Fancy Meeting You Here

The fact that the pictures staring back at you this holiday season (and the many months leading up to it) have been of (albeit adorable) kids frolicking in a crystal blue pool on a very warm summer (ah-hem, July) day is not (and has not been) lost on me. Rest assured that it's bothered me undoubtedly more than you (anal-much, Kara?)... even perfectionism aside, I have (had) so much to share!

Right out of the gate, let's get the 'where have you beens' out of the way. For the most part, that answer is right here... even in this very seat, though clearly not here with you. Then what could possibly have filled such a void? I'm not altogether sure what this means (it's me, not you... I assure you), but I quickly jam-packed the time I used to spend here (and admittedly reading any number of related and unrelated other blogs) without batting an eyelash. In fact, more than once I wondered how I had ever found the (embarrassingly extensive amounts of) time (and to be honest, more accurately, how you all continue to find your devoted time) to show up here. And while it's true that absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder, once I'd been gone for a while, it became harder and harder to right the ship.

Seriously, Kara? That's all you've got to say for yourself?

Not entirely... okay, not even partially. It is, and/or was, and/or will almost always forever and ever be about this...
 

Sure, aside from the initial three month-schedule of make-it-through-the-day and then rush-home-to-sleep... and repeat... we've also set foot in three (or four, depending on which one of us you ask) new countries, been busier than ever with work (not complaining, we are grateful for our jobs), nervously entered the world of photo shoots (and edited... and edited some more, said pictures), survived a sub par football season and if possible, an only occasionally more exciting Redskins season, and visited family and friends, local and distant... but when it comes down to it, everything in the past 5 months has revolved around a few black and white (sometimes cuddly cute, usually scarily skeletal-looking) images that I cling to like super-glue (that those images represent a (hopefully) tiny, little person that I'm going to have to deliver, and keep alive (!!), come early April 2011 are details I choose not to, ah-hem, dwell on, right now).

Though now that the cat is out of the bag, if you did some quick calculations, you will quickly discover I'm more than a bit tardy in my announcement (today happily marks 22-weeks and then some!).  While the first few months of silence were 100% for you (believe me when I say I had nothing of interest to utter about food, or life in general, except "I feel gross... there should be something edible in the fridge if you're hungry" or "I'm tired"), the rest was selfishly for yours truly.

And even though I'm back, I make no promises what my presence around these parts will look like. I can guarantee you a variety of whatever's on this scattered brain of mine - and it may be just that, as I've missed writing... but I'll attempt perhaps a recipe or two (though taking pictures of food is less than interesting to me these days), recaps of our travels, some thoughts about how things around here (i.e. me, probably, if I'm brave enough... and our house) are changing and probably some ramblings on what we've gotten ourselves into, surely including more than one plea for someone to reassure me (even if you have to lie) "yes, you will be able to do this thing called motherhood".

Of course we'll also show you how we're planning on turning this room... (in it's current state)

... into a home suitable for our little one, with the bonus challenge of not knowing whether April will shower us with a boy or girl. If I do say so myself, though, I think we're reconnected at just the right time in the life of this project... as decisions are (finally) being made and this momma-to-be feels like it might actually come together before our child can walk.

Without a doubt there will be pictures... of us and our families, anything we eat that I think you might have enjoyed the leftovers, our house (and any fun projects that I continue to dream of us finishing before we are otherwise occupied), other innocent people who agree to let me take their pictures, and our recent travels. Through it all, please chime in with any questions about something I gloss over in an effort not to bore you to death (as I'm aware I've done here).

Sure my friends probably haven't recognized me without a camera in hand at every meal and event we've shared recently... and it was fun while it lasted but truth be told, I missed it and couldn't be happier to be back. So there you have it... the last "too many" weeks in a (rather long) nutshell... I only wish it'd passed that quickly in real life because for a while there, I'd forgotten how nice (and productive) it is to stay up past 8pm and eat more than toast and yogurt (and the occasional potato chip) all day. If you're still here with us now... a hearty thanks and we'll see you soon!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Literally... how do you get it to grow?

