hacked!

If anyone got an email from me today, please disregard it and delete it.   My personal email account was hacked, and my address book was accessed.  I notified AOL, and changed my password so anything in the future should be fine.  My sister also tried to reply all to people so that they would know it was spam.   But if you have any doubt, email me before you reply to see if it was really me.   Why do people do this to us?  I feel violated.  I really do.   And I am completely aggravated.  Ironically, one of the addresses it sent it to was my security software customer service, and I already got an email from them that they were investigating.   Sigh …

To end on a happier note, a picture I took on Sunday.  

Best,

Stephanie

i’ve got sunshine …

I thought that after my complaining about missing summer, I ought to look for a little sunshine indoors to get me through the winter. 

Just goes to show that there is always a little color in your life if you look for it.  Have a great weekend!

Best,

Stephanie

 

missing …

I know I shouldn’t rush the days away, but I miss this time of year.  I miss walking around with my camera capturing beautiful things.   I miss the water, the views, and the warmth.

And I miss how the last remaining farm in the area plants beautiful flowers in front of their crops and sells them in bunches at their farm stand.   Oh, how I miss that farm stand in the winter. 

And I definitely miss fresh seafood eaten by the water.  Everything tastes better by the water, doesn’t it?   I’m an island girl after all.  Long Island, that is. 

And I miss how if you drive just a little bit north, you get beautiful sunsets over the Long Island Sound. 

I hate to whine, really.  I know I’m lucky to live where I do.  But on rainy, chilly days like today, I miss summer days.   So I am really enjoying all the posts from those of you who live in warmer places, even if I am a bit jealous.  Keep ‘em coming ladies!  You’ve got to get me through the rest of this winter!

Best,
Stephanie

random ramblings …

It was a quiet weekend here – a little rearranging of some bookshelves, a little snow, a lot of cuddling with my family.   I think I barely left the house at all.  But I do have some random things to share.

Kalas Sea Salt.  A little lower in sodium and more flavorful than the supermarket boxed salt.  This Greek sea salt is a staple for cooking in my house, and you can find it in specialty stores or on-line for less than $3 for a pretty good sized shaker.  If you see it, give it a try.  I haven’t bought another salt for general cooking or the table in years. 

As of this morning, this book was still free on Kindle.  The link is below, a couple of posts ago.  Even if you don’t have a kindle, any device that takes the Kindle App – such as an ipad or phone – will allow you to get free Kindle books.  Just be sure to check the price before you hit buy in case it changes. 

In just two more weeks, these lovelies will be in full force at nearby Planting Fields Arboretum.  I can’t wait to get my camera on these.   And really, there are few things that I love more than a warm greenhouse on a winter’s day.  It warms my heart and my toes.  This was a past photo from the Camellia Greenhouse.   Yes, a whole big greenhouse filled with camellias.  And then an other even larger one filled with lots of lovely flowers.  Heavenly.

After a very very long hiatus, I picked up a paintbrush for the first time this year.  I’ve a long way to go to get back to where I was when I painted all the time but it felt so good.  And even though this was last year’s resolution, it felt even better to check it off my “list”.  Hey, better late than never, right?

Best,
Stephanie

 

 

that kind of woman …

I saw a quote on Pretty Pink Tulips last summer, and pinned it on Pinterest.   Since that day, over 1100 people have re-pinned it from me and over 200 have “liked” it.  That doesn’t count everyone who pinned it on their own or from other people.  Kind of crazy, right?   So I thought I would share it with all of you, because I still really love this one. 

I do want to be that kind of woman.  Especially at this time of year – with it’s clean fresh start. 

And if you’re not familiar with Pretty Pink Tulips or it’s charming author Elizabeth, do head on over.   She’s got style and grace down pat.   You’re in for a delightful visit whenever you stop by. 

Hope you all have a great week!

Best,
Stephanie

a freebie

 

Just a quick post today.  I know this time of year we are all looking to get organized.  Well, for a very limited time, this book, regularly $17, is free for Kindle readers here.  That includes free for people who have the kindle app on their iPad, iPod touch or smart phone.   I’m not at all sure when it ends, so keep on eye on the price before you hit the “Buy” button.   I bought this one and haven’t read more than a few pages, but it looks like a terrific organizing tool.  

