories.

When I go out to eat, I always ask for the dressing on the side and then I just dip my fork into it before gathering up each biteful of lettuce. Good thinkin' huh? There, that's my low calorie tip of the day.

Of course, carb-lover that I am, I still need to have a bit of bread. As much as I want to, I try to refrain from scarfing down the whole loaf...sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Bread is really a weakness of mine.

So, how about all of you? Have you change your ways now that the holidays are over? I really need to be better about my exercising. My son got one of the wii Just Dance videos for Christmas and we've all had a lot of fun doing that. Whew! That thing seems like it really gets the calories burning, but wow is it fun! I especially love watching my kids do their dance moves. It's so cute and kind of funny...lol.

Hope you have a nice weekend! Chat later :)

xoxo

By the way, I'm having a problem when I visit some people and want to leave a comment, the page freezes up and the comment form isn't there. Is anyone else experiencing this?

A Fresh Start

2012-01-06T08:11:00.000-06:00

Hello. Happy 2012 to you! I hope your year is going well. So far, so good here. I always love the beginning of a new year. It's a season of possibilities...not knowing what will unfold in the next twelve months and feeling like it's a fresh start.

I didn't chose any special words to reflect on or guide me throughout the year, nor am I making any resolutions...the list would be far too long. I just want to focus on being happy and having God take control of my life instead of trying to map out the future myself.

It's been so wonderful here weather-wise, that I've kind of tricked myself into thinking that Spring is right around the corner. I'm sure mother nature has other plans though. I thought I'd bring a little of that Springtime feeling into the house by planting some paperwhite, grape hyacinth and crocus bulbs. I've forced paperwhites before, but have never tried the others so hopefully they'll be as easy...I'll keep you posted.

Now that the holidays are over and a new season is upon us, I've decided it's time to focus my attention on something that's really starting to annoy me...the tightness of my pants. Oh my, it's scary people. I can hardly get my fattest pants on and it's getting to the point where I'm going to have to wear my sweatpants out in public...or some maternity pants. Just kidding about that last one there. That definitely won't be happening, it's bad enough wearing them when you're actually pregnant. Ugh...I couldn't stand those things.

Anyway, I've been eating much better this week...lots of salads and such. It feels nice to be back to normal. I cut up all my pomegranates yesterday and put the seeds in the freezer for smoothies. What a mess that was! Anyway, maybe I'll have some healthy recipes to share next time.

Hope you have a great weekend!

2011: A Year of Loving Photography

2011-12-30T09:08:00.000-06:00

When I think back over the past year, there aren't really any special decorating or craft projects that come to mind, rather the thing that sticks out most to me, in terms of my blog anyway, is how I've really come love photography over the last twelve months. I can see how as the year progressed so did my photo skills...how I've learned to use my camera, work with natural light and improve my compositions, as well as my editing. When I look through some of my earlier posts, I cringe, thinking I'd love to delete them, but then figure that it's all part of the journey...right?

I've mentioned a time or two that I have a special fondness for photographing food. It's more than a fondness actually, I really love it. Maybe it's because I can eat the fruits of my labor when I'm all done, you can't do that with a craft project...usually anyway :) I talked about food photo love in my Artful Blogging article, as well as in a post I did last summer called A New Little Love, which is where I showed you these first two pictures.

Coming in a close second to my love affair with food photography, are taking pictures of flowers and little vignettes, with a few shots of my house thrown in the mix. I wish I could add snapping photos of my kids, but sadly they're not too accommodating and I usually have to resort to bribery. I've got my fingers crossed that the coming year will be better though.

I thought I'd take a little stroll down memory lane, highlighting a few posts from 2011. There's a link to each accompanying post in case you're a new reader or you missed something and want to check it out.

A New Little Love

Baked Apples and Granola

Sweet Pies and My Blog Anniversary

Bloom

Old-Fashioned Flowers

Hydrangeas in the Dining Room

I want to thank you all for your friendship and kind comments throughout the past year. I hope 2012 brings you only joy and blessings. Have a safe and wonderful New Year's weekend!

xo Tricia

Christmas Cherries and Snowflakes

2011-12-22T08:41:00.006-06:00

Hello, hello! So happy you're here! Amidst all the hustle and bustle this week, I'm really feeling the Christmas spirit and have put together a red and white holiday post with a few snowflakes thrown in.

A few weeks ago, when my daughter turned five, one of the things I made were cherry-topped cupcakes. They turned out so cute and it occurred to me that they'd be perfect for the holidays too. I know cherries don't really scream Christmas since they're more of a summer fruit, but their vibrant red color sure is right for the season, especially when paired with some whites and a few fun things like pretty cake wrappers and striped straws.

I was a total cheater when I made these. I didn't have time to whip anything up from scratch, so box cake it was. This particular cupcake turned out so perfect I could hardly believe it!

I made some chocolate and snowflake-topped cupcakes too. The snowflakes are so easy to make and I think they add a nice festive touch. I used candy melts, which I found at JoAnn's, melted them in the microwave, put them into a frosting bag and using a tiny little frosting tip, piped out a few snowflake designs. It doesn't take too long for them to harden and then you can use them to decorate your cake, tart or cupcakes.

Well, there you go lovely people, my easy, yummy and pretty Christmas food ideas. Oh boy, do I need to be done with the sweets for awhile...I think I see some healthier eating in store for next week :)

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, enjoying time with your families and celebrating the birth of our Savior.

♥ Tricia

I'm sharing my post at: French Country Cottage, My Romantic Home and Whipperberry

Cookies and Cafe au Lait Cups

2011-12-15T11:13:00.001-06:00

Hello to you! Hope your week is going well. Are you all prepared for Christmas next week? Me...not so much. I still have a few gifts to buy and I haven't wrapped one single thing yet. Oh, and then there's the Christmas cards. Ugh.

In the midst of all my preparations, I've been eating a lot. So much so, that I went and joined the YMCA this week. I want to eat whatever my little heart desires, in moderation of course, so I'm going to have to ramp up the exercise to make up for it. One of the things I've been enjoying a little too much of is cookies. I made one of my favorites last weekend, Peanut Butter Blossoms. Mmmm, chocolate and peanut butter...a delicious combination.

And what's the perfect pairing for a sweet and tasty cookie? Well, okay, I'm sure some of you are saying coffee, but since I don't drink that, how about hot chocolate, especially in these super cute cups? I found them at Garnet Hill and it was pretty much love at first sight. They're basically a big bowl with a handle.

If by chance you don't have a recipe for these yummy cookies, here's the one we like to go with...

Peanut Butter Blossoms

1/4 cup of butter, softened
1/4 cup of shortening
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 tablespoons of milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 3/4 cup of flour
Chocolate candy kisses

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend butter, shortening and peanut butter together in a large bowl. Add the sugars and continue to beat until it's nice and creamy. Add vanilla, milk and egg and continue to mix. Then add the salt, baking soda and flour. Roll dough into balls of about 1 inch in size and then roll each ball in some sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Immediately after removing from the oven press one candy kiss into the center of each cookie.

Make sure they're good, so eat about a half a dozen. That's what I do anyway ;)

Well, I have lots to do, so hope you all have a great weekend!

xo Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

This or That Thursday

Feathered Nest Friday

Our Christmas Kittens

2011-12-13T08:07:00.001-06:00

This year, my daughter decided she would write a letter to Santa in hopes of getting a few special things her little heart most desired. It was a short list, only two items, but things that in her eyes would make a life changing world of difference...a bunny and a baby sister. Yep, you read that last one right, a baby sister. She has asked me for one over and over, day after day, for months and months.

Oh, what to do?! It makes me so sad when she begs me for a sister, since I don't really see any sweet little babies in my future, but then a thought came to me, granted it's not quite the same thing as a the kinship of a sister, but maybe two babies, of the meowing, fluffy, kitten sort might bring her some happiness...for the moment anyway. Both she and my son love cats as much as I do, so I figured this seemed like a good plan. I searched and searched and search some more and finally found this darling duo.

Aren't they adorable?! I have to tell you though, the addition of these two cute little babies to our family feels a bit bittersweet. On one hand, I have visions of my children's happy little faces and all the fun they'll have with two new furry creatures...how we're making wonderful memories. But then, my eyes well up with sadness as my thoughts drift each day to the loss of my sweet kitty, Tucker, and how much I miss him. I can barely even talk or write about him without crying.

I tell myself that over time the sadness will subside and everything will be alright, especially as I look at the cute little faces of my kids and of Maisy and Milo, our silly and crazy new kitties. I grew up always having kittens around, but I had really forgotten how much mischief they can get into, particularly when they have a sidekick. My son just laughs and laughs at their antics. It almost seems like we've adopted monkeys rather than kittens, they keep us so busy!

When my children laugh and see the happy look in their eyes, I know they're the perfect early Christmas gift...little bundles of joy.

Christmas in the Living Room

2011-12-09T07:44:00.001-06:00

Hello! Happy Friday to you. I hope you've had a wonderful week. I thought I'd show you my living room today, since I finally got it all decorated for Christmas. I went with kind of a natural look, using a neutral color palette of mostly ivory with touches of copper, yellow and green.

I tried to use items I already had when decorating my tree...a big copper star that I had gotten from Sundance a few years ago, which I love, love, love, along with some copper picture frame ornaments that I filled with old photos, wooden snowflakes, a few pear branches and a little of this and a little of that.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I did buy a few new things, some little wooden bird ornaments and these big wool felt snowflakes from West Elm. Oh my, it was one of those things where the minute I saw them I had to get them...I hardly ever love anything that much. I can't believe I'm so giddy over something so simple.

I decided to try making stockings this year. I'm not much for sewing, but they turned out okay. I used a natural-colored linen and then since I really like things with texture, I thought I'd add a faux fur cuff. I designed it so that it I could take it off in case I get tired of it...might as well be versatile. My son told me they make him think of a caveman, which I didn't really like hearing, so making the fur removable seems like it was a good decision on my part.

