Kindly Neighbors

I know that I've mentioned before that life in the cul-de-sac is pretty sweet. We are very lucky to be blessed with such awesome neighbors that are as close to us as family!!

One incredibly, thoughtful neighbor delivered this lovely bag of goodies to my doorstep yesterday.

What a nice surprise!! I've been in a bit of a funk lately, the husband has been away for awhile and it gets lonely and tiring doing the single parent thing 24/7. This is the same neighbor who delivered us a hot meal on an extremely busy evening when I had to be in 3 places at once and make sure both kids got picked up and dropped off at their various destinations. It warms my heart immensely to have such kind and considerate people living just a few doors away!!

Funny how a bag of vegetables can lift your spirit!

Can anyone identify the big, green, leafy thing? My guess is swiss chard, but what does one do with this green? Anyone have a recommendation?

Yellow tomatoes??? I never knew of such a thing.

Another thing I've never seen before, this cute little plant called a pincushion. Adorable! Walked into the grocery store this morning and this was the first thing I saw. Can't believe I walked out without buying one! My new philosophy, if it's little and inexpensive and makes me smile.......buy it! I want things in my home that put a smile on my face no matter how small they are.  Life is too short and I want to choose happiness, whatever form it comes in!!!!

Things I will slow the car down for......

A field full of crows perched on dead sunflowers, a very interesting sight this morning!

Pretty barns

A beautiful house!!!!!
This will get me every time.

Hello gorgeous!

AM Loveliness

As soon as the last kiddo gets on the school bus I usually head out for a morning stroll. I try to vary the route,  but it seems like I always pass by this little bungalow (mostly on purpose). It's one of my favorite! They have the most interesting yard, filled with so many plants and interesting objects. I really just want to stop and stare but I don't want to scare the homeowners. They have created such a lovely outdoor space, it must be a real treat to sit with your morning coffee in this little oasis! Wonder if I could get an invitation???

Their front yard is shaded by two very large trees. I love how the ivy is growing all over. Every summer the house is bordered by impatiens that do so well in this shady front yard. These homeowners certainly know a thing or two about curb appeal!!

I've always admired the stone work on this barn. Would love to take my kids pictures in front of it. My friend  Wendy almost bought this property, you can read all about it on her lovely blog.

Cute little detached garage that I would love to get my hands on! Can you see the possibilities here?!!

Pretty little fall display!

But summer is still blooming here in Pennsylvania!

It's the little things in life..........

Have you tried these yet? Chocolate and pretzels,  that's a winning combination in my book! But do ya know why it's only 90 calories? Look how little this thing is! Sorry, I like my snack just a little bit bigger!

Surprisingly, Walmart made me happy this week. They started carrying these little babies! My family loves edamame! I just love saying edamame, such a fun word. Anyway... now you can buy them in the freezer section shelled or unshelled. My kids actually like to suck them out of the pod, so for that fun factor I might revert back to buying them in the shell.  But the convenience of buying them out of the shell to toss on a salad,  it doesn't take much to make me happy!! Sometimes it really is the little things in life that can make your day!

I steam these babies in the microwave and then season with sea salt and a dab of butter. It's like eating candy! Ok, not really, but I promise you they are really, really good! Your kids may even eat them. Let me know!!

Exciting weekend in the cul-de-sac..............

I became the mother of a teenager, Lord give me strength!!!!

But let me tell you, I am one lucky mama! This one is a keeper!! Sure, we have our moments (actually a lot of them lately), she is after all 13 and what the heck does a 44 year old mother know??? Not much, I tell you. But this is one special girl and I can't wait to see what is in her future!

I know I've mentioned before what a creative spirit she is. She actually asked for duct tape for her birthday and she got a lot of it. Apparently so she could do a project like this....

This was a boring, old unfinished shelf that we never got around to painting. She transformed it with a roll of zebra duct tape. She actually ran out of tape. So when we restock, she is going to finish the inside. I think it looks amazing and something I would never have thought to do.  

She is also quite the photographer. All these images came from her camera and I put them in a collage frame for a Christmas present.

This girl has big plans and I'm just along for the ride! I can't wait to see where we go!

How Old Are You?

These two homes look like they have been around for centuries. If walls could talk.........(one of my daughter's favorite HGTV shows), would be fun to imagine the treasures you could find inside homes like these! My home has been around for about 7 years, so unfortunately not much history or architectural interest on the inside. If given the choice, I would definitely take an older, more mature home with modern updates( got to have the central air!!) How about you? How much history has your home seen and if you could pick brand spanking new or more mature, what would it be?