I've talked before about our yard and garden... even at times, sounded ridiculously proud of it. Sure, we have shrubs that we lovingly prune each year and they (thankfully) flower again and again. A bed of your typical perennials also continues to grace us with their presence. Of course there are herbs... can any "cook" live without them, after all? And my mom has helped me over the seasons to arrange a mean container.

But... (a very big) but... this hydrangea (that I now know could be a beautiful pink flower!!!)... this glorious little (wimpy in comparison to its sister and brothers I'm seeing everywhere) flower has stumped me from day one. I know hydrangeas flower from old wood and thus need to be pruned very early... so after having no success the first year when I cut it back immediately after flowering, I haven't pruned her for the past two years. You read that right... not one snip (which these folks say shouldn't matter). As a result, we got a healthy looking shrub... with vibrant, dark green leaves - but no buds, or flowers. And this year - what can only be attributed to the heavy snowfall - four or five buds appeared on our once again otherwise-flourishing hydrangea. While I'm as grateful as can be for these blossoms, I would love to know how we got so lucky and moreso, how I can duplicate this effort (and then some) next year.

In the meantime, my gardening satisfaction for the year will have to come from the other side of our yard... in the form of vegetables. After a successful spinach and still burgeoning green leaf lettuce crop, we've started digging up our sweet baby carrots and enjoying our fresh tomatoes (while waiting on our pole beans, zucchini, and bell peppers). There's just nothing more fun than pulling a grown-from-seed real-live vegetable from your own (compost and all) garden.

Thus, as you might expect, we're already thinking about what to grow in the kitchen garden this fall and again, next spring! Besides conquering a finicky hydrangea, any recommendations for another season of fresh, homegrown, veggies?

Hits the Spot

Alternate Title: Yet Another of my Mom's Treasures

I'm pretty much (sorta) over apologizing for the fact that I quote my mom here over and over and over... though saying "quoting her" should be taken lightly, seeing as how quoting anything is neither of our strong suits.

Speaking of strengths, I must give credit for the presence any athletic bone in my body to (wait for it) my ice cream-loving father. Gotcha, didn't I!? You'd have guessed my mom - and I wouldn't have blamed you - except for the fact that I've seen her (attempt to) tread water and break her toe at the mere touch of a soccer ball. Luckily, while my dad and I take care of the sports in our family, my mom can do just about everything else.

And this time, she exercised (no pun intended) her gift of uncovering a treasure (which happens to be my favorite spot #3 - I told you it was just a spot!).

If you don't recognize those dogs, then you must be new (welcome!). Seeing as how we're a little black-and-tan-long-haired-dachshund-obsessed around here, when my mom spied this beautiful, life-like graphic of two long-haired dachshunds in a vintage garden book (because dachshunds like gardens?!?), she snatched it up knowing I'd be all too happy to find it a home.

And it didn't take long... about 3.5 seconds after she presented it to us and I had quieted down from my ooohing and aahing (finding pictures of these wonderful creatures, especially of the long-haired variety, is much harder than you'd think), this space on our family room (yes, that same room that fills me with "eh") bookshelf was cleared, ever-so-slightly rearranged and then voila!

Who'd have thought that just a small piece of art could provide me so much happiness. It has since provided me countless moments of secret glances... not that the real thing is ever that far away.

Fitting Right In

I'm finally back with show-and-tell spot #2 of our casa. And no, my silence regarding all things home and garden wasn't because I couldn't find something else that I loved about our house (though admittedly, I always see room for improvement, or er... overhaul) or for that matter, because we haven't been working around the house (primarily in the yard... it's summer, after all, indoor updates can kinda-sorta wait!). Instead, it was a bit because I couldn't decide if we've got anything really worth sharing (and dreaming that it might - dare I say - inspire you?) even if they do make us happy and another, a sadly bigger dose of sheer laziness.

Buuuut... we (humbly) think that this corner of our family room housing this gorgeous drafting table was worth the wait. Truth be told, this nook lives in the room that without a doubt frustrates me the most of any in our home... daily even. Thank goodness for this little, inconsequential corner... that which gives me hope.

