A Whole Lotta Love

Showered with love...

2012-01-26T18:20:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, my mom and my sister threw me the most amazing baby shower. It was an owl and children's books theme, which was perfect since my husband and I are big readers and own a business selling rare books. I thought I would share some fun photos and inspirations in case you also want to throw a similar party.

There were books, pictures of books, and stuffed animals characters from books placed around the rooms.

All the foods had a children's book to go with them and a little fold-over card with the picture of the book. I will include them here in case anyone would like to use them in the future. There was "Green Eggs and Ham Quiche" made by my wonderful dad, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Cake", the "Vegetable Alphabet Book platter", "Humpty Dumpty Egg Salad" and Cookies brought by awesome mother-in-law, "Say Cheesecake!" made by a friend, Annelie, "Hop on Pop-corn" and "Owl and the Pussycat cupcakes" made by my extremely creative sister, and "Moose on the Loose Mousse", "Pinkalicious Punch", and "Blueberries for Sal Cake" made by my incredible mom. There was also "Peanuts", "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish Crackers", "Pretzel's Chocolate-covered Pretzels", "Chronicles of Narnia Turkish Delight", "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs", "Jellybeans" and so much more!

Favors...

Gifts for game winners...

Advice cards and pencils/pens for games...

Name tags...

And now for the most important part... the people! It was a very snowy day (who would have thought in mid-January in New England?? :) ), so unfortunately many people could not make it, but I was so blessed by those who were able to come even though the snow!

My mom and sister...

My sister-in-law... who came all the way from Virginia!

I received so many wonderful gifts! Our little girl already has a larger wardrobe than I do... and lots of books. I am so blessed to have such a tremendous family and loving friends!

Showered with a Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Made with love...

2011-12-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

Hello out there in Blogger land,

I know I haven't been blogging much lately, but I just wanted to share some news with you... especially for those wonderful people who I have connected with in the past in this virtual world. As you can see from the pictures, we have a little bun in the oven :)

I'm over 31 weeks right now and have had a fantastic pregnancy so far. I'm very lucky to have had it so easy, as I know many women struggle with various ailments during this time... so I count my blessing every day. We found out its a girl too, which I am very thrilled about. Most importantly, everything seems healthy. I am enjoying her move and kick inside of me, which seems to be growing stronger every day. I know towards the end, these kicks might be painful, but for now I'm loving it.

These are a few pics my sister took the other day. Hopefully we can get some with some snow on the ground here soon before Christmas. After the foot of snow we had in October and some again in November, December has been decidedly free from snow here in Vermont.

Anyway, I hope you all have very happy holidays. I love this time of the year!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Turkish Delights

2011-10-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
We were recently in Turkey and Greece and had an absolutely wonderful time. It was our first time in Turkey and I would highly recommend it to anyone. The food was amazing, the people were very friendly, and the sights were spectacular. I thought I'd share a few photos and hopefully inspire your travel bug.

The Blue Mosque at night

The Hagia Sophia

The Blue Mosque (Istanbul)

ruins at Pergamum

unique villages in Chios, Greece

beautiful Greek beaches

ruins at Ephesus Turkey

Travertine pools in Pamukkale, Turkey

ruins at Hieropolis

Cappadocia

Inside the rock formations are churches and living spaces

We took a hot air balloon ... one of my dreams since I was a child :)

If you would like to see more pictures, here are links to my albums:

Turkey and Greece (2011) - part 1

Turkey and Greece (2011) - part 2

I hope you have enjoyed this virtual tour of Turkey and get a chance to travel there if you haven't done so already.

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Storydwelling

2011-09-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

Stories are so important aren't they? We grow up reading stories, making up stories, and perhaps even writing our own stories. If you are like me, that's one reason that I like to blog and like to read other people's blogs. We all have our own stories and blogging is one way to share those stories with the world.

Another way to tell stories and hear another person's story is through music. I am such a lover of music. Although times of silence are nice too, there are rarely moments in my life when I do not have some kind of music around me... whether it be listening to other people's creations or making music myself, even if it be humming a tune in my head. There are so many stories over the years that I have forgotten, but I hardly ever forget the words to a song once I learn it. Its like once those words are put to music, the message is permanently etched in my mind (which was a great tool for studying in grad school, I'll tell you that!). And that is another reason that I love to listen to good music with a great message... and why I am so excited to tell you about what I'm currently listening to. Its the new album by Heatherlyn called Storydwelling.

If you aren't familiar with her music, Heatherlyn is an acoustic soul roots singer song artist from Minneapolis MN, selected as a Midwest Regional Finalist and awarded the Midwest “People’s Choice” of NPR’s Mountain Stage Performance Contest. Her soulful, honest voice resonates with people from many various walks of life. In Concert, Heatherlyn leads participants on a refreshing journey of connection – from whimsical laughter together to deeper thoughtfulness about life and love, considering how we each are conduits of peace and hope in our world.

In her words, "Storydwelling is about cultivating courageous and compassionate curiosity for each other by deeply listening to and authentically sharing our stories with one another, thereby healing ourselves and our world. Storydwelling, the album, is a collection of songs from our shared human story, deeply personal songs from my story, and songs with imagination for the story we will write together with our lives... "

One of my favorite songs is number five on the album and its called "Be the Love". This is what she has to say about it:
Inspired by Gandhi's famous quote: "Be the change you wish to see in the world"; this song is a reflection of what I would like to BE in the world. What we do matters. How we BE when we're doing what we do matters more. Our presence in this world, how we carry ourselves with kindness, how we express ourselves with respect, how we live with authenticity and demonstrate with our feet the values of which we speak through our mouths - these will effect more positive change than good action alone.

"...Be the healing for the orphan born with AIDS, be the strength -- a neighbor's burden raise, be the star that guides us through this haze, be the love."

Well, I'll let her music speak for itself.
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://heatherlynmusic.bandcamp.com/album/storydwelling"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Storydwelling by Heatherlyn&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

To read more about the album, there is a great review in the Huffington Post. The CD will be officially released on sites such as iTunes and Amazon on September 13th. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

PS. Heatherlyn is also a blogger! :)

A Whole Lotta Love and Music,

Adrienne

Its Tea Time

2011-08-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,
Sorry I haven't been blogging much as of late. This summer has been fairly busy, but the weather has also just been too wonderful to spend too much extra time on the computer. Anyway, a few people have asked me to post some pictures of my recent 'Mad Hatter' Tea Party... so without further ado, here a few fun pics of the decor and food. Everyone had a great time... although it was a sweltering hot day, so we didn't end up playing croquet... and there was no way I was serving hot tea! But we had plenty of ice tea and cold drinks like lemonade and punch. It was so nice to just sit in the shade of our portico and enjoy the good food and company.

This was the little invitation I made (minus our address info)

Most of these tea cups belonged to my grandmother. It was great to get some use out of them.

My favorite find were these old clock faces that I strung up in the trees.

... and I used the clock hands to make the 'eat me' cards :)

I made up a few fun signs on the computer...

I also had a few old frames hanging in random places for a quirky feel

and found these huge tea cups and pots... which I thought were perfect for flowers

I also made 'playing card' garland from a few packs of cards and hung some old hats on our torchlights.

Some yummy desserts...

...and refreshing drinks (no one shrunk too much... although we all had to eat plenty to keep us a fairly normal size)

the rainbow of fruit helped

Well, I wish you all could have joined in on the party, but I hope that this inspires you to do a similar party if you've never done one. Its always more fun to have a party for absolutely no reason at all!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Mad about Alice

2011-07-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

In a few weeks, I am hosting a Mad Hatter Tea Party just for the fun of it. Lets call it an un-birthday party. I love Alice and I have wanted to do this for about a year now. Anyway, whenever I have a party, I like to get ideas from across the web... although I had no clue when I started out looking for ideas that there would be quite so many. Its obviously a very popular theme and all you have to do is google 'Alice in Wonderland party' to get whole sites devoted to your special party. Well, here are just a few fun inspirations that I thought I'd share... and if you go to my pinterest site, you will see links to all the sites. Well, I wish I could invite you all to jump down the rabbit hole with me... but won't you join me in this virtual party?

and now for some fun food ideas...

via A Whole Lotta Alice and A Whole Lotta Food

A Whole Lotta Madness,

Adrienne

Red, White, and Blue Goodness

2011-07-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about the 4th of July is the freedom to make (and eat) all kinds of wonderful foods and desserts. There are so many fresh berries right now... and isn't it convenient that they come in lovely reds and blues?? And how wonderful is it that whipped creams and cream cheeses are white? Its just perfect for the 4th! Here are some great red, white, and blue food ideas to spark up your Independence Day.

via A Whole Lotta 4th of July

Do I have you salivating yet?

