making friends ~

....

50mm 1.8 lens 

{sooc}

this has never been my favorite lens

but i am making friends with it

what up 50mm would ya like to grab a pumpkin spice latte with me

lol

i have to admit doing the work in camera makes me so happy

`

i have a few practices to sit through with the teenagers tonight

last time i forgot my knitting it took me a minute to get over that

what to do

what to do

{note to self }

pack the needles now

`

i'm reading a book with my daughter

i will read a chapter

then she will read

sometimes we forget a day here or there

last night as i slid in bed

there the book was on my side

with little notes of what she liked and didn't like while reading the chapter

it was a night i thought she forgot

but she didn't

it really doesn't get better than that on a monday night

`

xo

11:28 ~

....

it's a quiet monday around here

i kind of love that

{baby it's cold outside}

the tree was decorated this weekend

christmas books were taken out of the closet

{and placed on the tables for reading}

lights are sprinkled through the house

loving on my friend liz'z post here

i purchased this as a gift

the laundry is twirling in the dryer

the dog ate some of my daisies

thinking i might be up for a 365 photo project 

{come the new year}

i love new beginnings

+

a big pot of chicken soup is simmering

`

life is good

`

happy day my friends

how are you

?

`

xo

happy thanksgiving ~

....

small preparations begin here for a simple thanksgiving

the last post for 2011 is up at wtsb 

such lovely lovely work over there

`

i fell deeply for this quiet, tender and thought provoking book

i have added it to my books that are within arms reach 

when i need true beauty in my life

`

the holidays i adore them but i know they can be up and down...

if you need a friend or just want to say hi

doesn't matter if it's on turkey day

: )

shoot me an email

most likely i will be whipping up something in the kitchen

`

happy thanksgiving my friends

i am so thankful for you 

`

thanksgiving table ~

....

hi just stopping in with some wine suggestions for thanksgiving

`

on any other day you wouldn't find me recommending a reisling with food 

but 

a white reisling works SO fab with turkey, chicken + dressings + stuffings of all sorts

it's dry and bordering fruity

such a good choice

`

sauvignon blanc

because of it's higher acidity i love it for this big meal

`

villa wolf gewurztraminer

what you hear is true 

it goes great with pumpkin pie all pies really

`

my ultimate favorite 

rubigalia malvasia dolce

white

{pictured above}

don't let the fact there is no cork scare you

hands down i love it

this is a sparkling wine

cider like to me

serve it along dinner or dessert

and it is an amazing palette cleanser

i have served this one from appetizer to desserts

some don't consider it a serious wine

but i find there are many passionate houses that produce this wine

and that's what it's about for me

passion not price

love it

!

`

i get more letters about my cranberry sauce recipe right before thanksgiving

panic driven letters

{"i need that recipe"}

blush

please make it 

i wouldn't steer you wrong my sisters

more tomorrow

xo

`

Cranberry Sauce

12 ounces of fresh cranberries (i use the bag of ocean spray)

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

the zest of 1 orange

1 pear (peeled cored and diced)

1 apple (peeled cored and diced)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

*you may add

1/2 cup- 1 cup of your favorite chopped dried mixed fruit

cherries, papaya, blueberries, golden raisins

1/2 cup-  1 cup chopped pecans

In a medium pot or sauce pan, boil sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves.

Reduce your heat to a simmer and stir in the cranberries, orange zest, pears, apple, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and if you are adding *dried fruit, you may add now. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally- cooking until cranberries burst. 

Remove from heat and let the cranberry sauce cool to room temperature. Refrigerate.

Before serving sprinkle with chopped pecans. 

*I make this often and don’t always have the dried fruit, it is just as good. 

If you want your sauce a bit on the thicker side- stir in a bit of cornstarch (1 teaspoon) to your sauce, when the sauce is done cooking. 

Make it a day or two ahead- so worth it. 

{double or triple the recipe}

really it's that good

`

5 things ~

....

taking it easy

ordering the turkey

going through my old and messy recipe book

staying warm

making chocolate chip cookies to eat while watching harry potter with the fam again

`

have a lovely evening my friends

xo

on flowers and such~

....

i had a bit of floral work last week

took the lens to some petals

honestly each time i am hired to do a photo job

i swell with happy tears

`

you know how i adore flowers

i was all over that

wink

`

so now it's time to think of the flowers i will place on our thanksgiving table

thanksgiving is next week

!

i know

right

: )

so excited

i have so much to be thankful for

`

i tried a few different looks to hold the flowers

{all of which are from thrift stores and estate sales}

`

....

love me some milk glass

`

....

tea pots are always a sweet and inviting way to display flowers

how about a bit of purple to pop all the neutrals and browns on a thanksgiving table

`

`

what are your thanksgiving traditions

?

do you place flowers on the table?

formal or informal

pretty thanksgiving paper plates

or china

?

looking forward to that dressing?

do tell

i am thankful for each one of you

palms clasped 

xo

morning light with the intentions of an autumn photo ~

....

