Our journey began almost 21 years ago. Within minutes of meeting each other we were dreaming about potential entrepreneurial things. We went on to raise our first 7 tinies together, spent countless hours sharing meals and shared a commercial space with two different businesses. My husband and I ran a coffee shop and Chris Ann sold her antiques on our third floor. Our lives took a major shift about nine years later and had our families move miles apart. But, distance was never a deterrent. We continued to dream and scheme a … [Read more...]
A Birthday Wish
By on September 30, 2014 with
I've known you for 20 years, almost as long as I've known my husband. We've raised our babies together, parented our littles through scraped knees, hurt feelings and joyful discoveries. We've talked countless hours on the phone and worked side by side while on skype. We've moved states apart with the resolve it was just the beginning of a new chapter and not the end of an old. We've argued and struggled and wrestled when our first born-ness wanted to be heard...and we listened. We listened to the intent of each other's hearts. We … [Read more...]
The Day You Wake Up and Realize…
By on May 1, 2014 with
The night before, I knew something was brewing. My 16 year old son (AKA Baker Boy) was clearing off my dining room table and beginning to "re-tablescape". He had scraps of fabric, tablecloths, candles and flowers out, arranging and rearranging. It was almost midnight. I gave him a hug and kiss and went to bed to leave him to his creativity. The next morning, with a the rattle and hum of a budding chef in the kitchen, my husband and I awoke. The pungent waft of dark, brewed coffee was better than any wake up call. I rubbed my … [Read more...]
Voxer: A Tool for Friendship & Business
By on April 22, 2014 with
We discovered Voxer about a year ago. It was introduced to us by a group of friends. It quickly made it's way into our own friendship and has become an invaluable tool. Here are a couple of quick facts about Voxer: What is Voxer? Voxer is like a walkie talkie, but a sophisticated one. With this program you can send voice messages, pictures, as well as texts. Where can I use Voxer? You can use Voxer on your phone or desk top. We use it on our phones.Personally we have found huge benefits for using Voxer: Voxer basic is … [Read more...]
Being Married to a Jack of All Trades
By on April 11, 2014 with
You know the old saying, "The cobbler's children have no shoes." Sometimes I joke, "The contractor's house is in need of repair." I remember about three years ago, my husband installed beautiful hardwood floors in our living room and dining room. They were gorgeous! These same hardwood floors were to be carried into our tiny 2 ft by 4 ft hallway. But, the day had grown long and the boys had run out of steam. "I'll get to it next weekend," he said. Fast forward one year later. I had purposefully said ABSOLUTELY nothing up to … [Read more...]
LoveBomb Lasagna Style
By on March 29, 2014 with
Over the past few months, along with a few friends, we have been intentionally giving each other a weekly challenge. It's a simple challenge, one that pushes us to think outside of ourselves and consider others. It might be as simple as, "Offer to carry groceries for someone this week," or "Offer to clean a friend's bathroom." At the beginning of this exercise, everyone was invited to put a challenge into a bowl. The kids added their ideas, the moms and dads did too. This week we were challenged to, "Be open and aware of the … [Read more...]
First (4 hour) Opera
By on March 3, 2014 with
You may have seen some of our fun on Instagram last weekend. We were both in New York City with our husbands to see Prince Igor at the New York Metropolitan Opera. I'd like to say that we are opera aficionados and we were well aware that this was the first time Prince Igor had been performed at the NY Met in 100 years, but to be honest, this was a first, for all of us! To attend an opera was on both of our bucket lists and seeing as my cousin, Maria Dolan is an opera singer and was performing in Prince Igor...and...seeing as the … [Read more...]
Layered Place Settings
By on February 5, 2014 with
Recently I shared a DIY on How to Create Fabric Covered Chargers. I wanted to show you what I did with the chargers. I have a slight obsession for dishes and I tend to collect dishes, both new and antique that I can mix and match with other patterns. It's a pretty well known fact that I'm not into matchy-matchy. So, the idea of taking different fabric covered chargers and pairing them differently with unique plate patterns, really led to an entire afternoon of playing with my table. There are a few things to keep in mind when … [Read more...]
Creating Fabric Covered Chargers
By on January 22, 2014 with
I have to confess, one of my favorite things to do is to set a table. I see it as an art project. It's a place where I get to be creative with small projects that have big impact. This year I decided to use our Snow Plush Pumpkins as the inspiration for a Wintery Tablescape. (More on that in another post.) If you've seen our tables in the past, you will know that textures and layers are important to creating a stunning table. I decided this year to use different fabrics, with different patterns as a way to create interest for my … [Read more...]
Hot Ginger Tea & China
By on January 21, 2014 with
I haven't been sick in a really long time. I'm the mama of 5 kids after all and I have a killer immune system. So, when this mom goes down, it sends the house into a tail spin. The laundry begins to pile up, kids fend for themselves at meal time, my husband prepares dinner while playing guard, making sure my room stays quiet and uninterrupted. It creates as weird glitch in our somewhat smoothly run, daily routine. I know moms of all stages can relate. Now, usually when I get sick, I can kick a bug with a few good nights sleep. … [Read more...]
