Spring is in the Air

This week brought us hope.

We finally saw temps climb out of the 20s this week and even had a few mild days in the 50-60 degree range!! It's really amazing what some sunshine and warmer weather can do for your mental state. I couldn't stay in the house. I found anything I could do to be outside. I took an extra walk, I took down the rest of the Christmas lights I hadn't been able to get to due to ice and snow, I shot some basketball hoops with my daughter and sat on the porch drinking an iced mocha latte. 

And after all that, I got the itch to do a little planting. 

I had the opportunity to attend the Philadelphia Flower Show for the first time with a group of friends last week. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time and it sure didn't disappoint. All the beautiful flowers and greenery sure kicked my spring fever into high gear! It was wonderful to see the spectacular art exhibits made with flowers. Seeing all the bright colors, smelling the fragrance of the flowers and even touching the green grass; it was exactly what I needed!  

I found this adorable little pot from one of the many vendors and thought it would be the perfect addition to my kitchen windowsill. Then I bought these tiny potted greens to fill it with. I decided Tuesday was the perfect day to transplant them. It gave me just another excuse to be outside. 

I gathered all the supplies I would need and got started. 

It felt good to be out in the fresh air, working in the soil and planting, even if it was only for a short time. It made me even more excited for spring. 

I put some potting soil into the bottom of my little urn ... 

 

... and gently took my plants from their pots, transplanting them into the urn.

After adding a bit more soil, my little project was complete. 

I love it! The plants are so cute and the pot is just the right size to sit on the windowsill in my kitchen.  It's the perfect spot for me to see the plants everyday and enjoy their beautiful greenery.  

I think we may finally be on the downhill side of winter. I, for one, am certainly looking forward to spring and putting this miserable winter behind me.

Enjoy your weekend! 

Serendipity is Sweet
The Long Road to China
Little Things Thursday

Saying Goodbye to February

I don't have much to say this week. It's been a slow, uneventful week. The weather has been bitter. They say we could get at least a foot of snow Sunday into Monday. But, today is the last day of February. I will be glad to say goodbye to this month. I'm holding out hope that March will bring us some warmer days. I'm ready to see the grass again and watch for signs of spring. Hopefully we don't have too much longer to wait ....


Linking up with Serendipity is Sweet and The Long Road to China

Embracing the Snow

This week has brought more snow, some sleet and yesterday some rain. It seems this winter is never-ending. The weather man tells me that average temps for this time of the year should be hitting 40-degrees by next week. We've barely even seen 30s!! We are in a warming trend 'til Sunday, but then the "Polar Vortex" is suppose to be return. Really?! Ugh.

So, in an attempt to embrace the snow, I begged talked my youngest into a photoshoot in the snow. Once I talked it up, she got on board and actually got into it. My oldest was out for the day, but I did manage to get her out for a few minutes after dark for some night shots. 

I'm happy to get these mini sessions with my girls. Time is really flying by. I'm glad for the rare opportunities when they allow me to pull out my camera and capture them. 

Do you remember when your kids were born and everyone told you the time would fly by? I have always known that to be true, but never thought it would go by this quickly.  Marking the halfway point of  her middle school years, Morgan is blossoming into a beautiful young lady, discovering who she is and finding her place in this world. 

She is naturally bright and is bubbling with life and personality.

It has been a joy to watch Addison blossom since starting high school last year. She has grown from a shy, quiet little girl into a confident young lady. She is determined, self-motivated and bright. Her laugh is contagious. 

 

She is in the process of figuring out what she wants to do with her life and starting to think about college. It is a crazy time and it's all happening too fast! 

It sure is a busy time in our lives, but I'm enjoying every minute of it.  

I love being their mom. 

Linking up with Serendipity is Sweet

Black & Whites and Cold Gray Days

Well, the bitter cold is still hanging on, it hasn't let up, not even a little. So remember my last post and how I was trying to focus on the bright side? Yeah, I am having a hard time focusing. The cold and snow seem to be zapping it right out of me. We got eight more inches last week and they are telling us we are in for another 4-8" tonight and all day tomorrow. Ugh, I am so over winter!


Black & White seems to be how how I'm feeling these days. 

(I used my tripod and remote to snap these photos.) 

Yes, I am feeling a bit trapped. I'm anxious for blossoms and warm, fresh air. But, my mom told me to take heart - spring is 35 days away. I know that's when it is marked to start according to the calendar, I just hope Mother Nature remembers that too! 

xo, 

tish

Linking up with: The Long Road to China

Orange You Glad ...

We are in the deepest depths of winter here in PA. The weather has been brutal. We seem to get some snow every couple of days and the temperature has been in the single digits, hitting negatives at night and early mornings.  Personally, I do not like winter. Its long and seems never-ending in the midst of it. BUT, I've been trying to not let it get me down. I'm trying hard not to focus on it too much. I've been trying to exercise more regularly and eat better. Its a slower time for photos, so I've been reading and studying photography more. I planted a small rosemary plant as well as some rosemary seeds - having green, living plants indoors can help reduce stress and provide a feeling of well-being.  I'm all for that! I'm catching up on my nursing CEUs - I have to earn 30 credits every two years to renew my license, and have only earned 3 so far (due in October) - you could say I'm slacking a little bit in that department.  Finally, I'm trying to keep my family healthy through this winter season ... so far, so good. (knock on wood).

