Halloween 2009~

~Erin 4 1/2- Halloween 2009~

Being very shy I might add.


~Jack 1 year old- Halloween 2009~
With a very snacky face and nose...sorry!

~And this truly adorable Policeman~

~Witch Erin and Superman Jack~

With my two special darlings now in Maine, I'm able to go to things like- The Annual Halloween parade.

The parents {and Mimi's} arrive, get the children all dolled up in their costumes and off we go. A building away is a nursing and rehab center. The children and parents {and Mimi's}, parade by and give a command performance in their Halloween finery, walking out with little treats. I think the treat is for the residents here.

Back at nursery and preschool- it's snacks and more photo-ops. And time for all good Mimi's to head for home.
Aren't they adorable?
~*~

I think it's the little ones that make the holidays the best- when it's all new and magic and ... they believe!

Pumpkin Carving~

~Beautiful Pumpkin Carvings~

Our pumpkin this year is much more traditional- Jack-o-lantern style. Made for a much happier occasion because Erin was here to assist Pop-pop as 'Jack' watched from the sidelines.

Do you carve a pumpkin for Halloween? There are some pretty fantastic carvings out there- very ornate. When there is a 4 year old and a one year old involved, you choose the shortest distance between pumpkin and Jack-o-lantern!

~*~

boooooooooooooo...

Image:

Dailyolive.com

Bittersweet~

Don't you love the word~ Bittersweet? I think it conjures up all sorts of emotion. A love that just can't be, a "good-bye" that is sad but something wonderful awaits.

Many years ago, a good friend and I would scour the highway looking for Bittersweet. The best place, where it grew wildly was actually right on the highway. Loaded with sharp clippers and large trash bags we would head off for our autumn stash of Bittersweet. We would park on the side of the highway and dash off, clipping and stowing as quickly as we could. That in itself was Bittersweet...


What exactly were the consequences of pilfering wild Bittersweet from a state highway?
Would we have to surrender our haul, show up for county court?

The Bittersweet truth about gathering Bittersweet was sorting through the vines once we were safely back home and delivering it among our friends.

Images:

Country Living

Westboroughlandtrust.org

Flickr.com

Duke.edu

Stunning Blond~

~Blond beauty in Rockport Harbor~

I spied this stunning blond sailboat in the Rockport harbor a couple of weeks ago.

There she was in all of her autumn glory among the changing maples and oaks.
~*~
Recently I posted about a trip to Camden and Rockport harbors and included a photo of a few sailboats. Lovely Mary-Laure of the gorgeous blog Aurea commented, saying- "there's just something about a sailboat".
Look closely at this beauty and let yourself imagine drifting on the sea~ enjoying the warmth of the sun and the reading on deck until the sun fades into a coral sunset.
~*~
Yes... there's just something about a sailboat...

Images:

My own

Cradle Me~

~Cradle Bed~

~FLOAT~

After a very busy weekend of moving, rainy weather, broken down moving vans, over tired children and an over tired Mimi- I would love to float away in this gorgeous Cradle Bed.

I hope your weekend was full of autumn splendor... without the rain.

Image:

Cradle bed by Okooko

Moving~

This weekend my son and his family are moving from Massachusetts to Maine-just two towns away!

I will be helping with unpacking, organizing and child watching-I'm so excited.

So, I leave you with this delicious chocolate image. It has absolutely nothing to do with the weekend or the move. But I have been craving something rich, dense and chocolate.

Cut yourself a nice thick slice, pour a cup of coffee or make some tea.

~*~

~Thought for the day~

Two months from today will be Christmas Eve...

Image:

Cooking Light

A little help from my friends~

~Easy Granny Squares~

My late Mother taught me to crochet as a young girl. She made really beautiful things and I wanted to learn how.

I mastered the basic-chain- single and double crochet. I made many single and double crochet afghans. I made them for the whole family one Christmas. I recently saw a granny square afghan that was done in the most gorgeous, bright colors. Not the same granny square afghan that your Grandmother may have made with the black centers. This one was truly beautiful. So I got out my hooks and some old yarn and tried my hand at granny squares... and I tried...and I tried. O.K.-I think I have a block here. I cannot figure this out. I have a hard time following printed directions. I have asked blogger friends, girlfriends; today I went to a sweet yarn shop near my home and she would have helped but she had a knitting group there.

