Forever and a Recipe

Happy {Relaxed} Weekend!

2013-05-17T09:59:00.000-04:00

Originally, I had planned to do a lot of relaxing this weekend, but then I realized I had a bit of a to-do list that I want to get through. I am still going to find some time to relax though, and I hope you will too!

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Isn't this space beautiful? I wish that I could curl up and relax here for the weekend. In reality though, I'm mostly just excited about enjoying the beautiful weather and spending some time relaxing with Josh and Nash. I think we might hit the driving range this weekend and maybe find time to go and register. We also have a vet appointment for Nash on Saturday, and I have some work and projects I want to get done by Sunday night. Other than that - it's nothing but relaxation for us this weekend.

What are you up to? Anything fun planned? If you're not too busy, here are some of my favorite posts right now...

the rules of entertaining

trying to find an excuse to make these

loving the feel of these spaces

This guy has some great marriage advice

one man's take on the end of The Office (without spoilers!)

Have a happy {relaxed} weekend!

Three Magical Years of Us

2013-05-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Three years ago today, Josh and I started dating. Or... well, we techinically started dating at the end of April, but three years ago today marks our second date, the decision to date exclusively and, for us, the celebration of our anniversary. (If you're interested in our whole love story, you can check it out here.)

I love coming up with ideas for anniversary gifts - and this year was no exception. For our 1st anniversary (pre-blogging), I filled a jar with 365 reasons why I loved him, and for our 2nd anniversary, I created a gift with stamps representing special places and things in our lives. This year, I wanted to create something just as special, but I knew from the start that I wanted it to have a bit more structure than last year's gift. And, with the influence of Elise Blaha and her love of photobooks, I decided to create Josh a Blurb book of our first three years together.

From our first dates to our first "I Love Yous", countless trips to life with Nash, above are just a few pages from the over 90 pages - and almost 200 pictures - from the past three years (please excuse the glare, I took these in artificial light!). I named the book Three Magical Years of Us and wrote a special caption on the inside for Josh. Using Blurb was so very easy and I think that there are many Blurb books in my future - covering everything from wedding planning to apartment living, from garden growing to puppy loving, and more.

These past three years have indeed been magical - and my dreams came true when I fell in love with an incredible man who fell right back in love with me. I have known from our first weekend away together that we would be inseperable and that we would grow old together. Now, as we begin to plan our wedding, I see more and more every day how perfectly we complement each other in life and in love. I am so excited to celebrate our 3rd anniversary together and am looking forward to a lifetime more of them to come.

Saying Yes to a Venue! {Wedding Wednesday}

2013-05-15T10:36:00.001-04:00

We did it! This past weekend, after narrowing our choices down to 8, then 3, and then finally just 1 - we picked the venue at which Josh and I will say "I do!" and celebrate with our family and friends. While I am not going to talk about exactly where we'll be getting married, I want to use this Wedding Wednesday to talk about our process, as well as a few of the major factors that went into choosing the right venue.

The Process:

First, Josh and I put together a list of things we definitely did not want in a wedding venue. This list included, but was not limited to: lack of outdoor ceremony space, two events going on at the same place at the same time, and city locations. Using this information, I scoured bridal magazines and websites, googled my way through reviews on The Knot and WeddingWire, and selected a number of places that looked nice to call and make an appointment at to go and see.

Then, Josh and I picked a date. I think a timeline or general month could work for some people, but Josh and I knew that we want to get married next summer, and had some general limitations on exactly when it could be - and so it was easiest to go into the entire process with a date picked. Once we picked a date, I started to call the places we had liked and was able to ask them a few questions about their venue, and see if they had our date available. As luck would have it - every single one of the venues had our date except for one that wasn't on our favorites list.

I made appointments at 9 of the places that I called - and ended up canceling one due to bad reviews - and in the middle of April my mother and I spent two days touring venues all around Central, Northern and North Southern New Jersey. We toured 4 the first day (a Friday) just the two of us, then on Saturday toured 4 more with my Stepmother and my Dad joined us for 3 of those. After each venue, we would sit in the car and make a quick list of the pros and cons to go along with whatever information we took down during our tour. I think that this helped to keep our judgment unclouded and really focus us on the important things. After touring 8 places, we narrowed the list down to three - and made a date for Josh to come back and tour them to help make the decision.

Fast forward to this past weekend, Josh and I packed up Nash and headed down to New Jersey to find our venue. We toured all three places on Saturday, and had a meeting with my Cantor in between, and by Saturday night we had made up our minds and chosen our venue.

The Factors:

Now that you have a better understanding of our process (which I think is pretty typical, although I could be wrong about that), I want to share with you some of the main factors that went into our decision...

1) Personality

This was extremely important to me because I want to work with someone over the next year or so that I can get along with and that truly cares about the outcome of our wedding celebration. Of all of the people that we met with, 2 of the 3 we narrowed it down to had managers with incredible personalities that would be working with us from now through the end of our celebration. A few of the places we saw it felt more like a wedding factory, and I didn't like the idea that we would work with someone for the next year, and then be handed off to another person on the day of our wedding. And politeness was also a big thing - at one venue my mother and I looked at together we were treated incredibly rudely and almost left without even sitting down to go over the numbers. Bottom line: This is a big day for us and we want to feel like it is a big day for the venue/manager too.

2) Location

Although we began, and ended, our search in New Jersey, we are very conscious of the fact that many people are coming from out of state for our wedding and so we wanted our location to be easy-to-find, since centrally located was probably not going to happen. One venue we looked at was hard to get to - and I could not have imagined our guests trying to read the directions cards and navigate that maze. The place that we chose is very easy to find and, almost right off of the highway, shouldn't be an issue for any of our guests - or our shuttle from the hotel - to get to.

