I Actually Finished!

A project, that is...
Bryan has mentioned that on occasion I don't quite finish the projects that I start. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I do. Depends on how well it's going at the half way point really. Sometimes it just takes me FOREVER to finish what I start because I want it to turn out just the way I want it. Take our rescued Chinese restaurant sofas for instance. It only took me 3 years (give or take a few months) to completely re-do the one I'm sitting on at this moment.

You may not remember the other two: #1 & #2 I started them when we first moved here. Really I just needed something to do with my extra time and also needed to fill these big empty frames. I really like how they turned out. I'm thinking of trying a few smaller ones in different fonts/ different sayings/ different colors/ different fabrics. I'm also thinking I could make them into pillows or smaller wall hangings. What do you think? Bryan has encouraged me to try to sell something like this on Etsy. Would anyone out there buy something like this if it was for sale?

Mass-issippi

Us Southern girls here in Boston (all three of us) got together today for things that reminded us of home. We had mint juleps (the first of all of our lives)

and blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream! 

(Laura & Elizabeth)

Laura was so gracious to host Elizabeth and me! She only recently had people over for a dinner party and is now ready for any amount of hosting... she produced a nice, new white spatula for the cobbler serving as soon as it came out of the oven. As we were cleaning up I pulled it out of the cobbler, flipped it over to wash and found that it was a little newer than I'd guessed! Haha

*Disclaimer: I know there are way more than three Southern girls in Boston. That is why Laura and I are going to start a new tradition just like the one in central park... Mississippi in the Park... here in Boston, but it will be called Massississippi! Spread the word, it's really going to happen!!!

Valentine's Weekend

We went to the Harpoon Brewery yesterday for a tour. They let you taste one of the beers that is unfiltered straight out of the fermenter before it's carbonated.

They also have a whole bar with draft lines so you can taste whatever kinds you want that they offer. That was a little different than Sam Adams in that they only let everyone taste three kinds. I really liked their IPA and their Oyster Stout.

We also wandered around the South End for a little while before the tour. I want to hang out there a lot more. It was a really neat area. We went in the Frommagio and the Buttery.

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! We made the most delicious eggs benedict with smoked salmon instead of ham... which really appealed to my pescetarian sensibilities. It was absolutely delightful and I would highly recommend it if you're an eggs benedict kind of person!

A Delightful Dinner

We had a wonderful dinner!

And then we tried to finish the night off with a Moulin Rouge Sing-A-Long (think Rocky Horror Picture Show) at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, but... when we got there there was a line down the block and it was completely sold out. You never saw a car of more disappointed people in your life.

I don't think we let it hamper the rest of our wonderful night, though.

(Oh, and Bryan got the most beautiful flowers yesterday! They are so pretty!!)

Sweets for the Sweetest Day

So like I said we are having a few people over for dinner tonight, and Bryan and I spent some time in the kitchen getting ready last night! It's always so fun when we cook together, although the size of our kitchen does make things as challenging as possible. (I actually dreamed about having an enormous kitchen last night.)On the menu:

Artichokes with hollandaise

Semolina Gnocchi... heart shaped of course

Some other veggie to go with the Gnocchi

Popovers with blueberries or blackberries

This lovely blackberry tart
And this lovely raspberry tart!

And of course there will be the Chocolate Sea Salt Truffles...

And a sweet treat to take home:

Inside the little treat bags I made will be these heart-shaped brownies!

printable bag design can be found at Twig & Thistle

In case you didn't see the theme, it's sweets! Yummy, sugary, chocolaty, fruity, baked sweets!

Happy Friday!

Truffles... Trust Me.

We are having a few friends over for a Valentine's Day dinner tomorrow night so last night I made a treat! I'm giving them to several other people too since they turned out so well and are incredibly tasty!!

Chocolate Truffles with Sea Salt

Himalayan Pink Salt

Hawaiian Red Salt

Pure Ocean Salt

The Sea Salt part sounds odd to some people but it makes the flavors so much better. It really balances all of the sweet chocolate and kind of tastes like a chocolate covered pretzel!

*Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Snow Day

All the schools were closed today so I got to hang out with Martha and Adele! Since we were stuck inside, Martha and I took on quite a project. We made Valentine's Day Hearts for our loved ones, and I must say we did an outstanding job. Wouldn't you agree?

She LOVED gluing!

Valentine Heart for Mommy
Valentine Heart for Daddy

My Heart for my Sweetie

We're still working on Adele's reaction to the camera...

Good Morning

My sweet husband got up this morning and made me crepes for breakfast! They were so tasty with a little strawberry jam inside!Thank you, My Love!

I hope you are all having a great start to your day as well!

Meet Adele

Adele likes reading, sleeping, sitting, singing, dancing, and eating!She doesn't really like the camera, though. We'll work on that.