Tiny Person Tuesday: He’s ONE!

October 9, 2018 By Carole

Our tiny person turned one last Thursday and his mom and dad threw him a terrific birthday party on Saturday. They all love the movie The Greatest Showman so they went with a circus theme and it was adorable.

I made the banner for his smash cake.

And a clown crudite platter.

There were cupcakes with lollipop balloons made by my friend Caroline.

And cupcakes with animal crackers made by my friend Sean.

And a smash cake, of course.

Hannah helped Jessica with the table settings and they were adorable.

Colorful and bright and completely on point for the theme.

The favors thanked everyone for making Jack’s birthday the “greatest show”. Soo cute!

Grampa came dressed as the Ringmaster and I think Jack spent a fair amount of time looking at him and trying to figure out how come he didn’t look like Hugh Jackman. (I’ve wondered that myself on occasion, I will admit.)

Everyone sang Happy Birthday but Jack only had eyes for that cake.

As my friend Leslie said, a baby and his first cake. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Happy First Birthday, little Jackie! Your family and friends love you so much!

53!

September 21, 2018 By Carole

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Eye Candy Friday to say: It’s my BiRthDaY!

And this is what 53 looks like around here:

Okay, so technically that’s 52.999 since I took it last night right before we went out to dinner. And yes, it’s edited, because I’m a photographer and no photo is ever the best when it’s straight out of the camera. But it’s still my truth. Some fine lines on my face, gray in my hair (I stopped highlighting it over a year ago now and I’m glad), more weight than I’d like . . . but that’s me and I’m okay with all of it because another trip around the sun sure beats the alternative.

Have a great weekend!

The Birthday Dinner

September 25, 2017 By Carole

Just a warning: today’s post will make you hungry. #sorrynotsorry

Back in July I told you that we would be visiting Just Right Farm for my birthday dinner. We went Friday night and when I tell you it was amazing just know that I could be using so many more adjectives! The weather was a huge disappointment as it was rainy and windy and, in the words of my darling husband, “probably the worst night we’ve had this year.” He was pretty spot on with that description but Kimberly and the staff at the farm rose to the occasion.

Generally at these dinners the guests arrive and have a cocktail (it’s BYOB which is pretty sweet) while wandering the grounds, feeding the goats, and admiring the bountiful vegetables and gorgeous flowers. Since the weather was utterly uncooperative on Friday the cocktail hour was set up inside the antique farmhouse. While I would normally have been disappointed by this change, in this instance I was actually pretty happy about it. I mean, we had already toured the farm back in July but we hadn’t been able to go into the house. With this change, we got to see the gorgeous house, meet the chefs and the kitchen staff, and relax on couches while we waited for dinner. Win-win, I tell you.

Dinner was served in the screen house, as always. It was warm and cozy inside, probably made even more so because of the blustery conditions outside. We were greeted by this stunning arrangement of kale and hydrangeas.

And on the same table as the flowers was a big framed menu. I already knew what we were having (it had been posted on the website on Wednesday) but I love how they present the menu and I took this photo so you could see. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

The screen house is set up with long tables, encouraging conversations and meeting new people. I wondered how that would work – if we would have to secure a spot and how we would decide where we wanted to sit – but that was all taken care of as our seats were assigned. I was happy with that arrangement, honestly, and when we found our name we saw that the bottles of wine we had given to the bartender on our arrival were labeled and waiting there for us.

This is not the first course but rather a little extra something. Dale, being a wise guy, took a photo of this and posted it on Facebook saying how anxious he was to get to the rest of the dinner! It was so yummy, though, that I could have eaten another spoonful or two. It was chevre with a dollop of hot pepper jelly and a fennel blossom. So simple and a great combination of simple ingredients.

This is the first course and I have to say it was my favorite. Grits and greens with housemade smoked sausage. It was an explosion of flavors and they were all fabulous. The creaminess of the grits with the crunch of the greens and the smokiness of the sausage was just incredible.

Course number two, a sugar pumpkin and roasted onion soup, was Dale’s favorite. The bowls were placed in front of us with a sprinkling of pepitas and crispy bacon on the bottom and then the soup was poured into each person’s bowl by a server sporting a little carafe of soup. It kept it piping hot when it was served and added a bit of flare to the presentation as well. And it was very good.

