Every Once In A While

Every once in a while in the fall on Long Island we get a surprise, an Indian Summer day. When this happens we take full advantage because the winters can be long, wet, cold and rough!

Not too bad for a day in November -68 degrees.
So we headed to the beach, the Atlantic Ocean. It's my favorite place to go on a mild day. Lots of sounds, breathtaking views, the smell of salt water in the air and lots of shells, beach glass and drift wood(for signs). My son Shane.

Amazing, just beautiful!

Entertainment for the whole family and it's free!

Nothing like a little weekend volleyball game on the beach in November to relieve a little stress.

Me 6 months pregnant and it's a boy. Another little boy, Shane is pretty excited as are we.

My son-the jumper. I guess it's a phase but thank goodness for these sand drifts it wore him out! He slept good.

Some shells for the baby's room, I am thinking a beachy cottage feel would be nice.

Shane and I.

Ta da!

Today is a Gift

I am reminded today of what a gift it is to be alive.

I woke up this morning to “mom can I come in your bed?” My husband was getting ready for work and I was half asleep, gladly I said “sure.” My son Shane wanted to talk about his Halloween costume. Realizing he wasn’t going back to sleep I got up out of bed to get a much needed cup of coffee, I stood up and looked over at him and he was smiling at me, I thought these are the moments! I am a lucky woman to be here for this morning with my son.

Could you ever imagine not being there for those simple everyday moments with your child or children?

Three years ago today my sister past away unexpectedly leaving behind 3 children; a young boy and 2 teenage girls. My sister was an AMAZING mother, there for her children every step of the way. She was their biggest cheerleader and greatest fan.

They lost someone extraordinary that day, their lives will be forever altered and eternally changed. She loved them so immensely and they knew that everyday. Though she is gone the love she gave will transcend time and death. Those little everyday moments will be remembered and forever cherished and in years to come will be told in a story to her grandchildren or even their children.

Her legacy of love will live on and not be forgotten.

Be grateful today for all of you who are mothers and fathers. Embrace this day with your children, do something unexpected with them, for them. Hug them a little longer, tell them how much you love them, be in the moment with them, take it in, the way they look, the way they smell, their laugh, their smile and savor it.

Feel blessed you are here to encourage them to follow their hopes and dreams, to be unique, strong, confident, kind and generous in spirit. We get one shot at this to shape these young people, everyday counts, everyday matters, everyday means something extraordinary to them.

We get so caught up in our daily lives and the day to day grind of life (me included) that we forget to embrace each day and all the blessings and the people we are lucky enough to love and love us.

In memory of my dearly loved and deeply missed sister Jacquelin and in honor of her children feel lucky for this day with your children and loved ones, make it count, make it mean something.

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift, that is why they call it “The Present.”

I'm Back!

I know that some of you may have been wondering where the heck I have been. I have been out of the loop big time and I so apologize to all of my blogging friends for being gone for so long. I do have a good excuse. I am 16 weeks pregnant and I have been SO sick for most of it.

I was sick while I was pregnant with my son but not this sick, so many crazy things happened to me this time. While I was sick I spent a lot of time feeling guilty for not being over the moon and blissfully happy everyday. I am not sure many people who are vomiting everyday can be happy but just the same, I am a mother and an Irish Catholic, so yes guilty I felt. Until a routine doctor's visit changed my perspective. Feeling awful, like I had the flu I looked at a poster on the wall, it was a growth chart of a fetus and it hit me like a ton of bricks, "what an amazing miracle." Having a child already I have thought this a million times but this pregnancy was so hard that I spent a lot of time just getting through each day while trying to still be the best mom to my little guy. So anyways there I was looking at this poster and thinking how lucky I was, TRULY LUCKY to be a women and how blessed I was to be carrying this child. It's really is all how you look at things in life. If you start your day thinking and believing that you are lucky and feeling grateful and happy then it makes life that much sweeter, that much better and you realize it's all worth it.

Off to get something to eat! Have a great Saturday everyone!

First Interview and Giveaway

Lory from The Sunshine Studio has been gracious enough to interview me and with that she is doing a giveaway. She will be raffling off either my Maison de Plage-Beach House pillow or my new Tattered Flower Necklace.

I hope everyone is having a lovely summer!

Flower Frenzy

I love flowers, smelling them, growing them, looking at them but most of all I like wearing them.
Especially in the summer, throw on a cute little dress and a simple flower accessory and you're ready to go.
I thought I would share my new muslin flower necklaces and some other designs that I adore this season.

I love brooches of any kind so I thought why not combine them with some different textures. Necklace by City Farmhouse .

I just love the flower on this cuff by Paperhill.

The way the colors and textures play off each other is stunning.

This ring is by The Sunshine Studio .

Just delightful, these blossoms are by Pneumo .

This beautiful simple sage necklace is by Mia Beads .

How romantic is this darling Toasted Almond Ring by Whimsy and Ink .

A sweet addition to any wedding, a bridal flower cuff by A Alicia Wedding .

Tastefully simple are these vintage bobbi pins by Crytal Beutler .

Life Experience

It's this birthday that I am a little wiser, a little braver, and a lot more grateful for the many blessing I have. I embrace my years and my journey for they are molding me to be better, that is the beauty of "Life Experience."

I realize this year more than any other that my wealth is defined by my family and friends. It's the years that have been shared, the lessons that have been learned, the roles that have changed, the help that has been given, the tears, the joys and the dreams that have been shared, the support and the love but most of all it's been the "everydays" with them that have made me better, "richer."

Families are the compass that guide us.

They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.

-Brad Henry

A Special Birthday

Today is my 36 birthday!

My sister had a small birthday party for me, it has been years since I had a birthday party, it was really nice.

We were all talking and reminiscing, which I love. I love it because I feel like I missed so much growing up because my siblings were so much older and also because I forget things, a lot(pregnancy really did me in). Anyways, my sister started talking about the night I was born and how exciting it was for her, she was 10. She told me that my mom was washing the dog that day(which we actually have a picture of) and painting a dresser outside(the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.) It was around 9:30 at night when she went into labor, my dad called my nan who was at a pizza parlor a couple towns over and she rushed over to take care of my 2 sisters and brother. They left for the hospital at 11:00pm and I was born at 1:29(my son was born at 1:29 also, what a sweet coincidence). By this time my father had been chiming in through the outside window so I went out to talk to him, his eyes welled up with tears and he said "he remembered it like it was yesterday." It was at that moment I realized how significant those few moments of conversation were. I probably heard details before but I had never heard them as a mom myself. My eyes welled up with tears as my heart sank thinking of how much I missed my mom, the women who carried me for 9 months, endured the aches and pains of pregnancy and who loved me for 23 years.

Needless to say the night was extremely memorable. One I won't forget.