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Ahh Summer...

2011-06-22T05:47:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially now here in the northern hemisphere! I LOVE summer. Its my favorite season of the year. To kick off the season, I spent some time yesterday at a lake beach soaking in some rays and then I went to my parents, where we had a fire by the pond, roasted marshmallows, and watched the lightning bugs.

Some of my other favorite things about summer include going to the old drive-in movie theater, playing tennis, taking road trips, working out in the garden and my little vineyard, riding the motorcycle with my dad, outdoor plays and music festivals, hiking, and eating so many fresh fruits and veggies.

Here are a few other things I love about summer in photos:

pink lemonade

picnics

reading a good book outside

going berry picking

tea parties and other fun gatherings

swinging on my tree swing

eating ice cream

going to the ocean

fresh summer breezes

and just relaxing...

What do you love about summer?

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

A Whole Lotta Pergolas

2011-05-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

The weather here in New England is getting warmer and new greenery is springing forth every day. It is beautiful! I absolutely LOVE spring. There is so much hope for the summer... so many plans, so many dreams of gardening, hanging out with friends, and having outdoor parties.

Creating lovely outdoor spaces is such a fun way to really enjoy your summer yard to its fullest. I have always loved pergolas and arbors.... especially when it is covered with grape vines, clematis, wisteria, climbing hydrangea or roses. Right now, we are building a pergola and these are some inspirational images I have put together. I hope these images get you dreaming or inspired as well.

via A Whole Lotta Pergolas

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Celebrate Adrienne Day

2011-05-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

One day when I was in college, I walked out of my dorm room to discover that it was 'Celebrate Adrienne Day'. It wasn't my birthday or anything special... the dorm leaders just decided to randomly celebrate people.. and everyone had made a big poster saying nice things about me. What an awesome way to begin a day!

Last week actually was my birthday and we had some nice celebrations. My dad even made a fun treasure hunt out in the yard like we used to do when I was a kid. My sister is travelling right now.. so she couldn't be around, but she sent some nice gifts and this card that I absolutely love (made from moonpig.com).

Anyway, I wanted to show this card... and then I thought it might be fun to scan a few other 'Adrienne' things that have been given to me over the years. This is an old songbook from a musical play. Isn't it awesome that it says Love is All?

These are the words inside:

How can I make you understand, Just what you mean to me? To have you near, to hold your hand, Seems more a dream than reality. You're like a princess in some fairy lore, I'm like a beggar who waits at your door. Love is all - I can give you dear. One desire to bless your life - With joy or happiness; Can't you hear - My heart softly call? Sweetheart mine, At your shrine - I lay my love, my life, my all!

(back cover)

This is also something I recently came across. My parents had a fire in their barn, where I had much of my memorabilia stored, and these things were salvaged. It was actually quite fun to re-discover all of these hidden treasures out of the ashes. And all the more reason to 'digitize' some of these lovely memories.

Well, this post has just been for me as a way to store my memories... but I hope you like my little Celebrate Adrienne Day too. Have you celebrated yourself lately?

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Wine Cellar Dreams

2011-04-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Last winter we started working on our basement, transforming it into a wine cellar. After some bad contractors and then being swindled by Tile of Luxury, the project got put off for a while, especially as the weather got nicer and we started on some outdoor projects. Last year I blogged about some wine cellar inspirations, but since that time I have collected a few more images on my computer that I thought I'd share (and then delete from my hard drive). I'm not sure where these images came from unfortunately. Anyway, the project is up and going again and I hope these images have you dreaming of stealing away to a winery or do a little wine tasting. I know they are inspiring me to crack open a bottle of red right now on this rainy New England evening!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Bali Bliss

2011-03-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I am now back from my trip to Indonesia, which was incredible. I absolutely loved it there. The people are so warm and gracious and the Balinese culture is beautiful. They love to celebrate life and do so at every chance that they get... even if that means stopping traffic for a parade or festival - or stopping all work on the whole island for a full day (imagine if we did that in western culture!).

The island is absolutely perfect for holiday travel as well. Most people speak English, there is a wealth of great restaurants and the list of things to do was endless. There are many interesting temples and historical sites, amazing dance and cultural shows, and lots of activities such as volcano trekking, scuba diving and snorkeling, and white water rafting. I was travelling solo, which is not something I have done much of, and it was extremely easy to get around and I felt very safe. Plus, its quite inexpensive, with most of my hotels averaging around $20/ night - including breakfast. Do I sound like an advertisement for Bali or what?

Anyway, here are a few pics of my trip:

And if you want to see all 800, you can go to my online album here:

Indonesia (and Hong Kong)

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

A Time to Keep Silent

2011-02-28T16:50:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Sorry for the long silence here, but I have been doing some self-reflection and travelling and right now I am in Bali, Indonesia for the next few weeks. It is absolutely wonderful here and very warm, which is what I needed.

On March 5th here, the Balinese people will be celebrating Nyepi Day, which is their New Year. It is a really interesting celebration, where the entire country shuts down... no electricity, no flights, no walking outside your home. It is a day of self-reflection and purification. It is the day of silence. I am very excited to be here during this time and also witness many of the celebrations and rituals leading up to it. I was just looking up some information and reading about it online and I thought I would include some links to information here in case you haven't heard of this day or would like to do something to celebrate it in our own way where you are. The Balinese government is urging people around the world to take part in whatever way they can also as a way of reducing our world wide consumption of fuels, even if it is for one day.

http://balifriend.net/nyepi_day.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyepi

The Nyepi Day, the silence day

On the first day of the New Year after the noisy night a silence and quiet day is performed. Nyepi derive from 'sepi' means silence. The activities in all over the Bali island is stopped for 24 hours. There are four mandatory religious prohibitions called Catur Brata Penyepian that should be followed by common Hindu people in Bali. The prohibitions include amati geni or no fire, amati karya or no work, amati lelanguan or no entertainment and pleasure, and amati lelungan or no travelling. These prohibitions help people to control their five earthy senses by mind and wisdom in order to increase the quality of life for the upcoming year. For people with higher spiritual ability or willing to have higher spiritual life are expected to perform further prohibitions include fasting by not eating or drinking, stay still by not talking, meditating by focusing the mind to the God and praying.

Ngembak Geni, a day of forgiveness.

The anti-climax of the Nyepi day is on the following day, which is called Ngembak Geni where people share happiness by visiting their relatives and friend. The new year is started by forgiving each other and forget the hate in the past year and work together to face the challenge of the New Year.

A Whole Lotta Silence,

Adrienne

A Whole Lotta Doors

2011-02-17T13:12:00.000-08:00

This past week I was in San Francisco and took a little jaunt out to visit a friend in Lake Tahoe as well, which was incredibly beautiful.

While I was in San Fran, I met up with a friend from grad school, who took me to a little bar in the city.. a 'Speakeasy' as they call it. We came up to a non-descript looking door and he rang the bell. The password to get in was 'books', which I thought was quite appropriate to the situation, seeing as I'm a rare book dealer and we were there for an International Antiquarian Book Fair. We entered the bar and it was lovely inside, with great tin ceilings, interesting architecture, and walls of books that opened up to secret doors. There was even another room called the 'library' (and required an additional password), which you entered to through one of these secret doors and it held another bar area, lined with book shelves.

After we left, I started thinking about doors. Its interesting how we often judge a building by it's door, just like we often judge a book by its cover or a person by their outward appearance... even though we often shouldn't. Without my friend's knowledge about this door, I would have passed it by and thought nothing of it. But inside, was a great treasure.

Sometimes I look around at people and wonder what is really going on inside. We can never really know, can we? They may look like they have it all together and everything is perfect on the outside, but you never know their history, personal struggles, fears, desires, hopes, or dreams. Sometimes you can think you know someone so well... better than anyone else in the world - and yet even still there are so many mysteries. Do we even know ourselves? I've lived with myself for 31 years and I've been a person of intense introspection and reflection... and yet I'm just beginning to understand some of the depths of who I am. Sometimes it seems like with every door you open, there is always another secret door waiting to be opened.