Next up: beautiful tomatoes (grown on the farm, of course) along with an eggplant confit and fennel slaw. You know what? I grow tomatoes and they are good but these were fabulous! Sweet and vibrant and really wonderful. The eggplant was flavorful and the fennel with a bit of caraway was terrific. What a fun take on a salad! There was also a bread station set up at this point and the bread was amazing as was the herbed butter.

Finally, the main course, and as you can see I started eating before I remembered to take a photo. It was roasted cod with blistered tomatoes and a really silky and delicious lemon and shallot sauce. The cod was set on sliced roasted fingerling potatoes and it was perfectly cooked.

But wait! There’s more! Dessert! It was roasted apples with an almond cake with caramel sauce and bourbon whipped cream. It couldn’t have been more delicious. The apples were perfectly cooked, firm but tender and very very flavorful. The cake was fabulous, I love anything with almonds.

Then, for the chocolate lovers in the room, the chef came around with a chocolate ganache tart. Talk about fabulous! The chocolate was rich and smooth and so decadent.

And decadent just might be the perfect word for the entire evening. Luxurious, too. Everything was perfectly cooked and presented with style, it felt more like a performance than a dinner. I originally said we’d just go this one time because, let’s face it, it’s a big splurge. But now that I have gone and now that I know how amazing it is, I can promise that we will go back!

Three On Thursday: The One About My Birthday

September 21, 2017 By Carole

Tradition has been that Dale writes a post for me on my birthday. This year, however, he didn’t meet the editorial deadline and I find myself having to write this one myself. You know what, though? It’s okay. If I have learned one thing in 52 years it’s that . . . wait . . . I bet I can come up with three things instead of just one thing . . .

I have learned that life is short and people matter more than things. I lost a brother when I was 17 and another when I was 31 and then my mom when I was 32. You don’t go through those kind of losses without realizing that there are no promises when it comes to your own longevity or anyone else’s. And what that teaches you is that you need to say the things you need to say while you can. Because no guarantees. Telling people you love them matters. A lot. Other things that matter a lot: forgiveness, trust, understanding, and recognizing that your own standards aren’t necessarily anyone else’s.
I have learned that the key to happiness is being satisfied with what you have. Would I love a fancy house with lots of closets and a gigantic master bedroom suite? Kinda. But on the other hand am I willing to sacrifice to get that? Not so much. I love that Dale and I have jobs that allow us to be together a lot even if they don’t pay us a lot. I love that our mortgage is low and that we live in the same house we have lived in for our entire married life. I love that we live next door to Jack, that both of our daughters live within walking distance, and that we can see our family frequently and easily. So, yes, there are things I would change, but I’m content with the way they are right now. And being content is way more valuable than a master bathroom. (maybe)
I have learned that it’s never to late to live an authentic life. To try new things. To go outside your comfort zone. To stand up for yourself and how you want to be treated. To spend time with people who matter because time is a precious commodity. To be true to yourself and to be present. Because being present is really all you have. And, best of all, it’s enough.

If I can add one more thing I have learned, it’s that birthday wishes make birthdays much much better. Yes, that’s a hint and I hope you’ll take it and leave gobs of comments today. Thanks, friends.

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Happy Birthday, Dale!

June 26, 2017 By Carole

Today is one of my favorite days of the entire year. It’s Dale’s birthday. He thinks it’s funny that his birthday is my favorite day and not my own but I don’t find that funny at all. He is such a gift to me and the day he was born is the day our journey towards each other began. Sure, it took us 44 years to get there but I’ve been reveling in the joy of knowing and loving him ever since.

We’ll be celebrating vacation style today. I told him we can do whatever he wants (except visit a fort, I mean, come on) and so far the only thing I know for sure is that there will be lobster. I’m good with that. (Also, the fact that we almost always have lobster on his birthday might be part of that whole favorite day thing.)

Happy 66th Birthday, Dale. Congratulations on another trip around the sun. And thanks for all of the love, joy and laughter you bring to my life.