CALIFORNIA HIGHLIGHTS AND SPRING LIVING

Good Morning Loves....
I certainly hope the weather in your neck of the woods
has been as beautiful as we have enjoyed here in Texas!



Over in Hot-Lanta....

This was an absolutely beautiful spring afternoon
over in Atlanta and Miss Piper Rose was
relaxing on the porch with Miss M.... 

One of the things we do in our family, is
to text each other a photo of our Saturday night's dinner...
keeps us connected across the miles and it's so fun
to see what we are all enjoying....
Now this looked darn delicious....
homemade taco's and charro beans with
cilantro lime rice!!!!

We spent a great deal of Saturday doing
spring clean-up in the backyard and out by the pool...
gosh what a gorgeous day but
very physical too...
trimming trees and shrubs and hauling
off the debris it leaves behind...
pass the Advil please.......

We are so grateful for our outdoor living space...
it certainly soothes the soul...

We decided to make a run to Costco for some
lovely Rib Eye steaks and grill out for Saturday night...
we have now reached the point where we share a steak,
and even a baked potato!!

Okay, I did make a batch of
of Coconut Cream Fried Pies....
and here's the thing.....
Someone told me they made some in their Air Fryer,
so I thought I would give that a try....
DO NOT MAKE FRIED PIES IN AN AIR FRYER...
These were like hockey pucks.....
I'm sticking to my old southern method.....
you have to use a good pie pastry dough and FRY them!!!!!!

We normally have a good Sunday breakfast...
Sausage and Biscuits with lots of mustard!

We had a great trip to California, however
travel is a bit tricky these days...
we were scheduled to leave on Sunday morning
at 6 AM and did not take off until 8:30 PM...
arriving back in Dallas at 2 in the morning....
exhausting to say the least....

See y'all in April......

VIRTUAL SCHOOL DAYS, THE CALI KIDS, A PINK PIRATE COCKTAIL and OUR FESTIVE FALL HOME

Hello there September....

We're ready..........we're transitioning.......

WELCOME TO MIDDLE SCHOOL 

Luke the Duke and Piper Rose

Ah, I think we can all remember the beginning of MIDDLE SCHOOL....
however, back in my day, it was called Junior High School...
which were grades 7th, 8th and 9th.
When our kiddos, were school age, 6th grade was it's own individual school....
these days, 6th grade begins MIDDLE SCHOOL.

There is not the experience of attending a brand new school. where
 you change classes six times a day, you have a HOMEROOM teacher,
band and new school mates....that makes me sad to think
our Luke the Duke is missing all those experiences.
This year just stinks...it really stinks....
Virtual learning has presented its challenges for teachers, parents and students...

there have been technical problems, weariness, tired eyes, frustration
and a few teary breakdowns.....

But, the bright side is Piper is there for moral support,
the family can enjoy nutritious lunches together and parents
are close at hand....

PE breaks are pretty fun too!

This was a very special birthday for our sweet daughter-in-law

and Rob was invited to fly out to California and spend some time

ocean side for a small family celebration.

As nervous as we were for the flight.....I think this

visit and change of scenery did them all a world of good....

it's been soooooo long.....with no family and no visits....

love seeing them all together...oh just look at that sunset over the beach....

I hope you find some enjoyment and inspiration
as I share a few snippets of our Fall home decor....
thank you for stopping by today......

The last of Summer's gathering....
a lovely day spent with Nick, Cat and the grandpups...
Franz enjoying the pool on such a hot August day....
Mr. Wonderful treated us to grilled steaks, Hashbrown casserole
and wedge salads....

For our sweet ending...Nick's favorite...
French Vanilla Banana Pudding......

I must say, I have enjoyed taking my time

transitioning our home into the Fall season....

I am in love with my new Fall cozy throw...

perfect for reading a new novel....

no rush, no hurry....just enjoying changing the decor in each room.

There is a welcome wreath at our front door....

Even though we are not having anyone but

a few close family members as guests these days,

it it still important to create an atmosphere of comfort.....

I came across this beautiful little owl

at the grocery the other day and of course....

he somehow flew into my basket.......

I added this Fall chalkboard sign in the kitchen....



