Genetics

Over easter weekend my family started talking about genetics. Did you know that the ability to curl your tongue and do star-trek hands is genetic? I was the only one who could not really curl my tongue!

And yes there was wine involved in this silly picture :)

Bunny Cake

The Easter Bunny Cake is a Grandma tradition. Even though she passed 16 years ago, and we have all grown up a lot since then, my cousins and I still enjoyed the process. This year's cake was Martha Stuart's Coconut Cake recipe with real frosting whipped from egg whites in a double boiler. My love got way too much entertainment out of watching us fumble in the kitchen but she certainly enjoyed the result.

Here is fancy and yummy Bunny Cake 2011:

Philly Flower Show

In the pouring rain we made the 2.5 hour trek to Philly for the opening day of the Flower Show! Inside it was warm and colorful and smelled like spring. The theme was Spring in Paris.

I thought this flower plane was great and took the picture just for the Hess family!


Here we are in the "best front porches" exhibit. In no time flat April will have our front porch bursting with flowers too!


This cute doggie is made of succulents. Can you see the amazing variety of plants throughout the dog?


This orchid took my breath away with its delicate green strips on the white petal


And last but not least the flower Unicorn. April's favorite childhood animal made out of April's favorite thing in the world, flowers!

Holiday Cookies

One of the best days over the holidays was making cookies with my sister. We made chocolate with white chocolate chips, ginger spice cookies, and of course sugar cookies!



Can you read the messages in the cookies?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Friends and Family. I'm thrilled that 2011 is here because I know it is going to bring lots of wonderful awesome changes to my life. These changes are so exciting because of April. Remember #4 on my list; go on a date? Well that date turned into a wonderful relationship which fulfilled #30; turn 30 with peace in my mind, love in my heart !


So before I move forward into 2011 I have to share with you the Birthday Celebrations! My parents hosted a gathering of all of our family and friends. There was a lot of fabulous snacks, singing holiday carols, and the best birthday carrot cake ever.



Someone spoiled me with a birthday/holiday outfit too :)

Christmas Tree

April and I put up our Christmas tree this past weekend. It came from the Lions Club stand which is right around the corner from our house so we didn't have to brave the cold for too long.


We picked that tree because it had a long empty trunk so we thought we wouldn't have to trim it. However, it was too tall so we had to take a few inches off the bottom. Thanks goodness I had help because there is no way I would have been able to saw off the bottom.


Neither of us had many ornaments but together we had enough to cover the tree!




And now we have this gorgeous tree which smells wonderful and sparkles with holiday cheer!

Fall Fire

Before the temperature dropped int the 20s and 30s this past week we had some wonderfully mild fall/winter days. One sunday was particularly beautiful so we enjoyed a bonfire with the kids and dogs.

Slime

What happens when you mix glue, borax, and water? You get SLIME!


Thanks to 4th grade teacher aunt Cindy the kids had a blast.


But when the mom of the house walked in to see the mess her face was priceless!

Thanksgiving

A feast for many from ages 5 to 50-something. My parents grin looking at the spread.


Plenty of options for kiddos but mac n' cheese still wins the prize for the best dish!


Games were played by all before and after dinner.


The table was decorated with a collection of beautiful fragrant things found in the yard courtesy of the kids.


And over a fabulous meal and plenty of wine the parents swapped stories.

Reclaiming Halloween

I have never liked Halloween. I don't do scary. I don't like being up late at night. And, I'm not the biggest fan of candy. However, I DO LOVE to get dressed up. So, this year I reclaimed Halloween with the help of family.

With big black eyes, colorful boas, and semi formal wear, we headed to the local production of Rocky Horror!




Philipina, aka my dad, played the piano in the band for the show and had a little bit too much fun strutting around in her short dress!


We also celebrated the 16th birthday of my cousin and corrupted all of her friends!


After ruckus adult fun with my family what truly reclaimed Halloween for me was the pure joy of children in costume. Good food. Wine. Family. Dancing. And a whole lot of love.

Mahendi Ceremony

Event #1 of wedding #3 was this past weekend and it was fabulous. 75 of our closest local friends gathered to celebrate my sister and her hubbie. A Mahendi artist came to do the traditional henna on my sister's palms but then she "tatooed" everyone else too.

All dressed up and ready to go!


Sista in her Salwarkami with one of her two hands finished


And after all of that beautiful art I decide to do a cheesy chain of doggie foot prints up my leg :)

PaddleFest 2010

1st Annual PaddleFest with Dee was wonderful. Sunny, 80 degrees, 100+ kayakers and a tail wind made our 4 mile paddle down the Choptank River exquisite. Thanks Dee for checking off another item from my list:

9. kayak on local waters

Moo

It was a beautiful saturday morning at 7am. I was outside in the front yard watering my new plants before the temperature rose when I heard some Moo-ing. Now, hearing the sound of cows is not a strange thing for me but usually it is a distant faint echo moo that I hear. This saturday morning I heard a loud, angry Moooooooooo and walking off the bike path came a huge cow! Yes a cow on the loose and roaming through downtown. All of my neighbors came out of their houses with the PJs on to laugh at the fact that a cow was trotting threw our neighborhood. I called the police and they said "Mam, we have been tracking that cow all morning but he is moving so fast that we just can catch him."

Shake Your Goove Thing

There is nothing like a Disco Murder Mystery party to inspire you to shake your groove thing! Blue cocktails, pin up disco dancers, glow in the dark straws, revolving mirrors and lights, great friends, and of course a mystery to solve.

S'mores

We bid winter farewell last week by roasting marshmallows for s'mores in the fireplace.


The fire was super hot but no marshmallows were completely incinerated


Oh the glory of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows but what could make this even better? PEANUT BUTTER!


Who needs to wait for a roasted marshmallow?