3) Price

The ever important budget did play a role in our decision here. Of the final three places that we looked at, one (that we did not choose) was almost $7,000 over the price of the other two. While we could have afforded to get married there, we would have had much less in our budget for everything else, and significantly less wiggle room for things later on. Also, for us, it is important that our guests have an amazing experience, and just because a place is more expensive, doesn't actually mean that it is better - sometimes it is just way overpriced for the food and experience that you're getting.

4) The Undescribable ... Feeling

On Saturday, after Josh had seen all three venues with me, we had a decision to make - and it wasn't as easy as you might think. At first, we were confused - we liked them all. Yes, they all had pros and cons, but each of them had something that we loved so much we couldn't imagine not having it. In less than an hour though, we had decided - we most of all couldn't see ourselves starting our married lives together at anywhere except the venue that we chose. We love the manager, the location is great, the price is great, and everything about the venue services is flexible. We can work with the chef to add inspiration to the menu, we can bring in our favorite elements from the other venues to this one, and - an added bonus - we absolutely love the bridal and groom suites! We walked down the aisle at the outside ceremony site together, and I think - although we hadn't said it outloud - that we both knew then that we would be getting married in that spot.

Choosing our venue was definitely a whirlwind experience - and we are relieved to be ahead of the game! With our venue booked, we can relax a bit and take our time as we begin to delve more into styling our wedding celebration, planning the party, and enjoying every. single. moment. that this experience has to offer.

Are you married? Engaged? Had the experience of venue shopping? What other factors came in to play when you looked for a venue? Was your process completely different from ours? I'd love to hear from you!

Happy (Belated) Mother's Day!

2013-05-13T09:33:00.004-04:00

To all of the mother's out there, I want to wish you a sincere and heartfelt happy Mother's Day! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and spent it celebrating the mothers in your life.
I was fortunate enough to be raised by not one, not two, but three incredible women: my mother, my stepmother and my aunt. These three women inspired me to dream, influenced the woman that I have become, and taught me how to move through life with grace.

Without question, I would not be who I am and where I am without these women in my life. I am consistently amazed at their beauty and their grace, and am so grateful for every thing that they have taught me. Separately, and at times, together, these women have given me, and enhanced, my love of books, taught me the importance of levelheadedness and clear thinking, and shown me how a bright smile can change your (and someone else's!) day.
Thank you for being there for me each step of the way as I've grown from a young girl to a young lady to the woman I am today. I love you each so very much, and cannot entirely put into words how proud I am to have each of you in my life. Happy Mother's Day!

Happy {Awesome} Weekend!

2013-05-10T13:57:00.005-04:00

Are you ready for the weekend? My first week of work has been a good one - busy, but good! I am temping for the summer at a lawfirm in the Prudential Tower in Boston and so I have a great area around me to explore - and the best part is the views from the cafeteria on the 49th floor!

If you've been to Boston, and been to the Pru, Top of the Hub - the restaurant - is on the 52nd floor. I love being able to see gorgeous views of Boston and the surrounding area on a daily basis - and I'm pretty sure that I can see where my apartment is from up this high!

This weekend, Josh and I are heading to New Jersey to officially pick out our wedding venue - and to meet with my Cantor who will perform our wedding next Summer. Then we're celebrating Mother's Day in NJ on Sunday morning, before heading back home to celebrate it here in Massachusetts. While this weekend will be busy too, I am looking for a somewhat quiet week next week and at least a little bit of time to relax this weekend.

In honor of this week's Pinterest Challenge (hosted by Sherry, Katie, Renee and Emily), here are some of my favorite projects that were linked up to the challenge! (And yes, I want to make these all!)

a mason jar wedding kit

monogrammed door mat

gold accented pillows

scallop art made with a circle punch

acrylic painted trays

Have a happy {awesome} weekend!

Ombre Painted Pots {Pinterest Challenge}

2013-05-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again ... Pinterest Challenge time!!!

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I sort of missed out on the Winter edition. I had grand plans for a wall loom hanging art piece for our bedroom, and well... it still needs to be finished. Oops. But oh well, I've moved on to more exciting and Spring themed projects - some ombre painted pots!

As I've begun to plan my container garden, I started to think about how I wanted to add color to the balcony and to the garden. Before I knew it, I was putting my love of ombre to work and creating these fantastic pots for our balcony.
First, I bought the pots at Walmart - two 12-inch ones for about $10/pot and $4/plate piece and two 10-inch ones for about $8/pot and $2/plate piece. I brought them home, placed them on my cleared off kitchen table, and grabbed some leftover primer.

I painted 2-3 light coats on everything, let it dry to the touch, and then set everything on the balcony to sit overnight and air out. Also to make our apartment stop smelling like primer because not everyone likes the way it smells.
Then, after it was dry, I brought them back inside and got ready to ombre my first flower pot! Using blue and white acrylic paint, I first painted a blue section on the very bottom, then mixed white into that blue and painted another section, then added more white and painted another section, and so on - until I had reached the top of the pot!

I used a basic little paintbrush and just added as much white paint as I thought was needed to lighten it up a bit more. I waited a couple of minutes between shades just to give it time to set a bit to make any touch ups that I needed before adding more white and moving on to the next layer.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE how this pot turned out. It seems a little bit ocean-y, mixed with a little bit of mountain sky and just a whole lot of awesome on our balcony. Officially obsessed. So, because of that, I decided to take my less than beautiful orange polka dotted pot and turn it ombre as well.

Yea... about the polka dots... I thought they were going to to be awesome and then, well... they weren't. But I was able to easily cover them and create an amazing ombre effect for this pot too!

Using the primer, I recovered all of the polka dots. I went over the orange with three light coats, waiting about 20-30 minutes between each one.

Then, using the same method as I used with the blue, I mixed white into dark orange to paint each section, starting without any and adding more for each section - until I had reached the top of the pot.

