mama's house

***

whenever the world feels like it's crushing my soul, all i need is a visit to my mama's.

her yard is like a dream where the lilies dance in the breeze, life is slow and sweet, and the air smells of southern magnolia.  i spent the majority of my childhood here and coming back always feels right.

terrariums

***

this past friday, i had a little extra time in my day and made these easy terrariums.

i already had the bowls and just put a layer of pebbles in the bottom and covered with potting soil.

i stuck those little plants right in there and gave them a bit of water.

ta-da!

weekend

***

this was a weekend well spent.

and productive.

friday i was up and at 'em pretty early.

i picked up some new flowers and herbs from lowe's, planted those on our deck.

i made a couple of easy terrariums. (more to come later)

friday night, the hubs and i had dinner at chorizo's in asheville, followed by treats at world coffee.

saturday was spent running some errands and then a cookout with dear friends.

and we can't forget the citrus-basil sangria.

sunday morning was spent in the coolness of the morning and then a girl's day with one of my gal pals.

we had brunch at over easy cafe, wandered around asheville, strolled the mall, and shared laughs and wished we could live like this everyday.

moments of complete contentment.

home

***

there's something to be said about the comfort of home.

it's days like today when i can piddle around a quiet house in the early morning,

run errands, plant flowers, tend the garden, and watch the sunset.

even though we will be moving in the future, there are some aspects i will truly miss about our first place together, this place we call home.

biltmore

***

the hubs and i had a wonderful memorial day.

we spent the afternoon with my family wandering around the world's largest home.

we finally bought our season passes and cannot wait to spend lazy days here strolling the property and gardens.  every time we leave i anticipate the next time we'll be back.

here's to bike rides, lots of wine, endless photos and plenty of memories to make!

the market place

***

the hubs and i discovered a new (to us) place this weekend in asheville.

the market place.

all local ingredients.

and it's been around for 33 years.

where have i been?

it's my new favorite place and i'm already anticipating the next time we go back.

i had my first pimm's cup and i'm hooked.

there's lots more on the menu to try, from drinks to entrees to desserts.

it's the perfect place to spend a special evening or to make a dull evening special!

breakfast

***

sometimes all you need is to spend time in the kitchen on a saturday morning.

and this breakfast is quick, healthy and tasty!

for fluffy eggs i like to add just a tad bit of cream and for a kick i added a few dashes of jalapeno sauce.

just half an avocado, splash with fresh squeezed lime juice and top with cilantro.

spread raspberry jam on whole wheat toast.

and the kicker: a vodka cocktail, for breakfast!  YES!

i squeezed a grapefruit into a glass, added a bit of pineapple juice, a shot of vodka, and topped it off with club soda and ice.

a great meal to start your day off with.