Some of This & Some of That!

Saturday evening! Just relaxing after a busy day. We've  been working on our property moving a tree and preparing for our new front walk. Dirt is everywhere.

This lovely tree was next to my front porch but we had to move it to this new location. Our squirrels were using it as a catapult to jump onto the porch roof and onto my main roof and they were biting through shingles, etc. So we had to move the tree. We plan to plant a small tree in its place; perhaps a weeping cherry or a mini Japanese maple.

We are also preparing for our new front walk. My husband wants the dirt to sit for awhile and compact but it will be done shortly. I'm one of those people who have a love/hate relationship with work being done at my house...My husband does everything and he is super neat but I guess it's the upheaval of everything. I love the results though!

Today was a beautiful day! As a matter of fact, tomorrow is supposed to be a beauty too. Caitlin and Billy went to the zoo today! We live an hour away from the Bronx Zoo. Oh, and speaking of animals, Frankie our silkie chicken has been sitting on her egg! Even though she always lays them, she never wants to "own"them. She runs away from them!!!  But for some reason, she has now developed a motherly urge I guess and has been sitting on her egg!After two years of laying!   I'm gonna be a Grandma (maybe)....I still think she'll get bored and abandon it but we'll see.

I made two flower arrangements:

The one above I did a while back in a the stainless tub. Below I just did in a ceramic pitcher I had gotten from AC Moore. Just adding some Spring to the house!

Also added some ivy and lights to my star birdhouse. This is supposed to be an outdoor item but it just doesn't last outside even under a covered porch. I love it indoors behind my butter churn.

That's about if for me! Time for my hot chocolate! Have a great evening!

Easter Party Tradition

Spring has Sprung! .....well it's raining here today but most of the week has been in the 50's and 60's! I see some buds on the trees! The chickens are once again enjoying strolls in the yard and loving the fact there are no ice piles! We already did our Spring clean up, with just some left up front  and will be ready for planting by Mother's Day.        We had a wonderful Easter and the day before we held our annual Easter Egg Coloring Party!  We do this with our special neighbor who lives directly behind us and Caitlin asked another friend to join us as well. We had so much fun...colored three dozen eggs and made bunny mobiles!

The little bunny racers are so cute. Made with twinkies, marshmallows, skittles or m&m's, pretzels, icing and peeps! Below you can see the finished products all lined up.

Caitlin actually made a couple a few nights before the party...

Here are some of the kids...one is missing. hard to catch 'em all sometimes! This is our 16 th year doing our egg coloring together. I plan to color eggs with their children too someday!

I'm loving the mini daffodils too....

Happy Spring my friends!

Waiting for Easter!

Finally I think we are through with the snow! When I posted last on 3/20, we actually got six inches! A couple of nights ago we got another dusting but FINALLY I think we are done! It's all melted! We've started cleaning up outside and some buds are popping up from the earth! So nice to see! And Carol and Frankie were able to peck around the yard and feel free from the coop. It was glorious!

We've been so busy here with family things, I didn't get to do my usual decorating :(  but we are still having our traditional Easter Egg Coloring party! We enjoy having special friends come for egg coloring and desserts! It's been a tradition since my son was an infant. I will be sure to photograph it and show you!

I've been looking on Pinterest for some interesting crafts and found these adorable pom pom bunnies! I have to go to Michaels and get a pom pom maker! Look at these cuties!

I would make them all year round; not just for Easter! I would make puppies and kitties too! Get me to Michaels!!!!!

My Caitlin celebrated her tenth birthday with a bunch of her friends at Claires. Claires (if you don't have one where you live) is a girly store filled with hair accessories, jewelry, pocketbooks, stuffed animals, and every other girl thing you can imagine! Here she is before they did her hair. She chose a bun.

Actually, her two best friends, Jackie and Ashley chose buns too! They felt like Princesses! Claires did hair, make up, games and then they went shopping with gift cards I put in their goody bags! It was super fun!

Then it was back at home for a Sponge Bob Squarepants cake and presents! Lots of fun! Now go wash that make up off Caitlin!!!! :)  You're still my baby!

Happy Spring! Get The Shovels Out!

Hurray! The first day of Spring! And we are expecting 4-6 inches of snow....It's okay. I think it's going to be the last one. It must be. It has to be....

Looking forward to the sunshine and some pretty flowers around my house and a vegetable garden. Happiness and fun! Unfortunately, Billy and I have been to three funerals in the last month and it weighs heavily on my heart. I think that's why I'm looking for Spring to come fast!

I had mentioned in a  previous post about a shadow box I got at a thrift shop. Here it is:

Isn't it cute? It's three dimensional. I love finding special little things like this. I know it looks like a photo but it actually stands out nicely.

