Hello. My Name is Dana. And, I Am A Coffee Addict.

Pretty java, tasty java...

How I miss thee!

I miss how your fantastic scent would fill our house early in the morning, each and every day. I miss the warmth you provided. And, listening to Diana Krall just isn't the same without you. I miss the unmistakable "jolt" I would get as you would race through my bloodstream, causing me to feel like I could fly like Mary Poppins. What a grand time we had together. I miss you, old friend.

My love for you began at a young age when my father used to give me small creamer cups filled with your deliciousness. I drank you during my college years, especially on those late nights when I needed you the most in order to get that much needed "A" to pass a class. I drank you after college and during my early years of marriage. And, I drank you after my babies were born to keep me going throughout the day. You helped me to accomplish much, and for this I thank you.

I drank you when the weather was bad. I drank you when the weather was fair. But, suddenly, you have caused me to become ill. I adore your simple, bitter flavor, but you are a drug to me. So, I have to bid you adieu...for now at least.

Sweet Lord in Heaven,

Please help me to refrain from my addiction. Especially on the rainy days when it is missed the most! Like the past week where we have had rain almost every day!!! What I wouldn't give for a piping hot cup of java! I almost gave in today...almost. But, then I remembered what the doctor said. So, I will be good and do the right thing. I will try. Amen.

P.S. Is it bad to open up the canister several times a day just to partake of the delicious aroma? I swear I can hear that canister calling my name every time I enter the kitchen saying, "Makapot! Makapot! Makapot!" Or, that I'm thinking of filling each and every room of our house with a java-scented candle? OR, that I've considered making a necklace out of coffee beans? Kinda like a candy necklace, but I would only smell them and never nibble them. Scout's honor! I don't think my doc would object to that!!

(*sigh*)

I will miss you, dear friend. But, I hope to return to you again, one day...under happier conditions. But, for now...

Hello, green tea! :)

Thursday's Thoughts: To My Dearest Friends...

"You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while, we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that."

- Charlotte, "Charlotte's Web"

Celebrating Seven...

Seven years ago this month, I married the man I had been dating for four years, the man I had been engaged to for a year-and-a-half, the man who is truly "the man of my dreams." It is so hard to believe that seven years have come and gone. While the road has definitely had it's bumps and moments of complete and utter chaos, it has been a great road and I could not have picked a better traveling companion.

Jay and I are no longer newlyweds. We are no longer "young and in love." Although, we are most definitely still in love. But, we are "in the thick of it" now. We have reached the big seven!

A lovely friend of mine from college recently posted the following on my Facebook wall: "For some reason, I've always considered 'seven' the year that you're officially no longer a newlywed or 'young married'. Kind of like now you're in the 'officially really truly married for the long haul' club." Friend, I couldn't agree with you more. Jay and I are officially members of the ORTMFTLH Club. And, what a grand club it is! We've made it to our seventh year. Hooray for us!

And, while I am certainly no expert on marriage and am still learning what to do and what NEVER to do, I do know a few things given my seven years of expertise! ;) With that said, here are seven things I have learned thus far:

1. Marry a handy man. He doesn't have to be Bob Villa, but make sure "Mr. Fix It" is located somewhere on his resume. Do not, I repeat, do NOT marry someone who does not know how to take care of a house, refuses to get his hands dirty or someone who can not fix a darn thing. Marry a man who enjoys and is capable of doing manly things. Does he take out the trash, mow the lawn, change the brakes on your car? Is he handy with a circular saw and all the other important "man tools" I am not allowed to touch (heh! heh!)? Does he know how to grill (grilling is very important! ha!)? This is one thing I am very grateful for - I married a MAN. During his high school years and a few years after that, my husband worked for a local hardware store. I will be forever grateful to them for teaching my husband the things he knows today. He has an amazing "knack" for fixing things and he enjoys doing "manly work" inside and outside of the house.

2. Not everyone will like you, but your spouse will always love you. This I have known to be true above everything else. Your day may be filled with family disputes, insignificant squabbles amongst friends or moments where you just want to stab your eyes out. However, when all is said and done, you can rest assured your spouse will always stand by your side and lift you up when you feel like your world is crashing down around you. At least that is how it is in my case. Jay has been my personal savior on many occasions.:)

3. Do not have babies immediately after you get married. Do not do it! Don't get me wrong...I love my babies with every fiber within me, but the one thing I am so proud of us for is that we had three solid years just to ourselves. We traveled, we had weekend getaways, we had friends over on Friday AND Saturday nights, we went out to dinner, we saw several Broadway shows and ballet performances, we took the train into Boston on Saturdays just to "hang out" because we could, we took afternoon naps on Sundays (okay, I took afternoon naps on Sundays), we owned a super cool "date car" (which we plan to own again one day!), we went to the movies OFTEN, we stayed up late, and we slept in late. We celebrated our lives together as a young married couple should. We would come and go whenever we wanted, without a care in the world. And, we have pictures to look back on of the memories we made and the places we visited together. Just the two of us.

4. Allow for some room to breathe. There will be moments when your husband will be in dire need of some "guy time" and time when you will need to laugh, cry or SHOP with a good friend. Don't be the type of wife who cuts off all her single friends, or married friends for that matter. For me, most of my "nearest and best" live the farthest away from me (Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado - thank God we have free long distance!). However, just because it seems like they live as far away as the moon doesn't mean we don't gab like we normally would if they lived down the street from me. And, I can not forget my few "besties" who live near bye. They, too, know me through and through and I always enjoy spending time with them, laughing with them and just being myself with them.

