A Wonderful Weekend: We Needed One 'THIS' Much!!

Hello + Hello!

How are you all this lovely new week?

I am feeling refreshed and renewed after a very fun weekend

filled to the gills with lots going on.

Don't know about you folks,

but September has literally kicked my butt.

I've been toooooo busy.

This weekend was a great opportunity to

spend some quality uninterrupted time with my

little family.

>>>>>--------------->

 

Friday was the night we actually got to go out alone (as a couple)

to celebrate my 40th Birthday

(which was back in September)

& we had a

BLAST!

Here is a little collage of all the fun we experienced together...

Good drinks, great food & a wonderful movie called

Gravity

Oh my stars.....literally....stars.....this movie is

Ah+may+zing!

GO, RUN to the box office to see it!

If you can afford to, make sure you see it in IMAX 3D!!!

It will blow your mind.

Don't...I repeat...DON'T wait for it to come out on video,

it will lose something on the little screen.

>>>>>--------------->

After we recovered from a late night out,

we worked out in the yard picking the last of the fruit from the trees

&

cleaning up the yard as much as possible until more leaves fall.

Some of you wouldn't consider that relaxing...

but I sure do!

Did I mention it was

SUNNY??

Oh yes it was!

YIPPEE!

>>>>>--------------->

Then...on Sunday

we went to Church and heard an amazing message...

after which we piled into the ol' Suburban

&

took off for the mountains.

The sun was shining

(AGAIN! YIPPEE!)

and there was a Subway along the way,

which was great, because hey...

I was supposed to be relaxing remember??

The first stop

(after the quintessential Subway visit)

was

Nooksack Falls

where we marveled at the rushing waters & beautiful trees.

One must understand that there is no

place you can get a good photo of

Nooksack Falls.

Sadly many people learned the hard way that there was no

"perfect spot"

to view the falls.

So many people have tried finding the hidden spot...

it doesn't exist...and now they don't either.

We respect fences, they are there for a reason people.

>>>>>--------------->

Then,

we headed for the hills!

And this is where I MUST ask the age old question:

 

I beg to know how it's possible???

There were so many breathtaking spots along the way to

Twin Lakes in the

North Cascades belonging to the

Mount Baker National Forrest

We stopped a few times for some view shots...

 

 

before we actually made it to the top.

where we were surprised with fresh

SNOW!

 

The boys were thrilled!

 

(I was a little less than thrilled that I hadn't taken my boots along.)

We had fun throwing snow balls at each other

(Well, they had fun...I was still trying to gain a calm demeanor from

the last trek up the hill to get there. It was a "little" scary.)

I remember not being bothered by this when I was a kid...

but now?

Hmmmm.... did I mention I'm 40 now?!

Yikes!!!

Also, I'm happy to say the

Suburban has heavy duty tires & 4 wheel drive,

because we needed it:

I enjoyed myself so much...

I felt like a little kid again

(well except for those scary wash-outs on the road).

 I was so happy to share this with my sons & my mountain loving hubby

(who tends to think wash-outs are a challenge to be conquered, not avoided).

 

It was a great weekend.

We need to do this more...

if only there wasn't always so much going on at this time of the year.

>>>>>--------------->

Oh well,

at least we made some unforgettable memories together.

We even made it to a friends'

roadside 'punkin' stand.

 

We are certainly blessed.

Cheers

&

hoping your weekend was amazing too!

Happy new week my friends!

T.

xx

 

 

 

 

 



Back to School...Ready or Not Here it Comes!

Hello + Hello!

Wellllll....it's official for our household;

School starts in

ONE
WEEK!

Where has the Summer gone?

I'm always amazed by how quickly it simply flies by!

Every year it seems faster and faster.....and I'm not even a

TEACHER!

LOL!!

>>>>>--------------->

Well,

all my teacher friends...

I pray you have had one fantastic Summer off.

Soon you will have a classroom filled with scads of busy little bodies.

I hope you found the rest you needed and much deserved.

You are an asset to your community

&

we appreciate you!

