a ten spot...

Me in a nutshell...

Can you say disorganized?  In a hurry?  Using every small break to run an errand or write an email...

Why do I have vitamins on my desk that I never take?  Why do I feel the need to hoard pretty dishes?  Why do I travel with three different types of gloves everywhere I go?  Why do I buy oranges at the co op, they are not the same?  Why does the list in front of me have nothing to do with cleaning the fiasco neighboring its left?  Why do I think I can do sewing projects at work?  I sure do hope that fortune cookie has some good news for me prior to the 1st... 

New Year's Resolution #1

get organized and divide my time evenly and wisely.

Oranges...

How I miss you.

I have traded you for apples.

Feeling like:  a good Friday night with the Mister and the smaller mister in the house.

Wondering if:  it will snow enough to use my new awesome sled TUBE!

Anticipating: a very special anniversary of a very special day...tomorrow

Eating: warm oats with cinnamon and raisins in my new West Elm bowl that I love.

Reading: i wish i was reading... i am sewing instead.  i will read next week.

Wishing: the snow keeps coming...

Thankful:  for marriage.  mine has crested to a point I never imagined possible.  it is my most cherished part of this lifetime.

**and I am following a new blog these days HERE and I love it... linked up with her today, thanks for the fun post idea Chandra!!

Vegan Mexican...

I still cannot choose a favorite food genre.  I think when venturing out I prefer Japanese, always have.  Miso soup, cucumber salad, teryaki (one time chicken now strictly veggies), and warm green tea...Yes please!

But when I am cooking at home it is hands down Mexican fare. And upon the adventure of giving up all things dairy I shed a tear for cheddar in my burrito.  However, some time has passed and I have managed many successful cheese(less) dinners, and last night was one of the best!  I think the trick is piling on so much fresh goodness that the cheese becomes simply irrelevant.

Recipe:

layer as follows

Amy's organic re fried black beans

vegan sausage (b/c we always had sausage with our dip growing up, and the substitute is yummy and better for you)

CORN.

black olives

fresh tomatoes

diced peppers

avocado

cilantro

serve with chips to dip and delicious salsa!

Kids ate their entire plate, success!

Chloe's...

Is small town liven' in the big city... well big suburb anyway!

I went from refusing coffee for all my twenty something years until my introduction to this slice of heaven.  Chloe's corner was across the street from my new fancy workplace and all the shop girls were always running over there.  I had been in a few times, mostly for their then famous HOMEMADE POP- TARTS, yes you heard me right.  But never had I tried their ice coffee.  When the girls swore by its magical powers to get you through a holiday shift I was willing, and for 50 cents what was there to lose.
My sanity.
There were days when I was not on the schedule to work and would drive the 30 miles from my own home (that had its own coffee maker) for one of these!
Then I met Alana.  Well I had been ordering coffee from her everyday for a good year and we became friendly.  It was like I lived in a little town and knew the locals ;-)  Then one day The Mister got hooked on the coffee and he too ordered from her.  Then one day he mentioned that he knew me and that we were a Misses and Mister...
And she about jumped over the counter.  So excited to know two of her regulars were in fact a pair.
And I love that story.
Now, for the second year in a row, we have walked in right after arriving in town, and she knows us.  She gives us hugs and buys us a coffee and asks how we are doing.
 And I adore her.
So good to see you this year, hope to see you next time!!

xx

Heritage on a dish...

 

 My Grandma Linda's sticky buns.  Probably in the top 3 reasons why Christmas morning ROCKS!

This year, 2012, I am making it my #1 goal to successfully make this here recipe.  I have managed to make the three worst batches EVER in the three years I attempted.  Even with my mom there to assist they were either falling apart and NOT sticky, expanded to the point of no return, or I was scrapping them off the bottom of the oven for weeks to follow.  Might I add that the fire alarm was involved in one or more of those times... Yikes!

But for now, I am so so thankful to be on the list of recipients of these fine buns on Christmas morning!!  My Papa makes four batches a year and I GET ONE!! And not only that, he DELIVERS!  You better believe I had at least 4... maybe 5 ;-)  

Thanks Papa!

Perhaps a sticky bun tutorial on skype is in order?  What do you say?

 What is your favorite holiday treat??

Blog?

What blog?
Apparently I give up all things normal when embarking on a whirlwind-four day-free for all-Christmas vaca.
because there is all this going on...

and this is just the tip of the iceberg!  Favorite part?  Quite possibly the food.  Scottsdale has some delicious dining.  And even tastier citrus... but we will leave that for tomorrow.  I am off to slumber off the red eye, the laundry, the co op, the costco trip, the cooking, and the return cleaning.
Yup. Going to bed at 8:15.
Night.