~Simple Granny Square~
{Not mine}

Can anyone offer any help? Please remember I cannot follow directions! I'm doing something very wrong here. The more I fail, the more I am determined to master this.


~Afghan Love~

Isn't this wonderful? I love the bright colors and various sizes of granny squares.
Any help or suggestions...greatly appreciated.

Part of my logic is I can wrap up in this while working on it during the long, cold Maine winter.

Images:

Craftstylish

Flickr

My own file {if anyone knows where this came from, please advice so I can give credit}

What do your jeans say about your genes?

~Downtown Trouser~

Are you on the conservative end? The classic trouser, paired nicely with a tee or white oxford cloth shirt. Your Mom whispering in your ear that classic and tasteful are always best, and those are the ladies that always get the second glance? And don't forget to wear your pearls.

~Ankle Stretch Toothpick~

Perhaps these swanky slims. If you've got the figure...I say 'go for it'. Mom would always approve if worn with a cute cardigan. After all wasn't she the one that would wear a high-waisted pant, one of Dad's white shirts and a cummerbund?


~Matchstick~

The only way these would have been given the "o.k." nod is if they were very neatly tucked into some fabulous riding boots.



~Vintage Slim~


Pardon me... I could do this myself. Strap these babies onto the back of a pick-up and joy-ride over a bumpy road. These cuties would have never made it in the front door. Well... perhaps to wash windows...inside windows.


{Personally, I think these paired with a boyfriend oxford shirt would be adorable - in a shabby chic sort of way.}


~Boot Cut~


My all time, go to jeans. They can look tailored and neat {for you Mom}, a little edgy when worn with cowgirl boots, and let's face it- for those of us who aren't a size 4-they are just darn comfortable.




So tell me- what do your jeans say about your genes? When you shop for jeans and just start to feel like you want jazz it up a bit, you want to ease out of your comfort zone-just a tad, what jeans do you go for? And do any of you ever hear that little whisper.....



'Just a touch Debra behind your ears..no more' {from this post} or~ 'Tasteful and timeless always get the second glance'.

Images:

J. Crew

Quiet Post~

My mantle by day.....



~ and by night.

~*~

{It's funny what you find when you preview your posts- like the little tag hanging off the falling artichoke}

Images:

My own

Be in ever so humble~

~Full Moon~

September 2009

{Click on photo to enlarge}

~*~

Each time I visit a favorite village in Massachusetts, I pass this home almost daily.

The gardens, the lighting, the simplicity is all so appealing.

On this particular evening there was a full moon rising. I noticed the warm glow from what is likely a den or living room {I felt a little like a voyeur taking this photo}~ This home is not grand, you could not call it a McMansion, it isn't on the water, although I do think there may be a water view from one of those upstairs bedrooms.

It just beckons one to come in-sit by the fire?

Image: My own

A special little boy~

~A sacred spot~

Many years ago my DH brought me to this cemetery in Camden to show me this marker.

My heart sank. The stone was surrounded by toy cars and trucks, stuffed animals, coins, rattles~ a teething toy, a cement statue of an angel to watch over him.
One thoughtful visitor has planted an evergreen and it is decorated each Christmas.

~*~

On Saturday, after lunch and on our way to Vesper Hill-The Children's Chapel {another post}, we stopped by. There were some of the same toys that have been there for years and weathered many Maine coastal storms. This time there was a flag and a little pumpkin.

~Click on image~

Was it a terrible, unfortunate, unreported accident? Was his Mother unable to care for him?

Was it a murder? I have tried to figure out in my mind what happened to end a precious life so soon, so young. He was about 5 months old. Surely someone would have noticed that he suddenly disappeared from a family.

Each time I visit this sacred place, I walk away feeling sad, wondering what really happened.

~*~
If he were alive today, he would be 69 years old. But for me and I'm sure countless others- he will always be a sweet, innocent little boy of 5 months...

who is much loved .

Lunch in Camden~

~Camden Harbor~

{This is where I spoke with a lovely tourist- taking photos with her Canon Rebel... pretty please Santa}

We took off for Camden today. Very unexpectedly. A beautiful Maine coastal village.

~*~

First we walked down to look at the boats-getting ready for one last voyage-then in for the winter.
It was a beautiful, sunny day~ one of the few remaining days that were just right for a little jaunt.

