Love these

These photos of Alex make me smile. She was so happy during our Spring preview last week! Of course, today was a snow day at school but soon sunny days will return...soon!

Toys from Britain

I love me some Habitat! A wall map with animals of the globe in their native environment and a globe that they can color!

Both available from Habitat

Back to Rain

We flirted with Spring last week but now the rain and chill is back. Time to make my favorite Tomato soup. I can never understand how it tastes so frickin creamy! I love this with goat cheese toast for a yummy lunch. Recipe and image via Martha Stewart found here

My beautiful freesias!

These are helping with my Spring and White craving! I love them.

Japanese tape

Yes, I pretended I would be satisfied with the masking tape I found last week, but then I saw this..


and it was all over.

Found via Creature Comforts
available here

Thank You Aunt Jen

I would like to thank Cool Aunt Jen for sending me flowers this week. I had a very rough week with Alexandra and was just feeling blue. The flowers cheered me up but not as much as having a cool Aunt Jen to vent to on the telephone. Everyone needs an Aunt Jen. Love You.

Papier Valise

Seriously, I think I have spent the vast majority of the past week at this website. It has become therapy for me. I go, I dream, I lust, I adore, I forget the noisy children running around behind me! Just so much incredible beauty in one place. My first order has been placed and I am stalking the mailman. Just incredible stuff.

Images from Papier Valise

masking tape

I saw images of beautiful masking tape all over the internet these last few weeks. DWR were all sold out by the time I even thought of looking for some. At my sons preschool yesterday, I happened to see the masking tape they use there and it made me happy. So I checked with Discount School Supply and voila! For my purposes, they will work just fine! Both available here

I want to live here

I will be happy!

My tulips

I took these shots this morning. I love the color of these tulips and they looked so pretty in the sunshine (which has now gone back into hiding).

Just because

I love these photos Eric took this afternoon at the Lake.

Happy Valentines Day

May your love be full and never forced.

My little Nancy Drew

I took these photos at school yesterday after the Valentine party. I just love them. She just looks so bookish and that is always a good thing.

Valentines stuff

I have been quite the busy beaver of late with all the Valentines madness. I came to realize a few things - 1). I may have overstretched myself and 2). I live in a place where imagination and creativity is not in abundance. In fact, it appears I live in a creative desert. Not much fun for me. Oh well. I had so much fun looking around blogland and seeing all the creativity oozing from so many talented people so i have decided to simply take up residence here!

Both my children had parties at school and I enjoyed putting together little valentine gifts for their classmates. The photos above are from my daughters party. I made cupcakes and cookies and a fun time was had by all.

Oh Domino

So you decided to give one final twist of the knife huh? Knowing I have yet to reconcile myself with your demise, you send me your final issue today and boy did you make it sting! I have not even opened the magazine itself yet but I saw the cover and that was enough for me. You placed a woman I have adored since my teen years. The woman I always wanted to be when I grew up. The woman who made me want to be French and have that effortless chic that all Frenchwoman seem to have. Oh Ines, I have missed you. In all my travels and trans-Atlantic moves, you have always been my number one go to style icon! And now here you are, giving a final farewell to a magazine that is beloved to so many. Merci beaucoup!

Martha again

I stopped at Macy's last night and was confronted with all kinds of lovely new Springtime Martha products. Lot's of butterflies and happy colors. I purchased a few packages of the beautiful cupcake boxes and cupcake liners but it was this plate that made me swoon. Like I need another cake stand!! It says it is a limited edition 2009 cake plate and has Marthas signature on the underside. I don't know about all that, I just know it was screaming BUY ME. It was also on sale for $20 so good thing all around!

Self Frosting Nutella Cupcakes

What is not to love in that title? I thought I would give this recipe a try. I was at Costco yesterday and they sell vats of nutella in two vat packs! So I need something other than nutella crepes to play with! Enter this recipe from the Baking Bites Blog It was a very simple recipe that came together in no time at all. Everyone who tried them, loved them. A make again recipe for sure. Please to enjoy.

Snippet & Ink

I have a new favorite board to add to my collection. The board Kathryn added today made me just happy. Oh those peonies, oh those gable boxes, oh those, well, everything! Love it. It is on my top 3 list.

Image from Snippet and Ink

Barnes & Noble update

Yeah,it sucked! Stupid Kitsap county and it's insular community! Grrrr. On a related note, can someone tell me why Sandra Lee gets a magazine when all my faves are folding? Anyone? Anyone?

Barnes and Noble

I have a real love hate relationship with my local Barnes and Noble. I guess the demographic where I live dictates the complete lack of any foreign language magazines. I will find an occasional French magazine but they are few and far between. They do have some old British magazines occasionally, but the majority of the shelves are stocked with crosspoint or needlepoint or whatever it is called. Not really my bag! No matter what past experience has told me, I do still get excited when I go into the store. Will today be the day they have something worthwhile? Perhaps a Donna Hay magazine? I think I will take myself there right now and see what happens.

POSH Chicago

I could spend hours trawling around on this site, and a trip to Chicago would most definitely include a trip here. I try to stay away from the silverware section as it could be awful for my wallet! A few things I like on this cyber trip -


A French ABC book


Cafe au Lait bowls


Cherries Apron

I could spend hours trawling around on this site, and a trip to Chicago would most definitely include a trip here. A few things I like on this cyber trip - I try to stay away from the silverware as it would be a BAD thing for the wallet.

All items available at POSH Chicago

Misty Morning Walk

It was a cold and misty morning this week when I took my dog Maddux for a walk around the lake. Made for some cool photo ops!