I absolutely love the look of this front entrance.  The combination of the black front door, the black iron lanterns and the boxwoods planted in those lovely urns create a feeling of elegance.  I am inspired to recreate my own urns at the moment as soccer balls coming from my sons' kicks seem to have destroyed my petunias currently planted in them. 

The stone walkway and steps are also stunning.....a project I also plan to take on with my house although that will have to wait for next year.  In the meantime, I will do my best to create an elegant entry to my home.  Off to source some beautiful boxwoods.......

For some reason, I always think of potato salad once the nice weather arrives.  And, the fact that I cooked up some new potatos on saturday night as I roasted a chicken, I intentionally made extra so that I could make a potato salad with the leftovers on Sunday.  I love making new meals from leftovers!

I wanted to try something new so I took a few different recipes that I had used before and then came up with my own.  It was delicious.  In fact, I was told that it was the best potato salad that one of my guests had ever had! Now that is high praise.

So, here is the recipe I came up with:

1 dozen new potatos cooked and blanched, cut in half

3 eggs hard boiled and diced

3 celery stalks diced

Whisk together 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon grainy mustard, 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, splash of white wine vinegar, dash of salt and pepper to liking.  This is the dressing.

In a bowl, combine halved new potatoes, diced eggs and celery.  Then fold in dressing so it is mixed thoroughly.  Sprinkle with chopped chives and paprika.  Let the salad chill for at least an hour to allow the flavours to absorb.  Enjoy!

P.S.  I also love adding thinly sliced radishes to a potato salad....alas, I just didn't have any on hand. Not only do they add a burst of flavour but also a very colorful addition! 

Today, as we head into the weekend, I want to share some of my favourite messages about Motherhood.  It is my most important and cherished role.....I love being a Mom and in particular,  to my wonderful 3 children who teach and inspire me everyday.  They make me want to be a better person.

To my children.....I love you more than you know.  Forever, and Always. xo

Construction in the basement is moving along and now that it is framed it is easier to imagine what the space will look like when completed. I had the boiler and hot water tank moved to a location that allowed me to design a more functional floor plan.  And in moving the boiler, all of the plumbing was updated as well which actually resulted in the system working much more efficiently.

 

I also had all of the exterior walls spray foamed and they are now being insulated. 

 We will be toasty warm! I am also having many pot lights installed so it will be a nice and bright place to spend time.  Ultimately my goal is for it not to feel like a basement.  Apparently my contractor thinks I will have the best basement in the neighbourhood!

A friend sent this to me recently.  I had seen it before but didn't ever really reflect on the words and their meaning at the time.  It seems to be more poignant these days.  

Decorating a home, decorating your soul...it stems from the same premise.  Determine your values, and what your purpose is.  What do you want to teach and what is that you want to feel good about at the end of the day.  Whether it be creating a home of warmth and welcome, or a person of integrity and grace, we all learn the lessons we are meant to learn.  Embrace and be strong! 

Hooray!! Summer is here!!

Thank goodness for sunshine, nice weather, green grass, blossoming flowers and spending time outside on the deck or patio.  This is what summer is all about!

This deck is fabulous.  Southwest exposure, it is a sunny and warm place to enjoy nature sheltered from the wind.  It was here when I purchased the house so besides some landscaping, I really didn't need to do anything besides buy some deck furniture.  Again, I bought these wood loungers from Ikea along with the cushions and they have proven to be so useful....whether sitting out with a friend sipping wine or my kids lounging together bantering back and forth, or listening to music.  It has become another room in the house now which we use quite frequently.  In fact my daughter and her friends had a little picnic out there the other day!

With the addition of hurricane lamps and candles, it becomes a cozy place to enjoy a beautiful summer evening as well.  Cheers to summer! 

The first week of June.  My kids are writing exams and it is time to eat well, exercise, drink plenty of water and ensure we are getting enough sleep.  It is also time to prepare for summer sundresses, swimsuits and shorts....maybe not in that order! I am always looking for new and interesting ways for my kids to drink water.  Keeping ourselves hydrated and replenishing particularly after exercise or activity is one of the best things we can do for ourselves.

Try this recipe for water.  I keep it in a glass carafe in my fridge.  Very refreshing and it helps to flush out toxins and maintain a flat belly!

Detox Water: 2 lemons sliced, 1/2 cucumber sliced, a few mint leaves and 3 quarts of water.  Infused it creates a natural detox helping to flush impurities out of your system and also helps the immune system against illness.  Simple yet so powerful!