{ sweet hearts }

Why oh why can’t I be this adorably brilliant in the kitchen?

Valentine’s Day … an occasion when it’s perfectly acceptable to eat (or drink) dessert first.

valentine cake from marthastewart.com

red & black valentine’s day cupcakes from the cupcake blog

red velvet cake from bakerella

cookies from cakecentral.com

rasmopolitan from marthastewart.com

chocolate decadence by family fun

heart-shaped ispahan macarons from mad baker

pink meringue cupcakes with raspberry curd from marthastewart.com

magic

I’ve discovered that my favorite time during the winter months in New Hampshire is early in the morning after we’ve had a night of snow.

Everything is breathtakingly clean and white and quiet. The effect the snow creates on the branches of the trees is feathery and soft, almost like fern-like. The only word I can muster that suitably describes the transformation is magic.

God’s hand at work, and its so very lovely.

warm piggies

I love these booties (size options go up to 2½ yrs.) from Stonz.

I only wish they came in a ladies size 8.

backyard x games

So much snow has fallen on us in the past month or so, we can now sled down the drifts in the yard.

What a memorable first winter in New Hampshire, we've had.

And oh yeah, there's more snow in the forecast.

oh yeah!

(For all you young'uns out there, that's what the big jug Kool-Aid guy used to say on the commercials)

I thought today I'd give a little shout out to my favorite grocery item on the planet -- Tropical Punch Sugar-Free Kool-Aid (in the canister). Between my morning coffee and my evening gin and tonic(s), this is my beverage of choice ... several times a day.

At 5 calories per serving, it's a steal. But even without that healthy trait, I'd drink it anyway. Oh, how I love it so. Whether rain or sun or sleet or snow, a tall glass on ice is always nice.

And I refuse to patron any grocery store that doesn't carry the powdery goodness.

Oh yeah!

with egypt in mind and heart

Some items from Etsy.

Prayers for freedom and well being to the people of the Egypt.



Egyptian Aqua Crackle Heart Pendant from earthenwood

Cairo Spoon Ring from undeadmushroom12

Blue Agate Egyptian Ring from arosha

A Beautiful Thing Egyptian Proverb Typography Print from lisabarbero

Egyptian Rose Cashmere Lotion from bodyspell

Egyptian Spice Market Print from illuminatedluna

Egyptian Musk Shea Butter and Olive Oil Bar Soap from DeepSouthSoap

it's friday, i'm in love

tableau tuesday

plum island

We took a Sunday drive yesterday down the road to Plum Island, just outside of Newburyport, MA. Temperatures were in the teens, but the sun was shining brightly and the skies were a magnificent shade of blue. The result was a picturesque winter landscape -- fire and ice.

candlepin bowling

I'd never heard of it before today.

Aidan received a Wii for Christmas and has become quite the bowling aficionado -- he's developed one helluva hook and slice. So on a bitterly cold Saturday, an excursion with his dad to the local lanes seemed like a great way to pass some free time away from his little sister and have some fun.

One thing though -- the bowling alley had some weird, bocce ball-looking bowling balls, rather than the big ol' heavy, three-holed variety. And the pins? Super narrow sticks ... not at all like the traditionally-shaped ones.

Google to the rescue ... or more specifically, Wikipedia:

Candlepin bowling is a variation of Bowling that is played primarily in the Canadian Maritime provinces, Quebec, the New England states of Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where it is much more common than ten-pin bowling, as well as in one municipal bowling center in Wyoming and Ohio.

Like apple cider donuts and stuffed quahogs, it's just one more Yankee thing I've discovered on this crazy adventure we're living up here in New England. Who knew, eh?

snow, snow, and more snow

I was starting to think that the infamous New England winters were "no big deal." After a chilly yet pleasant fall, and an almost snow-free December, my southern bones were lulled into a false sense of toasty security.

Enter January.

We were graced with our first blizzard right after Christmas, and every week since has ushered in another round of the white stuff. So much of it, in fact, that it seems as though the 6-foot drifts in our yard will be a permanent fixture 'til June.

On top of the snow, we're dealing with bitterly cold temps. Tomorrow's forecasted high of 16° and low of -11° is just a tad ominous. Thank goodness for warm fires, hot chocolate, and sweats that feel oh so comfy on a most un-comfy cold day.

It's made for a bunch of fun, though, especially for the five-year-old (and forty-year-old) in our household. Aidan and Ty have become quite the sledding connoisseurs. And me? I'm getting really good at figuring out how to take pictures of snow on my camera.