Happy end of summer seashell wreath. To begin we have to go back to last spring when I made a burlap wreath with fresh flowers. Then it got boiling hot so I switched the flowers for faux succulents. Slowly but surely the blistering Arizona sun has transformed the lovely burlap into a rather orange mesh mess that wasn’t very pretty. I needed to take it down but wasn’t quite ready for a fall wreath. Going back even further, four years ago, in our old house, I had made a shower ... View the Post

I don’t know about you but here in Phoenix the last thing I want to do is turn on a hot oven during dinnertime. We’ve been enjoying several delicious salads and Shrimp Louie is one of our favorites. You begin by layering a large platter with washed and dried crisp lettuce. I like the butter variety for this salad. In the center place a generous mound of delicious cooked shrimp. Next add in tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado's, lemon slices (to squeeze over salad), olives, and hard boiled egg ... View the Post

I want to start off by saying that in terms of accomplishing any home DIY projects this summer I was a complete and utter failure. The man cave did not get its much needed room makeover because the space was perfect for building forts and hosting sleepovers. The baseboard trim and doors did not get painted because I was too busy reminding my kids to pick up their shoes. The guest bathroom vanity didn’t get a fabulous “AFTER” shot because the “BEFORE” remains along with several bits of ... View the Post

Today would have been Rembrandt's 407th birthday. Let’s celebrate! Self portrait ~ 1659 as seen in the National Gallery of Art. After a wonderful weekend in the Virginia beach area we headed north to the Washington D.C. area to visit our cousins L, C and B. If you are a longtime reader you may recall we last visited in 2011. (Click on the highlighted links to find past posts of our visits to Arlington, Monuments Near the Great Basin, and the MLK Memorial.) One thing that I didn’t write about ... View the Post

Over a week ago I shared with you my personal challenge to travel for almost 2 weeks with just a carry on. (You can see the pieces I included as well as my accessories HERE.) Guess what? I did it! Day one had me traveling across the country with just my carry on and a basket that acted as my “purse” containing my wallet, plane tickets, magazines, a book, healthy snacks and my beloved Canon camera. I wore a sweater as I always get cold on planes, a striped blouse, navy capri’s, as well as ... View the Post

As I mentioned on Wednesday we recently hosted a Bon Voyage themed dinner party at our home. A big hit was the tzatziki (pronounced za-zeek-ee). I learned how to make this from an elderly Greek woman named Fruly who was my Greek language instructor while living on the Greek island of Crete. You will need: 1 cup of good plain Greek yogurt (I prefer Trader Joe’s). 1 peeled and grated cucumber The juice of one lemon (you can add more or less to taste if you like). 2 large cloves of garlic ... View the Post