{Fresh Friday}

Well hello and happy Friday to you!!!!
My last day of spring break....boohoo:)
I have been super happy this week....the weather was absolutely fabulous {except for the past few days}!!
I've been lucky enough to enjoy some outside time! You know how happy that makes me!
Made dinner the other night and decided to enjoy it while sitting around the fire pit!
Good thing I had my handy dandy tray my grandma gave me to carry everything.

Yup....i'm in my pj's and yup they're even aqua blue!!! haha!

Here's what I made.....
A Summery Caprese Inspired Salad~


lettuce
basil
mozzarella
asiago
pine nuts
tomatoes
balsamic vinegar
yum....yum...yum:)

I also made

Blackened Mahi with Apricot Glaze
sprinkle on these seasonings....to your taste.

to me....the fennel's where it's at!! I love that stuff:)

Grill your fish and then mix up
apricot marmalade
honey
lime juice
cilantro

and put it on your fish after it's grilled!!
I am telling you.....it was fabulous:)
Sweet....salty.....hot....
just a great mix of flavors all in one bite.
Even L.C. couldn't help but to beg for a little bite:)

She didn't get any.....I anjoyed it all myself:)

Of course I enjoyed a little vino with my dinner!

Picked up this wine at the Sawyer Garden Center.....cute label....the dog looks like Ruby.....but not a great wine! I am no wine snob but I know what I like and I just didn't love this vino! Owell....you win some you lose some:)

This week was so fabulous because there was sooooo much happening in nature I could hardly stand myself:)
I love the outdoors and could live in tent if it didn't get so darn cold around here!

The dogs were very happy campers to be outside so much this week:)
Had ducks in the pond:)
How cool would that be if they had babies here!!!!!
I think they were pretty happy......maybe it's all the daffodils! Remember when I planted all of those last autumn?!?!

Then if all that weren't enough......

We were watching TV the other evening and found this little guy hopping around the living room!

It cracks me up because he is just COVERED in dog hair! I don't even know how he got inside...maybe it's because we always roll with all doors wide open!! haha! He probably thought he'd just come in and check it out!

Anywho.....I love the sound they make in the spring! I know spring is really here when I hear the toad's singing:)

Too bad he had to go back outside:(

Hope your week was swell!!!!

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. ~Margaret Atwood

{Happy St. Patrick's Day}

Hello and Happy St. Patty's Day to you:)
Usually we go out on St. Patty's Day...it's the day my husband & I met 10 years ago:)

but this year....it was absolutely gorgeous out when I got home from work..
Just look at that sky~ sunny and 64 degrees...
I just knew there was NO way I was going to some smokey bar or tent party today!
Good thing my husband agreed:)

I decided to keep the spirit of St. Patty's Day alive and just do a little yard work in my green pants:)and you know my yard work outfit just wouldn't be complete without wearing some beach inspired, shell flip-flops:)On any other day...I would have come home and ran and did a little p90x or something like that....but once the first nice weather of the spring season hits...I just can't force myself to spend the time running or doing p90x.

I just like to come home....throw my things in the kitchen and head outside for some good old fashioned working out. Raking leaves that is:)

I definitely think running or cycling and lifting weights or doing yoga is super important...but every once in awhile it's just nice to get outside and put in a little hard work in your yard.

Plus...I still think it counts as working out!!! And I enjoy it....bonus:)



I also encouraged my husband to get a little "workout" in by having him tear out this crazy bush that was in the front of our house!What a hard worker...

I am sure he's burnin' some calories...but my guess is...he really doesn't care:) after I was finished with cleaning up around the pool area...

I had to come out and check in on the progress...Of course....with my trusty wine:)

Probably negated the calories I just burned raking...but owell...I was happy:) Yep...i'd say it already looks a ton better!!
I think i'll plant some black eyed susans there this summer!!!


Of course...I couldn't stop there.

I decided to give the girls a bath....outside...with the hose. brrrrr.....I don't think they were too happy with me....I think they look pretty and smell great now:)Even the kitty was happy today!What a great day!

See..no need to go out and formally exercise all the time. Sometimes it's nice to throw caution to the wind and just get out there and be active:)

Hope your St. Patty's Day was happy whatever you did.

Oh and thank you so much for all of your ideas on my fireplace!! I appreciate it:)

I did decide to paint the fireplace! Here are all the creamy white paint samples I picked up the other day! Now I just have to decide on just the right shade:)

If all goes well ..... I'll be able to share the finished product with you on Saturday and then get to make lots of simpledaisy jewelry on Sunday! woohoo!!!!

“If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.” Win Borden

{sunshine}

Hi there and Happy Wednesday....

I have to say that when you live in the midwest....it really is the little things that make you so happy!!!

It was finally sunny today...for the WHOLE day....and I can't believe the difference in my energy level. I was HAPPY~ Nevermind the snow everywhere....

Just look at that sunset!

I got home from the gym and starting driving my husband nuts with all the projects I want to accomplish by summer:) Good thing he loves me!!!
The one thing I love....love...love the most.....is being outdoors and working in the yard in the summer!

I think i'll start with the pond.

The pond in the winter...The pond after I built it last summer.... and how I want it to look this upcoming summer:) I love all the little plants around the pond...it just looks so cozy and happy:)

Then I found this cute little beach garden...

I definitely want my husband to build some wooden planters that I can put all around the pool and fill them with beach grasses!

Hey....if I can't move to the beach at least I can try and bring the beach to me:)

I think I might even put sand in them so they look super beachy! I'll show them to you this summer!

It is so amazing....one sunny day in January and I am starting to get all ready for spring:)

I am dreaming of just being outside and looking at all the pretty flowers.Oh....I just can't wait! It's like having ants in your pants for spring:)

Lastly...this is a big goal of mine for the summer....but NOT sure if it will happen this year...but remember our little firepit we built?!?!Cute....but what I really want is a fireplace that looks something like this....

with a pizza oven and underneath an arbor like this...
Happiness....pure happiness! Can you get on all that honey?!?!
Poor guy....he doesn't even know what I have planned for him!!!

Well have a happy Wednesday and hopefully it was sunny in your neck of the woods:)

"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost." H. Jackson Brown, jr.

{it's hot}

And I couldn't be happier!!

The pool is finally warm enough to swim in....

After a nice swim it's great to take a little nap on the loungers!
Oh who am I kidding I don't nap....I have too much energy to nap~

Maybe Ruby will take a nap on them!
Speaking of Ruby....she's growing like a weed~
My little baby is growing up. She doesn't even look like a puppy anymore...



Life in the Midwest is interesting for sure! We go from this...
To all of this~
Flowers bursting out everywhere~
I love geraniums...they always make me think of my grandma~
Black eyed susans are just so happy~
The lemon yellow of a daylilly~
Makes me think of a perfectly sunny morning~

I think clematis blossoms are really charming and cute! I wish I could plant them everywhere!The astilbees just glow in the morning sun! I don't think I could be any happier! Lots of people that live in the Midwest start complaining when the temperatures start climbing like they have been....me...I just enjoy it!! We wait all winter for this....

To me there is nothing happier than just tinkering around in the yard all day sweating..I am in pure bliss right now!

Hope you have a super happy day~

"Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it." William Feather