Sunday, March 29, 2009

Spring Fever

Look what just bloomed at one of my favorite, new-to-me, local stores, NYLA Kensington Boutique!Pretty cool tops for Spring, I thought. Eye-popping colors, romantic embroidery, so easy with jeans . . . And for a cool price too. Available on-line!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Homecoming Pictures


Here are the still shots from my brother-in-law's homecoming this past week. I will always be in awe of the sacrifices these families make. What can you say to them but thank you, we love you, and God bless you. And welcome home!!!

He's Home!


My brother-in-law, Captain Peter Keough, returned home this week from his fourth (and reportedly final) deployment to the Middle East. This time he came home not only to his amazing wife, Karen (my hubby's little sister), but to their adorable 8 1/2-month-old baby girl. Or Little Baby Elf, as Snook likes to call her. The bravery, the strength, the sheer grit it took for Pete and Karen to get through this last separation, I can't even imagine and probably can't even be put into words. But they did it. And here is the moment we've all been waiting for, captured in the most moving video I've seen, maybe ever. Be sure to grab your hanky!!!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Double Take No. 5

Here are their obligatory six-month Exersaucer shots:

Snook

Bubs

You wouldn't know it from these happy faces, but both babes only stayed happy in this darn thing for about ten minutes at a time, and were completely over it after about a month. Oh well, at least I got to use it twice. And at least it trained me to take a ten-minute shower, which still comes in handy these days (if I'm lucky).

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Part-Time Lover

I have to confess that I went on another fashion bender at my part-time lawyer job today. This time, the culpable ensemble included a charcoal grey military blazer with big silver buttons from For Joseph, black Liquid pants, and, you knew this was coming . . .
. . . my new silver heels from a nearby Kenneth Cole factory outlet store. Shiny silver heels at work? Yikes! Making this fashion statement even more daring was the fact that I had to take a deposition this afternoon. But come on, it's not like the witness could see my feet. And it's not like I have anywhere else to wear my new shiny silver heels. At least not yet!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Where I Blog

Almost a whole month ago, one of my deepest blog crushes, Anne from The City Sage, did a post inviting her readers to share their favorite places to blog. I'll take the bait on this one because my blogging "sanctuary" is unusual, I think, in that it consists merely of a wall in our house.

There's more to this wall than meets the eye, though, because, would you believe, everything on this wall used to fill an entire room in our house. When we found out baby was going to make three, that room had to be converted into a nursery. So suddenly our desk, desk chair, computer table, media center, book shelves, liquor cabinet, and love seat all had to find new homes. Look closely and you'll find a smaller, more compact version of most of the items mentioned above discreetly tucked away into a spot on this wall.

I wish the "chair" was a little more comfortable, and that this wall wasn't in the most highly-traveled area of our house. But other than that, it's a fine wall, a fine place to blog, and a fine answer to our compact-living conundrum, don't you think?

Monday, March 9, 2009

Far East Meets Middle East

I love Trader Joe's. I know that statement makes me about the most unoriginal blogger since, well since I last posted a picture of my kids. But I can't help it. And the other day I discovered yet another reason why I love me some T.J.'s.

Edamame Hummus! Have you tried this stuff??? I picked it up because I was intrigued by the label. Love edamame. Love hummus. So I brought it home. Cracked it open. And ate a pita-chip-scoop-full. Then I ate another pita-chip-scoop-full. Followed by a carrot-scoop-full. Followed by about twenty more alternating pita-chip and carrot-scoop-fulls. Until that whole container was undeniably, regrettably empty. Haven't noshed like that in quite a while. And so much for giving some to my bundles. But this stuff was out of this world. Had to share. Not that it's something I ever would share. For I've now learned that to buy it is to keep it all to myself. Yummmmm!

Extraordinary Chocolate Bars

I don't indulge in a chocolate bar that often. But the next time I do, I'm going to make it count and go for one of Extraordinary Desserts' new, signature, handmade, chocolate bars. Word is that four of the five newly-veiled bars are flavor-reminiscent of E.D.'s most popular cakes. Can you imagine the delicious decadence of a cake distilled down to a chocolate bar? And one of these cakes no less:


the Gianduia,

the Linzer,

the Au Chocolate,

and the Truffle Framboise.

The fifth bar, aptly named the "20 Years Anniversary Chocolate Bar," was specially designed to pay tribute to the past two decades of Extraordinary Desserts. Might have to go for that one. Or all five. This kind of temptation makes me feel even luckier that two E.D.'s are within walking distance. Feed the beast then feel the burn!