It's so hard taking photos of this room since it's so small and gets awful light. Apparently, I was so focused on my bad light that I overlooked a few details. As I was looking through my pictures, I noticed that I had this poinsettia turned in the direction where the dog took a bite out of the leaf...nice. Actually, the whole plant probably has missing chunks like this since there were little pieces all around it when it was sitting on the floor. By the way, I had to check and see if they're poisonous and it seems the answer is no.

Don't you love candy canes? They're so yummy and Christmasy. I've filled that bowl with them three times this week already. It seems like every time someone walks past it they take one...including me :)

Well, that's my living room...thus far anyway. I always feel the urge to change things, especially the mantle. I really wanted to paint up a winter-themed picture, but well, you know how it is...there never seems to be enough time to do it all.

Hope you have a great weekend. I'm doing something exciting today! I'll tell you about it next week. Here's a hint, okay? It involves something cute and cuddly. Any ideas? :)

xo Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

Feathered Nest Friday

Show and Tell Friday
Saturday Nite Special

Oh My Stars!

2011-12-01T19:01:00.006-06:00

Hello. Happy December to you! Doesn't it seem like Christmas is just right around the corner? I've been so busy this week trying to get my house all ready for the holidays. I want everything to be done so that I can just sit back and enjoy it all. I doubt it will happen though since it seems like I say that every year! I'm kind of going for a clean, yet rustic feel, for my decorating this Christmas with lots of white, some copper and maybe a little bit of red. My tree is pretty much done...it just needs a little more of something. I haven't really decided what that something is yet though.

Today, I made these little clay stars to decorate the tabletop trees that I put up in the dining room and in my kids' rooms. Obviously, I used them on this little rosemary plant too...this isn't one of my tabletop trees :)

I thought they turned out so cute...nice and simple. I bought some of that Sculpey clay and then because it seemed so sticky I rolled it out between two sheets of parchment paper. I used one of my daughter's little toy cookie cutters for the stars, then I removed the leftover bits, slid the parchment paper on to a cookie sheet and baked them. Ta da. All done.

I have a few other Christmas crafting projects planned, one of which is to make a few stockings for the fireplace. Hopefully, I'll whip it all together this weekend and then I can show you my holiday living room next week.

Best wishes for a wonderful weekend!

♥ Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

Feathered Nest Friday
Frugal Friday
Show and Tell Friday

It's the Little Things

2011-11-29T08:00:00.001-06:00

When I think about my life, I have so much for which to be grateful. Of course, there are always the big things that come to mind, a home to live in, two wonderful children, the health of my family...the list is endless.

But, there are so many little things too...special moments that capture my heart throughout the day. Just this afternoon, I was watching my son as he was eating an apple, enjoying every bite, the way his cute little mouth was chewing in a circle, briefly pausing to fill me in a snippet from his day. The whole thing made me want to hug and squeeze him.

Then I think of my daughter and the way she is always singing and dancing around the house with such joy...how she mothers her babies or comes out of her bedroom wearing an interesting assortment of clothes. Sometimes I just laugh and laugh.

There's phone calls from friends, reading a good book or watching the dog as he snores softly on his bed. Sometimes though, I'm grateful for simple, nondescript little things. Things someone else might discard as meaningless...a pretty piece of material, a little button or a wooden spool of vintage thread. Put them all together and I'm even happier, especially with my camera in my hand :)

all rosy earrings by Kristi Roshau Jewelry

Of course, I'm grateful for all of you too. Thankful that you come and share your time, your thoughts and your friendship with me . By the way, now that I'm thinking about you, I want to say thank you to everyone who blogged, posted about and entered my recent giveway for the pretty necklace from Kristi Roshau Jewelry. The winner, which was selected by Random.org, is Linda at Itsy Bits and Pieces. Yay for you Linda!

Just as an aside, I used Kim Klassen's Luminous texture for these photos. The theme for Texture Tuesday this week is gratitude.

Hope your week is off to a good start.

Tricia ♥

This and That

2011-11-27T15:00:00.005-06:00

Hello! Happy Sunday to you. I have a mish-mash of things included in today's post. First up, I wanted to remind you that today is the last day to enter my giveaway, if you haven't already done so. The prize is a beautiful necklace made by my sweet sis, Kristi.

So, anyway, this past week was been so busy for me, as I'm sure it was for many of you. Of course there were all the holiday preparations but, my week also included a broken washing machine...when it was completely full of water, naturally. We bought a new washer and dryer and got it delivered on Wednesday. Yay! Then, guess what happened? Something not so good. The pair was on sale for Black Friday for $600.00 less! The Mister got up at four in morning to try and get a price adjustment, but no luck because the appliances had already been delivered. Boo hoo. Can you see my sad face as I'm telling you this?

Addendum ~ The salesperson had indicated that they might be part of the sale, but since we didn't know if they would be for sure and we really needed a washing machine and lots of the appliances were already out of stock and we didn't realize the price would be soooo much less...we got them. Sigh.

Well, I'm moving on from my appliance drama to talk food now, okay? You're probably wondering if these photos have to do with anything anyway. Ohhh my heavens, I have eaten so much lately! The scale is not my friend. Not only was there Thanksgiving, but yesterday, I made my favorite cookies, white chocolate macadamia nut and then, the day before Thanksgiving I made these yummy pumpkin donut muffins. Really, the horror of what I've been eating just goes on and on.

I found the muffin recipe at Martha Stewart and made some adjustments based on the reviews. I don't feel like typing the whole thing out right here, but in case you're wondering, I took out the nutmeg and allspice and substituted two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead. I also used one can of pumpkin puree and one cup of brown sugar. I made one bunch in a muffin tin and one bunch that I just scooped onto a pan like cookies...the muffin kind turned out better. They might not be the prettiest thing around, but I must say, they were super delicious and I will definitely make them again.

Well, now that Thanksgiving is over, I've moved full swing into Christmas. We put up our tree Thursday night and have been decorating it over the last few days. My daughter insists that it's not colorful enough. She had a little tree that she was decorating while I was busy looking through all the Christmas things. She put a string of lights on it and some small little ornaments, as well as some deflated balloons...yep, it's quite the sight. Maybe I'll take a photo and include it in one of my Christmas decorating posts :)

Hope you have a good week!

xo Tricia

It's GIVEAWAY time!

2011-11-21T16:00:00.002-06:00

Lately as I've been thinking about the holidays, I've also thought about all of you and how you make me feel ohhh so happy! With that thought circling around in my head, I figured that this would be the perfect time of year to give out a little bit of love.

I've never really told you very much about my wonderful BFF, Kristi, who also happens to be my sister, but today's the day. Kristi is such an amazingly sweet and kind person, and she's also very talented too. She makes the most beautiful fine silver jewelry and recently created this pretty Love in My Heart necklace which she has generously offered to give to one of you.

In the past, Kristi's jewelry designs were sold only in boutiques and specialty stores across the country, but just recently she also started offering her jewelry for purchase through her own website. She has so many pretty things, here's a little sample...

Some of her best sellers are necklace and bracelet charms, as well as items that can be personalized with a saying or quote of your choice...or even a name or initial. Wouldn't that make a nice Christmas gift? Yep, it would.

Ohhh, I just love that love charm! So anyway, there are four ways that you can be the lucky winner of the Love in My Heart necklace pictured at the top of the page.

For one entry...

Leave a comment below.

For additional entries...

Blog about or post this giveaway on your sidebar
Visit Kristi's website and leave me a comment telling me your favorite item
Like Kristi Roshau Jewelry on Facebook

Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry and if you comment anonymously, be sure to leave your email address. If I can't find your email address I will chose another winner. The giveaway ends November 27th.

Also, if you find anything on Kristi's site that you'd love to order, perhaps as a Christmas gift for someone special or for yourself, she's offering free standard shipping within the US for orders over $25.00 placed through November 30, 2011.

By the way, I plan on having another giveaway in the next few weeks with a few pretty things I've found recently, so be sure to look for that too :)

Hope you have a great week!

xo Tricia

: The giveaway is now closed :

Cookies and a Cup of Cocoa

2011-11-15T06:30:00.000-06:00

Hello. Happy Tuesday to you! Hope you had a good weekend. Did you do anything fun and exciting? I'm not really expecting you to say, "Yes," since judging from the all the comments on my last post, we all seem to be a bunch of homebodies.

I didn't do much. Shocking, isn't it?! Really though, it wasn't because I didn't want to, I just wasn't feeling too well. I mostly stayed in, cleaned a little and managed to eat lots and lots of cookies...the holiday baking has begun.

The kids and I enjoyed our cookies with some nice warm mugs of hot chocolate, a drink which is always a big hit at our house. Luckily we didn't have any marshmallows or whipping cream to top it off, I can barely imagine all the calories I consumed as it was.

The sun was setting as I was taking these photos and I think the golden light lends such a nice, cozy feeling...perfect for when there's a chill in the air and a toasty cup of cocoa will warm you up.

I thought I'd join in with Texture Tuesday again today. The assignment was to use Kim's Phoebe texture. I was in a bit of a quandary what to do with these shots since I don't really care for textures on food photos. Everything worked out well though, since it was a rather light texture, I used it to lighten parts of my photos that I felt were too dark.

Well, that's all for today. Chat later.

xo Tricia

I Need to Get Out More

2011-11-10T20:03:00.007-06:00

Apparently, I need to get out more. That's according to a cute little old lady at Costco anyway. Yesterday I stopped off at the store to pick up a bit of this and a bit of that, including these apple pears and pretty green carnations. Don't you just love the color of those flowers? They kind of make me think of lettuce.

