Ode to Spring

"Snow melts.

And the village is overflowing--

with children." -Issa

Wishes waiting to be made...

Spinning art at Communion parties...

"Mom, can I see your phone? I wanna take a picture."

"Okay, honey. Watcha takin' a picture of?"

"Which pair of shoes looks better?"

This was photo Number 1.

Love it.

Love her even more.

We are taking in all this season has to offer and welcoming

Spring with all we've got!

Hope you are enjoying it, too.

Homes

The start of our week and a half long vacation began with a first-time visit to a

neighborhood church, within walking distance from our house.

The church sits right on the beach and has tremendously high ceilings made of

wood, complete with its original wood beams.

It is has such modest beauty. We love it.

Best of all, there is a prayer basket placed at the entrance.

Anyone can write their prayer on a sticky note and place it in the basket.

Our house on Long Island--the home where three generations of us lived.

I know I will really miss this place someday.

I'm grateful my grandmother is alive and well and still calls it home.

I love these Long Island skies. I have never seen them anywhere else

and I've been to many, many, places.

This certain sky belongs to my home only.

I love this light. So familiar.

I love the air, the sky, the feel of

the place I grew-up.

No other place like this.

Sprinkles...

Just have a way of making ya happy!

Photo and recipe courtesy of Baking Bites, one of my favorite and most amazing baking blogs!

Been doing a lot of baking lately.

These are in our near future.

First, I gotta order one of those adorable

mini-donut pans.

What I Love About Early Spring...

Discovering new buds, leaves, and flowers everywhere...Such sweet

surprises when we are out and about. I can't help but snap some photos of

the beauty.

Early morning trips into NYC by ferry or by car...Either way, there is nothing

like riding towards one of my "spirit" homes on a cool, crisp, morning with the sun shining above and my little girl riding along with me.

Eating primarily vegan due to allergies and all around dietary benefits means easier meals to cook!

Vegan baking...always my FAVORITE!

These vegan cupcakes were absolutely scrumptious and I wasn't the only one who thought so!

Some non-vegan friends couldn't even tell the buttercream was vegan!

This recipe is a keeper.

In the city visiting one of our favorite people.

I love how she actually uses that water bottle tote I

crocheted for her!

Not only is she cute, she is practical too!

Love. Her.

...And no trip to the city would be complete without visiting one of our favorite stores.

She picked out the Magic Mushroom bath bomb all by herself!

I am afraid she has inherited my obsession with yummy

bath paraphernalia!

(And all things that smell delightful!)

Yes, that is pale yellow nail polish.

I have decided recently that I should never give up wearing crazy colored polish on my nails.

I'm not going to get sucked into that "age appropriate" vortex. Ha! No Way.

I will like what I like and that's that!

Conveniently, Sinful Colors are sold in CVS-

The colors are beautiful, the polish is long-lasting and its super affordable.

So, you don't have to feel guilty about

splurging on novelty!

What are you diggin' on these early days of Spring?

Art Everywhere! Weekend, Part II

A sunny, crisp-cold morning boat ride into Manhattan started our day.

My girl pointed out this dress to me in a paper goods store window.

The dress is made out of party invites.

Just Adorable.

The dress is nice, too! Ha, ha!

I'm pretty much vegetarian now...and flirting with vegan all the time. Put it this way,

all of the recipes, blogs, and cookbooks I've been sourcing are strictly vegan.

I think I'm what you'd call a "cheating vegan" because I do use butter and cheese occasionally.

Anyway, it has been an educational and enlightening experience...all of this food research!

Here is a meal we ate tonight...a garden salad and a deeelicious vegetable casserole made with couscous. I found the recipe in my new favorite cookbook. I spent an hour copying recipes out of it in Barnes and Nobel last night while Cub and Daddy read books together.

Pretty-pretty.

Best of all, Girl Cub LOVED it and asked for seconds.

Holy Guacamole!

And at least once a day my daughter "wows" me with

either something she says or does...or both.

Tonight, she made an actual test for each of her little friends, passed out pencils,

"helped" them to take it, then graded them.

Think she is a teacher's daughter, or what?!

If only my students were as cooperative as

Mama Owl

Mia

Dino

Orange Tiger

Lambie

&

Leo.

There is Art Everywhere...

Today was one of those all-around great days.

Look what I found staring up at me while I paid the cashier at the Russian supermarket this morning.

These are actual chocolate bar wrappers!

How beautiful are they? I was so struck by that girl's face.

You get two treats for the price of one...chocolate and the pretty picture.

Sorry about the tags. Couldn't find any without the prices!

Later this afternoon we were blessed with a wonderful piano concert performed by the amazingly talented and very lovely Celeste Lederer.

She played so many beautiful pieces of classical music- Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Debussy, & Beethoven.

Then we were treated to some good ol' fashioned ragtime.

Loved it all.

My girl however, fell asleep on her daddy's lap after the first

three songs!

There was a late-lunch, a trip to the crafts store to

buy some yarn for another crochet handbag, and then the

mandatory "walk through" at Toys R Us.

I couldn't help myself.

Still a sucker for Smurfs.

It was a really nice day. I needed it after the all-consuming

weeks I've been having.

Tomorrow, we are off to the city to take care of taxes and hopefully

catch this amazing show at the Cooper Hewitt Museum.

I have been influenced lately by the colors and patterns Sonia Delaunay used in her

work. She has been inspiring many of my

recent crochet projects, too.

Magic Girl

Because perfume,

the fabulous 80's,

and all things French make me HAPPY...

I am in love with this video.

Hope you it puts a smile on your face.