It has been a beautiful day with the sun warming the air.
This makes me think of another coastal village that I love to visit...

~Cappy's Chowder House~

We stopped at Cappy's for a mug of chowder and hot mulled cider.

This time of year, there are few things as appealing as a visit to a lovely Maine coastal village.

Tourists that have arrived to leaf-peep, enjoy a boiled lobster or just walk along the docks to see the boats coming and going.

~The Bar~

I love to sit at the bar. I enjoy talking with the servers and hearing what's going on about town.


~Gotta Love This~

An especially nice autumn weekend in Maine.

~More about this quaint Maine village coming tomorrow~

Images:

My own

Pumpkin Cakelets

After reading this post from the Mom of Sloane, I just knew these cutie cakes would be just the thing for autumn baking. One again Erika of Urban Grace Interiors {the blog} has inspired me.

Click on above to see Erika's post on her little cakelets

I used my favorite pumpkin bread recipe which makes three large loaves. I had little acorn cakelets everywhere. You can find the pan here.

~A few little air pockets here and there~

Don't they look yummy {yes they are!}.

I picked up a jar of Stonewall Kitchen {from right here in Maine} Maple Pumpkin Butter and stirred in some softened cream cheese. Dunking these little acorns in that topping is honestly... beyond delicious.

~*~

Two cakelets= 100 Calories

One cakelet= 1 point {for you W.W.'s fans}

{With topping... you're going to have to relinquish a few more points or add calories}

~*~

I also made a batch of corn acorn cakelets {say that three times fast}.

I stuffed lots of cello gift-bags and they went off to friends, neighbors and family.

Images:

My own

My Mother's scent

~Classic Chanel No. 5 Perfume Bottle~

My late Mother always wore Chanel No. 5 perfume. She used it sparingly, not wanting to draw too much attention. I loved getting close to her and catching the faintest scent of her perfume. As a young girl I asked on several special occasions when I could have my own bottle of Chanel. Her answer was always the same- 'you are far too young to wear perfume'.

~Ali MacGraw for Chanel No. 5~

Fast forward to the early 70's. I had just seen Love Story for the first time. I was very taken with Ali MacGraw's character. I started wearing knitted caps just like the ones she wore in the movie. I wore cute plaid skirts with black tights and found a great vintage pea coat in the Army surplus shop.

Then... I saw Ali in a Chanel ad. That's it! I had to have my own Chanel. After all, if Ali had it, certainly I could dab a touch on from time to time. I was mature for my age and would wear it cautiously.

~Chanel No. 5 Eau de Toilette~

My first bottle arrived in the form of the lighter scent of eau de toilette. It also arrived with explicit instructions on it's use... Just a tiny amount right behind my ears- "that's it Debra~ no more".

I still have that empty bottle tucked away. There were a few more of those before I was given my first gorgeous and much sought-after, highly coveted bottle of Chanel No. 5 Perfume.

It was a small bottle and I remember looking at it longingly in the department stores...and it was expensive back then. I had to make this last, as I may not receive such a gift again. I kept it in the refrigerator unless I was having girlfriends in and we were spending any time in my bedroom. Then it came upstairs to my bedroom to it's place of honor where anyone entering couldn't miss it.




~Classic Chanel No. 5 Bottle~

Then several years later my parents gave me this, the stunning, large,classic bottle with stopper. I was elated~ in Chanel Heaven

~*~

I also have that bottle tucked away.



It's been many years since that first bottle. I still love the delicate scent of just a touch of the perfume behind my ears... 'that's it Debra...no more'. Overdone, it can be nauseating {and I do loathe using that word in a post such as this}.

~Chanel No. 5~

~*~

I would love to hear of special memories around a favorite fragrance of yours.

The lovely blog Mimi Charmante is having a fabulous give-away.

If you haven't visited ~ you must. Kimberly's sense of style, gorgeous photography and her love of home and family will have her as part of your morning coffee.

Images:

Google search

My personal file

Chanel

A Pink Reminder~

~Bumper Sticker~

Although I did post a reminder to have your mammogram earlier this month, I wanted to drive the point home once again.

~*~

Thank~You to the stylish Mrs. Blandings and new Mom and designer Erika.

~*~

*I do hope these bumper stickers come in the form of interjecting a little humor into a very serious issue-no disrespect intended here.*

Images:

Here and Here

"Today I will be happier than a bird with a french fry".

