Can you believe it’s already New Year’s Eve?
Wow has this year ever flown by! This completes year three of my daily blog… tomorrow begins YEAR FOUR! Woohoo! For those of you who are thinking HOW DOES SHE DO IT (ha ha)? I schedule my posts ahead of time. It’s the only possible way for me to fit in 7 posts a week. I have met the coolest people because of this blog. I have become friends with people who I have yet to meet, but feel like I know. I have had some wild, crazy, nice, wonderful in every way things happen (thank you EB, RA, JB, BB, JD and on and on and on)… you have all touched my heart in the most wonderful, positive, surprising, crazy ways. I am super blessed and thankful for all of you who take the time to read my posts. If there is ever anything (G rated, ha ha) that you would like me to cover, just let me know via the CONTACT me link at the top!
Here’s wishing you the best New Year’s Eve ever, the happiest New Year’s Day and a safe, healthy and happy new year all year long!
Do you have a wish you would like to make? Well the people at Times Square Alliance can make that happen. If you’re in NYC then you can visit the wishing wall in person, otherwise you can submit your wish for 2015 and it will be printed on confetti that will drop at midnight! How cool is that? Click HERE to submit your wish!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Recipe: Quiche Lorraine – and YES, real men eat quiche!
Quiche Lorraine. This is one of my favorite recipes, because you can change it so that you use what ingredients you have on hand. Although, I have to say, I always go back to the bacon and swiss… the combination is out of this world. Serve this with a side salad, some wonderful baby greens, avocado, and a drizzle of olive oil/rice wine vinegar and oh la la!
I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and changed just a few things… originally it called for onion… My mom took French cooking classes when I was young, so we ate a lot of Quiche Lorraine, it never had onions that I can recall… so it just seemed odd to me. Probably tasty, I put them in everything else, but this seemed like it would be better without. I also used less bacon, about 3-4 slices instead of the original 6 and it worked fine.
I’m thrilled that a quiche can be made with milk instead of cream, woohoo!
Here is the link to the original recipe… I did not make my crust. I used a pie crust by Wholly Wholesome (in the freezer section at Whole Foods).
Here is the link to my version (where you can print minus all these words and photo)… and here, my friends, is what you’ve been waiting to see!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Featured Artist… Cynthia Rosen!
Cynthia Rosen. I love her color palette and bold layers of paint. The texture is fabulous, the color is brilliant, the composition is nice, what more can you ask for? I especially like the bits of light playing off the shadows, nice!
At High Noon in the West is one of the many paintings in her special sale that’s going on right now. I think it’s AH-mazing! Take a peek, they’re fabulous and very well priced!
Cynthia is also an excellent writer… check out her blog, it’s very insightful, and I love the way she writes (like she’s talking to you). It’s very engaging!
Read a but a bit about Cynthia from her website…
I embarked on an art career at a fairly young age securing connections with a number of galleries in NYC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, North Palm Beach and elsewhere, with works in both corporate and private collections, only to later turn my life towards raising a family and teaching. During these years my creative urges found outlets though theater work and fundraisers. I have recently returned to art professionally.
Where I once was a non-objective painter, I have jumped feet first onto the scene painting representational images. This portfolio represents a return to my love affair with paint and the constant growth and changes inherent in the creative process.
Where my own search will take me is yet to be seen but can be tracked on my website. While it began with the natural progression from designing and painting theater sets to executing murals, it has since turned to the immediacy of plein air paintings. I have recently incorporated a studio component as my works are creeping up in size, “Old habits die hard”. So goes the process of making art.
Time will tell where these travels will take me so please return occasionally and feel free to touch base via this website and or the blog that is in it’s infancy.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Holidays = need for a nap… take Charlie’s advice!
Holidays and vacations have a way of taking the energy right out of you! Don’t fight it! If you need a nap, take Charlie’s advice and find a sunny spot, and take a cat dog nap, you’ll have so much energy if you do!
Give in! Catch you back here tomorrow!
What a gorgeous beast! Glamour shot?
Ahhhh, yesterday you saw Charlie at 5 months, you could tell he would be fuzzy, but it takes a while for it to happen. This is a photo of Charlie at 5 years. What a joy he is! He has trained us very well, ha ha…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Puppy Photo… Charlie at 5 months…
Awww, what a sweetie… a photo before he grew into all his hair, ha ha… I look back at these photos and he was so tiny (except for his huge feet)! This is the sweetest dog ever. Quirky, ahhh, yes! But sweet with a capital S!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Merry Christmas from us to you!
