I've been going, going, going for days now and then last night it all came to a screeching halt. I developed a horrible headache, one like I've never had before, and it actually made me physically ill, so today was spent laying in bed and watching whatever movies were on TV.
It's funny how not feeling well and being laid up in bed for a day can make you appreciate all that you are able to accomplish on a day when you don't feel sick.
On Friday, I got the chance to go to lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in awhile. My old art partner and I have been so busy that it's been hard to carve out time to get together, so it was wonderful to have a couple of hours to sit and chat about everything that's been happening in our lives for the last few months.
I always realize after I get the chance to see someone I love spending time with but rarely get to, that I need to make more of an effort to do that. You know how you run in to someone and you each say, "we really need to get together soon," but then time, and life get in the way and you never make it happen?
Well, I have decided that part of simplifying my life is to concentrate on the little things, the things that really do matter, like making time to see those people who you talk about, want to see and spend time with, but rarely do.
I'm also happy to report that we have now eaten 70 of our last 72 meals at home. We decided about a month ago that we would make an effort to eat at home, preparing seasonal foods and just enjoying the process of cooking again.
It really has been effortless in many ways, made easier by the fact that it is summertime and lots of fresh veggies and fruits are in season and so plentiful. Our tomato plants are giving us lots of tomatoes and the blueberries are finally starting to come in.
I so wish I could have these sweet blue berries fresh off the bush year round, but then again maybe I would take them for granted. It is after all, the little things that truly make us happy in life, like a handful of fresh ripe blueberries on one of my favorite plates...life is good people, really good!
So Mr. Tide and I have been completely gluten free for a week. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and is found in countless numbers of products we eat and cook with. We didn't find it too difficult to make the transition here at home since we've been semi gluten free for awhile now. Week before last, I read Kate's blog and how she was feeling much better sans gluten, so we decided to go cold turkey.
My niece has Celiac's disease, and my sister is also gluten intolerant, so I'm well versed in what has gluten in it, or so I thought. What I wasn't expecting was how difficult it is to really be completely gluten free.
I mean I knew a lot of things secretly contain wheat, like salad dressings, etc. but I wasn't fully prepared to be completely on my own when trying to find out what does or doesn't have gluten.
For instance, many restaurants are now touting gluten free menus, Panera is one of them, but when we went there for dinner the cashier couldn't tell me exactly what was truly gluten free and what was not. Thankfully I had a smart phone that allowed me to look it up thanks to the help of some really great websites created by people who are gluten free. And thankfully I'm not truly gluten intolerant, so eating a little gluten won't hurt me.
After several more instances where people working in stores or at restaurants either had no clue what gluten free meant or couldn't help me discern what was gluten free, I really began to have a much better appreciation for how difficult it must be for my college age niece.
Not only is she in college, the land of pizza and every other wheat laden carb imaginable, but she is also an athlete who has to travel because of her sport. As I went through my week gluten free, and fairly frustrated at not knowing exactly what I could and couldn't eat, I kept thinking how hard it must be for someone who is forced to eat fast food while on the road.
For her, it's not a choice, if she eats even a tiny amount of gluten it makes her very, very ill. My heart goes out to her, and I will try and be even more aware of her condition and be more vigilant about keeping lots of gluten free items in my house for when she comes over.
After just one week, and not feeling any different, Mr. Tide and I broke our gluten free streak and ate a cupcake. I have to admit that I felt a little guilty for giving in so quickly, but I truly have to say that I didn't notice any changes, not in my weight or how I felt. Now I know that one week probably isn't long enough to figure out if being gluten free made me feel better, but I would have expected to feel a few changes, and I did not.
So we are back to being "semi" gluten free, which does seem to make us feel slightly better overall. But the most important thing I learned was how my niece and now my sister must feel braving a world where gluten rules!
And although I would like to take full credit for the gorgeous Tiffany blue almond butter cupcake with raspberry filling pictured above, that I devoured...I can not. It came from a lovely new bake shop in our area called Anita's Cake Shop. They create a new signature cupcake each week and feature it on their Facebook page.
Her cupcakes are yummy, and she also makes all sorts of specialty cakes, including wedding cakes. But the best part is that they will also create gluten free items on request. I hope that in the future they will be able to offer gluten free items on their regular menu so that I can say to my niece and everyone else who is gluten free...let them eat cupcakes!
Ugh, you know how you have things that just get screwed up, no matter how hard you try?! Well my last giveaway, WAY back at the end of October was one of those things.
First, I accidentally shipped everything to myself when I thought I had drop shipped stuff to the winners. And then, when I did get the pictures, it took me frick'in forever to get things packaged up and mailed out. But before Christmas I finally got my act together and mailed everything, or so I thought.
Last week I started to get some of them back in the mail...UGH! Yup, I had slipped a digit, so to speak, on the nice spreadsheet that Mr. Tide so generously made me so that I could keep track of who got what photo and their address. So I had the right name, and the right street address, but the wrong city and state...gotta love my old eyesight and small spreadsheet print I guess! Thankfully it only appears to have happened on a handful of them, so I will be working on getting them off to the "right" addresses this week.