I saw this on a fabulous blog a while ago-jotted it down, added the blog to my favorites with the thought that I would post about it's creator soon. I have searched and cannot find the blog. And when I say I have searched... I mean I have spent hours trying to locate her again.

If anyone out there knows where I found this little quote~ please email me.

Mac and Cheese

~Mac and Cheese~

We love it don't we? It's the ultimate comfort food. Kids love it- it's easy and as long as we keep in mind portion control we're good.

My grandmother made the best mac and cheese. She used only elbow macaroni, heavy cream, butter and buttered biscuit crumbs. Not a low fat meal, but very tasty.

A few years ago a friend told me that she had started using Martha Stewart's mac and cheese recipe and that it was, in her taste- the best. A bit more involved, but well worth it! And I might add- this recipe makes a huge amount of mac and cheese- at least 12 servings.

She also mentioned that when she got ready to make the crumb topping, she only had a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread. She made the topping using that and the rest shall we say... is mac and cheese history.

It was delicious. Easily the very best mac and cheese I have ever tasted. The hint of sweetness with a touch of cinnamon warmth in perfect balance with the tangy cheeses.

~*~
I have been making this recipe every Christmas Eve for several years now. That first year I got a few raised eyebrows-that is until that first creamy bite.
We have lots of friends and family in for the night before Christmas and I do a lot of cooking for this party. By far, this dish is the first one plated-up and the first one gone.

I follow the directions and just substitute cinnamon swirl bread for white bread.

Believe me... it's worth making. Give it a swirl!

Bon Appetit!

Image: Delish

JUJUBES

~The box I remember~

Do any of you remember Heide JUJUBES?

When I was young, we had a beautiful old movie theater right in town. Each Saturday my girlfriends and I would take in a matinee.

I think the tickets were about $1.00 and we always had change for a little sweet treat. My candy of choice was always Heide JUJUBES. Tiny b-b sized fruit gummies. I remember the white box-although I don't remember if they were a nickle.

~JUJUBES~

Sometimes I would save a few for later Saturday night. I never saw them at the fruit store where there were rows of other classic candies- Fireballs, Mint Juleps, Ice Cubes, Squirrels, Wax lips, etc.
~*~

I do have a sweet tooth- but am careful about the amount of sugar I consume. Today while perusing the Internet I came across Old Time Candy.

It is like taking a trip back to your youth {well...for some of us}.

~The current JUJUBES box~

There they were! The old box that I remember from years ago and the newer, brighter box.

I had to see if they looked the same. Would they taste like the JUJUBES from back then? There's only one way to satisfy! I've just placed an order for a case of these.

Do you see what can happen when you spend a quiet afternoon on the computer?

~*~

So, if you remember JUJUBES with sweet fondness~ email me and I'll send off a box to you.

I'll be receiving 24 boxes...

Just save a couple for me-you never know when I might want to grab a box and head off to a matinee.


Images:

Old Time Candy

JUJUBES~ Flickr

Portiuncula Chapel

Whenever I visit the south shore, I drive by this beautiful chapel. For several years I have wondered about it. This last trip was the first time I actually drove around the campus. I instantly felt a sort of peace on these beautiful grounds.

~*~

The Cardinal Cushing School is filling the needs of the young, the elderly, the troubled and the disadvantaged.

~ The Chapel~

~Portiuncula Chapel~

I encourage you to visit the website here.
When I returned home I wanted to post about this serene place, but I still wasn't sure what it really was. It wasn't until I read the website that I became aware of what a special place this is.

~*~

I didn't realize that the chapel was open daily. Apparently there is a bakery offering vocational training for students. They also offer a culinary arts program, and there is a working greenhouse which is also part of the vocational program.

~*~

This will be at the top of my list during my next trip to the south shore.

~My window view~

This is the view from my bedroom when I stay at a friends family summer house.

~*~

Complete with gas fireplace and my own bath. The owners of the house rent it during selected weeks in the summer, fall and spring. When it isn't being rented or the owners aren't using it, we can use it. Occasionally a renter will have to cancel at the last moment and we get a call..."Can you use it this weekend"? You can see why I would drop everything in order to take in this view, walk on the beach, read, and during my next trip visit Portiuncula Chapel and the Cardinal Cushing School.

My photos ;)