Christmas Cards for Gun Control

In light of yesterday's tragic events in Connecticut, we need to take action to stop the gun violence in our country. Please make your voice heard ~ simply send your Christmas/Holiday card to the White House and enclose a note saying that it is time to stop gun violence. Easy. Simple.

Please spread the word about this card campaign via email, Facebook, twitter, etc. Sacks filled with cards of our beautiful families and children cannot be ignored by the White House.

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC 20500


tricia

My own Christmas card, ready for delivery

Photo Friday 91

December Morning in New Jersey

Crafting in Pennsylvania

A Christmas This & That

1. As the clock ticks down to Christmas, this t is D-O-N-E..read it and weep sister. ;) Just a few gift cards to be honest. I started wrapping and come Monday morning, teachers will begin receiving gifts.
Woo hoo!

2. A folly ~ there was a mix up with my Christmas card proof. I had three hours (!) to approve it online to ensure delivery by Christmas. I couldn't find it online - let alone approve it - and the wait for customer service on the phone was extraordinary. Most likely clogged with last-minute folks like myself. There should be a card reveal next week. Fingers crossed.

3. Much to everyone's delight, Tripp is sporting a plaid collar with a jingle bell for Christmas. The best part for me --> with the jingle, jingle, I know where the chewing bugger is at all times. Remember the Christmas morning when our dog Tiffany chewed up most of my presents? I remember it clearly. :(((

4. Yes, the Christmas nightmare happended - lights went out on the tree (brand new lights I might add) - repair required. Undecorated, removed broken lights, restrung new lights and redecorated tree. I heard there were some outdoor Christmas lights not working at your house..must run in the family. Bah humbug.

tricia

paper whites planted by Henry

NYC

I took some time out of the crazy schedule for a day in NYC!  Jack's school was running a bus trip so me, Jack, Grandma and Buddy hit the Big Apple.  What an adventure!

A couple of highlights. "The Lady" wore a super stylish outfit although she kind of looked like she was on safari. Grateful that Buddy has a built in GPS.  Any large city can be hard to navigate due to all the tall buildings. Enjoyed watching Jack soak up the sights, sounds and smells that the city has to offer. I was happy just walking around.  

We had some good laughs especially when said Lady bought a fake high end handbag on the street.  It literally felt like a drug deal (although I don't really know what that feels like - for real).  We paid for the bag and ran! 

Tracy

Happy Birchbox

I read about Birchbox twice (once on Goop) and finally decided to get on board so to speak. In a nutshell, for $10 a month, a little box filled, with luxe beauty samples, arrives on your doorstep. If you like products, you can go to the Birchbox store online and order up full-sized products. I subscribed to Birchbox for a full year of fun and surprises ~ three and six month subscriptions are available, as well as a Birchbox for men. Wow.

Honestly, I received two birchboxes so far..I adored the mascara with a mirror on the side, a Tweezerman nail file in a bright pattern and a tiny, lip balm that smells delicious. For this t, who rarely  never tries new products, the Birchbox broadens my beauty horizons in an instant, each and every month.

Now for the birthday tie in ~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the LADY {our mom} For our lady who always returns everything, a birch box was the perfect gift this year. We can have fun all year long comparing the prizes and bloopers and everything in between. Maybe the men's Birchbox for Buddy's birthday? ;)

tricia

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Mom!

She is called The Lady, Tess, Grandma, even Vommy,

but she is always our mom.

"My mother was the most beautiful woman 
I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother."

~ George Washington

Photo Friday 90

Elf (created with love) in New Jersey

One of Many Trees in Pennsylvania

BAM

The morning routine is the same and yet somehow issues always creep up.  This morning we had to deal with hitting, punching and screaming over the advent calendars.  The story goes something like this: one child allegedly stole the other child's day 14 chocolate.  Who would do such a thing?  

The threats are thrown out.  Stop now or the advent calendars are going away!  I don't care if they're from Germany!

Getting ready to walk out of the house, I pop into the power room and CRUNCH. I look down and there is "day 14 chocolate".  Now crumbled under foot in my freshly cleaned house.  A follie perhaps?

