…there is hope.
Thank you God for this magnificent reminder…right outside our front door.
Share it One More Time@Shabby Fru Fru
Busy Monday@Pinch of Joy
Author: amykins100
A little Spring in the Dining Room…
What Spring means to me…
A bursting forth of new life in a glorious renewal…
…Featuring Watercolors straight from God’s own paint box.
Neighborly conversations over fences and garden beds as you exchange the beauty of the season…
…that leads to invitation to share tea and cake.
A symphony of noise as the world awakes from a winter sleep…
…and pensive moments by the sea with the breeze in your hair!
Bernideen’s Tea Party@Bernideen’s Blog
No Place Like Home@Rose Chinz Cottage
Show and Share@Coastal Charm
Tweak it Tuesday@Cozy Little House
Tuesdays at Our House@Our Home Away From Home
Inspire Me Monday@Sand and Sisal
Inspire Me Tuesday@ A Stroll Thru Life
The Scoop@Cedarhill Farmhouse
Make it Pretty Monday@The Dedicated House
Thrifty and Vintage Finds@Dagmar’s House
Let’s Talk Vintage@Bella Rosa Antiques
Wow us Wednesday@Savvy Southern Style
Talk of the Town@Knick of Time
Wednesday Inspiration@Adventures of Mel
Work it Wednesday@The Blissful Bee
Home and Garden Thursday@A Delightsome Life
Share your Cup@Anne’s Attic Designs
Share Your Style@Essence of Home
Thursday Favorites@Katherine’s Corner
Inspiration Thursday@In the New House Designs
Thoughts of Home Thursday@Poofing the Pillows
Sweet and. Simple Friday@Rooted in Thyme
No Rules Weekend@ Sincerely Paula
Vintage Charm Party@Charm Bracelet Diva
Making Broken Beautiful@The Curator’s Collection
Home Sweet Home@The Charm of Home
Feather Nest Friday@French Country Cottage
Shabbicious Friday@Shabby Art Boutique
Friday Favorites@Oh My Heartsie Girl
Shabby Fru Fru@A Tray of Bliss
Home Matters@Adventures of a Frugal Mom
Friday Favorites@Simply Sweet Home
Morning Cup of Joy@The Cottage Market
Peace Love and Link@ 20 Something in the 2010’s
Share it One More Time@Shabby Fru Fru
Sunday’s at Home@Thoughts from Alice
Monday Inspiration@Our Southern Home
Busy Monday@Pinch of Joy
Amaze Me Monday@Dwellings
Dishing it/Digging it@Rustic and Refined
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I just keep coming back…
I have always been a “grass is greener on the other side of the fence” kind of gal when it comes to beauty products, but when all is said and done I always come back to my tried and true…
If there is a better cleanser than Cetaphil, I have yet to find it…although the “compare to Cetaphil” store versions work just as well…
A twice a week scrub with Origins Modern Friction is what skin needs to loosen dead skin cells and reveal healthy new skin. No more than twice a week however, too much will irritate skin.
This night cream is the bomb! It also comes in an oil free variety…I find I need the”oil” as I grow older…my skin is getting drier.
My daytime essential, a perfect world day cream with SPF 25…
But first apply this serum…it makes your skin feel heavenly!
Lastly, two simple items, eight glasses of water daily and a soft washcloth to remove make-up at night… Every day and night. Your skin will thank you!
Sharing today at Kelly’s Korner
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Easter Blessings
May your heart be filled with the joy of this day…
…may your mind be comforted by the hope it brings
May your body find rest from anxiety and worry…
…As you cast them on the one who brings eternal peace
May your Soul remain tender and teachable…
…and your Spirit never too old to wear a pink bunny ear crown!
