Days of Chalk and Chocolate - All Post

Sand Jar Souvenir

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So many of my most special memories in my life with Jim have occurred on a beach. We got engaged on the beaches of Cape May, NJ. We went to Hawaii on our honeymoon. We visit his father in Ocean City, Maryland every year and when Molly was 15 months old we went to Mexico alone...just the two of us.  Jim was grieving the death of his sweet mom and needed a bit of paradise.  Those are just a few of our beach moments but there are so many more! 

During our weekend in Cape May, after he asked and I had said yes, we began a tradition that we have continued all these years. We take home a bit of sand from each beach, store it in a pretty little jar with a label, and keep them on our mantel.  I was recently unpacking some more boxes (yes, we are STILL unpacking) and found them. My heart melted.  I quickly put them up on our mantel where they belong. This summer I am hoping to put some good ole Jersey shore sand from Point Pleasant or thereabouts up there!

Such a simple souvenir but it's so fun to compare the sands from all the places we've been. Some are dark, some light, some gritty, some soft. All lovely!


Forgive the somewhat blurriness. I did the best I could with my little point and shoot. I even used a tripod. Not sure what gives.














OK!  You caught me. We haven't quite gotten to put the Mexico sand in a jar.
I am such a bad blogger! 
I'm always showing you my unmentionables.

Did you all have good weekend? Our was filled with pool fun, barbeques, and lots of time in the sprinkler. Good times!
Jenny

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Memorial Day Poetry

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I hope you are all having a blessed Memorial Day. My intention was to find a poem to sum up my feelings and share it with you but I could't find one. I found several: poems with elegant words and strings of rhyme that echo what's in my heart and what I'm sure is in yours. Can we adequately thank our soldiers and their families for what they give up to serve our country?  Can we truly remember those who died in service with the honor and ceremony they deserve?  I'm not sure. But I can include them in my prayers more and continue to teach my children to love, appreciate, and be grateful for our soldiers and our country.

Here are some poems that touched me.

                                                                              

Lest We Forget

by Berton Braley

Our dead rest on the breast of France
And all around the world
Where by war's grim or splendid chance
Our banners were unfurled:

So whether here or overseas
Their bodies chance to lie,
We pay full honour unto these
Who did not fear to die.

Because they dared, because they died
We and our nation live,
Our liberty, our hope, our pride
Were gifts that they could give:

And since for all these gifts the price
Was life -- they held life cheap
And blithely made the sacrifice
And laid them down to sleep.

O, dead of many wars, who fought
With spirit high and pure,
The noble structure that you wrought
Shall evermore endure!

You held your country's cause above
All else: we, unafraid,
Will keep your country worthy of
The price you gladly paid.

Freedom Isn't Free

by Kelly Strong

I watched the flag pass by one day
It fluttered in the breeze
A young Marine saluted it, and then
And then he stood at ease

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?

How many Pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, Freedom isn't free

I heard the sound of taps one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill

I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives

I thought about a graveyard
at the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, Freedom isn't free!




The Cost of Freedom

by Ron Tranmer

He died serving our country,
in a land far away.
He gave his life for freedom.
They buried him today.

He loved family more than life,
and had to do what’s right.
To protect them and his country,
he joined in the fight.

Next time you see a soldier,
don’t just pass him by.
Thank him for his service.
He might be next to die.

How great the cost of freedom.
How brave those who defend.
Protect them Lord, that they may
safely come back home again.


God bless our soldiers today and every day!

 xoxo,
Jenny


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Lemon Blueberry Bread

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I've had a crush on this picture for a while.

Stick to Your Hips


 I check it out on Pinterest every now and then.  It's a recipe for Luscious Lemon Bread and it was making me restless. I had to make it!  Here is the recipe from Linda's website!  It is a winner to me! 

Molly and I made it together and we stirred in frozen blueberries too.  It is so summery and bright and not too sweet!  I also made my own glaze with fresh lemon juice, milk, and powdered sugar. I used half a bag of powdered sugar, the juice of a lemon and a half, and about a tbs of milk.


Photo Credit:  My brother-in-law Joe. He snapped a few before we dug into it at their house
for my niece's little after confirmation celebration.




Hope you all enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

Cheers!
Jenny

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Latest and Greatest Link Party #33

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Hi Friends!  What did you do today?  Make homemade chalk paint?  Paint some flower pots?  C'mon...tell me!  Better yet, show me!

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Features!

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We had my niece's confirmation last night and I couldn't be more proud of her. She is a smart, self-confident, funny teenager who I adore like my own!  I can only hope Molly and Ellie grow up to be just like her! 

So onto features! 

