That's What Friends Are For!

Some friends are there for the good times, they are there when you need someone to go out and party with and laugh with. Some friends are there for the bad times, always lending a shoulder to cry on. There are friends who know you inside and out, friends who no matter how long it's been since you've seen one another you can pick up right where you left off. There are friends who can make you laugh and think and smile. My friend Ruth is all of those things so it was so great to spend a day with her at Epcot for a little Food & Wine fun! We talked, we laughed, we acted silly and we ate and drank of course!



Ruth has gotten me through some really rough times, she's been by my side through some really great times and once many years ago I tried to fix Ruth up with Mike - this was long before Mike and I got together and something we all laugh about now! Ruth has an ability to know what I'm thinking and to keep me from getting in my own way and I love that I can be 100% myself in front of her. We don't spend as much time together as I would like but it's certainly more time now that we live in the same state! And now we have more fun plans on tap for the future which I am super excited about. So stay tuned for more stories and photos from my adventures with Ruth and thank you Ruth for being such a great friend all these years - you may be the younger one but you are also the wiser one! Love ya!

Congratulations Yankees!!!

Ok there has been some serious blog neglect going on here for which I apologize, I promise to get back on track starting right now!!



I can't imagine that I haven't blogged since the Yankees won the World Series - it was a serious big time event for me. I think I'm still riding the high from the win and going through some baseball withdrawal. It's no secret I love baseball, it is a sport I've shared with my dad. I have so many great memories of going to games with my dad and watching the games on TV and now that we live far apart we still share our love for baseball and the Yankees - as soon as the last out was made in each and every post season Yankee game - win or lose - I would call my dad and we would talk about it. Of course who doesn't want their team to win the World Series but I wanted this Yankee win so bad I could taste it. I was a bundle of nerves during each game and they all seemed to run late so I was sleep deprived as well. Poor Mike watched as I paced, bounced, cursed my way through games and then they won and the feeling was incredible! My dad and I talked of course, excited, emotional and just happy. I watched every minute of the post game show, I sobbed as I watched players that I have been following for years celebrate and for the next several days I wore Yankees shirts! I truly wish I could have been in NYC for the parade but hey maybe next year!!

at Magic Kingdom

Happy Hauntings!!

I love Halloween! It doesn't matter whether we have plans, or if we are dressing up I love to decorate and make treats and wait for Trick or Treaters! This year we went to our complex Halloween party which is a first for us usually we skip those things but since we've been hanging out with Anna and Tom so often they've encouraged us to be a lot more social! We had such a nice time. We didn't stay for the whole party because they didn't have any food Mike could eat and he was hungry but we enjoyed the costume contest and just chatting with some of our neighbors. I think we are both enjoying knowing our neighbors!

On Halloween we decided to stay in and hopefully greet Trick or Treaters, sadly we only had 2 trick or treaters but that's two more then we had last year so things are looking up! We made this quick and simple chili dip as a snack and I made one of my favorites hot dogs wrapped in crescents and stuffed with cheese of course! And Mike roasted some fingerling potatoes! We hung out and ate and watched Ghost Hunters and then I watched the Yankees win! This World Series is completely stressing me out! I also made a super delicious Halloween cocktail: A Candy Corn Cordial! This was so delicious and boy did it pack a punch!



Now that Halloween is over I've been taking down the Halloween decorations and replacing them with Thanksgiving decorations. I'm going to have to see what new crafts I can whip up for Thanksgiving since I'm already missing the spooky projects I put together for Halloween!!

I painted the frames and pumpkin in a fun metallic purple and then I created the images with House of 3 Halloween goodies, embellished with a couple of cool flowers and gems and created a little scene on the counter!

I've been trying to fight the urge to get ready for Christmas but I just can't help it and I've already been buying presents and mentally decorating the apartment. This year I am hoping to win the porch decorating contest! Wish us luck!!

Living Life One Adventure at a Time!

