Friday, July 31, 2009

Summertime silliness and more!

thought I would share a few of my favorite photos from the past few weeks of summer....a little Leo heavy as the other kids were off to camp last week.

snuck back to town for a quick afternoon show...

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my #1 helper

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trying out a longboard

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leo and I went to our first auction! He really wanted this hat & goggles...


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and I really wanted this old globe...

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Leo met another Leo!

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at a cool farm we visited

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then we finally had a beach day and the kids covered themselves with ground up wet chalk!

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

2 great books for this summer!

while at the cottage I have the chance to do a lot of reading...we have a fabulous little library out here that gets in a great selection of current materials and delivers them with a smile! What more could you ask for!

I thought I would share 2 AMAZING books that I read this week and thoroughly enjoyed...

the first was Sarah's Key by Tatiana deRosnay



here is the review from Publishers Weekly

De Rosnay's U.S. debut fictionalizes the 1942 Paris roundups and deportations, in which thousands of Jewish families were arrested, held at the Vélodrome d'Hiver outside the city, then transported to Auschwitz. Forty-five-year-old Julia Jarmond, American by birth, moved to Paris when she was 20 and is married to the arrogant, unfaithful Bertrand Tézac, with whom she has an 11-year-old daughter. Julia writes for an American magazine and her editor assigns her to cover the 60th anniversary of the Vél' d'Hiv' roundups. Julia soon learns that the apartment she and Bertrand plan to move into was acquired by Bertrand's family when its Jewish occupants were dispossessed and deported 60 years before. She resolves to find out what happened to the former occupants: Wladyslaw and Rywka Starzynski, parents of 10-year-old Sarah and four-year-old Michel. The more Julia discovers—especially about Sarah, the only member of the Starzynski family to survive—the more she uncovers about Bertrand's family, about France and, finally, herself. Already translated into 15 languages, the novel is De Rosnay's 10th (but her first written in English, her first language). It beautifully conveys Julia's conflicting loyalties, and makes Sarah's trials so riveting, her innocence so absorbing, that the book is hard to put down.

the second one....be sure you are not hungry when you crack it open as it is mouthwatering good!

The Lost Recipe for Happiness by Barbara O'Neal



...while this book did not garner the same rave reviews as Sarah's Key...I would class it as a great "Beach Read"... entertaining & enjoyable if not predictable. There are some delicious recipes shared throughout the novel making it a book worth checking our of your local library!

Hope you enjoy them!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Mezzanine makes its debut....

in my etsy shops!

I have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Patty Young's latest collection for Micahel Miller - Mezzanine.

You can find it by the yard in my supply shop on etsy...Betty's Closet or check out my new skirt collection on etsy in my gock's frocks shop.

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be sure to check them out as I have some new styles avaialble!

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Say Cheese....

After modeling for dear sweet mom for the past few years, Eily jumped at the chance to model for a bigger company and showed up at casting calls for Hasbro & Kodak last month....she booked both jobs!

I didn't think to take my camera to the Hasbro shoot but remembered at the Kodak shoot which was out on a farm and she had to herd geese! It was quite humorous watching about 8 adults trying to corral the geese to an area near her so she could run through and "herd" them. She was a real trooper as the shoot took 3 hours! Maybe now she will appreciate my 15 minute shoots a bit more!



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and then she got to jump in a puddle!



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look for her shots on Kodak.Com

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Two for Tuesday!

just found out I have an item up for vote on etsy for best use of color or color combination!



pop over and cast your vote for your favorite!
Tasteful Tuesday returns....

in time for all of your 4th of July picnic celebrations I thought I would share one of our favorite and not quite traditional picnic salads! This has gotten quite a few thumbs up from family & friends!

This is taken from Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites.


Moosewood is a famous vegetarian restaurant in Ithaca, NY and this cookbook would be a great addition to any cookbook collection! I have changed the recipe from the cookbook version to fit with my families tastes but will note the alternate additions the author suggests.

Sushi Rice Salad serves 4-6 as a main course
(The way I make it I like to call it a deconstructed california roll! I double this recipe and it will serve 20 as a side salad.)

1C brown rice
1 3/4C water

SAUCE
1/3C rice vinegar
2T sugar
1t salt
2t fresh grated ginger root

1 large cucumber peeled, seeded, diced
1 ripe avocado (not too mushy) peeled & diced
1/2 package surimi (imitation crab meat)roughly chopped
1-2t wasabi powder dissolved in an equal amount of cold water
1 sheet nori seaweed
1T black or brown seasame seeds


Combine rice and water in saucepan, bring to boil. Stir, cover, reduce heat and cook until rice is tender 40-45 min (or cook rice in your rice cooker)

Combine sauce ingredients in seperate small saucepan, simmer 5 min, remove from heat.