As I mentioned, an outspoken majority of the rest of this room leaves quite a bit to be desired (and thus the only chance you have of seeing it is if I get desperate enough to ask for help); our family room and I have a distinct love-hate relationship... in that I love one or two very minor parts of it (duh... shown here), and strongly dislike what's left.

The story of the life of this beautiful (and don't tell us if you think otherwise) table is one of significance. It was almost (phew!) tragically cut short; as during the move-in process, with my limited "vision", I was sure there was no place for it. After all, it was taller and much larger in surface area than any typical desk so using it as a bedside table or a desk in a guest room was out. Add in the fact that it was too wide for many of our 1940s random-width doorways, and we were left in a bind.

Thankfully, just as we were about to give up and draft a Craigslist ad, my parents arrived in town. And as you might guess, my mom's good eye saved the day. At the time the decorating style of the house might have been best described as (with compliments to the then-current - and only - resident) "clean bachelor pad", complete with only a recliner, ottoman, coffee table, bookshelf, and of course a TV. But through it all, my mom saw this oddly angled corner and stopped the presses. A few minutes (and a door off its hinges) later, and our work/wrapping/crafting station was born.

With the table in place, accessories were in order. Little by little, we added a revived (you just can't kill the suckers) philodendron in a quiet, cream planter, two black and whites framed similarly drawing your eye up the back wall, a task light, a sculptural glass container holding spools of colorful ribbon, and a basket (on the floor) of various wrapping papers (my rather weak attempts at injecting color). Overtime, we've worked in some more personal touches including the cute wooden dog, dried flowers and a picture from our wedding, as well as a prominent place for our ultra useful address-stamper (that sees at least weekly use - thanks, Missy!).

If you can't tell (by my more-than-you-needed details), things about our house that I feel are "put-it-on-the-world-wide-web" worthy get me a little excited... so excited in fact, that I've already picked my next favorite spot (this one is indeed just a spot) to share with you. So while you're thinking of (and letting me know!) how we can continue to dress up our precious desk-in-the-corner, stop by sometime soon to see how we figured out one (simple) way to make another small piece of our family room more palatable. It turns out I have a thing with corners...

With Open Arms

I greeted this (glorious!!!) spring that we are enjoying (oh, are we enjoying it) rather hesitantly. I was so sure the first day or so of sunshine and warmth were just a tease, and I was right. But sooner than I foresaw (or so it seems), the real spring popped back up - and this second time, I was sure to welcome it with open arms.

After testing the too-good-to-be-true weather for a few days last week, I deemed spring officially in season and decided to make it feel right at home in our home and yard this weekend.

At risk of sounding like a whiner, I must warn you (in case your weather hasn't yet begun to mirror ours) that it can be quite discouraging to survey your yard after a winter of neglect (and of three record-breaking snowstorms) and discern how to begin.

We set about to tackle one of the obvious (and honestly, the most clearly lacking) spots... our front door and stairs. The solution was obvious... we needed a long-lasting, compact shrub with some height and a few touches of color. Oh, and a planter... with enough substance to sit alone on our front porch but not too big to obstruct the front door.

The answer(s) revealed itself in a Sky Pencil Japanese Holly surrounded by a lush patch of thyme (yes, the herb) and some pansies. The latter will be switched out or added to throughout the summer as more colorful options are available and the former will find its way into the kitchen from time to time (horrible pun embarrassingly sorta intended).

An unexpected gem that we came across to brighten up our spring weekend (which will hopefully last well into the summer) was a lush, dark green-leaved strawberry plant! Last summer we regretted not having (attempted) growing our own berries so I jumped at the chance to make one of these beauties our very own.

We were also treated to a little gift that I can not explain (but won't fight either)... so I choose instead to chalk it up to an ushering in spring surprise. Our once all perfectly light-pink camellia has taken on a new hue... but only in a distinct section of the shrub! A few fuchsia blooms poked through this weekend, which made it all that much happier for this girl.