Anyway, back to Costco...I was browsing through the magazines, just minding my own business, when the aforementioned little old lady comes up beside me. As I reach for a decorating magazine, she picks up one about fashion and flips to a perfume ad showing a woman draped in a gold gown, laden with jewelry. Showing it to me, she says with a thick European accent, "Why you look at dat? Zis is the one for you. You young...you have good figure. "

For a moment, my brain was a little uncertain as to what was going on, so after a pause I say something on the order of, "Well, ummm...I don't really know where I'd wear something that. I pretty much only go places like this and Target." Kind of sad...I know. A thought which was confirmed by the woman when she replied, "Vhat? Dat is vhat old people do!" and flicks her hand up in the air, as if she was waving me away.

So, I mosey along with my purchases, come home, and take some photos of my chosen items, all the while thinking about what she said...knowing she's right and wondering to myself if this is a message from God or something. It's not like she didn't say something I haven't already thought myself...I was just surprised to hear it coming from a complete stranger.

See, the thing is, I'm a bit of a homebody and not what anyone would call adventurous, but, I don't want to live the life of an old woman before my time either. So, thanks to an encounter with a lovely little elderly lady, I'm reminded that maybe I needed to mix things up and live a little more.

Hope you all get out and have some fun this weekend...I'll do my best :)

By the way, thank you soooo much for all your nice words about my Artful Blogging feature...you're all so sweet and made me feel so super, duper good!

xo Tricia

I'm in Artful Blogging!

2011-11-04T16:00:00.000-05:00

Even before I started my blog, one of my favorite publications was Artful Blogging. With each new issue, I found endless inspiration and secretly thought about how wonderful and amazing it would be to someday see myself in its pages. I'm beyond thrilled to say that my wish has came true and that that day has arrived.

This past July, I was contacted by the editor of Artful Blogging asking if I would like to be a part of an upcoming issue, to which I wholeheartedly said, "Yes!" Well, the Winter 2012 magazine has just been published and in it you'll find eight pages of my photographs along with my article.

I wrote about all the time I've spent wondering where I'm supposed to be headed in my life...what I'm meant to be doing. I talked about how for a long time, I thought I'd never find the answer, but slowly, bit by bit, a little thought started to seep into my head and then...I knew.

So, anyway, thank you Artful Blogging for letting me share a little bit of myself in your pretty publication. I feel so honored...and happy.

Now, I may be a wee bit biased, but I think this issue is truly one of the most beautiful that I've ever seen them put together. This is partly thanks to a variety of lovely ladies, including Anne at Fiona and Twig, Tracey from French Larkspur and Lynda at Lynda Naranjo Photography, who provided pages and pages of beauty and inspiration. Ohhh my, it's just so much gorgeousness all rolled together, I know you'd all love it too.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you all have a spectacular weekend.

xo Tricia

Bruschetta... Tomatoes, Basil and Baguettes

2011-11-02T08:42:00.003-05:00

Hello to you! How was your Halloween? Did you partake in some good old, scary fun and lots of yummy treats? I was the candy hander outer at my house. Not a fun job considering the many, many, many children in my neighborhood. I do really enjoy seeing all the costumes though, especially on the little kids, they're always so cute.

Anyway, in addition to handing out the candy, I've been doing more than my fair share of being the candy eater too. That's the bad thing about Halloween, there's easy access to all the things I don't normally buy. It's a weakness, I tell you.

I don't know what the deal is, but I've also had another craving lately...bruschetta. Each time I make it, I gobble nearly the whole thing down along with an entire baguette...that gives you an idea of how super delicious it is. I thought I'd share the recipe with today so that you can revel in all the yumminess too.

Bruschetta

3 or 4 Roma Tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup snipped fresh basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 baguette
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Garlic Butter

1/4 cup of butter, softened
1 clove of garlic, minced
a little salt
a little pepper

To make the bruschetta topping, mix together the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside. Just a little FYI, to peel a tomato, place the tomato in very hot water for a few minutes. When you remove it the skin will peel off easily.

To make the garlic butter, mix together, in a separate bowl, the butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Slice the bread and top with a little bit of the garlic butter. Broil the bread for a few minutes until it is lightly browned. Put tomato topping on bread, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and put back in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese just slightly starts to melt.

If you're like me, you'll eat some right away, and then...you'll eat some more :)

By the way, thank you so much to everyone who left me a kind, congratulatory comment on my magazine post. It makes me feel so good that you share in my joy along with me.

Hope you have a good day!

xo Tricia

La Mia Casa Romantic Country...and Me!

2011-10-28T09:01:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone. I have a little secret that I'm so excited to share with you today. This past summer, which already seems like many months ago, I received the most wonderful email from the Italian publishing group, Tatillo Editrice, asking to feature my blog and photos in one of their magazines.

My article was just published in the November issue of La Mia Casa Romantic Country and I received a copy of the magazine last week. Oh my goodness, I can't even tell you how happy I was to get that package in the mail and see my photographs in print. Since most of us aren't lucky enough to live in the gorgeous country of Italy and would never see the magazine in person, I thought I'd give you a peek at how the whole thing came together.

I'm so excited and honored to have been included in such a pretty publication and I want to say a big thank you to everyone at the magazine...especially Cinzia.

I have another little bit of news to share with you, but I think I'll save that for next week. Hope you have a great weekend!

xo Tricia

Chinese Lanterns and Tomatillos

2011-10-25T07:30:00.000-05:00

Hello. Happy Tuesday to you! Yesterday while I was out and about, I made a quick stop at a my favorite gardening shop to see if they had anything new and exciting going on. Well, they did. They were getting all their Christmas stuff out. I love Christmas and everything about it, so of course, I had to take a look around. Hum dee dum, I leisurely strolled along, making mental notes about what I should get, then I thought, "Hello? It's still October, there's time for you to come back and look at this another day."

So I moved on and made my way over to the cut flower section and what did I finally see? Chinese lanterns! Ohhh happy day, I've been waiting for these beauties. To me, they just seem like Fall in a cute little package. Wanting to photograph their pretty papery selves, I got a few...along with a caramel. Ugghh. I always have to get a caramel and eat it the minute I get in the car. Never mind that I ate almost a whole bagful the day before...ones that were supposed to be for caramel apples.

Happily driving home, I stop at the grocery store to get, among other things, more caramels and what do I spy?! These cute little tomatillos! I've never seen those there before. Don't they look just like the Chinese lanterns, except that they are green? I think so too. Of course, I had to Google that and see what it was all about. Apparently they're from the same group of plants...the nightshade family. Hmmm...how interesting.

I had high hopes of taking a bunch of photos yesterday, but it seems like the minute I got my camera out it got all cloudy. I don't know what I'm going to do this winter when it's all gray and dreary.

I thought I'd join up with Texture Tuesday again this week. We were instructed to use two of Kim's textures on our photos. I actually used four: crackerjack, just cause, serendipity and aurora. Not all together, but in varying combinations.

Well, lovely people that's that! By the way, I'm very behind in my visiting, but I'll be around soon.

xo Tricia

Pumpkins, Bittersweet and Light

2011-10-20T08:49:00.004-05:00

Hello...here I am. I can't believe it's been over a week since I've posted! Time sure flies when your not having fun...lol. I've been busy, but have also felt a little uninspired lately. I did manage to do a little Autumn decorating around the house this week....mostly I just scattered a few pumpkins here and there and then added some bittersweet to the mix for a little Fall flair.

Just as an aside...see those cute napkins up there? I got those at Pottery Barn the other day on clearance. Doesn't the color of the stripe match that pumpkin perfectly? I love it when things like that happen.

Anyway, I took my new napkins, a pumpkin, and some bittersweet and gourds and put together a little vignette in the only room it seems like I ever show you...the dining room. Then I took a few shots in the evening and a few shots the next afternoon for a little unscientific lighting experiment, just to get a better feel for how light affects the mood and look of a photo.

I generally try to take my photos in the morning or towards evening since the light is softer, giving a nice glow to the pictures and the least amount of shadows. These first three photos were taken later in the day than I would normally choose. This room is on the West side of my house and towards the end of the day it will get strong bands of light, which I find to be too distracting and harsh, making some areas of a photo look too bright and others too dark.

Of the three, I prefer the first photo...even though it is a little dark. It has more of a cozy, warm feel and sun is acting kind of like a spotlight on the items I want you to notice the most, the bittersweet and the pumpkin. The second photo has too many shadows around the base of the pumpkin for my liking and third photo feels fine, although I don't really care for the light that is falling across the top of the sideboard.

These last two photos were taken in the afternoon when it was rather cloudy, which is something I pretty much avoid at all costs, since I have a hard time getting pictures to turn out to my liking in that type of weather. For example, in the photo below, while I like the composition, the lighting feels too cold to me, especially in the area near the top of the photo. I can hardly stand to look at that part.

Now, this next photo, I really, really like...even though it was taken at the same time of day. What?! Hmmm. Why I wondered? What's different? I had to really look at them both to figure out the answer.

See in the shot below how the top and bottom parts of the photo are more out of focus in comparison to the photo above, softening the edges? It seems to diminish the harsh, cool look of the light. Also, because it contains fewer items, just the pumpkin, bowl and bittersweet, it has more of a minimalist look which seems to work well with this type of light and your eye more easily gravitates toward the center of the photograph, don't you think?

Okay then, let me see, are there any big, overall conclusions that I can glean from my experiment? No, not really, except for maybe I need to learn how to use my camera settings better :) I do, perhaps, have some general thoughts. It appears that a band of light could be a spotlight or create a more intimate mood, as long as it's not too harsh and too bright. And if should I run into a situation where I have cool, yet bright, light, it might be nice to have the edges out of focus to soften the look of the light.

My camera is also set to auto white balance and I haven't really tried to make adjustments to that setting too much. There have been occasions where I've changed it to allow for overcast skies, but then I felt like my photos had a bit too much of a yellow tone. I'm thinking I need to play around with that setting some more and figure things out better.