Tracy

this & that

1. HBO's "In Vogue: The Editor"s Eye" explores the creative role of the magazine's fashion editors. Sittings editors specifically. The documentary takes us behind the scenes of the iconic images that have graced the pages of Vogue for over a hundred years. Under their careful eyes, fashion becomes art before our eyes. December 6th at 9 PM on HBO. Tune in. I know I will.

2. Wreaths, outdoor lights, tree, ornaments, advent calendars and stockings. Much accomplished, but much left to do. I have to focus on cards and more shopping. We have this little ornament which has a digital countdown to Christmas..hours, minutes, seconds. Yikes! I had better get my groove on.

3. I am popping over to Anthropologie tomorrow. Their treasure trove of the unqiue, interesting, fun and chic is amazing. Browsing around usually yields many gifts with one-stop shopping. Best, I love being in the creative environment of the store..it makes me feel inspired to be creative too. Wish me luck!

tricia

RUSH

Weekends ... consumed by shopping, kid activities and wash.   That doesn't leave time for much more these days.  But we did catch a Lehigh University basketball game this weekend (remember ... Lehigh beat Duke!).  Star LU player CJ McCullom is back on the court for his senior year and is a fan favorite.  We hung around after the game for some autographs.  Scored the head coach, CJ and Macky. Fun.

On Sunday, we decided to cut down "the tree".  We thru in an extra Charlie Brown tree for the back patio.  Strung on some new, large, colored lights. Instant Christmas!  Not one other decoration inside the house but that will get done this coming weekend.  What else would I possibly do?

One last thing.  Miss Kate requested that we bake cookies this holiday season. WHAT!  She named all sorts of cookies that Santa would like.  Mainly cutouts. HELP!

Tracy      

Deck the Halls??

{spooky bones..I just set out to write about Christmas decorations and I spied your post, SPARKLE, about that exact topic}

I am not sure if it is an another effect of Hurricane Sandy, but over the Thanksgiving holiday, I noticed many homes laden with twinkling Christmas lights. I saw trees peeking out from behind windows. Wait! It is still November and there are pumpkins and mums to be found, maybe a witch or two. Therein lies my confusion..I feel like the hurricane caused a loss of time while speeding up Christmas smack into Thanksgiving.

There appears to be two camps here. One camp believes the twinkly lights go up when the weather is warm and sunny. These campers carefully watch the weather forecast with ladders and lights at the ready..the date on the calendar is of little importance. And, the second camp firmly believes the twinkly lights go up when the calendar says December. No need to rush the holiday like the retailers do. Which camp are you?

The last decorating detail was brought to my attention by Henry. Specifically, a complaint about how our fresh, green wreaths and white candles in the windows are b-o-r-i-n-g. What??!! I told my fashionista our "style" is perfect for our traditional Cape Cod. Still b-o-r-i-n-g. What??!! And, are you sitting down? Why can't our house have tons of lights and fun decorations like AUNT TRACY'S???? Little bugger..he had better hope the elf-on-the-shelf didn't hear his not-so-nice comment. (PS I think Grandma and Buddy are coming out next week to help decorate the trees, shrubs, lawn, driveway, fence, and so on PSS Buddy said everyone is decorating too early this year..hmmm)


tricia

Fresh Wreath purchased from the Boy Scouts

Photo Friday 89

Best Friends in New Jersey

A Vintage Christmas in Pennsylvania

SPARKLE

There's been a lot of chatter lately about how early everyone is decorating for Christmas.  Truth be told, I just took down my Halloween decorations this past weekend.  At the same time, Mike was outside stringing up white lights (everywhere).   If we get the fresh cut Christmas tree this weekend, there is a good chance it won't make it until the big day.  That sentiment has been echoed as well.  If the tree doesn't make it, we are not buying another one.  That would be classic.

This year I'm staying with a sparkly, vintage look.  I just paged thru the Better Homes and Gardens magazine and found some simple inspiration to get me started.  Multiple jars filled with holiday candy.  A nice touch to add some color. I bumped into the perfect candy jars at my local grocery store.  Mental note to buy them tomorrow.  And I think I am taking my boxwood wreaths and wrapping them with festive ribbon.