I'm sure there will be days where you wish the kids would stop fussing,

sit down & pay attention...

and that's where my new little sign comes in....

simply keep calm and teach on.

There will always be at least one child who is listening.

I'm constantly amazed by how often I think my kids are not listening to me,

so I'll ask them to repeat back to me what I've just said....

and to my amazement...

FREAKISHLY THEY DO!

SO....

no matter how bad it gets,

no matter how much you may want to throw in the towel...

you ARE making a difference

in the lives of our children.

Thank-you

for all you do!

>>>>>--------------->

What?

You're not a Teacher?

Well,

maybe you should show a little support to one you know.

Bring them a latte, or an apple pie & let them

know how much they mean to you!

Want to find a copy of this print to send along?

No problem,

it's available in my Etsy shop

Trisha Brink Design

or

in my brick and mortar shop

Grandiflora Home and Garden

in

Lynden, Washington.

>>>>>--------------->

Well,

I'm off to get more school supplies....

TTFN!

T.

xx

 

 



Girly -VS- Tomboy? Which One Wins in Your Life?

Hello + Hello!

How have you folks been lately?

Did you have a wonderful weekend like me?

I enjoyed my weekend to the fullest....and it was all pretty simple stuff really.

I was happy to be able to prep for a little

Instasale over on my Instagram Shop Feed.

It was a pretty "girly" line-up too!

I must admit....I like a little pink in my life...but living with all boys in the house

dictates how much of it I'm able to decorate with.

So,

having an Instasale allows me to play with the pink stuff for a while....

and then find happy homes for it in the end.

It was a successful sale, and I'm happy to say most of the items found new homes.

>>>>>--------------->

On the other flip side of my weekend however....

I had some fairly

"tom-boy-ish"

adventures!

 

Yes, that's my bloody hand.

I was practicing my archery skillz

shooting bow (target practice) with my sons and husband on Friday night,

& I ended up getting a little scratch/cut from the fletching (feathers)

on the arrow.

Oh yes....I am a woman of many talents!

Then....

>>>>>--------------->

It was off to the fishing derby at our local park!

 Where Elliot (and his older brother Tristan) promptly caught his (their) limit.

 

I calmly sat (in my incredibly adorable and girly chair)

and watched as their dad did most of the work

(thanks hunny! xo)

 

The best part about the fishing derby this year???

 

 

Not only did the boys limit out...

but all the other little kids around us who caught their limits

decided they didn't like to

"eat fish....eiuwww!"

SO....

since the fish were dead by that point anyway,

they gave them to us and my handsome hubby smoked them all!
We are enjoying smoked fresh trout....a lot!

And last but not least,

after much other doings and goings....

we ended the weekend with a friendly visit from our local

ice cream truck;

the Sugar Shack!

Mmmm.....mmmmm!

 

So,

girly, tomboy or otherwise.....

my weekend was fun & filled

with all good things for girls & boys!

Hoping yours was too?

>>>>>--------------->

Have a great new week everyone!

T.

xx



Hosting First Grade Caped Crusaders at our Treehouse

 Hello + Hello!

I just wanted to swing in with a little something different for a change.

Some of you may know that I spend the bulk of my time with

my family which includes not only my hubby...

but two wonderful little boys!

It was our pleasure to host a very grand party for our youngest son Elliot

recently.

He decided he wanted to have a Batman theme....

so off to Gotham we went!

 Elliot has always loved super heros!

Frankly I think he likes Batman most because he has such cool gadgets!

(big brother Tristan is in the background helping Elliot's classmates up into the tree house)

 

 

We had quite a pile of Caped Crusaders at the tree house....er....uh....I mean....BATCAVE!

 There were pinecone wars...

 ....rope flying lessons....

 ....and tactical skillz courses.

All the caped crusaders did fantastically,

even with the water bombs & pizza!

 The whole party was filled with fun & laughter by all.

 The best part?

After all the presents were open,

we were able to celebrate our little boy turning 7!

Happy Birthday Elliot!!!

Each Caped Crusader was able to go home with a little

tactical gear and treats.

