Heart and Home Celebrates a Special Pink Saturday

Good Morning All!
I hope you're having a great start to a long Memorial Day Weekend.
I'm going to make sure to take a moment during this busy and fun-filled three days to think about the reason behind this holiday, and to give thanks and remember those who made the greatest sacrifice to serve our country, today and in times long gone.

Now, on to the celebration! It's Pink Saturday, and a very special two year anniversary for our lovely Hostess with the Mostess:  Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.  When you're done here be sure to drop by at Beverly's to say hello, and wish her a happy anniversary. Tell her Heidi at Heart and Home sent you!


For her two year anniversary I collected some flowers:


 Soft pink fuschias:

Brilliant pink roses and impatiens:

Baby pink Cecil Brunner roses:

A little symbol of love:

Alstromeria lilies in all their pink glory:

These two nifty,spunky pink fellas:

And last but not least, this yummy pink confection.

It's not a celebration without something good and sweet to eat, in my opinion!

Yum!

Happy Anniversary, Dear Beverly. Congratulations on two years of Pink Saturdays!

Thank you for making this a fun place to gather every week, for introducing so many bloggers to each other, and for encouraging our friendships and the sharing of beauty and ideas.

I look forward to participating in many more happy Pink Saturdays with you!

All pictures above from past Pink Saturday Posts. To read the entire post, click on the link!

As a special thank you to my readers and followers use this code anytime for 10% of any purchase at Overstock.com.

Ready?  Here it is: 121728

Remember, leave a comment and let me know you were here!

until next time

XO

Heidi

Heart and Home and Pasta, Yum!

Hi there! Welcome back,  my blogging buddies!

Time for Pasta, on this Foodie Friday!
I'm feeling hungry, and this is so easy and delicious. So, let's get ready to cook!

I don't know about you, but it seems like I always have an appetite for a warm bowl of pasta.
It's my go-to food of choice when I'm in a hurry, or craving a comfort food.
On yet another rainy day like today it's the perfect meal.

I'll bet you have all the ingredients on hand, and if you're super hungry it's ideal,
becauses this goes really fast.

PASTA CARBONARA 

 (inspired by Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express, thanks!)

You will need:

Pasta - spaghetti,  linguine or similar

(I use whole wheat)

eggs

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

pancetta, bacon, or very thinly sliced ham

olive oil

salt, pepper and parsley to taste

Boil water for pasta and cook it until done.

Meanwhile, cut into small pieces and lightly brown in olive oil the meat.

Beat together three eggs,

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese and the browned meat.

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the water.

Return pasta to large pot, add the egg mixture to it and toss quickly.

The heat of the pot and the pasta will cook the eggs.

(I turned on the heat and stirred for 30 seconds or so to thoroughly cook the eggs.)

 Add some of the reserved pasta water if needed to moisten pasta mixture.

Serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese,

 freshly ground black pepper and chopped parsley.

Make a nice salad to round out the meal.

Enjoy ~

There you have it -

Dinner in about 20 minutes!

I told you it was quick! And once you taste this you'll be thanking me for posting the recipe.

Well, you're welcome!

And, thank you for stopping by!

While you're here why don't you take a look around. I've put together a list of books I think you might enjoy over there on my side-bar (check out the Amazon links). If you see something that interests you, just click on it and you'll go right to a page where you can explore and get more information.

I know, I'm always thinking about you...

If you're a follower, here's a big HUG!! If you're not, well, why don't you add me to your list? You'll never miss a post, and I'll be so happy that you decided to come along for the ride. Click on the "follow me" button, or subscribe for e-mail updates.

And then you get a big HUG, too!

Until next time,

XO

Heidi

Linking to the wonderful Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday

Wednesday Gratitude #15 at Heart and Home: Calm Mornings

Greetings!

                        


It's that time again! Welcome back to Wednesday Gratitude, please link your actual Gratitude post, and remember to link back to Heart and Home in your post. Linky Tools will be open by 6:00 PM PST.

I'd love it if you'd leave me a comment when you're done linking up, and please try to visit the other participants, too!  I find it very inspiring to read the thoughtful and insightful gratitude posts each week.

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." - G.K. Chesterton

The days can get hectic around here.

That is why

I'm thankful that my mornings are relatively quiet and stress free.

I'm thankful that, after getting my daughters and husband out the door, I have some time to myself.

I usually work-out, and then read the local paper, while I eat my breakfast.

I'm always thankful when berries are in season.

In this part of the country, we have strawberries for eight or more months a year.

They are grown just a few miles from here, on rolling hills and wide open fields.

Blackberries from my garden will be ripe by July.

I'm very thankful for the berry vines that grow with very little tending just outside my door! 

Today:  No eggs and bacon for me.

No cereal or toast.

No pancakes or waffles.

I'm thankful I can choose instead a bagel with cream cheese and apricot jam,

delicious and perfect, in my opinion.

One of the agenda items of the morning includes staring out the window for awhile.

I need to check the weather, watch the birds, and decide my plan of attack for the day.