This next move might, admittedly, have been a bit pre-mature, but honestly, with the 75+ degree weather beating down on my back, I couldn't not buy a couple of pots of herbs. Now it's up to me to endure some constant prayer for continued pleasantly warm temperatures, similar to what we experienced this weekend, so these fragrant guys stick with us through the summer.

No pictures document this next important part of our early spring weekend, but there's no denying that a variety of green leaf lettuce, spinach, and romaine seeds were planted. One of the things that I look forward to most each summer is our vegetable garden, full of tomatoes, peppers, beans... and the annual planting of our lettuce seeds has always marked the start to another (hopefully fruitful) season.

Quite possibly as a result of figuring out what causes hundreds of little seedlings... er, weeds, to rear their ugly heads (though I will only claim a partial-victory because I still remain completely bewildered as to how to prevent more of them from dropping), on this first weekend of spring, I actually enjoyed weeding and tidying our flower beds. Sure our lavender plant was as unruly as it gets, but a haircut later, things were looking up. And amidst straw-like (past-their-time) stalks of last year's peonies, new peonies greeted us, pushing up through the now cleared flower bed.

Oh! The yellow flowers popping off those woody stems? I cut a couple sprigs of our forsythia (trying to capture flowers in all stages of their life - buds, barely opened, and wide opened) and with some help, artfully displayed them for some bits of cheerfulness around the house. It's spring, by golly... make sure to enjoy it both inside and out!

I am pretty confident this goes without saying but if this past weekend was any indication of what Spring 2010 holds in store for us, well, I am happy to do my part ushering it in... even allowing it to take up permanent residence here with us.

Reasons to Love It

I'm sure you've noticed (riiiight, Kara)... my track record here as far as compliments go for this old house that we are happy to call home is less than uh... complimentary. Since it usually goes something like "yes, I love our house but...", I figured I should show you what it is that I actually do love about our house... lest you think I'm a fibber.

And we're off with a four-in-one doozie. Notwithstanding the (a lot) less-than-award-winning pictures (even after studying these great tips!), this little vignette we've got here is without a doubt one of my favorite spots in our house.

This is our dining room who you've met before... or you've at least met her stripes before. Speaking of that hard-earned wall-decoration, they are certainly one of the major factors leading to me being willing to take up residence in this room.

While the walls are the foundation for what I love about this room, our lively and unexpected paintings just elevate my feelings. Do you have things in your life that are not only beautiful but were also created with care by a great friend? These paintings, given to us as a wedding gift by my talented friend Carolyn, immediately found their home here above our china cabinet... and I haven't stopped smiling at them since.

Lurking just below those canvases of color is what my mom once called my first heirloom. Obviously not referring to the bowl of oranges, she was describing our tea service which was handed-down from Chris' family. It has a long and storied history (that I desperately need to get my in-laws to transcribe) which makes it all that much more special. And to think growing up, I never really understood why my mom loved antiques... and old houses? Don't even get me started. Now back to our 1940s house...

Something old, something new, right? The last part of this little corner of our world that I love so dearly is our china. I recognize that registering for china when you're married has become a little old-fashioned but I'm okay with that distinction. And while Chris might not have the same affinity for those plates, I have never regretted picking out this china. We've used it hosting family for memorable meals and no matter what the evening's menu, I make sure we eat off of it each year on our anniversary.

Now you know where to find me when I just can't get past the stark white walls of our hopeless guest room... it's rooms like this that keep me sane when the rest of the house seems to frustrate me more than anything else. But let's end on a positive note, shall we? What's your favorite part of wherever you are lucky enough to call home? I'm nothing if not house and decorating-obsessed.

*hey, that was kinda fun! I'll be featuring some more similarly-little parts of our house that make me smile so stay tuned...

There's Hope

We absolutely love this little house that we call our home. And we have since day one. Well... I should explain... it truly was love at first sight, but after moving in, with every inch covered in boxes, we went through a bit of a hate period... happily, though, soon after we returned to our blissful state.

And while we were fortunate to largely like the house the way it was, we did set about to painting (almost every room) and making some aesthetic changes to suite our tastes. Virtually every time I walk through our house, I see opportunities for a DIY project (to Chris' dismay) or a way to better highlight pops of accessories without cluttering the space.

