The List

Last week, when we were finishing up the final details before my parent's house went on the market, I made a list of all the things that still needed to be done.

The list went something like this...

1.  Wipe down kitchen counters.

2.  Clean out shed.

3.  Mow grass.

and so on...

My siblings (all except my sister "K" who was in the hospital) were there working, and each time a task was done I would go to my list and put a big line through it.

My brother and sister thought this was very funny, how I got such a sense of accomplishment from crossing something off of the list.  But that is how I roll, at least on some things anyway!

Don't ever ask me to go on a "guided" tour of another city or country where you have to be up at the crack of dawn and then follow someone else's itinerary which is supposed to make sure you see every possible site the place has to offer...oh no, I'm a fly by the seat of your pants traveler and always have been.

We were the family after all that showed up in France without a clue where we would be staying in Paris and it was Easter!  We weren't worried, and it turned out perfectly since we ended up staying in the most beautiful Paris apartment where we could throw open the french doors and look out at the Eiffel Tower.  So see, for some things I don't make a list, or even check it twice.

But when it comes to my work, or things I have going on each week, you can bet your bottom dollar there is a list somewhere around here.  My brain can be like swiss cheese sometimes, and if I don't write something down, well it's lost and gone forever folks!  Usually it's a bunch of cryptic scribbles in my day planner, and often times things get moved from day to day, and week to week, when I don't get around to following my own list. 

So maybe that is why I get so excited when I actually DO accomplish something!  Yesterday I got to cross a few things off of "The List" and boy did it feel good!

First, I hosted my local garden club, where my good friend Doug did an amazing demonstration on "green" floral arrangements...more about that in an upcoming post...so stay tuned!  The beautiful flower photos in this post were all courtesy of Doug, you see I got to bring home the leftovers!  Thank you Doug for a wonderful presentation AND the flowers!

Second, I finally got my website up and running!!!  I love how it looks, and even though it needs a little tweaking, I did go ahead and cross it off my list...woohoo!

You can visit my website by clicking HERE.

And last but not least on my list, I made the final arrangements for my upcoming art show this weekend.  Now all I have to do is show up and enjoy the weekend!  If you are in Maryland and want to see some of the best decoy carvers and local artisans in the area, you can get the info from the flyer below or visit the show's website for more details by clicking HERE.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when the local paper, which serves all 3 counties here in Southern Maryland, emailed me last week and wanted to use an osprey photo for a story they were doing on this wonderful show!

Now I'm off to finish up a few more things so that I can...well you know!  May your lists be short and your accomplishments many!!!  ;-)

Treated Royally and A Shout Out

Yesterday my family gave me the royal treatment.  It started with sleeping in, followed by yummy scones for breakfast/lunch, and then a delicious dinner complete with a beautifully set table.

Our daughter came home for the weekend, which is always a treat.  I just love having everyone under one roof!

On Saturday, my son asked what I wanted for Mother's Day and I told him not a thing.  He then informed me that if I didn't tell him something I wanted, I would get something I didn't want.  

When I opened my gifts there was this single asparagus shaped taper candle (pictured above) and as I pulled it out he was grinning from ear to ear...so was my daughter who had gone shopping with him!  He said it was the ugliest thing he could find and that because I hadn't given him any ideas this was my "something you don't want" present.  I hate to tell him, but the joke was on him since I like my pretty little asparagus candle, and my only disappointment was that he could only find one!

Along with the soaps, a gift certificate, and the candle, I also received this wonderful book Perfect English by Ros Byam Shaw with photography by Chris Tubbs.

If you've been reading my blog for awhile now, then you know how much I LOVE design books, especially beautifully photographed ones and this one did not disappoint!

It's full of wonderful text and glorious imagery of quintessential English country design and decor, which allows it to live up to the title of Perfect English!

My roses are now in full bloom, and my daughter created a lovely table arrangement for my Mother's Day feast yesterday evening.  We had grilled steaks, fresh asparagus, organic potatoes, and berry sherbet for dessert...yum!

Mr. Tide's gift to me was doing a ton of yard work this past weekend and buying me some blueberry bushes and flowers that will bring me lots of enjoyment for years to come!

