• i had a dream i met stephanie nielson last night.  it was a good dream and she was so nice (totally what i expected, don't you?).  we're like bffs now and maybe i was even at her autumn dinner party (the record player was blocking my head, ok!)?  the cheese tortellini was sooo good, not dry at all steph, what are you talking about?!  

• in random conversation, are you semi-sheepish about being like, "oh, i have a blog."  i know before i actually had a blog and knew about blogs i thought blogs were like the means at keeping grandparents informed about the rate at which your child was growing (and they can be, theres nothing wrong w/ that peeps!) but now i realize there is a lot more to blogs but i have to remember that not everyone knows that just like i didn't before last year.  so i have to quickly add, "yeah.  its a big deal."  (haha no not really)

• and my obsession with blogs is like self-declared obession with voyeurism--not in a dirty way.  why do i care so much about your life?  i don't even know you.  i don't know why but i do and i love you and we're sort of like real life friends even though we've never met and is it awkward that i really do want to meet in real life so we can be more than just internet friends?!  phew, i'm out of breath.

• i love when blogs make me laugh out loud.  this is not easy.  it takes a lot for me to laugh out loud.  seinfeld... occasionally.  friends... occasionally.  forgetting sarah marshall?  yes.  but for real.  it takes some effort on your part so consider it a high compliment if you're getting laughs (i should have carly simon's "you're so vain... you probably think this blog is about you..." in my head right now), not that you would know because i am, of course, behind a computer screen all by myself.  but reagans blob makes me laugh out loud, or LOL if you will.  go there now.

• on that note, i don't link to many blogs or have a link list because i don't want to hurt feelings OR show how many blogs i do read because then it seems like i don't have a life.  just know that i read so many a day and probably looooove yours.  i follow like, oh, 100 blogs, but i have only linked to like five ever so no hurt feelings, k?  k.

• i semi-wish i had a fashion blog.  i won't be having one.  but some of them seem like so much freaking fun!

• even writing freaking, i'm thinking, "ok who reads my blog that will be offended by that?"  there are some conservative readers to be sure.  my blog'll have to stay clean.  my mind however... oh just kidding.

• i am random inserting photos because i am well aware that a blog post of mostly text turns away readers and this is really all about you.

Let's call it "meatloaf" for the sake of the kids.

This was one of my favorite meals when I was a kid.  I loved me some kidney bean loaf.  But, I grew up with a mother who believed in giving her kids fish oil and enemas and wheat germ (enemas didn't really fit there now, did it?).  So, all of that is to say that kidney bean loaf wasn't the weirdest thing that was on the menu.  When I first introduced this to my kids a few years ago however, I called it meatloaf.  I knew that they would decide, before trying it, that they didn't like it based on the title alone.  So meatloaf it was.  And they tried and and loved it and now the secret's out.  

Here's the recipe.  Give her a try.

Kidney Bean Loaf

(makes 1 loaf)

1 medium sized onion, chopped

2 T oil

2 c kidney beans or 1 can, mashed (I use a Cuisinart for this step)

1 c soft bread crumbs

2 eggs, beaten

2 c grated cheddar cheese

1 T tomato sauce

Brown onion in oil.  Mix all ingredients.  Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.

When it's all warm and you try to cut it, it will fall apart a bit.  Fear not, it's normal.  My family likes to put ketchup on theirs and the husband really likes eating his as a sandwich.

Gracie lounges on what she considers to be her chair.  She had just finished up a chapter of Pride and Prejudice.  She's feeling tired now.

Gourds in my pretty bowl.  This is my standard fall decoration.  I love these things.  And nothing says spooky like black candlesticks!

Pumpkins!  Look close or you'll miss em!

Glittery Halloween decorations, and I don't know about you, but I'm liking the use of purple in Halloween decorations this year.

Purple bat garlands.  Again, spooky!  Don't be too scared!

Husband working.  

This is a pretty standard site in my house these days.  I really do love him for all the work he does even if I try to distract him all the livelong day.  The usual times when it gets annoying is when he's talking to me and he is literally in the middle of a sentence (LITERALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF IT) and just stops talking because something else came to his mind having to do with his work.  He's publishing his thesis and it's hard stuff and he's a little bit perfectionist and for the record I love you for all you do for us even if it means I don't hear the second half of your sentences and am left conclusion-less.

Haircut alert!  I miss his long locks but he's much happier this way, and I semi-forced him to keep them long for like 2 years so, if there's any justice in the world, it's his turn to pick.

The little lady likes her oatmeal. 

I am dyyyyyyying to get to the Pacific Northwest.  I've never been and cities like San Fran, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are seriously calling out to me.  When The Bachelorette had that whole segment in British Columbia--remember?  When Deanna was bachelorette?  Or was it Jillian?  I can't keep 'em straight--on the train I was watching more for the scenery than the whole love connections/rose ceremony (just lied a little bit).  When I clicked on this link, I was all the more convinced.

I totally stole this from Stefany's travel dreams.  

