pleasure in simple things

summer skies at the beach

July 1, 2022

I definitely have a thing for clouds. No doubt about it. I am fascinated by them.

I love it in the summer when I have a little down time and I can truly appreciate the sky – especially in the evening.

Though my daughter much prefers a cloudless sky over the water – the kind of sky that creates a watercolor of pink painted across the horizon – like this one,

I prefer a cloudy sky. The clouds provide an endless variety of unique skies and reflections of colors. The photos I am sharing here are just a few examples – none are altered with filters or in any way – they are just images taken with a phone camera.

During the bright daytime sky, the clouds still provide endless beauty. . .

I hope I have inspired you to look to the sky this holiday weekend and to be mindful of the clouds!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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philadelphia flower show 2022

June 24, 2022

I have been to the Philadelphia Flower Show in years past. Hailed as the world’s longest-running and largest indoor show in the country, it is hard for any flower lover not to visit at least once in their life!

But I have never been to the Philadelphia Flower Show since COVID. And since COVID, there has been one huge change to the show – it moved outdoors from the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Because of the change, I was especially excited to visit the show this year – my first with the outdoor venue.

The site for the show since COVID has been FDR Park – a 348-acre park located in South Philadelphia along the Delaware River.

The venue turned out to be really great – even though the day my daughter and I chose to attend was a 94-degree day! Yes, it certainly was hot, but we found some nice breezes and some shady spots to rest.

The food and drink options were fabulous with many great seating areas available. We chose to have a snack in the boat house which provided a shady spot with a picturesque view of the river.

Though I prefer white flowers over multi-colored and I am not particularly an orchid fan, the flower installation in the gazebo overlooking the river was my favorite! A profusion of multi-colored flowers, predominately orchids, dazzled in the space. The photos I share here are all from this installation.

My daughter and I hadn’t been to Philadelphia in quite a few years and we had many stops on our list! I am glad we included the flower show as one of our stops because it really was enjoyable – particularly because it was held outdoors.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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sea oat planting in amelia island

June 10, 2022

It is always enjoyable to do a little bit of a good deed. Sometimes it is incredibly educational as well. This was the case with my recent morning planting of sea oats!

On a visit to Amelia Island, Florida, I was privileged to have the opportunity to plan a community service project with a small group. Working with the naturalist at the Ritz-Carlton, we planted sea oats in the sand.

You may wonder what sea oats are and why we would plant them in the sand?

Sea oats or seaside oats is a tall subtropical grass that is an important component of coastal sand dune and beach plant communities.

Its massive root system is capable of holding soil and sand in place during extreme weather events such as hurricanes and tropical storms. This plant’s habitat puts it at the forefront of shoreline protection.

And because Amelia Island sand is the breeding ground for sea turtles, planting the sea oats is benefiting them!

Sea oats are so important in Florida that they are protected under regulations of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection! The plants cannot even be cut back or removed!

Planting the oats was a pretty simple project, but so enjoyable! Especially knowing we were also helping out the turtles!

Commemorating the activity, I gifted each participant a key chain – (beautifully handmade by Ralph & Martha of Connecticut)!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are inspired to serve your own community in some small way!

Have a great weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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no-bake healthful peanut butter cup

May 20, 2022

These refrigerator peanut butter cups are a great, clean replacement for the candy ones. I make up a batch to keep in the fridge for emergency cravings!

A mini muffin tin can be used to make these, but I prefer the paper baking cups I find in Home Goods for a couple dollars a package. I make sure the label says they are food and freezer safe.

I make 12 per batch (242 calories each), but they can be made a little larger (10 per batch) if you prefer them bigger. I use all organic ingredients from Trader Joe’s.

Mix together:

1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup almond flour
1 cup peanut butter (peanuts as only ingredient)
½ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Dash of sea salt

Dividing the mixture evenly among the cups, press into 10 baking cups. Put the cups into the freezer for an hour to set.

Melt ½ cup unsweetened completely cacao chips and 2 Tbsp almond (or peanut) butter just until smooth. Spoon the mixture evenly over the 12 cups. Pop back into the freezer until set. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Tear off the paper cup to eat. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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early gardening

May 13, 2022

May is the time for gardening…and, it is the time when my creative spirit moves from the indoors to the outdoors. Typically, in this part of Connecticut, Mother’s Day is the ‘all clear’ for frost scares and it is on for planting annuals!