We're such curious creatures too. I don't know... maybe its just me, but I've always had a fascination with doors. Every country I travel to, I always love taking pictures of doors. And I know I'm not the only one because there are many people who do the same thing. There is something so mysterious about a door. What's on the other side? Its something hidden. It may be something ordinary or it may be something fascinating.. but you will never know unless you open it. Sometimes you need a key.. sometimes you don't. Sometimes you need a secret password. Sometimes, like Alice in Wonderland, you need to expand or shrink in order just to fit through the door you want to go through. Sometimes you have a choice of many doors to go through and its so hard to choose. Sometimes you wonder if you went through the right door at all and wish you could backtrack to find a better one.

The thing about doors is that there are millions of them and you just can't go through them all. You can appreciate them from the outside and wonder what is inside, but you can only choose a few doors in life to go through that are right for you. And just maybe, along the way, you'll find a friend who might introduce you to some that you never expected.

Here are a few photos of some lovely doors that I would love to walk through:

To see more beautiful doors, visit A Whole Lotta Doors.

The Open Door

by Sandi Lyn Schraut

Within this dream
That lies so soft
Upon this rebel heart
A beam of light
So warm and bright
Has parted darkest
Curtains sight
Awake and rise
Go meet the sun
And risk the burn today
For no one knows
Tomorrows tricks
Or even this days ways
Oh joy that once kept
Safe and snug
Has withered with the years
So dream oh sleeper
Rise high and fly
In golden shafts of life
let wrinkles not
This day have sway
Bring love its merits
To the fore
Rescind the values
Of the ages
And fly, oh spirit fly
No bars, no fences
Hold you fast
Except within your mind
At last, oh freedoms
Bounty search
At last the open door

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Think Pink

2011-02-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

Do you ever just wish you could be a little girl again? Its so funny to think about what you wanted when we were young? Or what you thought adulthood would be like? Last week my parents had a fire in their barn, where I had some of my childhood memorabilia stored and I have been going through some of what was saved and its so much fun to look back. I loved the color pink when I was young.. and still do - although I used to think that I wanted my whole house to be pink (and purple) when I grew up. Childhood expectations are not always exactly realistic... but we can still have fun remembering them and still keep that girlish spirit alive in some ways. Here are some lovely pink photos for today that make me happy. I hope they make you smile as well.

via A Whole Lotta Pink

I love this song:

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

A Whole Lotta Good Ideas

2011-02-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

I love good quotes and illustrated motivational words or encouragements. This time of year sometimes marks a point when you have to push through with your new years resolutions if you made any, and often, all it can take is some good words to remind me to perhaps change my perspective or keep me pushing through with my goals. Here are a few that I like and I hope you enjoy as well.

via A Whole Lotta Good Ideas

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Happy Blogaversary to me... and a Reflection

2011-01-30T18:04:00.000-08:00

Today marks the anniversary of when I started blogging. Its hard to believe! I never realized that I would enjoy it so much or 'meet' all of you wonderful people. I originally started simply with the idea that I wanted a place to write some thoughts and organize my links, pictures, etc. I had never even really read blogs before I started one and didn't quite understand the whole 'blogosphere'.

As much as I love blogging though, I think I got a little too sucked into this virtual world. I started five other blogs as well at various points this fall - some on blogspot and some on tumblr.

A Whole Lotta Love

A Love Train

A Peace Train on blogger and on Tumblr

Life's Simple Joys

Craziness, right? I also got starting pinning a lot of things to Pinterest and even though its not a blog, all of a sudden I had like 700 followers.

To be honest, I never really cared about gaining followers... I just like blogging, but I think all of a sudden I started caring more about it and it scared me. I sometimes see on other blogs people saying things like 'follow for follow' and I feel like I'm in 7th grade again. Why does this matter? Its not the real world. As much as I want to be appreciated for what I write or post, I don't want anyone to feel like they 'have' to read my blog just because I follow them and vice versa.

I also got into reading more and more blogs because you became my 'friends', but it can actually takes quite a bit of time to read and comment on so many blogs. Its just not realistic. Although I've enjoyed hearing all about your lives and interests via your blog and sharing mine, I don't actually know you and you don't know me. If I really needed someone to talk to, you are not physically here with me. My real friends are. I say this simply to give us all a reality check.

This past week I took a little break from blogging and a few days just from routine in general. I went to NYC and saw a Broadway play, took the horse rides around central park (touristy I know, but I'd never done it), went to an auction, took a little retreat for myself, wrote, went snow-shoeing, got my hair cut and a massage and facial, had some talks with friends, sang karaoke at a a bar, and went ice skating. It felt good to get away from the computer. The computer world is great, but we end up spending time being more sedentary because of it.

Last week I wrote a post about balance because I was feeling out of balance and was searching for a way to bring more to my life. My outer body has always been a mirror reflection of what is going on inside. If I'm too stressed, I gain weight, which happened to me in the craziness of grad school. But I've also gained weight this past year because I've gotten a little to sedentary due to my zealousness in computer time, given that I also work on the computer all day for work. Since January 1st, I've lost around 9 pounds and it feels great! I'm going to my first zumba class today as well, which I'm very excited for.

I hope that you all have more balance than I did in your relationship to blogging and if you feel that perhaps you don't, I do encourage you to read the post on balance and take some time to think about these things. I will still continue blogging because I do love it, although I will definitely be scaling down, setting a schedule, and keeping track of my time online. And I will continue to read many of your blogs as well even if I don't always comment.

One of my favorite quotes when I was growing up was the following:

Anyway, as I enter my second year of blogging, I look forward to still connecting with you and I think it would especially wonderful if I was able to meet some of you in real life at some point. I know that some of you actually have and do get together with other bloggers and blog conferences and I think that is great. The thing I love about 'meeting' all of you via this virtual world is that I never would have met you in real life.. our paths never would have crossed - and I love what I've learned from you and about your lives. Lets just all have a healthy approach to blogging and not make it more important than the many other aspects of our lives.

A Whole Lot More Balance,

Adrienne

Be back soon

2011-01-23T20:38:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
I'm going to be taking some time away from blogging... but I'll be back soon :)

And a song from one of my favorite musicals:

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Favorite Foto Friday - Sisters

2011-01-21T06:49:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is my sister's 30th birthday! Its hard to believe. She's in India right now and travelling the world for the next 11 months, so I won't get to see her until next November, which is definitely the longest period of time that we've ever gone without seeing one another. It was just the two of us girls growing up and we are only 20 months apart, so it was great to have a sister like her who was a friend as well. We were always playing together - imagination games, dances and musicals, dress up, and scavenger hunts. Of course, we did have our little fights at times, but then we always made up. She is one of the most hilarious people I know. She can do pretty much any accent in the world and tells the greatest stories... and I'm sure she'll come home with many more accents and many more stories from this trip. She really should be a comedian or an actress. Anyway, here are some photos of us through the years.

You can see she's a comedian from this pic... wearing Mr. Potato Head glasses :)

Aren't we sweet?

Yikes. This one is a bit embarrassing, but I think its funny in our pink snow suits.

Playing with dolls

In the garden

A few years later... at the lake.

At my graduation

My wedding - and my maid of honor!

Still playing dress up even as adults

My 'little' sister shot up to be taller than me :)

On my 'ski-lift to no-where' on our property

Still playing around

Never quite serious

We are sisters for life

And here's a fun little video of the Sisters song from White Christmas :)

I love you!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

A Matter of Balance

2011-01-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

Balance. I've been thinking a lot lately about what this means and how to achieve more of it in my daily life.

A number of years ago I came across the Hopi Indian word Koyaanisqatsi, which means 'crazy life, life in turmoil, life out of balance, life disintegrating, a state of life that calls for another way of living'. The Hopi also have a rock drawing that shows two paths that man can take: one is of upward mobility - that of technology and success but separate from natural and spiritual law - and it leads to these jagged lines representing chaos. The lower path is a simple one that remains in harmony with natural law. They believe that if we continue on the upper path, we will come to destruction, but if we follow the lower path, we will regain balance and paradise once more. When I read about these concepts I had just finished an intense graduate program at a prestigious university to which I had been commuting two hours one-way. To say it was a 'crazy life, life out of balance, a state that calls for another way of living' is an understatement.

I started to look around. We are all living at such a fast pace. And when we do, how do we find time for the stillness of life? That place where we find quiet depth and peace? We cram in a quick latte before the hectic drive to work… we jostle for the best position on the commuter train and ignore our neighbor… we scan our blackberry sixty times a day to tell us what we are actually doing in a day stuffed with so many activities we can’t possibly keep track of them… we multi-task using cell-phones, wireless laptops, and blackberries to accomplish what three people would otherwise do to impress our boss and keep our job… we organize then reorganize our spouse’s and children’s daily activities so they don’t get bored… We are a whole planet careering toward burn-out.

