Inside your heart...

{photo by moi}





{photo by moi}

What are your plans for a new you...

a new year...

goals and aspirations....

will you dream big ....

living life to it's fullest....

one small change...

or a whole box of them?

I'm ready....

are you?

I know how to cook.......

Happy friday to you...it's been so long hasn't it.
oh....
i guess it's not quite friday yet is it.....
sorry...
it feels like the week has been flying by....
alright...
not really....
i realize it's only tuesday afternoon.....
but i thought i would go ahead and extend an invitation to you...
it's been so long since i've had you over...
come on in..
don't mind the snow though...
we had about twelve inches on sunday.
Oh...
one quick reminder...
watch out for the killer icicles....
because i don't do so well around blood...



Please watch your step coming in the front door.....

I don't know about you....

or your home...

but as for me...

i'm not a big believer in mud rooms...

nope...

who needs a mud room when you can just walk in the

front door.....

throw off your boots and jackets..

and leave them for someone else to pick up.

I realize you might have had a long trip through the storm to get here...

so i want you to make yourself at home..

feel free to peruse thru my new cook book...

it was a christmas gift....

and from Anthro....

ha ha...

no...anthro didn't gift me the book silly...

not that they owe me anything anyways...

really....they don't.

I know how to cook...

by the lovely Ginette Mathiot.

She's french...in case you were wondering.

Now....

because i haven't had time to whip up some

Escargots...

or...

Oie braisee aux marrons..

then feel free to come into the cucina....

errrr.

sorry...that was spanish for kitchen..

and i'm fluent in spanish...but not so much french...

so that might get me in trouble when i

get off the plane in france...

"donde esta el vino...."

see.....

at least the word VINO is known across the world...

it's the type of word that everyone should know..

don't ya think?

Alright....

where was i...

oh!

come on in and grab some cereal....

beggars can't be choosers you know....

it's either rice krispies...

apple jacks...

or frosted flakes.

The box might have been open for awhile...

so i'm really sorry if it's a bit stale...

but don't worry...

nothing a little milk in a bowl can't fix..

right!?

When you are done eating...come on over to the wine bar...

i realize it's a bit empty..

{the kids have been arguing quite a bit lately..and i've needed to set my clocks to five}

so..there is no good wine left....

only a little port left...

i hope you like port...

because i have an amazing recipe that i will share with you...

that is...

if you don't have to leave.

Now...

won't you come have a seat....

Alright....

before you make yourself comfortable....

let me explain...

i have had to give up my cleaning ladies...

yes...

i need to save some money for my trip to france..

and unfortunately....

i have forgotten how to clean up...

wait a minute...

those aren't my toys now are they....

sheesh....

what is wrong with my children!

Alright....

at least my house is a home..

it's lived in...

all 1800 square feet of it...

it can't be perfect all the time.

phew...

that felt better.

Unfortunately....i have a little one that does not feel so good.

I'm not quite sure if she really is under the weather or just wanted to get

out of nature camp today.

You see....

at last minute..i signed up both Mason & Lola for outdoor

nature camp.

It was for three mornings..and yesterday they went on a bear hunt..

well...

i guess Lola was just not to fond of being outside for three hours

following bear tracks around in the EIGHT degree temperature.

I don't blame her...

so here she is...

on the sofa in my bedroom...

missing out on camp today.

I do hope you had a good time hanging out with me.....

how were the frosted flakes and the port?

oh good....

yes..that was lovely...

i'll see you next time.

xo

p.s. thank you all for your votes on The Homies! I didn't make the top 6..but i came in 8th..and that means a whole lot..to even be nominated..so thank you very much!

Homies....

Oh...hello monday.

So..i woke up this morning to an email that my little blog had been nominated for an award....

seriously i thought...

an award?!

I actuallly thought this was a joke...

but apparently it's not.

First of all....i'm up against some seriously good blogs....

i mean...really popular blogs...

and i am not offended in the least that i wasn't put in the category of

home cooking

nope.....

not offended in the least....

cuz hey....

its an honor to be nominated at all.

So...read all about it below and then head over

here

to vote.
p.s. The $50 prize might help off-set that parking ticket i got....just saying.

xo

.......................................................


Shelter Bloggers Rule!
There are awards for all sorts of blogs, but no one ever pays enough attention to the shelter blogs, so we started The Homies. It's our way of surveying the blogosphere each year for the best new home design blogs and sharing what we find. It's not so much a competition as a celebration of the richness and awesomeness of shelter bloggers around the world. Join us, share your favorites and check out the ones you don't know.
There are five categories and none of our blogs or past winners are eligible. The prizes? $50 to the winner of each category and lots of traffic as we publish the five winners in a big congratulatory post across our network on January 6th. We want to elevate good home blogs, see who you love and gain awareness for the home niche.

