catching up …

…from a long week off of school with the kiddos, a visiting relative from France, and a whirlwind trip to Newport.   Here are a few (OK, a LOT!) more photos from Planting Fields while I catch my breath.  Hope your week is wonderful!

Best,

Stephanie

mille fleurs …

A winter’s walk through the Camilla greenhouse at Planting Fields Arboretum showed us thousands of flowers.  It really was so beautiful.  Just a few for now, and more to come during the week.  I’ll let the photos do the talking for me. 

Best,

Stephanie

 

this and that …

It’s so hard to believe it’s been a week since I posted!  Computer woes and a super busy week have kept me from the old blog.   Thank goodness for tech savvy nephews who get their aunt going again!  So besides work and Valentine’s Day, here’s what’s been going on.

I made some super easy cupcakes for a friend who needed a pick me up.   The ice cream swirl takes just a minute to do and looks so sweet on top.   Of course I saved some for my kiddos.

And then I made these super cute party favors as a trial run for the teacher appreciation lunch.  I saw these in a store and copied them.   I think for the final round, I will vary them a bit and use the theme colors for the party.  A drop of icing will hold the gumball in place.

Want to see how I did it? Cupcake wrappers and double stick tape on matching cardstock.  Filled with a little ketchup holder for stability.  And then just take the candy – any small candy or gum will work as long as you make the top rounded like a cupcake -  and twist it in clear wrap, taping off the bottom to keep it secure.  Then just top it all off with a gumball.

I think these can easily be adapted for any occasion – jelly beans for Easter, little hearts for Valentines.  Easy and cute are right up my alley!  Let me know if you give them a try or if you need any help. 

Enjoy the weekend!

Best,

Stephanie

hello friends…

“The Earth laughs in flowers.”  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

These tulips made me think of this quote.   Mother Nature definitely was smiling when she made these beauties.  It’s still cold in New York, and the winter isn’t showing any signs of letting go with snow in the forecast for tomorrow.   Thank goodness for local nurseries and greenhouses that keep us going. 

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Best,

Stephanie

 

sunday brunch …

I never really do restaurant reviews here, but I’ve been swamped with work and meetings, (in other words, not much pretty stuff to photograph!)  and I thought I’d try something new.  Last weekend, we took the kiddos out for Sunday brunch.  We were planning an outing and wanted some fortification.  So we tried a new restaurant nearby in Glen Head, called The Fishery.  It’s a seafood restaurant with a nautical bent.  It took over the location from a tiki bar/crab shack that had been there for years and the transformation was definitely a big one.  I loved the nautical flags that lined the walls. 

Our meal started with warm bread served with a roasted head of garlic and olive oil.  No pictures as the kiddos dived in immediately.   I did manage to get a shot of the calamari served with two dipping sauces before it was gone, but not before they had cleared some out.  I’m going to have to get faster on that trigger finger.

The kids had chocolate chip pancakes served with mounds of strawberries and home fries that were crisp and delicious.  The hubs had steak and egg sliders – a really cute idea for brunch at home, I think, although I’ve never even tried steak and eggs.  Toasted rolls with steak, eggs, cheese and creamed spinach.  Served with more of those yummy potatoes.   Aren’t the lobster claw toothpicks cute? 

But mine was definitely the best.  My photos from last week had me missing my lobster rolls.   The hot lobster roll was a terrific choice for winter, and one I had never tried before.  A toasted bun with fresh warm lobster meat topped with drawn butter.  A definite calorie buster, but so  good!   The coleslaw was fresh and homemade and really delicious, but the fries were only so-so.  I would definitely ask for a salad instead next time. 

Excellent service, and great food make for such a pleasant experience don’t they?  We’ll definitely be going back. 

Best,
Stephanie

peace …

“Peace is always beautiful.”  - Walt Whitman

Hope your weekend is wonderful friends.

Best,
Stephanie

thank you …

I was honored to receive this award from the lovely blogger Susan, of Blooming Rose Musings.  Thank you Susan! I really am honored, especially when you consider the bloggers she listed me with.  Wow, what a talented group! 

The rules of the award are:

1.  Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their post.

2. Choose ten blogs to nominate and let them know by leaving a comment.

3. Request the chosen blogs pass the award on to another 10 blogs.

4. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

5. List seven things about yourself that we might not know.

OK, since I am a talker, it may be hard to find seven things I haven’t shared yet, but here are some I don’t think I have.

1.   When I was younger, I took every single art class my school offered, and there were quite a few of them.  I even ended up doing independent study work with all four of the art teachers when I ran out of classes. (yes, we had four, which I hear is not at all the case in most schools these days)

2.  Two murals I painted in the high school were still there twenty years later when my husband had occasion to visit for business.  Pretty neat, huh?  One was painted over last year though, and the other is now covered by bookcases.  (Boo!)

3.  Painting is what started me decorating cakes.  I thought it was just silly that I could make an oil painting, but my cakes looked like a third grader decorated them.  So I just tried different things until I got the hang of it.  Then I took a class in how to make gum paste flowers, which I loved.

4.  When I was younger, I hated baking.  Loved the results, but hated actually doing it.   After I hit my 20’s, I turned into a baking addict. 

5.  I decided what I wanted to be when I grew up when I was 10 years old.  And I did it.

6.  My best friend from grade school is still one of my best friends in the world. 

7.  When I was in school, I worked in a record store, which the very first year turned into a CD and cassette store.  It was possibly the most fun a kid could still have at work.   We met a ton of celebrities, got concert tickets and back stage passes, and got to listen to music all day long. 

Phew!  That took a while!   I’m passing this along to the following bloggers, with the understanding that if you don’t want to play along, it’s not a problem.  But do check out these amazing bloggers:

                           Collage of Life

                           Traci Thorson Photography

                           Paper Turtle

                           Elizabeth Holder Photography

                           Cuisine Kathleen

                           Slim Paley

                           Deb Duty

                           Back Porch Musings

                           Lovely Things

                           Meadowbrook Farm

Each of these are amazing blogs, and it was so hard to pick just ten.  Also, I added a “Follow by Email” button on the right for anyone who is interested.  I hear this will help get us around the changes coming to Google Friend Connect, so please, sign up so we can all keep in touch when the changes hit. 

Thanks again to Susan for the lovely award! 

Best,

Stephanie

(you didn’t think I would post without a picture, did you?)