I began to think, 'what am I doing this for? Is it so that others can see my accomplishments? Is it to satisfy my own ego?' And so I gave it up - the plans I had made and the career I had chosen - and I haven't glanced back since. To quote Frost, I've taken the path less traveled and that has made all the difference. Since then, I've been on a quest for greater balance and living a life that is more mindful and connected - for although I had chosen the path away from turmoil and crazy living, it was still just the first steps on a journey of discovery that I am still on.

Finding balance is like tuning an instrument. If you are too high-strung, not only will the music not sound right, but your cords are likely to snap. If you are too slack no music can be made at all. In this uni-verse (the one song of all life), we are each called to sing the melody of our lives - each is different and yet it should hopefully be in harmony with the rest of the song.

In his four-part series called “Sacred Balance”, Dr. David Suzuki made an interesting discovery when he had his heart tested with Dr. Ari Goldberger, a Cardiologist at Harvard. When Goldberger mapped Suzuki’s healthy heart tracing to musical notes, what he revealed was that the healthy heart actually finds its own shifting harmony. What emerged was a dancing symphony of complex variability. When Goldberger contrasted the healthy heart tracing with one of a patient who had suffered heart failure, the tuneful variability collapsed into a monotonic repetitious drone. “Health represents a remarkable balance between excessive order on the one hand—things being over-structured—and complete randomness on the other, where there’s physiological anarchy. Healthy systems like to be there; they don’t sit still. They’re always fidgeting. They’re ready for everything.”

Finding balance doesn't mean doing yoga all day and chanting. It doesn't mean shutting yourself off from the world and your daily tasks. It means living a life of connection to all things and people around you and joyfully participating in it. If you've read the book or seen the movie Eat, Pray, Love, I think it truly illustrates the concept of finding balance. She realized her life was in turmoil and she choose a different path. In Italy, she indulged her senses - although perhaps a little too much and she had to buy bigger jeans! In India, she spent her days tucked away and found her connection with God. In Bali, she found balance between these two and she found love.

When I think about balance, I think about dance. Balance is not simply about walking a fine line or tight rope. It is about moving in such a way that is pleasing and joyful both to you and to those around you. And there are many ways of dancing - whether it be ballet, hip hop, stomp, jazz, tap, acrobatics or gymnastics or some kind of modern funky thing that I don't have a name for. But dance is always creative and inspiring. When someone is dancing, I can't help but look at them.

Sometimes I don't realize I'm out of balance until I start complaining or feeling sad. Then I have to look at what I've been doing (or not doing) that is putting me in that state. Emotions are good indicators to ourselves of the healthiness of our lives. Just like we need certain things to keep our bodies healthy, we also need certain things to keep a balanced life. The following are three keys to finding balance. I didn't write this part, but I couldn't have said it better.

Quiet time.
One of the first things we tend to sacrifice when we’re busy is our personal time. Instead we devote all of our energy and attention to caring for others, multi-tasking, meeting responsibilities and “being productive.” Over time this depletes our energy and we begin to feel more and more burdened by our responsibilities.
To live a more balanced life, quiet time to yourself is crucial. You may believe that you don’t have any time available for yourself, but something amazing happens when you consistently make time. Soon you’ll find yourself feeling happier and more energetic, your focus improves and you still get plenty done! Just a few minutes spent sitting quietly in meditation or reading a book can do wonders in transforming stress into peace and happiness.

Self-care.
Beyond making time for things you enjoy, there are other ways to nurture and love yourself on a daily basis. Getting a full 8 hours of sleep (or as much as you personally need) is a great start, as well as eating nutritious food, exercising daily and speaking kindly to yourself.
Have you ever noticed that when you’re really tired or stressed, even the smallest problem can seem like a nightmare? On the other hand, when you’re feeling well-rested and centered, you’re much better able to handle upsets. Caring for yourself is one sure way to consistently replenish your energy, inner peace and joy – which means you’ll have the strength to handle whatever comes your way.

Flexibility.
Did you know that one of the biggest causes of stress is rigid expectations? We all do it from time to time. We get a mental picture of how our lives “should be” and get really annoyed when our circumstances don’t cooperate! One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is a flexible state of mind. In other words, learn how to detach from unrealistic expectations and go with the flow.
When you have a flexible mind-set, you’re able to deal with crises and problems much more easily because you’re not working against a preconceived notion of how things “should be”. You’re able to tap into your creative problem-solving skills and move through challenges without all the drama and frustration. Be like the tree that bends with the breeze and you’ll be less likely to break.

These inner changes can make a dramatic difference in your state of well-being, but you may also want to examine your life circumstances and see if there are other small changes you can make to help support you overall. For example, you might choose to let go of certain obligations that are no longer meaningful or enjoyable to you. Be willing to let go of activities that no longer complement the lifestyle you desire, and you’ll create a space for greater fulfillment, joy and peace.

I hope you have a lovely and peaceful day!

A Whole Lotta Balance,

Adrienne

Funny Face

2011-01-18T18:07:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you're like me... but I see faces everywhere I go. There's something about human nature that makes us want to animate or anthropomorphize inanimate objects. My tub drain particularly freaks me out. Its always staring at me when I take a bath :P

I've seen pictures like these before.. but I hadn't realizes until just now that there is a whole blog devoted to it! I should have known... there's a blog for pretty much everything these days. Its' been around for a while, but if you haven't heard of it, its called Faces in Places. Here are a few that I thought I'd share. They just make me smile.

I love this commercial too!

PS. I'm watching the movie Funny Face right now (as part of my resolution to watch every Audrey Hepburn movie), which I just realized is a bit ironic - as that was not the reason I was doing this post.

A Whole Lotta Funny Faces,

Adrienne

A Whole Lotta Alphabets

2011-01-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,
I hope you had a nice weekend. Mine was a fun one, filled with good times with girlfriends, brunches, snow-shoeing, and movie-going.

Today is a busy day for me, but I thought I'd share with you some creative images of alphabets that I've come across recently... both made as fonts and also letters found in the real world.

Hearts

Butterfly wings

Beards

Shoes

Consoles

From the air

Food

Octopus

Books

Music

Birds

People

Light writing

via A Whole Lotta Alphabets

Happy Monday!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Favorite Foto Friday - Holi Colorful India!

2011-01-14T03:59:00.000-08:00

My sister is in India right now for the next month and I have been hearing bits and pieces about her travels and adventures. Although I love to travel, I have yet to go to this part of the world and I'm so eager. When I think of India, two things immediately come to mind for me - the colors and the festivals.

Recently, I came across the incredible photography of Poras Chaudhary. Some of my favorite photos of his are of Holi - The Festival of Colors. Holi is celebrated as a welcoming of Spring, and a celebration of the triumph of good over evil. What that translates to in action is an enthusiastic dropping of inhibitions, as people chase each other and playfully splash colorful paint, powder and water on each other. When I go to India, I'm definitely going to make sure its during this festival because do I ever want to join this celebration!

Poras is a freelance photojournalist and documentary photographer based in Northern India. He is a completely self-taught photographer and is best known for his color work and unique compositions. If you want to find out more about him or buy his prints, check out his website.

Have a Happy and Colorful Friday!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Little Reminders of Happiness

2011-01-13T07:16:00.000-08:00

Maybe I watched the movie Pollyanna too much when I was growing up. Or maybe it was too many musicals. Maybe I sing too much and maybe my blog is sometimes too 'lovey-dovey'. But I'm not going to apologize for it. If you read my blog, you are going to hopefully be encouraged, uplifted, and happier than you left. The way I see it, life is not perfect... there is suffering and there are things we don't understand - but I also believe that life is what you make of it and it is beautiful if you look at each moment as a miracle.

via A Whole Lotta Quotes

Happy Thursday!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Amid the Falling Snow

2011-01-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

We've had the most amazing amount of snow today... and its still coming down! I love it when it snows. Everything is so peaceful and quiet and it seems like the whole world is blanketed in white.

This is one of my favorite songs to play on snowy days such as this one.

And some of my favorite images

via A Whole Lotta Winter

The Snow
by Emily Dickinson

It sifts from leaden sieves,
It powders all the wood,
It fills with alabaster wool
The wrinkles of the road.

It makes an even face
Of mountain and of plain, --
Unbroken forehead from the east
Unto the east again.

It reaches to the fence,
It wraps it, rail by rail,
Till it is lost in fleeces;
It flings a crystal veil

On stump and stack and stem, --
The summer's empty room,
Acres of seams where harvests were,
Recordless, but for them.