Enjoying the holidays...

In Arizona.With Family.Loving Life.
Happy Christmas Eve!!

Flash invite. Accepted.

6:30pm. Last night.

We are scarfing down dinner.

Phone rings in the other room, we ignore b/c there is too much to do and we need to keep scarfing.

The Mister and I are making the list...

pack for a cross country trip

don't forget to charge electronics

don't forget underwear

get the laundry out of the dryer

check the weather

do the dishes

finish MAKING xmas gifts

and on, and on, and on...

I grab the phone to check the weather and see a msg.  We all listen and it went like this (word for word):

Okay you guys, this is a flash invite.  Kinda like a flash dance, you know? Where everyone starts dancing. We are inviting you over RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE AND NOW when we are making t-shirts, b&b farm t-shirts, we are inviting you over for ice cream.  Boom bam boom everyone gets ice cream and everyone goes home with a t-shirt. BAM. boom. done. like that. boom. Alright bye. 

The Mister took the phone.

Dialed.

Proceeded to say:

This makes absolutely no sense for us this evening.  We will be right over.

and that is the good stuff in life...

Noah has never heard of a better invite, and frankly neither have I.

Um, yes... Gabi likes her ice cream. 

HELPFUL assistants to the right -->

 HOPELESS assistants in the back please!!

Ok, you redeemed yourself... you can help!

 The kids were beaming about their shirts! Gabi put her pre picked outfit on and the red T right over top!  It looks great.  No picture though... can you guess what I was doing until 11:30 last night and then in the wee hours this morning?  Can you say SCRAMBLE??

I highly recommend accepting flash invites if they ever come your way...

Linked here...

A Date With The Nutcracker...

Gabrielle has been looking forward to seeing this show for quite some time now and I was glad to escort her.  For the last time I had the privilege of seeing this ballet was with my grandmother, in New York City, on Broadway... and it was so lovely.

So Gabi and I dressed for the occasion...

and the show was enchanting, really it was. And I think Gabi is as in love with it as I was growing up.  Perhaps she will dance in it next year, we will see...

and then Matt and I couldn't help but play with the camera and mirror...

Next on the holiday list...PACK!!!

Featured here today...

I joined in with Amanda for a holiday giveaway....
Visit her HERE today to check it out!  Lots of shop giveaways!!
Merry Merry... off to The Nutcracker with Gabi Goose!

Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.  Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two. 

 Louis De Bernieres I read this HERE today, and my heart leaped a little, thank you for these words Mrs. Nielson.  I do not know you but I know the love you speak of.   This is us. Mr. Witt reached for my hand last night, under the covers, after a long evening of busy.  He said i love you in a most sincere and long lasting sort of way.  I basked in the forever(ness) in the air that surrounded as I drifted into dream land.
I love you too darling.
**linked up to free write HERE, no and cool ;-)

Krinkle.

  What is a Krinkle you ask?

Well it is only the most charming decoration that this holiday has ever seen and I fell in love with them in a tiny shop on the Pacific Ocean.  

This was one of my firsts...

When I laid my eyes on this resting santa, on his very own half moon, I nearly melted to the floor.  The following moments had me reeling with joy as I noticed a store full of these little guys in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

That day, after an hour or two of choosing, I believe I left with five or so.  I continued to visit that ocean, that store, that place where my mom lived, to collect more of these tiny wonders.

  Now I have enough to fill a tree!

I love this Santa, hitting the wintry slopes with his old school goggles on.  Santa is always so busy, it is nice to see him relaxing and enjoying himself.

He is a handsome fella he is...

And my dear thinking Santa.  Hard at work.  Getting ready for his big day.  

I hand carried these all the way from Arizona to Vermont but despite my efforts this one lost a little leg. I have it, hope to fix him right up.

What a dear he is...



Then one year, this happened...

and it was love in a glance.  The one and only, hands down, most amazing Santa I have seen to date.

Best. Topper. Ever.

So I am pretty sure that topper shown above is not an actual Krinkle, but I don't mind.  Actual Krinkles are delicately crafted by a one Patience Brewster.  If you google the name you are sure to find many delights...  
If I had my way I would choose this set for holiday 2011...

OK...I am new to these linky party thing-a-ma-jiggers... but they are kinda fun!

I linked today to these...

xx