So with the list of things to do in our house continuously growing ("welcome to home-ownership" is an oft-heard line coming from my parents), cleaning up an already functioning (and thankfully invisible with the door was shut) hall closet wasn't considered urgent. At least until we took a good look at the shelves. Not only were they peeling but we realized that they weren't even really shelves at all but three thin (light pink!) pieces of wood held together by some overly bold and seriously dated contact paper.

Thankfully, you'd be hard-pressed to find a smaller project to tackle than a hall closet in a 1940s home. Within a day, I had emptied the closet (which also led to a needed purging* of stuff) and we were on our way. After measuring how large we'd want the shelves and a quick trip to Home Depot, we were back home sanding and priming. Every inch of the interior of the closet as well as the shelves needed this treatment (that makes it sound really fancy - which is obviously an over-exaggeration since this couldn't be more basic).

We used the same color for the walls and ceiling as our dining room (a bright celadon) but decided to use two simple coats of our trim paint (a general white) for the shelves, trim, and door. As everything was drying (we waited extra long for the shelves and "brackets" so nothing would stick), I went shopping (around our house and in the basement!) for some pleasing-to-the-eye and functional storage containers and Chris took the door off, sanded and painted it and soaked all of the hardware to remove years and coats of old paint.

The end-result? I'd say it's best described as stress-reducing... and that's huge for someone like me to admit. Everything we need is easily accessible, housed in organized storage containers. The shelves are sturdy and clean (see, I told you... stress-reducing!) and there's even room left-over that we will surely need. Best of all - the only thing we purchased for the whole project was a large piece of wood (to the tune of $20) for the shelves; we used primer and paint that we already had and all of those (admittedly, inconsistent) containers were found around the house and given new life.

And I can vouch for the fact that it still looks this way today, over 2 weeks after the make-over was completed. Ahh... just thinking about it brings a smile to this face.

Does it look like this... not by a long shot, but every (very little) bit helps, right? I've actually found myself opening up the closet door as I walk by every so often just to gaze at the well-organized, fresh and clean closet. It's the little things, right?

*Purged? Really? Then why the huge stack of mis-matched towels?! This little lady demands to be washed pretty often and those are ah-hem... hers.

'On My Mind

There are places to which, it feels like, we are inextricably linked. Or in some cases... quite extricably linked. (and I'm using that word whether spell-check and dictionaries around the world like it or not) For a few reasons, this is one of those places for me.

(yes, these pictures were taken at Thanksgiving, hence the fall decorations... and I give you every permission to be upset with me for holding out on you)

The most obvious is because I spent the majority of my formative (although there remains to be a lot of forming yet to be done) years in this house. My brother and I were fortunate to grew up here, in a loving home, amidst beauty that went all but unrecognized; and to that, my mom will say that the reason for it is because it was and is continually evolving.

But regardless how and when it got the way it is, you undoubtedly now see reason number two for why I feel so connected to this place. It's beautiful and well-thought out and balanced... in my opinion (and if I've learned anything, it's that style and home decorating is very personal) almost well... perfect. I pretty much love everything about the house... and as if it needs saying, the way my parents have put it all together (but then, mom, you already knew this).

Speaking of learning anything... I should warn you before you proceed any further that while I read a lot of DIY and decorating articles and blogs and occasionally masquerade as someone who has developed her own sense of style in our house, I know zero of the technical terms associated with this field so you're about to read a lot of "my favorites" and "beautifuls" and... you get the idea.

Even with our own house, I've tried to emulate not necessarily my mom's style per se, but how she went about, through the years, building upon their initial foundation. It seems that she puts just the slightest bit of extra thought and care into each room (or place setting or centerpiece or...) that somehow makes it work. And as is evident, she loves to mix and match unique pieces that she loves, no matter what the trends and gurus would say. *that water glass was my grandmother's crystal... apparently, she had the knack of picking out gorgeous things too so maybe one day we'll find out that it runs in the family?!)