It ruffles wrists of posts,
As ankles of a queen, --
Then stills its artisans like ghosts,
Denying they have been.

Have a Lovely Wednesday!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Love in the Afternoon

2011-01-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

One of my resolutions for the new year is to make sure that I have watched every movie that Audrey Hepburn was ever in (I know... I make extremely important resolutions, don't I?) So, tonight I've finally signed up for Netflix and am watching a movie that I had never seen of hers... Love in the Afternoon. I can't believe I've never seen it!

I love this quote in the movie:
Ariane Chavasse: I’m against violence. In my opinion, there’s too much shooting in the world, and not enough love.
Frank Flannagan: How’s that, again?
Ariane Chavasse: I mean, if people loved each other more, they’d shoot each other less!

Here are some of my favorite Audrey pictures. She was beautiful and stylish, wasn't she?

To see more Audrey, go to A Whole Lotta Audrey

And speaking of style, thank you both to Ana of 'The World Through My Eyes' and Victoria of 'Be One of a Kind' for giving me the Stylish Blogger awards recently! I had already received this award previously, but be sure to check out these lovely ladies, who are both full of style.

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Free Hugs

2011-01-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

I love stories of how a single person can make a difference or start a movement. Take the Free Hugs Campaign for example.

Sometimes, a hug is all what we need.

Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whos sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives.

In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.

The free hugs movement has now spread around the world.

I absolutely love this video:

Touch (or more specifically 'good touch') is such an important thing for humans and in the often cyber world that we sometimes live in, let us never forget this. Studies have demonstrated over and over again the importance that human contact plays in our general well-being and health as well. The most alarming example was the study of Romanian orphans who died simply from a lack of being held and touched.

I've always been a 'hugger' and I love giving and getting hugs. When you hug someone, it brings you in direct contact with them. It forms a connection. We all know that when a friend is hurting, sometimes a hug is better than all the words we can give them. A hug says 'I'm there' or 'You are supported', which is usually all we need in a time of sorrow.

What the free hugs movement says to me is that as humans, we all need to be there for each other. When you really think about it we are all related. We are all one. It says we are willing to take down the artificial barriers that we have put up and to love one another.

No matter what your religion, LOVE is the most important thing that shows God living in us.

One of my favorite Bible verses is 1 John 4: 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

The free hug movement demonstrates loving our neighbor - with no strings attached. It doesn't say... wait but let me first convince you of my particular beliefs or I'll love you if you dress this particular way or follow this particular creed. It doesn't say "But you need to say I'm sorry first" or "But you've hurt me so badly". It just says 'love is here: you can have it if you want it'.

A Whole Lotta Hugs,

Adrienne

Beauty

2011-01-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

The other day I came across the 'Splendiferous Girls Club' via the 'For the Love of Blogs'. Sherry asked the question, 'What does the word beautiful mean to you?', so I decided I'd share my thoughts.

In our society, we have a particular image of what human beauty is: the model, the actress, the person with flawless skin and 0% body fat. But to me, this is not true beauty. So much of what we see called that is deemed 'beauty' is distorted: it is layered with make-up, photo-shopped and air-brushed. If you have not seen the following Dove video, you really must because it illustrates this point exactly.

Also, here is another good one to watch and think about

Or perhaps you may have seen photos like these of models without make-up:

or celebrities without make-up

The point here is not to bust on models or celebrities because no one wants to be picked on for not looking their best - but what I want to show is that as people (and women in particular) we shouldn't be comparing ourselves with those we see on television or in magazines. As the quote goes "There are 3 billion women who don't look like supermodels and only 8 who do". Why should we compare ourselves or make ourselves feel inferior?

We are all beautiful. I see beauty in every single person and in every thing. This world is beautiful - transcendently and wonderfully beautiful. Its beauties and inspiring wonders cannot be even be counted. When one looks through the eyes of Love, you will see everywhere the Beautiful and True.

My husband didn't know I was writing this post, but he spoke the most apt words just now. He quoted D.H. Lawrence, saying "The human soul needs beauty more than bread". But then he also said 'Beauty is really everywhere, isn't it? It's our duty to discover it." I think that is so true and fitting.

When I was a child I sang a solo in my church called "Beautiful". Although its not the in the lyrics, there was a part of it that talked about a flower bulb opening. If we were to look at a flower bulb, such as an Amaryllis we plant for Christmas, if we didn't know any better we would say it was fairly ugly. And yet, see what it grows to be. We should never judge anything to be ugly or beautiful. All things are beautiful. Sometimes it just takes time to see or appreciate that beauty from our limited understanding.

What we usually deem as beautiful is often due to the way we perceive harmony or order in something. When we hear music that we think is beautiful it is often due our limited understanding of harmony. We may think that fungus or rats or mosquitoes etc. to be 'ugly'... but they serve a purpose in the grand order of things. For example, without fungus, the leaves that fall from the trees and other dead things would accumulate and accumulate and we would be having to wade through all of that mess. The reason I point this out is that when we realize and understand our purpose and appreciate and love the person who we are (without trying to be something else), then we are at our most beautiful and true and are at harmony with the world.

Most of us are undeveloped souls... but we are merely unopened flowers with great potential. The perfect Beauty lies concealed within, and will one day reveal itself if we let it and drink from the source of all life. What gardener would be so foolish as to condemn his flowers because they do not develop in a day? It takes time, and we need to be patient with ourselves, laugh and grow from our mistakes, and learn to love.

"Let there be nothing within thee that is not very beautiful and very gentle, and then will there be nothing without thee that is not beautified and softened by the spell of thy presence." - James Allen

I was just at values.com today and I came across this quote/ story:

My mother sat me down and said, ...you are beautiful to me but must know that you are beautiful for yourself. You should also be aware that true beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which means that how beautiful you are to other people is always going to be subjective to who is looking at you at that time, and since you will always be looking at yourself first, you should find your own beauty and feel good about who you are.” She went on to tell me that I needed to take the time to identify those things that I found to be beautiful about myself but also celebrate what I thought was weird or unusual because those were the special things that God had given to me that made me different from everybody else. I learned how to appreciate, embrace, and enhance those special things so that they would shine rather than be hidden...We learned to love and identify with what made us uniquely beautiful.

BeNeca Ward (born 1976);

Author of "3rd Generation Country, a Practical Guide to Raising Children with Great Values"

The following two photos I've had on my 'about' page. This about sums up beauty for me: being the unique and wonderful person that God created me to be... not trying to be anyone else. Just me. That is beautiful.

Also, here is one more video I hope you like:

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Psychiatrist, Author (1926-2004)

Have a BEAUTIFUL day!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

A Whole Lotta Paths

2011-01-03T05:12:00.000-08:00

What will this year bring? No one can really know.

Where will the path lead? It is a mystery.

I love the new year because it always seems like the start of a new adventure. I love mystery and adventure and I love taking new paths and roads that I've never taken before. Perhaps this comes from the 'mystery rides' my parents used to take my sister and I on when we were kids. We would get in the car and just drive and perhaps they knew where we were going, but we didn't. Or we would just follow a hot air balloon that we would see in the sky and see where it brought us. I still do this from time to time, especially if I am alone in the car and am not on a time schedule... I will see a road that I've never gone down and just take it. Sometimes it will be a dead-end. Sometimes it will lead to something ordinary and sometimes to something beautiful.

Yesterday, my sister left for 11 months of travel to 11 different countries. I love to travel as well and have been to almost 50 countries, so my dad asked us the other day where we thought we got this travel bug from since he, in particular, does not like to travel. When he asked this I couldn't really think of any explanation, but now I'm wondering if it would perhaps stem from our childhood mystery rides. Travel involves mystery, exploration, and learning.

But you don't need to travel to have a sense of mystery. Every day is a new adventure. Where will it lead? Where will this path of life take me? On New Years day, my husband's grandmother passed away at the age of 91. What amazing things she must have seen in her life. She was born in Italy (and we visited the town when we were there October) and came to this country when she was nine. She experienced times of war, times of love, had children, and saw the invention of so many things and the world change so much in that time. I wonder if she ever thought about what her life would be like or the path her life would take when she traveled on that boat to America. It's strange to think about how that path led me to the path that I now lead, since I married her grandson :)

Our paths all intersect and influence one another's paths. Every choice we make influences others and our own future path. And yet we all only take one road. No matter our choices, we all move down that road to the future. And we have no idea what it will bring. That's the mystery. That's the thrill of living... and I love it!

What will winter bring?

And what about spring...

summer...

or fall?

Will it be Unusual?

