GREAT

HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY

MATTHEW!

It was a great day for a really great kid!

Birthday party at the Iron Pigs Game

Photo Friday No. 71

Learning to Swim in

New Jersey

A little bit of country in

Pennsylvania

16 Candles

Thank you for the SPECIAL post on my birthday! Other than that, it was 16 Candles. Over the weekend, Ed and I came down with a bout of food poisoning. :( Ironically, we ordered the same entree - Dover sole - at a romantic birthday dinner. Finally starting to feel better today. On a bright note, I lost ten pounds I think. Ed may have lost more. Hopefully, next year will be better. It has to be..

Tricia

SPECIAL

I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.  

~Author unknown, 

attributed to a 4-year-old named Lauren

Happy Birthday Sister!

It's a special day.

Love,

Tracy

Photo Friday No. 70

Concert in

New Jersey

(see Grace?)

Summer Fun in

Pennsylvania

SIZZLE

Welcome Summer!  


And welcome mini-heat wave.  Pushing 100 degrees here on the East Coast.  Yikes!


Tracy

Beach - 2011

So Long, Farewell

This much I know about myself..I am good at roots but not so good at wings. Tomorrow, Grace is graduating 5th grade - leaving elementary school - heading to middle school. All in a matter of a few hours. She is elated and I am distraught. As a parent, watching your child grow up, even a tiny bit, is one of the hardest things to do. Tomorrow, during the traditional "clap out", there will be tears. Maybe lots of them. I will wear large sunglasses. I will hug Grace and tell her how proud I am of her and I will send her on her way. I will watch her grow up even if it breaks my heart. It is time for her to fly.

Tricia

PS photo is Grace on her first day of first grade at the "big school" aka elementary school

FRESH

Back from a girl's weekend at the beach!  It is always great to get away and refresh the batteries. 

Here are some highlights:

* The 2-1/2 hour drive turned into a 3-1/2 hour drive --- got on the road, Jen and I looked at each other and realized we had no directions and no GPS.  Classic.

* The Circle of Ladies --- everyone was well behaved (wink, wink).  One lady was a little tipsy and as she left the beach, one leg crossed over the other, she fell onto the sand and flopped over onto her back.  Reminded us of a turtle stuck on its shell with legs in the air.  No help was offered as we were laughing too hard.  Said lady was fine and laughing as well.

* Decided no lotion was needed in order to get a little bit of sun.  That equals sunburn --- duh!

* Flea market was a bust but The Pearl Street Market was amazing as always!

* Custom made cups were a huge hit.  Already have ideas for next year's version.

* The "playlist" included a total of 4 songs --- good thing the speaker batteries ran out sooner rather than later.

Wish you were there sister, hopefully next year.  

Tracy

Dad's Day

A dad isn't a mom for obvious reasons. Typically, dads disappear to work during most of the week and, magically, appear on the weekends. As a result, dads often aren't bogged down by the day-to-day routine..make breakfast-pack lunches-kids to school-homework-practices-bedtime-repeat. When dads appear, they are found cheering on sidelines, clapping at concerts, cannon-balling into the pool, and so on. Usually, they are surrounded by their smiling children, eager to immerse themselves in all things dad. It isn't surprising that a baby's first word is "da da" ~ moms are always talking about dad in his absence. As with most things in life, dads are about quality and never quantity. We are lucky to have dads. Our lives wouldn't be the same without them.

Tricia

PS Happy Father's Day to Buddy, Ed and Mike..some of the best dads I know.

Photo Friday No. 69

Crazy Hair in

New Jersey

Iron Pigs Game in

Pennsylvania

SWEET

While on summer break, I know the at home camp counselors are busy coming up with activities for the kids.  This past weekend we made a trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania for the girls soccer state championship game.  Unfortunately we didn't have time to do the amusement park (i.e Hersheypark) but we did have time to zip thru the Chocolate Factory --- LOVE IT and always have.

Many years ago Jen and I were heading back to Penn State and we really didn't want to go back to school.  So we made a detour and stopped in at the Chocolate Factory.  Anything to delay dorm living, bad food and studying.

So if you are looking for something to do this summer, I recommend a trip to Hershey.  Hersheypark will not dissapoint, the Chocolate Factory is free, smells good and they show you how they make their famous chocolate.  The Hershey Hotel is said to be fabulous (think $$$$ though) but I'm sure well worth it.  I also think the Hershey area is quite beautiful --- green, lush and rolling hills. 

Check it out!

Tracy

The Only Constant is Change

As I gaze through the plastic hanging across my house, dividing old and new I feel affirmation..I am addicted to change in my environment. Specifically, in my home. There is ALWAYS a project simmering. Swatches of fabric scattered around, paint chips taped to the walls, artwork waiting to be picked up from the framer, and so on. You get the idea. Honestly, I lost track of how many renovations we have lived through in this house. (sorry Ed, sorry family) It seems I have a strong creative drive and my projects here are my outlet. Mom teases me that the only space I haven't touched is the tiny room containing my furnace and hot water heater. (pondered wallpaper for a second or two) Stay tuned..some details to follow soon!