Well, lovely people that's that. Do you have any thoughts, ideas or helpful hints about photography and lighting you're dying to talk about? I'd love for you to share :)

xo Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

Feathered Nest Friday
Show and Tell Friday

A Photo Prop and Some Flowers

2011-10-11T07:00:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, just before the weather started to turn towards Fall, I decided to drag one of my favorite photo props, my wicker and bamboo bike, out to the backyard for a handful of photos while enjoying the last few days of warm weather. To brighten things up amidst all the green, I added a few flowers with an Autumnish feel...pink, orange and red zinnias and some big ole sunflowers.

As much as I love the change of seasons, I sure am going to miss all the beautiful folliage and flowers. They're so perfect for photographs. Starting with this bunch of flowers, I'm once again making visits to the florist to buy flowers, rather than photographing the nature found in my own yard.

I'm joining up with Texture Tuesday again this week, so I've added Kim's warm sun texture to all of my photos...mostly just to soften and change the color tone of my shots.

Hope you're all having a good week so far!

Chat later ♥ Tricia

Baked Apples and Granola

2011-10-10T08:14:00.005-05:00

Hello, hello! Happy Monday to you. I hope you had a good weekend. It was nice and warm and wonderful here, a string of perfect days. One of the things I love about this time of year, in addition to the gorgeous weather we've been having, is that my favorite apples come into season...Honeycrisp and Sweet Tango. Both are soooo delicious...tart, crisp and sweet. The perfect trio.

The other day when I was at the grocery store, I found a new little apple to try, Chestnut Crabapples. I bought a bunch and thought I'd combined them with my favorites for a tasty treat...Baked Apples with Granola.

This recipe was born, a few years ago, out of necessity, thanks to a craving. I'm sure you've been there, in desperate need of something sweet. I didn't want to go through cookbooks, searching for something to make...I probably wouldn't have all the ingredients anyway. I also didn't want go to the store to get something...that would take too long. So, like any good woman in a crisis, I dug around to see what I could concoct out of the items I already had and came up with this...something yummy and quick to put together with minimal ingredients.

I always bake this dessert in little ramekins for individual servings. This works out best for me, since if there was a big pan of it I would just keeping eating and eating...sad, but true. The recipe is a little inexact, but here's what I do:

Baked Apples and Granola

tart, crisp apples
brown sugar
cinnamon
butter
prepared package of granola - I used a vanilla almond flavor

Peel, core and slice the apples. Arrange a few layers of apple in the ramekin and then sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and granola. Add a few more layers of apple. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar and add a generous amount of granola.

Put a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of brown sugar in a container and melt it in the microwave until bubbling. Pour the mixture over the granola. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar and then mix the topping around a little bit with a fork.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, then cover with aluminum foil. Bake for approximately 10 more minutes. After removing from the oven, allow to cool for a bit and then enjoy while it's nice and warm and delicious...if you can wait that long :)

Well, there ya go...my contribution to those of you who may be having a craving crisis :)

Happy thoughts from me to you.

xo Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:
Wow Us Wednesdays

An Outdoor Autumn Table

2011-10-06T17:35:00.003-05:00

Hello sweet people. How has your week been? We've been experiencing the most beautiful, sunshiny weather around here. A glorious Indian Summer. I've been taking every possible chance to enjoy it while it lasts. Today, for instance, I gathered up a few little tidbits with some autumnish flavor and set about creating an outdoor table setting.

At the center of it all was an old grain sack and this plump grey-green pumpkin. I love it's shape. Does anyone know what variety it is? I wish I knew. Anyway, I just combined it with some red pears, hydrangeas and a few little berries from my crabapple tree.

I got a little help from Mother Nature. It was nice and breezy while I was doing all my arranging. Leaves were blowing every which way, floating down to my table...giving it a nice natural look.

I still need to do some indoor decorating, maybe I'll focus on that next week...when it's supposed to be raining. Enjoy your weekend!

xo Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

Feathered Nest Friday

Vintage Inspiration Friday
It's Fall Y'all
Fall in Love

Somerset Life

2011-10-03T16:18:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! Oh, what a happy day it was when I opened the mailbox and found this...the newest issue of Somerset Life. They contacted me awhile ago asking to print two of my photographs, to which I quickly said, "YES!" I'm just thrilled to see my pictures in a magazine. Me. I can't believe it.

I just wanted to share my happy news with someone and I picked you. Hope you're having a good week so far!

xo Tricia

Heirloom Tomatoes and Panzanella Salad

2011-09-30T08:17:00.001-05:00

When I think about autumn, one of the first things that comes to mind is the multicolored mosaic of leaves that decorate the trees. The way the sun glistens and highlights their colors. The way they softly sway in the breeze. And the way they gently float down to the earth, peppering the ground with their prettiness, delighting our eyes.

While I was out and about the other day, I came across these beautiful heirloom tomatoes in shades reminiscent of fall's leaves, and all their splendid colors, and thought they would be perfect for an autumn-inspired meal...Panzanella Salad.

I love the flavors of this salad, but I especially love all the bread! Each time I make it, I gather up all my recipes, do a little comparing and then adjust things to my liking. Here's my current version...

Panzanella Salad

1 loaf dense rustic bread
olive oil for coating bread
1 European seedless cucumber
1 yellow pepper
1/2 small red onion
10 to 16 ounces of small tomatoes such as cherry, grape and yellow pear
1/4 cup fresh basil
kalamata olives
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
1 clove of garlic
feta cheese
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat both sides of the bread with olive oil, cut it up into cubes and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for about 20 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Peel cucumber, halve it and cut into slices. Dice seeded yellow pepper and red onion. Halve tomatoes and chiffonade basil. Toss all together along with the olives.

To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, olive oil and garlic in a bowl.

Add the feta, bread and dressing to the vegetables and toss. Let stand for about 15 minutes, serve at room temperature and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Hopefully, I explained everything properly. I should also say, I don't usually add all of the dressing to the salad since I don't like my salads too saturated. I just kind of eyeball it depending on how much bread there is...sometimes I tend to eat a lot of the cubes before they end up in the salad ;)

Well, my lovelies, that's all I have for today. I hope you have a happy, sunshine-filled weekend. The weather here is supposed to be gorgeous and I'm looking forward to that.

xo Tricia

Lavender Love

2011-09-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

I'm always on the look out for pretty little bits and pieces to add to my ever growing collection of photo props. Lately, I've been lucky, and a few things have caught my eye.

Item number one...a sweet-smelling bundle of lavender. I got it a few weeks ago while I was out and about and made a stop a L'Occtaine. Have you ever been there? One word...love. If you adore lavender and all things French, then that's the store for you. In my mind, if you rolled L'Occtaine and Restoration Hardware into one, it would pretty much be paradise...I think I could live there :)

Anyway, I pulled a few sprigs from the bundle to put together a little collection of photos for today. I already had the stamps, but I just found this crushed velvet ribbon in a violet hue and thought it would look nice paired with the lavender flowers.

The little tart tins were a recent find too. Oh, what a moment of glee, when I spotted these...love the fluted edges. I have an awful memory for recalling prices, but I think I paid about $3.00 or so for the six of them. There was another group of six and I'm thinking I should go back and get those too! I don't know why I think I need them...it's just because they're cute, I suppose.

Since I'm joining up with Texture Tuesday today, I used a few of Kim's creations to spruce up my shots, Aurora and Stained Linen. I think they were a nice finishing touch. The theme today is love and being I love all my new little finds, I figured they'd fit the mix :)

Hope you're having a good week thus far...catch ya later!

xo Tricia

At the Arboretum

2011-09-22T08:02:00.001-05:00

Hello sweet people! Well, here we are...the last official day of summer. Boo hoo! Knowing it's time to move on from the sights of summer towards thoughts of fall, I thought I'd put up a few photos that I took a couple of weeks ago at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. I went with my mom, sister and kids to capture a few final summer photos and have a little fun in the sun. Really, I should say fun in the rain since it starting pouring the minute we got there...it got better as the day went on though.

The Arboretum has more than 1,100 acres of pure prettiness, with plenty of walking trails to take it all in. I would've have loved to have gotten more pictures, but my people sometimes get annoyed if I stop for photos. I feel like I have to be sneaky about it...when they turn their heads or start walking away I quick move into position and snap a few shots. I'm thinking that I need to go back ALONE!

Can you spot the butterfly in this one?

Okay, feast your eyes on this! Is this vine structure cool or what?! It's quite large. You can walk inside of it and it's divided up into room-like areas with windows. I really, really, wanted a photo of the flowers looking through one of the windows, but my daughter was getting crabby with a capital C. Yet another reason to go alone :)

I can't believe this is the only post I've done this week and I'm so behind in my visiting too. I've been really busy with a variety of things...we refinanced our house, my daughter started preschool, the kids started back with their church classes and a little of this and that. Hopefully, life will feel a little more normal soon.

Have a great weekend!

xo Tricia

Simple Autumn Decorating

2011-09-15T18:22:00.011-05:00

{LEM photo challenge}

When it comes to decorating for the seasons, I like to keep things very simple...favoring a look that's natural and organic with minimal pattern and lots of texture. Since it's starting to look and feel like autumn outside, I figured I'd try to bring a little bit of natural goodness to the indoors.

Since there is more than enough acorns to feed the squirrel population at my parents' house, I decided it was okay to gather up a bowlful of those little brown beauties to display in an old wooden bowl. Just as an aside, my dad said I shouldn't have any problems finding some acorns...there were so many that it's like you were walking on marbles. I thought that was funny. Anyway, back to my project...I didn't do anything too fancy with them, just paired the whole thing with a few little hydrangea blossoms and sat it atop some French ledger paper on a side chair in my living room.

Then, I cut a bunch of hydrangea blossoms, enough to fill that bucket I had in my living room, and set it up in front of the window. A vintage book and a silk ribbon in some fall-like colors sit on the stool for a little something extra.

The more I kept looking at that bucket of flowers, I started to think about how good it would look on the dining room table. So of course, I had to try it out in there too.

I just plopped a few pears next to it and called it done.

I really like the way it looks, especially since that pie safe has the same finish. I'm thinking that I might have to rustle up another bucket somewhere so that I can have one in the living room and one in the dining room. You can never have too much of a good thing...right?!