Will it be Magical?

Will it be straight-forward?

Or filled with twists and turns?

Will it be mysterious?

Will it be awe-inspiring?

or Colorful?

Will it bring me to new heights?

I don't know any of these things. But I do know that it will be filled with love!

To see more paths I might take, see a Whole Lotta Paths

The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

“May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.” - Irish blessing

Happy Monday!
(Filled with Much Love and may it be Magical too!)

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

1.1.11

2011-01-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011. I love that today is 1.1.11... the beginning of all things new. The number 1 signifies unity, purity, and wholeness.

I was just thinking about why or how January 1st became the start of the new year and I came across this article, so I thought I'd share it:

Why do we celebrate New Year's Day on January 1st? It all goes back to Julius Caesar. Well, actually that date was chosen in 153 B.C. by the Roman Senate. That didn't matter much though, the New Year's Eve date was celebrated whenever folks wanted to.........until Julius Caesar decided in 46 BC that it WOULD be celebrated on January 1st.

Julius actually created the Julian calender that year and decided the New Year would start on January 1st. That first year he had to make the year last 445 days in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun!

You'd think the New Year would be celebrated sometime around Spring. When things began to grow and everyone was glad to survive the winter. The Babylonians sure thought so! They celebrated New Year's Eve in 2000 B.C. with the first New Moon after the Vernal Equinox. Their celebration of New Year's actually lasted 11 days. The celebration was called Akitu.

Akitu was an enactment of a mythical battle fought between the new god Marduk and the old goddess Tiamet. It was the story of creation and sought to show bringing heaven and earth back into synch. They wanted to start the New Year fresh! At the end of the festival oracles were cast to determine the fate of the coming 12 months. Their most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment!

That sure sounds like a battle between old man time of the passing year versus the new baby of the New Year. Add in some resolutions to determine your fate for the next 12 months! Actually the image of a baby was introduced by the Greeks somewhere around 600 B.C. They celebrated their God Wine, Dionysus by putting a baby in a basket on parade. That baby represented the annual rebirth of Dionysus as the spirit of fertility and rebirth.

Some Christian denominations celebrate New Year's Eve because they believe that was when Jesus Christ was circumcised!

Many churches today celebrate New Year's Eve with a "Watch Night". They start before midnight and going into the early morning. It's a time for giving thanks for all the blessing received in the old year and praying for blessings in the New Year. The Moravians landed in the United States in the late 1700's. It's believed they started "Watch Night". Later on John Wesley (founder of the Methodists) picked up the tradition. In 1862, African Americans had their own very special Watch Night on New Year's Eve. January 1, 1863 was the effective date of the Emanicipation Proclamation. It was then known as "Freedom's Eve".

The Chinese invented fireworks and used them especially on New Year's Eve to dispel evil spirits. They didn't want those nasty spirits following them into the New Year!

What kind of traditions do we follow on New Year's Day? Lots of them! Here's just a few.

1. Kissing your loved one at midnight. Start off the New Year expressing love to last through the New Year. Kiss someone else and have your loved one mad at you for a year. Yikes!

2. First footer. That's a Scottish term. A first footer is the first person to enter your house on January 1st. Preferably, he should be about 210 pounds and tall, not cross eyed and have dark hair. You have to let him in (as opposed to him using a key). He should bring gifts like coal (to stoke the fire because it's cold in Scotland in January). He's got to come in one door and leave from another door. Don't let redheads or blondes be your first footer - they bring bad luck!.

3. Don't do laundry on New Year's Day! A family member could be 'washed away' (die) in the following months.

4. Don't pay back loans or lend money on New Year's Day. That means you will do that all year long!

5. Do something related to your work on New Years Day. And be successful at it! Don't do a lot of it though, because that would be bad luck.

TOASTING
One of the most venerable New Years traditions is the champaign toast at midnight to ring in the new year. Toasting can be traced back to the ancient Romans and Greeks who would pour wine, to be shared among those attending a religious function, from a common pitcher. The host would drink first, to assure his guests that the wine was not poisoned. Poisoning the wine was a fairly common practice in ancient times, designed to do away with one's enemies. In those days the wine was not as refined as it is today so a square of burned bread (toast) would be floated in the wine bowl and then eaten by the last person to drink. The bread was put there to absorb the extra acidity of the wine in order to make it more palatable. Eventually, the act of drinking in unison came to be called a toast, from the act of "toasting" or putting toast into the wine.

AULD LANG SYNE
The song, "Auld Lang Syne," playing in the background, is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700's, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scottish tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days."

www.fabulousfoods.com lists the following as food things to do to celebrate the New Years:

Eating noodles at midnight is customary at Buddhist temples in Japan.

A German/Pennsylvania Dutch tradition is to eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year's day for good luck.

It is the tradition of Bosnia and Croatia (both of former Yugoslavia) to eat what is called "Sarma" or beef wrapped tightly in cabbage to bring good luck in health and wealth for the upcoming year.

It is a Cuban tradition to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. The 12 grapes signify the last twelve months of the year.

German folklore says that eating herring at the stroke of midnight will bring luck for the next year.

Eating pickled herring as the first bite of the New Year brings good luck to those of Polish descent.

In the southern United States, it is believed eating black eyed peas on New Year's eve will bring luck for the coming year.

Also from the south comes the custom of eating greens such as cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, kale or spinach to bring money.

One more from the Southerners: eating cornbread will bring wealth.

The Southern custom of eating greens can be found in other cultures as well, although the cabbage can take many forms, such as sauerkraut or even kimchee.

In the Philippines, it is important to have food on the table at midnight in order to insure an abundance of food in the upcoming year.

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Anyway, I hope this new year is the beginning of something new and a year of unity and wholeness for all of us.

PS. This post is being published at 11:11 :)

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Favorite Foto Friday - You're a Firework

2010-12-31T08:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday and Happy New Years Eve!! Its so hard to believe this year is over. I don't know about you, but it flew for me. One of my favorite thing about New Years celebrations is the fireworks. There is always something so magical about them. All of a sudden everyone gets silent and just watches together the amazing displays of color and light, with the occasional oohs and ahhs or cheering. It makes us all stop for a moment and just enjoy the beauty. It synchronizes us together as we symbolically exit one year and enter another. Its a visual expression of the joy that we feel about another year lived and the excitement and hope of the upcoming year. Here are some favorite images of fireworks for your new years eve. I hope your upcoming year are as magical and bright as a firework.

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Happy New Year!!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Bringing you A Whole Lotta Love and Peace in 2011

2010-12-29T15:34:00.000-08:00

As you may know if you've been reading this blog for a while, I started two blogs called the Love Train and the Peace Train this fall. Well, recently I also expanded this onto a Tumblr site, which I find is even easier, especially for other people to submit their posts (which you can do even if you are not a Tumblr user). So, you can now get a Whole Lotta Love and Peace on the Love Train and the Peace Train on Tumblr as well.

As we enter 2011, my hope is that it will be a year for you focused on love and peace. When we have love and peace in our hearts, we are happy ourselves and it also brings happiness to others. I hope that you enjoy these sites, will submit posts, and share them with your friends. I don't make money from these blogs and I'm not concerned about simply having a lot of followers; I am doing this because my desire is that there be more love and peace in the world. Perhaps you may think this is a naive goal, but I know that by simply reading the posts that others have written and by focusing my own heart on love and peace I have already gained a great deal of both for myself as well.

Wishing You A Whole Lotta Love and Peace,

Adrienne

Favorite Foto Friday - It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

2010-12-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

The family has mostly arrived and it's so wonderful to enjoy this most wonderful time of the year. Here are a few lovely photos though for you today! Have a wonderful holiday.

1. PolkaDotsAholic !!, 2. cranberry wreath, 3. Preparations, 4. Gearing Up for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics!, 5. CHRISTMAS COCTAIL, 6. we drink tea to stay warm., 7. my favorite christmas decoration, 8. biscotti, 9. BM - we can`t wait for christmas

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1. santa saccharin, 2. Vintage Christmas Bokeh 2008, 3. Untitled, 4. starlight starbright, 5. HBW!, 6.Christmas Shopping HBW!, 7. ..., 8. vintage holiday, 9. Untitled

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A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men

2010-12-22T06:24:00.000-08:00

“Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men”. You hear it so often at this time of year. As you may know, this phrase comes from the nativity story found in Luke 2: 13 and 14, which says “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests’.” I guess there is some contention regarding whether the phrase should be translated ‘good will toward men’ or ‘peace to men of good will’, but that is not anything I want to dwell on. The point is that the angels were telling the shepherds to celebrate: Love and peace has come to dwell among you and you can experience this love and peace for yourselves!