It was a really fun day for each of us...

but we were exhausted in the end.

You only turn 7 once,

and we made sure it was a really fun day!

Elliot you are totally worth it!

T.

xx

Leftover Pizza For Brunch? Who Knew?

 

 Hello + Hello!

Ok,

so really..........

admit it;

YOU HAVE ORDERED TOO MUCH PIZZA FOR A PARTY BEFORE...

RIGHT?

Well,

if you have, or if you ever do...

here's my solution:

LEFTOVER PIZZA FRITTATA!

What's a Frittata some of you may ask?

Well, it's basically the

Italian version of the French Omelette.

A frittata however is open faced & often contains

ingredients "in" the egg instead of just "on" the egg.

>>>>>--------------->

I'm hoping to post pictures of my son's 7th Birthday Party

we hosted for his little buddies soon....

but...

the reason why I'm stopping by with this mini-recipe is that

I ordered WAY too much pizza for his party

&

rather than throw it out

I made a

frittata instead!

(Frankly, I like the frittata better than the original pizza anyway!)

Want to try your hand at this wonderful

Saturday/Sunday brunch staple in the Brink home?

Okie Dokie...

here we go!

 

>>>>>--------------->

Leftover Pizza Frittata

 

Crack 3-5 eggs into a medium bowl and mix in a few tablespoons of milk

(just like prepping scrambled eggs).

Pour egg mixture into a large warm non-stick frying pan.

Add any chopped veggies or toppings you'd like to be submersed in the egg.

Then add chopped leftover pizza pieces.

Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Cook over low-medium heat until cooked through & cheese is melted.

(I cover my pan with a lid to help melt the cheese. If you have an iron skillet,

you could toss it in the oven for a bit instead.)

Top with remaining ingredients that you'd prefer to stay raw.

 

Serve in pie shaped pieces immediately.

Enjoy!

 

>>>>>--------------->

 

This recipe is a hit with my sons.

Truth be told...

if they had their choice, they'd just eat the leftover pizza straight out of the box cold!

However...

 this recipe satisfies both my hubby's and my craving for omelettes

&

nourishes little growing bodies that need the

protein from our chickens' fresh eggs.

Win + Win!

Hope you can enjoy this simple semi-homemade recipe soon!

 

Be back soon with Elliot's party photos.....

T.

xx

The 32 Things I've Been Doing Since We Last Spoke

 

 Hello + Hello!

How have you all been lately?

Long time no speak...

yeah, I know....my bad.

Quite honestly I needed a little break from the internet/blogging,

but...just for a bit.

I guess I should've given a warning...but you know...it just didn't happen.

WHAT DID HAPPEN HOWEVER

was a bunch of stuff!

Whew...have I been a busy little bee.

In addition to my normal everyday job at

Grandiflora

this is what I've been up to while not

mothering...or wifey-ing

(is that a word?)

Ha ha ha!

 

>>>>>--------------->

 

Anyway...here goes:

Above you'll see that I painted a dresser for my son's room.
I also did a bit of fun painting for Etsy & Grandiflora items.

Next, I ripped up a neat old butterfly book and went a little

crazy with the gold and white washi tape!

I love how it turned out!

Then I started on some projects I can't reveal yet....at least not fully.

Isn't blanket stitching just the most relaxing thing?

I tried my hand at making a grocery tote from vintage sheeting....

it was actually going quite well

( I don't sew....no....frankly....I don't like to sew...not enough patience.)

until the machine decided to be stupid and I almost

threw it through a window!

(Well not really....but I thought it sounded like a good idea at the time.)

Needless to say,

I may be calling up one of my seamstress friends to finish it for me?

 I feel that I've been surrounded by books and magazines lately as well.

Truly I've not had the chance to really enjoy all of these lookers yet...

but everyday I savor a page or two!

I have been out picking and thrifting for finds lately.

Most of them go to one of my Etsy shops....but a few I either keep,

or send into Grandiflora.

I love shipping out orders from Etsy

&

washing and caring for the sweet vintage items.

