Yummy lunch or snack!

I actually planned on making certain recipes when I went to the grocery store last week. It makes my shopping so much easier, but when I get home, I actually have to set aside time to make said recipes.

This time it was Tiny Tuna Melts. I LOVE a good tuna melt, and love tiny foods ... so what's not to like? These were so easy, those of you with kids could have them help!

Gather the following ingredients:

* 1 can (3 ounces) of tuna, drained

* 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (I only had the fake stuff)

* coarse salt & ground pepper

* small crackers (melba toast, wheat thins, etc.)

* 1/4 cup shredded cheddar

Step 1:

Stir together can of tuna, mayo, lemon juice. Season with salt & pepper.

Step 2:

Heat broiler of toaster oven (or oven). On a foil-lined baking sheet, arrange 16 small crackers. Top with tuna mixture and cheese.

Step 3:

Broil until cheese has melted, 2-3 minutes. Serves 2.

YUMMY! Enjoy!

Who needs toys?

Just for the record ... if you are an Aunt and you have nieces ... don't EVER feel like you need to buy her toys.

All you need to do is show up with your purse in tow and let your niece play all she wants!

Here is Ellen, playing with my "walrus" or wallet, for those of you that don't speak 18-month old!

And here she is with her other new obsession, glasses!

Your day

Happy Father's Day!

I chose this picture for my Father's Day post for a few reasons.

1) It is a great family picture ... minus our additions since it was taken (Erik, Minnie, Ellen).

2) It is summertime and this was taken in late July many years ago.

3) It is funny to see us in old pictures.

4) It is a picture taken from Camp Waldemar, the camp where Molly & I each spent 7 summers between the ages of 9 and 16. Today for Father's Day, I gave Dad a book called P.S. I Hate It Here! It is a compilation of hilarious notes home from summer camp. Dad was the KING of sending us mail while we were at Waldemar. They even got us to record 1-sided conversations on blank tapes & send those home in addition to letters.

Thanks for being such a great dad, and for being the KING of so many aspects of our lives: planning family road trips, teaching us to keep our cars clean & gas tanks filled (even if I had to meet you in DeSoto for cash to fill said car), helping us with school projects (like staying up late to bail me out when I've procrastinated too long), sending us to great colleges, taking care of your Granddog & Granddaughter when needed, providing lots of laughs, sharing your love of photography with us AND supporting us in whatever we do!

Love you, Dad!

Seen on our walking route

{Yes, that's a mattress & box spring under the highway.}

{Tree completely covered by vine plant. It's GORGEOUS in person!}

{She stopped half way through our walk to rest a bit. Cars driving by laughed at us!}

{Minnie's new "friend" that we ran into on the way home. This poor turtle was awfully far from any sort of nature. I wonder how long it took him to get on the walking trail from his home.}

Who wants to join us on our next walk?

Loving the Photo Booth program on my Mac!

Ellen is now talking up a storm. Here we are talking about Me-Mee (Minnie), sew (TV Show), Be-See (Betsy), and she must have seen something that was po-pau (purple) across the room!

I can't believe how big AND vocal she's getting!

New York - Wedding celebration!

The last of the NYC posts. Here are some of the pictures that go with the wedding celebration on the Saturday that we were in town.

The beautiful Church of Saint Vincent Ferrer, just across the street from Katherine & Bruce's apartment.

We got inside & we were all awed by the beauty of this church! I wish my camera had the ability to take great pictures in the dark, because these pictures really don't do it justice.

Instead of a rehearsal on Friday night, the happy couple had an engagement party with all the wedding guests (family) and invited all their friends & coworkers so we could all mingle. When we got to the church, we had an impromptu rehearsal of the events of the ceremony. Everyone was excited. Katherine & Bruce were beyond calm!

The ceremony was held in the Friar's Chapel because there were only 18 guests, all family members. We sat in what would have been the choir members' seats along the sides. It was BEAUTIFUL!

I love this picture! It almost looks like a vintage picture. The chapel was the perfect backdrop!

Aunt Caroline giving a reading.

Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Crane!

Isn't this tile floor amazing?

We had a bus to take all the family across town to the reception. Of course, we had champagne to toast & celebrate.

The bus driver let us off a few blocks away from the restaurant. I loved seeing Katherine in her perfect dress & heels, marching down the street to get us to Prune.

