Maple house~ a must see!!

We visited KE Farms in a nearby town last weekend, to watch the maple syrup process- it was very interesting and delicious!

First, we tasted the clear sap - it was like water...

Then, we went inside to see where production takes place - what a sweet smelling shed! 

We watched it bubble and boil, and chatted with Ernie about how this bitter cold winter had taken a toll on maple syrup production. 

We would recommend a Sunday drive in the next couple of weeks!

We had pancakes& warm syrup for dinner that evening...

Enjoy! 

xo Sarah 

Orders to fill...

Hello spring(even though it far from feels like it)! This weekend, I've got a list to check off- so I thought I'd better get started tonight...

~first, I've got an order of lemon-rosemary hand scrub to fill, so here I go...

~next, I need to take a trip in the morning to the consignment shop to drop off Michael's "too small clothes", 

~ I was hired to paint another nursery, so I need to start some sketches to show the happy couple: the theme is chevron walls & giraffes, 

~finally, I need to buckle down & finish my report cards ( I'll tackle those Sunday).

Here's my last nursery painting on a 4x3 canvas...cutie Griffin was born on Monday! I hope he loves his nursery!!

Enjoy the weekend!

xo Sarah 

A little bit of spring...

The corned beef is in the slow cooker, Irish soda bread recipe is out (thanks Kathy), and the cabbage & carrots are ready to go.

I stopped and picked up a spring bouquet today, for the center of our St. Patrick's Day dinner tomorrow night...bring on spring!!

xo Sarah 

March mantle...

Ahhhh, March...please bring us some warmth! This weekend we're being homebodies (a sick little boy means our weekend comes to a halt...no running around). So, I decided to rummage through my hutches, dig through my March bin in the basement ( yes, I have a bin for each season/holiday), and add some green to the mantle. 

The window is from our first home - love that I brought it with us, our green Koolaid pitcher, Sydenstricker plate, angel of Happiness, beach sand in the candleholder, & shamrocks - of course. 

I added in a poem on a card catalog card - diligence is the mother of good luck! 

Happy march!

xo Sarah 

Kids parties!!!

All we need are friends- looking forward to this 8 year old party!!

I LOVE decorating for kids birthday parties...if I only thought I had time for this to be a 2nd job! My sons 8th birthday is today, & his Minecraft friend party is tomorrow! Here are a few pics of our set up...can't wait for his friends to be here- such a great group of kids!! 

Old home~going solar!

We did it~we've taken the plunge & gone solar! Here is a sample of day#1of installation(more panels were installed on day#2).  In about a month we 'll officially be up and running... Can't wait to see the difference in our electricity usage.

How have you gone green?

Xo Sarah 

Jellies & Jams... the MORE of soups & sauces!!

My hubby has been a busy, busy man!  Besides all of our prep for the holidays, cooking & cleaning our house, wrapping gifts, filling our porch with wood for the fireplace, my husband has also been very busy making jams & jellies to sell and to give as gifts. 
He has whipped up batches of blueberry-cinnamon, ginger-peach, and both mild and hot pepper jelly ~ Yum!!
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and enjoyed the holidays with family & friends.  We'll be toasting in the new year with some friends tomorrow night - sharing some good food & drink - and making wishes for a fabulous new year. 

Happy new year everyone!
xx Sarah

Soups, Sauces & More

Thank you to friends & family that spent an evening with us tasting soups, sauces, jams, jellies, and purchasing handmade cards, scarves, hats, baby blankets, & hand scrubs (the MORE of soups & sauces).  It was a wonderful night, with a house full of friends that we care about dearly, and my son enjoyed the night running around the house with his "best bud", Will (thank you for your visit, Aly)!!

It is a wonderful sight to see my husband cooking up a storm in the kitchen~ his favorite place to be on earth (besides Cape Cod)!  He is an amazing chef, if I do say so myself.  His expertise in the kitchen is incredible, and he has such a knack for combining flavors.  We had a wonderful night, and are relaxing now, dreaming of our business-to-be...Soups, Sauces & More!

xx Sarah

Summertime!!

Well, well, well my friends ~ I have definitely been enjoying summer vacation...so much so that I have been on a huge vacation from my blog!!

