Thursday, March 31, 2011

Here Comes The Sun!

The past few days have been so awesome...and it's only Friday!
I love the cold cozy days of winter, but I am definitely a California girl because I LOVE the sun! I love waking up to the sunshine and feeling the warmth on my shoulders. I don't want the weather man to be right and see clouds the next few days...at least I know weather like this will most defiantly return.

Wednesday Alex and I had the day together and since it was such a beautiful spring day we visited the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens here in Claremont, walked around, enjoyed the fresh air, birds chirping and squirrels the size of Snickers! They are a beautiful 84 acres of California native plants with paths and park benches to sit and enjoy the surroundings. (pictures to come, the camera is Alex's car and I keep forgetting to get it out) We ran a few errands after and that evening had a delicious steak dinner on the patio! FINALLY! I love eating outside and enjoying the sunset. It is so relaxing and calming; to me it is a perfect way to end the day. The sky that night looked like a painting, the way the clouds were strewn across the sky in magnificent shades of pink and purple.

North 

North West

North

North West        


































































I think Snickers even enjoyed the warm evening!


































After dinner Alex and I wrote in our anniversary journal. We had fun reminiscing over the last year and a half, about our wedding, firsts as husband and wife...for a few moments everything was just right, another evening to bottle up.

















Yesterday my sister, Clara, came to visit. We soaked up some sun by the pool, gossiped and had great laughs. That evening I showed her how to make a replicated recipe that we love from Buca di Beppo while watching reality and crime show television. I love having my sisters over. I wish we all could hang out more together. I am so blessed to have these three best friends. There are a few quotes about sisters I would like to share that truly touch my heart and make me chuckle...

"What's the good of news if you haven't a sister to share it with?" - Toni Morrison

"To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each others hearts.We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs an joys. We live outside the touch of time." - Clara Ortega

and finally...

"If a sister is in a tearing hurry to go out and cannot catch your eye, she is wearing your best sweater."
-Pam Brown

There are many others, but I will save them for more posts.

So this morning I got up, went to the gym, then rewarded myself by sitting out by the pool for a bit this morning to get my Vitamin D.

















Looking forward to the rest of the day and another great evening.

Monday, March 28, 2011

A Good Weekend

So this past weekend seemed busy, but...we didn't really do anything.

Started out Friday by finally getting to making homemade bread for only the second time. I tried making it a couple of years ago and it came out like a rock and because of that experience I never wanted to give it another try. Well, since the weather had been so cool lately I thought it was great weather to bake. Alex was off Friday so we rented three movies and watched them in between waiting for my bread to rise. Now, this recipe is my Great Grandmothers recipe...I remember as a little girl, my grandpa making it and it being so incredibly yummy as toast for breakfast when we stayed the night at their house. My Mom makes it (mostly in the winter and spring) and when I came home to visit from Sacramento, if she had baked some, I took a loaf home with me.

It seemed like a very tricky recipe as I remember my Mom making it in a HUGE plastic bowl, we COULD NOT open the oven while it was rising and we had to keep all the doors and windows closed. NO DRAFTS! I remember her kneading and kneading this gigantic ball of dough and then that wonderful smell of baking bread wafting through out the house. A scent a house longs for to make it a home. I thought, wow! this recipe sure is sensitive, but sure is worth it! Maybe that is why I took so long to attempt it and when I did and it didn't turn out, edible, I never tried again...until this past Friday.

I called my Grandma to get her version of the recipe, detail by detail. Again, do NOT open the oven while it was rising, do NOT open any windows or doors, everything had to be just right. I wrote it down in a notebook and followed it step by step while I dove into this recipe that I had put on a pedestal my whole life. I called her a few times in between to double check some steps and hoped that I could hold up the standard set before me three generations back.





After the first rise I knew I had done something better than the last, the last time because, the dough had actually doubled in size!
BEFORE


AFTER



















Last time, I don't remember that happening, but I kept on going hoping it would turn out ok. So this time I was ecstatic to see all was going well. Alex probably wondered what was so exciting about dough that resembled an albino Blob. I took it out, 'punched' it down, kneaded it, covered it with a towel and into the oven it went again for another hour. Again, it doubled! Hooray! I then cut it into seven loafs, placed them in the pans to rise one more hour and then the bake off!























