Finding the Perfect Place.....

As most people who know me are aware, I am getting married! A few people have asked where the ceremony will be held. We will be joining together as one at Fort Hunter State Park. "State Park" I say...Yes. John told me he knew a place and when he said "State Park" I thought to myself, "I don't think so" I am NOT getting married at a State Park unless it is Yosemite! He took me to this place and I was amazed! It was breathtaking!





It was in the afternoon and the sun was starting to set and the colors were so vivid! I took the above photos because with the sun and the River I was left speechless. We continued our walk and I took a few more photos, I was in love with the natural beauty. Who would have thought that in the middle of Harrisburg, PA there was this little gem! I was convinced so far but I needed to see the place I would be marrying the love of my life.



We walked up from the river and there was a house...neigh a Mansion there. we walked over to the information sign to read about this place. It was built in 1725 by a man named Chambers. During the French and Indian War the British built man forts up the Susquehanna river and the land the Mansion was on was turned into a British Fort called Fort Hunter. Over the years it was bought and sold until in 1956 a woman from Washington, DC bought the land and created the Fort Hunter Foundation.

I am glad she did or I am sure this lovely place would have been left to ruin. I still didn't know where our ceremony would take place and then we saw it.



We walked around the house and there was the "West Lawn". A small green(even in Winter) lawn that slopes slightly down toward the river. John walked down to look over the river and I could just imagine what it would be like. There was my groom that I would be walking towards on my wedding day! At that point I was so excited I couldn't wait! I wanted to get married right then and there!

So, in a 7 short months with the glorious colors of a Pennsylvania Fall I will marry my best friend....at a State Park. I couldn't be happier about it!

Quite a Hoot...

I love to make people smile! And this little project I am working on will definitely accomplish that. Having all this fun pretty fabric laying around is very inspiring!



So here is a little Peek at my Work in Process! I will never tell who it is for that is until it is done! Check back in a few days and maybe I will have it complete!




This is my first project of this capacity so I am pretty excited!

Thanks to all of you who have shown support so far! Sorry my posts are so few and far between. I am trying! Much Love!

Hot and Dangerous....

After much thought and consideration I decided to try again with a food post. Last weekend I wanted to share my recipe for Tatziki with you but my photos were very terrible, and that is me being nice about it. My friend Keri asked to see photos of my "equipment", so I decided to share something special with each introduction. My first prize to share with you is my apple green Kitchen Aid mixer, Carmen. She was my Christmas gift from John our first year together. Speaking of John, today makes 3 years since our first date!

Anyhoo..... I found a cookie recipe on one of my new favorite blogs Picky Palate. The recipe is for Double White Chocolate and pretzel peanut butter cookies....with sea salt. I am not a huge fan of white chocolate but I thought these sounded too amazing to pass on. Boy was I right!

The recipe called for melting white chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter together and then adding more white chocolate chips into the batter with the pretzels at the end. I thought it seemed too sweet so I added semi sweet chips instead.

** Side Note: I went today to Macy's and bought some new little treats for my kitchen including the dough scoop and the half sheet pan in the photos. It amazes me how the littlest things can bring me such pleasure these days.

Back to the Cookies....

After you scoop them onto the baking pan you smoosh(technical term) them down and sprinkle them with sea salt. It may seem like this wouldn't make much of a difference but it sure does. If you are like me, there is nothing more satisfying than a salty and sweet snack! I am sure you could leave out the sea salt...but why would you want to?

A short 15 minutes later you have these beautiful and amazingly tasty cookies. John says they are really tasty with a glass of Milk! So now you know Carmen...she is a very helpful kitchen friend. Hop on over to Picky Palate to get this and many other tasty looking recipes....like Brownie Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies....Yes Please!

I hope you all have a very Happy and Love filled Valentine's Day!

XOXOXO

Stella and the Bean...

I am a genuinely happy person that leads a pretty ordinary life that includes many extraordinary things. The one thing that can always bring a smile to my face(besides my Fiancée) is Stella....and usually her bean.

In January of 2010 John and I went to the York ASPCA to "look" at kittens. We visited with a few and did not click with them. Then I saw her, the card said "Cartlin: Very Affectionate" While all the rest of the cats were practically doing flips and screaming "Pick Me, Pick Me" there was Cartlin taking a nap. They brought her to us in the visiting room and she let us pick her up and love her. I fell in love on the spot. I had to have her! So we did the paperwork and after she had her "operation" we could pick her up and bring her home. There was much deliberation about what her name would be and it was finally narrowed down to "Nova" and "Stella". A week later we got to bring home our tiny little fur baby!

After we brought her home we decided Stella was the perfect name for her. She settled in quickly and was a great company and comic relief for us. We made it through the winter and eventually the snow melted and things started to green up and grow. John has quite the green thumb and decided to grown green beans among other things. After the first harvest we noticed every time we put beans on the counter somehow they would end up on the floor. Then we caught the culprit “red pawed”.

And so Stella’s love for beans was born. She runs after them and brings them back. We can say, “Stella, do you want a Bean?” and she meows. I find myself being the “bean maid” at the grocery store and picking through the selection very carefully to find the “perfect” beans. So to all you green bean eaters in Central PA I apologize if your beans have been scrawny as of late, Stella deserves the best.

So when and if you come to my house and you see what may look like green dried up snot on my carpet…it is just a bean that has seen better days. Never in my life have I seen an animal love anything more than my Cat and her Green beans!

As I sit and type this she is sitting in front of John with her bean at his feet meowing at him to throw it for her. She must be the funniest kitty ever!

Inspiration Passed down like Tradition....

For quite some time I have enjoyed the inspiration that comes from reading someone's blog. It feels almost like sitting down and sharing a quiet conversation with an old friend. It wasn't until I stumbled upon Mrs. Blue Eyed Yonder that I also wanted to share what makes me tick and what inspires me. The encouragement I have received from many friends and family will hopefully make this blog as great as I imagine it to be.