It's possible that I love this one even more than I love the blue. Okay, maybe not. But it's a super close call. Bottom line? Ombre painted plant pots are my new jam. Watch out, this is definitely my new obsession.
I also painted two other pots - the large ones - with more geometrical shapes - one in yellow and one in purple. I will not be covering these up with ombre, although I was tempted to do so.

Overall, I absolutely love how all of these turned out, and I think they make the perfect accessories for our soon-to-be-transformed-into-an-amazing-balcony balcony.

Do you have a favorite? Love the blue ombre - or is the orange one more your style? And yes, in case you're wondering, this is the third time I've incorporated ombre into a Pinterest Challenge - you can check out the other two here and here.
And please check out the fabulous hosts of this Pinterest Challenge - Sherry at Young House Love, Katie at Bower Power, Emily at Sparkle Meets Pop and Renee at Red Bird Blue - to see the amazing projects that they, and everyone else linking up were able to come up with!

I'm also linking up with a couple of other parties: the I Gotta Try That... Party and the Made in a Day Party!

The Plants are Potted! {Garden Update}

2013-05-07T19:02:00.003-04:00

I've officially begun my first ever container garden! I've grown a few actual gardens before - specifically two that I can vividly remember. One of them was with my Mom growing up and the other was one that my Aunt pretty much grew for me at my Dad's house before I was even a teenager. And since then, I've never so much as had a house plant I was able to keep alive. But, in spite of this, I've planted FOUR plants, and I'm really geared up for the challenge of keeping them alive.

Last week, my last week of unemployment after student teaching, I set to work painting my terra cotta pots, and getting my plants potted. Tomorrow I'm going to show you how I created my ombre pots for the Pinterest Challenge, but today, I wanted to give you an overview of how I worked to plant my garden.

First, I went to the garden center and picked up organic soil. You may or may not notice that the bag above says "Garden Soil" and is not meant to be used in containers. This is what my garden center had, and I was assured by him - and many people in gardening threads across the internet - that as long as I water sufficiently and keep a close eye on the growth, I will be fine with this type of soil. I'm trusting the garden guys for now, but if it starts to look like its going downhill, I will switch it out for container soil.
So, with my garden gloves, and my soil, I took my freshly painted pots and filled them with soil, leaving about 2 inches of room at the top. Then, I took my small seedling (for my tomato plants) and dug a little spot for them, and placed the seedling inside. Then, I covered it back up with my soil.

I planted two tomato seedlings - Early Girl and Big Boy - and two herbs - rosemary and basil. I am so excited about the possibilities that these combinations have in store for me, and I cannot wait for the plants to start to give me more!

I also planted two succulents in tiny, unpainted pots. I used the same soil, and the same method, leaving only about an inch from the top of these smaller containers.

I'm thrilled to be sprucing up our balcony - and I am psyched for warm Summer nights reading and enjoying the space, and most of all - the food from the delicious plants!
Have you grown plants in containers before? Finding new ways to enjoy your outdoor space? And are you as excited for Summer as I am? I'd love to hear from you!

A Bridal Shower, A Birthday and Project Bread {Weekend Recap}

2013-05-06T18:35:00.002-04:00

Wow - what a weekend, and what a first day of work! Most people spend the weekend before they begin a new job relaxing. But me? I had a busy weekend!
On Saturday morning I drove up to beautiful Essex, MA to celebrate my friend Kara's bridal shower at Shea's Restaurant. The food and drinks (especially the drinks) were delicious - and the space was beautiful. I had a great time catching up with an old friend, making new ones, and celebrating Kara.

The favors were shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate (heavenly!) from Hawaii and we had delicious cupcakes for dessert. Such a fun day!
On Saturday night we went out for a friend's birthday, having dinner in the North End, and going out to Stadium (the old McFadden's for those of you who know Boston well). We had an amazing time with some amazing people, but we couldn't stay out too late, because I woke up bright and early on Sunday morning for ... Project Bread's Walk for Hunger!

We (myself and the Quincy High School team) walked 20 miles. Yes, 20. From Boston Common, through Brookline to Newton Center, to Watertown, and then to Cambridge - past Harvard along the river, and all the way to Mass Ave, and back to the Public Garden. And the QHS team was not along - there were a lot of people out walking to work to end hunger.

For the record, I completely underestimated what 20 miles would be like. If I was just going to walk a mile, or two, on my own without thousands of people crowding me, I know - from experience - that I would average 15 minute miles. So I simply assumed that this would be the same way. 20 miles? An easy 5 hours. Ha! More like, 20 miles? A very hard 7 hours. Oof, it was not easy.

By the time I reached this 19th mile, I was barely waddling. My whole body ached, my fingers and feet were massively swollen, and I could not believe that I was still standing. After the walk, I somehow made it home (more walking!) and inside our home to collapse on the couch.
Today, my right leg is still in serious pain. I think I pulled something - probably due to my general lack of exercise - and waking up for my first day in a new job moving at a snails pace was not fun. I also, in spite of re-applying sunblock twice, somehow managed to miss a few key spots: the right side of my neck, tip of my nose and forehead, and the back of my calves where my leggings didn't meet my socks. This led to a bit of sun poisoning, some dehydration, and a lot of swelling where I'm burned. Am I mad at myself for doing it though? Nope, not at all. And next year, not only do I want to do it again, but I want Josh to do it with me. Despite all the pain and exhaustion I feel today, I had an amazing time and feel incredibly accomplished and am so happy to have worked to raise money to work to end hunger.
And my first day of work today was great, and I am ready for an awesome Summer working in downtown Boston! I hope you had a great weekend and a great start to your week too! I'll be back tomorrow with a short post on gardening, and I'm gearing up for the Spring Pinterest Challenge on Wednesday! See you all throughout the week!