This summer, we have traveled, spent time with family & friends, had a guest from Wales stay with us, attended camps, dipped our toes in the ocean a few times, and have also had time to simply enjoy the view from our front porch!
It's been an amazing summer ~ THE best summer in 4 years!  I say this because 4 years ago my husband was diagnosed with diabetes and congestive heart failure, and every summer since has been a whirl~wind...but not this summer.  We have enjoyed LIFE together (even with a recent surgery)!  Amen!!

So with that said, I've also been accomplishing many projects around the house.  I promise to start blogging about them & sharing them with you. 

Happy summer - please enjoy sometime with family - and always say I love you!
xo Sarah

Our April excursion...

We took off for some family time over April vacation.  We enjoyed a train trip to Baltimore MD (I highly recommend Amtrak).  My family spent five hours walking through the National Aquarium, followed by a ball game at Camden Yards.  Then, we explored the Maryland Science Museum, and the World Trade Center.  Fabulous Family Time!!  Here's a few pics that I thought I'd share...we're hoping to plan another train trip for next April. 

Moments with family make the best memories!

xo Sarah

Hoppin' down the bunny trail...

 

There's my foot ~ hopping through the kitchen doorway, perhaps to refill someone's beverage, to put out the appetizers, or to simply mingle with family...

 

We hosted Easter this year at our new home, and my mom made these d e l i c i o u s desserts ~ yum!!  The Easter Bunny cake she hasn't made since my brothers & I were little - what a treat, and the cupcakes (hard to see with the saran wrap still on) had flower decorations on top made out of jellied candies.  It was a wonderful day - started off with our church service in the morning, followed by an egg hunt with all the kiddos, and a magnificient brunch cooked by my husband. 

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday!!

xo Sarah

Arms of the Angels...

I'm a "smiling when it's raining" kind of gal...takes a lot to bring me down.  Today was one of those days.  Here's what is on my mind~

*it was Monday (Monday after vacation)
*I have been praying for two kiddos that we know who were recently diagnosed with leukemia
*my girlfriend's little man is fighting for his life at Boston Children's...God has heard his name a lot lately in my prayers
*a teacher I work with found out her breast cancer came back
*a young girl from our home town took her own life...

I rushed home from work, hugged my two loves at home, and spent extra time tonight tucking in my little man.  Count your blessings, take a breath, slow down, and spend some extra time with your family this week...and above all else, always say I love you to those you love. 

love you all,
xo Sarah

vacation project #1...

Between playdates, movie dates, dinner dates, and alone-time-dates, our vacation has been phenomenal so far!!
We've celebrated birthdays, had friends over, prayed for friends of ours that are going through the unthinkable, and taken time to complete a random act of kindness...

While my son had a friend over earlier this week, I tackled my 1st project of vacation...painting the inside of our built-in hutch in the dining room.  Our home was built in 1890 (love it!), and our hutch is just one of the many cool things in our old home.  I love the neutral tones in our home, and dark woodwork, but our hutch needed something to help make my great aunt's china POP!

Here's what I did...

The inside of my hutch WAS the same color as the walls...

I didn't make a huge change, just a shade or two darker...

I believe my great aunt would love her rose chintz china stacked on one shelf, and my sydenstricker stacked on the next...the darker color adds a little depth to my hutch.  I also hung a painting that I completed in college to the upper part...I hope to add in a wine bottle holder someday.  I love the simple change!  Onto project #2...

xo Sarah

Super Science Fun!

I believe our Super Science birthday party was a huge success...if five kids enjoyed themselves, laughed a lot, and had fun putting their hands in the messes of science, I'd say it was successful!
I'm also gauging my success on the smile on my son's face ~ he definitely had fun with his friends!

We completed 5 different science experiments, and each child went home with a lab book, magnifying glass, safety goggles, and (of course) a small goody bag. 

The kids had to 'scan' to enter the laboratory...

chose their own color safety goggles, and picked up a magnifying glass...

put on a scientist lab coat when they arrived (an oversized t shirt to keep their clothes clean),

...and the experimenting began!!

7~ how can that be?!  I hope to enjoy his birthday parties with him for as long as I can!  Now, for the rest of vacation...

xo Sarah

Hello Monday~

Helloooooooooooo Monday!