Tricia

CHAPTER

I didn't think I would get choked up, but I did.  And so did Mike.  Friday was our last day of daycare.  We were at the same daycare for just under 13 years!  That is a long time.  I can still remember being pregnant with Jack and deciding on where to send him once I went back to work.

The owners of the daycare were very hands on and ran a tight ship.  Some of the same teachers are there today that were there when Jack was a baby.  That speaks volumes.  The teachers were always kind and caring.  My kids crafted, played, used their imagination constantly.  There were no TV's, computers or video games but rather a great playground with several large jungle gyms.

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to thank the owner for everything they've done for Jack, Matthew and Kate but especially for me and Mike.  It is not easy being full time working parents but they most certainly helped to make it easier.

So there is it.  A chapter in our lives.  We left without much fanfare.  A few pictures of Kate on the jungle gym, a couple of pictures outfront and we were off.

Tracy

happy birthday emma

Happy 7th Birthday my dear Emma! My pink, purple, fancy girl who adores her stuffed animals. You are a force to be reckoned with. Everything you do is done with great purpose and determination. You love painting your nails bright colors, reading books and sleeping late. Your best friend's names also begin with E. I thank my lucky stars for you. I love you to the moon and back.

Tricia

Photo Friday No. 68

Morning in

New Jersey

Enjoying our new book in

Pennsylvania

SUMMER

We are officially done with homework, tests and projects for this school year.  Woo hoo!  The kids finish school this week and we are ready to roll into the slow, lazy summer days and nights.  We pledge not to over schedule, over indulge or over anything.  I already started my summer reading list and so far so good.  


Happy Summer!


Tracy    

TB meet TB ~ Part 2

(for starters - I hope the JCrew, sequins, anchor tank in your last post is a gift - my birthday is around the corner. Hint. Hint.) Ok. Back to business. What does one wear to meet Tory Burch you may wonder? Well, my friend Steph and I pondered this very question many weeks prior to the event. The dress, the shoes, the bag, the accessories..not to mention the hair and nails prep. Obviously, dressing head-to-toe in Tory Burch would seem a bit like a costume or an ad campaign. Wisely, we decided to sprinkle in a bit of Tory Burch (almost a requirement) and add our own dash of something else. To be honest, it worked. Scanning the crowd as the event progressed, I noticed most of the women who attended opted for a similar outfit. The Tory Burch brand was noticeable but woven into everyone's personal style. It was great to see many "vintage" TB pieces and the salespeople were quite complimentary! Needless to say, Tory Burch, herself, was dressed head-to-toe in Tory Burch of course.

tb

STYLE

Fashion must be in the air sister ...

I was surfing the internet last night and stumbled upon the mention of a CNBC feature program titled "J.Crew and the Man Who Dressed America".  It aired on TV on Thursday, May 24th at 10:00 pm ... I missed it of course.  The show focuses not on well known Jenna Lyons (President of the company) but on J.Crew's CEO Mickey Drexler.

I don't know much about Mickey Drexler so I was intrigued by the program becasue of him and J.Crew in general.  So I searched the internet to see if I could somehow find the program and watch it.  It took some digging, I could only find clips, but I finally found the entire show on You Tube.  44 minutes long - yikes!  This was at 10:00 pm so I didn't have more than 5 minutes to watch (clearly bedtime).  So I zipped thru it just to see what it was all about.

I think it is worth the watch and here are some thing I've gathered:  Mickey Drexler worked for Gap/Banana Republic and was fired!  He believes in micromanaging business (interesting).  He personally returns calls to customer complaints (not all but some). 

I will surely be watching the entire program hopefully soon, you might want to check it out too.

Tracy

Sequin anchor tank top from J.CREW

TB meet TB

We share initials and we finally met. Last week, I attended a private event organized by American Express at the new Tory Burch boutique on Madison Avenue. It was a magical evening from start to finish. The amazing three level store felt like I happened upon Tory Burch's own home. It was glamorous from top to bottom. The staff was beyond friendly and helpful ~ loved how they dressed in navy blue. The clothing, accessories and shoes were tempting, especially with a complimentary gift card for shopping. :) But, the best part of the evening, was meeting Tory Burch herself. She was exactly what I expected her to be..friendly, smart, gracious, effortlessly chic..pretty much perfect. A big THANKS to my wonderful family for the once-in-a-lifetime experience as my gift for Mother's Day.

TB

Photo Friday No. 67

Volleyball in

New Jersey

(teachers vs. students)

Summer Accessory in
Pennsylvania