5. Do favors! When your spouse says to you, "Honey, can you do me a favor," don't run, don't hide and don't ever ask "Why?". Try to view favors as windows of opportunity to show your love for one another. Pay attention to these windows of opportunity. Don't ever throw them away because you may need to cash in an important favor some day. ;)

6. Just let it go! During years one through five you might find you have acquired the extravagant title of "Nitpicker." Even the littlest things get under your skin and you just can't help but nag. Yes, wives, you WILL do it! Somewhere between years five and six you finally come to the realization that IT IS JUST NOT WORTH IT and the only person getting upset about the situation is you!

For example my husband does not, will not and completely refuses to change the toilet paper roll when it has run out. He will go down to the basement, retrieve a fresh roll and he will even bring it all the way up the second floor bathroom...only to leave it sitting on the cabinet next to the toilet paper holder. And there...it...sits, waiting for me to put it in its rightful place. He will not put it on. It used to drive me up the wall. UP THE WALL!! But, somewhere around year five it became a joke...because I let it go. He thinks it is hilarious because he knows it irritates me to no end, but because I am able to let it go, I can laugh along with him. And, that is when you realize, there are more important things to "discuss" than changing the toilet paper. You have to be able to just fahgettaboudit and laugh it off.

Which brings me to my final "tip"...

7. Laugh together...at least once a day. Even on the hard days, when there is nothing to laugh about, try your darnedest to find at least one thing funny and laugh about it together. Laughter eases tension and helps you to calm down and think clearly so you can face the music together. Lucky for me, I married someone who shares my sense of humor. So, we laugh a lot!

BONUS! Amor Vincit Om. The inside of our weddings bands are engraved with the Latin phrase, "amor vincit om" which means, "love conquers all things." Keep this in mind...always. Love each other and you will love life. Your children will respond positively to and will be affected by your love for one another. By loving one another, your marriage will flourish and you will look back and smile on the things you overcame together.

Jay - Happy seventh, Babe! I love you with all my heart! Thank you for being a wonderful husband, father and friend. You are the best!

Happy Father's Day!

As you know, I love doing crafts! So, this year for Father's Day I decided to do something different...something crafty! So, with a little help from my three-year-old daughter, and this fun, crafty site, we made these:

Father's Day Shirt and Tie Cards!

They were super simple and super inexpensive! Plus, who doesn't love getting handmade cards from little kids? Keepsakes are always a treasure! Mia helped with the folding...and Mommy did the hot gluing (Lord only knows how crazy she'd get with a hot glue gun!). It was such a fun and simple project....straight from the heart!

And with that said...

Happy Father's Day, Daddy! I love you and loved laughing with you on the phone today. I love to start my day laughing with you (sorry for calling too early this morning!!) and I love to end my day laughing with you (yay! I didn't wait until 11 p.m. to call this time!!). I love cracking up on the phone with you. It is probably the reason why I call you five or six...okay, maybe 20 times a day! Okay, okay...and for your great advice and listening ear. Especially on the crazy days! I love you more than words can say and your grandchildren do, too. We miss you, love you and hope you had a wonderful Father's Day!

My dad is HOT!!!

And he is STILL HOT!!

I know you are loving the blog post, Dad!! Fo shizzle!! ;)

Chalkin' It Up!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I love taking my kids to the library. Besides being surrounded by books upon books upon books (sheer bliss!), the library also has fun things planned for your wee ones during those hot summer months when kids tend to get super duper bored. If you are looking for fun, inexpensive and creative things to do with your kiddos this summer, I suggest checking out your local library. They have tons of fun things planned for the kiddies...at no cost to their parents!

Recently, we joined our friends, the Arbos, for the Sidewalk Chalk event at our library. It was so much fun! And, even though the rainy weather sought to ruin our fun play date, the librarians saved the day by moving the event indoors. So, we joined 50+ kids and their mommies for sidewalk chalk inside. The librarians put black paper down on the floor and put containers of chalk nearby for the anxious little artists to create something lovely. And, they did! Before long the room was filled with children creating their own masterpieces! Good times!

Mia and her friends, Alizée and "Baby Oliver," had so much fun! When the kids were finished "creating," the librarians passed out free fudgsicles and popsicles to all the kids. What a treat!

So check out your local library this summer! You'll be surprised at all the fun (and educational) things they have in store for your kiddies!

Alizée the Artist

Good times were had by all!

Two great friends!

I think she got more chalk on her face
than on the paper!

Sweet "Baby Oliver" :)

seven happy years

Free Giveaway: Luka Organics

Those who know me know I love handmade items. From crochet and knit to designed paper products to vintage jewelry. Well, Joy from On Finding Balance is doing a free giveaway for my friend Steph's handmade soap - Luka Organics. Steph has a variety of yummy soaps to choose from: Coconut Lemongrass to Sea Soak to Cammomile Neroli. And, all of her soaps are made with certified organic ingredients. Not only will they bring you peace of mind each time you use them, but your skin will thank you!

So, check out her soaps and fill your online cart with them. But, don't bother entering in the contest, because I plan to win this one! :)