To those of you who have so patiently waited, or more than likely cussed me under your breath for having not received them, they will be on their way, I promise. Let's just hope that 3rd time's the charm!!
In other news, today is my 2 year blog anniversary...or at least I think it is. I started my blog in early January, so I'm just gonna go with the 10th as being the anniversary, because frankly I'm too lazy to look back and confirm the actual start date.
Just like these yummy pecan rolls that I kind of, sort of made from scratch yesterday, I consider this blog to be a sweet success. Sweet because its success has come as a complete surprise. When I began writing it 2 years ago, well I figured it would be long forgotten 2 years later. With the attention span of a gnat, I thought there was no way I would still be blurting out whatever happens to pop into my head on this little blog of mine. So to be here 2 whole years later is a huge success, and something I'm kind of proud of!
It truly has been an amazing journey, one which has led to so many wonderful opportunities for me. But I view those work opportunities as a yummy cupcake, maybe a fluffy white french vanilla cupcake. The icing, which I would imagine is a delicious buttercream tinted a lovely shade of aqua, is what I'm most appreciative of, and that, my friends is what you represent to me.
You all are the icing to my cupcake, and everyone knows that the icing is the best part. It's the part we savor, sneak tastes of, and save as the "best for last" part of any cupcake. The friendships I have formed through this blog are what have kept it going for the past 2 years. Without them, without YOU, I would have walked away a long time ago and done something completely different.
So thank you for the sweetness each of you bring to my life. Whether you just read and never say a word, whether you comment often, whether we chat outside of my blog, or whether we have actually met in person, each of you is important to me, and to this blog.
Who knows what this next year will bring here at Low Tide High Style, but with you guys by my side, I know it will be worth the price of admission!
I love objects that are both utilitarian and beautiful, like the stoneware jug pictured above. I think what draws me to these items for use as design elements in my home is the fact that although we use them decoratively today, their intended use was something far different.
The original owners of objects such as old crocks, jugs, baskets, etc. used them to store things, they were a convenience that they likely paid little attention to from day to day.
Yet on some level they must have thought about their form as well as their function, because they are often just as pretty as they are useful.
I have wanted a wire basket for ages, and silly me, I was so busy snapping pictures while I was in Europe that I didn't bring home a single thing for myself...not even a lovely wire basket! I hate the practical side of myself sometimes, the one who thinks, "oh that will be hard to get home, or do you really need that?!" I sometimes kick myself when I return from someplace special for not picking up things that can only be found in those specific places.
Lucky for me the world is now a global marketplace, and reproductions are everywhere. I'm not a big fan of reproductions, and whenever possible I will always go for the real thing, but this time I made an exception.
A few weekends ago when we went to stay with our daughter, I ventured in to a shop on the way home that I've always wanted to pop into. I had tried several times, but I was traveling through at odd hours and was never able to catch them when they were open.
The shop is called Coco Blanca, and as the name implies, it is filled with wonderful tone on tone items in shades of cream and white that make you want to sell everything you have and start over. They were unloading new merchandise the afternoon Mr. Tide and I stopped in, and I could have picked up a few pieces of furniture, glassware, and even jewelry, had I not been in a hurry to get home to dogs. I did however, pick up the wire basket you see in the photos above. I knew it would be a great prop for photo shoots, and when not in front of my camera, I knew it would serve a useful purpose by holding my veggies and fruits. You have to love something that is both beautiful and serves a purpose in your life!
I will definitely be back to Coco Blanca. I have my eye on a piece that might just work for my dining room makeover...yes I'm busy changing things up in that room...stay tuned!
Thank you to everyone who has signed up for my latest Giveaway. If you haven't yet...click HERE to get all of the details!
As Hurricane Irene whirls her way up the eastern seaboard of the US I've been busy gathering the necessary supplies to help us weather the storm.
A good book is a must, since TV and internet may be scarce for a few days. I've been down this road before, and though we have a whole house generator for just such an occasion, invariably trees come down and service is disrupted.
Perfume is nice to have on hand, just in case you can't shower for a day or two. My Lollia "Calm" should do the trick.
And you really need cake, we all know that cake makes everything better!
Along with a good book, it's important to have a few magazines on hand.
Ok, maybe more than just a few!
Bringing in all of the garden veggies is important too, so I've harvested the ripe tomatoes and peppers and I might whip up a yummy sauce or salsa.
And of course we need tea, lots of tea! You may have noted that no alcohol is included in this "must have" hurricane ready list. I'm not irresponsible my friends, you have to keep your wits about you in a storm! I will bet donuts to dollars that someone on my street will host an impromptu hurricane party though! ;-)
If we don't lose internet due to Irene, I will also be taking the next few days to reply to the many wonderful emails I've received in the last few days...thank you to each and every one of you, many of whom brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my heart!