You know what else I'm thinking would look good in that bucket? Pinecones. I'll have to remember that for Christmas. I really can't believe that thoughts of Christmas are entering my mind...sad.

Oh, since I'm on the topic of decorating, I recently won a giveaway from Courtney at French Country Cottage...a copy of Romantic Prairie Style, signed by Fifi herself! That book is just full of decorating inspiration. I would've taken a photo, but really, who hasn't seen it?! Thanks, Courtney...I love it :)

Anyway, hope you have a good weekend!

xo Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Feathered Nest Friday

Saturday Nite Special

LEM Photo Challenge

Summer's Fade to Fall

2011-09-13T07:40:00.000-05:00

Here in the Midwest, it seems that summer barely arrives and then, before we know it, it's gone, leaving us with a few freckles and some sunny day memories. As much as I love fall and all of its beauty, I think about the things I'm going to miss...wonderful things that will soon be left behind until summer returns once again.

There's the sweet scent of flowers gathered fresh from the garden, the delicious taste of fruit direct from the farmer's market and long days spent watching my children languish around in swimsuits and flip-flops enjoying the sun's warm rays.

The smell of freshly cut grass wafting through the air, feeling the breeze through open windows and days where the word jacket doesn't enter my vocabulary. Jackets. Ohhhh, I can barely stand the thought.

Yep, there's definitely a change in the air. Yesterday was just about perfect, sunny and hot. Summer's last hurrah, it appears, since some cool crisp weather is headed in our direction...nudging us along towards fall.

So I'll sadly bid summer adieu, put on a happy face and welcome all that autumn has to offer. Readying myself for all of its colorful splendor and cozy, sweater-filled days. Hoping that it lasts as long as possible...delaying the entrance of winter.

xo Tricia

Flowers, Clothespins and Cards

2011-09-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

Hello there. Hope you had a nice long weekend. Mine was good...just a little of this and a little of that. My son starts back to school today, so I'm looking forward to having a routine and getting back into blogging a bit more. I always feel like I'm going every which way during the summer, don't you?

Anyway, I thought I'd take some photos of a few odds and ends. Nothing that really goes together, yet some how does, if you know what I mean. I gathered up some old postcards, a tole letter holder, a grainsack and, of all things, clothespins. Of course, I had to add some flowers too, hydrangeas, since I have an abundance of them...and just so ya know, I'm sure there will be more to come in another post or two :)

I'm joining up with Kathleen's White Wednesday and also Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday since I haven't linked up to a photo party in awhile. I'd like to take part in more photo challenges to improve my photography and editing skills...there's so much to learn and not enough time.

All of these photos have three layers of Kim's cracker jack texture in hue, darken and soft light. I also used the milk and honey action from Florabella. I've never tried using hue to adjust a texture before, soft light is my usual mode, but I thought I'd mix it up a little today. I like how everything came out with a nice crackly vintage look. The first and last photos are my favorites.

Well, that's that. I'll be back later this week, so until then...have a good one :)

xo Tricia

Lake Life

2011-09-01T17:13:00.002-05:00

Hello, friends. Well, here it is September already. Can you believe it? It seems like summer went by in the blink of an eye and I barely got a chance to take it all in.

I did enjoy a few nice moments here and there though. Remember when I went to the lake a few weeks ago to freshen things up and get the place all sparkly clean? Well, while I was there, I managed to slip away from my chores, take a few photos and enjoy some of the last remaining days of summer and its wonderful weather.

My daughter isn't usually a very willing participant when it comes to taking her photo, but I had a lucky moment when she found this little butterfly and was instantly intrigued. The day before that, she let me know that she was tired of taking pictures and was going home...and off she went.

I love the location of our cabin. It's about four miles down a long, winding tree-covered road. You can't see it, but it's nestled right there on the left amongst all those trees. The setting is almost picture perfect.

I love how the shadows make me look so skinny...lol.

My daughter loves the lake. She'd hike up her skirt, wade in the water and look for fish...determined that she was going to catch one with her hands. Thinking that might not work, she begged and begged me to get out her fishing pole so she could go fishing. According to her, we could use leeches, which, by the way are "super cute and you can cut them up." Ummm, yeah. That argument didn't really sway me in her direction.

I'll stick with butterflies.

Oh, by the way, a quick little cabin cleaning report...yep, the tub was orange. Nice. It was dreamy though in comparison to the probably twenty loads of laundry that I did. And, guess what? I'm still not done.

Well, lovely people, that's all I have for today. I hope you have a great weekend.

By the way, thank you for all your sweet thoughts about the loss of my kitty, Tucker. Your kindness really touched my heart.

xo Tricia

Goodbye, my sweet little love...

2011-08-25T12:44:00.000-05:00

As I write this, my thoughts are flooded with memories and my eyes with tears. Yesterday, the spirit of my sweet little kitty, Tucker, was set free. He graced my life for fifteen years and I can't imagine a day without him. It's so hard for me to grasp that all of the special moments that we were meant to share that have come to a close.

I held his little body and whispered my goodbyes as he nuzzled his soft wispy face against mine. I stroked my fingers over his little nose as he purred softly, and then...he was gone. I am in a fog of sadness, my heart heavy with grief over the loss of the little creature that I'm certain God made especially for me. I'll will forever treasure the time we had together. Goodbye, my sweet boy, until we meet again, I send you my tearful hugs and kisses...and my love.

Tricia ♥

Limonata

2011-08-17T07:56:00.001-05:00

When it comes to great packaging, I'm an easy mark. Needless to say, when I saw these super cute little bottles of sparkling Italian lemonade, I knew I had to have them. That they're something lemony makes them even more appealing to me.

To say I have a bit of a lemon addiction would be an understatement. I'm constantly cutting and squeezing lemons into my soda, savoring every last drop...and probably wearing all the enamel off my teeth in the process :) I shouldn't really be adding a smiley face to that, should I?

I thought I'd pair those little bottles of lemony goodness with some actual lemons for a few photos. The lighting was so awful when I was taking these. It was nice and sunny when I started gathering my items, but by the time I got everything ready it looked like it was going to start pouring and I had to hurry and slap them together. You do what you can, I suppose.

I sure love these bottle caps...they seem kinda retro and summery all rolled into one.

So anyway, new subject. I'm thinking of going up to the lake for the next few days...to clean. Not looking forward to that, let me tell you. I haven't been there in almost a year, but the men folk have. I shudder to imagine what I'll find. All I know is the tub better not be orange. I got black and blue marks on my knees cleaning it last time. I'm also praying that I don't encounter any wolf spiders. Two words...super scary.

Happy thoughts from me to you!

xo Tricia

Hydrangeas in the Dining Room

2011-08-11T19:27:00.000-05:00

Hello to you! Hope you're having a good week. Let me tell you, the weather here has been absolutely glorious. I've been trying to spend more time outdoors, enjoying the sun and the last little bits of summer, just tending to my plants and such. My hydrangeas are in bloom, so I'd thought I'd cut a few, style them up and take some photos in my dining room.

Oh, I just love hydrangeas! When I bring them indoors, I always like mixing a few green blooms in with the white, even though they haven't fully flowered, since I like the contrast and the texture. I decided that some pretty aqua-colored vintage jars would be perfect for my arrangements.

I've had this old trug, carrier or whatever you want to call it for ages. I don't know why I never thought to use it in here before. Sometimes I'm so blind. Do you do that too? You just get used to something being in a particular spot and never really notice it and it's other possible uses? Anyway, it seems like the rustic look of the trug combined with the silverware and linens works well together, don't you think?

The vintage grain sack that usually hangs on the ladder was put away and replaced with one of my tablecloths instead for a nice little burst of color. Feels lots better...not so drab.

Of course, the blueberries brighten up the room too.

Well, my lovelies, that's all I have for ya...I'm not feeling super chit-chatty today. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

xo Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Feathered Nest Friday
Show and Tell Friday

Sweetie Pies and My Blog Anniversary

2011-08-06T20:32:00.001-05:00

Hello, you. Are you having a good weekend? I thought I'd never get a post up today since I spent the better part of the afternoon making these little heart-shaped pies, or sweetie pies, as I like to call them. Clever aren't I?

I bought a pie mold from Williams-Sonoma a week or so ago and thought that today would be the day I'd whip up some super cute little cherry pies. Let me just say that, number one...it didn't go that smoothly and number two...I'm not much of a baker. The filling kept coming out of the pies, it looked like my hearts were bleeding. Ugh, I was glad when it was all done.

Anyway, today's my one-year blog anniversary. I just wanted to say that, for my sake at least. So I can look back and say to myself, "Oh look, I made little bleeding cherry hearts, I mean, sweetie pies, that day." :)

Speaking of sweetie pies, I just want to say thanks. First, to you...all my new sweet friends who come to visit me here on my little bloggy space and share your thoughts and friendship. I've loved getting to know you all over the past year. ♥

Second, there's Sarah at Shabby Chic Interiors, a beautiful Italian blog. She featured me about a month ago and put together some pretty collages with my photos. I know a lot of you would love her style, so you may want to go and take a peek.

Lastly, one of my very best friends, Jo at Secret Garden Cottage, gave me a nice shout out the other day and I just want to say, "Right back at ya sister." :)

Well, I hope you all have a great rest of the weekend.

Big hugs ♥ Tricia

A New Little Love

2011-08-04T11:44:00.004-05:00

I have to tell you, I have a new love. No, it's not a sweet someone or a cute furry little friend. It's photographing food. Ohhhh...love it! So much so, that I just got a new book about food styling and photography the other day and I can't wait to devour all the words of wisdom it holds inside.

Today, I thought I'd combine my love of food and flowers into a photo frenzy of pretty, purple profusion. Try saying that three times fast :) A few weeks ago, my Jackmanii clematis was laden with blooms...just look at them all.

