just do it (a deck building realization)

this past weekend my husband, craig, and i, along with the much-needed help of my father-in-law and my parents, added a deck onto our cottage.  we have over an acre of land, and love spending time outside with our little dog, olive, but we didn't really have an outdoor space that we could enjoy.  so, after a few years of talking about it, we finally planned it, got our zoning permit and broke ground.

it's funny how we put things off that we know we will enjoy.  (sure, it took a weekend and about $700 in materials to make our 18 ft by 12 ft deck come together, but the enjoyment we'll get out of it is truly priceless.)  so, why do we put off things that will ultimately bring us more happiness and enjoyment?  perhaps we're waiting for the "right time" or for the moment when our to-do list is done, but unfortunately, those moments never arrive -- they are forever in the future.

there's a lot of truth to nike's slogan...just do it.  if there's something you've been putting off (it doesn't have to be as grandiose as a weekend-long deck building project) put it on your calendar.  schedule yourself a manicure, go to a yoga class or plan lunch with a friend you haven't seen in a while.  replenish yourself instead of depleting yourself.  put as much energy into the things you love as you do your responsibilities.

olive enjoying the deck

isn't she adorable?!!

so, what are you going to do that will increase the joy in your life?...

foodie: roasted kohlrabi & sauteed garlic scapes

our csa veggies never cease to impress!  this week brought us kohlrabi, colorful carrots and garlic scapes, plus much more :-)



flowers from the csa

i must be honest, prior to this week i had never cooked or eaten kohlrabi before.  it's a slightly sweet yet earthy root vegetable that is great cooked or raw -- roasted or in a salad or slaw.

i decided to roast the kohlrabi along with the gorgeous carrots i got from the barefoot gardens csa.  then, i sauteed up the garlic scapes with some onion until they were buttery, soft and delicious!

veggies for two...

2 medium kohlrabi, majority of outer skin removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3-4 medium carrots, prepped and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
olive oil
salt
pepper

preheat oven to 375/400. arrange carrots and kohlrabi on a baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. roast for 30 minutes or until veggies are tender and begin to brown.

more veggie ideas...

1 vidalia onion, chopped
handful of garlic scapes, cut into 1 inch long pieces
olive oil
salt
pepper

while the other veggies roast, saute the onion and garlic scapes in olive oil until onions begin to caramelize and garlic scapes are tender.  season with salt and pepper.

once cooked, the kohlrabi becomes slightly sweet, while still remaining earthy and hearty.  the garlic scapes (basically baby garlic), are subtly garlicky and very buttery!  yum!

serve the veggies with brown rice and a salad for a complete meal.

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and, just to make you smile, here's a pic of olive enjoying her baby-size vanilla ice cream :-)

happy 25th, handsome!

today is my handsome husband's 25th birthday! in honor of his 1/4 century of existence, i've planned a romantic weekend getaway for the two of us to a b&b that we visited when we were first dating. 

below is the powerpoint i created to deliver the gift : ) 

for my mom

flowers from our yard

from you i learned compassion.  how to throw a party effortlessly.  and how to cook everything.  i have your curly hair and share your love of quaint towns, great restaurants and falling leaves.  give us a quiet, comfortable, fireside chair, and we're home.  give us a piano, and we'll serenade you (with a few finger stumbles).  give us a song, and we'll sing in harmony.  in you i have a friend, a mentor, a confident, an advisor.  you give me your love, unconditionally.  your attention, undivided.  your support, unending. for this, and so much more, i thank you.  kindred spirits, old souls, dear friends.  mother & daughter.

happy mother's day
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lilacs are my mom's favorite flower - these are from our yard

olive - the granddoggy

our cottage in the spring

magnolia bush in the front yard

olive in the yard

flowers by the barn

front yard

olive & the lilac bush

love you so much.

don't forget to enter the shabby apple dress giveaway {here}.

shabby apple giveaway

just toying around

they know just what to say to me...

i hope that you all enjoyed (or should i say "are enjoying") the long weekend.  since craig and i both have off today, we went into doylestown with olive.  we grabbed some coffees, walked around looking at the cute houses and then stopped at lilly's gourmet to pick up sandwiches (and an extra big cookie) for lunch. 

food counter at lilly's

while we meandered around town, i was having a blast with this phone app i just discovered (thanks to amanda).  it's the fxcamera app.  it's free, and it's awesome.  my favorite is the toy camera setting which saturates the picture with color and produces some really cool effects.  so much fun!  here are some shots from our walk around town.

pola(nd)roid setting



toy camera setting



check it out and have some fun!  if you post any pictures on your blog, be sure to let me know : )

girls' night in (can be even better than girls' night out)

pink drinks

this past weekend, craig had friday night plans with his guys, so i had our cottage all to myself.  i invited my sis, han, over for a much needed girls' night.  we enjoyed some cocktails, made a delicious dinner, watched a movie and indulged in countless reality shows : )  needless to say, we had a blast!  (even olive enjoyed the evening.)

we all need some girl time once in a while.  here are my suggestions for making the most of your super girly night : )

brownies...yum!

recipe for girls' night

prep work: get into your sweats or pjs

1 awesome sister (or best friend....or both)

2 delicious cocktails (if they're pink, even better)
1 yummy homemade pizza : )
1 chick flick (we watched the "back up plan" with jlo.  we agreed it was better than we anticipated!)
3-5 girly reality shows ("say yes to the dress", "four weddings", etc.)
1 batch of gooey brownies

perfection!  enjoy girl time.

bet you can't not smile : )

what can i say?  she's just the cutest!  and she makes me laugh (all the time).  i really can't look at her without smiling.  yes, that's right...i'm a proud (dog) mom.  my (dog) baby, olive, is just the sweetest.  craig, my fiance, and i adopted her last november, and she's been making us laugh ever since.

whenever she's outside, she just has boundless joy.  sometimes i watch her and am awed (and a little jealous) at how little it takes for her to have an absolute blast.  olive really knows how to make the most of simple pleasures.  a walk.  time spent outside.  watching a bird or squirrel.  greeting a loved one when they come home.  way to go olive.  you're totally zen and you don't even try to be.  you're really much more advanced than the rest of us : )

what you can't hear (because i dubbed over my voice with the cute music) is that during this entire video (yes, the entire 2 minutes) i'm asking olive to "roll over".  which, as you can see, she decides she'd rather not do...

here's hoping this video leaves you smiling : )