Before the day attacks me!

The flowers are from my garden.
Lavender scents the air - one more thing to be thankful for!

Also:

I'm thankful for the many small details that beautify my surroundings and enrich my life.

I'm thankful for a calm start to days that are usually full and busy.

I'm thankful for the full and busy parts of my day, too!

How do you start your day?  Do you have time to yourself, or are you running around like crazy from the moment you rise 'till you fall into your bed at night?

Speaking of beds, isn't it lovely to have one to fall into?!

Something else I'm extremely thankful for!

And one more thing:

I'm thankful that you stopped by today!

If you are following Heart and Home, welcome back. If you're new here, sign up to become a follower, or subscribe for e-mail alerts. I'll be so thankful you did, and you won't miss a thing!

Until next time,

XO

Heidi

Check out this awesome and inspiring site: Playing For Change Peace Through Music

Weekend in Review, at Heart and Home

Hi Everyone!

This weekend went by too fast, don't you agree?!
I guess it's because we did so many nice, weekend-y things!

First there was a little beach walking (see above) and some communing with nature, care of this fellow:

What a handsome specimen, and so gentle and almost timid.

Pelicans are amazing creatures.

Someday I'll show you the video we took of an entire flock of them,

eating out of the bait shop owner's hand.

Before we walked the beach, we went searching for the perfect vessel for a fountain.

It will be the centerpiece of the meadow we're creating on the side of our property.

I like this one:

And the one down below.

Both are about 4' tall, and will sit in the center of a circular area in the middle of the meadow.

We're still working on the basics of the meadow, and will decide on a fountain later.

Even though I was ready to get going on that part of the project first, before anything else is done.

I wanted to load that first urn right into the back of the car, and head home with it.

Some other people around here (you know who you are!) have different ideas.

Some other people believe you should do things step by step, and follow a plan...

So, no urn for a fountain yet, darn it!!

Other important projects got completed, though!

Step by step, I sewed replacement cushions for the deck dining chairs.

You can see how badly replacements were needed.

before:

Here's what the new ones look like.

Better, right?

after:

They're colorful and very comfy, an ideal combination in my opinion.

This is one of my favorite spots to sit in the late afternoon when I read the daily mail.

Also this is a great place to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Which we do whenever the weather permits.

This weekend, I did some of this too.

I was sanding so fast the paparazzi didn't get a clear shot of me!

I was working on this shelf, which you've seen before.

It got primer and a coat of white paint.

It still needs one more coat before it's done, though.

Then we'll move it into the house, and I can get the books off the floor,

out of the baskets,

and out from under tables.

Oh, and before I let another day go by, let me tell you about my PRIZES!!

I won a $50 gift card to Home Goods from our favorite tablescaper, Susan,

at Between Naps on the Porch. 

Fabulous!

AND, lucky me, this lovely apron came in the mail from my sweet new friend Yoli, at Apron Senorita.

I was the lucky winner in her giveaway.

If you can read backwards you can see it's a PEACE and LOVE apron.

I love wearing it, it makes me feel tres chic!

Thanks, Yoli!

There you have it, the weekend in review!

I'm linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch - thanks, Susan!

Also linking to Blue Monday at Smiling Sally and Make It For Monday at Cottage Instincts. And, to Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Treasures. Thanks!

And hey, if you like what you've seen, leave a comment and, if you're not already,  become a follower.

You'll never miss a single exciting post, and you'll be my new best friend!

Peace and Love!

Until next time

XO

Heidi

A Mini-Mantlescape and Bedroom Plans at Heart and Home

Hey there! How's it going with you? Have you been working like mad, or have you been feeling like me, slightly unmotivated?
I did do a little sprucing up around here today.

Nothing fancy, just a quick presto-chango, to give the living room a much needed lift.

The grey skies and the wind make it feel more like Winter than late Spring, so I wasn't feeling terribly inspired.

I kept it simple with a few of my favorite bird's nests and some urns that I've been collecting.

I love the shape and texture of the urns with the bird's nests.

This one in particular:

See what I mean?

A local artist created a wood print of our beloved California quail,

which is actually a greeting card that I finally put in a reworked frame.

For some added height I pulled in a few old books.

They just keep multiplying around here!

The musty smell of vintage books is one of the best scents ever, in my opinion!

And I don't believe you can ever have too many real bird's nests, but only if they were found after the birds abandoned them!

This took me about 10 minutes, can you tell?

I wasn't in a very "designer" mood today.

There's a lot on my mind and I'm  feeling a bit scattered. It's hard to focus on any one thing with real deep concentration, as my mind sort of flits from thought to thought.

Not that that's terribly unusual for me.
My mind does tend to wander at times....

Still, I have so many projects to finish, and so many more I want to begin.

But more pressing, I have a few important things to straighten out.
(I guess is should take my own advice, and have a long sit-down at the shore...so the answers can come to me.)

Then I hope I can get right back into the swing of things.