Bernideen’s Tea Party@Bernideen’s Blog
No Place Like Home@Rose Chinz Cottage
Show and Share@Coastal Charm
Tweak it Tuesday@Cozy Little House
Tuesday at Our House@Our Home Away from Home
Inspire Me Monday@Sand and Sisal
Inspire Me Tuesday@A Stroll Thru Life
The Scoop@Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Vintage and Thrifty Finds@Dagmar’s House
Let’s Talk Vintage@Bella Rosa Antiques
Wow us Wednesday@Savvy Southern Style
Talk of the Town@Knick of Time
Work it Wednesday@The Blissful Bee
Home and Garden Thursday@A Delightsome Life
Share Your Cup@Have a Daily Cup of Mrs Olson
Share Your Style@The Essence of Home
Inspiration Thursday@In The New House Designs
Thoughts of Home@Home with Gemma
Sweet and Simple Friday@Rooted in Thyme
Making Broken Beautiful@The Curators Collection
Vintage Charm Party@Charm Bracelet Diva
No Rules Weekend@Sincerely Paula
Home Sweet Home@The Charm of Home
Feather Nest Friday@French Country Cottage
Shabbilicious Friday@ Shabby Art Boutique
Friday Favorites@Simply Sweet Home
Morning Cup of Joe@The Cottage Market
Share It One More Time@Shabby Fru Fru
Anything Blue@The Dedicated House
Sundays At Home@Thoughts from Alice
Inspiration Monday@Our Southern Home
Dishing it/Digging it@Rustic and Refined
Busy Monday@Pinch of Joy
Amaze me Monday@Dwellings
Thursday Favorites@Katherine’s Corner
Welcome Home Wednesday@Suburban Simplicity
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On the Road with the Princess
So many wonderful comments about our Chinese Princess…it makes my Mama heart so Happy! We are on the road this weekend to Philadelphia and a first train ride for the Princess…
The Princess and I are always up for adventure and with the weather turning warmer ( Although Snow? This afternoon? Really?) we will be able to resume our walks around beautiful Downtown Annapolis. The Navy has brought us to the gem of a city but our hearts are leading us to stay…
We start at our beautiful 1920 Four square rental…It does look spectacular in the winter but I am ready for Spring
We stroll past one of my dream houses…Annapolis is full of dream houses. This is Acton House and it was built in 1770. Isn’t it gorgeous?
Reynolds’s Tavern is located on Church Circle and serves High Tea on the weekends…I can’t wait to take Princess in a few years…they also have a beer Garden in the summer…my husband prefers that experience.
The best part of Reynold’s tavern is Darim..the wonderful flower guy. His flowers are lovely and reasonably priced..plus he is the happiest person I ever met…
Our Princess last year enjoying the flowers!
We head down the most beautiful Main Street in the country…
…To the ultimate ice cream experience...Storm Brothers….guaranteed to be filled with handsome (and beautiful ) Midshipman on the weekend…
*Sigh* I can’t believe I live in this beautiful city.
Come and visit…The Princess and I will meet you downtown…we can have ice cream together…or crab cakes…your choice!
Show show and Share@Coastal Charm
No Place Like Home@Rose Chinz Cottage
Tuesday at Our House@Our Home Away From Home
Tweak it Tuesday@Cozy Little House
Inspire Me Monday@Sand and Sisal
The Scoop@Stonegable blog
Make it Pretty Monday@The Dedicated House
Let’s Talk Vintage@Bella Rosa Antiques
Bernideen’s Tea Party@Bernideen’s Blog
Thrifty and Vintage Finds@Dagmar’s House
Wow us Wednesday@Savvy Southern Style
Talk of the Town@Knick of Time
Work it Wednesday@The blissful Bee
Home and Garden Thursday@A Delightsome Life
Share Your Cup@Have a Daily Cup of Mrs Olson
Share Your Style@Essence of Home
Thoughts of Home@Poofing the Pillows
Vintage Charm Party@Charm Bracelet Diva
Home Sweet Home@ Charm of Home
Making Broken Beautiful@ The Curator’s Collection
Feather Nest Friday@French Country Cottage
Shabbilicious Friday@Shabby Art Boutique
Friday Favorites@Oh My Heartsie Girl
Friday Favorites@Home Sweet Home
Share it one more time@Shabby Fru Fru
Sunday At Home@Thoughts from Alice
Busy Monday@Pinch of Joy
Amaze Me Monday@Dwellings
Dishing it@Rustic and Refined
Morning Cup of Joe@The Cottage Market
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Risotto for Sissies…
I had the huge blessing to live in Italy for almost five years. I ate like a queen thanks to my landlord’s wife who found it sad and strange that I was living alone without a husband. Thinking that my cooking skills might be impeding that life situation from righting itself, she bravely offered to teach me “basic wife cooking”. Now my idea of basic cooking does not involve several days and 10’s of steps , but I did master most sauces and baked pasta dishes. My one failure…one of my failures…was Risotto. It should be smooth, creamy and slightly hard to the teeth…al dente…not sticky, mushy and glue like. This particular dish is one of my favorites so I tried and tried and tried…no go Risotto.
Imagine my surprise and delight to discover The Barefoot Contessa’s no fail BAKED risotto…heaven on a plate and absolutely no fail…Princess in the basket approved! Even my Italian Mama would be impressed!