"time to save the world

where in the world is all the time

so many things i still don't know

so many times i've changed my mind

guess i was born to make mistakes

but I ain't scared to take the weight

so when i stumble off the path

i know my heart will guide me back"

didn't cha know lyrics ` erykah badu

xo

the moment i get to devote a whole post to post it notes ~

....

hi

!

so many of you wrote me asking me where i got my "bookmarks"from in the last post

they are actually post it notes

mmm hmm

i know

pretty little post it notes from tj maxx

look in the stationary isle

they come in a box with some paper and stuff

that would make a sweet christmas gift

{i am so trying not to speak of christmas too early}

i am going to bust out my spanx soon if i don't free my love of this holiday

woot

!

so anyways

i do write in my book margins

am carfeul with the spines on my books

and if the book is antique like the one dawn gifted me

{i cherish this book}

i use post it notes to remind me of the places i love the most while reading

`

i'm musing over here with a new post

won't you come over and visit?

`

you are loved my friends

`

as of late ~

....

slow going around here this morning

and i SO need that after a busy week

i had my chef hat on this weekend

and let me tell you

i don't miss the body pain of being in the kitchen 13 hours a day

but the smile on the faces

it made it so worth it

`

alas

lots of knitting for holiday gifts

{big smile}

`

i bought a nice espresso powder

i plan on using it in a chocolate cake i think

`

made a pot of caldo de res

oh honey

yes i did

just let me know if you want the recipe

{it's a must make}

....

and of course i read

 the cold 

damp

weather

i feel myself starting to hide already

....

bookmarking many of the pages i love

do you mark your pages

highlight

write in the margin

?

do tell

`

hello my friends

xo

on sea turtles and soul ~

....

i have sea turtles here and there

i am fascinated with them

they are incredible 

i wear a necklace that has a jade sea turtle on it

and every so often i will open a gift and there one will be

i love that 

{insert slow turtle jokes here}

lol

`

thanks to kirsten i am in love with this cd

i poured myself a nice red last night and was knitting away

while this gorgeous music played

sheer soul i tell ya

` 

i ordered this book

adore

!

my mail man isn't safe until it arrives

kidding

kind of

`

wtsb post is up

if you visit

enjoy the most beautiful walk

`

thank you for the kind words on the post below

my son is a gentle soul

you would love him

`

daughter post soon come

; )

gonna take a breather this week

working on a project that is dear to me

and that wine list

wink

ya know where to find me if ya need me

: )

you are loved my friends

`

true love ~

....

....

....

....

i remind him all the time

how he was the one who taught me what true love really is...

he just kind of blushes and shrugs his shoulders

: )

i send you love my friends

`

sundays light ~

....

homemade mushroom potpies

{with crusts on top and bottom}

lots of knitting

bought new oven mitts

hiding under quilts

candle light

laughing until i cried at the movie "somethings gotta give"

buying too many books off of amazon

sipping a nice white

`

 "are you going to do a holiday wine list this year ?"

sure!

 it might be a few of the same wines as last year or the year before

but

i love putting my pretend sommelier hat on

so you know i have one or two new ones for you

`

happy sunday evening my friends

`

xo

delicious autumn ~

....

delicious autumn! 

 my very soul is wedded to it

 and if i were a bird i would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns

 ~George Eliot

`

anna is my guest muse today won't you go over and say hello?

`

knitting and reading are on my joy list this weekend

and grace

i am carving out time to show grace and appreciation for all the goodness in my life

no matter how small

{maybe i should begin now}

thank you my friends 

for always coming here and leaving words of encouragement

even though i have been slower in making my way to your places

life is happening

my teenagers are growing
i haven't been keeping up very well
and besides
pizza twice in one week is not a bad thing
nope not at all

` 

happy weekend

you are loved

`

: )

dreamy ~

....

"all i wanted was to connect my moods with those of paris.

beauty paints and when it painted most, i shot."

ernst haas

`

i have a gig photographing a gift shop for the holiday season

the shop is in a sweet village not too far from here

the owner had one request

that the photos look "dreamy"

pinch me

`

so i took to practicing some dreamy shots at home

: )

`

have a dreamy day my friends

xo

hello november ~

....

hello november

!

you have brought a dim light with you this morning

but i am more than okay with this

except 

these dark mornings lure me into hitting the snooze button 

over 

+

over

; )

light fantastic is the theme over at mortal muses

won't you come on over and visit me 

?

`

it's algebra today in our kitchen

{deep sigh}

a lot of quiet thinking and

scribbling of the pencils

` 

i send you love

on this quiet day

`

palms clasped

`