It bears mentioning that Chris is generally less-than-pleased that I continue to refer to this lovely house as "home" (and I admit, I should really get over it... it's been quite a few years since I laid my head down in a room that was still called "mine" in this gorgeous home), but when something looks (and truthfully, it feels as amazing as it looks) this good, tell me I'm not the only one who wouldn't be holding on for dear life!!

One day I will show you our house, more than just one of our sorry guest rooms, and you'll see how far we have to go - and why my mom is consulted on almost a daily basis with cries for help.

So now you know... a little bit about the place I love to claim as "home" and also, that not only is my mom my baking and cooking mentor and go-to expert, she is also my design consultant and home-decorating-everything extraordinaire. Oh, and fellow dachshund-adorer.

She's a Beaut!

It's not like me to go through my (proverbial) stocking (proverbial because my parents have deemed us too old for some traditions such as stockings), but this being somewhere I sometimes (er... often) post about things going on in the kitchen - I thought it only right that I also talk about the one of the best (looking) ways to go about cleaning up the aforementioned "things".

And while I didn't realize this until about a few days ago, using one of these Brushing Beauties has to be the way - although these ladies are so cute that they've left me wondering if any of them have ever actually made it out of the packaging. But that aside... isn't this the most adorable thing you've ever laid eyes on?

Wouldn't she, "the Baker" model, have been perfect in my stocking? Not that I'm ungrateful to my brother (make that his wife) for gifting her to me (au contraire)... but if I have anything to do with it next year, stockings, filled with these cuties (or perhaps one of these other food-related gadgets) will be hung by the chimney with care.

Pink, polka dots and little bow-adorned pockets... be still my heart. (although if pink, polka dots, and/or bows aren't your thing, there's bound to be one that's just right for you, too!)

This is the Day

It was inevitable, I knew the day would arrive - and to be honest, the thought of it looming was starting to haunt me as I knew it just wasn't feasible that I might make it through a holiday season stress-free - so today was a good a day as any. There I was toodling along with my can-do holiday attitude, not a care in the world... and then the switch flipped, just like that! But oh... oh yes, I remember how yesterday felt so clearly!

Speaking of yesterday, let's go back there... both literally and literally. As for the former, yesterday was when I snapped these shots of the new addition to our Thanksgiving decorations.

Literally speaking, this pineapple with a fabric turkey head (that's a technical term, for those of you taking notes) harkens back to a time when I actually didn't know the stresses of the holidays... yes, I was 3-years old but who's counting. A turkey similar to the one here graced our family Thanksgivings every single year and my table has felt empty without one... until this season. The same season that, early-on, saw me carefree and even encouraged thinking "I can do this Christmas season" - and then in the span of a quick day, gobbled me up (chuckle chuckle) in the feeling of "Thanksgiving is next week... NEXT week? What will I bring to a pre-holiday dinner... what about a gift for our holiday hosts... what will I make for my work potluck this Friday? And Christmas cards... baking ahead of time? Or perhaps, this year, more like 'barely in time'".

Yup, it's begun all right.

Luckily, though, as much as the holidays can engulf me in a crazed, stressed whirl, being surrounded by family and friends during this season can just as quickly melt all of that away... even if but for a moment. And I plan on enjoying those moments (even if some of you already have dozens of cookies baked and stockpiled in your freezer... you know who you are).

The Seasons

Just as I was about to open this post with a big proclamation of "I love fall" I realized... it's not so much fall that has me all sorts of giddy these days... sure, I love the changing leaves, the chill that makes you zip up those boots and throw on a sweater, the crockpots and soup bowls being dusted off... but what I like best is simply the good ole' fashioned dawning of a new season. Just when you think you can't take one more day of Mother Nature's creation, she delivers another... and this next season, again full of promise and anticipation.

Or, er - maybe it's just me.

Either way, I know this is where I am right now; I'd had just about all I could take of the humidity of our summer, ready to give up entirely on these seasons when suddenly fall poked its head out reminding me of the beauty of that elusive next page on the calendar.

And lovely she is...

The very best part about this? I'm confident that right when I'm done with the uneven temperatures and sometimes dreary, rainy days of fall, along will come Christmas-time (it's right around the corner - already!), in all its 'decked-the-hall' glory and a whole new, exciting season.

