Everything Important...no butts about it.

Jessica has been kindly and patiently asking me to "guest blog" for her and thought it would make perfect sense to do so while she is away.  I must admit I have been putting this off as I could not think of anything "creative".  I first heard of a blog about 5 or 6 years ago and thought, "who the heck would want to read about what some guy ate for breakfast and look at pictures only relevant to him and his".  And where did the word "Blog" come from anyway?  (I had to look it up as obvious as it may seem, Web Log = Blog).  Hhhmm...Well my eyes have been opened to the fact that a Blog can be much more than narcissistic people wanting to feel important.  This could not be any more evident than this Blog right here.  The posture of humility in the title alone suggests that this is a person who gently opens her life to anyone interested to share in what makes her human.  It is fun, interesting, informative, open, loving and creative...all qualities of Jessica. Well I miss Jessica terribly, my wife is the most amazing woman I have ever known and ever will know.  Her absence is the only thing on my mind so I shall blog about just that...so let me take this opportunity to try and show why this woman is everything that is important to me and always top of mind:

Jess is...


Fun and Funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0PjJQOdtbo
(must watch)

Cute
 












Beautiful

Loving

Creative

Intelligent

All these amazing things for some reason she married this guy:

yes, they are D&G woman's sunglasses!

I can NOT WAIT until you come home J, I really miss you!

B-

leaving on a jet plane

yes that is correct. i am leaving... again. this time it is for work. since my last post about work was received so kindly, i will try to post up this entire trip when i get back.

here you will find the exact details of my trip, in case you want to stalk me of course:

{thur} limo to jfk,  jfk to pls (turks and caicos)
    46 hour rest in pls
{sat} pls to nas (nassua, bahamas), nas to jfk to atl (atlanta)
   30 hours rest in atl
{mon} atl to nas (nassua, bahamas)
   29 hours rest in nas
{tues} nas to pls
   25 hours rest in pls
{wed} pls to atl, atl to pit (pittsburg)
   11 hours rest in pit
{thur} pit to phl (HOME)


exhausting right? so needless to say, i won't be talking to you guys any time soon. i am trying persuade willy to give you a post or two, but who knows if that'll happen.

buhhh  bye.

top tres tuesday || halloween

since i am loving this fall season, i thought you would like to know the costumes i've wishfully picked out for halloween. i say wishfully because i don't have a cat, a baby or a dog. it matters not. enjoy....

1. i would so make this if i had a cat to put it on. i would make him where it year round though.

 isn't that hilarious? he looks like he is trying to sell you car insurance. if you have a furry friend to dress up, get this at etsy. pronto.


2.  major points for creativity.

this sushi dog costume is also at esty.

3. i fell off my chair when i saw this. can anyone let me borrow their kid?

you guessed it, this gnome costume is at etsy!

band of puppets

i've decided that a good way to spend time is to spend hours in books stores stealing ideas from craft books. i've also decided to get to work on my homeade christmas presents early. here is what i've come up with...

( test pig, mouse & lizard )

since these finger puppets are going to my nephews that are 8 months and 5 months old, i am not in jeopardy of them finding out their gifts.

hope you will join me in the anxiety of the impending holiday...wooohooo.

this bread is bananas

i know there are many banana bread recipes out there....your aunt gerty's, mrs benner's, your cousin's ex husband's friend.... but this one is really good. every time i make it, its comes out perfect.

from taste of home:

1 package softened cream cheese

1/2 c softened butter

1 1/4 c sugar

2 eggs

1 c mashed bananas

1 tspn vanilla

2 1/4 c flour

1 1/2 tspn baking powder

1 tspn baking soda

1 c chopped pecans

2 tbsp sugar

1 tspn cinnamon

in large bowl mix cream cheese, butter,  and sugar. add eggs, then bananas and vanilla. gradually add flour, baking powder and baking soda. put in greased baking pan, then sprinkle on topping mixture. bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes.

aw pumpkin

i seriously can't get enough pumpkins right now. i'm enchanted with all the possibilities they present. i heard a chef talking on npr today about her favorite pumpkin dish. i tried a similar version.