Let the decorating begin!

Tracy

Home Sick

Instead of "hitting the ground running" at the start of this holiday season, I am hitting the sofa with a cough and a cold. (insert a few coughs) To make matters worse, Emma is home from school with the same cough and cold. (insert her coughs) Ugh. I had big plans involving a long list and rows of stores on a bright Monday. Alas, Emma is playing with her Beanie Boos and I am doing a tiny bit of shopping online. Sigh. On the bright side, William tells me I am on the nice list this year. (he seems to have a connection at the North Pole ~ who knew?)

tricia

FESTIVE

What a great Thanksgiving.  It started off with a mini-turkey trot.  Me and Kate. I trotted and she biked.  The boys enjoyed the traditional football game.  We had an amazing meal (thanks to mom) and then settled in to watch some movies.

Ok, we did some shopping ... late night shopping on Thanksgiving (crazy) and then enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Black Friday.  Why is it that I always end up buying stuff for myself?

Mike decked the halls and the outside of our house is nice and festive.  White lights strung everywhere.  Quite the sight to see.  Rumor has it we will be cutting down a Christmas tree next weekend.

We are getting in the holiday spirit and loving the cold weather.  Brrr.

Tracy

SHOP small

It's Small Business Saturday..

Don't forget to shop small today.

If you know the t's,

small businesses are always our favorites.

From flea markets and the shops in Lambertville,

to the creative artisans in Brooklyn

(think Brooklyn Flea Market)

and, of course,

all of the creative folks on Etsy.

It is easy to shop small.

happy shopping!

tricia

some of our favorite small businesses in Lambertville, NJ

Happy Thanksgiving

God has two dwellings;

One in heaven,

And the other

In a meek & thankful heart.

~ Izaak Walton

GO

Ready, set, go .... let the holidays begin.  A couple of observations:  A local radio station is already playing Christmas music.  Hmm.  Tried to check out a new store that sells vintage goods (situated in a rustic barn) --- my advice to retailers is you need to be "open" in order to sell goods.  Perplexing.  Feeling ready to eat, eat, eat.  Exercise, exercise, exercise???  Shopping on Black Friday --- the jury is still out.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tracy

as seen in

ZINC HOME & GARDEN

Lambertville, NJ

How Children Succeed

Funny, when browsing the bookshelves for something new to read ~ the first book I picked up for further inspection was one being presented by the author at my daughter's school in a few days. Spooky bones!! How does that happen? Out of all  the books on the shelves.. It makes me wonder.

Here we go.. Paul Tough's new book How Children Succeed is making waves with educators and parents alike. He argues that traits like grit, curiosity, perseverance, and optimism impact how children succeed more than IQs and test scores do. Basically, children need to learn how to navigate failure and overcome challenges in order to succeed. Additionally, the good news is this...although intelligence is somewhat fixed ~ character traits can be shaped and improved. Whew.

And, to end, I think when anyone with the last name Tough writes a book about grit, it is worth a read.

tricia

Photo Friday 88

House in New Jersey

(photo by William age 5)

Soccer in Pennsylvania

PAGES

Here's  what a certain someone in our house is reading right now:

I bought this book a few years ago.  Kate recently discovered it on the bookshelf and can't put it down.  For those who don't know, there are no words in Pancakes for Breakfast.  It is up to the reader to create a  story based on the pictures. What a great way to flex your imagination.

Tracy

The Things That Matter

Remember the book theme? Well, the night we grabbed coffee together,  I also grabbed two books I wanted to read. One was Gretchen Rubin's Happier at Home and the other was Nate Berkus' The Things That Matter. Upon further inspection, I realized in one swoop, I had two books dealing with homes and the things in our homes that matter to us. A bit of serendipity if you ask me!

The release of Nate Berkus' The Things That Matter seemed to coincide with the launch of his product line at Target. (sidebar: bought not one, but two trays and two rugs from his line at Target ~ adore them all! ;) I expected more of a "coffee table" book to browse through and enjoy the beautiful spaces he has created. It ended up being much more than that and I loved it from beginning to end.