In serving bowl combine vegetables, surimi and sauce. Mix in wasabi paste. Add cooked rice, mix well. Toast the sheet of nori by baking for a 1+ minute at 300 degrees, then crumble on top of rice mixture. Toast seasame seeds and sprinkle on top for garnish.

Note - you may also add blanched vegetables such as diced carrot or red pepper. May be served on a bed of greens if serving as a main course salad. may garnish with slices of pickled ginger also.

Much easier than trying to roll your own sushi with a bamboo mat - believe me we have tried! But still offers the mix of tastes and textured that you get in a california roll.

Enjoy!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Fun finds on etsy!

I just signed onto etsy and spotted these fabulous earrings on the front page!



so I thought I might share a few other etsy favs of mine!

enjoy!

I loved the colors in this dress as well as the style details



I swoon when I stop by this shop and see all of the delicious enameled goodies such as this bracelet set...



or what about these fun tapas plates



and I would just LOVE to see this necklace in person!



so...what are some of your favorites on etsy?...while you are over there be sure to pop in and see some of my new goodies posted this weekend!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Sharing some Eye Candy~~

I am finally getting around to posting my photos from my trip to Jennifer Paganelli's house and her amazing Sis Boom Sale!

arriving at her front door....

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On her front porch was the most amazing art from folk artist Barbara Strawser. I have always loved the folk art style but have been less than enthusiastic about the colors in the paintings until I saw Barbaras art....I would love to hang her art in every room of my house! Her colors are divine...images soft and beautiful...


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fantastic!

Then.....countless goodies inside Jennifer's...head to my flickr account if you want to see them all but I will share a few of the highlights here!


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LOVE her banners made with vintage wallpaper, glitter letters and fabulous trim!

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a sneak peek into her studio!!! shear heaven!! vintage papers, trim, glitter, goodies everywhere you looked!

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the biggest vat of glitter I have ever seen!

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it was such a treat to be able to see all of this creativity & loveliness in person! Jennifer made everyone feel welcome, I had the opportunity to meet some of her other creative friends...Nancy Geany of Dark Horse Farms Design and Danielle from The Vintage Dragonfly. I truly hope to get back there again soon!

Thank you Jennifer!

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Catching my breath.........

it has been a whirlwind since my last post - I headed for Boston last Wed. for a one night show with Mommies Who Shop then down to Connecticut on Thurdsday to catch up with Jennifer Paganelli at her home for the Sis Boom show...885 miles later I pulled into the driveway late Thursday to be swept up into mommy duties Friday then out of town again for the weekend!

This morning I am dashing off again on a school fieldtrip but wanted to share some of the one-of-a-kind goodies that I have just listed in my etsy shop...

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these are all ready to ship - perfect for all of your summer parties! If you purchase something mention that you read my blog in the note to seller and I will refund your shipping!

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Soups On for Tasty Tuesday!

In the spirit of spring and fresh crops of rhubarb popping up everywhere I am sharing a favorite spring recipe of mine for Parsnip, Rhubarb & Ginger Soup!

This recipe is taken from New Covent Garden Soup Company's Soup & Beyond Cookbook




We picked this book up on a trip to London about 10 years ago and it remains one of my favorite cookbooks! This recipe was the creation of a retired tropical agriculturalist from England - Robert Austin. It was the winner in the 1998 "Create a Soup Contest" in the Daily Telegraph. One of the judges declared "Rhubarb and ginger is a classic combination in cooking, but blending this with parsnips to make a savoury soup is ingenious. The rhubarb really cuts through the sweetness of the parsnips and the result is both unusual and delicious!"



Serves 4 Prep Time ~ about 30 minutes

2oz butter
1 lb parsnips - peeled & roughly chopped
8oz rhubarb - washed and sliced
1 medium onion - finely sliced
2tsp fresh grated ginger
1T flour
1.5 pints chicken stock
2t. brown sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter & cook the parsnips, rhubarb, onion & ginger for 5 minutes in covered saucepan without coloring,

Add flour - stir well

Add stock & sugar - taste for seasoning - bring to boil stirring constantly

lower heat & simmer about 15min until vegetables are tender

cool a bit then puree in a blender until very smooth

adjust seasoning, reheat & garnish with chopped parsley

Smacznego!