'Give a little whistle'........or phone call........

My parents have been gone on vacation for the past five days and won't be back for another five days. I can't tell you how many times I have had to remind myself that they are 'unavailable'. I can call them, but #1 - I wouldn't want to bug them on their trip with my everyday boring questions and #2 - it's expensive to call international. Over the last five days I have realized how much I depend on my parents opinions and how much their advice influences decisions we make. I realized how much I consider my mother to be one of my best friends. How I missed being able to call her and tell her about something cool I found at Marshall's! And this has just been five days!

Alex and I have had some pretty important decisions to make this week about his college education and work. Today we had to come to a conclusion and make a decision that would affect the next few years of our life and while we sat their contemplating our options, I wanted to call my dad. I wanted to tell him our options and see what he thought. I think he would agree with our decision but I wanted to confirm my choice with him; not to get his approval but to get my own approval!I know that he would have just the thing to say to make both of us feel that much more at ease about the road we are choosing.

This 'real adult decision' Alex and I discussed today made me feel like a real married couple. A full circle moment. We talked out our choices, made a pro/con list, I told him I would support him in whatever he decided but I also felt comfortable to tell him my opinion. For a moment after we made our choice I think we both felt that, 'I hope we're making the right decision' feeling, but really, I think we did. It was kind of like a moment when your 16 and you're parents say you can't do something and you think (or say), "I'm 16 I can make my own decisions!" Only now, we really can....and now we have 30+ years to back up our decision and yet somehow now that doesn't seem like enough.

I feel my input into the discussion came from what I've learned from my dad. Again, I wanted to call him and ask him....in fact I almost did, I figured this was a big thing, I super value his opinion and I had to make sure we considered all aspects! But I didn't. I told myself that this is one of those times where we will have to use our best judgment. We had to 'let our conscious be our guide' so to speak. So I put my phone away.

I'm sure my parents would be proud and happy to know that we need them so much still. At least I hope they will be...It's true no matter how old you get you still need your parents. You need their love, their support and their wisdom when you sometimes doubt your own. I guess that's one of the most sought after result in parenting, that children be able to make their own decisions, based on what their parents taught them and the morals and values exemplified and instilled by them.

Faith has also been ever so present at this time in our marriage and lives together. Another lesson passed down from our parents and grandparents. God will guide us, He is present in our lives and hears all our prayers. That is all we can do, put our faith in Him and He will guide us.

I can only hope that one day our children will feel the same way we do about our parents. I hope they value our opinion, seek our advice and know that God will guide them.

proud parents

proud children

Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.  

~Robert Fulghum

Goin' to the Chapel in Vintage Red & Blue

Recently I had the privilege of making some personalized bridal shower supplies for an old friend and a shower she was hosting! She contacted me to make a banner for the bride-to-be featuring their initials and wedding date, along with cupcake picks and tags for shower favors. I had so much fun designing the items and working with these colors! Here are some pictures to enjoy.
If you are interested in ordering some items for your special event, please contact me via e-mail at badame1225@yahoo.com. Thank you!

Thank you again Katie for the opportunity!

"You Have My Heart" - Cupcake Picks

Personalizes Favor Tags

The banner featured quotes on marriage, heart die-cuts, eight different prints and patterns in coordinating wedding colors and vintage boy and girl profile die-cuts. Total of 11 panels measuring 5"x7" each.

Ready to ship out!

Dreams do come true

Today was one of those regular old days when nothing was super eventful but everything seemed perfect. Alex slept in pretty late while I cleaned up the house and watched my Royal Wedding coverage. I made breakfast, we went to Lowe's, he hung up our flat screen wall mount, I cleaned the patio and planted my rescued clearance plants I bought at Lowe's. We...well, I made dinner, and ate in on our nicely cleaned patio with a faint smell of citronella in the air. The perfect end to a perfect day being husband and wife.

About an hour ago I decided (after much debate) to go to Baskin Robbins for their 31 cent night. It was such a nice spring evening, we drove with the windows down. When we got there, of course, there was a long line, so we stood in it and just told jokes to each other and had fun. On the way home I actually was able to keep the radio on KFRG (Alex is not a fan of country!) and Rascall Flatts came on Fast Cars and Freedom, I exclaimed, "I haven't heard this song in so long!" I hadn't, in fact I hadn't listened to country period. in a long time. I'm trying to slowly introduce Alex to the genre and am hoping he will start to like it... As I listened to the song, I thought to myself, before I was was married or even engaged I had always wished for those sappy country love songs to come true in my life. I mean, after all, I had had my fair share, if not more, of the sappy sad, he's cheatin' and lyin' songs come true, so I really wanted to be the girl, the wife that her husband sees out of the corner of his eye or across a room and just falls more in love with each time. All that time, I thought, some day... right? I was right! In the Rascall Flatts song the begining line is:

'Starin' at you takin' off your makeup
Wondering why you even put it on
I know you think you do but baby you don't need it
Wish that you could see what I see it when it's gone'

Sometimes I'll catch Alex watching me, or he'll just tell me I'm beautiful or how lucky he is and it makes me blush and giggle I and think, now I know. I know what it feels like to have a husband who loves me so much. Now I get to play that part in those songs! I am so blessed to have a husband who expresses his feelings, happy or sad. He knows he can trust me and I know I can trust him. Our hearts are safe with each other.