I think one of the most wonderful things about Christmas is that people focus on giving, on putting aside differences, and on celebrating family and friends and the things that make life special. All in all, I think people have more ‘good will toward men’ and it makes life more enjoyable both for the giver and the recipient. The Christmas spirit is really all about love, as this is what Christ came to teach us. My question is though, how can we can carry this spirit of Christmas with us throughout the year? Why do we only allow ourselves a ‘holiday’ of peace and harmony?

1 John 4 says ⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

The true meaning of Christmas is love. When we put aside differences and love our fellow man, we have peace in this world. If the world could truly understand love then there would be peace on earth. Sometimes peace seems like this hippy pie-in-the sky concept that will never really happen, but I think this is because we want world peace to happen on a grand scale, which is a complicated thing. But we as individuals can achieve peace at any point by simply loving one another and loving ourselves as well. As Confucius said "To put the world in order, we must put the nation in order. To put the nation in order, we must put the family in order. To put the family in order, we must nurture our personal life. To cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts and minds right… Plant a thought, reap an act. Plant an act, reap a habit. Plant a habit, reap a character. Plant a character, reap a destiny."

Christmas is becoming more and more commercialized and I think if we are not careful we can lose that spirit of love and peace at Christmas if we let this take over. Our family does not make a huge deal out of gift exchange, which I like because if I do go to the mall at this time of year it can be a somewhat of an un-peaceful thing. People cut you off trying to find a parking space as they circle the mall for the 8^th time, and it seems many people have this feeling of panic on their faces, trying to find the perfect gift or get their shopping done. This is not what Christmas is meant to be about. It is not about being the perfect hostess and feeling like you have to be Martha Stewart in order to earn love from your family. It is not about making sure you send cards to every single one of your friends so that all you have time for is to sign it and it has no meaning. It is not about whether or not your Christmas decorations are better than your neighbors or if your lights are visible from space. It is not about spoiling your kids with things they don’t need and won’t appreciate. It is not about any of those things. All of these things are fine in moderation, but I hope that they don’t become the focus of our attentions.

Anyway, as Christmas day approaches, I wish all of you love, peace, and joy both on the 25th and on every day and may we all remember the 'reason for the season'.

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Total Eclipse of the Moon

2010-12-21T18:19:00.000-08:00

Last night presented an ultra-rare treat for astronomy lovers or just for anyone lucky to be up late at night. Not only was there a total lunar eclipse beginning at about 12:30am EST, but the eclipse coincided with the arrival of the winter solstice for the first time in 372 years. The moon moved into the earth's shadow, causing a lunar eclipse visible to anyone in North America. Relive the magic or check out what you missed.

Shooting from Gainesville, Florida, William Castleman created the above time-lapse video of last night’s eclipse, condensing the lunar action from 1:10 AM EST to 5:03 AM EST into 2 minutes.

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse from William Castleman on Vimeo.

Christmas and Winter Style

2010-12-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,

How was your weekend? Mine was one of those where you need another weekend to recover from your weekend J I do love this time of the year though so much. I love the Christmas parties and singing carols and, well, all of it… and it’s definitely a ‘good’ kind of tired I’m feeling right now.

Today, I’m loving the work of Eva Lindh, a Swedish stylist. Both her fashion and interior design photos are smashing. Here are some of my favorite Christmas and winter ones:

Have a Lovely Much-Love Monday!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Favorite Foto Friday - White Christmas

2010-12-17T07:10:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,

I hope that you have had a marvelous week and that your weekend is even better. I can’t believe Christmas is only eight days away. How December flies! Today, I’m dreaming and hoping for a white Christmas. We’ve had a little snow here and there, but I’ve decided to post a few photos today for inspiration… just in case mother nature needs a little reminding here in New England. I hope you enjoy these too! J

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1. White snow crystal 2. Imagine snow girl 3. DSC_0478 4. Untitled 5. | 6. Untitled 7. Snowflake macro8. As a star in the night ... 9. Tiny houses painted 10. White Christmas Lavender Bird 11. Untitled 12.Christmas snowflake balb 13. This years tree 14. Star 15. Nature's Silver Jewels 16. Hug

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Have a wonderful Friday.

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Russia in Winter

2010-12-15T06:43:00.000-08:00

A few years ago we went to Russia in the winter. I’m not sure what prompted me, but I started looking over a few pictures of that trip the other day and I thought I’d post some and share a little about this experience in case there is anyone out there who has ever had the inkling to go there.

Russia is such a lovely country and I hope to see more of it someday in the future. Growing up in the US during the Cold War, I have to admit that I did have a fairly twisted view about this country when I was younger. Going there, however, really opened my eyes even more to the glory and history of this land. The culture is rich and the architecture is both unique and beautiful. The Russian Orthodox cathedrals are spectacular, the Kremlin is awe-inspiring, and the palaces are breath-taking. The Hermitage art museum is filled to the brim with incredible works of art both from Russia and around the world. We also saw the Russian ballet, which, I think, was my highlight, as I grew up dancing and the Russian ballet is the pinnacle of the art.

Here are a few words of advice for anyone thinking of going. Even though I usually travel independently, we went with a small tour group for this trip. There are a number of reasons I was grateful for this. They were able to arrange visas, museum entry, and hotels (which can be fairly expensive, so tour groups can often get better deals). We had someone to pick us up and drop us off at the airport and trains and to take us around. The group was only six of us at the maximum and they were able to take us around for little tours to get acquainted with the area, but then we also had days were we were completely free to go on our own. Moscow, in particular, is an incredibly large city and I can’t imagine being to navigate it on our own without some guidance, especially since everything is written in Cyrillic. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my little trip down memory lane and if you are thinking of going to Russia, I would say definitely go for it.

Have a lovely day.

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Sunday Surfing - Christmas style

2010-12-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

It’s one of those drizzly freezing rainy days here in Vermont today. It’s one of those days where you just really don’t want to step out of the house. I watched the classic movie, White Christmas, last night for the first time. Can you believe I’ve never seen it? … especially because I’m all about that kind of movie. I’m not sure how it could have possibly happened that I reached the age of 31 without seeing White Christmas, but sure enough oddities like that do happen to me. Anyway, just like in the movie, I’m dreaming of a Vermont white Christmas. We’ve had little dustings here and there, but we have yet to really get our first snow that really sticks around. So, as I sit inside here on this drizzly day, I thought I’d pass along to you some of my Christmas loves from around the web. As usual, just click the photo to link to the site.

I absolutely love photos like the ones taken below. Click the photo to be taken to a wonderful tutorial on how to make custom bokehs to take photos like these of your Christmas tree. I'm definitely going to try this!

I just love this photo, don't you? I just had to include it here.

I love these home-made burlap stockings filled with greenery... until Santa comes down to fill them with other treats!

I want to try this mulled wine recipe...

and this baked maple brie with pecans and cranberries. Just divine.

And I might try this with some fall gourds I still have lying around.

Have a lovely Sunday!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Favorite Foto Friday - Magical Microcosmo

2010-12-10T06:02:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,

I hope you have a magical Friday today. To add to the magic, I thought I'd post some lovely photos by Polish photographer Magda Wasiczek. Even though I love nature in general, I'm not a big fan of spiders and other creepy crawlies (as my husband can well attest to) but there is something about the way that she captures the world of the small that is simply magical to me. I feel like it's something out of Alice in Wonderland.

You can see more beautiful examples of macro, animal, portrait and nature photography on Magda's official website.

Have a lovely weekend!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Food and Flags

2010-12-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about travelling is both seeing and tasting all the various types of foods out there. Each country has it's own unique flavors and spices and it is amazing to be able to experience a country through its foods. I just stumbled upon these lovely images of food flags made for the Sydney International Food Festival.

I love flags. When I first met my husband he astounded me by naming the country of each flag I had up on my wall map... even countries like Uzbekistan! I knew at that moment, this guy was meant for me :) Anyway, each of the participating countries were recreated using popular local foods from each nation. Here are a few of my favorites:

Italy:

Japan:

Brazil:

Lebanon:

Greece:

France:

South Korea:

Australia:

India:

Vietnam:

Ooh. I'm getting hungry! Have a lovely day.

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

The True Joy

2010-12-08T15:21:00.000-08:00

This is the true joy of life.

The being used for a purpose

Recognized by yourself as a mighty one.