And this little fellow is the new addition to the coffee station...
so sweet and cute with his little knitted scarf and pumpkin on his head...



These Fall napkins from last year just may be my all time favorites!!!

Now, I as we turn the calendar to September 1st,

I can at last sip morning coffee from my cute little Autumn mug

from HOBBY LOBBY!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, decorating our piano for the season.....

My parents used to adore listening to the song of
Autumn Leaves....I was lucky enough to inherit
this vintage sheet music.....

I always get more enjoyment and satisfaction from

arrangements I created myself....rather than something I purchased

already made....do you feel the same?

I added this new accent rug in our foyer....

I am in love with these rich colors which are lovely

for this season.....

And....just couldn't resist the little red truck......

This is going to look so warm and lovely in the evenings

when the candles are lit....which reminds me to add

a slew of batteries to my list......

I adore scarecrows and found this little cute guy

while doing a little retail therapy one weekend.....

Now, after all this decorating.....
I think it's time for a cocktail!!!!

We decided to do something fun on a Saturday night...

and I made my first ever cocktail called a

Pink Pirate!

Oh this was fun and sooooo delicious...

Rum, Coconut Rum, Banana Liqueur, Cranberry Juice,

and Pineapple Juice

This has now been declared our official beach cocktail......

The darling's office has been warmed up

by my birch branch lighted tree....

it's so very pretty by adding some fall stems

throughout it's branches....

I suppose the old saying holds true...
There is nothing like staying home,
for real comfort.......

MEMORIAL DAY HIGHLIGHTS.....FOOD APPRECIATION

MAY 2020....

We bid you ......adieu”

Fifth graders ended the year with a drive-by parade

at school...it's official....good-bye elementary school

and on to middle school, which begins at sixth grade!

Luke seemed rather unphased by the significance of this....

we all do when we are young don't we......

Both the Cali kids have been practicing staying at home

for the most part...took a ride into San Francisco one afternoon...

the weather has been mild and sunny....

Bo found a sun puddle to warm up in....

We joined in a group family text when Jenn
sent us this photo of making the darling's infamous
Lemon Pepper grilled hot dogs.....YUM-O

I had texted Miss M and Jenn about this newly discovered
Gin, called Empress 1908....
she finally found a bottle and is discovering new cocktails....
I am still on the hunt for this...
isn't this beautiful?

This one is called ORANGE YOU GLAD...
orange juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, tonic and gin...
yes, indeed....beautiful........

I  love the look of our neighborhood on holidays when

the flags are flying at most every home...

how lucky we are to have our freedoms

and take this day to remember those who gave their life

for our country...the home of the brave....

We also had a visitor for two days...

our youngest son drove up from Austin....reluctantly...

we needed to see his face......

and....it was hard not to hug him or give him a kiss on the cheek...

we tried to be safe.....he worried about visiting and keeping us safe...

I love giving him some home cooking....

beginning with breakfast.....

He and I both wore our masks...front seat and back seat....
we were on our way to pick up lunch at a nearby
Farmer's Market where we were following
our favorite food truck......

We treated him to a Lobster Roll from Cousin's....
just so darn good!

The weather was wonderful...warm and breezy so we

were able to enjoy most of the afternoon on our patio.....

Just for kicks, I ordered a beautiful set
of Fairy Tarot cards to play around with
for a bit of entertainment....
These cards are beautifully illustrated and
it was really fun to learn the meaning of
the cards and how they relate to your life....

We did our traditional Saturday night grilled steaks...

with baked potatoes, salad and rosemary bread

followed by apple pie a'la mode for dessert....

It was all too soon, the visit was over

and Sunday was the drive back to Austin.....

the visit did us both a lot of good!!

Memorial Day was rain and more rain....

a good day for napping.....

I baked a cake for our holiday dinner and

can highly recommend this cake.....

The Betty Crocker Confetti Angel Food.....

with this beautiful white frosting....

it's very much like a marshmallow or seven-minute frosting....

What a pretty cake for summer.....

The latest puzzle.......

A perfectly delicious MEMORIAL DAY dinner
Spicy Maple Pork burgers with baked beans....

I hope your holiday was just as lovely and peaceful...
and now we welcome Summer......
time for lilacs, lavender and garden hats....

.