on little things and home ~

....

it's been a week

i barely kept up

and to be honest there were times i fell behind

i didn't get it all done

and that's fine by me

because

that's life 

and

sometimes life just happens

; )

i went out this morning after my appointment

to get a few last minute little things 

my daughter might not think of for homecoming

hair pins

bronzer

and a tiny purse

{i wanted to get the purse for her as a gift from me}

and because it is freezing here

i saw a pretty little coat that might come in handy

she tried it all on

and she just smiled

SO

that ought to do it in that department

`

i am having an open house before homecoming

so i will have...

 warm cider

shortbread

fruit

caramel fondue

to dip apple slices in

`

pumpkins and mums are lining the front stairs

{cinderella pumpkins no less} 

the hood is getting a nice sprucing this weekend

lol

smile

i love that our home is that home where all the kids love to visit 

`

life is good

`

i will meet you back here this weekend 

with photos to share

`

you are loved

`

fall inspiration ~

...

...

....

....

a trip to trader joes last night

lead to a burst of fall inspiration

i came home with...

a crate of autumn flamed peaches

{melting over the crate}

mums to line the front stairs

colorful gourds to fill baskets

`

reading this book

{oh the dresses}

looking through my photos over the years

i am coming to realize i love photographing dresses

that is a pleasant surprise

although you might have already known this

wink

`

just placing a few things here to brighten the rainy days

`

xo

along with the rain ~

....

i decided to leave the sea shells out on the wine table

even though the lovely fall weather

along with rain

has staked its claim

`

busy but good times around here

i am on a hunt to purchase toms shoes {wedges) locally

hope that's not too much of a challenge

{a homecoming request}

`

still in love with this video

oh so heavenly

`

if i owe you snail mail

consider it on the way

it's sealed with love

sorry im late 

life became busy

`

the new wtsb post is up

love it

{collect}

`

happy day my friends

!

the dress ~

....

well the dress has been purchased for homecoming

it was a painful experience i won't lie

so many girls getting frustrated

i even saw tears from some

i felt for them

it's an important time for these girls

`

my girl

she smiled the whole time

{zip me up mama}

`

my feet hurt

it was the 6th shop for us

but this dress shop...

i could see the local taquito stand

while waiting outside the dressing room

i was hungry what can i say

lol

`

i am happy for her

happy for these 

{new to us}

moments

`

i was happy with my taquito with the crazy good peanut salsa

`

happy sunday my friends

`

xo

in my soul ~

....

"in my soul i am still that small child who did not care about anything else 

but the beautiful colors of the rainbow"

papiha ghosh

`

im over here today

won't you join me

?

+

thank you

thank you for coming here and sharing your words with me

or 

reading silently

or 

just glancing at the photos

palms clasped

i appreciate you 

`

have a most lovely + playful day

my friends

`

xo 

granola bars and peace ~

Back to school raspberry granola bars 

from the book, "the craft of baking"

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan

1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 ¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

½ cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup raspberry preserves {i used strawberry jam i had canned earlier in the summer}

a friend used plum jam and said it was crazy good. ; )

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. 

In a small saucepan, melt the butter.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Spread the pecans on a baking sheet.  Bake until lightly golden and fragrant, about five minutes.  Cool the sheet completely on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and pecans.  Pour in the melted butter, and using a wooden spoon, mix together until well combined.  Transfer about two thirds of the dough to the prepared baking pan.  Press the dough evenly into the pan, forming a firmly packed layer.

Using an offset or rubber spatula, spread the preserves over the dough.  Evenly sprinkle the remaining dough over the preserves.  Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the top is golden brown and fragrant, about forty minutes (mine took more like forty-five minutes).  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let it cool completely.  Then cut into two-inch squares.

The bars can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

****

math was a bear today, so like any good teacher, i voted we baked granola bars. hecky yes! they turned out SO delicious. let me know if you try them out. ; ) there is no time for photoshop today, so the photos are sooc. fist pump! 

i finished the book on the train this afternoon. and i am glad i did. it wasn't my cup of tea, but it's all good. a lady on the train commented, that she has been on a waiting list at her library, for over three months, waiting to read the help.  i handed it to her, as we exited the train. not a bad deal, she has a book she has wanted to read, and i got a warm hug in return. it's world peace day today,  i find that to be beautiful. ; )

peace and blessings, my friends. 

x

let's see ...

....

....

on sunday my daughter was asked to homecoming

how beautiful

but

so soon

is this supposed to happen so quickly in life

?

{yes christina it is}

lol

and

 as another blogger put it when i shared the news...

"yay for her!"

yes i agree 

yay for her 

she is growing up

+

 i love these milestones that seem to be filling our home at the moment

now on to finding a dress

big smile

`

can i be honest with you about something

?

i want to fall deeply for this book

i really do

but 

the written words 

the generation

the descriptions of the characters

and that awful word

it hurts so deeply

i mean it cuts

i am 200 or so pages in 

but

i don't know

i read of history all the time...

but this book

maybe it's my own family history that makes this book so difficult for me

i held off from reading it for so long cause it seemed so many were reading it...

i will give the book a bit longer

{i think}

i have a feeling there is love in this book

i am certain of that

what did you think of the book

?

`

i bought these cute cupcake liners

they have orange polka dots on them

sweet

!

perfect for the pumpkin muffins i have on the menu this week

....

happy days my friends

one love

xo

autumn on a sunday ~

....

....

....

'falling leaves

 hide the path 

so quietly'

`

john bailey 'autumn' a haiku year

xoxo

do something ...

....

....

