Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a very merry holiday season and a happy 2008!

Thank you! Merci! Muchos gracias!

A big thanks to my swap partner Kenzie who sent me this super cute package as part of the Give What You Want Holiday Swap. The book provided some much needed inspiration and I just adore the colorful necklace! Merci!

For Baby Celia

Am always looking for cute, original gift ideas. When I found these personalized baby plates at Purple Bird Designs, I just knew one would make the perfect gift for my new little niece. The plates are handcrafted and designed by Mary Mar Keenan, a San Francisco-based artist, and can be customized with the name, color, and illustration of your choice. I must say that I had a hard time choosing, but am extremely pleased with how great my plate came out - so cute! Thanks, Mary Mar! I'll definitely be back in the near future - my cousin is expecting twins in January! And for those of you out there looking for the perfect gift, she also makes bowls.

'Tis the Season

Finished! Ten beaded snowflake ornaments packaged and on their way to my swap partners. Happy Holidays! Enjoy!

It's a girl!

Meet my newest little "niece"


Celia Elena born Saturday, November 24th. Can't wait to meet her!

It's snowing!

I told you it was cold!


I have mixed feelings about the snow...

I am usually quite fond of the first snowfall, however, I prefer that it happen at Christmas rather than Thanksgiving. Surprisingly enough, as a lifelong New Englander, I am not a big fan of the snow (or the cold for that matter). And even though I do enjoy the first snowfall of the season, I'm usually also hoping that it is the last!

Note: Image courtesy of flickr. I would have taken my own picture if the window in my office wasn't so filthy (and if the glass wasn't also broken). And unfortunately, my view of the parking lot really isn't very attractive.

Feels like winter

It's getting chilly here in South County. And when I say chilly, I mean downright chilly! 36° right now. Brrrrrr!

T and I went to Newport for lunch this afternoon and as we were walking I was wishing that I had worn more than my LL Bean down vest. Let me tell you, sleeves are key when it is 36°. I could have used a hat and some mittens! Unfortunately, my favorite red J Crew mittens mysteriously made their way into the dryer recently (still not sure whether that is T's doing or mine) and being made of wool, they are now too small for even G or H to wear.

I've spent a good month perusing my J Crew catalogs and their website just hoping that I could replace my beloved mittens. No such luck. The good news is, I think I may have found something better! Just bought these babies over at Etsy and am in love!



I think I might have to buy another pair!

There's no place like home!

So I decided to postpone the last leg of my trip until after Turkey (or perhaps Tofurkey, this year - more about that later) Day. I am exhausted from all the travel and I was missing T, G, H and R big time. It's always nice to get back home and see those you love and let me tell you, NOTHING beats sleeping in your own bed. Nothing!

S and P - thanks for the hospitality in Cali! It was good to see you and you know I'll be back soon!

Must do while in southern California...

* have dinner at La Creperie in Belmont Shore - most likely a yummy Parisian crepe and a glass of Ca'Bolani pinot grigio

* head over to the South Coast Plaza and check out Paper Source (finally!)

* while at South Coast Plaza, avoid all the places where I might spend money that I don't have

* have lunch (followed by manis and pedis) with my aunt & uncle at the Seaside Grill

* have a "mini" for dessert

* grab a breakfast burrito at Nick's in Seal Beach

* take Tucker for a walk at the Dog Beach in Huntington (and miss my own furry friend while we're there)

Leaving on a jet plane

I'm off on my whirlwind tour...

Between now and Thanksgiving, I'm headed to:
* Seal Beach, California
* Indianapolis, Indiana
* Mystic, Connecticut
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Some work, some pleasure... lots of flying and driving! Looking forward to seeing friends and family in between all of the madness!

Swap time!

Just signed up for a couple of swaps (thanks for the heads up Marta!)

If you hurry, you can still sign up for this one:

And you've still got another 11 days to sign up for this one.

Now I've just got to channel my inner Martha Stewart and start creating! Happy swapping!

The Big 1-0!

I can hardly believe that G is turning ten today...

Happy Birthday Little Ella

What color are you?

i am spring green

Your dominant hues are cyan and green. Although you definitely strive to be logical you care about people and know there's a time and place for thinking emotionally. Your head rules most things but your heart rules others, and getting them to meet in the middle takes a lot of your energy some days.

Your saturation level is very high - you are all about getting things done. The world may think you work too hard but you have a lot to show for it, and it keeps you going. You shouldn't be afraid to lead people, because if you're doing it, it'll be done right.

Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

To find out what color you are, take the quiz here.

Rhode Island is...

Terns nesting

Happy 5th Maddy!

My cousin Madison turns 5 today! And although we can't make it to her birthday party (she lives 3,000 miles away), we'll be thinking of her and wishing her loads and loads of birthday fun!

Off to the races!

The Soapbox Race, that is. Tomorrow we're taking the kids to the Red Bull Soapbox Race in Providence. Should be a good time - looks like there are about 60 different teams entered. I'm sure we'll have to go online tonight (before the Sox game starts, of course!) to checkout the sketches and decide which team(s) we're going to root for. Before the race starts, we're going to take a walking tour of the new Iway bridge (exciting! that's what happens when you come from a family of engineers) and grab a bite to eat. Other tentative plans for the weekend include: whipping up a batch of this; curling up on the couch and trying to finish this; entertaining the kids during the big game by making some of these; and hopefully eating some warm apple pie homemade by T (he took the kids apple picking Monday while I was working - some holiday!). HAPPY WEEKEND!

Jumping in the leaves

"Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower." Albert Camus

It's been a busy, busy week... will try and do some "real" posting this weekend.

Rhode Island is...

Sunny afternoons at the Southeast Light

Halloween at our House

Our very own Pats o' lantern (carved by my brother, B)! Now T thinks he can get out of taking me to see this.

It won't last until the Super Bowl, but hopefully it will make it through October. Maybe we need to request a matching Sox o'lantern, since the Sox are advancing to the ALCS after sweeping the Angels... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Clinched!

Friday night our Sox clinched the AL East title - hooray! Wednesday night they take on the Angels in Game 1 of the ALDS - GO SOX!

And good luck to these adorable little Angels fans!

Fall Fun

Sunday afternoon we took the kids to the Amazing Maze (a corn maze in the shape of a dragonfly) at Carpenter's Farm in Matunuck.

It was a blast! There were seven colored flags to find within the maze and the kids managed to lead us to all of them.

Although we're sad to see the summer go, we're looking forward to all of the great things fall has to offer!

Rhode Island is...

Wickford Harbor at sunset

D'oh!

Shortly after the Simpsons Movie came out this summer, the girls started begging us to go online and get "Simpsonized". So, here we are in all our glory... straight outta Springfield. The kiddos were quite entertained by this. G & H came out pretty cute, but I think I am a little scary. At least I don't have really tall blue hair...

Another favorite...

I made this for B & E (my brother and his lovely girlfriend) on Wednesday night as we watched our beloved BoSox move one step closer to clinching the division (go Sox!)


Creamy Pesto Shrimp and Linguine

1 box of linguine
1/2 cup butter*
2 cups heavy cream*
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pesto (I prefer to make my own, see here)
1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add box of linguine, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes (or as instructed on the box). Drain and set aside. While the linguine is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet, over medium heat. Stir in cream, add fresh ground black pepper, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Add parmesan cheese to the cream sauce, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Add the pesto and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in the shrimp and cook for approximately 5 minutes (until they turn pink). Add the linguine, mix well, and serve.

*You can use lowfat margarine and half & half to make this a little healthier. You will just need to cook a little longer to thicken the cream sauce. And it tastes almost just as good!

And we will be trying this one real soon!

A tribute to my furry friend...

"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot

Yum!

Nothing beats homemade pesto...


Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
pinch of salt
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter, softened

Put basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt in food processor and blend at high speed until evenly mixed (smooth, creamy texture). Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in parmesan cheese by hand. Beat in the 3 tablespoons of butter by hand. Pesto can be served with pasta, italian bread, refrigerated or frozen.

I ♥ Mussels

Although we love this best on the beach during the summer, this is one of our favorites year round:

Mussels Marinière

2 pounds mussels

4 tablespoons butter

2 shallots, minced

1 cup dry white wine

pinch of dried thyme

salt and pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Soak mussels in a bowl of cold, salted water for 5 to 10 minutes. Discard any mussels that seem unusually heavy or light or that do not close their shells. In a deep pot, sauté the shallots in the butter for a minute or two. Add wine and let simmer for several minutes, allowing some of the wine to cook off. Add the thyme, a pinch of salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper. Add the mussels, cover tightly, and let steam over high heat for about 5 minutes. Shake the pot well several times to make sure that the mussels cook evenly. Pour the pot into a large serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately, preferably with a nice crusty baguette!

Rhode Island is...

Beautiful Block Island summers