READ THIS! {Sweet Tooth}

2013-05-03T10:44:00.001-04:00

On Monday morning, I am officially starting a Summer-long temp job! Without a job, or any prospects, for the last 3 weeks - since I finished student teaching - I've gotten a little bit bored. But I am so excited to begin a job for the Summer, but possibly most of all, I am excited for the commute! I know, who says that? I say that. Yes, it means taking the T again - something I was really hoping I had officially been done with in December - but it also means 2+ hours of a commute 5 days a week to read. My bookpile has been growing and growing, and Sweet Tooth is the first book I have read since March. And - confession - I only read it in the past couple of days.
But finally, only a few days into May, I have for you the review of April's READ THIS! selection, Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan...

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Amazon describes this novel as, "Cambridge student Serena Frome’s beauty and intelligence make her the ideal recruit for MI5. The year is 1972. The Cold War is far from over. England’s legendary intelligence agency is determined to manipulate the cultural conversation by funding writers whose politics align with those of the government. The operation is code named “Sweet Tooth." Serena, a compulsive reader of novels, is the perfect candidate to infiltrate the literary circle of a promising young writer named Tom Haley. At first, she loves his stories. Then she begins to love the man. How long can she conceal her undercover life? To answer that question, Serena must abandon the first rule of espionage: trust no one. Once again, Ian McEwan’s mastery dazzles us in this superbly deft and witty story of betrayal and intrigue, love and the invented self."
This book took me a little while to get into. The first half is a lot of background, and I was just not engaged by McEwan's story until almost halfway through the book. Part of the first half of the book is Serena reading author Tom Haley's stories, and while they weren't bad, it felt like a lot of filler to me. It wasn't until the second half, where Serena and Tom begin their love affair, that McEwan really captured my interest. He creates a beautiful love story that pulls you in bit by bit and not until the book is ending do you realize how invested you have become in this romance. Although it did take a little while for me to really get into it, I fell in love with this novel, and like so many other McEwan stories, the twists and turns surprised me and delighted me.
Did you read along last month? Did you also fall in love with the love story created by Ian McEwan? How did you work through the short stories - did they add something to the story, or simply seem like filler to you too? And what did you think about the ending??? Did she stay or did she go? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this novel!
Without further ado, May's READ THIS! choice is Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple...

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Amazon describes this novel as, "Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom. Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle--and people in general--has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic. o find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence--creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world."
This story seems funny and heartwarming, and I am so excited to dive into it! Maria Semple is also a former "Arrested Development" writer - and in honor of this month's "Arrested Development" return to Netflix - I thought it would be the perfect book for May. I hope you'll join me in reading it this month, and I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Recipe: Lemon Butter Salmon

2013-05-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

Note: I found the salmon pictures! Hurrah! Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!
Can I make a confession? I really don't like cooked salmon. Tuna, halibut, red snapper? Sure. Tilapia or mahi mahi? I'm in. But salmon? Unless it is smoked on my bagel, or raw in my sushi, I really just am not a fan of the fishy salmon taste. Until now.
I am bound and determine to start liking salmon and so a few weeks ago, I set out to make a salmon recipe that I would love. I will warn you, this recipe is not for the health conscious (although if you like the taste of actual salmon, you could just reduce the butter or oil amount), but it is delicious.
To make this, get the following ingredients:

Salmon (for 2 servings)
1 pound of salmon fillets 1 large lemon 1 stick of butter (8 tbsp) salt and pepper
Sauce
1/2 stick of butter (4 tbsp) 1 tbsp garlic powder 1/4 cup of olive oil
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, tear aluminum sheets for your salmon and set them on the counter.

Slice your lemons into thin slices. Using one large lemon, this will produce 10 thin slices in total - 5 to be layered on each aluminum sheet.

Then, slice the salmon in half and place each half on top of a lemon pile.

Split the stick of butter in half, and then slice each half lengthwise. Place two quarters on top of each piece of salmon and cover with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Wrap in the tin foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

After its been cooking for 15 minutes, make the sauce. First, place the butter and olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

Add the garlic powder. Stir constantly until the butter is completely melted into the oil, but make sure not to let the sauce burn.

Remove the salmon from the foil packet, serve over veggies or rice (or both!), and top with the garlic butter sauce.

Wow - sauce overload! But it is delicious! And although not the healthiest dish (and by not the healthiest, I mean that this dish is really not healthy at all), this was incredibly delicious and the sauce combined with bites of salmon and rice was one of my favorite dinner combinations that I created this Winter.

Wedding Binder {Wedding Wednesday}

2013-05-01T09:17:00.002-04:00

Wedding planning has begun! We've been engaged for one wonderful month (1 month! Can you believe it???) and we've begun looking at venues, planning guest lists and, of course, getting inspired!
And of course, I couldn't embark on such a big journey without at least a little bit of organization. To get organized, I created a wedding only e-mail address for all of our wedding e-mails (trust me, we're one month in and there's already a ton), set up a wedding folder on my computer, and created a binder to keep paper copies of information, and to place all of the inspiration I pull from my piles of magazines.
I bought a 2-inch white binder, and a packet of 8 dividers. I also used two other dividers to split the binder into two sections: Wedding Planning and Wedding Inspiration. Then, within each of those sections, I labeled each of the other dividers.

In Wedding Planning, I have tabs for Venue Search and Information, the Guest List, our Budget and, we have incredibly generous friends and family and so have already begun a Gift List.

In Wedding Inspiration, I have tabs for Planning, etc. - which includes just about everything EXCEPT for my other three tabs, Beauty for hair and makeup inspiration, Maids for all of my Bridesmaid inspiration, and of course, Dress for my own dress inspiration. And I created a funky cover for the binder as well - using some scrap paper I already had, along with some stickers that I picked up at Michael's and some embroidery yarn I also already had. As time goes on, I plan on adding to the cover, but for now I wanted it to be open with room to grow.