...you love

`

xo

beautiful + free frames found at besotted blog

{thank you}

`

links and pretty on a thursday ~

....

the handle to my tea cup broke

so

i put something yummy and pretty inside of it

and made the most of it

while i finished the last few pages of my latest afternoon read

i loved this book with my whole heart

the characters will live with me for a while

`

i have lusted after these since last year

 +

with twenty percent off at b&n i couldn't resist

`

this movie arrived today

 i plan to devour it this weekend

along with much popcorn

`

hello my friends

`
you are loved

on angels and moments ~

....

hope you don't mind all the white after labor day

wink

i just had to enjoy the moment with my lens

`

'i saw the angel in the marble and carved until i set him her free.'

michelangelo

; )

`

happy day my friends

xo

blooming ~

....

'in the garden i tend to drop my thoughts here and there

to the flowers i whisper the secrets i keep and the hopes i breath

i know they are there to eavesdrop for the angels'

dodinsky

`

....

hello friends

how are you today

?

the roses are beginning a fall blooming in my mothers garden

she was anxious to show me last night

i strolled slowly leaving at the gate what was once between us

somewhere in this garden i lay my burdens

but if you asked me where i wouldn't remember

life is so precious

i am getting physically tired of holding in the light

what has long been gone into the dark

and it's stupid on my part

yesterday is gone

and so is the past

over time life tends to grow one up

thank goodness

palms clasped 

`

the classroom is busy on this monday morning

`

chili for football tonight

` 

+

 i am doing absolutely the best i can as a student of life

that's all one can do

ya know

life is good

`

a new wtsb post is up...

love it

!

xo

chalk art ~

....

....

....

....

i find chalk art absolutely fascination

+

gorgeous

`

faces is the theme at mortal muses

+

my post is up

won't you stop in and say hello

?

have a wonderful day

my friends

!

pinwheels, afternoon tea and gatherings magazine ~

....

having fun with a bit of texture and pinwheels

and yes

i plan on placing these pinwheels in a sweet treat

`

this cool air has me sleeping like a baby

i love it

except when i start to doze in the afternoon

`

been looking at a bit of yarn

there are fall scarves are to be knitted

of course

`

i tried to duplicate a mexican stew i had at the quinceanera

i think it worked

i will share that recipe soon

yum

`

have you seen "gatherings magazine" yet

?

isn't it just so beautiful

if you haven't seen it

grab an afternoon cup of tea and flip through

adore

!

heather will have more of a sneek peek of the upcoming issue soon

yes i am blushing

*

happy day

my friends

!

septembre ~

joined by elderly man in market cafe' who orders wine and lemonade mix

hill and sky merging

terraces

olive groves

cypresses

terra cotta tiles

 croissant aux amandes

espresso

"from south of france sketchbook" by sara midda

`

*

happy first day of school 

to all that are starting today

including my kiddos

Je t'adore

`

Quinceanera ~

....

saturday morning i began my day with prayer. the rain in the background, brought me to my thoughts, of the quinceanera, we would anxiously, spend the day at. our friend was presenting her daughter to the world, as a young lady... a fifteenth birthday celebration. i shuffled around the house most of the morning, coffee in hand, making the rounds to see if my family was on schedule, for the days events. i couldn't help but reflect on my friend. she is without a doubt, one of the strongest women, i know. you would lover her. my friend and i are different in many ways, but the same in many ways, as well. we both come from heated pavements and have walked down these mean streets. we had a plan, how our kids were going to do it differently, than we did. and by all accounts they have, but i can't help but laugh now... we just want the best for them but, they are their own people, and we learned that quickly. lol it's just us loving them, the best we way we know how, you know. 

the sky continued to open, rain falling to the concrete, as we arrived at the church. a baptism of next chapters, i suspect. ; )

...there she was standing in the doorway of the church, i had to raise my lens. shakily i began to work my camera. and in that moment, i saw the little girl that used to run and play in our home. focusing a bit more, i began to see the young woman, we came to celebrate, turning fifteen. i wanted to remember that moment, her standing near the rain in the doorway, finding comfort in the moment. i wanted everyone i know, to remember this moment, especially her mother. i am so very proud of this young lady. 

these milestones in our children's lives... they are a validation of sorts, that if nothing else, we have learned to adapt to the rain, by being equipped with hope. 

here's to the next chapter ~

happy sunday, my friends

xo

night lights from the heart in the form of a yellow moon ~

....

"toad talked big about all he was going to do in the days to come, while stars grew fuller and larger all around them, and a yellow moon, appearing suddenly and silently from no where in particular, came to keep them company and listen to their talk."

from the book~ the wind and the willows by kenneth grahame

`

i'm wrapping these summer days up inside of a grateful package this weekend

`

have a most beautiful and extra long weekend my friends

stop in for some fun here

`

you are loved

`

homeschooling + where does the time go ~

....

my books to teach the teenagers are arriving daily

the zakka sewing book up there is for mama ; )

i thank god for another year we are able to gather materials to nourish our kids minds

the shelfs will be filled with less teaching material this year

but what is on that bookshelf will be used up

after all these years i have learned a bit of what works 

and some of what doesn't

and i say this gently under my breath

but 

mean it with all my heart

at times i feel many homeschooling resources 

tend to forget the needs of 15, 16, and 17 year olds

young adults count too

...so we parents and teachers alike have to work diligently for our older students

to make sure the transition of these young adults into adulthood runs smoothly

so we piece together what fits

like a stew

and make the best of it

can you believe my son will visit two uni's this year

+

 a culinary school

shrug of my converse in the dirt

big friggin smile

{you see me beamin right}

it's like yesterday these two were eating dinner in the kitchen at the chefs table

feet barely touching the floor 

while i cooked

and asked them to recite their vowels

lol

where does time go

?

i am so grateful for these moments

i love these kids of mine to bits and would do it all over again

without hesitation

we make it work as a family

`

happy days my friends

xo