By 4pm by bread was finished and it was just as tasty as I remembered it to be. The house felt like an oven because I had been so careful not to let my dough catch a cold draft, so I opened the doors and windows and finally Alex was allowed to leave the house and buy our Mega Millions ticket. That night we made dinner together, but really, all I wanted was toast and more toast with butter and boysenberry jam for dinner.






Saturday morning Alex woke up with a sore throat and stayed home another day with one of those 'man colds'. I went out early to Target to get cold medicine, ingredients for honey lemon tea and homemade chicken soup. We didn't have any cold medicine in the house (good thing, I guess)...actually we did, but all of them expired in 2009 or so! So that afternoon, I worked on the soup while my sick husband slept and watched some movies. The soup came out soooo delicious and I made yummy grilled cheese sandwiches with my homemade bread and gruyere cheese. Alex said the sandwiches tasted like Sizzlers cheesy toast which I took as a great compliment! Gruyere cheese really makes such a difference in a grilled cheese...and homemade bread of course.



Sunday, Alex worked early so I spent the morning relaxing in a quiet house with coffee, toast of course and the LA Times. It was a very lazy Sunday.

So today I went to Target for necessities for the week, fun but time consuming matching coupons.



















Filled the cars up with gas, not fun! almost $100! I am so thankful Alex only works two miles from our house.

Now I sit here at 10:30pm waiting for Alex to get home from a long day of work and school! Maybe we'll play a little Wii when he gets here....

Looking forward to coffee and toast in the morning. g' night!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

I LOVE Trader Joes!

Great finds today! Eggplant, fresh thyme and (more) daffodils. They look so pretty just sitting on the counter all together! (and the flowers haven't even bloomed yet!) Gifts from Earth.
Making eggplant parmigiana tonight! Can't wait!

eat your KIBBLE!!!

I hate that Snick does this! Whenever I feed her canned food she picks out the dry kibble like a kid picks vegetables out of a dish. Then she just leaves it there for me to pick back up and put back in her bowl!



Weird! I've never seen or heard of a dog doing this! All our dogs as kids LOVED canned food and would eat about anything that was mixed into it! They would definitely not pick out their normal dry food! Every time she does this I put the food back in the bowl in front of her hoping she will learn, but she hasn't in three years. It drives me nuts and makes me not want to give her canned food but then she looks at me with her "What mama?" look and I just deal with her weird habit.


 I suppose its a small preparation for finding peas and brussel sprouts under tables and squished in napkins. Then at least the kids will understand English when I tell them, "eat your VEGETABLES!"

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Photobucket

 I was just browsing through my old Photobucket account and found pictures I hadn't seen since months after they were taken. Pictures of family vacations, old friends old boyfriends and then, the man who would become my husband! I remember the first time Alex sent me flowers at work (I was thrilled because no one had ever sent me flowers except my Papa) and a woman I worked with said, "Ya know, the first man who ever sent me flowers at work turned out to be my husband." I thought to myself, 'uh, I don't know about that...' And here we are....(smiley face)!
Strange what time does, it ages you, changes your feelings and views and just keeps on ticking. I see the pictures and I can remember how I felt at the time they were taken. I remember that without those past experiences I wouldn't be who or where I am today. I remember that God knows your path and leads you through it. There is a reason for it all. I look at the photos and think, at that time, I didn't know what the future held and now, here I am sitting in it. I want to take a picture now and remember this moment and in five or six years from now see if where I thought I would be is where I am. The things I worried about then seem so dumb now. I look younger and it makes me want to appreciate the beauty I have because one day I know it will fade...Thinking about Elizabeth Taylor, who passed away today, and her life and her beauty. Pictures of her all over the news from National Velvet days to most recently, old a frail. She was so beautiful!  I hope she soaked in all her old Hollywood glamor days.
Time goes so fast as I am realizing that more and more everyday. I try so hard to make it last longer, but it seems the more I try the faster it goes.
Here's to the past, the present and the future.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

SPRING SALE

Happy to announce a 20% off coupon code for all items on Max, Toto and Busy B. on Etsy!
Use coupon code SPRING11 at checkout to get your 20% off!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Goodbye Winter!