The reception dinner was at Prune in the East Village. Katherine & Bruce picked the perfect location for all of us! The place was so small that we filled the entire place and they closed it down just for us!

Here Katherine and her new Father-in-Law, Steve drinking the signature drink of the evening, which was a mixture of 3 types of rum. I did not partake (because I would have been flat on my @$$), but I heard it was amazing!

The menu! I tried lots of new foods on this trip that I never thought I would have. Just at this dinner I tried shrimp toasts (yummy), and marinated white anchovies with goat cheese (was surprised by the flavor, but I don't know that I'll have again). I ordered the Scottish salmon (to die for), but tried Reagan's duck (very good) and Katherine insisted that I try the beef bone marrow that came with the beef pot au feu (don't need to have again). The white asparagus was great, too!

A little dance (and song) for the father of the bride & his daughter :) Very sweet!

Katherine & Reagan! We always love our time with these cousins ... let's plan a trip in the near future!

Uncle John & Reagan after dinner.

Here's a pic of my meal. It was all fabulous!

This really shows you how tiny the restaurant was. We filled the entire place. The rest of us sat at tables behind where I took this picture and to the right was the kitchen & the tiny bar.

Cutting the cake!

Ricotta ice cream with salted caramel croutons. The cake went with the ice cream perfectly, layers of caramel & buttercream. They also passed around oranges poached in a simple syrup. You were supposed to just slice into it & eat everything, peel included. Amazing way to end the meal!

Cousins picture! Hugs and Kisses!

Thanks for an amazing weekend! I'm not sure my posts fully explained what a great time we had, but I had fun sharing with everyone.

Whatcha think?

After some advice from family, I got an itch to go ahead and clean and rearrange today.

I moved the couch to come out from the wall like Mom suggested.

And moved the dresser into the corner where the couch used to be. Not sure I'm crazy about this placement. Maybe this dresser needs some paint this summer. I also wanted to take the drawers out & put baskets in their place ... that seems like a lot of work.

Minnie seems to like this spot, too. As long as she can bark at children, dogs, cars, leaves, the wind outside the window, she's happy!

I moved the "desk" behind the couch. It doesn't need a chair, just room to get into the file cabinet drawers. I also needed room for my drying rack.

And ... the bookshelf. Still needs sorting & organizing. That will have to wait for another day.

Whatcha think? Good rearranging, or do I still need help?

I need your help!

But please don't look too closely at these pictures :)

This is my 2nd bedroom on the first floor of my condo. It's set up to be an office. But let's be honest, it's really just become the room for all the crap I don't know where to put anywhere else.

Since it's officially summer for me, I thought I'd take all the projects I've been putting off all year & "assign" one per week for me to tackle. This room should be one of the easier projects.

I think it needs some rearranging and some organization. I don't use it as an office, except for the occasional day that I hook my laptop up to the printer to have a paper copy of something. I'm not married to the arrangement, and I'm sure it could be done better. I think I can even move the furniture by myself, so I'm not asking for any of your manual labor ... just ideas!

Minnie must have just discovered this room, because it's become her new hide-out during the day when I'm at work. She naps on the couch and I don't blame her. She can see outside & it's really cool in this back room for some reason. I'd like to move the couch away from that window for a few reasons: I don't like that you can see it when you walk down the hall, and that window started leaking with the BIG rain storm the other afternoon. The entire back of the couch was soaked. Not cool.

This is the desk I made out of 2 file cabinets & a piece of laminated plywood for the top. The dresser was found at an estate sale with Mom, and I do use all the drawers & my printer is currently on the top.

I've never sat at this desk. I don't even have a chair for it. 99% of the time, my laptop is on my coffee table in the living room. This is why I feel like I don't really need it set up like this. I will still need the file cabinets accessible since I use them for mail, bills & other things. Well ... my mail & bills should be in the drawers. Don't look at the floor where there are piles & piles to be filed. It's a lot like my classroom :(

This is the opposite wall. I have that small bookshelf which is full of things, but none of it is that important. That closet is full of all my craft supplies :)

And that's the rest of the room.

Ideas? Help? I'm looking for tips. You are all invited over to see the room in person & give advice. It's not a big room, just 9 feet x 15 feet. You don't have to move or pack up anything. You can just point where you think I should move things.

Thanks in advance for your help!