I've also been eating lots of clementines. They are about as sweet as candy with a little bit of a tang to them. They are juicy and a decent source of vitamin C. Also, they are orange; nice, bright orange. It's such a cheerful color ... "the happiest color", as Frank Sinatra said.

Looking on the bright side, January is almost over. February is a short month and my daughter's spring (yes, spring) track starts in March. That means warmer weather should be soon to follow. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

So here's to trying to focus on the brighter side!  :)
xo,
tish

French Onion Soup

I'm a little late on this post, but as promised, I'm sharing the French Onion Soup recipe I used last week. I adapted the recipe from allrecipes.com.  This recipe was easy and the soup was fantastic!! It makes a mild, somewhat sweet broth, not quite as dark as a traditional Onion Soup. We loved it, as it reminded us of the French Onion soup at one of our favorite little French Restaurants in NYC, Parigot, located in SoHo.

The ingredients I used include:
4 Tablespoons butter                                
1 teaspoon salt                                          
2 large red onions, thinly sliced                
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced          
48 oz organic chicken broth                      
14 oz organic beef broth                            
1/2 cup red wine                                      
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce          
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
 salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 thick slices French or Italian bread
8 slices Gruyere cheese, thinly sliced, room temp
1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese, room temp
4 pinches paprika



First, melt the butter in a large pot over med-high heat. Stir in salt, red onions and sweet onions. (I used a mandolin to slice my onions thin enough). Cook 35 minutes until the onions caramelize and form somewhat of a syrup, continue to stir.





Next, mix in the chicken broth, beef broth, red wine and worcestershire sauce. Bundle the fresh herbs, the parsley, thyme and bay leaf, together with twine and place in the pot. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, continuing to stir. Remove and discard the herbs. Reduce heat to low, add vinegar as well as salt and pepper. Cover and simmer while bread is prepared.





Preheat broiler. Arranged bread slices on a baking sheet and broil for three minutes, turning once, until toasted on both sides. Remove from heat, leaving broiler on.



Arrange 4 large oven safe bowls on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill each 2/3 full with soup and top with a slice of toasted bread.



Thinly slice Gruyere cheese and place on top of toasted bread. Sprinkle 1/4 of the asiago over it. Sprinkle each with paprika.



Broil for 5 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve hot.



My crocks are small, so there was quite a bit of soup left over. I toasted extra slices of bread and stored them in an airtight container for the next day. I reheated the soup, placed the toast on top and added the cheese. I then placed them under the broiler and it made for an awesome lunch the next day! I hope you give it a try!!

have a fantastic weekend!
xo, tish

Staying Warm & Cozy

If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably already seen this photo this week. I received this most adorable red polka-dotted mug from my bestie for Christmas. I love mugs, pottery and anything with polkadots, so she completely nailed it! :) 

Anyway, we are slowly warming up from the effects of the Polar Vortex. It's been a bitter week here in PA. We've done everything in our power to stay warm including bumping up the temperature in the house, dressing in layers, wearing scarves to keep our necks warm, drinking warm beverages and eating soup for dinner. My husband isn't exactly a soup-lover and even he was on-board with soup for dinner! We made homemade French Onion soup for the first time ever. I did document the process, so hopefully there will be a post coming early next week. Last night I made a version of the Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana. That is one of our all-time favorites around here. I've made it several times over the last few years. You can find the recipe I used at TuscanRecipes.com.

Anyway, we are finally on an upswing. Today is actually suppose to hit 35-degrees which seems much more bearable and temps are suppose to be up in the mid 40s tomorrow! It will be a nice reprieve from all this bone-chilling cold we've had lately. Sending warm thoughts your way! 

xo, 
tish

Linking up With:

Thursdays Favorite Things Blog Hop  Little Things Thursday  The Long Road to China Serendipity is Sweet

A New Year

Happy New Year to you all!

Our family likes to ring in the New Year at home with our girls. For several years now too, 

we've celebrated with our besties. It makes for some fun times and great memories. 

This year, I had the idea to use my black backdrop and create a photo booth. I am so

glad I did too! We had a blast!! I found these adorable New Years Printables over at I Heart Naptime by Erin of Strawberry Mommycakes. I printed them and the girls did an 

awesome job of cutting them out and adding that extra touch of sparkle with glitter.

The photo booth added a new level of excitement to our NYE celebration. As an added bonus, we captured some great memories. I think we found ourselves a new NYE tradition!  

I used my tripod and remote to capture a group shot as we rang in the new year. What I didn't expect to see was Miley Cyrus photo bombing our picture!! We laughed hysterically and still find this so crazy!  

A NYE must: Ringing in the new year with a family kiss. 

So, from me to you: I wish you a happy, healthy & safe New Year. May it be full of joy and all the best for you and your families. 

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” 

— Oprah Winfrey

Happy New Year, 

xo, tish