To everyone in Irene's path, let's hope she bids us goodnight and veers off to sea. But if she insists on stopping by, I hope each of you will be safe and sound!
As I munched on my breakfast of organic strawberries, sourdough bread with butter and raspberry jam, and walnuts this morning, I couldn't help but think of all the strife around our planet.
I thought of the people without a bite to eat, of the people who have lost their homes and businesses to senseless violence, and of the families of the fallen who will never again share breakfast with their loved ones.
The truth is that I love pretty pictures just as much as the next person, but I can also appreciate those which capture the pain and suffering in a way that words cannot. HERE is a link to several pictures that are worth more than a thousand words, for surely anything that touches our souls and makes us strive to do better and be better must be priceless!
I hope that each of you had a wonderful 4th of July!
We watched fireworks from our dock, and enjoyed good food and good company...including this yummy blueberry pie!
I wish I could take credit for it, but my sweet neighbor made it for us as a thank you for taking care of her cats while she was away.
For pie this yummy I would cat sit any day of the week!
I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday weekend, and for those of you outside the United States and Canada, I hope your week is off to a great start!
I think in order to be a true patriot I better go eat another slice of pie! ;-)
Isn't it funny how certain months of the year hold such a special place in our hearts? I'm not sure why summertime is the time of year I feel most content, but it always has been my favorite season.
With the first warm days, I can almost feel the breeze blowing in my hair as I race down hills on my banana bike, or smell the delicious scent as I would run inside my grandmother's kitchen to see what type of cake or pie she had made that day.
Joy, over at Savvy City Farmer just did a post on the way she grew up and those precious memories she clings to, and I could relate to many aspects of her upbringing.
It's funny, if you were to ask me about certain months each year growing up, there is little I could tell you about them. Maybe because we didn't have any birthdays in those months, or there weren't any big holiday celebrations that hit home, but ask me about the time from May until September each year and I can reminisce all day long.
Even as an adult, summer was always my favorite time of year because it meant my kids would be with me all day everyday, I treasure that time we had together now that they are both grown.
If you asked me about summertime growing up, I could regale you with tales of playing baseball in the field across the street, running barefooted on hot blue chip asphalt to catch the ice cream truck, and about playing freeze tag and green light red light until daylight gave way to twilight when the hunt for lightning bugs would begin. I would tell you about my mom marching us into the tub each night to scrub our feet and the dirt and grime from a day of playing hard, and how she stroked our hair each night checking us for ticks.
As I grew up, summer became the time when we didn't talk about school, or need to take notes, we could just be and hang out with our friends acting silly and talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Working minimum wage jobs and spending time crabbing or water-skiing on our days off. We thought those days would never end, and sometimes we wished they would. We wanted to be grown ups and live in our own homes and not have to come home by 2 am after dancing all night or sailing all day.
Once, when I was in college, my sister and I went sailing with some friends late in the afternoon. We ventured pretty far out in the Chesapeake Bay, and as we turned to head back to the marina the motor suddenly quit on the boat. This was the mid 1980s so there were no cell phones, and the radio on board decided to quit working too, along with the wind which is why we were using the motor to begin with.
For hours, we were adrift trying to make our way back to shore, and the hours went by so that when we finally did dock it was almost 3 am. I can still remember the look on my mom's face when we got back home and how frightened and worried she was. But what we saw was how angry she was, because we were young, invincible, and we knew we could handle it and that we were ok, so why should she be worried?! Now that I'm a mom, I understand.
She knew something we didn't, that life is short, and more importantly it's very fragile and can be gone in a second. Where we saw invulnerability when we looked in the mirror, she saw naivety and a lack of life knowledge.
Just like my mother, I will always worry, but I have to also let go the same way she did. I've learned to let my kids have their own summer memories, ones that I hope will be as moving as my own.
Ones where even the smell and taste of ripe blackberry will transport them back in time. My only hope is that like the berries which seem so plentiful this time of year they will realize that they are only ripe and full of flavor for a very short time. I hope they memorize that sweetness and drink it in and that they will savor each phase of their lives. That they will find their own time of year that says "ahh" to every fiber of their being the way summertime does to mine.
Embracing who you are and where you come from is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. We can't turn back the clock, and getting stuck trying to cling tight to the little and big hands is futile and will only leave you stuck in time instead of continuing on your journey. Just as we can't speed up the clock in hopes of erasing the bad times, each bit of time is what makes us who we are and takes us to the next place we need to go to in life. People, things, pets, and places will change, and you will miss them all, but if you have your memories, then you have it all.
What season speaks to your heart and takes you back?
All images, text, and content are Copyright protected and exclusively owned by Low Tide High Style, Kat Warren Photography, and Kat W. Photography. Please do not reproduce without written permission.
I am a mom to 2 wonderful children, wife to an amazing husband, loved by 2 fluffy puppies, a freelance writer, fine art photographer, and a lover of all things beautiful which I hope to share with you here on my blog.
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