Spring in February?

It sure felt like a spring day today!

We're in the midst of a gorgeous weather streak, so the girls and I headed over to the island to take advantage of the sunshine. All that vitamin D felt soooo good!

As we boarded the ferry, I turned back to capture the beauty of this charming lighthouse.

The Olympic mountains were majestic!
We haven't been to the beach since September, and we couldn't wait.

As we pulled into the dock, Sydney told me to get a picture of all the fairies dancing on top of the water.

We walked and played on the beach, rode bikes, had a picnic on the deck, and just plain enjoyed the view.

It was a fantastic day!

Tabletop Clutter

A cleared off dining room table is something that isn't too common around here. Mine is a magnet for clutter! I just might be a better housekeeper if I didn't have the catchall space of this table. Well... then again... Ha!

Currently our dining room table is covered with our Maui trip photos and scrapbooking paraphernalia. Good thing I'm not hosting a dinner party anytime soon...

And then there is the pool table downstairs. It's always covered with some type of sewing or craft project. My hubby is anxious to get rid of it. We don't play, couldn't anyways ever since a few balls went missing about seven years ago that we haven't replaced - aah kids!
One of our "big projects" this year is to replace the flooring in our basement. Bye bye pool table. It's out with the carpet and in with a wood laminate. Whoohoo! Hubby is going to add a wall and create a studio for me too! I think he's hoping the dining room table will eventually stay uncluttered...

Valentine's For 39 Years...

...my daddy and me.

Here are a few of the treats he gave me this year.

Just perfect to add to my vintage valentines collection.
My favorites to collect, are any with honeycombs or that have mechanical movements.
These two cuties eyes move as they share their soda - precious!

Thanks daddy (mommy too)!

Happy Valentine's Day, I love you both so very much!

I Won!

My friend, Elaine hosted a giveaway on her blog, and I won!

Actually, she awarded everyone who entered. She is like that, generous, kind, just a pure delight!

Look at the cute envelope she created to hold my prize.

She made each winner our very own charm with the initial of our choice.

Aren't they fabulous!? I love the sparkly glitter!!
On the otherside, this sweet collage.
I admire Elaine so much. Her blog is so fun to read, and her projects so inspiring.

Stop by her blog for a visit, you'll be glad you did!

2010 Valentine's

We had a valentine assembly line going the other night.

Between both girls, we had 40 valentine's to make for school parties.
Hawaii is still on our brains, therefore we chose a hula theme.

Valentine Heart Palmiers

I think palmiers make a pretty cookie for Valentine's Day. I love their heart shape!

Yesterday, we celebrated my daddy's birthday. I wanted to keep dessert simple - ice cream and palmiers. If you've never tried a palmier, you must! They are one of my all time favorite cookies. When I had a "real job", my boss would frequently bring treats from Le Panier. A palmier was always my first choice but the pain au chocolat or a chocolatine were always a close second. Oh how I miss those days.... Mmmm

Anyways, since I don't often get downtown to Le Panier, I had to resort to making my own palmiers. Thankfully puff pastry is readily available at the supermarket. Who has the time to make it from scratch - what a process!

To make your own, you'll need a package of puff pastry (I used Pepperidge Farms - found in the frozen food section) and lots of sugar.I start by rolling the thawed pastry out on a heavily sugared work area. You can't use too much sugar! Roll the pastry into a large rectangle using lots of sugar on the top and bottom of the dough.

The diagram below shows how to roll and cut the pastry. I cut my cookies about 1/2" thick. Before I put them on a parchment covered baking sheet, I dip both sides in sugar again.

Cook in a 400° oven for 6-7 minutes, turn cookies over and continue baking approximately 6-7 minutes more. Watch 'em because they can burn easily. You'll want the sugar to caramelize to a nice golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on a baking rack. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!