Happy Halloween, y'all!
I love this piece of art the scallywag and his class put together for today's festive celebrations.
Last week the scallywag had a Halloween Party and Parade and I thought I'd share some sweet pictures from that "treat" of a day.
He was going to go as Wilson from "Chuggington", but decided he didn't like the costume at the last minute. Thank goodness for his Japanese Yukata, or day robe. People thought it was a darling outfit and imagined him to be a Samurai!
We went with that. I was just happy to see him comfortable in his Halloween gear.
Since being sick he's had a hard time readjusting to school and comfort has been key.
Thankfully he really enjoys the company of his friends and had a good time with them at the party and in the parade.
At the end of the day, my son was exhausted. It had been a very exciting day, almost too much. So he was happy that I was right there to take him home when all was done.
He told everyone Happy Halloween, grabbed my hand, and started his holiday a little early with some very sweet treats from some of his friends.
It's now several days later, and it looks like his cold is almost passed. Hallelujah! This means we'll be able to go Trick or Treating with some neighbors and new friends this evening.
I'm so happy about this. But I'm also happy that my sweet Mother is here with us for the next month! She arrived last night and I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to have her with us in California.
Friends, whatever your plans with friends and family, have a hauntingly good time this evening. Have fun, be safe, and be sure to enjoy a healthy handful of both tricks and treats.
I'll see you in November!
I love Fall festivals. There's always an excitement in the atmosphere, a fervor sweeping the crowd. Perhaps it's the delectable foods, the stomach-churning rides, the ideal weather for outdoor carousing. It could even be the crowd watching.
Whatever the reason, it's a thoroughly fun and crazy time.
Friday evening was Eldest's Halloween Carnival. And though it was a drop-off event where parents didn't really linger, the scallywag and I had to go along with her as my Husband, a volunteer at one of the booths, was running late.
Despite her earlier proclamations of "I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts!", even Eldest was stunned by the costumes that greeted us.
Of course, it didn't last long.
Eldest ran off with her friends, all of whom were dolled up in costumes that delighted and frightened, while the scallywag nibbled on a proffered brownie.
We waited for Husband to arrive, taking in the sights and sounds of Halloween. There were shrieks of laughter, blood-curdling games, and enough visual treats to last us until the actual All Hallows Eve!
Together the scallywag and I saw several ghostly visions,
brutal-looking pirates,
scary clowns,
and happy hippies.
Once Husband arrived, the scallywag and I left (he's still sniffly), but we were glad to get a little glimpse into the middle school fun and shenanigans. Everyone was in good spirits, and more than ever I knew that Colina had been the right choice for Eldest.
That is indeed the sweetest Halloween treat I could ask for.
A lovely weekend to you all!!
With chilly mornings, brisk days, and even colder evenings, my mind is constantly turning to thoughts of sumptuous fabrics and warm furs.
In Los Angeles, something full-length would be borderline silly as the climate is often temperate. But we do have very crisp days ahead and something shorter would be perfect for running about.
As always, Kate Spade nailed the elegance and youthful vibe that a properly designed fur can bring to an outfit. The Victoria Faux Fur Pullover Jacket not only has a playfullness to it, but as it's faux, keeping with the times and sensitivities of others.
Faux can be beautiful, don't you think?
Of course, as a mother it wouldn't be practical for me to wear something like this (let alone spend the $845 for it). Instead I opted for something smaller, but still stylish. Something that can be worn both dressed up or down.
The fur vest.
There are so many choices today: real and faux, pricey and affordable, simple and ornate, fitted and full. There's a little bit of something for everyone, and that's fantastic. Because what gal doesn't want to add a little bit of glitz and glam to their ensemble every now and then?
I happen to have two and let me tell you, they provide great warmth and panache to what may otherwise be a simple go-to outfit. One is small and fitted, the other, full and plush. Both can be worn with pants or dresses and skirts, and as the season is in full swing, I cannot tell you how excited I was to pull them to the front of my closet.
I know this is not for everyone, and it doesn't have to be. But what if you want a touch of luxe added to your home rather than your person? My favorite solution for the colder months is a fur throw.
Jackie used them in all of her homes. And if we're to acknowledge her as the timeless style icon she's been declared, then we also have to acknowledge that she was onto something!
Our Zanzibar throw came from Z Gallerie, which means it's affordable and still very stylish. It's very plush, very soft, and after using it for three years in various rooms, I can verify that it hasn't lost any of its warming abilities or "fur". It's in the same condition as it was when I first ordered it.