Wanting to make use of their prettiness, I paired them with some deliciously plump blueberries. Together, they felt so summery. I took these photos when it was so hot, hot, hot outside and since the berries were frozen, they thawed out and got all nice and frosty in no time.

My sister, the baker extraordinaire, whipped up these yummy little blueberry-topped cheesecakes for birthday week. It was my mom's, dad's and brother-in-law's birthdays, all just a few days apart. I think I gained a few pounds on the day we celebrated, since she also made strawberry shortcake and chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches. Sometimes I just can't control myself.

Don't they look delicious?

(The photo above is my entry for the Crazy Days of Summer Photo Challenge)

Well, sweet friends, that's all I got for ya today. Hope you're having a great week.

Until next time...

xo Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

Feathered Nest Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Crazy Days of Summer

A Peek at the Garden

2011-08-03T07:18:00.001-05:00

Hello sweet friends. Hope you're having a wonderful week. I can't believe it's already August. I'm trying to enjoy the last bits of summer that we have ahead and thinking back over how quickly the past few months have flown by.

I took a few photos at my parents' house the other day. They have a wonderful flower garden and I thought I'd share it with you.

You'll find some pretty pastel pink coneflowers.

A weathered, cast-iron bird bath nestled amongst all the greenery.

A few pretty purple hosta blooms...swaying in the breeze.

Lots of fluffy white hydrangeas...

Some daylilies and astilbes...

and more coneflowers.

This last one is at my house...I was feeling a little left out.

Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the

two most beautiful words in the English language. ~ Henry James.

Hope you have a wonderful summer afternoon.

xo Tricia

Farm Fresh Eggs

2011-08-02T00:51:00.000-05:00

Hello. Happy Tuesday to you. Don't you just love food fresh from the farm? Me too...it seems so healthy and delicious.

Sadly, these little brown beauties aren't farm fresh. I just thought it sounded much better than saying grocery store fresh eggs. I'm sure you'd agree. And really, this post isn't about food or farms...it's more about photos. I thought I'd join in with the lovely Kim Klassen for Texture Tuesday again today.

Just a few snaps with one of her yummy textures layered on top...serendipity to be exact, in darker color mode in varying degrees of opacity. That first photo has the most obviously. I can't quite recall the exact recipe even though I just did it moments ago...sleepy that I am.

Hope you're having a wonderful week thus far. I just figured out that I have to blog everyday this week. My one year blog anniversary is coming up and I need to have an even number of posts. Yes, I'm crazy like that ;)

xo Tricia

Going Natural

2011-07-28T12:21:00.003-05:00

I love the natural look. And, no, I'm not talking about my hair and letting all the grays show through or anything like that. What I really mean, is that I love a natural decorating style. Some nice crisp whites and earthy elements...the perfect combination of rustic and refined.

Little by little, I'm restyling my home. Removing patterns and color or anything that feels too feminine or just simply not right...replacing them with more texture and things with a natural feel. Over the past week or so, while I was out and about, I found some great decorating items that fit the look I love.

Do you remember when I was trying to decide what I should use for a table in here? Well, I found this little stool that I think is just about perfect. Oddly enough, it's almost exactly like the one I had in this spot before, but it has one important difference, the wood is raw...worn all nice and smooth. Really, it just about makes my heart sing when I look at it.

Then, I started thinking about this little abandoned cardinal nest that was located in a hydrangea tree right outside my dining room window. Earlier this year, it held little eggs and babies, but since they're gone now, I decided to bring it indoors to enjoy its delicate construction and pretty, natural form.

While I like color, I've come to the conclusion that the only kind I can live with is one that can be easily removed, like in some pillows or flowers. This pretty purple plant caught my eye at, of all places, the grocery store. Can you believe it? The grocery store. I love the flowers. They have a little bit of wildness or something about them.

Lastly, I came across this little vintage berry basket. I've been searching for some wooden ones for so long now, thinking that I'd never find any and would ultimately have to order some new ones. Happily though, my eye spied this well-loved little charmer with its worn metal edge. Perfect for the look I'm going for.

Perhaps I could lounge around in this chair, eating strawberries out of that little basket, while I enjoy those flowers. Yep, that sounds like a good idea...maybe I could read a book while I'm at it too.

Well, there they are...a few finds that, I think, compliment each other and fit my natural style. I love when everything comes together just the way I see it in my mind's eye...especially since it seems like that rarely happens :)

Have a good day!

xo Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

Vintage Inspiration Friday
Feathered Nest Friday
Show and Tell Friday
White Wednesday

Summertime Smoothies

2011-07-25T17:50:00.001-05:00

How about a nice cool treat in the midst of this summertime heat? I love making smoothies and usually have one or, even two, every single day. Since I started doing this a year ago, I very rarely buy ice cream anymore, choosing this as a healthy alternative instead. Even my kids love it.

During the summer months I take advantage of all the delicious fresh fruit, buying massive amounts of strawberries and raspberries, which I clean and freeze myself. Then when it's smoothie time I just whip it all into my Vitamix, which I love, love, love by the way, and in a minute or two everything's done.

Are you a smoothie lover too? Here's the recipe I usually make:

As you can see, I kind of wing it a little bit. I tried to make it as precise as I could for you though. Sometimes, I add other things like blueberries, grapes or flax sprinkles. I've even added carrots and spinach and no one even knew they were there...hee, hee :)

Oh, by the way, hopefully you don't see any spelling errors in my recipe. I'm a terrible speller and, as far as I can tell, my photo editing program doesn't have spell check.

Well, that's that people, my healthy recipe of the day. Enjoy and stay cool.

xo Tricia

Very Cherry

2011-07-21T07:52:00.002-05:00

Hello sweet people, I have a little bit of cherry love for you today. Lately, all the beautiful colors found in summer's fresh fruits and vegetables have caught my eye and I feel like I have to photograph them. So, be warned, this will probably be the first in a series of food-themed photos.

Now, just look at these wonderfully plump Rainier cherries. Mmmm...don't they look so delicious? Tasty and pretty, what a perfect combination.

During the summer months, I love using fresh flowers and fruit to add a little pop of color and some prettiness to my home. I think the variety of textures and colors that natural elements provide give our surroundings a cozy, welcoming feel, don't you?

My sweet boy agreed to be my photography assistant. I tried to wrangle my daughter into helping too, but she'd have none of it. While she does love fruit, I would've probably had to use candy, not cherries, to entice her.

My son, on the other hand, was more than willing to eat a few of these yummy little beauties. That's one of the best parts about using fruit as a way to brighten up our home...we are able to eat our home decor. Always a plus.

Best wishes for a wonderful weekend.

xo Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

Feathered Nest Friday

Restless

2011-07-14T16:52:00.003-05:00

I've always been a thinker, a ponderer...a collector of thoughts. I contemplate life endlessly and am never quite certain as to the path I should be following.

The other day, while languishing on the sofa in a state of semi-sleep, I could hear the faint buzzing of a fly against the glass of the window. Over and over, it circled the perimeter trying to find its way to the outdoors. It could see where it wanted to go, but just couldn't manage to get there.

I started to think about that fly and about how its behavior mirrors my own. I also look out at the world before me and find that, for some reason, there is a seemingly invisible force holding me back from the life I want to live. For me, this force isn't transparent like a sheet of glass, rather it's a little smudged and obscure, as things have a tendency to become over time, making it not easily penetrated by the light that could bring clarity and guide my way.

This weighs on me...making me feel restless and weary, frustrated and consumed. Recently, while talking with my son, he wondered what I hoped to be when I grow up. I just sighed, shrugged my shoulders and told him that I wish I knew. The sad thing is that I'm so far beyond being grown up that I wonder if I'll ever know the answer to his question.

The need to reflect and figure things out is always there, encompassing my thoughts and taking up my time. Because of this, I've had less to give to my space here and less time for visiting. For the moment, I'm just trying to give a little love to the other pieces of my world.

xo Tricia

Lavender in the Living Room

2011-07-05T14:12:00.002-05:00

Hello sweet people. How was your weekend? It was absolutely picture perfect here. We were gifted with sunshine-filled days and warm gentle breezes. I spent most of my time outside doing a little of this and a little of that.

Our kitty cat is loving the weather too. He has taken to zipping out the door the moment it opens, running out to the flowers and rolling around in them, happy as can be. His favorite spot is right in the middle of the catmint. He has loved them so much that a few of the bushes became flatter than flat.

I decided to cut all the pretty lavender blooms off and let them start anew. I brought them into the living room, arranged them in a galvanized bucket and decided they would be a starting point for some redecorating.

The grain sack inspired pillow came from Pottery Barn. I've had it for awhile, since last winter actually, but had yet to use it anywhere. I thought the color would meld well with the lavender.

The ceiling in this room is ten feet tall, and I've been thinking that maybe it needs a few items with some height. While out shopping a week or two ago, I spied another ladder and have been wondering if I should make it mine. I'm not fully committed to the idea yet, so I decided to bring in the ladder from the dining room and test out the idea.

The little sprig of catmint that I had on the book also looked pretty hanging on the ladder.

Well, that's all I have for today. I have to go out and enjoy the sun for a bit now. I took a little break from visiting blogs over the weekend, so I'll be around to catch up with you all later.

xo Tricia

Berry Good

2011-06-30T17:24:00.006-05:00

Hello to you! Well, are you all ready for the big holiday weekend? I thought I'd put together a 4th of July inspired post featuring red, white and blue. My subject of choice, something yummy and berry good.

Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries all grouped together in bright white bowls make an eye-catching an appetizing centerpiece for a holiday table, don't you think? Mmmm.

How about a sweet treat? I found some tasty little angel food cakes and topped them with whipped cream and berries for a yummy, but not too fattening dessert. Of course, I ate this one the minute I was done with my photos. Gotta make sure they're good, right?!

The photo above is my entry for this week's challenge at Live Every Moment. The theme is red, white and blue.