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade, divided
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the rice and 4 cups of the chicken stock in a Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente. Remove from the oven, add the remaining cup of chicken stock, the Parmesan, wine, butter, salt, and pepper, and stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Add the peas and stir until heated through. Serve hot
Let’s Party…
Show us Your Life@Kelly’s Korner
Busy Monday Morning@Pinch of Joy
Amaze Me Monday@Dwellings
Tuesday at my House@Our Home Away From Home
Tweak it Tuesday@Cozy Little House
Inspire Me Monday@Sand and Sisal
The Scoop@Stonegable blog
Bernideen’s Tea Party@ Bernideen’s Blog
Talk of the Town@Knick of Time
Wow us Wednesday@Savvy Southern Style
Work it Wednesday@The Blissful Bee
Home and Garden Thursday@ A Delightsome Life
Share Your Cup@Have a Daily Cup of Mrs Olson
Share Your Style@Essence of Home
Home Sweet Home@Charm of Home
Thoughts of Home@Poofing the Pillows
Feather Nest Friday@French Country Cottage
Friday Favorites@Oh My Heartsie Girl
Friday Favorites@Home Sweet Home
Share it One More Time@Shabby Fru Fru
Shabbilicious Friday@ Shabby Art Boutique
Sundays At Home@Thoughts From Alice
Busy Monday@Pinch of Joy
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Pastels are not my jam…
Let me just get this out of the way…outside of the Princess’ room, I am not fond of pastels. Also, I may skirt the borders of the land of whimsy with a few…OK 10…chickens in my kitchen but I have no desire to move completely into cute town. This presents a conundrum at Easter when the expected decor seems to be pastel hued and bunny driven…is there room for compromise? Can I reflect the beauty of the season and still maintain the integrity of my design style? Join me on a brief tour as we meet these challenges head-on…
My antique bottle drying rack embraces the lightening of the season with vintage glass bottles to reflect the glorious afternoon light…
And look! Beautiful eggs in various textures and colors…they don’t have to be pastel!
A smattering of cute on the mantel with some jewel tone eggs and yellow Vaseline glass candlesticks…a few bunnies go a long way!
A small tray of treasures makes an appealing vignette…yes, there is some “cute” and a little pastel but the memories of acquiring each of these pieces makes it a special collection and the perfect example of compromise.
I guess every home needs a bowl of eggs at Easter…these were arranged by the Princess and re-arranged almost daily….hopefully her Easter will be a bit more cheery than last year…
Can anyone relate?
Show and Share@Coastal Charm
Bernideen’s Tea Time, Cottage and Garden Blog Party@Bernideen’sBlog
No Place Like Home@Rose Chinz Cottage
Tweak it Tuesday@Cozy Little House
Tuesday at My House@Our Home Away from Home
Inspire Me Tuesday@Sand and sisal
Inspire Me Monday@A Stroll Thru Life
The Scoop@Cedarhill Farmhouse
Make it Pretty Monday@The Dedicated House
Let’s Talk Vintage@Bella Rosa Antiques
Thrifty and Vintage Finds@Dagmar’sHouse
Wow us Wednesday@Savvy Southern Style
Talk of the Town@Knick of Time
Work it Wednesday@ The Turquoise House
Home and Garden Thursday@A Delightsome Life
Share your Cup Thursday@Have a Daily Cup of Mrs Olson
Share your Style@Essence of Home
Inspiration Thursday@In the New House Designs
Thoughts of Home@White Spray Paint
No Rules Weekend@Sincerely Paula
Vintage Charm Party@Charm Bracelet Diva at Home
Making Broken Beautiful@The Curator’s Collection
Home Sweet Home@The Charm of Home
Shabbilious Friday@ Shabby Art Boutique
Feather Nest Friday@French Country Cottage
Friday Features@Oh My Heartsie Girl
Friday Favorites@Simply Sweet Home
Home Matters@Life With Lorelei
Share it One More Time@Shabby Fru
Sundays at Home@Thoughts from Alice
Busy Monday Morning@Pinch of Joy
Amaze Me Monday@Dwellings
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Pull up a bench and stay awhile…
You will have several to choose from…
How about this vintage Korean bench in the front foyer, the perfect perch to watch the world go by…
Or this gorgeous antique Chinese theater bench in the living room…a stylish way to watch TV…
This 1800 era Monk bench is pretty and practical…that was my justification for purchasing it. My hero says the benches are just an excuse to buy more pillows and throws…he may not be completely wrong…
Of couse nothing beats a cozy Sunday afternoon on a bench with a good book…wearing green beads.