Here are some quotes from Nate himself to give you an idea of what makes his book so special..

"I've always believed your home should tell your story...  Each object tells a story and each story connects us to one another and to the world. The truth is, things matter. They have to. They're what we live with and touch each and every day. They represent what we've seen, who we've loved, and where we hope to go next. They remind us of the good times and the rough patches, and everything in between that's made us who we are." ~ Nate Berkus

Honestly, I could go on and on about this book, but you truly have to read it and find out for yourself. This is one book you don't want to miss. The end.

Tricia

SONG

Have you listened to it and studied it?  By "it" I mean the new T. Swift album RED.  The day after it was released I bought two copies of the CD ... one for me and one for Mike.  We only bought one copy of her last CD and had to split it ... one of us had the regular CD and the other had the bonus CD ... big mistake.  

It always takes several times listening thru until you learn the songs and they stick.  Once in awhile a song automatically grabs you like Our Song, Fifteen, Back to December, Mean and WANEEGBT.  Even the six and seven year olds know those lyrics by heart.

I don't know what it is about T. Swift but everyone loves her.  No matter your age, sex, etc.  Well actually we were driving up to the mountain a couple of years ago and we had a snowboard punk in the car with us.  We always play T. Swift on the way to the mountain and once the tunes started this kid put his headphones on - what!  Find another ride dude!  I didn't really say that but I wanted to.

I just got done watching Taylor on VH1 Storytellers.  Well done.  And we heard that she released her summer tour dates.  Yeah!  Excitement is in the air. 

Tracy

Swifties

Happier at Home

 I just picked up Gretchen Rubin's new book Happier at Home. Do you remember her first book, The Happiness Project? Being a self-proclaimed "homebody" myself, I was curious to hear what she had to say about being happy at home. The premise is this..Gretchen takes a new school year to embark on a journey where she focuses on themes such as marriage, parenthood and possessions. Her goal was "making her home a place of greater simplicity, comfort, and love."

Honestly, I just purchased the book during a run to the bookstore after the storm. I am barely into chapter one. So far, I like what I see.  As a collector of quotes I will leave you with a few quotes Ms. Rubin included in Happier at Home.

"To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition,

the end to which every enterprise and labour tends."

- Samuel Johnson

"Safe, safe, safe," the heart of the house beats proudly.

- Virginia Woolf

"The true secret of happiness lies in the taking

a genuine interest in all the details of daily life."

- William Morris

Tricia

PS
pay attention reader ~
this t has a little book-related theme going.
Stay tuned..

Photo Friday 87

Snow in New Jersey

Sleeping in Pennsylvania

BLOOP

Hurricane Sandy did not skip over Pennsylvania.  In fact, the eye of the storm hit Atlantic City and proceeded due west toward Philadelphia.  We sit just north of Philly and got it too.  

Blooper #1 --- It seems everyone lost power except for me.  Sigh.  Not only did my house remain energized but so did my office.  Sigh again.  My entire family was fat and happy at home.  I worked like a dog.  

You and I got together for some stress relief --- we shopped and ate at a "chain".

Blooper #2 --- Does the JCrew clerk really need to double check a sales price. We gave her good information. Do we look dishonest?  

Blooper #3 --- Does Pottery Barn really have to remove from a frame a piece of paper with a copy of a hand sketched pumpkin before selling it to a customer? Copyright?  Weird.

Blooper #4 --- Who was in charge of the leftover "Bam Bam Shrimp" and left it on the perfume shelf in Sephora?  A mystery smell and some mystery meat for the salesclerks.

Overall, we made it thru the storm and had some really good laughs.  And thanks for treating me to a grande salted caramel latte --- I really enjoyed those 1,000 calories at 9:00 pm.

Tracy  

with a little help from my friends

In the midst of disaster, the best of humanity manages to shine above the floods, rubble and despair. I am always impressed by the kindness of friends and neighbors and amazed by the care of strangers. In just a few days, we have begun to rally for those in need after Hurricane Sandy.

