someone has a green thumb!

We have our very own little gardener in the home. Little Miss L. has love love loved every minute of the gardening process - from starting the seeds, to watching her plants grow, to picking her crops, and then finally preparing them to eat.

Little Miss L. loves heading out to the garden with daddy to pick her faves - beets, carrots, and cucumbers. As a parent, I love the fact that my child takes pride in her home-grown goodies. I also love the fact that I know where the food she is consuming is coming from. There is nothing better than chewing that fresh crunchy carrot right out of the garden from your very own backyard.

As Little Miss L. grows and I learn her likes and dislikes it is hard not to wonder what she shall do in the future. Will she be a farmer? or will she be a biologist?...

So proud.

Our goodies!

It's lip-licking good.

All in a hard days work.

Open up would you?!?!?!

welcome baby c

On September 5th, 2012 baby C entered into the world at 8:24am weighing at 7lbs 14oz. You may have noticed I have been super excited for his little guy's arrival. I couldn't wait until my girlfriend gave birth to this beautiful specimen. He gave his momma quite the hard time but eventually, after 30 plus hours, he entered into this world.

I had the chance to go to the hospital the next day to meet the little guy. He was absolutely perfect! I love those tiny little fingers, I love the sound a newborn baby makes (that sound like a dolphin), and I love the way they smell. They just fit so perfectly into your arms. I could have held him ALL day long!

It was a quick visit but worth every minute. Congratulations to the new mom and dad on your handsome baby C. I look for to watching him grow...

little miss l. hits the dance floor

This past Saturday, my little girl sprang from her bed and quickly rushed into the kitchen. There, she informed me that she would need a big breakfast, one that would give her lots of energy. She quickly decided that her best bet was scrambled eggs, toast, and some o.j. to finish it all off.

Today, was the day my little girl would pull on her pink tights, purple body suit, and pink tutu for the very first time. Today, Little Miss L. would be walking into a whole new world. A world where mommy would need to stand back as her little girl entered a room full of 3-5 year old girls prancing about in frilly tutu's to music all on her own.

Little Miss L. had been looking forward to attending dance class for months. She made the decision that she would like to try ballet and tap. Over the past month, she loved the experience of picking out the perfect dance studio, trying on her very own tap shoes for the first time (she loved the noise they made) and she loved the fact that this activity was one she would be doing on her own. It made her feel like she was becoming a big girl because she had chosen to do something she loves to do...DANCE!

After Little Miss L. stuffed belly full, pulled on her attire and slicked back her hair, it was time to hit the road to enter into a world that was new to my little girl and this new "dance mom."

She excitedly entered the dance studio where she was overwhelmed by a sea of girls (okay, maybe mommy was more overwhelmed at this point.) She introduced herself to the teacher and placed her nametag on her chest. She quickly said her goodbye, as I pushed her ever so gently into the room. She turned back and gave me the biggest smile. As I walked away I knew this would be a great experience for my little girl. As I sat throughout the 45 minute class, I ever so often shuffled my way over to peer in the tiny window. I watched as my girl was twirling about and laughing with her new friends. With about 10 minutes left in class, I walked over to the window to peer in one last time, but I didn't see my baby girl. I stood there for a few minutes thinking she would whiz by, but she did not. I couldn't hold the urge any longer and opened the door. There, up against the wall with tears running down her face, was my precious girl. She looked up and ran over, quickly telling me that she thought I had gone and left her there forever. It broke my heart to hear such a thing. After convincing her that would not be the case, she slowly worked her way back into the group. The dance class quickly came to an end where she was happy to receive a smiley face sticker. As she dashed to her father and brother who had been patiently waiting to hear how it went, she told them she had so much fun.

We may have had a little bump in the road on our first day but we can't expect everything to always run perfectly. I was one proud momma as I watched my little girl gain some independence. Let's hope next weekend proves to be even better...

