I love going through my Instagram feed, especially while riding the train, first thing in the morning. You people take good pictures, while I play with apps and filters and pretend like I know what the heck I am doing. Photo apps are so much more forgiving, they make even the most...meh, it's a drawbridge...image worth an extra 3 seconds of non-scrolling. Today, I took this picture of one of my favorite little coves along the water (in between the Raritan River and the New York Bay) and a drawbridge...but, well, the poor drawbridge can't help its utilitarian feel. I... Read more →

In an ongoing effort to cut down on the clutter (or clut-tuh, if you're from Jersey), I decided to re-arrange our kitchen counter (AGAIN!) and, while I was at it, organize myself a lovely little coffee station. Because COFFEE!!! But the sugar bowls were taking up way too much counter space that we already didn't have and yes, I said sugar BOWLS: one for me and one for my husband, Garth (not his real name) who prefers the alternative-type of sweetener (a.k.a. sweet-nuh). I remembered my MIL gave us a box of stuff, that was never added to the yard... Read more →

Last month, my dear friend Beth (a.k.a. Life in The Bat Cave) took it upon herself to reach out and spread a little holiday cheer by organizing a Blogger Ornament Exchange -- sort of like a cookie exchange, only different. So, I signed right up and guess what?!? I got paired up with Beth :) Now that we're smack-dab in the middle of the holidaze -- you know, that constant "Uhhhhhhh, what year is it, again?!?" feeling you get in between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day -- and because my contribution to the ornament exchange got to Beth's house safe... Read more →

I've been crocheting for exactly a week -- here's my first project, it's a slouchy hat, which my middle girl borrowed and then forgot to give back, accidentally on purpose -- and I've crocheted a total of six hats, two of which don't really count, because they were either too big or too small and I had to unravel the whole gosh-darned thing, but I didn't realize that they didn't fit until I was finished crocheting them, so I guess they really do count, right?!? Ugh, this using both hands at the same time thing...to make something that someone would... Read more →

My grandmother taught me to crochet, but we never followed a written pattern (it was ALL in Nagy Mama's head) and, although I know the difference between a single crochet and a double crochet, I am a very visual thinker: my brain is like Google images and Pinterest speaks to me. Crochet patterns, not so much. Long story, short (you're welcome!): yesterday my borked-up back decided to remind me just how borked-up it could get, but being laid up with a borked-up back frustrates me more than not being able to read a crocheting pattern. I tried to follow the... Read more →

My youngest daughter and I were cruising the aisles at Michael's (a.k.a. our second home, besides Home Depot and Lowe's, especially at this time of the year) and it didn't take long for me to remember why I try NOT to make it a habit of going into Michael's...with Hope...too much. Her head starts to shake, then both of her arms begin to twitch and, I swear, you could almost hear the electrical wiring in her body crackle, as she starts to make a mental note of all the things we'll need, for all the projects that we could do.... Read more →

Now that we're a couple of weeks into the new school year (gosh, but how I love September!) I feel it safe to say that the kids seem to be adjusting rather nicely to their schedules and by nicely I mean: They have gotten up on time Remembered to get dressed Eat breakfast Aaaaaand, to open the storm door BEFORE trying to exit the house The fact that their mother (that would be me) still seems to be going through some freaked-out and totally irrational form of latent-nesting, not so much. My son started his freshman year in high school... Read more →