POD: Picture of the Day

I found this little guy while I was shooting a wedding in Northern Minnesota.  I thought he was pretty special and I'm sure by now he's morphed into something even more beautiful.  

I processed this photo using Photoshop CS4 and used some textures from Florabella.  Go check out their awesome actions and textures.  Her Luxe actions are to die for.  I own them all and use them all the time! 

Afternoon Entertaining

Last week my grandma came over for a visit, she mostly wanted to see the kids but I thought I would fix us a nice lunch to enjoy as well.  This was all incredibly last minute but it pulled together lovely.

On the menu:

Deli Sandwiches

D'Amico's Chicken Gorgonzola Salad

Fresh Fruit

Kettle Chips

Italian Soda

For the most part, I had most of the items for our lunch, but made a quick trip to Super Target to pick up a few of the things I was missing.  

I served up a variety of deli meats (ham, smoked turkey and salami), lettuce and tomatoes from the garden, both cheddar and provolone cheese, some mustard and mayo and some fresh italian bread and an asiago loaf from the bakery at Target.  The asiago loaf is one the best breads for sandwiches and it is freshly baked each day and the best part is that you can get a whole loaf for $.99!  It's a steal and tastes oh so gourmet!

I threw together a fruit plate with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and grapes.  The kids loved it and it was a nice compliment to the sandwiches.  

I picked up some Chicken Gorgonzola pasta salad from Target as well.  It is made by D'Amico's and delivered daily to the store.  It is one of the best pasta salads I've ever had.  It has sundried tomatoes, bacon, spinach, chicken and is tossed with some pasta and a gorgonzola dressing.  It is really worth the $$$ you pay for it.

For our beverage I picked up some Wildberry Italian Soda from Archer Farms.  It was nice and fizzy, pretty sweet but really good adorned with a fresh raspberry. 

I adorned each plate with fresh flowers from my garden to add a little prettiness to each plate, the kids loved this and it was a really simple touch to our nice lunch.

This lunch was very simple, it didn't take long to put it together yet the way it was put together was much more beautiful than just pulling it out of the fridge and throwing it together.  My grandma wasn't expecting it and I think it made her feel a little special that I went to the effort to put it all together.  We chatted, the kids played and it was a nice afternoon spent with a special lady.  

So tell me, have you hosted a nice get together with someone special lately?  If so, what little touches did you use to pull it all together?  Email your pictures and ideas to momssippycup@gmail.com and maybe your small gathering will be featured here!

These are a few of my favorite things!

I find joy in simple things on a daily basis.  I love playing around with the photobooth on my Mac.  I love how my 3 year old gives me random hugs that are so tight she shakes.  I can't get enough of the evening sun.  

I love, love, LOVE the Japanese Cherry Blossom line from Bath and Body Works.  You will find this stuff all over my house.  I have the handsoap, the bodycreme, the bodywash in my shower and I have this fabulous jar candle.  It is always lit when we have guests and it fills the house with a nice warm aroma.

I am also a sucker for the anti-bacterial foaming handsoaps they frequently feature for 5 for $15 or 7 for $20 (can't beat that deal).  I snatch up a bunch when they carry that deal and Kitchen Lemon is a favorite that I keep in my, you guessed it, my kitchen!

This is next item is a beautiful stainless steel wine topper.  It was lovingly monogrammed with my last initial and is super simple, chic and understated.  Just my style, that's for sure.  This was a lovely gift from some friends who know me well!

Wine.  Wine is a favorite thing of mine.  I especially love when my little wine cabinet is nice and full with a good variety of wines.  

I also have a strange affinity for figurines.  I love having odd things scattered around my house.  I find they make great conversation pieces.  This little gem was a gift from my mom for Christmas.  I just love this little chicken, it's quite small but I usually pair it on my island with a nice fresh flower arrangement in a simple mason jar.  Perfect for my kitchen!

And my little piggy.  Love this little guy.  He's bright and pink and makes me smile.  My kids love it too.  Sometimes I'll catch them with him, a big no no for the monkeys, he's heavy and made of glass.  Not kid friendly!

Just wait until I feature my little owl, he's the best!

What are some of your favorite things that make your day a little brighter?  Do you know of a product I need to try?  Submit all your favorite things to momssippycup@gmail.com and you just might get featured here!

Super Duper Friday

My day started out very normal.  The kids and I headed to playgroup, I knew I would be needing to grocery shop before the day was through, with all 3 babes in tow, the laundry would need to be tackled, but more importantly I needed to make the ever important wine run.  Our extremely small, and very local liquor store is always a favorite for me as the manager is very knoweledgable and has great taste!  He helped me pick out a case of fabulous reds that are sure to please me for weeks (yep weeks)!  I have my all time faves of course, but I am all about trying new things and getting new suggestions. 

The hubs is out of town for the weekend so as you can see, this wine run was very important.  You see, I'm stuck at home with the 3 babes, all.freakin.weekend.  Once my purchase was made, I remembered to ask his suggestion on what I should drink tonight.  He asked what I would be dining on and I couldn't help but chuckle as I imagined the gourmet dinner of cheese dillas awaiting me tonight.  He was a good sport and suggested I set the bar high tonight and try the Santa Rita Carmenere Reserva 2007.  Being that it was from Chile, I was really excited to try it as Chilean wines are a favorite of mine. 

I've never actually had a Carmenere so I really didn't know what to expect.  I expected to be wow'd.  Upon first tasting, I kind of felt slapped in the face.  I was hoping for something a bit softer on the palate but after 2-3 sips the flavor became quite smooth.  The tannins were nice and soft, no bitter aftertaste here.  This is a nice medium bodied wine with slight hints of fruit and just a slight peppery flavor.  It went well with my dilla and my afterdinner dessert! 

My evening rounded out nicely with a great glass of wine, some fabulous sorbet and a good book.  I just wish I could have said my kids behaved better!

Peace out mamas!