SAN MARZANO TOMATO PLANTS

Ciao! Here is a pic of my San Marzano tomatoes:

I am probably only going to yield about 10 actual tomatoes from the 2 plants. Next year I'll plant about a dozen and see what I get. I usually buy the canned San Marzano peeled tomatoes for my gravy/sauce - they definitely have a better flavor...

ETSY

OMG! I was perusing etsy.com and found the store for drinacat. Look at these scrumptious creations:

I'm especially loving the pink & mint green outfit for Mia's birthday next year!

(photos courtesy of http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5783509)

LUSH discontinued...

my beloved Skinny Dip buttercream. How can this be??? They discontinued the liquid version a few years back - which I loved even more than the solid. I'm very upset...

Isn't this a great pic???

That's my son swinging on a tree at my friend Brooke's house. 

And of course I have to add a pic of my daughter with my friend's daughter in NH:

Baby girl's legs look so long!!!

Changed my mind...

we are going with the Benjamin Moore Sidewalk Gray. It looks much more sophistcated and, in a way, neutral. Now I need to find some gray bedding/accessories. Any ideas???

Playhouses & Pots

Me likie-like these. Check out the prices...wholly guacamole!!! All are from PoshTots:

$48,830.00

$23,400.00

$122,730.00

And my new obsession...buying some colorful enameled cast-iron pots/pans, a la Le Creuset:

Love the colors! (images via Williams-Sonoma)

New Hampshire

We have been in NH since Friday. The previous 2 days were wonderful, but today is overcast, rainy, and quite chilly - more of the same tomorrow. It's easy to go stir crazy with the kids up here. But I do love being on Lake Winnipesaukee. There are some quirky stores and the vibe is just chillaxed...

Decisions, decisions...

I think I narrowed my gray paint choices to:

BM Sidewalk Gray

BM Ice Cube Silver

Sidewalk Gray is deeper than the Ice Cube Silver. I only have a square sample of the SG; I am going to put another coat of ICS over the square on the wall and then decide. The ICS is definitely sexier, which is apropos for the bedroom, no???

AGA & VIKING APPLIANCES

There is probably no way I'll ever have these appliances in my kitchen, but if I can dream for a moment these would be my picks...

These both come in beautiful, vibrant colors:

AGA 6:4 series - a combination of gas burners and electric cooking

AGA Heat Storage Cooker - fantabulous!

And say hello to this bad boy:

Viking 48" Custom Series Range w/8 Burners

I really enjoy cooking and some day hope to redo my kitchen. Even so, I'm sure the budget I'll have won't allow for the luxurious items I covet  :-(

Functional Shutters...

add such character to a home. Looky look:

Today I am thinking of...

POSITANO, ITALY

The most beautiful place I have ever seen is Positano. My friend Michelle and I put it on our itinerary by chance when we went to Italy/France many years ago. We drove from Rome, through Naples, Sorrento, and the Amalfi coast. Absolutely breathtaking!!!

This was a similar view from our room at the Hotel Miramare, Positano:

Having cappuccino and breakfast out on the patio was pure heaven! 

All Things Beautiful...

For children, women, and the home.

For the Home: my new obsession is picking the perfect gray paint for our master bedroom. Our master bath is a wonderful shade of midnight blue - gray will complement it beautifully. Alas, I am going to have to buy some BM samples and throw them on the wall to see what I like best. I am thinking about:

 

BM Sidewalk Gray

 

BM Silver Lake

BM November Sky

I'll try those samples so I can see them throughout the day/night. I think I'm grooving to gray walls with white trim. Modern but classic...

For Children: I have a 4 year old boy and a 1 year old daughter. It's hard for me to rationalize spending tons of hard-earned cash money on clothes/shoes since they get destroyed or grown out of so quickly. But here are a few of the dream items I'd like to buy my little princess:

 

The above dress is now on sale for $26.00 at http://www.sandboxcouture.com/girls-clothes-couture.html 

I might have to indulge!

 

How scrumptious is that dress for a 1 year old cherub??? Only $97.00 at http://www.sidestreetboutique.com/Infant-Girls/

I LOVE GEOX sneakers for my little man:

 

The GEOX store or Nordstrom sometimes has a 50% off sale; I don't mind paying half price. They are great sneakers and worth paying $25.00-$35.00 for as opposed to full price.

For Women:

I ADORE LUSH products, especially this:

 

Skinny Dip Buttercream...to die for! It smells like cloves, sage, violet...DIVINE!

Also, this product is rocking my world in the summer:

 

SEDU Sea Salt Spray ($8.99 at folica.com)

I have thick, curly, frizzy hair; I spray this in my wet hair and let it air dry. It reminds me of John Frieda's Beach Spray which is no longer made; a bottle of that is selling for $186.00 on Amazon.com...WTF???