Goodness! With all this talk of fur and colder weather I am in need of a serious cup of coffee...or three.
With Autumn here to stay and Winter steadily approaching, what do you do to usher it in style-wise? I'd love to know, so please feel free to share.
A lovely day to you all.
Little Boy Blue...he just doesn't know what to do.
This weeks color at the scallywag's school was very appropriate, as my son has been under the weather and just blue as can be. Don't let these pictures fool you.
He made it to school on Thursday, and he was happy to play and participate, but the rest of the week he was puny. My heart just hurts for him when he's so uncomfortable.
Can you see how tired he looked? I almost didn't send him to school, but he was fever free, didn't have any other symptoms. He seemed to be right as rain.
Well, friends, you know how deceptive that calm before the storm can be.
He probably slept all of three hours last night due to a terrible cough and stuffy nose. Can you guess who spent most of their night in bed with him to keep him calm and comforted?
His favorite method of soothing is to hold my hand over his heart. He likes the contact, and thankfully, it settles him down so he can fall asleep.
I know we all complain about lack of sleep when our children are sick, but I try to have a little perspective on the situation. Yes, I've lost a few hours of sleep. But I'm still healthy. I can go through my day without sneezing, coughing, or feeling as if the mother of all monster trucks just ran me over.
My son, not so much.
This week was hard not only because he was sick, but because he missed out on three very fun scheduled activities at school: the petting zoo, the pumpkin patch visit, and yesterday's class playdate~which I organized.
He was so sad when he learned he would miss these things. But parent after parent emailed to wish him well and his friends helped pick out a special wee pumpkin just for him. He just adores his baby pumpkin.
We're going to be very low-key over the next couple of day so he can enjoy all the Halloween festivities at school next week. We don't want him to miss out on anything else, so I'm not taking any chances.
Enjoy your weekend, friends, and take care of yourselves!
My best to you all...
I love mornings like these.
It's what I like to call deliciously spooky! The fog is dense and damp, the air is cold. It seeps into every pore.
Days like this call for cashmere cardigans, snuggling beneath warm blankets, a fire in the hearth, and a deliciously warm drink.
Something guaranteed to warm you from the inside out.
As it's Fall, I'd love to share one of my favorite~and simple~Autumnal beverages.
This is a repost from Fall in Tokyo, but I received so many rave reviews and emails I just had to share it again!
How did we come up with this very simple recipe? Well, I'll tell you. I owe it all to my daughter and her request for something new and simple to warm her up.
It was a little early in the season for our favorite cold-weather drink, Hot Buttered Rum, but she said whatever I surprised her with would be fine. The only request was this: no pumpkin.
This may have been an indication that my obsession has gone overboard, but that's allright. I'm flexible. There's always another trusty fruit ready to be enjoyed during these crisp, blustery days: the apple.
After considering the options I decided to go the classic route and make apple cider. But being as we're Southern, and we simply cannot do without those extra little lagniappe's. I decided to do classic...with a twist.
I decided to make Caramel Apple Cider.
Sounds delicious doesn't it? Apple cider and caramel apples are two wonderfully yummy things to look forward to in the Fall. And while I'm sure it's not too uncommon a drink, you would have thought I'd struck gold when I asked Eldest what she thought.
She was a little excited.
I was a little daunted.
Again I ran into a stumbling block while searching for the primary ingredient: apple cider. The only ones available were sparkling, and my daughter doesn't drink the bubbly stuff.
In the end I made my own cider~which was surprisingly simple~but I'll save that for another post. I'm pretty sure y'all have plenty of cider on hand back in the States.
This sweet drink was also very easy to make and the end results, divine.
Enjoy!!
Caramel Apple Cider
Apple Cider or Apple Cider Mix
Caramel Sauce
Whipped Cream (homemade is best!!)
Take your mug of choice,
and pour caramel sauce into the bottom. As I have yet to master homemade caramel sauce~and believe me I have long been trying~bottled is fine. Just make sure the caramel coats the bottom of the cup...or even more if that's your bag.
If a little of the sauce gets onto the side of your mug, don't worry about it!
I suspect someone in your home will be more than happy to assist in this clean-up.
Pour your heated cider into the cup o' caramel and stir.
Your cider drink will be a milky, caramel color and smell just delicious. It really did remind me of caramel apples~and for good reason!
Once your caramel and apple cider is mixed well, add a dollop (or two or three) of your whipped cream on top.