For several weeks my dear friend Gabby has mentioning us training together to run a 5K in March, this is a idea I resisted - I have long been of the opinion that you only run when chased - but suddenly last Tuesday I woke up and decided I would indeed embark on this adventure and train for the 5K, I would give running a chance. What do I have to lose right? I could certainly use the energy boost, and I could absolutely use loosing some weight, so I woke up bright and early Wednesday morning and started my training! I'm taking it really really slow! I'm using the Couch-to-5K program, since that is exactly what I'm doing and it is basically intervals of running and walking, building up stamina and on off days from running you do some form of strength training. So I've been doing it for just under a week and I absolutely already feel the difference in my energy level!! I will keep you all posted on my progress but it's something I really want to take seriously! Wish me luck!

My lovely friend and neighbor Anna has been spoiling me by taking me on little adventures. She will call in the morning and then whisk me off to places that I've yet to explore here in the area. Last week Anna took me to Lake Alfred where we explored beautiful shops, lunched in an amazing tea room and bought goodies at a tea and bake shop. It was so nice being out, exploring a hidden gem and talking to Anna, gathering ideas, sharing thoughts and stories just an all around pleasant day and it gave me a chance to take some fun photos!

Inside the adorable Bake Shop!

Outside the tea room & bake shop

Thursday I was off on another adventure! I took Zanne to Epcot for a day enjoying the Food & Wine Festival! We took so many photos (you could tell we are both scrapbookers and crafters) we tasted yummy foods and enjoyed the fact that the park was pretty much empty. We explored nooks and crannies of the park that we hadn't thought to explore before and we laughed and enjoyed a day of girl time. The time spent with these fabulous gals and embarking on a new physical challenge has left me inspired and ready to create and to face each new adventure head on!!!



Halloween post coming soon...

More Fun Fall Festivities!

My goodness October is flying right by. We are a week away from November and I can't believe it! But even though we are already making Thanksgiving plans and I already have a couple of Christmas presents purchased we are fully enjoying the Halloween season. On October 15th my fabulous husband took me to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party. Now Disney is always a place where the young and young at heart can let go and be kids and just have fun and this is certainly true at Not So Scary. Because it had been so warm here in Orlando Mike and I opted to not dress in costume I just wore a Halloween t-shirt and we called it a night. It was so much fun running around the Magic Kingdom, trick or treating, watching the parade and fireworks, taking photos with characters and riding the rides. It was a great night and just nice to be silly with Mike.





Mike had to go to California but this time instead of hanging out alone my grandmother decided to pop down for a quick visit. We had such a good time, we went out to eat, we shopped, we went to Epcot for a little Food & Wine Festival Fun and I took grandma to a character breakfast and that was just the best! My grandmother is just the cutest, I love having time with her and hopefully I spoiled her just a tiny bit even though it still wouldn't come close to the way she's spoiled all of us through the years!





Now I'm happy to have Mike home and we've had a nice relaxing weekend catching up with all our TV shows and tonight I actually made a new recipe tonight - Penne a la Carbonara, it is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and can be found here. I've always shied away from Carbonara because getting the eggs just right makes me nervous but I guess I didn't have anything to worry about because we thought it was delicious and Mike keeps looking at me and thanking me for dinner so I guess I got it right!



Now this week I'll be gearing up for Halloween and making tasty trips to give out to friends and family! Stay tuned and I'll be sure to take lots of pictures of course!

Off The Page Challenge!

I am late in posting this but I assure you Mom and I both had our challenges done on time last week and I have to get my act together and do this week's challenge which is due tomorrow!

Ok so this last challenge was to extend page elements off the page. This is something I had never done though I love the look of it I wasn't brave enough to try it on my own pages - until now! So for this challenge I opted to kill two birds with one challenge and I not only fulfilled the Off the Page elements but I completed another page for my online class that I'm determined to finish even though the class is over. You'll see that I used a Heidi Swapp tab and clocks as my off the page elements.



The funny thing about my mom's Challenge layout is that she also used clocks. We find that a lot of times we use the same theme or elements which if funny because we aren't working on things together, I guess it's true great minds do think alike haha! I love how mom stapled her tags and tickets to the top of the page I think her layout is fun and delicious!



I hope to post the next challenge in a timely fashion so stay tuned!!