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS!
May this be a year of happiness, health, love and peace for all!
Do your part to make it happen!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
barbara, fred & charlie
Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy Holidays!
Happy Christmas Eve. What a wonderful time of year! A time of joyous celebration for many. We would like to extend our heartfelt Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!
barbara, fred & charlie
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Gift idea… this is one I would love!
This is a great gift! We listen to Pandora most of the day, and the ads… ahhh, they can get so annoying. But I love the stations (George Winston for Charlie, keeps him calm… Maroon 5/Christina Aguilera while i’m cooking, Masako when I’m reading, Koop when we have company… Peaceful Holidays during this time of year… Sure, there are many more, but those are a few.
To have Pandora sans ads… whoa! What a treat! Definitely worth $4.99/month, and save $5 if you pay yearly. Now to figure out how to get it in my car… What do you listen to?
Catch you back here tomorrow!
A Charlie puppy photo… precious little beast!
Awww, this week Charlie is going to help me out with a few posts – I ran across his photos and thought I would share! I know many of you are busy preparing for Christmas Day. So here is a quick post to get you on your way… Charlie when he was about 4 months old… what a sweetie and his hair isn’t nearly as wild as it is now… that took about a year I think?
Catch you back here tomorrow!
First Day of Winter…
Well Christmas week is upon us! It seems like summer has just ended and soon we will be celebrating Christmas! It’s crazy how fast time goes by! Why can’t it go by this fast while we wait for water to boil? Hmmm, just wondered (and sometimes I shouldn’t wonder “out loud”, ha ha). Isn’t this a beautiful tree? (My parents house)… it’s so happy, with those wonderful warm lights, the fresh smell of a fraser fir, absolutely beautiful!
Today is the first day of winter. Do you know what that means? Today is the shortest day of the year. Sounds funny… all days are 24 hours, but this day has the least amount of daylight. Each day from now on gets LONGER (stays lighter longer), although it’s a very slow and gradual process!
Wishing you the happiest of holidays! Remember to try to pay it forward… do a good deed for someone, they don’t even have to know it was from you, then in turn maybe they will do something nice and unexpected for someone and so on… The world is a magical place, we have to keep the magic by instilling faith in each other, cheering up those who need cheering, taking that extra step for anyone… and carry it through all year long. Now wouldn’t that make this a wonderful place to live?
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Peace… and…
I know I’ve posted this before, but I love it! My dad made it years ago as a Christmas card, so we framed it… it makes a neat little painting. I think the message is perfect…
P E A C E !
A side note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! Love you so much!! xoxo, me
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Recipe Flashback! Grandma’s Fruitcake recipe… this one is TASTY!
RECIPE FLASHBACK for the holidays!
[Oops! Just realized (thanks dad!) that I didn’t have the entire recipe showing yesterday… this is fixed now (and has always been accessible via the “Click HERE to print the recipe minus the photos” link :)]
I’m here to set the record straight. FRUIT CAKE IS NOT BORING. It’s lively and cool and oh so wonderful. It also makes your house smell soooo good when it’s baking… check out the original post HERE (with step by step photos)… Click HERE to print the recipe minus the photos…
**My grandma made a note on her version… she placed a pie dish with water in the oven at the same time as the fruitcake to keep it moist, good thinking!
It’s nice to start a family tradition, or to give a fruitcake to friends and neighbors.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
House Plan: TNH PC 09A by Moser Design Group!
TNH PC 09A with 958 square feet and 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms… Are you looking for a relatively small house plan with great features? Look no further! This sweet plan, designed by Moser Design Group is a classy plan that really has all you need! There is nothing like a porch. This plan has a front porch and a screened side porch (which could always be filled with windows and made into a sunroom/studio/spare room). I love our sunroom. There is nothing like it for reading…
This plan does not have one thing… a dining room. Thank you for that. For us that is wasted space. We use ours, but only because the room would otherwise get no use at all. Having counter space at the island or a small antique pine table would be perfect! The only thing that I’m not big on with this plan is no powder room for guests. There is a cut through area to the master bathroom, but I would see what I could do to maybe push that wall out a wee bit to fit a washer/dryer in that space and a powder room where the utility currently is (teeny powder room) or maybe under the stairs)?? This plan allows you to choose if you would like the master up or down. Very nice!
The upstairs plan is fabulous with just one bedroom, a closet and a bathroom… The three windows on the front really make this plan shine!
What would you do? I always love to hear!
All images via MoserDesignGroup.com – used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
