city girls

happy friday and happy weekend everyone!

muffy and i are taking the train into boston tomorrow
to meet up with a few friends, go to the children's museum,
play in the playground on the waterfront,
then have snacks in the north end (italian section)

and we're so excited!

we went a few weeks ago with another good friend....

muffy and me

and muffy and her sweet little friend

meeting a skunk, the minute men, on the carousel,

in the spray park and looking out over the gorgeous harbor.

hope you have a fabulous weekend, too!

movie date night

i'm so excited about our movie date night tonite!

 

i love.love.love to go to the movies, 

and i am a huge leonardo dicaprio fan, 

so we're going to see the much-talked about inception!

we're going to the new luxe theater 

where you sit in recliners and servers 

can bring you dinner and drinks! 

now that's a way to see a movie!

i have loved leo from the titanic days 

and think he and kate winslet are a perfect on-screen couple!

i can't wait to see you tonite, leo!

italian dreaming

i am forever planning a vacation in my mind.
whether it's a day trip up the coast, a visit home to the south
or an exotic european holiday.
so, when i got an email about the amalfi coast,
i started planning!

but this isn't the first time i've planned a trip here.

when mir prep and i were planning our honeymoon nine years ago,
amalfi was the place! 
we had everything planned, coordinated and (mostly) paid for.

the date was set.
we would leave the day after our wedding,
september 15, 2001.

then the attacks of september 11th happened,
and everything was on hold, or canceled, understandably.
and since our local airport was closed,
we took a wonderful trip to martha's vineyard.

but i still long for the italy trip.
when i mentioned it to mr prep this past weekend
and how it would make an excellent
10th anniversary gift/trip in 2011, he said YES!

so i'm in planning mode again!
oh, amalfi, how i can't wait to visit you and meet you at last!
(this time as an old married woman, not a young newlywed)

and speaking of newlyweds,
stay tuned, i'm honoring my dear friend pink champagne
www.pinkchampagne@blogspot.com
at the end of august with a week' worth of wedding posts
as she says i do!

i've gone mad!

 i'm so excited that mad men is back!

i know so many of you are fans, too...i just had to write about it today!

(i actually had a dream about don draper last week...anticipation, i guess!)

he's such a devil

i'm loving his new love interest

but i still think he and betty belong together

i do not like this old guy, betty!

(or your new hair style, either, but such was the '60s, right?)

i much prefer this betty.

i cannot wait to see how this season unfolds!

(i will post about this later, but i have quite the collection 

of 1960s vintage clothing, 

i guess i never grew out of the "dress-up" phase!)

pink and green thursday--southern sandwich!

i'm playing along today on this lovely pink and green thursday!
you know trish, right?
check her out at
http://pinkpreppylillylover.blogspot.com/

inspired by the south and the fruits of summer, 

i'm posting my favorite southern sandwich

the tomato and mayo...

ingredients

one very ripe garden fresh tomato 

(store bought are just not the same, 
you know what i mean!)

fresh white bread

a heaping spread of miracle whip

fresh ground salt and pepper

you could make this a little more fancy and euro, 

with thick-cut french bread, 

some garden fresh basil leaves, thick-cut mozzarella 

and replace the mayo with olive oil....

but this just tastes like home to me!

and who doesn't remember this classic southern movie
about the fruits of summer?

hope you have a delicious thursday!

kindergarten gifts

since muffy is about to start kindergarten 

i wanted to get her a special little something 

to make her feel good about herself and not be so scared

and this is what i found

she loves to read, and anything about 

mama animals and baby animals she just adores

other great books for kindergarten i found are

i think i'm going to give them to her sooner than later 

so we can read them and get ready for the big step!

there's even a new exhibit opening up at the boston children's museum called "getting ready for kindergarten"
it's a room set up like a kindergarten classroom
where prespective students can roam freely checking out all the "stations" and participate in the activities.

today we did some back-to-school clothes shopping.
as we passed saks, she told me, hey mama, this looks like a good store!
and as luck would have it, all the little girls' lilly was an additional 50% off the markdown price.
oh, what am i in for?!?


oh, the fun we are going to have this next year!

friends, forever

bestest buddies at the beach

my good friend and her daughters were just here visiting from China!

(her husband was transfered there from MA two years ago)

her youngest daughter is one of muffy's nearest and dearest,

 and even though they have not seen each other in years,
they hit  it off as if they had just seen each other yesterday.

after all, isn't that what friends do?

no matter the distance, they pick right up where they left off.

i'm so fortunate to have friends all over the country, and now the world.

and muffy loves knowing she has a buddies that are as close as next door

AND just as close in her heart -- even if we have to look on a map to find them.

hope you have a great day!

my brother, the bachelor

my little brother is such a cutie...

(don't all big sisters say that?)

so today i'm formally introducing him to you, and playing along with kelly 

at kelly's korner http://www.kellyskornerblog.com

and her "show us your life: single boys in your life"

who knows? maybe some lucky girl will snatch him up

(and grant muffy's wish of becoming a flower girl in her uncle's wedding!)

this is doug

handsome, fit, beautiful blue eyes, thick wavy, brown hair...

he's 31 and lives east of nashville, tn

he's single, (never been married), and lives in a house in the country

he is very smart (he's currently in school studying to be an engineer), he was a pilot and owned a business with my father prior to going back to school

he's an excellent cook -- 

my mother hands over the reins to him at the holidays, he seriously is amazing!

he is a very nice and loving guy -- loves his niece and his family

he loves to travel. loves culture and music...

and needs to meet the right girl!

is that right girl you? do you know someone?

let me know and i'd happily coordinate a get together!

black dog birthday

today is my beloved dad-o's birthday...

he loves visiting new england and really enjoys going to

The Black Dog

there are locations around the cape and islands

my favorite is on the vineyard, of course!

this is muffy in 2007 (age 2.5) at the store in vineyard haven

so i sent him a little Black Dog package for his special day

a big black dog bucket loaded with 

freshly baked cookies from the bakery, some coffee and a new mug

happy 64th birthday, dad-o!