This binder is great because it allows us to keep everything in one portable place - easily accessible and completely organized and customized for our use.
Over the next year, I plan on sharing a lot of the wedding excitement with you. It may not be every week - this isn't turning into a wedding blog! - but I will certainly be posting semi-regularly in the Wedding Wednesday Series. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Garden Beginnings

2013-04-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Have you ever grown a garden on a balcony? Or grown vegetables in containers? I haven't! But, this year, for the first time ever, I am going to give it a try. And, as the weather gets nicer, I plan on spending a lot more time out on our balcony. From dinners outside to quiet weekend mornings with a cup of coffee, comfortable time outside with the pup to a cup of tea before bedtime (have I been watching too much Downton Abbey?), I plan to make the balcony space something that we can really enjoy this Summer.
Right now, the balcony looks like this...

Mostly empty, except for one cute puppy who wanted to help take photos, there is the shelf unit I bought from IKEA last Fall, and it has become slightly ignored over the past 6 months or so. I definitely need to clear and better organize the space.

I also want to plant a bit of a container garden. I plan to grow tomatoes and basil to start, and as a beginner, I'm sure these will keep me plenty occupied! I'm also hoping to bring some succulents onto the balcony, although I'm going to wait until after I have the tomatoes and basil set up.
But of course, I plan on doing this in a fun, DIY style - and I've already gotten started!

I picked these large terra cotta pots up at Walmart and used leftover primer to coat them (2 light coats on the pots, and 3 on the saucers). Later today, I'll be adding a bit of color to brighten them up a bit more, and then adding my tomato seedlings to them! And later I'll share the super easy tutorial for how I brightened them up!
Do you have a balcony garden? Any tips for a beginner? I'm so excited to dive into this project!

Recipe: Fig & Gorgonzola Mini-Pizza

2013-04-29T09:22:00.002-04:00

About a year ago, I discovered the deliciousness of fig and gorgonzola pizza. Not actually liking figs or gorgonzola prior to this, I was shocked to find out that together, fig and gorgonzola can take on the world. A few months after that I made another discovery, I actually loved figs. So I went out and bought fig jam to use on toast and english muffins and crackers, and really anything else that might call for jam. And then, a few weeks ago, I finally put my love of fig jam and pizza together on my own and created my own fig & gorgonzola pizza.

This pizza is really simple to make, all you need are these ingredients:

Fig Jam, 3-4 tbsp Gorgonzola, about 2 tbsp Prosciutto, 1 slice Balsalmic Vinegar, drizzle (optional) 1 Mini-Pizza Crust (not pictured), I used Boboli
First, preheat your oven per the directions on the crust package. While your oven is preheating, use a spoon to spread the fig jam over the crust, leaving room at the edges.

Then, spread the 2 tbsp of gorgonzola over the fig jam. If you like gorgonzola a lot, feel free to add more.

Cook in the oven as directed. When done, remove from the oven. Then, take the slice of prosciutto and tear into a few pieces. Place those pieces over the pizza.

Finally, slice into 6 pieces, drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar over the top, and enjoy!

I ate this for dinner one night, but it could definitely be used as a dinner or party appetizer for guests to enjoy - it is a perfect blend of sweet and savory!

Happy {Relaxing} Weekend!

2013-04-26T11:59:00.002-04:00

I had planned to show you a lemon butter salmon recipe this morning, but it seems that those pictures have run away. So, instead, we're back to the regularly weekly wrap-up! I am so looking forward to relaxing this weekend, and just getting rested to end April and geared up for the start of May.

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Don't you wish you had this hammock in your living room? I know I do! I could curl up with my pile of books, and take naps on and off between books all day. Sounds like a perfect weekend to me! I hope you are getting ready for an amazing weekend too. If you have some time, I hope you'll check my favorite links from the blogosphere right now...
awesome cards for mother's day
i'm not a single lady, but this pizza looks delicious
ever thought to use wrapping paper as wallpaper?
easiest pasta ever (even you can make this!)
mango is my favorite - and this post will make it yours too
Have a happy {relaxing} weekend!

Back to School {Field Trip Edition}

2013-04-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm heading back to Quincy High School to help chaperone a field trip to one of my favorite places - the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston!

Both Pictures From 2010 During a Trip to the MFA with Josh!

The trip is primarily for a program in Quincy (at both of the high schools) called Museum Docents, but this trip is also allowing the freshmen World History students in my former cooperating teacher's classes to take a trip to the museum. The trip takes students to see mainly African, African-American, Native American and Meso/South American art. While I love the museum, I am excited to focus more on some pieces of art that I may not have focused on in the past.
However, more than going to the museum - although I do love the MFA - I am so excited to be surrounded by some of my students again and be back at Quincy High. I am also looking forward to spending the day with my two former cooperating teachers and enjoying being in Boston with an amazing group of people.
I hope you're having a fantastic Wednesday - and that your week is going well! I'll see you tomorrow with a delicious salmon recipe! *Note: The trip was absolutely incredible. The hardest part was saying goodbye again at the end of the day. I miss my students so much and leaving them has definitely not been easy. I am so glad that I got the chance to work with all of them!

Recipe: Sugar Cookie Bars

2013-04-23T08:47:00.000-04:00

My new favorite go-to dessert? Sugar Cookie Bars. Delicious, easy-to-make, irresistible sugar cookie bars.

Over the past few months, I've made these twice - and both times they've been huge hits! I got the recipe from High Heels & Grills and made the recipe just as Sarah has it on her blog (which she, btw, got from Cooking Classy). I know these pictures of the finished product are not particularly artistic, but I promise you that these cookies are delicious and completely irresistible.
First, gather your ingredients together ...