Again, I recommend homemade whipped cream as it's easy to make, and so much better than the store bought stuff. Whip one pint of heavy whipping cream while slowly adding one cup of sugar and a touch of vanilla flavoring if desired. Let your mixer whip the mixture until it has semi-stiff peaks and resembles whipped cream. Your taste buds will thank you for it!
They'll also thank you for this:
Pour a little more caramel sauce atop your whipped cream and enjoy!
Now tell me friends, when you're facing another chilly Fall night, don't you think something like this will warm you right up?
According to my daughter, it will do that as well as leave a happy smile on your face. But don't take our word for it~try it out for yourself!
I'd love to hear how it turned out for you.
Though it seems I've fallen off the face of the Earth, this is not the case.
Settling into our new home has taken up much more time than I anticipated, and between the children's two schools, getting our A/C repaired, and enjoying an evening out with visiting family, life has been super busy.
Until this past week no one had even given a thought to Halloween. This is completely unlike us, as we revel in Holidays. But with all the back and forth and most Holiday goodies still in Charlotte, we've been remiss.
This said, we've been taking steps to make amends for our lack of celebrations. From delighting in these delectable mini-pumpkin cakes with cream cheese frosting,
to admiring potential pumpkins at our grocers,
we've been making up for lost time. We're even taking a trip to our local pumpkin patch for fun and pumpkin picking tomorrow.
Until then, take a look at the progress we've made in our home! As it's what has been keeping me away, the least I can do is give you a wee glimpse. It's been a gradual process, but so far we're happy with how things are pulling together.
We're enjoying the daily view of the mountains from our windows,
preparing meals with some lovely new cookware,
and anxiously awaiting the hardware to our bookcases that were lost in the unpacking process. Right now all surfaces in Husband's office look like this:
God bless.
Friends, I cannot wait to get back in touch with all of you in the Twitterverse, the Blogosphere, and Facebook. It's been a mad couple of weeks and I for one am looking forward to some down time so I can catch up with you!
Take care and enjoy your week.
Congratulations to Morgan T.!
You're the winner of The Southern Blossoms first sponsored giveaway.
I'll pass along your email to Drew from UPrinting.com, and he'll be in touch to help you along your way.
Thank you to everyone who entered, and congratulations again to you, Morgan! I hope you have a wonderful time creating your postcards.
Dentists.
They may do wonders for our smiles and can be the nicest people, but I don't know anyone who looks forward to visiting them.
We're very blessed that we found an truly amazing one in Oak Park. She's just five minutes from our home, and yesterday was the first time I could recall being so glad to have one.
Dr. Velarde has a wonderful family practice. She came highly reccommended by quite a few parents, some of whom had been seeing her for over 15 years. And with her warm bedside manner, I knew she was the right dentist for us when Eldest began complaining about pain in her mouth.
It seems one of her permanent molars had pushed the baby one to the side of her gum and every time she would take a bite of something, the part of the tooth that was loose would cut back into her gum.
Ouch!
Dr. Velarde was amazing with Eldest.
She was congenial and compassionate, making my sweet girl very comfortable. You could even hear her laughter throughout the office!
The scallywag had a good time exploring the office while his sister was in Dr. Velarde's chair. He played with his trains,
and a giant colorful abacus.
It kept him very well preoccupied while Eldest's other teeth were examined.
Afterwards, the news that came back from our Doctor wasn't entirely unexpected, but Eldest was a little uneasy nontheless.
Her tooth had to be extraced.
But wouldn't you know it? With a combination of Eldest's bravery and Doctor Velarde's gentleness, the entire proceedure went smoothly and without any discomfort.
Eldest didn't even flinch when her gums received two shots to numb it.
They were given a good amount of time to numb while her teeth were cleaned, and as the molar was already loose the pliers had to do only a little work.
A little pink box held the offending tooth after all was said and done, Eldest's teeth were proclaimed very healthy and in good shape, and we were headed to Pinkberry for a post-extraction treat to help soothe her sore gum.
I'm happy to report that Eldest only had a little achiness after the procedure, and that was due to the anesthetic wearing off. She was able to eat with the rest of our family when we went out to dinner and was in good spirits for the evening.
Unfortunately the story won't end here. On an x-ray it was revealed that Eldest has a severely impacted permanent eye-tooth. This means we're off to the Orthodontist next week to see what our options are to get this resolved.
I'll let y'all know how things proceed. In the mean time, a few prayers for my daughter would be appreciated.
Have a wonderful weekend all. I'm planning on getting a few things to make our home seem a little more Fall-ish, then with my family settle further into our new home. We're so happy to have a place to call our own!
Take care all!