DIY painting kitchen table

Alright folks, here is another DIY project the hubby and I started/finished last year. You may remember I spoke of a dining room table I had inherited from my great Aunt. We love this table, which sits in the highest traffic area in our home. This hand-me-down dining table is full of character.. dents, chips, peeling trim and water damage are indications of many years of meals shared among loved ones. Before adding yet another generation of character to the table, we decided to take on a DIY project and give it a modern update. Specifically, we painted the table and chairs white and added some funky seat covers (more details on the seat covers coming soon...)

Here is a summary of how we painted a previously stained and sealed dining set:

• to remove loose dirt, dust and grease, wipe down all surfaces with a clean cloth dampened with pure, white vinegar - allow to dry
• lightly sand all surfaces using orbital sander and hand sander - 220 grit
• to remove dust, wipe down all surfaces with damp cloth - allow to dry
• chair back-rests: apply two coats of spray primer for indoor/outdoor wicker furniture
• remainder of chair surface and table: apply two coats of acrylic stain killer/primer/sealer with mini-roller for flat surfaces and brush for all other areas
• chair back-rests: apply two coats of white, flat spray paint for indoor/outdoor wicker furniture
• remainder of chair surface and table: apply two coats of white, flat melamine paint with mini-roller for flat surfaces and brush for all other areas
• allow to dry for at least a week  

Here is the set after removal from storage

Note the four matching chairs including a captain chair have a mesh backrest - this proved to be a challenge

Wipe down with vinegar to remove years of fingerprints, grease etc.

Lightly sand with orbital sander

We didn't attempt to remove the finish and get down to the wood since we planned on painting (and not staining)

Here is a close-up of some water damage that had to be smoothed out using a combination of orbital sander and hand-sanding.

We decided to spray paint the mesh back-rests using an indoor/outdoor spray primer and flat white paint designed for wicker furniture, it worked great!

Here is the finished product as it looks today in our kitchen. More on the seat covers in an upcoming post

The finer details slowed the process, but was worth the effort. I love love love the little details.

For the legs, we pained the grooves using a small art brush and then the mini-roller resulted in a smooth, dripless finish.

We think this classic table, looking slightly modern, fits perfect in our kitchen. I love love love the finished product.

weekend catch-up

Singer Castle on the beautiful St.Lawrence river.

This past weekend was all about fun, sun, and food! It was a great weekend spent out on the river. With the summer winding down, we need to take every opportunity we can to enjoy our time out outdoors in the sun. The kids love spending time with their grandma and grandpa, especially when it involves a boat. Little Miss L. was in heaven when grandpa took her to see not one but two castles (this momma may have been in her glory too, I love love love castles!) The weather was perfect for cruising along the St.Lawrence river...

Starting young - Little Miss L. driving the boat with grandpa.

Baby D just relaxing.

Singer Castle on the St. Lawrence river.

Nona and Little Miss L. cruising along in the boat.

Boldt Castle on the St. Lawrence.

Boldt Castle yacth house.

Going for a swim with the big guy.

These two are a silly couple.

Water time with grandma and grandpa and two furry friends.

It was also all about food - one of my faves - gooey cheesy nachos.

I know someone who loves nachos just as much as I do.

What 2 year old do you know that loves to drink salsa?!?!

I even had the chance to make a fresh batch of tomato sauce.

baby d's nautical bash

Baby D's birthday party was so much fun! I couldn't help but share more of his nautical bash with all of you. Thank you again to everyone who came out to share this special day with with us!

Daddy with  his birthday boy.

Time for the little ones to burn off some energy.

Tia and Uncle.

Baby B gets some milk :)

What's a barbecue without the meat?

One happy server!

Yum!

Let's dig in!!!

Lunch time.

Thanks Tio for giving me a hand.

All smiles with cousin Gloria.

Momma and her birthday boy.

Showing off his new walking skills.

Family shot.

Someone didn't want to blow out his candle.

Smash cake.

Baby D didn't want to dig into his cake. He was more concerned that his hands were dirty.

Big sister comes to the rescue and gives her little brother a taste of the cake.

Time to open gifts!

Big sister loves to help out.

Hey Auntie, look at my new ride.

Can we say spoiled!?!

I know someone who thought these were all her new goodies.

Thanks everyone for my awesome gifts. I can't wait to enjoy them all!