I also treated myself to a few pretties the past few weeks, including these lovely green cut glass votive holders, which we used at dinner last night.  I also picked up a few pieces from Mason Cash to add to my ever growing bowl collection.  I bought a set of pudding basins, a mixing bowl, and then 4 small oval baking dishes which I hope to use to bake individual pot pies this winter, or maybe yummy creme brulee!

I hope you all had equally wonderful Mother's Day celebrations yesterday!  And thank you to my family for helping make my job as a mother very easy!!!

This week will be another busy one as I am hosting our local garden club this evening, working on a story that was due 2 months ago (yeah this is the life of a writer sometimes...things get delayed or pushed back and you just have to go with the flow), a photo shoot on Wednesday, and I have an art show this weekend that I'll tell you more about in an upcoming post, so it's push time!

But before I go, I wanted to give a shout out to my dear friend Fifi O'Neill!  Her book has been burning up the charts...and is topping lists everywhere!  Congratulations Fifi, I can't think of a more deserving person!!! xoxo

Romantic Prairie Style ranked #6 in sales on Nielsen Bookscan
for two weeks in a row in the Hardcover House & Home category, as reported in the
Best-Selling Books listing (week ended April 17th) in the April 23, 2011 edition of
The Wall Street Journal
Circulation: 9,963,418

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing you...

A Very...

Happy...

Mother's Day!!!

Overwhelmed

I truly can't thank you enough for your kind words of sympathy and support about us losing Miss Kylee.

We have spent the past few days reorienting ourselves to life without her, and I have to say that it still feels weird to not have her at my feet as I type, or to not need to take her out or give her the various medications she was on for the past 6 months.  But we are getting there, and we know that she is free of pain and happy. 

This week has been one filled with emotion starting with putting my parent's house on the market, losing Miss Kylee , and then my sister "K" unexpectedly had her gallbladder removed yesterday after suffering a bout of pancreatitis on Wednesday.

But even with the emotional lows that life sometimes presents us with, there are always rays of sunshine that find their way through the darkest cloud filled skies.


 

No matter how sad you might be one moment, there are always things to lift your heart and mind if you just look around you.  Like bluebirds and sunshine...warm breezes and flowers...and hugs from your family or wet puppy kisses.  Life goes on, and we learn to cope with the losses we experience throughout life.

To those of you who have helped brighten my day with your wonderful words, I want to tell you that right now I'm overwhelmed.  But I'm overwhelmed in a good way, and for that I am forever grateful!

No Words

Today we lost a beloved member of our family, our sweet Miss Kylee.  She was smart, loyal, crazy, energetic and always loving.  We will miss her dearly, but in her all too short 10 1/2 years she imprinted herself on our hearts so that she will never be forgotten.  

There are no words which can fully convey the depth of our sorrow, but we know that she is in a better place with all the tennis balls she wants!  Love you girl!

I'll Drink To That

My parent's, house aka the house I grew up in, goes on the market this Thursday...as in 2 days from now!  So it's major crunch time, with all of us scrambling to finish up the last few details, like mowing the grass, buffing hardwood floors, and power washing the patio.


 

I have my fingers crossed that it will be a quick and painless sale, but the realist in me knows it will likely take a while.  In my spare time, I've been trying to get my own house ready for the warmer weather, and last weekend we did some plant shopping and weeding.

Along with some daisies, verbena, and lantana, I also picked up this sweet little recycled glass, made from an old black cherry soda bottle.

As a child, I used to pick forget-me-nots, violets, or lily of the valley in our yard and proudly trundle inside to present them to my mother.  She always had a tiny juice glass to put them in, and she would place them in the kitchen where she could enjoy them since she spent lots of time there cooking for a family of 6.

As soon as I saw these tiny glasses, it reminded me of those days.  With this recycled glass, I now have my very own makeshift vase that I can fill with forget-me-nots or any other small flower that strikes my fancy.  Today it is filled with daisies...but who knows what tomorrow will bring!

Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Feeling a Little Sheepish

Is there anything quite as cute as spring lambs?!

The way they jump and frolick in the fresh green grass is so cute!

Or how they play hide and seek behind an old turned over feeding trough.

I get to see these cuties each and every day, and they make me smile when I see their darling faces, and sweet wooly coats.

There are 4 of them this year, all of them have the most kissable faces.

Don't you just want to hug them?!

I hope each of you will find something to make you smile this week.