Cookies:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1-1/2 Tbsp. sour cream 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup half and half

1 tsp. vanilla

Pinch of salt

Several drops of food coloring (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 and grease a 9x13 dish. I used disposable aluminum dishes both times, but of course - glass is fine too. Then, combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

Then, in another, larger bowl, cream together the butter, and sugar, for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix thoroughly - this will give the dough a yellow-ish color.

Then, add the sour cream and vanilla and mix well again.

Slowly add in the flour mixture, stirring to mix until fully combined.

Press the dough gently into the bottom of your greased 9x13 pan. Spread it out and make sure that it is evenly spread in the pan.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn slightly brown. Once baked, remove and set aside to completely cool before frosting the cookies.

To make the frosting, mix together the butter, powdered sugar and half and half until it is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and salt and mix well again.

Add food coloring if you want (I used green the first time for St. Patty's Day, and yellow the second time for Spring) and evenly frost the bars. The first time I made these, I had a lot of leftover icing because I tried to frost the cookies too lightly. Either cut back on the amount of frosting, or be prepared to generously frost the cookies.

Finally, cut the cookies into squares and serve!

Like I said, these cookies are completely irresistible! They are delicious and before you know it, you've had a few "just to try them" and eaten so much frosting that you can't go to sleep until almost 2 am. Not that I would know about that or anything, but I'm just saying - baking these may lead to sleep deprivation!
Have you ever had sugar cookie bars? They're an easy way to get the sugar cookie taste, without all the extra work!

Instalife {Winter 2013 Edition}

2013-04-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

I'm baaaaaack! After an amazing student teaching experience, finishing classes and getting engaged, and starting new classes and job hunting - this Winter has certainly been a long one. Ending student teaching was incredibly bitter sweet and although I was so sad to say goodbye, I am ready to focus on my final quarter of classes and finding both a temp job until the Fall, and a teaching job beginning in Fall of 2013.
I know it has been a long time since I posted, and, once I start teaching again in the Fall, I will probably begin to post on a three day a week schedule - Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Until then, however, I will be back to regular posting 5 days a week. And, there's so much to fill you in on!
To start, today I'd like to share with you the Winter 2013 Edition of Instalife...

From top, left to right: Sleepy Puppy at the Superbowl / Empty Shelves before Nemo / Nash on the Balcony during Nemo / Valentine's Day Package from Alissa / Sugar Cookies for my Students / Inside the MFA / Short Car Trip with the Pup / Oscars Ballots with Josh / Nash's Oscar Statue Impression

From top, left to right: Bing Challenge - Bing Lost / Increasing Pile of Books that I Haven't Read / Snowy Morning / Broken Coffee Mug Handle / Fresh Market / Caffeine Fix / NU Library Fix / Weeknight Dinner with Josh / Nash Getting Ready for Bed / Grading Tests / Amazing Deal on Gas Thanks to Stop&Shop Points / Two More Broken Coffee Mug Handles / Planning To the End / Interdisciplinary Chain Link Armor Lesson / Empty Lunch Container during Passover / Spring Flowers

From top, left to right: Engagement Weekend! / So Many Cards / Sleepy Pup / Wedding Planning with Mom / Trip to the Sam Adams Brewery with Jonathan / Lunch at the Union Oyster House with Jonathan / Barry McGee Exhibit at the IFA / View from the IFA / Driving Back to MA from NJ
After this brief break from blogging, I am officially back - and will return with a delicious recipe for you tomorrow!

Announcing the Future Mrs. Levine!

2013-04-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend, to my excitement and sheer joy, I had the most wonderful, most awesome, best weekend that I have ever had - I got engaged to my best friend!

On Friday evening, Josh and I headed into Boston around 7 pm, to go to dinner at 75 Chestnut - a beautiful little restaurant in Beacon Hill. We got there a bit before our reservation and they sat us quickly and we shared a wonderful appetizer, and enjoyed two delicious appetizers. We are excited to go back again and again to try everything on their menu.

After dinner we walked into the Public Garden, and made our over to the Make Way for Ducklings statues. We waited for another couple to walk away, and then Josh started saying all the wonderful sweet things, and, after waiting for another group of people to walk by us, Josh got down on one knee, pulled the box from the inside of his coat, and before I knew it, he was saying, "Will you marry me?"
You may have seen our love story last year, but for those of you that either didn't or don't remember, Josh and I met almost three years ago on April 28 when we connected through J-Date (online dating does work!) and discovered each other. Over the past three years, we have lived the fairytale that we both dreamed we might have one day, and on Friday evening, we added another chapter to our story.
After the proposal on Friday evening, Josh took me to the NineZero hotel, where he had booked a suite overlooking the Boston Common, and we spent time calling our family and friends and sharing the bottle of champagne from the hotel!

The next morning, after taking in our beautiful view of the Common, we headed home.

After spending some time relaxing and eating breakfast, Josh and I got started on our drive to Amherst to see Rachel Maddow - but not without first stopping by his parents to celebrate with them - and we finally got a picture of us together!

Then, we enjoyed our short roadtrip out to Amherst, Josh gave me a tour of the UMass Amherst campus, and we had a pre-Rachel dinner at Judie's Restaurant.

Then, we headed to the Amherst College campus and to the Johnson Chapel! First, we watched a few of the acapella groups on campus perform and then, right at 7 pm, Rachel Maddow came on stage and the Zumbyes led us in singing a loud and cheerful rendition of Happy Birthday - since she turns 40 today! And Rachel was so adorable - she got all choked up!

Rachel then spoke for about 45 minutes, reading a little from her book and also talking off the cuff about a few other issues (mainly missile defense!).
Then, she took some questions from the audience - and Josh got up to ask her a question! I am insanely jealous of him, and wished I had thought of a great question to ask her (of course, as soon as she was done, I had about 10 clever questions, but oh well), but Josh did a wonderful job and actually had a short back and forth conversation with her! I don't have any pictures of him asking (there were people in my way!), but here she is answering Josh's question regarding the differences between CNN, Fox, and MSNBC.