Home-Grown

We're swimming in a sea of red (tomatoes) these days... and honestly, I can't think of a more welcome sight.

Last year was our first attempt at our vegetable garden and while it was successful and we immensely enjoyed the fruits of our labor, we also realized how much we had to learn. Who knew that tomato plants generally grew so massive that they would topple over in even the slightest breeze? Thankfully tomatoes are just as easy to clean (and eat!) after being picked up off the compost-fed ground as they are picking from the tree.

This year with sturdier cages and some home-'grown' contraptions to ensure our plants remained upright and healthy, our crop has been even more plentiful. And thus, almost daily I am searching for another use for our beautiful, vine-ripened fruit.

Pasta dishes are few and far between in my repertoire so this tangy pasta salad was a welcome change of pace. It seemed endlessly adaptable - so I did just that.

What's been your favorite way to use up your garden-fresh harvest this (ever-fading) summer?

(Kinda) Greek Pasta Salad
adapted from AllRecipes

1/2 c olive oil
just shy of 1/2 c red wine vinegar
splash of balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp basil, torn or chopped into small pieces
2 tsp oregano, chopped into small pieces
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 tsp sugar
1 1/3 c rotini pasta (uncooked)
15-20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 c diced red bell peppers
3/4 c crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c chopped green onions
1/2 c turkey pepperoni, cut into thin strips

In a saucepan, cook pasta according to directions, leaving out oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegars, garlic powder, basil, oregano, black pepper, and sugar. Add cooked pasta, tomatoes, red peppers, feta cheese, green onions, and pepperoni. Toss until evenly coated. Cover, and chill 2 hours or overnight.

Pucker Up!

Here I go at an attempt to "make lemonade out of lemons"... also known as really not that bad of a situation(s) - just one that deserves some "lemonading"... or if nothing else, something at least crack-half-a-smile humorous (pity laugh, anyone?).

Aren't these pretty flowers?! I agree. So how can I even pretend that there's something wrong with this picture... when could getting flowers ever be something to complain about?

Let my sob (err... not at all, really, our life is actually relatively full of proverbial flowers, just not any of the zinnia-variety) story begin... you see, we were supposed to have said gorgeous flowers growing in just the spot in our yard this year; they would have added a much needed pop of amazing color, not to mention hours (days, even!) of happiness as cut flowers in casual vases around our house. Instead, however, after two failed attempts at growing these supposedly fool-proof seeds in the aforementioned bed, I moved my efforts to some pots and managed to grow (what are now) "zinnia seedlings". As we speak, I am (still... yes, I know it's much too late and there's no chance my weak, leafy stems are going to grow into these beauties) waiting (hoping... praying!!) for our inadequate stalks to make good on their promises because I refuse to give up - a lesson in persistence (even if naive)!

Thanks to a visitor last weekend, I got my first (please oh please... not last - grow seedlings, grow!) taste of these flowers - and now, as I (purposefully) walk by the flowers numerous times, I have no doubt that were just meant to grow in our garden (I mean the color!!!! - could they be more perfect for someone so color-obsessed?!?).

Lemon: inability to grow my own zinnias; Lemonade: generous friend bringing me a most glorious bouquet to tide me over until my own flowers pop (they've just got to - I know it).

As if that weren't bad enough (cough cough... I assume you're either heartily laughing now or have moved on)... it's seemingly unfair to pair these color-free (sounds so much kinder than 'colorless') but timeless and unique plates with those balls of color.

Know, however, that while an effort was made to add some color to these plates, it won't get a mention here (Lemon!) but I couldn't pass up the chance to show you what I think are my new (to me - they were in the family, another reason I love them!) favorite appetizer/salad/dessert plates.

Lest I be misunderstood, this isn't about me whining - no complaints here, life really is pretty good. Just a reminder that even when you can't (read: fail miserably 3 times) grow your own beautiful cut flower garden and you serve a cake so sour even the most polite company can't stomach a petite piece, there are always friends who'll bring you flowers and pretty plates on which to serve cake, on another day.