First up for this summer is a redo of my darling daughter's bedroom.
She's growing up and doesn't want the pink walls anymore.
Pink is passe' , according to her.
Now she wants white walls. Which is what they were, before we painted them pink about three years ago.
I'd like to get her a new bed, too, and I found a great resource at Overstock.Com.

I think these would work well in her room, and they look sturdy.

Adding a trundle would be great for those sleepover parties.

There's a terrific choice of some fun bedding, too!

Of course, I'm drawn to the girly, pink stuff.

But I bet she'd like this design too. It's got a "mod vibe" going on, and that fits my daughter perfectly.
She's very mod, for a fourteen year old.

Overstock.com has a lot more great looks, to see them you can go here for beds, or bedding, or even here to see nightstands.




Let me know what you think of my mantel makeover!

If I work really hard this weekend I'll have some great stuff to show you next week!

If you're reading this on Wednesday, remember the vigil tonight, I hope you'll join in. Go here for more info, or check out my Wednesday Gratitude post by scrolling down.

Thanks for dropping by!

Until next time,

XO

Heidi

Linking to Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage, Thrifty Treasures at Tales from Bloggeriteville, and Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home. Thanks for hosting, ladies!

A Heartfelt Request From Heart and Home

Greetings my friends!

                        

Every Wednesday is Wednesday Gratitude at Heart and Home. If you are joining the party, link to your actual WG post, and link back to Heart and Home. Please remember to leave a comment when you're done linking, and to visit the other participants! Thank you. Linky will be up by 5:00 PM PST.

“To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.” -Albert Schweitzer

Today I am expressing my thanks for my friend Kelee Katillac.

Since I first "met" her at "The Katillac Shack", Kelee has inspired me with her creativity, her warmth, her giving nature, and her positive spirit. Kelee is always one of the first people willing to jump in to help a friend, she loves animals and nature, and she is a clever and talented writer and interior designer. She's also quirky, funny, and a truly unique and special woman.  I am blessed and lucky to call her a friend ( and I get to be a "Shackster", too - how lucky is that?!). 

 Kelee recently wrote a powerful and heartfelt message about the oil spill in the Gulf, and I promised her I would help get the word out about Wednesday's prayer and positive thoughts vigil.

You all know I love the ocean, and once again I'm showing you MY magnificent and beautiful Pacific, and the beaches I love to walk. I'm sharing these pictures today in Kelee's honor, and I've included some of Kelee's thoughts in today's post, because she says it better than I ever could...

Kelee says: ".... the oil that is polluting the gulf is straight out of a horror flick. Or the substance of Hades itself.

Once we have this disaster in-hand we can address these better resources. Isn't it uplifting to know that we have compassionate solutions for the earth, ourselves, and our children...that are kindness based?  But, first-things-first: lets get some Divine light shed on the minds of the folks in charge..."

"Throughout history mothers, daughters, sisters and grandmothers have been the leaders in emergency causes....from war efforts to famine relief. We can, in our way, through the practice of prayer--or meditation or high thought--whatever you do-- affect this disaster for the positive. By sending authoritative and loving spiritual energy to the heavens we can help bring about a solution to this disaster and get this sickening oil flow stopped. Also, we can help deliver ideas-- from on high--to the minds of those who can get it cleaned-up."

"Will you join me in a 20 minute on-line prayer and positive energy vigil for the gulf oil disaster this Wednesday night?"

Sometimes we are faced with problems that seem impossible to face, and impossible to solve.

Often, the same problems manifest themselves over and over in different ways in our lives, reappearing and wreaking their havoc on us when we least expect them.

 At other times, there are small problems requiring simple solutions that we just can't see because we are lost in the middle of them. 

Those are the times when we seek help from a friend, when we need good advice, when we pray for guidance.

Most often, those are the times I take walks along the beach.

Usually, but not always, the answers I need come to me after long walks along the shore.

Sometimes, I find a bench and sit for a long time, staring out to sea.

Looking out upon the vastness of the ocean, watching the sky and clouds, the wind, the birds, the trees, and even the passers-by with their dogs and skates and bicycles, almost always helps to clear my mind.

Most often the answers come to me when I am at the shore, because I can clear my mind of all the clutter of everyday life, and just focus on what's important right then.

The ocean brings me clarity and peace. 

The ocean is our planet's largest resource, and contains Earth's most powerful life force.

The ocean is a fragile environment, and sadly, it needs to be protected from it's most dangerous and powerful antagonist: Humans.

But, also, Humans are the ocean's only allies and advocates.
Of course, the animals and sea life of our world's oceans can't speak for themselves, they can't rally for their environment and make changes that would benefit them and their ecosystems.

We hold that power exclusively, and we can at least try.

For more information about the silent prayer and positive thoughts vigil, please visit Kelee's blog HERE.
 Please spread the word - tell your friends, and enlist your families.

I believe together we can make a difference.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Thank you readers, followers, and Kelee!
Until next time
XO
Heidi

I'm linking to Outdoor Wednesday, at A Southern Daydreamer. Thank you Susan!