Warm wishes to you...

In one word.......

Have you ever sat back and thought to yourself that you are being watched...

and i mean...

watched.

Not by some force of nature...

but something...like possibly ....

a camera.

candid camera possibly?

I thought for sure today that my life was indeed

being taped for that program.

Seriously...because how often do i come out and say..

that i am going to completely give in..

and have an entire week dedicated to the welfare

of these beings called...

my children?

A whole day....

*breath*

shall we start at the beginning....

yes...that sounds lovely.

We woke up this morning....to a beautiful snowfall...

just like in the movies.....

except i had to make my own coffee....

and get my kids dressed myself.

We had already discussed the plans for the day....

another train ride...but this time...a wee bit longer...

into the city of Chicago.....

it's about an hour and fifteen....but no worries...

i grabbed my skinny vanilla latte...

the kids had their hot cocoa....

and we hopped on the train..

{even though thoughts of sitting in my jammies sounded wonderful}




we arrived in chicago...got off the train and met bryan..

who's office just so happens to be in the same building as

the train station.

We had another hot cocoa...and grabbed a taxi over to

millennium park.

This is the place to be....one of the prettiest outdoor skating

arena's.....

oh.....

it was so pretty....

the snow was lightly falling....

christmas music was playing in the speakers...

it really wasn't very cold....

{thank god...because i didn't get a chance to go and buy a "real" coat}

but it was just perfect....

like in the movies....

that type of perfect.....






So perfect...that you just knew something couldn't be right.

yup.

we walked over to the line....the line that wrapped around

the entire rink....

the line to rent skates...

for those people that don't have their own skates...

yes...

that would be us...

and the 100 plus tourists from out of town....

in line....

that wrapped around the

freakin rink

with a sign that said....

two hour wait.

two. hour. wait. to .rent. skates.

my children were heartbroken.....

well...

not really Fin...

he pouted..but i knew deep down that

he was ecstatic....

because he knew he'd fall on his ass...

and i say that in the nicest way...

since there were no little holders for the kids

to hold on to...

they had to rely on mom and dad...

mom and dad...

who never ice skate...




I did get some lovely photo's of some other people's children skating...

and they were quite good....

it was fun photographing other children....

it's to bad my kids were on the side...
my crying children...
sobbing actually....








yup....

my kids were on the side...

watching other children skate...










After we watched the skaters for a while...

and got some fabulous photo's of

other people's children...
ahem.
yes..i managed to grab a photo of the husband and myself...
seriously....
it's better than crying children...
okay...
where was i.
oh...

we had some lunch...

grabbed another taxi....






then headed back to the hour and fifteen minute train ride home.
I really tried to think of my life in just one word...
so if you have one...
one word..that would fit..
please let me know.


xo

In the moment....

I made a promise this week to my kids.



I will live the moment all week with them....



in the moment....



and focus all of my energy into them.








Ahem!



I didn't say i would do everything that their little hearts demand..



but i would sure try....



that...i could do.



I am very good at trying.



So..my good friend sharon organized a train trip ...



we decided to take a train ride to a restaurant....



a kids restaurant.



It was really a lot of fun....






We found a darling independent book store across the street



from the restaurant.....



i was able to stealthily buy my kids some books and puzzles that



they had so quietly begged for...



we have a tradition of giving the kids books to open on



christmas eve....






The restaurant is called Toot Toots....



i know....



i was hoping that there would at least be some decent food..



but i had to remember that i was there with friends...



and we were there for our kids..



not us.



But...it was darling...there is a mini railroad track that runs



around the restaurant and on the trains...



the food is delivered.



Fin was in love....



he now no longer wants to be a garbage truck man...



he wants to be a restaurant worker...










I normally don't dress for the weather...



it's silly i know...



my friends had on their thick winter jackets...



something i still do not have....



hey...it gets me out of sledding...



grrr.



i guess i said that i was going to live



in the moment this week...



so i might have to take the kids sledding..



which means..i might need to go out and



grab a new jacket....



it might do me good when we



head into Chicago *tomorrow*



to go skating.



You heard me right....



we are heading ice skating.


Another train ride...lunch with bryan...


and a bit of skating...

I am going to savor each moment this week....

giving my focus on my babies....

and saying to myself...

it's ok that the laundry is piling up...

or the house is a disaster..

because...

i won't get this time back...

I want to be and live....

in the moment.

xo

* I am totally adding this * extra here. If it shall snow..then i totally have the right to refuse to do anything other than sit my butt in front of the tele and watch movies all day in my jammies.

Bliss bars for all........

