When I hear music it makes me.....

feel old!!!!!

Then, an instant smile comes across my face. I just LOVE that beat. (:

My nephew, Tre' had his 7th birthday party at Skate World! It was loads of fun for the kids, and no one broke anything, so I would say it was successful. Happy Birthday Big Boy!

I wonder if those are the same brown skates we wore at mine and my brother's double birthday party 25 years ago??? Hmmmm. They sure look the same. The place hasn't changed much either. Scott and Mary were even there, running things just like old times. Hope you all enjoy this blast from the past post. This song was my FAVORITE to do the "shuffle". Oh man....are we old?????

Harvest Moon

Happy Fall everyone! Today is the first official calendar day of Autumn....day of the Harvest Moon. Oh, how I love this season! For my mantel, I wanted to put a pumpkin on a pedestal. I roamed around Jo Ann's looking for the perfect one, when I came across this paper mac he' pumpkin. He was the perfect size and shape. I found some glitter paint, came home to my artsy girl, and set her loose. She painted the pumpkin perfectly, being patient and giving him several coats. After a few days, he was done, and what a gorgeous gourd he is! I LOVE him. He sits on the mantel looking sooooo bling, and Amanda Lily is so proud of her job well done. Mr pumpkin will be a keepsake that I treasure for years to come. Oh, and he was much less expensive than the others I had my eye on. (:

A Great Steak

I have the easiest recipe for a wonderful grilled steak that I've been meaning to share. My father in law, who happens to know what he's talking about when it comes to food, taught me this long ago. He said "you don't need much when it comes to steak" The secret is to look for and pay for..... good meat. My personal fav is Fillet Mignon, George is a New York Strip guy. I happily pay for publix greenwise meat, because by the time you go to a restaurant and have "so so" steak, you could have bought the good stuff and prepared it yourself. I am super envious of you girls who live so close to The Fresh Market, because they have AWESOME red meat. So worth the $ in my opinion. The only steak I eat outside of our family is Charlie's Steak House, and that is reserved for special occasions only.
To prepare 4 steaks, mix the following in a bowl:

Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp coarse sea salt
3/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp oregano

"Paint" mixture onto each side of steak, and let steak rest at room temp for a few mins. Grill to your liking.

PS...the song in the background is SO BEAUTIFUL to me. although I don't personally relate now, I know everyone can at some point or another in their lives. Maybe past, present, or future. she has such a beautiful voice that it just speaks to me.

FALLING FOR FALL

scroll to bottom of post for homemade mulling spices recipe

So, I was trying my very best to wait until the calendar start of fall to do my fall decorating around here, but I just couldn't do it. The moment the switch was flipped for me was last night around 7:45 when I was out riding bikes with Steven. There was a cool breeze in the air....it was beautiful out! First thing this morning, I put on a pot of mulling spices, and had George help me climb up in the attic and get out my "FALL" sterilite tubs. Out with the summer, in with FALL!! I'm working on something special for our mantel, so I'll have to blog that another time. Also, notice the early candy pumpkin that makes it's way to my bar counter at the start of fall every year. The kids love it, and are old enough to make good decisions on how much to have, although, I'm sure there are a few "sneaks" here and there. All it takes are a few minor decor changes, and you'll be seeing fall in no time! I hope you enjoy the transformation photos and the simple recipe for mulling spices that will have your home smelling like Autumn.

Homemade Mulling Spices

1 sliced orange

2 whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

*Simmer in a medium pot on your stove, or put in a small crock pot on low.

Yia Yia's Birthday Surprise

Happy Birthday Yia Yia! The kids and I went over and made a special visit to Yia Yia's restaurant today. We were so excited to bring her cupcakes (I made Spice Cupcakes, her fav) and see the special delivery she received earlier today. Pete, Heather, George, and myself all went in on her present this year, and it was such a delight. This red 3 wheeled bicycle was delivered to her around 11:00 am. She was soooooo surprised, and called to tell me it was the best birthday present ever. Now she can ride around with the kiddos in her neighborhood again. You see, she used to have a 3 wheeled bike that she found at a yard sale for $3. It wasn't much to look at, but she loved riding it while the kids rode their bikes. Well, a couple of months back, she loaned her clunker to a friend, and it ended up being stolen. Now she has a sparkling new one.....she can be a stylish Yia Yia.