Best,

Stephanie

in the kitchen

I made a new recipe from Pioneer Woman last week.  Click here for the link.  It is for Cheeseburger Salad – or as she described it – all the goodness of a cheeseburger in a salad.  This picture is from her website. 

I pretty much followed her recipe, but I did make a couple of changes.  I was in a total rush, so I bought croutons instead of making the buttery golden ones featured on Pioneer Woman, and I bought a bag of grated cheddar from the supermarket.  And instead of keeping the beef warm while I made the salad, I made the salads and then cooked the beef.   My family liked it so much, they asked me to make it again.  The very next day!   (Don’t worry, I didn’t.  But they have been asking for it since.)  A quick meal that is on the table in just a few minutes and the whole family loved it? We have a winner!  For the full recipe, remember to go here.

Cheeseburger Salad:

1.  Prepare your salads on individual plates with lettuce, tomato, red onion, shredded cheddar and diced pickle spears. 

2.  Brown the ground beef.   (For my family of 4, the 2 pounds in the recipe yielded some leftovers, but it does cook down a fair amount.)  

3.  Once the beef is browned, drain the fat, and add in

1/3 cup Ketchup

1 teaspoon Yellow Mustard

1 Tablespoon Dijon Or Spicy Mustard

2 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce

(Of course, the more or less beef you cook, adjust the proportions of condiments.   I didn’t even measure, just did it by eye.)

4.  Stir to combine, and then let it cook for a minute to warm up and combine the flavors.   Top the salads with the beef.   Add croutons. 

That’s it.  Even mustard haters loved the flavor – they combine so you really don’t taste a lot of mustard.  The beauty of this recipe is that not only is it fast and tasty, but you can as easily make it for 1 as you can for 10. 

As always, let me know if you try it and what you think.   Have a great weekend!

Best,
Stephanie

we have a winner …

Or two.   Let me explain.  I filled the bowl up. Just like that.  Then I mixed it really well.  Covered my youngest’s eyes and had her pick.   And I was thrilled to see who won.  

Yay!  Denise has been a regular reader for some time, has a terrific blog of her own over at Den's Daily Life, is a real sweetheart, and has been under the weather lately.  So I was really happy she won.  Congratulations Denise! 

But then I started thinking of all the lovely new people who have joined this page and stopped by with a sweet comment.   And I wanted one of you to win too. Okay, so I said I was doing one giveaway.  But then I thought no one would really mind a second chance to win.   So I put everyone’s name back in the bowl, and then added in all of my followers for a new winner.   And I was really happy to see who won that one too.

Yay! part deux!   Annie is new here, and has her own terrific blog over at Lovely Things.    Plus I love the name Annie.  So I was very happy to see that a new follower won too.  Congratulations Annie!

I urge you all to stop by these lovely ladies’ blogs and say “congrats!” or even just “hi!”.  You’ll be glad you visited their blogs.   Congratulations Denise and Annie.  Ladies, please let me know what book you choose and I will e-mail you to get the address to send it to. 

And stay tuned, because I  have another giveaway in mind that I hope to do soon. 

Best,

Stephanie

oh the places we’ll go …

By now you probably know that I am all about going to new places.  I love it all – the adventure, the experience, the photo opportunities!   Last Monday, as I was clearing out a stack of last years magazines, I found this place.  I am so there!  It’s the Omni Bedford Springs Resort in Pennsylvania.  It looks like someplace I’d love to visit, having started in the very early 1800’s, with over 200 years of history behind it, including being famed for it’s restorative mineral springs, and many presidential visits.  The pools are fed from the mineral springs, and look like a terrific place to relax.   

It’s definitely someplace I am adding to my list of places to visit soon.  If any of you have been or plan on visiting, I would love to hear about it. (Photos are from the Omni Bedford Springs Resort webpage.) 

