Round and Round

One of the perks to living in New Jersey are the miles and miles of coastline loaded with boardwalks, beaches and parks. If my son was old enough to talk he'd tell you his favorite place on the boardwalk is sitting on top of a beautiful bouncing carousel horse. He gets to ride on a pretty pony everytime we go to the shore. Some of them look really old and the painted details are quite stunning. They really are more like moving pieces of art. At night they give off a beautiful glow and mixed with cheerful music. sounds of ocean and the smell of saltwater in the air you really can't help but want to jump on up and take a ride!

Simply Use Sprinkles

Sometimes I just bake and today was one of those times. We were completely out of sweet snacks and since we learned that Grant is allergic (or so it would seem) to eggs we have not had baked goods with eggs in them around for fear of unseen bites. I wanted to make cookies so I put together a batter with no egg from a chocolate chip recipe (without the chocolate chips) I had. I added a spoonful of sour cream and pinch of ground cardamon for a bit of jazz then I topped them with a simple glaze frosting and some sugar sprinkles I found in my baking cupboard. What I got in the end was a nice little "sparkle spice cookie". They turned out much better then I thought and worthy of a few pics. I really think that sometimes all it takes are a few sprinkles to make me happy.

Seeing Green

The Family got together last weekend for a big 3 day camp out. We had a ton of fun and enjoyed hiking, swimming, swinging, and hanging out by the campfire together. It did rain a few times and we had our "damp" moments but it didn't stop us from having a great time! The picture above is of the clearing right across from our campsites. Very green and lush due to some wet weather.

Operation "Kitchen Pretty"

When we moved into our new home we knew that the Kitchen was going to need some TLC. It is a very small galley style with no dishwasher or microwave and a definite "beat up" style. The cabinets are old, the counter tops are old, the sink is old the appliances are ... you guessed it, old. The worst part about it is that it has been through two floods, without any updates - yuck!.
The thick textured wallpaper (shown above) is peeling off and the scratched up counter (shown above) is a blast from the past linoleum featuring a yellow starburst pattern. We are thinking new floor, new counter, new sink and new paint for the cabinets. For now the appliances will have to stay but any change is a good change for this retro nightmare. So excited to see what we can make of it!