Oh....hello there.
I just came home from a lovely evening at a friends home...and we started in on the wine at 4 p.m.
which means....
i might have a bit of a hard time with the whole spell check thing...
thank goodness for spell check...
that's all i have to say about that.
Oh...and the cookes that i brought home are a whole different story...
15 girls...with 15 different variety of cookies.....
sheesh.....

oh....and i'm sitting here watching my all time favorite movie...
have you seen it...
The family stone?
I love that family.....i could sit here for hours on end....watching it over...and over...
and please don't get me started on how we moms love our boys...
grrrr...
let me grab a tissue...and be right back.



I'm back....
sniff...sniff.
Where was i.....
oh well....
let me just say i have the most fabulous recipe for you...
just don't tell anyone where you got it...
because if you do...
then i might be put away ...
in jail.....
jail.
As in ...the chokee...
{i guess you have to know the movie Matilda to know what a chokee is...}

I will deny that i gave you this recipe...
let me just say that i know "someone"...
someone who used to work for my beloved starbucks..
and i was given it in strict confidential....
the recipe...
this recipe...
Cranberry Bliss Bars...
for all...

Bliss Bars:

{cake}

1 c. {2 sticks} butter, softened

1 1/4 c. light brown sugar softened

3 eggs

1 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1.5 c. all-purpose flour {I did not use the coveted trader joe's...just so you know}

3/4 c. diced dried cranberries

6 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks

{frosting}

4- ounces cream cheese-softened

3 c. powdered sugar

4 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 c. diced dried cranberries

*preheat oven to 350 degrees.

* make cake by beating butter and brown sugar together with a mixer until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger, salt, then beat well. Gradually mix in flour until smooth. Mix 3/4 c. diced dried cranberries and white chocolate into batter by hand. Pour batter into a well greased 9x13 in. baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is light brown on the edges.

Allow to cool completely.

*Make frosting by combining softened cream cheese, 3 c. powdered sugar, lemon Juice and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with a mixer until smooth. When the cake has cooled, use a spatula to spread frosting over the top of the cake.

*Sprinkle 1/4 cup of diced cranberries over the frosting on the cake.

*Allow the cake to sit for a few hours, then slice the cake lengthwise {the long way} through the middle. Slice the cake across the width three times making a total of 8 rectangular slices. Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.

Makes 16 bars.

*here are some changes that i made...and of course you don't have to...but it makes my life a bit easier:

I use the white chocolate chips instead of buying the fancy white chocolate...i also buy my cranberries in bulk at costco....and i also cut the bars in half so instead of 16...i can get 32 out of one pan.

But if you want them to look exactly like the ones...from say.....

starbucks...then go ahead and cut them as is.

I tend to make a double batch .......

because people are will be begging you where you found the recipe.

Enjoy!!

Now i'm going to go and wash the snot off my face from watching my movie back to back.....

xo

Weekend love...

I am late.

No...

not that type of late you silly girls....

I waited till the last minute to order my cards....

so i will be spending all weekend addressing them.

I don't know about you...but i don't have all my address'

saved on my computer.

nope.

I will be hand addressing them....

but you know what...

i am ok with that.

I might not be able to hold a pen come monday morning..

but my cards will be addressed...

stamped...and out the door.




I am also heading to a cookie exchange at my friends home this sunday night.

I have a love-hate relationship with these.

I love getting together with a bunch of friends....

ooohing....

aaahing...

over the cleverness of who baked what...

all the while drinking wine...

with the best part of dividing up the ooodles of

cookies.....

that come home and

evil eye me from the kitchen.

Gingerbread cookies calling my name...

lemon drops yelling profanities at my thighs...

cranberry bars pushing me off the scale.






I was at Trader Joe's a few weeks ago and came across a new line of their flour and sugar.

The sugar came in a pale pink bag...and i almost bought it...but i just couldn't...

but this blue bag of flour...

was toooo cute to pass up....

i might even break out the ole

french cookbook for fun.

Maybe even stuff a duck...

possibly oie braisee aux marrons...

that means braised goose.....

i don't think so.



or make some choux de bruxelles.

uh huh...

that's just a fancy name for brussel sprouts.

speaking of love hate relationships....

i found this galvanized tray on wheels at Ikea.

It is a plant pot holder....

but i had a different idea for her...

i have been looking for a lazy susan type

of tray for my kitchen table.

I've looked high and low...and came across this

a few weeks ago.

It's on wheels so the kids can slide it back and forth

as needed to grab sugar...some pepper...or what not.

I swear i always find the things i need at Ikea but

in a section not pertaining at all to the product in need.

I am off to measure some flour....

xo

Oh!!!

the three winners of the lola b package are:

*Piece of cake

*Shop with lulu

*Family matters

Brown paper packages...

Have you ever had one of those days.....


and i mean...


one of those days.


The type of day that is so full that your head starts to spin before you even


crawl out of bed.....


well...


i feel everyday is like this.....


which is just one of the reasons i closed my wee shop.....


to take a breather....


and even though my shop has been closed for a few weeks now...


i still feel like my head is just above water.