1 7 to 8 lb pumpkin
1 1/2 c milk
1 to 2 c chicken broth
1 c cheese ( i used 1/2  c cheddar and 1/2 c parmesan)
1 c diced onion
3 diced cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
bread (either served as croutons or baked right into soup)

cut the top off pumpkin and remove slime and seeds. add all ingredients to inside of pumpkin. cover the cut off top with tinfoil, put on top of pumpkin. cook at 350 for about 2 hours on a baking sheet. when finished cooking, scrape the soft inside of pumpkin into the soup.

*next time i will try a regular orange pumpkin, swiss cheese and baking the bread right into the soup.

the pumpkin i carved earlier, already rotted. booooo. i replaced it with these two. i used a little scotch tape and spray paint magic.

celebrity husband

thats right, my husband is a celebrity. eh well kinda. 

parable painting has a killer article in philly magazine home edition.

ethos has a really good shout out as well.

check it.

maine.

we are backkk. we had an amazing week in maine.

i tried whittling down the pictures i wanted to share, but i still have so many.

 

 fall in maine.

 

 funny that.

 

i may have eaten exactly my body weight in seafood.

 

aw willy. camden hill park.

 

stopping for lunch.

 

adorable portland.

 

bubble pond, acadia national park.

 

oh i miss my blog.

 

trail around the pond.

 

i seriously didn't pose for this. seriously.

 

haha, he is so cute.

 

favorite glasses....broken. tragic.

mt. pemdic, acadia national park

temporary farewell

i am leaving. 

everyone, do not freak out. keep your composure.


my amazing willy is taking me on vaca for a whole week. uh, thats not even the BEST part.

i have NO idea where we are going! he has planned our entire anniversary honeymoon and not given away any hints (he is terrible at keeping secrets, so this alone is amazing) so while i am gone, don't forget about me and this little blog you visit every now and then. i will be back and i'm sure i will have stories to share.

but for now here is a granola bar recipe from ina garten i made for our trip.....

2 c oats
1 c nuts (i used raw sunflower seeds, but slivered almonds is recommended)
1 c shredded coconut
1/2 c wheat germ
3 tbsp butter
2/3 c honey (i used 1/3c honey and 1/3c agave nectar)
1/4 c brown sugar 
1 1/2  tspn vanilla
1/4 tspn salt
1 1/2 c dried fruit (dates, apricots and cranberries is what is in the orginal recipe, but i just used cranberries)

toast oats and coconut for 10 minutes at 350. mix them with wheat germ and nuts in a large bowl. bring butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt to a boil in a small sauce pan. pour over dry mixture. line a 9 x 12 baking dish with parchment paper or tin foil. spread mixture in baking dish and press the mixture down. bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 300. let sit for 2 hours before cutting and serving.

soooo farewell everyone and see you next week!

fruit chips

i'm still in the midst of using my 20 lbs of apples. not wanting to let them be wasted, i pulled out our dehydrator. not something i would normally have on hand, but our thoughtful friends ed & mary gave it to us for my bridal shower.

 in luuuuve with this machine!

just started with apples...

then on to kiwis...

to pears...

finally strawberries.

its a loonngg process, but they taste so yummy when finished. dehydrating allows you to save the fruit without cooking all their vitamins and good stuff out.

please come borrow my machine. i won't be jealous when you fall in love as well.

remake soccer mom sweatshirt

seriously, how many times can you remember as a kid seeing a mom in this get up? she usually has the matching sweatpants with the elastic band around her ankle? the hanes her way special!

 when i saw this jewel

at target for $5.49 i already had big plans.

simple plans. nothing flashy. no bedazzling here.

cut from shoulder to shoulder.

-voila-