inspired by SouleMama

A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

We are always looking for new yummy recipes to break up the mundane grilled chicken breast and veggies. My friend from Peacefully Knitting sent me her favorite recipe for Moroccan Chicken Thighs. When I saw olives, balsamic vinegar and honey in the recipe, I knew it was for us. We eat ANYTHING with Olives (I even doubled them in this recipe)!

I substituted boneless chicken breast for the thighs, we are not a dark meat family.  So I did cook it longer than the directions.  I also omitted the cilantro (the one herb I DON’T have in my garden) and used parsley. Next time I think I will substitute prunes for the figs, just because they are less money are easier to find in our grocery stores. This recipe made the house smell so yummy. It was delicious! I served it over white rice. My dear husband never happier. It was a great dinner because it’s quick, made in under 30 mins, but tastes gourmet. Seems like a big dinner to have on a week night. It is definitely on our “make again” list. Thank you Peacefully Knitting.

It was very exciting around Southern New Hampshire last weekend. The Boston/Pease airshow was here, and what a show it was. Saturday we met up with my parents to cruise up the river for a view of the planes. We had no idea how good of a view it would be.

The boys took control of the helm and Griffin guided us through all the red and green markers.

The sun was out and there was a nice cool breeze on the river. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.

You all know me, I had to get in some knitting and the boyz fooled around on the bow while waiting for the show to start.

You just couldn’t beat this view.

Then the Blue Angels came blasting out of no where.

I tried taking as many shots as I could, but they were so fast, I only caught a few.

Now, I know nothing about flying. But the speed and accuracy these guys fly these planes at is just breathtaking. The boat next to us informed us that they actually fly at 18 inches apart! Yikes, better be sure no one sneezes!

What a fantastic time we had. I have to say, we have been having a stellar summer, but I think this day took the cake. Once the planes were gone, we hung out, had some wine (of course!) and enjoyed the sounds of the waves hitting the hull.

It was a day to remember for sure.

This Tuesday Space segment is quickly becoming one of my favorite posts. I love finding fun and functional ways to better my home. Now I am able to share all the tips and inspirational spaces with you!

This weeks space is one that has been on my mind since I read the post. This is a small entryway that has been redesigned to be an adorable and functional coat room and pantry space. It is the space of the wonderful blogger at Small Things. I have been following Ginny for a long time now and with her permission, I am able to share these pictures and links to her full post with you!  Her pictures and stories are amazing and inspirational, this space is no exception!

Ginny’s husband completed this space for her birthday (how sweet is that?) I love the light colors she used to contrast the doors and the natural wood to contrast with the white walls. The natural sun floods the space with bright light.

The perfect spot to organize all the everyday things that can clutter spaces. What I love about this space is the vertical space she used. You can see all the awesome pics of this space on her post: Good Things to Come. You will see that she used every square inch of space with such organization that really makes it a nice place to showcase functional objects and everyday things as well. That is why this is my Tuesday’s Space!

TUESDAYS SPACE TIP by Functional Home Design

When you have a small or tight space, take advantage of height rather than width. Use vertical shelving instead of wide bookshelves, stand-up coat racks in the place of long peg racks, and stacked storage boxes rather than bulky chests or containers.

Griff bumped his head at school when I was getting ready to pick him up. I think he was running away from me. He loves school and never wants to leave. Somehow he slipped and bonked his head on something. He was crying. When I picked him up, I noticed the blood in his eye. I took a second to assess the situation. I knew where we were headed…

Damn. Stitches.

This is the second time he has whacked his head open. I was much calmer this time around. I even had the piece of mind to stop home, drop off the dog, get some snacks, knowing we would be in the ER for a long time. I was right. It was a VERY busy night in the ER. We waited for 6 hours before we were seen. Griff was a trooper though, thank goodness. We finally got seen around 11pm. Luckily, he was pretty much asleep by then and didn’t put up too much of a fight. But I was right- 3 stitches. That’s in addition to the 7 stitches he got in March on the other side of his head. Poor kid. I think he is really working up to be a pirate!

Ugh. As you know, this dress has been on my “WIP” list for a long time. I was very excited to do a quick and easy dress. I am still new to sewing and thought this would be a good start. Today, I started working again on the smocking. I just can’t get it to look right. When I do get it to look right, I keep running out of elastic.

My last straw for this project was when I tried pulling the elastic to keep it tight and it broke. DARN IT! At this point, I tried it on. I needed to know if I should go on with it. It looks horrible on. I started to feel this project messing with my sewing mojo, so I decided to throw in the towel. It is a great pattern and I bet the perfect dress for someone else…but for now, I should stick with knitting.