Since I've been out of the house a lot recently I have so much to do around here. Before I do any more Easter decorating I must clean!!!! It's gonna be a cooking day for me too I think. Stuffed mushrooms and meatballs and a pot of sauce I think with country spare ribs and sausage. I made eggplant parmigiana about two weeks ago and it was so good if I have time I might make another. It was yummy. Do you ever find that cooking and cleaning heal you? I t does for me. By the end of the day after I have cooked and dusted and decorated, I will be rejuvenated!

And I'll have a great dinner to eat!

Happy Friday!

Some Pretty Flowers For You!

Top of the Mornin' to ya! A day early for St. Patrick's Day but I hope you get a visit from a lucky leprechaun. Caitlin made her new leprechaun trap yesterday so if she actually catches the leprechaun this year I promise to share some of his gold with a few of you special bloggy friends :) I'm sure he'll leave her some surprises!

Thank you for the birthday wishes I received both here and in emails. 50 ain't so bad! I received this over the weekend! It was delivered to my front door from my cousin in Connecticut. She turns 50 next year.

We visited the annual Flower Show at Hick's Nursery this weekend. We try to go every year. I think I appreciated it even more this year because I have been so anxious for our snow to melt and see some GREEN! A lot has melted but there is still more to go! For me, going to Hicks is the "opening day" of Spring like the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade is the opening day for the Christmas season.  Lots of Easter decorations for sale and beautiful displays.

We came home ready to plant bulbs and put down mulch!

I did two other things this weekend. I antiqued a bench in my house with stain....

And I made a wreath!

It was fun to make. It may stay where it is or I may move it...Anyway, have a great day and I hope it's filled with the beauty of flowers and the scents of Spring!

Spring Feeling!

Well, I'm back after a couple of weeks! Whew! I sure missed writing my blog but still kept up with most of yours. Since I last left you I had a big birthday! I turned 50! Woo Hoo! It's painless I assure you! Cake, flowers and gifts....I never dread birthdays! They surprised me with a a chocolate lover's dream cake. I mean EXTREME chocolate. Chocolate overload.....

And today is my husband's birthday! He turns 52! We got his favorite cake from his favorite bakery! He's not a big chocolate lover--he prefers vanilla cake, chocolate pudding filling and buttercream. I like it all :)

So some of the things I have been up to has been school related. We had the science fair so Caitlin worked on a science board. We did a cool project called "Can Color Fool Your Taste Buds" and guess what? Our brain is programmed to think certain colors taste like certain flavors. It was interesting. And then she was in the talent show at school with her BFF Jackie! Below is a picture of the grand finale where all the participants sang a song! Caitlin is holding the sign that says "You Rock". It was a great night! She and Jackie sang and other acts included gymnastics,  a harmonica performance, several piano numbers, dance, and even magic. It was so fun to watch all these little ones performing. She liked it so much she said she'll do it again next year :)

She's such a happy personality....More Friday Less Monday as her shirt says--that's my Caitlin!

My Mom has had a lot of appointments too but in between them I also got to do some thrifting. Here's few of the items I picked up:

Mama rabbit

Irish Lassie

Good Housekeeping tin and decorated egg

 

cute little bunny

These two crazy chicks...No one else was gonna buy these two and I fell in love with them. 

Okay, someone's Grandma made these and by George I was bringing them home! I had to! How can you leave them! 

or these?

I also got a cute shadow box and I'm sure a few other things...can't remember right this minute. If I do, I'll post 'em next time!

I've been doing some baking and made these great anisette cookies:

If anyone wants the recipe, I'll be happy to email it. They are great as an Easter cookie too. My next batch I'm going to make some almond flavored and some anisette flavored. They are light and fluffy! And easy! And speaking of easy--this doesn't really qualify as baking but I was at Trader Joe's and that is truly one of my favorite places to shop and I got this yummy scone mix:

They are really good but you have to like scones. Some people don't. It took me a while to get used to the texture of scones but I like them now. This is a great mix! And of course at Trader Joe's I saw these daffodils. They were all buds when I brought them home and by the next day they opened! A breath of Spring!

And we really need that Spring feeling cause since I last blogged we have had two snow storms!

Look at my chicken coop below! I'm tired of shoveling....as most of you are I'm sure!

But today it's 45 degrees! And tomorrow it's going to be 55! It's gonna melt a whole lot of that snow, that's for sure! 

I wanted to do Viv's Easter swap on her blog (check my sidebar for Viv Out On A Whim) but I've been pressed for time lately and didn't want to do a rushed project for a swap partner. I haven't done much crafting lately but I did do another tea cup.

Last but not least for St. Patrick's Day I bought myself this lovely Irish girl! Isn't she sweet? I love her!

So I think I have caught you up on all that's been happening here....  Have a great day and I hope the sun shines by you too!