House Tour

This house is grand and filled with many original features! 


Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

These look even better than the ones in the supermarket and I bet they taste better too!



DIY Door Trough

I love that this trough can be used for any season. Imagine it with mums in the fall!



Window Boxes, Trim, Shutters

Katie's windows are so pretty and she gives us some window eye candy too!



Pillow Tutorial

A great tutorial with easy and clear directions and pictures!



Thanks for linking up!

See you tomorrow!

Jenny

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Memorial Day Picnic Desserts

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I had trouble naming this post.  Here's why. 

Here in NJ we have barbecues. We use it as a noun. 
Barbecues (n)--a gathering at which various meats and maybe vegetables are cooked on a barbecues grill. Side dishes may or may not include macaroni salad or potato salad and Lays potato chips.  "Jenny always throws the best barbecues. Pass the macaroni salad."

My sister lives in the south and she says down there they call that a cook out. Barbecue is also a noun but it isn't the gathering it's the outcome of the cooking.  "We will have barbecue for dinner tonight. Tomorrow at the cook out we will have burgers.  Pass the hush puppies."

A picnic isn't really the right word though. When I think of a picnic I think of a red checkered cloth laid in a meadow and we wear frilly blouses as we eat our fancy sandwiches that we carried to the picnic in something called a picnic hamper. The men wear trousers and sip lemonade out of mason jars.  Then we all enjoy generous pieces of either blueberry pie or devils food cake.

I'm not sure what you call it where you are but I'm guessing you will eat outside at some point during this weekend coming up. Here are some ideas what you can serve or bring when you do!

Let's start with desserts for your Memorial Day celebrations!  I'll post some appetizer and side dish ideas this week too!  Stay tuned.

Perfect Lemon Bars



Strawberries and Cream Cookie Parfaits



Lime Bars with Coconut Crust



Blackberry Daiquiri Cake



Chocolate Eclair Cake



Blueberry Coconut Mini Tarts



Easy Patriotic Trifle



Berry Cheese Torte



Sunkist Orange Cupcakes



White Chocolate Lava Cookie Cups



Gluten Free Ice Cream Cake



Red, White, and Blue Cake Pops



Mini Strawberry Pies



Frosted Lemonade Cookies



I made a lemon blueberry pound cake today so hopefully I'll have that posted sometime too!  It is super luscious!

Bye!
Jenny

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Powder Room Update, Dog Grooming, Randomness

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Hi friends!  I have nothing completed to show you but I thought I would share some of the things that have been going on in our world lately.

I have been 3/4 done with washing the wallpaper paste off the powder room walls for about 2 months. Jim has to do the rest because I can't reach even with a step stool. The toilet and vanity are in the way so when he gets a minute he has to get to it. 

So if you remember we started with this.



And then it looked like this.  The wallpaper was down but what was left was a very thick, crumbly, yellow layer of 38 year old paste. It would NOT come off. It was the most annoying thing we've done to this house to date.




Now it mostly looks like this!



We have this left and the rest of the small wall.




I was feeling so good until I saw this picture. Blah. I needed to laugh about it so I went back to Picmonkey and did a little tweaking.


Better.  Did anyone spot the clue?

We did some tweaking in some other areas of our life too. Here are some more before and afters.
Before:






And the after:










Do you think she's mad about the bows? She's so uptown now.  I really think Billy Joel is working on another song as we speak. We're going to have her audition for The Real Housedogs of NJ.

And here are a few befores of some furniture currently in our garage that I want to start working on soon.

A roadside garbage table with two drop sides and a leaf. I'm thinking cream legs and a dark stained top. Suggestions?



And a sweet desk that my sister in law gave the girls. Not sure what to do with it.  Sumpthin' girly.



And our garage is a HUGE before (parental discretion is advised).  You know how I feel about keepin' it real.


So that's what's been going on here! 

The other thing that we did this weekend was Molly's dance recital, which I have very mixed feelings about. I want her to dance for the joy of it, to move her body, to feel strong and capable. And then I let them dress her up in a spangled costume. I felt like a hypocrite in a way. I believe in strong girls who grow into strong women. I want my daughters to stand up for themselves, find their self-worth in their character and deeds, and consider themselves beautiful because they help others, are a good friend, and do their best. As those sweet little girls came out on stage and danced their hearts out in their purple "sticky-up Sugar Plum Fairy tutus" I couldn't help but wonder if I was actually doing Molly a disservice and not just because I wouldn't put makeup on her. ha ha ha!  Was I letting her down by letting her do the recital and all that came with it?  Am I over thinking this???  Moms?  Non-moms?  Thoughts are welcomed.




Cheers!
Jenny

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