I am so excited for spring! I want to feel the sun on my skin and hear birds chirping! Even though the weatherman says there are a few showers due the next few days spring officially begins tomorrow! I bid farewell to winter today by making a cozy lamb stew for dinner, putting together a "Peeps" garland (pattern found at http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2010/03/guest-tutorial-blogger-dana-of-made.html), buying daffodils at Trader Joe's and doing a little 'spring' cleaning.


































This past winter brought many challenges in Alex and I's life and we both are looking forward to a new season filled with positive change and many blessings. Tomorrow when I wake up I am expecting to hear The Byrds, Turn Turn Turn in my head and feel the new day.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Went to Party City yesterday order a few balloons for today and when the girl asked my name I said, Belinda O'Brien, and I felt like the line of people behind me expected a leprechaun to jump out of my purse. I actually felt like I should be celebrating the holiday! Alex took his breakfast of Lucky Charms, green fruits salad and pistachios, to work and I've spent the morning getting the corned beef cooking for Alex's lunch...cabbage and red potatoes. I also made some shamrock sugar cookies and of course, lime jello shots for later! We are going over to Scott and Audra's house to have some green beer and snacks. Sure to be a great time! Happy St. Patty's Day All!




Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Signs of Spring

The weather has been so nice lately and my seedlings are beginning to sprout! I went out to water my patio garden this afternoon and saw this little guy, obviously missed the main 'growing area' but growing nonetheless.


These are nasturnum seedlings, vibrant, orange, red and yellow vine like flowers. They spread easily with the breeze and can make your yard or garden even more gorgeous scattered wherever they fall. They are beautiful and last throughout summer. I have noticed all kinds of signs of spring on the patio, birds flying around (which reminds me I need to hang my hummingbird feeder) and more green leaves sprouting on plants I thought may have been destroyed by the unusually cold nights we had the last couple of months. I'm glad I kept them and gave them a second chance!


I love the bright colors of the flowers my Mom helped me plant this season. I LOVE LOVE LOVE these purple and orange pansies, they are not too common and are so pretty. Also in the hanging flower box are ranunculus (which are another one my favorite springtime flowers) and snapdragons. The sprouting plant above is an orange lantana which I have actually had for a few years and every spring it comes back to life stronger than the year before. I love going out every morning with my watering can and discovering a new sprout or growth of existing plants. I cannot wait to have a whole yard to plant in!






Monday, March 14, 2011

Monday, Fun-Day...

The dining room table got a few days of being free and clear of paper and tools, but today it is a mess again. I have spent the afternoon working on new items for Max Toto and Busy B. on Etsy. I have created a few 6x6 mini books for Spring! There is an adorable "Peep" Easter book, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Home Sweet Home using paper by Creative Imaginations and We R Memory Keepers.
I love days like today spent in comfy clothes, crafting and having my honey here to talk to. I have some green pin cushion mums in sight for creative inspiration and St. Patricks Day and a box of Thin Mints (bought in a moment of weakness) for a quick sugar high. Check out http://www.etsy.com/people/MaxTotoandBusyB?ref=si_pr to see the mini books! Happy Monday!


























Monday, March 7, 2011

Sisterly Love

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of helping my sister, Audra, and her friend Ashley out at a photo shoot in Redlands. I helped her set up and signed in her clients and as I was helping I watched my little sister and her customer service and couldn't help but be so proud of her and her own little business. When she was little her and my youngest sister, Clara, would like to put on a 'Circus' in the backyard. She would have tickets for games, prizes, put on talent shows with our dogs and have snacks that cost no more than a quarter. When I saw her on Saturday setting up the props for the shoot and explaining what it was about it reminded me of her Circus days. I was so happy to see she was pursuing what she loves and doing great at it!
I am so proud of all my sisters, all their accomplishments. I am so thankful to have great sisters, best friends and a great family.