This time of year is so fun – using free time to visit nurseries to hunt for the perfect garden additions, adding plants to the garden, and planting annuals in containers. For me, this includes searching for the new and unusual in white plants/flowers. (If you follow this blog, you know I have what I call a ‘virgin’ garden – all the flowers bloom in whites!)

My garden is off to a great start! It looks as though all my plants are doing well – the established and the new!

I am starting off the season with just a couple of planted containers. I redesigned the basket by my front door with some spring annuals and planted in my grandma’s watering can.

A small start, but one that brings me great joy!

I hope you find happiness in a pretty plant that you walk by each day or a visit to a local garden store!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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‘beeing’ creative with clam shells

April 29, 2022

I have a love/hate relationship with bees. I am a gardener, so I love bees from a nature perspective. And, honey happens to be my sweetener of choice. But for all the good bees may do, some of them are extremely annoying! I have a major issue with carpenter bees at my house – they drive me crazy this time of year! And, a bee almost killed my favorite little puppy when he got stung in the throat by one! So, there is that!

Putting all the bad feelings aside, I know many people who keep bees and, who doesn’t love a good bee motif?

After I created some of the double clam shell decoupaged pieces from the last post, I started playing around with some of the single ones and created a set of shells as a gift for a bee lover.

I made a couple shells with bee designs and created a hanging shell as well to create a nice trio of ‘bee’ shells! (FYI: clam shells are much tougher to drill through than oyster shells! I forgot just how tough!)

I am happy with how these clam shells turned out and I am looking forward to creating some cute packaging for the set!

I think I may continue with my shell creations for a time – especially now that beach walks are more frequent with the milder weather!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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decoupaged double clam shells

April 15, 2022

You’ve seen me decoupage many a shell! Oyster shells are definitely my favorite to make, but scallop and clam are fun to do as well! And, since it is Easter week, I do have a bunny in the mix!

The procedure is the same as the one I gave you for the oyster shells. (Click here if you need the instructions.)

The only difference here is that I used clam shells and I used those that still had the two sides attached. I decoupaged both sides, being extra careful so as not to break them apart.

If you haven’t yet tried to decoupage a shell, I hope I have inspired you to try!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous Easter weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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spring at taken for granite

April 2, 2022

Here in Connecticut, it is still pretty chilly!

As we start to prepare for all things spring, I enjoy checking out the new spring goodies at all my favorite Connecticut gift shops! My most recent excursion was to Taken for Granite in Branford. I am sharing a little bit of my trip with you today!

Of course, I found a cute bunny or two!

And, there is always an amazing selection of jewelry:

As well as home decor:

Don’t these photos just make you want to check out all the spring selections out there?!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are inspired to check out this shop or one of your favorites!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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park hyatt aviara

March 25, 2022

It’s no secret that I am enamored with the state of California and It is always exciting for me to get the opportunity to stay in a hotel in there – especially when it is one that I have never experienced.

Recently, I had this opportunity during a work trip. The hotel I visited rivaled any hotel located right on the coast (my usually faves).

The hotel was the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad (about 30 miles outside San Diego). Even though I was busy working while there, the aesthetics of this hotel were hard to miss!

It is magical – from it’s foggy early mornings…

…to it’s late night “campfires.”

The food at the hotel is fabulous – with many healthful choices. I so enjoyed the assorted varieties of chia seed puddings at breakfast as well as the ‘chef’s choice’ of fresh juice each day. One morning this was a mix of orange, mango and banana. So yummy!

And, for cocktails, there are some fun choices from the “Mixologist’s Lab” – like my favorite: a Yuzu Jalapeno Popsicle – a cocktail containing a popsicle with a jalapeno frozen inside!

Unfortunately, because I was working, I did not have the opportunity to enjoy all the hotel has to offer. This includes a golf course, spa, and a Richard Blais restaurant called Ember & Rye (check my Instagram stories for some photos of this fabulous restaurant – overlooking a golf course and owned by one of my culinary heros).

I hope you enjoyed a little peek at this great resort in California!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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diy aussiedoodle canvas bag

March 11, 2022

I recently spied a canvas bag with a puppy pattern on a holiday clearance table in a gift shop. I thought it was adorable and wished it was an Aussiedoodle instead of the breed pictured on the canvas since my fave puppy in life happens to be an Aussiedoodle!

Then I started thinking – even if I found a bag with an Aussiedoodle pictured, it probably wouldn’t be a blue merle (his coloring) with one blue eye like my buddy Goose!