The marathoners, facing a cancelled race after months of training, ran through New York to help those in need. My nephew's school sent home a flyer, "Reach the Beach",  requesting clothing, food and supplies to be delivered to the Jersey shore this weekend. Folks in my own neighborhood are gathering a list of items for those desperate for basic necessities on Staten Island. I could go on and on.

Once power returns to my house and I get back on track, I want to be part of the shining example of the best of humanity. Hopefully, my children will pitch in too. There are so many ways to help.

Tricia

Happy Election Day

Don't forget to vote..

"Now, let me be clear. The path I lay out is not one paved 

with ever increasing government checks and cradle to grave assurance

that government will always be the solution. If this election

is a bidding war for who can promise the most goodies

and the most benefits, I'm not your president.

You have that president today."

~Mitt Romney

"In the end, that's what this election is about.

Do we participate in a politics of cynicism

or a politics of hope?"

~Barack Obama

Tracy & Tricia

So Long Sandy

What a week. In NJ, this t lost power the night of the storm. In the morning, we discovered a large tree had fallen on the fence and patio furniture. Other than that, we are (thankfully) safe and sound. The news we were able to hear on our tiny battery-powered radio didn't convey the devastation we finally saw on television. Still without power, schools closed and gas rations, we are hoping for our situation to improve as each day goes by. Here are a few photos from this past week..

Tricia

 a missing section of fence

from a tree that fell during the storm

power trucks from Texas (!) headed

to NJ to help restore power

empty shelves at grocery store

William's Halloween was

"16 Candles" this year..

he pretended to trick-or-treat

CHICAGO

I had the opportunity to visit the Windy City last week --- CHICAGO!  Lots of reference to wind lately.  It was a business trip but I was with a bunch of dynamic women.  

We stayed at the Hilton on Michigan Avenue and here is a snapshot of what we saw in the few moments to spare:

Walked to the new Millennium Park and saw 

the super cool and unique bean sculpture

Saw the river that flows thru the city.  Did research while walking 

and we believe it is called the Chicago River ~ what a unique name!

Walking around great architecture and great buildings

Thought of you sister as we cruised past the Tory Burch store!

(note Jack Spade store to the left)

Ate at a small, local restaurant in some neighborhood.  It was packed and great.

Loved the menu.  Pizza, grinders, antipasto, etc.  

But not any old pizza ~ Pizza Pot Pie only.  Yum!

I would love to go back again and explore some more.  

Tracy

BOO

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 
MY FRIEND!

I feel like it is the forgotten Halloween.  Frankenstorm is stealing all the thunder.  I missed our Trick-or-Treat on Friday night (I was out of town ~ post on that tomorrow!).  But here is how Trick-or-Treat went down:

T&T took my peeps Trick-or-Treating in our neighborhood (I think)
(i.e. Mom & Dad / Grammy & Buddy) 

Tracy:  Mom, did you take pictures of the kids for me?
T: No, I forgot
Tracy: Oh

It really is the forgotten year for Halloween.  Here is a snapshot that was sent to me from the school parade (I missed that too).  No pictures of Jack, at all.

Tracy

HOWL

The winds are howling just in time for Halloween.  Frankenstorm is officially upon us.  The winds are whipping and the lights are flickering.  The house is making funny noises ~ spooky.  We cleaned up all outdoor decorations and patio furniture.  I noticed that nobody else was outside doing the same.  I swear I heard something fly into my house!  Hmm.  I'll get you my neighbors and your little dog too!

Tracy

Hurricane Sandy 2012

just treats ~ no tricks

As we brace for Hurricane Sandy to hit New Jersey tomorrow, I realize we could live on Halloween candy for the next week if we had to. No joke. Plenty of candy here. Seriously, for the past few days, we did everything possible to prepare for the hurricane. A generator, food supplies, batteries/flashlights/candles, secure outdoor items, and so on. Additionally, I washed every stitch of clothing, baked batches of goodies and ran the vacuum. I think we are ready. Now, all we have to do is wait.

Tricia

Photo Friday 87

Cross Country Meet in NJ

Bright Lights, Big City in IL