Little jell-o molds seem to be the just the right size for little berries and little hands. Plus, they're cute and won't break :)

Now that I'm finished with my photos, I have to go clean, cut up and freeze all those strawberries. I bought eight pounds the other day. They're mighty delicious and I like to stock up when they look good. Plus, we all have smoothie addictions at our house and strawberries are a key ingredient. I'll share one of my recipes with you next time...see ya then!

Hope you have a safe and fun 4th!

xo Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

Feathered Nest Friday
Live Every Moment

A Golden Texture Tuesday

2011-06-28T00:58:00.000-05:00

Hello. Happy Tuesday to you! I thought I'd pop in for a quick post. How's your week going so far? Mine's off to a good start. I thought I'd join in with Texture Tuesday again. Today's assignment was to use Kim's golden texture.

I have just a few random shots that I took awhile back, but never posted. They're from the group of photos where I used my much beloved plum blossoms...over and over and well, over.

I found this vintage hanger recently. The wood is has such a nice patina and is a little bit worn. The words embossed into it make it even more appealing to me.

Along with Kim's golden texture I also used some actions from Florabella. I set all of my textures at soft light and applied a Gaussian blur. On the first photo, I also added a second layer of the texture at multiply.

Well, that's that! I hope you have a great week. It's supposed to get pipping hot around these parts and I must say, I'm lookin' forward to it :)

xo Tricia

A Summer Look for the Living Room

2011-06-23T08:42:00.006-05:00

Hello to you! Hope your Summer is going well so far. This week, I decide to give my living room a new summery look, complete with bright whites, a few vintage elements and fresh flowers.

I started with some rearranging...swapping the porch furniture with the living room furniture. The living room is directly in front of you when you walk in the front door and I wanted it to feel nice and welcoming.

I washed all my slipcovers, which was quite the chore due to my crappy washing machine, then after finally getting the furniture all put back together, I added a little vintage stool as a side table and a few old books. And, of course, no makeover is complete without the addition of flowers. My lovely neighbor gave my these pretty pink peonies with instructions to take as many as I want. How great is that? I managed to contain my glee and greediness and only took a few.

I kept thinking about the other possible decorating options for this room and wondered how a bench would look in front of the couch. So, I got one out and added a few flowers and some old canning jars to help liven it up a bit.

I liked it, but I think I'd prefer a rustic side table instead...maybe something with metal. Another idea that came to mind was logs. We have these huge peeled logs in the garage and I'm wondering if perhaps the Mister would be willing to cut the end off of one for a little table. Oh, I think that would look good! Those things cost a small fortune though, so I don't know if he'll go for that idea.

There ya go sweet peeps...my summerfied living room. Well, all this talk has me hungry...I think I hear some strawberries calling my name. Hope you're having a wonderfully sunny week.

xo Tricia

Joining:

White Wednesday

Show and Tell Friday

Saturday Nite Special

My Daughter's Room

2011-06-16T18:23:00.007-05:00

Hello sweet people! I thought I'd show you a few photos of my daughter's room today. I've mentioned a time or two that I've been working on it and while there's always more I'd love to do, I'm just going to call it done. Yay!

When I was first thinking about what I should do in this room, I was in such a quandary. I like things neutral, while my daughter's favorite bright color changes by the day. With that in mind, I hoped to create a space that I thought blended well with our home, but was still cozy and fun for my four-year old Little Miss. In the end, I chose to keep things as neutral as possible and just let her toys add the colorful jazzy part :)

The color combination in this room makes me think of Neapolitan ice cream...so yummy...with lots of pink, brown and creamy white. The duvet and shams are from Restoration Hardware. They're soft pink and have ruffled frayed edges, which I think gives them a nice old well-loved feeling. I found the sheets at Bed, Bath and Beyond and couldn't believe how well the color matched. I love the pattern too...very simple with a white background and pink leaves.

Of course, I had to add some flowers to pretty things up. I found some beautiful peachy-pink Stock and some Chamomile too. I popped them into this old enamel bucket for a nice informal flower arrangement.

A few of the things in her room I made...the slipcover for the lampshade, the bedskirt, the brown bed pillow, the chalkboard and the white pennant flags. Gotta give a shout out to the Mister too since he made the bench.

I just finished the bedskirt this week. Whew...was that a job! All those gathers...I was wondering if my sewing machine was going to be able to manage. Luckily, it got 'er done. I made the pennant awhile ago. You may remember me telling you that my daughter thought it looked like shark's teeth. She told my mom that when she first saw her her room she was "torrified." Terrified and horrified all rolled into one...how nice. Luckily, she's okay with it now :)

I wish I had more pictures to show you, but I had a hard time just getting the few that I did...the room isn't very large and the light is a little off, so photography is a bit of a challenge. There's not that much more to see, just her little kitchen and the closet doors :)

Hope you have a good weekend!

xo Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

Feathered Nest Friday, Home Sweet Home

Show and Tell Friday & Saturday Nite Special

Prettying Up the Dining Room

2011-06-09T17:03:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! Hope you're having a good week. I've been super busy...just trying to get some things done around my house while my son was still in school. Today was the last day...now the fun begins.

I've been thinking that my dining room has been needing some love. Because of the nice light this room gets, its usually the place where I take my photos, so I'm constantly moving things around here and there and then, before I know it, it looks like a big gigantical mess. This week, I finally got it all cleared away and then I decided to pretty things up a bit.

Since I love flowers, I started there. I found these pretty pinkish peonies and thought they'd be just right for a pop of color. I just plopped them into a pitcher, added some dishes and a few old spoons and voila...done with the table!

I decided to add more vintage elements to the room. I brought in some canning jars and then hung an antique grain sack on that old ladder.

I've had both the grain sack and the ladder for quite awhile...probably close to ten years. I used to hang tablecloths on that ladder in my shop. It worked out so nice for displays because of the height and it looked pretty at the same time too! I'm so glad I kept it. When I see everyone using the ladders and the grain sacks now, I think that I must have been before my time. It's a look I had kind of gotten away from, but am now falling in love with all over again...bring it into my house more and more. I generally prefer a mix of vintage and contemporary. I think it keeps things looking fresh.

I found these old silver plate spoons at the antique store the other day...a dollar for six. Oh happy day!

Remember that old pie safe I showed you awhile back? The one that where I had the nightmarish task of removing all the paint? Well, there it is in its new home on the sideboard. I think it seems like the perfect spot. Now I can see all of the nice embossing on the door. I think the cat misses it though. He used to lay on the top of it to sun his little self.

Well, my prettying up of the dining room is all done. I've got some new projects to work on...such as sewing a bedskirt and shams for my daughter's room so I can finally be done in there too!

Hope you have a superb weekend ♥ Tricia

I'm sharing my post at:

Feathered Nest Friday

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Show and Tell Friday

Bloom

2011-06-07T06:00:00.006-05:00

Hello sweet people. I thought I'd join in with Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday again. I always love her challenges. Today we had to use one of her textures and a word in our photos. I chose to use her Just Cause texture and, as you can see, the word Bloom.

Mmmm...bloom, such a wonderful word. It brings to mind something that is growing and flourishing...becoming all that it was meant to be. I've been hoping and wishing and praying that I would bloom. Perhaps through this blog of mine. That was the reason I started it, you know, to find my way back to me.

"As long as we are persistence in the pursuit of our deepest destiny, we will continue to grow.
We cannot chose the day or time when we will fully bloom. It happens in its own time."

~Denis Waitley

This quote kind of sums up the way I feel. It tells me to keep trying and, that in time, things will happen for me. Let's hope :)

Best wishes ♥ Tricia

A Sweet Ride and a Winner

2011-06-05T12:36:00.001-05:00

Oh happy day! It's nice and warm and sunny outside...nearly a perfect day. It's the kind of weather that that makes me think I should take this sweet ride out for a leisurely spin. Ahhh the wind in my hair, the sun on my face and perhaps something cool to drink in that little basket. Doesn't that sound wonderful?

I don't actually ride this pretty wicker and bamboo bicycle...I just love it for it's looks :) Although, the Mister did take it around the block the other day, just to see if it was working properly...I'll bet that was a sight!

I got this little beauty when I owned my shop. It was perfect for displays and on warm summertime days I would wheel it out onto the sidewalk to entice passersby to mosey on over in my direction. There were plenty of people who loved it like I do, but I found it just too pretty to part with...so now it happily resides with me.

Okay my lovelies, are you ready for some giveaway talk?! The winner of my giveaway, who was randomly chosen, is Elizabeth at Just Following Jesus. I want to say a big thank you to everyone who entered and also to everyone who blogged about my giveaway or added my button to their sidebar. As an aside, I've gotten so many wonderful comments lately that I'm sooo far behind in my visiting. Just know, that I appreciate everyone who visits and leaves a comment, but sometimes life gets in the way :)

Big hugs ♥ Tricia

Fresh From the Garden...

2011-05-31T00:35:00.000-05:00

Hello all! Fresh from the garden, I've a few little blooms to share with you today. Well, one isn't really that little, it's quite large actually...it's this Shirley Temple peony. It's a beauty, don't you think? I decided to treat myself to three peony plants for Mother's Day, so I'm hoping to see a few more of these pretty blossoms coming my way. I love it's soft pink ruffled petals. Mmmm...pure yumminess.

I added one of Kim Klassen's textures to this photo for Texture Tuesday. Stained linen is what it's called. I ♥ that too. I did one layer at soft light and another at pin light, if by chance you were wondering.

Now, this flower is actually one from my mom's garden. We went to my parents' house for Memorial Day and I used the opportunity to take a few snaps. It's an azalea...so I'm told anyway. I gave this a few layers of texture too. The photo above and the photo below are the same, each just has different layers. On the first one I used two layers of stained linen.

And on this one, I used Kim's stained linen texture and her pour vous texture. Which photo do you prefer? I think that I like the first of the two the best since the flower is brighter. But, of all three, the peony is definitely my favorite.

Oh, by the way, I just want to say thank you to everyone who left me such nice comments on my last post...your kind words really mean a lot to me.