What a busy week ahead...love it!!  My kitchen is painted, my son's room has had a redo (science bedroom blog post), so - of course - I'm planning my next home project.  Vacation is right around the corner, which means a little extra time for projects, friend & family get togethers, and a little down time too. 
This week ~ we're celebrating our 100th day of school in first grade, gearing up for Valentine's Day, and my little man turns 7 on Friday (holy moly).  His Science Party is Saturday (winter weather had better stay away...).  I promise to post pics. after the party! 

Have a great week ~ Happy Heart Day!!
xo Sarah

on a science bedroom mission....

This past weekend...we were on a mission.  It wasn't even my plan going into the weekend to redo my son's bedroom, but he has wanted a science themed bedroom since we moved into our home this past summer.  Something came over me Saturday morning, and I said to him - let's go pick out some paint! 

First of all, I was painting over a wallpaper mural that was in his room - I loved it, but it just wasn't for him.  I researched how to do this, and bought Kilz oil based primer to paint over the wallpaper first.  Then,

I put 2 coats of semi-gloss charcoal gray over the primer.  Next, I used my acrylics to create the Milky Way (or any other celestial outer space body - I'm not so sure it really resembles the Milky Way, but I wouldn't know that for sure anyway - & what counts is that my son loves it!). 

He has under-bed storage for all sorts of toys, a moon phase night light mounted above his bed, with a framed pic. of him at the Museum of Science in a space shuttle. 

Here's his dinosaur fossil corner...

And words above each window....

Our mission:  COMPLETE (almost).  I'm going to add 2 black shelves above his bed for his microscope & other science tools to be displayed on.  And, I'd also like a science themed area rug....

I have to say, I love that this room redo made his room look so neat & organized!!

xo Sarah

Hello Monday…

Monday’s simply sneak up on me…
Hard to believe another week has gone by, and here’s to a new one beginning.  This week holds a few new things in store for us ~
My son continues his art class after school, and begins taking piano lessons this week – we’re so excited! I always hoped to have him learn an instrument at an early age, so here we go…hopefully he’ll enjoy it.  I’ll keep you posted.  And of course, we have indoor soccer too.  Our schedules are a bit crazy, but we’re having fun!!
Here’s my front door ~ ready for Valentine’s Day!  The dusting of snow that we got tonight looks so pretty on the front porch, and I’m happy to say that’s all the snow that fell!  

Happy week ahead! 
xo Sarah

One month until <heart> day!!

With one month to go, I decided it was time to begin decorating for Valentine's Day. What better place to begin than with the mantle! I left my silver & red berries from Christmas, and a few gold & silver stars too. I placed some heart shaped plates that I have gotten as gifts over the years, from my mom and mom in law ~ love them! I stacked a few lovey~dovey titled books, put out a Valentine that my son made me a few years ago, and that is my "thankful tree" from Thanksgiving in the middle...I took off our thankful tags, and hung the clay hearts that my son & I made last year.

What do you think?  xo Sarah

Hello Monday~

Monday, again, already...
I'm home from work today, as we prepare for another foot surgery for my husband.  I'm stripping beds, packing an overnight bag for my son (sleepovers with grandparents are the best - even on a school night), folding laundry, and simply preparing for surgery #???.  I believe we're up to #10 now.  I'm really just trying to make the time pass by today, so we can get to the hospital and get this done.  It's the waiting that drives me crazy!  My husband is resting now, so I'm sipping some tea, & sending out this blog. 
Keep him in your prayers today please.

xo Sarah 

Our song for the moment...

Music is such therapy!!  I have music on my ipod for working out, cleaning the house, relaxing (I rarely listen to this music, but it's there), and for rockin' out with my almost 7 year old.  Sometimes I'll hear a song, and remember a moment in the past that I listened to that song & where I was.  Do you ever do that?  ...a middle school dance, my wedding, a song that reminds me of my grandpa...

This particular song is one that my husband and I have been cranking lately - powerful, meaningful for what we are going through right now..."every storm cloud runs out of rain..." 
We're waiting for our storm cloud to run out of rain, but we also know that there's always a reason for life's difficulties.  We are a much stronger couple, our son understands the importance of family, and that disabilities can effect people physically, but don't hold us back.  It's been another emotional week for us, but once again we are pulling together ~ thank goodness for the love of our family & friends.  What would we do without them all!!

To my husband & son ~ Our storm clouds bring us closer!
xo Sarah