I swore that i was going to be a better mom....


but seriously...


i am living in some sort of dream....


do you ever have a dream that you are falling...


you wake with a start...


or a jolt....


only to wake up and find that you fell off the bed...


and your husband is still sound asleep...


then you think you probably hit your head...


which....


you know ...


for sure..


resulted in a concussion....








that seems to be the norm around here....


and i ran out of my tylenol pm weeks ago...


so i can't blame it on the drugs...


anyhoo....


i just wanted to let you in on the fact that


i do indeed still have kids...


knowing in fact that they probably


hate to admit that i am their mom.


Except when it comes to gift giving...


because i can wrap a mean gift.


that's the truth.


These gifts are for Fin's 2 teachers....


i found this lightweight craft paper at Ikea...


wrapped the gifts and then added some jute string


around it....


of course i then added these adorable colored pencils which


i found at Anthro...








So...i thought for sure...


this year....


i am so getting the coolest mother of the year award..


no doubt....


because while most of the


other


kids gifts were candy and wrapped in red and green...


my kids gift was uber cool because it was wrapped


by his uber cool mom.


yup.


That is....


ummm...


errrr...






till i was having coffee with my good friend after i had dropped off


fin at school.


You see.....


fin's holiday party at school was supposed to start at 10:30...and i knew


i wasn't going to be on time...


possibly 10 or 15 minutes late...


Let me just interject something here....the kid only goes to school


for 2.5 hours a day...


and i wasn't about to spend a whole hour of the 2.5 hours at his


holiday party....


so here i am thinking ...


i'll show up...


bring the camera...


and all would be good...







Things like that just don't happen in my life...


no they don't....


i was sitting having coffee....


and my phone rings ....


right at 1030....


1030 on the nose....


it's fin's teacher....


*hello mrs buick...


{at this point i turn around looking for my mother in law...}


am i the only one that still can't get used to being called mrs..so and so?


ahem.....


*mrs buick....this is fin's teacher....ummm...are you still planning


on coming to the holiday party....because we are waiting for you.


gulp....


spit my coffee out...


gulp again...


so i say...


ummm...yes..i'm on my way.


Let me say right here ....i really do try...


to be a good mom...


all i can do is try my hardest....


but it's never good enough...


so i showed up late...


but not that late...


and every mom and dad was there...


at the preschool holiday party.












Let me just say that the boy above is fin's best bud...

i don't want to say his real name because i didn't ask his mom


if i could use his picture....


but he's Italian.....


and they like salami....and roast beef....


they make real pasta....with meatballs....


yup....


they like to cook....


even made us dinner one night....


which my husband then fell in love with them...


a family that cooks real food.....


and their kids eat the real food they cook...
i hear you...
what does salami have to do with a holiday party...
not much at all...
nope...
not much at all.








xo

Au revoir...

I sit here at this moment at a crossroads.

I used to have this shop called Lola B's....it was an actual shop.....a brick and mortar....

and i loved her....

i loved being in the shop....

the smell.....

the people....

the craziness that happens when you own an actual shop.

Then fourteen months ago i closed the shop when i lost my lease.....

but it turned out to be a godsend because the economy had already started

to turn.....

and so i focused on my online shop.....

and started doing sales out of my carriage house in

the back.

I am feeling the tug still......the need to cut back....

because i have so many things going on in my life..

and want to focus my energy on some projects that

have presented themselves to me.

I still plan on having my occasional sales.....

starting back up in the spring...

but i feel the need to shut down my online shop...

most of you probably didn't even know i had

an online shop.....

because i rarely talk about it...

I don't know if it'll be temporarily...

i mean seriously.....

its been shut down for a few weeks here and there...

and i know you email me and want to know

what is going on...

so here it is....

the can of worms is being opened for you.

The shop might be closed for a few months...

or maybe a year...

i just don't know.

It's really hard being competitive in a market where shop owner wants to have their own look..

and i feel like i spend so much time trying...

only to find out that someone is carrying the same thing..

or found the same jewelry...

and even though my shop is all me..

and this is by no means an excuse..

but i just need to step back...

breathe...

regroup....

and focus my energy on some

exciting things that are knocking on my door.

I just want to say thank you to all who have made purchases over the last few years...

you will be missed.

Alright....so this is where a few of you will benefit from this little departure.

A giveaway!

I have so many items that i only have one or two of....

and since i won't be having a carriage house sale till the spring

then i am going to put together 3 boxes of goodies..

it'll be like an early christmas gift to you...

from me.

I can't tell you what will be in the boxes...or what it'll be

worth...

but it'll be fabulous..

full of Lola b goodness.

good luck girls....

there will be 3 winners.

xo

*blogging and/or tweeting about it doubles your chances! ends 12/17 at midnight.