Happy thoughts from me to you.

Tricia ♥

Lights Out...Party's Over

2011-05-29T11:35:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone. Hope you're having a wonderful weekend. I have some news to share today. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about Photo Feature Friday...specifically, about how I've been feeling very consumed by the whole thing, both in my thoughts and in my time. I worry about all of the time I've been spending on the computer and about how I feel so distracted by the party.

I feel as if I've taken a wrong turn somewhere and need to get back on track. I need to follow my heart...

So, I've decided that Photo Feature Friday has come to an end. I say that with a mix of sadness and relief. I really love photography and the sharing of photos and ideas, but I don't really love the party the way that I had hoped. Sorry to be a photo party pooper.

I want to thank everyone who participated and shared all of their beautiful photos and their love of photography. Your friendship and support has been amazing. My plan is to join some of the other parties and still visit with you all!

So with that, I'll just say, lights out...the party's over. Hope you enjoyed yourself!

Let's chat soon ♥ Tricia

Photo Feature Friday No. 7

2011-05-27T07:52:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Welcome to Photo Feature Friday No. 7. So happy you came by for a visit! If you recall, the suggested theme for this week was Flowers. Mmmm...my favorite, as you probably know. If you photographed something other than Flowers, you can certainly share that too.

Do you remember me mentioning last week that I was soooo tired? Well look...see these white flower photos? They're some pictures I had taken and intended to use for last week's white theme. Wooo hooo...I think I was a little out of it or something! I didn't even remember these photos, until I saw them a few days ago. Luckily, they worked out for this week's flower theme :)

The last one is my favorite. I like the little peat pots in there.

The processing of my photos was very minimal. I just lightened them a smidge and then used the Cosmopolitan action from Florabella. You know, sometimes people ask me about actions and textures and what they should do. If you're just looking for an easy way to process your photos, I would highly recommend Picnik. It's lots of fun and free too. Trust me, you'll love it.

Time for a photo show and tell. I can't wait to see your beautiful photography!

Things to note:

Use only your own photos, not those found on the web.

Link your post, not the main page of your blog.

Please include a link to the party or the party's button in your post.

Go out, visit and leave some comments for others ♥

If you want more party specifics or need to know how to link up, you can look here.

Next week's suggested theme or challenge is: Food

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

One more thing...I have a little giveaway going on right now.
If you'd like to enter just click here.

Oh one more thing actually. For anyone who is having commenting problems, try this...when you are logging in to Blogger uncheck the little box that says "stay signed in." I did this and all is well now. Hope it helps you too.

Have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day weekend ♥ Tricia

My First GIVEAWAY!

2011-05-25T15:29:00.005-05:00

Hello my lovelies! Guess what? I have a little giveaway in store for you today! Yay! It's the very first time I've ever done one. I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has decided to follow along with me on my blog journey. I've really enjoyed making so many new friends and getting to know so many wonderful people :)

After thinking and pondering and wondering what to have as my giveaway, I finally decided to choose things that I think are pretty for decorating and for photography. And they're items you know I love because they're similar to things I show you all the time in my photos. So, want to see what you could win? I know you do. Here ya go...

The winner will get:

Four little white cafe au lait bowls from Anthropologie...I just love mine :)

An old skeleton key

A wonderfully scented lavender sachet from Provence, France

Some pretty stamps...plus a few more that aren't shown

A vintage inkwell bottle

Wondering how you can win? Well, it's very simple and easy and you have two chances. Here's the lowdown:

{one}

Leave a comment saying you follow my blog or have become a new follower. Make sure to leave your email address if it isn't listed in your blog or you don't have a blog.

{two}

If you want an additional entry, blog about my giveaway or put it on your sidebar and leave me a separate comment letting me know you did this.

• • • • • • • • •

The giveaway ends next Thursday, June 2nd at 10:00 pm central time. Well, I have to go and figure out a post for tomorrow's Photo Feature Friday...it's flower-themed if you'd like to join in!

Chat later ♥ Tricia

: :The giveaway is now closed : :

Old-Fashioned Flowers

2011-05-24T06:30:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday to you.

I know this may come as a shock, but I bought more flowers last week and thought I'd take a few photos so we could revel in their prettiness together. Once again, the Stock was calling my name and I gave in to their charms. I have to tell you, they smell just as wonderful as they look. I really can't believe it took me so long to discover them.

For some reason, this bunch seems so much fuller and fluffier than the last one that I got...maybe it's a different variety. I paired them with some chamomile blossoms. Remember? I showed you those last time. I think the mix has an old-fashioned quality. I like the little bit of messiness...as if it was plucked straight from the garden and arranged on a moment's notice.

Along with the ironstone pitchers, I added a skeleton key and an old postcard to give things a little more vintage charm. And, since it is Texture Tuesday, I layered on one of Kim Klassen's textures...yesteryear. Which I thought was quite fitting for my photos :)

Well, that's that! Oh, just a FYI...I'll be back tomorrow for a little announcement. So until then...

Tricia ♥

Photo Feature Friday No. 6

2011-05-20T07:39:00.000-05:00

Hello to you! Welcome to Photo Feature Friday No. 6. If you're new here, thanks for stopping by and if you've visited before, thanks for returning! I suggested a theme of White for this week. If you photographed something other than White feel free to link that up too.

Since I've been feeling extremely tired and not up to doing much, I didn't come up with a whole lot for today. I took five pictures and I'm showing you four of those. The entire photo session took all of about five minutes...so don't expect too much ;)

I love old keys, don't you? I decide to pair this one with some chamomile flowers...one of my contributions to the white theme of the day.

Then I thought of all the white starfish I have and how they'd be perfect for a photo or two, so I threw those into the mix.

Hold on...I hear the dog barking his head off...I have to go check it out. Maybe he knows I want to come upstairs and have some cheese and crackers :) I'll be back...

Okay, here I am. All is well now. I had a snack while I was gone and I'm feeling a wee bit better.

Let's get back to business. See that pretty handkerchief? I got it from my friend Rachel. Hi Rachel :) I thought it looked so pretty with my grouping of whites.

Well, that's all I have. Want to know the specifics? Here they are...I shot all of my photos on AV mode at f/5 or f/5.6, ISO 400 and shutter speeds of 1/25 to 1/40. I did minimal processing of my photos, just the Milk and Honey action from Flora Bella.

Time for a photo show and tell. I can't wait to see your beautiful photography!

Things to note:

Use only your own photos, not those found on the web.

Link your post, not the main page of your blog.

Please include a link to the party or the party's button in your post.
Go out, visit and leave some comments for others ♥

If you want more party specifics or need to know how to link up, you can look here.

Next week's suggested theme or challenge is an easy one: Flowers

Have a good weekend ♥ Tricia

A Little Vintage

2011-05-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Remember those pretty plum blossoms I posted photos of yesterday? Well, I was loving them so much that I thought I would use them in a few more photos for today. I hope you don't mind, but I figure that they'll be gone before I know it and why not use what ya got. Right?!

Anyway, I decide to pair them with some nice vintage elements that I have here in my home. In my book, flowers plus vintage is just about pure perfection when it comes to decorating.

I got some old clothespins from my mom a few days ago and thought I'd display them in one of the cafe au lait bowls that I have, along with the flowers. I love, love, love this look. I was thinking of my Grandma as I was doing this and how she would've thought it was funny to put out a bowl of clothespins :)

For your viewing pleasure...a few more little blooms with some vintage letters.

And lastly, some old books covered in pretty patterned papers and a teeny tiny little inkwell. Doesn't that inkwell make such a cute vase? Glad we're in agreement :)

To add to the pretty and vintage feel of my photos I layered on one of Kim Klassen's textures...serendipity.

Best wishes for a wonderful day!

Tricia ♥

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

For more pretty pictures check out:

Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday

Wonderful Things

2011-05-16T07:14:00.003-05:00

Hello. Happy Monday to you. I was thinking that today could be a day of wonderful things...

Wonderful thing number one...these pretty mugs. I won eight of them recently in a giveaway that Tracey from French Larkspur held. I was absolutely thrilled, to say the least. Thank you Tracey! Not only are these little beauties perfect for hot chocolate, but they're great for flowers and photographs too. Of course, the cup with the T is my favorite :)

I paired them with some other little wonderful things...some fluffy pink blossoms from my plum tree, a few rustic plates and some French papers that Tracey had included in her package. I think it all goes perfectly together.

Pink, brown and cream are one of my favorite color combinations...sweet, but not too much so. They're the colors that I have been using to redo my daughter's room. You know, the room I talk about but never show you. Someday soon...promise.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Tricia ♥

I'm sharing this post at:
French Country Cottage

Photo Feature Friday No. 5

2011-05-13T17:00:00.001-05:00

Hello all! Well, I'm glad to see that Blogger is finally back up. My last post is gone...out into the ether somewhere...hopefully to return soon. I wasn't sure if I should even put up Photo Feature Friday at this point, but here it is anyway. If you recall, today's photo theme was Spring. If you have something other than Spring, you're welcome to share that too.

You may have noticed that I love to include flowers in my photos...well, today is no exception. I got these the other day when I bought the ranunculus. They're called stock. They kind of remind me of delphiniums or something of that nature.

Aren't they beautiful? They seem so old-fashioned. I love them with the crate and the burlap...that's my favorite photo of the bunch.

When I processed my photos I just made a few adjustments in curves in Photoshop Elements, which was the first time I tried that, and I also used the Cosmopolitan action from Flora Bella.

Well, are you ready for a photo show and tell?

I can't wait to see your beautiful photography!

Things to note:

• Extra hugs to you if you mention photography in your post •

• Please include a link to the party or the party's button in your post •

• Go out, mingle and leave a few comments for others •

If you want more party specifics or need to know how to link up, you can look here. Please link your post, not the main page of your blog. I've noticed that some people are doing this. If you need to know how to link to your post please click the link above.

Next week's suggested theme or challenge is: White

Have a good weekend ♥ Tricia