my workspace....

this is my little creative space..........I love this room! When the sun is shining it just fills the room!

When we purchased our home years ago, it was in need of major renovations. This room had to be completely gutted. We exposed the old beams, refinished the wide pine floors and added more windows and replaced the old ones, repaired the fireplace and more. It has lots of vintage charm! I am outgrowing it though, so my sweet & very handy husband has begun renovations on our antique barn, circa 1779. I'll post some before and after pictures during the summer months of our progress.

hockey, plus...........

well, hockey season is wrapping up so I'm thrilled to have more time soon to dedicate to growing my business...........more updates on that to come.

For now, here's the "chilly" crew:



Abby is going after the puck against a much bigger player.



oh, and Emma just informed me that she wants to join the girls hockey team just like her big sister. She's training already............



6 days of tournaments in New Hampshire and Cape Cod coming up in the next couple of weeks. Craziness!

bittersweet moments............

Abby loves to bake and cook with me in the kitchen. I treasure these times together. She recently pulled a cookbook out from the bookshelf and asked about it. "The Butterick Book of Recipes and Household Helps" circa 1927. It was her great grandmother's cookbook and one that I will always treasure. It's worn, yellowed and tattered. Upon opening it we found little recipe clippings, handwritten recipe tips and more. It's like opening a door to the past. "Mem" is missed so much.

Abby asked if we could make something in it and she chose "cream puffs" since we already had the ingredients.

voila...............






Here's the recipe to share and impress.

Cream Puffs

1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter or shortening
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Add the boiling water to the butter or shortening, bring to a boil and stir in the flour thoroughly. Remove from the fire, let the mixture cool slightly and add the eggs one at a time, beating in each one for some time before adding the next. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased pan about two inches apart, shaping into a circular form and having the batter a little higher in the center. Bake one-half hour in a moderate oven (360 F.). If these cakes are removed from the oven beforee they are thoroughly done, they will fall. Take out one; if it does not fall, the others may be removed.

Cool and split partially with a sharp knife. Fill with a cream filling, whipped cream, or fruit mixture.

*we whipped up heavy cream, added a bit of vanilla and powdered sugar!

Do you have a favorite family recipe? Please share!

testing......

Just purchased a new backdrop for my indoor pictures ~ it's called mocha and I love the warm hue it gives my pictures. Caleb and Emma volunteered to "test" out the new background, there is much tweeking to do. I just love these little faces so much. These two are as close as can be. She'll play street hockey with him and he will attend her tea parties.