After she finished speaking, we stopped by Josh's favorite late-night eatery for take-out before getting back in the car and heading home. This morning, we got to sleep late, and have generally just been giddy and happy since Friday evening - taking in each and every moment and soaking up the excitement and the love.
I am happier than I have ever been, and I am so excited to (officially) spend the rest of my life with this wonderful, inspiring, and handsome man - to marry him, to raise children, and to grow old together. I look forward to each and every moment and can truly say that he is the love of my life, and that this past weekend, he made me the luckiest girl in the world - and I am so excited to marry my best friend, and to be the future Mrs. Levine!

Happy {Awesome} Weekend!

2013-03-29T09:06:00.003-04:00

While I do love what I do every day, and I'm one of those people who doesn't really complain about Mondays very often, this is one time when I could not possibly be more excited for this weekend. Not only is it a three day weekend (we have today, Good Friday, off from school), but tomorrow night - Josh and I are headed to Amherst to see ::drumroll please:: ... RACHEL MADDOW!

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Josh and I are huge fans of Rachel - and all of MSNBC for that matter - and about a month and a half ago she announced that she was doing a small book tour for the paperback release of her book Drift (which if you haven't read, I highly recommend!) and it just so happened that the weekend of March 29-31, she'd be in Amherst, Massachusetts. As soon as (free but reservable) tickets became available, we snagged up 2 tickets to go and see her in person! Since Amherst is a couple of hours away, and we'll be back late late late on Saturday night, and gone most of the day, we decided to board the pup for a couple of days. This way, we have some us time and the pup gets some puppy spa time - it's a win/win for everyone!
So, today is a day filled with productivity and relaxation and then tomorrow - we're off to see my favorite TV personality - Ms. Rachel Maddow! I hope that you are all planning on having a wonderful weekend too and, if you have the time, will check out some of these fantastic pages from this past week...
DIY serving tray: this is my happy place
100 "rules" of dinner from one of my faves
mmm... chocolate thursday cake (that isn't kosher for passover)
and a chocolate-hazelnut macaroon torte (that is kosher for passover)
loving the acrylic frame trend
Have a happy {awesome} weekend!

READ THIS! {Sharp Objects}

2013-03-28T16:38:00.001-04:00

March's READ THIS! choice was Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn...

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Amazon describes this novel as, "Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory. As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming. With its taut, crafted writing, Sharp Objects is addictive, haunting, and unforgettable."
To sum my reaction to this novel up in one word? Wow. Just ... wow. Having read Flynn's two other novels (Gone Girl and Dark Places) I knew that I was in for something good, but I think I have to say that I found Sharp Objects to be the creepiest of the three novels, and right up there with Gone Girl in "unputdownability." Yes, that's a new READ THIS! review term - unputdownability. And this book was one I could not put down. Flynn's descriptive language makes you feel as though you have entered Camille's world, and Flynn makes you feel as if you are haunted by the same demons haunting Camille. One of the things that captivated me the most in this novel was the theme of motherhood throughout the story. Seeing how Camille, Adora, Amma, and a few of the supporting characters, all view motherhood - how it should be conducted, how children and parents should behave, etc. - made this a powerful piece of emotion in the plot. As I said, this novel was a creepy one - describing behavior that makes the reader cringe, imagining the terrible harm that such destructive behavior would cause. Although it was certainly creepy, it was well-written and engaging - and I absolutely loved every moment of this fantastic novel.
Did you read along with Sharp Objects this month? Did you get equally creeped out by Adora's way of being a good mother? Did Flynn's character descriptions engage you, or were you distracted from the character development by the plot? I'd love to hear what you thought - and if you've read Flynn's other books, how you would compare the three!
Getting a jump start on the month of April, April's READ THIS! pick is Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan...

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Happy {Spring} Weekend!

2013-03-23T08:21:00.004-04:00

It is officially the first weekend of Spring - and my fingers are crossed that the warmer Spring weather is right around the corner! I meant to post a happy weekend post yesterday, but then time got away from me and well ... now it's Saturday. But since you've already been so patient throughout my student teaching process, I'm hoping you'll be just as patient now. And time has been flying by! My student teaching will be over in just three weeks. THREE WEEKS! Can you believe it? I've already had some students tell me they want me to stay and be a teacher at Quincy High, and I know that leaving them in 3 weeks is going to be super tough. I have grown to love every single one of these students, and I'm getting teary eyed just typing about it. So yes, I'm probably going to be a big ol' crybaby on my last day, but that's okay - my students will just think it is as cheesy as everything else I do.

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But before I rush these three weeks away, because believe me - I am cherishing each and every single moment, this weekend is going to be a busy one! I'll be doing a lot of grading (it was a very busy week) and some final planning, and getting to enjoy a lot of quality family time! I'm seeing my cousin Jennifer for a long overdue lunch today, and then Josh's sister is in town with her boyfriend this weekend, and we'll be having dinner tonight, brunch tomorrow, and then Passover starts on Monday night! I hope that you're gearing up for as an exciting of a weekend as I have - and that it's as great as I think mine is going to be! If you have a few minutes to spare, these are a few of my weekly faves...
A delicious kosher for Passover dessert
These framed quotes are a must make
A reminder that it's important to create your own soul space
Don't chocolate sugar cookies sound heavenly?
These cadbury creme egg cookies look like a perfect Easter treat
Have a happy {Spring} weekend!

Recipe: Spicy Bacon Poppers

2013-03-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Good Morning and Happy Thursday! Yesterday was the first day of Spring, and I am so excited for the beautiful weather and for the temperatures to start to warm up and for the snow to go away. We had another snow day on Tuesday, and I am really hoping that there aren't any more of them - at least not before I finish student teaching.
With all these days stuck at home, I've had a lot of time to bake - and this is one of my (and Josh's!) new favorite recipes - spicy bacon poppers!