That song has a little extra meaning to us also because we dated in high school, for those of you who don't know.  I was 16 and he was 18, we went to homecoming together, he was my first 'car date'...and we were late getting home, and I got in trouble, but that's another story....Anyway, I love to hear Alex tell me the story about when we met again ten years later, his feelings driving to Mammoth. I like to hear him admit he made a mistake dumping me!....LOL. But hey, that's the way it was meant to be...In the Rascall Flatts song they sing, "You don't look a day over fast cars and freedom..." and now that I'm 30 (ugh) and some days feel old, he still sees me as 16, and that makes me feel good :) I hope that lasts a long time!

Sometimes it's weird to think that he turned out to be the one! He really broke my heart back then! And now, here I am, living one of those sappy country love songs. Love it!

cutest couple, circa 1997

Easter Treats

I have literally spent all day baking today! My kind of day! I made egg and flower shaped sugar cookies, carrot cake cupcakes, almond & orange zest  biscotti and pistachio & lemon zest biscotti. All for tomorrow and a few extra for Alex's store.

Biscotti is not as hard to make as it may seem...and they happen to be low-fat, really :)  Here is the recipe I use :

2 3/4  cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 tblsp. butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp finely shredded lemon or orange peel (this is optional, but it REALLY gives great flavor so I would say it is a must!)
1 cup coarsely chopped pistachios or almonds

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the bowl and place eggs and egg yolks and mix. Add butter, zest and nuts. Dough will be crumbly.

2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide into three equal portions. Shape each portion into a loaf.




Place on lightly greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Flatten loaves slightly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Transfer baked loaves onto a cooling rack and let cool about 15 minutes.



Then, move to cutting board and cut WITH A SERRATED KNIFE  slices about 1/2 inch wide.





Place slices on their sides on baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes.



Turn them over and bake another 5 to 10 minutes.





I drizzed melted white chocolate on the lemon pistachio ones and milk chocolate on the orange almond ones. It just adds a little touch!


I also made some basic sugar cookeis and decorated them with royal icing. They came out lovely!






Finished jars -



*Sorry for the bad picture quality, I cannot find our camera and I have been using my phones for pictures...

Well, I am beat for the day. I am going to relax now and finish watching The Ten Commandments. Hope everyone has a happy and blessed Easter!

It Started With the Hummingbird Feeder,,,

And turned into this...

We went down to the garage and started looking for my feeder and during that found some buried treasure. Well, maybe not treasure, but things I forgot about or had at least once since we've been here said, "Where is that, _______?" Now this morning, I have a bunch of stuff to find homes for. We also were able to clean out the garage at the same time so now we are not housing things that had, "Why were we saving this....?" written all over it.

So now I can hang my hummingbird feeder, I found some extra pots for plants and a tray so now Alex can serve me breakfast in bed on his days off! (Sarcasm)

"Like an old married couple..."

Alex and I had a great evening tonight, just like I hoped for. Great dinner, a couple beers and great music.

After dinner we went out to Rite-Aid to get some ice cream cones and on the way home there were groups of teenagers walking down the street, hanging out and Alex says, "Go home." Funny, I was thinking the same thing. We started talking about things we do, for example, liking to go to the movies for the first showing because it cheaper and quieter! We see teenagers at restaurants or while out shopping and we both think, 'greeeaaat...' with a roll of the eyes.Sometimes we think of ourselves still being right out of high school. We don't feel thirty, but moments around teens make us feel like an old married couple who just wants some peace and quiet! If you've ever watched the show Better With You on abc Wednesday nights you may be familiarized with the begining of the show. They put the three couples in a similar situation to show how each one at different points in their relationship react differently...Well there was one particular one that reminded us of ourselves, the second couple...

http://abc.go.com/shows/better-with-you/three-stages-of-love

 We love to go out for a great dinner or to the movies, but we also love to stay home. To us, it is so much more fun to entertain at home, have a dinner party or go to friends' or family's homes. It's just funny how perspectives change. It wasn't that long ago nine o' clock would roll around and it was time to go out and now it means pj's and TV time! In my world, Saturday morning is the new Friday night!

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.