Voluspa Madness

Yay! New Voluspa candles are in and I just love their new fragrance, Soleil. A fruity blend of Pineapple and Organic Tangerine with warm Vanilla and Coconut Milk. This fragrance is a limited edition and will be available for Spring/Summer only! We just got this shipment in and have already sold out the diffusers. Don't worry, I have re-ordered. These candles are a must have gift for Mother's Day!

-M.

Coffee made in a French Press and served with pistachio biscotti!! Love it!

PATE MAISON, DUCK, CHICKEN AND BRANDY
Duck Gelee, Sauce Gribiche, And Mustard Rye

FILET MIGNON SLICES ON BAGUETTE - Roasted tomato aoili, tomatos, mushrooms, arugula

Bob had to use a couple of days vacation by the end of this month and since we didn't have anywhere we were dying to go, we decided to stay home. With the exception of yesterday when we decided to drive up to Flagstaff for the night. On our way out we stopped to lunch at one of my favorite french restaurants, Zinc Bistro, in Kierland Commons. It was so dreamy! I just had to share these pictures with you. (Keep in mind that of course I forgot my camera and had to use my phone) The food was delish! (And you know how we're all about food!)

On that note, the sole reason we drove up to Flagstaff was to dine at another of our favorite restaurants, Pasto. They have the most delicious Italian food! I love their bolognese pasta. (Which Bob and I keep trying to recreate) They have a beautiful back patio that you can't see from the front. Keep that in mind if you are ever up there. Of course it was about 2 degrees below zero last night up in Flagstaff so we ate inside. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration, but it sure felt like it!

We are back home now and making our own dinners. I can't wait to have this time off to get things done around the house! We are thinking of planting a vegetable garden. Hmmmm...

-M.

Happy Friday!

It's that time of year again! Everytime the weather gets nice, Bob, and I take the opportunity to have a Happy Hour on our front porch on Friday afternoons. We never 'officially' invite people. It's kind of a whoever wants to stop by is welcome. We can always count on neighbors to end up hanging out with us. They know they can count on getting great Margaritas and appetizers. I couldn't resist these lovely photos I found on Country Living website. They definately get my mouth watering just looking at them!

Happy Friday and Happy Hour!

-M.

Shown above: Pineapple cooler, Fig Bruschetta and Bellinis!

If I could live my dream, this is what it would look like. Just looking at these pictures makes my heart hurt. Can't you just imagine yourself reading a book, writing a letter, enjoying a glass of wine or just luxuriating in this peaceful setting?

And believe it or not, this is a redecorated Greenhouse given as a wedding gift to, Heather Cameron, from her husband, Kevin, who took apart a neglected potting shed on their property and rebuilt it into a greenhouse with a tempered-glass roof!

Wow! Is all I can say! And does Kevin have a brother? Oh yah, I'm already married! J.K. Lovey.

-M.

photos and story found on Country Living

Spring Wedding Promotion

Take Notice Card Company is offering a Spring Wedding Promotion on the 3 styles shown in the above photos! Take Notice specializes in stylish, one-of-a-kind photo cards. They bring together artistic photographic treatments and state-of-the-art digital printing to give you a one of a kind custom invitation.

Here is the Spring Promotion they are offering:

Save 10% on any of the above shown invitations

Save 15% by adding any one item such as response, direction or any enclosure card

Save 20% by adding any two items or more!

There are several options for matching pieces to any of these wedding 'suites' including save the dates! Sneak a peek at some of the other wonderful invitations/announcements Take Notice offers. Drop by the store to see their full selection through their album.

-M.

Did anyone see the moon last night? Bob and I went to dinner in Scottsdale for a very romantic date night last night. We went to Bandera. I love that place and for some reason we haven't been there in a very long time! It's a great place to go with friends and hang at the bar. The food is always delicious and the drinks are rockin'.

Anyhow, back to the moon. On the way home we were on the loop from the 101 south to the 202 east and that's when I saw it! It was huge and beautiful and orange! I was so struck with it's beauty that I gasped outloud which of course always freaks out my perpetually nervous husband and he had to sternly remind me that you never yell out or make those surprised noises when someone is driving. Even now I am laughing so hard about that!

So after an evening of wining and dining the moon was the perfect end to my romantic night. The full moon always reminds me of one of my all time favorite movies, "Moonstruck". If you haven't seen it you really must run out and rent it. It's all about love, love and the 'bella luna'.

Now here is the not so glamorous reason that the moon was so striking last night. Of course the moon is largest as it is just rising. (I am guessing it was at it's glory around 8:00 p.m.) According to wikepedia the moon is actually farthest away when it is just rising and therefore the light rays have to travel farther for us to see. Unfortunately if there is any obstructions in the air such as dust particles or pollution, it obstructs the path of the light and changes the color to orange. Hello! Arizona! Pollution much!

Oh well, I still love looking at the moon. I hope you enjoy it too!

-M.

p.s. isn't that moon pic perfect for Friday the 13th!?

In Sympathy

I have a customer that came in today. While we were talking I decided to ask her about something I have been wanting to talk about for along time. Her son passed away about a year and a half ago and I wanted to know how she was doing but didn't feel comfortable about asking. Finally I just went ahead and said that I wanted to ask her something personal and that if she didn't want to talk about it, that would be okay. I asked her how long it had been since her son had passed and how she was doing. I can't tell you how much she appreciated my asking. She said that people don't ever talk about it with her because they are uncomfortable.

I told her I understood what she meant since when my father died 16 years ago, I went through the same thing. It is a crazy misconception we have that we don't want to discuss the topic of death in fear of upsetting the person dealing with it. But on the contrary the very lack of conversation makes the person feel alienated and lonely. She said she can hardly bear the loss of her son and that it hasn't gotten any easier. It really struck me what a burden she is carrying. And that even though we have all gone on with our lives, she is still dealing with this everyday.

So, all this to say that if you know someone who has experienced the death of someone close, ask them how they are doing. It doesn't matter if it has been one month, one year or more. You will know if they don't want to talk about it, but usually it makes them feel better to have their grief acknowledged. We need our friends and family in times of crisis and sometimes it takes a long time to grieve.

If you don't want to bring it up in person, send them a card to let them know you are still thinking of them. I love these hand made cards (shown above) because they feel like I am sending something special. However, sometimes I struggle with what to say since they are blank inside. That's when I cheat a little and copy a sentiment from a greeted card and write it in the blank one along with my own sentiments. It really doesn't matter what you say... it's the thought that counts!

-M.