First step, grab your ingredients ...

2 trimmed leeks, sliced 4 oz cream cheese, softened 1 pkg. crescent rolls 2 tbsp cajun spice (like my favorite, Tony C's!) 3 slices bacon 1 tbsp butter (not pictured) 1 tsp sugar (not pictured)
Slice your leeks and place them in a pan, along with butter and sugar, and allow them to caramelize over medium-low heat.

While the leeks are caramelizing, mix the cajun spice and softened cream cheese together.

Set mixed cream cheese aside. Then, remove caramelized leeks from heat, and place in a separate bowl.

Using the same pan the leeks were removed from, cook the 3 slices of bacon. Cook to your almost desired doneness, as they will continue to cook in the oven later on.

Then, roll out the crescent rolls on a baking sheet covered in tin foil and place approximately a tsp of cream cheese in the center of each roll.

Place caramelized leeks and pieces of crumbled bacon on top of each dollop of cream cheese.

Bring the ends of each roll together to create small pouch. Make sure to seal all of your edges.

Bake in the oven according to the package directions and then remove and enjoy!

These were so delicious and we could not stop eating them - it is a good thing the package of crescent rolls only made 8 of them! These were great as a snack, and would also be a great party appetizer!

Sunday Day {Rustic Farmhouses}

2013-03-17T07:53:00.000-04:00

Good Morning and Happy Sunday! It has been far too long since the last time I did a Sunday Drive, and I thought this would be a perfect morning to get back into the swing of things. With the weather starting to get just a bit warmer (think 40s and not 20s), I'm excited for warmer weekend mornings where I can sit out on our balcony with a cup of tea to get the day started. While farm living may not be your cup of tea, I think these farmhouses inspire simpler, cleaner - and of course, more rustic - way of life. Won't you join me for this Sunday Drive?

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I absolutely love the simple charm that you can practically feel from each one of these photos - especially from the image of the snow covered farmhouse. My favorite though is the second one - I just love the lines of the building and that fresh pop of red around the front door - makes me wonder just how bright and gorgeous the inside must be! Which one is your favorite? I'd love to hear about it!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

READ THIS! {Paris in Love}

2013-03-08T14:48:00.003-05:00

February's READ THIS! choice was Paris in Love by Eloisa James ...

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Amazon describes this memoir as, "In 2009, New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James took a leap that many people dream about: She sold her house, took a sabbatical from her job as a Shakespeare professor, and moved her family to Paris. This memoir chronicles her joyful year in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Eloisa revels in the ordinary pleasures of life—discovering corner museums that tourists overlook, chronicling Frenchwomen’s sartorial triumphs, walking from one end of Paris to another. She copes with her Italian husband’s notions of quality time; her two hilarious children, ages eleven and fifteen, as they navigate schools—not to mention puberty—in a foreign language; and her mother-in-law’s raised eyebrow in the kitchen (even as she overfeeds Milo, the family dog). Paris in Love invites the reader into the life of a most enchanting family, framed by la ville de l’amour."
I was so excited to read this memoir - as it seemed to be a story about a magical moment in life that so few people ever get to truly experience. I had already taken it out of the library when I chose this book, but I hadn't looked through it and was unfortunately pretty disappointed with what I read. The entire memoir is written using her Facebook and Twitter posts from her year in Paris, with an occasional page or two of prose mixed in. She robbed her reader of any deeper insight, and left us wanting to know so much more about this incredible journey that she and her family embarked on.
Did you read Paris in Love? And did you fall in love with James' description of Paris, or did you think that they left a little (or a lot) to be desired? Paris is such an incredible city, and I wanted her to share so much more with the reader - and I wish that she had! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this book!
This month, March's READ THIS! pick is Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects...

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Last year, we read Flynn's Gone Girl in August and I absolutely loved it! I read her novel Dark Places later on the year, and now I am excited to dive into Sharp Objects.
Amazon describes this novel as, "Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory. As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming. With its taut, crafted writing, Sharp Objects is addictive, haunting, and unforgettable."
I am excited to dive into Flynn's first novel (from 2007) and see how it compares to her other two. I hope you'll join me in reading it - and that you'll check back for updates in a week or so, and for my final review at the end of the month!

Happy {Short} Weekend!

2013-03-08T10:26:00.002-05:00

Wow, it's been more than a few days since I last posted, and you might be wondering if I fell off the face of the earth. But, you'll be happy to know that I am still here - even if I am buried under almost a foot of snow!

my car just a few hours ago!

I've been swamped at school - officially having taken over my 3rd class as of this afternoon (happy dance! yay!) and still loving every single moment of it. I am so happy to be teaching and working with these students. They are each incredible in their own ways and they are teaching me so much every single day. Today we have a snow day, and although I would rather be teaching, I'm taking this opportunity to spend the day relaxing and do a lot of planning.

On the home front, I've been trying to do a little bit of cooking, working on a couple of half-finished projects (oh, you mean you don't have partially painted pieces of plywood sitting on tables in your office too? weird...), trying to find time to read and watching Downton Abbey with Josh. Okay, let's be serious - Downton Abbey is number one on this priority list. Are you obsessed too? We've only just finished season one - so please, no spoilers!
I know it's March now, and we never did February's READ THIS!, so I'll be back this afternoon to review Paris: A Love Story, and to announce March's book! I also have plans for some fun recipes and hopefully a very belated Pinterest Challenge reveal coming up for next week.
As I get fully into the swing of things with 3 classes, I promise that more continuously regular updates will be on the way! And for those of you buried under snow, I hope you can at least take comfort in the fact that Spring is on the way - after all, its daylight savings weekend!
Enjoy your happy {short} weekend!