A couple of other things I've been up to in my silly life are:

taking care of the t-shirt ninjas that seem to have invaded my life...

they demand fresh Asian food...mainly Spring Rolls.

I roll my eyes every time they get their swords out!

 

Our Chickens seem to have forgotten what a nesting box is....

or maybe they are practicing for Easter?

Again,

more photography for Etsy of this lovely vintage wallpaper.

Found a funny old photo strip pic of

hubby and I in 1992!

( Buah ha ha!)

Another chair that needs a little help...son picked it out for me.

(Frankly was pretty impressed with his selection!)

And....last but not least,

the new glasses arrived.

It's been mostly rainy lately....so it seems all I've been up to is

using the front of my shirt as a windshield wiper.

But there was a day or two when I was able to pull out the

new prescription sunglasses!

Whoo hooo!

 

>>>>>--------------->

 

Well,

I hope you're all enjoying your early Spring?

And....

that you're going to have an excellent weekend!

I hope to see you back again sooner rather than later...

but here is to a much needed break.

Cheers my friends!

T.

xx

It's Rare Disease Day 2013, Honoring Our Son Today

Hello + Hello!

I wanted to stop in today to let you know about a wonderful movement that's happening

globally today.

It's

Rare Disease Day 2013 TODAY!

Rare diseases can be isolating and frustrating not only for the people

who have them...but for their families too.

My son Tristan has a rare disease called

Linear Schleroderma en coup de Sabre

I just wanted to honor

Tristan

&

those others who suffer from rare diseases by helping you find out more.

Please take a moment to visit the website

HERE

to find out more how you can honor someone you love

who has a rare disease.

Thanks for listening...I appreciate you taking the time to read this.

Cheers my friends!

T.

xx

Spreading JOY from a Pizza Box: DIY & Linky Party!

Hello + Hello

&

JOY

to

the
World!

How are you this fine Christmas-tide?

I'm having such a lovely holiday season so far...I hope you are too!

My little boys and I have been all over the place in this house doing all sorts of wonderful things with our Christmas Decor.

one of the things I had inteded to do this season was to purchase a huge

NOEL

sign from my own shop

Grandiflora Home and Garden

but...

before I knew it the signs were all gone.

(That happens more often than not for me! Oh well, you snooze you lose.)

SO,

we improvised instead!

This was probably meant to be anyway as it turned out to be a really fun time for

the two boys and myself.

First we found a few frozen pizza boxes in our recycle bin.

Then we went to work

"making a little (er...or....a big) JOY!"

 After finding the boxes and ripping them open, we (2) traced out some large letters. Then (3) cut them out. Next (4) we painted the letters with white Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan. From there (5) we punched holes in the tops of the letters & (6) coated the letters with Matte Mod Pod and mica glitter flakes. Last (7) we strung the letters onto ribbon and hung on our 1898 Eastern Hemisphere Antique pull down school map.

Voila!

JOY TO THE WORLD!

It was so much fun!

After the sign was hung we went to work placing our ever growing collection of globes around the bottom of the map on our antique Scottish buffet.

 Of course, we needed to use up some of my collection of

vintage and antique ornaments in the display....

....how perfect they mirrored the look of the round globes!

 It was fun to continue on to the bookshelf that holds our random collection of whatnots.

 

 I flipped my (normally wallpapered) star around and gave it the

royal treatment with mica glitter as well!

Each and every nook and cranny has been filled with

Christmas Cheer.

So,

what about you?

What fun things have you been up to this season?

Are you all decorated?

Or....not so much?

I'd love to hear from you!

>>>>>----------------->

Also,

something exciting is happening here today with a bunch of wonderful people

 who I so fondly

refer to as

Inspirational Folks!

All of us

Gatherings Magazine

contributors have started linking up to eachother's blogs so that you can

peek in and enjoy what we're up to this

Merriest of Seasons!

I hope you'll get the chance to head over to

Liz Loves Vintage (blog)

to see what all these lovely folks are up to all over the globe at Christmas time.

Cheers to each and everyone of you....

&

happiest of decorating!

T.

xx