Also, there is still time to enter the giveaway in last Friday’s post!  Be sure to leave a comment – even it is just saying “hi” - to be entered.  I see a few new followers but not everyone commented and I would hate for anyone to miss out.  I’m hoping to do a few giveaways this year, so stay tuned!   In the meantime, I am so excited to see some new faces and promise to visit within the next week.  Good luck to all of you on the contest!

Best,

Stephanie

 

happy happy blogday …

to me, to me … well, I cannot believe it’s been three years to the day since I started this little ole blog of mine.  Wish I could slice you up a piece of cake!  Three years ago, I had few readers, no followers, and no idea if I would continue.  But I had friends who would read it, and then send me an e-mail about what I had posted.   Which is kind of funny, if you think about it.  They still do this.  Cuties.

In honor of the occasion, I was thinking of a giveaway.   Since this blog is mostly about what I am up to in the kitchen, my home, places I’ve been or like to go, and photography, I thought I would offer up some in each category, with the winner picking their favorite one.  

In the kitchen, I picked this one.  Worth it for the cinnamon rolls alone. 

 

In the home category, I went with a newer one, and an older one. 

For travel, this was the pick.  I like it because it is great for weekends away in the US and Canada.

And for photography, it had to be these.  The first one is a fascinating look into the world at the beginning of color photography.  Whether you’re a photographer or a student of history or just people, it is amazing.   That one man had the vision to take on this project astounds me.   The second one is widely regarded as a must read for any photographer.  Tons of great information here. 

Now for the rules.  (there always are rules for these, right?)  Leave a comment letting me know you would like to win.  You can choose one right now, or you can choose it later.  If you are a follower who enters, you automatically get a second entry.  If you post this contest to your blog, link to this post, then come back and let me know for another entry.  Not too hard, right?  I will take comments through Tuesday at 1 p.m. Eastern US time, since I know not everyone blogs over the weekend, and announce the winner on Wednesday. 

Good Luck!

Best,

Stephanie

ok, friends, your opinion please…

I have a book dilemma.  Despite giving away hundreds of books last year, my bookshelves are overflowing.  So I’ve taken to stacking my coffee table books and collections around the house.  On tables, on floors.  They looked fine, but I never really looked at them as much as I wanted to.  Right now, I need them on some sort of shelves so I can see them and pull out just the one I want instead of hunting around.  So the question is, would you go for a traditional book case, like these – only in white to match the room best:

(why, yes, they are on sale!).   These would take up more space than I wanted to in the only room they could go in, but fit in with the traditional look of my house.  Another option for these bookcases would be shelves on top and cabinets on the bottom. 

The other option would be this more contemporary shelving from Design Within Reach, which I would get in white, like the top option:

The first one fits in with my home better, but takes up a lot more space.  The second one is less expensive, although I would need two of them, and takes up less space.  Also, the second one sort of “disappears” once filled.  

You ladies have the best taste I know, so I’d really appreciate your help here.  Weigh in ladies – traditional or space saving?  Thanks!

Best,
Stephanie

resolved …

Happy New Year, friends!   It’s that time of year when we’re either making resolutions, refusing to make resolutions, or thinking about how we did last year.  I think I did OK overall. Some things I accomplished, some I didn’t and some I did better than I had in the past, so that is just fine. 

Among the successes:  I did better in enjoying the moment, though this one is always a work in progress.  I simplified a few things at home, though not nearly enough.  Big plans for this year on that one!  I was pretty creative, though most of it involved baking and entertaining.   (don’t worry, no one complained about the fruits of those labors!)   I did my best to be a better wife and mom.  I did lots more volunteering.  I learned some new things – including French!  whoo!  This one was on the list for years.  I’ve been happy many more days than not.  I bought fresh flowers a lot more than in the past. 

Less than successful were picking up the paintbrush again – I didn’t, but I am determined to do it this year, finishing things around the house, and becoming a better gardener.  

This year, I am trying to keep things simple – I have one resolution: Be Healthy!  Physically, emotionally, and in every aspect of my life and relationships.  I want a clean, simple balance to my life, and this year, I am really going to work on that. 

How about you – any resolutions this year?

All the best in 2012

Stephanie