Let’s Party…
Something to Talk About@Karen up on the Hill
No Place Like Home@Rose Chinz Cottage
Show and Share@Coastal Charm
Tweak it Tuesday@Cozy Little House
Tuesday at My House@Our Home Away from Home
Inspire Me Tuesday@A Stroll Thru Life
Inspire me Monday@Sand and Sisal
The Scoop@Stonegable Blog
Make it Pretty Monday@The Dedicated House
Thrifty and Vintage Finds@Dagmar’s Housey
Wow Us Wednesday@Savvy Southern Style
Talk of the Town@Beyond the Picket Fence
Inspire Me Wednesday@Adventures of Mel
Work It Wednesday@The Turquoise House
Share Your Cup@Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Share your Style@Essence of Home
Thoughts from Home@Poofing the Pillows
Shabbilicious Friday@Shabby Art Boutique
Friday Features@Oh My Heartsie Girl
Friday Features@Home Sweet Home
Feather Nest Friday@French Country Cottage
Making Broken Beautiful@The Curator ‘s Collection
Friday Favorites@Simply Sweet Home
Let’s Talk Vintage@Bella Rosa Antiques
Share it One More Time@Shabby Fru Fru
Home and Garden Thursday@A Delightsome Life
Sundays at Home@Thoughts from Alice
Busy Monday@Pinch of Joy
Amaze me Monday@Dwellings
Rooted in Thyme
Peace Love and Link
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What makes me Smile…
There is something in my kitchen that makes me smile each morning…
Beside my Princess in the basket…
Something I have been collecting for a while, much to the amusement of my mother, who used it daily during her childhood…
Vintage enamelware…preferably Red and White but I am not picky…
Just the sight of it makes clean-up a joy…most of the time.
It even brings beauty to the awkward corner of the counter only assessable by step-stool…slight exaggeration…embrace the challenges of life!
It inspires another attempt toward the perfect sourdough bread…my husband says that I have already achieved this goal but he never says no to a fresh loaf.
I don’t know if it is the sweet,rugged beauty of the actual pieces or the simple, wholesome era they represent…all I know is my heart beats faster when I spot a that flash of enamel…and I will always find a place for it in my home
Let’s Party…
Something to Talk About@Karen Up On the Hill
Show and Share@Coastal Charm
Inspire Me Monday@Sand and Sisal
No Place Like Home@Rose Chinz Cottage
Tuesday at Our House@Our Home Away from Home
Tweak it Tuesday@Cozy Little House
Inspire Me Tuesday@A Stroll Thru Life
The Scoop@Stonegable blog
Thrifty and Vintage Finds@Dagmar’s Housey
Talk of the Town@Knick of Time
Wow Us Wednesday@Savvy Southern Style
Inspire Me Wednesday@Adventures of Mel
Work it Wednesday@The Turquoise House
Share your Cup Thursday@Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Share Your Style@Essence of Home
Thoughts of Home@Poofing Your Pillows
Make it Pretty Monday@The Dedicated House
Home Sweet Home@The Charm of Home
Shabbilicious@Shabby Art Boutique
Friday Features@Oh My Heartsie Girl
Feather Nest Friday@French Country Cottage
Share it One More Time@Shabby Fru Fru
Sundays at Home@Thoughts from Alice
Busy Monday@Pinch of Joy
Amaze Me Monday@Dwellings
Home and Garden Thursday@A Delightsome Life
Let’s Talk Vintage@Bella Rosa Antiques
Digging it/Dishing it@Rustic and Refined
Thursday Favorites@Katherine’s Corner
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Crazy About Quilts
OK, I am ready to admit it. I have a problem with a certain soft item…
I must have them all over the house…
Yes! I am crazy about quilts. There is something about them…all of them…pristine ones from a long stored hope chest…
Well loved ones that have kept babies warm and served as forts for active little boys for generations…
But I ask you, who could resist the colorful charm…or the ability to literally touch the past?
Perhaps you can even touch generations back on your own family tree…
A treasured past to pass down to our future…
Let’s Party…
Inspire Me Tuesday@AStroll Thru Life
Tuesday at our Home@Our Home away from Home
Something to Talk About@Karen’s up on the Hill
No Place Like Home@Rose Chinz Cottage
Tweak it Tuesday@Cozy Little House
Thrifty and Vintage Finds@Dagmar’s Home
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Talk of the Town@My Salvaged Treasure
Inspire Me Wednesday@Adventures with Mel
Work it Wednesday@The Turquoise Home
Share Your Cup Thursday@Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Share your Style@The Essence of Home
Thoughts of Home@Poofing the Pillows
Vintage Charm Party@Charm Bracelet Diva
No Rules Weekend@Sincerely Paula
Shabbilicious Friday@Shabby Art Boutique
Home Sweet Home@The Charm of Home
Friday Favorites@Oh my Heartsie Girl
Feather Nest Friday@French Country Cottage
Friday Favorites@Home Sweet Home
Home Matters@Life with Lorelei
Share it One More Time@Shabby FuFu
Sundays At Home@Thoughts from Alice
Making your Home Sing Monday@Mom’s the word I Love to Hear
Amaze Me Monday@Dwelling:The Heart of Your Home
Busy Monday@Pinch of Joy
Show and Share@Coastal Charm
The Scoop@Stonegable blog
Make it Pretty Monday@The Inspired House
Home and Garden Thursday@A Delightsome Life
Let’s Talk Vintage@Bella Rosa Antiques
Digging it and Dishing it@Rustic and Refined
Welcome Home Wednesday@Suburban Simplicity
Five Star Fru Fru@A Tray of Bliss
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A Day of Small Things... 