I got remarried!

What?!  No I didn't.  This is most definitely still Tales of Me and the ONE Husband.  The real story is a friend asked for some help with his photography portfolio, and what girl doesn't want to get back in their wedding dress and play bride for a day?  You?  Okay, well, never mind.

I did and it was fun.  Here are just a few of me, by my lonesome (no groom in this mock wedding), pretending to be a bride again.

If you're in the Boston area and you need a wedding photog, consider Peter.

There are a lot of food blogs.  Some are incredible, some are not.  This one might beat them all.  Check it out.

Told you.

{via}

i made this for company the other night.  

it is always delicious, never ceases to delight the tastebuds.

advice: don't flip the chicken too soon 

or the coating will stick to the pan instead of the chicken.

it's barefoot contessa's parmesan chicken with arugula and lemon vinaigerette.

i looooove all her recipes.

i also got this.  for $14.99.  i bet you wanna know where.

and finally, did you know you can customize a bike at urban outfiitters now?

i think this is the one i'd get.

{found via here}

that's it.  have a good weekend.

Something about having a bit of shine makes me grin ear to ear.  A lovely dress paired with an ever so girlie heel would make even the most average night extra special. I could easily see a few buds from the garden looking rather decadent in a prettyvase. The linen pouch could easily make me giddy every time I pulled it out of my tote. A pink and gold note would be fun to not only send out but to use as well. This particular pouf I really do have and makes extra seating look ever so good. Reading a classic can never get old, but add a stunning cover and I will never want to put it down. Oh, and my love for a bit of shine even extends to my daughter, these salt-water sandals are already on her radar for next summer.

Thank you Bridget for allowing me to add a little dose of shine today on your most wonderful blog!

Paula from Two Ellie

I'm blogging over here too for my place of biznaz.  It'll be a mostly maternity & baby blog, but with all the babies in the blogosphere these days, perhaps it'll be a hit.  Maybe you'll even become a follower?  I foresee some giveaways in its future...

Of course, this is all under the assumption that you don't get enough of me already, which is probably not true.

Gracie's first day at the beach.

She loved it.  Couldn't get enough.  I think the whole salt water thing confused her a bit though because she blinked her eyes a lot (girlfriend's only used to lakes).  As soon as we got on the beach she pooped (thank the Lord Jesus I brought a bag) and while she was pooping, her ball was rolling away, and--she cannot let that thing out of her sight--so she was pooping, walking, pooping, walking... I wanted to kill her as I scurried along picking up droppings before the wave came and took them away.  If aliens were looking down, they'd really think dogs ruled, wouldn't they?  I felt a lot like Owen Wilson in Marley & Me.  I'm the dog-owner that gets all the other dogs kicked off the beach.  Luckily, that didn't happen.  Dogs are allowed on the beach here after September 15 so along with dogs... sometimes you get, well, poop.  But, I took her poop with me.

question: i am going to blow up a few of our pictures from our family photo shoot... problem is, i don't have photoshop and i want some cool filters put on them.  any of you either do this yourself or know a photographer who does?  i sort of know what i want and i can pay, oh yes i can.

music, nephew, and random things i am bookmarking these days.

the music i have on repeat these days...

  

are there any other seal fans out there?  i have loved him a long time...
his voice is soooooooooooooo lovely to me.
  

another nephew pic.

i cannot wait to smoooojjjj the little guy with love.  

i don't think smoooojjj is a word but its just what i want to do to him.

who chose "none, i hate it here." on my poll?
maybe you were just calling my bluff...
in which case, touché, my friend, touché.
but if you really do hate it here......
let's not go there.


i love this dress.

and $34.99?!  wish it weren't sold out of mah size.

sorry if you love it too.  

it's here, anyway.

these pillows.

aren't they so lovely?

(and the woman behind them is equally lovely--

we met at my friend's wedding last weekend).

she sells them online too.
  

i shared our love story (again).  are you sick of it yet?  

don't answer that.

go check out the beautiful sarah's blog. 

she and her husband are like living in europe and drinking wine and 

going to castles and lakes and markets... don't get too jealous.

and maybe read the condensed version of our love story if 

you aren't sure you're ready for the commitment 

of reading all four chapters that we've got here.

happy, happy birthday.

Ash went and got married.

You remember my friend who worked at O Magazine with the very cool save-the-date?  Well, that date we were supposed to save was this past saturday.  She went and got maaaarried to her man!  It was a totally lovely affair.  You'll see.

No detail was left undone--since Ashley is a bonafide graphic designer/artist, the whole aesthetic of the wedding was awesome.

Pretty risky, eh?  They arrived by canoe.  

Heather, myself, Ashley, Susannah, and Betsy... all of Ashley's super creative and impressive friends (seriously).

Details, details, details, and delicious husband.

Just WAIT until you see what this genius does with his photos of the wedding.  Seriously, click that link for some eye-candy.

So, that's the extent of it.  It was great.  Congratulations to Ashley and Jimmy!!