The being a force of nature

Instead of a feverish, selfish

Little clod of ailments and grievances

Complaining that the world will not

Devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life

Belongs to the whole community

And as long as I live,

It is my privilege to do for it

Whatever I can.

I want to be thoroughly

Used up when I die,

For the harder I work the more I live.

I rejoice in life for its own sake.

Life is no brief candle to me.

It is a sort of splendid torch

Which I've got hold of

For the moment

And I want to make it burn

As brightly as possible before

Handling it on to future generations.

by George Bernard Shaw

A Warm Beverage and a Cookie Splash

2010-12-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love a good, warm beverage in the winter? I'm always drinking something warm, whether it be my favorite apple blueberry or rooibos tea, hot apple cider, spiced chai, hot cocoa with marshmallows, or of course, my morning coffee (with a little eggnog or maple syrup at this time of year I might add).

According to a Yale University study, clutching a steaming beverage can elicit a flood of positive feelings and possibly make you feel happier. This may be because people associate physical warmth with emotional warmth. Study subjects held cups of either hot or iced coffee; those gripping warm mugs were more appreciative of friendliness in others and also felt more generous and trusting themselves.

And with my warm beverage, I also like to accompany it with a nice little cookie or biscotti. But have you ever spilled your coffee or accidentally dipped your cookie in too long and it fell apart? Happens to me all the time (I have very sensitive cookies that I brought home with me from Italy). Anyway, today, I am absolutely loving these awesome cookie splash photos by Siebe Warmoeskerken.

So if, in the future, you ever spill your coffee, don't think of it as ruining your day. Think of it as making a splash!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

The Ade Braid or 'Whip My Hair'

2010-12-06T05:24:00.000-08:00

I love having long hair, but I also love putting it up, especially in the summer. One summer, probably ten years ago, I started just twisting my hair and clipping it up with clips or bobby pins. I loved the way it looked and I loved the way that it stayed up so neatly. I could hike all day and my hair would still look exactly as it had in the morning. I began doing it fairly often, and one of my friends coined it the ‘Ade Braid’ (since my name is Adrienne, I often have friends who shorten it to Ade, Adge, or just A).

I often get compliments when my hair is up like this. When I was in New York City one day this year, one person even snapped a few photos of it. Anyway, I’m surprised that I have never seen anyone doing anything like this. Maybe they have and I’m just not in the fashion world enough, but just in case anyone wants to ever try this, I thought I’d include a few how-to photos. I was visiting my sister this weekend with my mother and she snapped a few photos this morning as I was getting ready. Even though it looks fairly complex, it only takes 10-15 minutes. Sometimes I can even do it in around 5 if I don't do as many twists.

I usually do this with wet hair, often because I've just gotten out of the shower... but I also find that it holds tighter when you start off with wetter hair. My hair wasn't wet this morning, but I did wet it down a bit before I started. To achieve this look, you simply take a strand of hair, twist it as shown in the picture and then clip it up on top of your head.

Here, I've shown a few strands done. Sometimes I just leave it like this too, which is also a cute look.

You then just continue to twist and clip.

And then finish by putting bobby pins over any loose hairs.

That's it. How easy was that? And it doesn't have to be perfect. That's the idea. It's kind of a unique and messy look that you can do every day or even for a special occasion.

Hope you enjoyed this little tutorial and that you try it out some time.

This post is part of Much Love Monday, so here is my heart. If you thought my hair was twisted and whipped up, Willow Smith's hair is crazier. By the way, how crazy is it that this ten-year-old's single, 'Whip My Hair' reached #11 on the charts! I guess when you have the parents she does, you're bound to have both talent and connections.

Have a lovely Monday filled with Much Love!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Favorite Foto Friday - Dreamy Nature Photos by Drew Nelson Hopper

2010-12-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

Today, I’m in love with these dreamy photos by Drew Nelson Hopper. The December winds are starting to chill my bones, and I'm wishing I could jump into one of these beach images.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I'm off to get our Christmas tree this afternoon. Ooh. I love Christmas decorating!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

A Christmas Giveaway to All

2010-12-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

In celebration of the Christmas spirit, I want to offer that anyone who would like to advertise on my blog can do so for free for the entire month of December. If you have a store or etsy shop, I would love to give you the opportunity to share what you do or make with others. I know that this time of year can be often so commercial, but I do like to support small businesses or people who are making hand-made items.

The only thing I ask is that you write a post for either the Love Train or the Peace Train (which could also be thought of as free advertising for you as well) and to share about it on your blog. You don't need to be a follower of any of my blogs, but if you are, than I will put your advertisement towards the top, as I do want to thank you for your friendship. Advertisement badges need to be smaller than 150pixel width and 100 height. I don't know how much interest there will be in this, but I will say that I will have to limit this to the first fifty people, since this is open to ANYONE. Also, if for some reason I feel like there is something inappropriate, I will also have discretion there. So, if you are interested, just leave a comment with a link to the post you have written or email me at awholelottalovetrain@gmail.com.

Also, I wanted to share with you my Youtube Christmas playlist. I have put together 200 songs, which I hope you enjoy. I know that there are always Christmas songs playing on the radio at this time of year, but I personally enjoy not having to listen to 'Santa Baby' twice in one hour. There is also little or no advertising interruptions, which is also a bonus.

I love this cozy Christmas scene, don't you?

Have a wonderful Thursday!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

A Little Fall Style and an Award

2010-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

I love fall. There is something so magical about the season. I know its almost winter and today is December 1st (how did that happen by the way?), but until we get our first big winter storm it will still feel like fall to me. I concur with this quote by George Eliot:

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

Its always fun to get out all the sweaters and scarves that I haven't spoken to since March and perhaps find some new friends too. Here are the looks that I've been loving this fall... and I'm sure these can extend into winter as well.

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I love this jacket by Totokaelo.

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To see more of my Fall Style Faves, go here.

Also, last week the beautiful Amy of A Daring Little Life gave me the Stylish Blog Award. If you haven't seen her blog yet, check it out! Here are the rules: Thank the person who gave you the award, tell 7 facts about yourself, give the award to 7 bloggers you just love, and leave the 7 bloggers a comment telling them they won!

So here are seven random facts:

1) True story: My wedding ring was a fake. The back story is that we had ordered a ring online (fyi – bad idea) because I had my eye on an eternity band and I couldn’t find the right one locally. Anyway, the day of the wedding was approaching and it still hadn’t arrived. So just as a precaution, I bought a cheap fake ring at a department store a few days before the wedding. On the morning of the wedding, the ring arrived. But it was much too big! They had sent the wrong size. I was afraid it would literally fall of my finger at some point, so we went ahead and used the fake one in the ceremony. My husband and I were trying so hard not to crack up as the minister spoke of the ring saying things like ‘these precious metals symbolize the precious bond that you share as a couple’. It was even harder not to crack up when later , during the reception, everyone wanted to see my ring and then hearing them say how pretty it was. I just couldn’t tell them.... Anyway, seven years later, one of the things I find most 'precious' about my marriage is the fact that we can have fun, laugh together, and not take things too seriously – and it all started with that ring.

2) We have a skateboard ramp half-pipe on our property.

3) When I was in college, I once snuck in with a friend to a movie premier. It was for the Perfect Storm, which was filmed nearby to my school. We literally went to the film’s website, copied and pasted the logo onto a word document, wrote the word ‘staff’ or ‘press’ or something like that, cut it to form a badge, covered it in plastic wrap, and attached a string so that we could put it around our necks. I had a large camera with a telephoto lens and my friend had a clipboard. We just walked in like we were supposed to be there. At first a person was about to stop us, but then they saw our badges and were like ‘oh, ok you’re fine’. Later, we went back and told some friends what he had done and then a bunch of us snuck into the after-party too. Oh college days.

The proof. Forgive the really bad photos of my photos. This was pre-digital.

4) I have two copies of the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone true hardcover British first editions. There were only around 300 copies printed, so yeah – I think it’s pretty cool. I also have the whole set in first editions. Now if I could only get them signed… J

5) Ok. I know this is weird, but I only had four students in my high school graduating class. Even stranger than that, is that two of us got married on the exact same day (and not to each other).

6) If you have a gallon tub of feta cheese in your refrigerator you are either: a) obsessed with feta cheese, b) are married to a Greek, or c) both a and b. Answer is C.

7) I have been sky-diving.

And now to pass this award on, which is always the hard part because there are so many I love, but I will pass this on to:

Heather at A Measure of...

Vanessa at Hey Lady Grey

Gaia at Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Rosemary at Content in a Cottage

Ruth at The Beautiful Life

Laura Marie at A Diary of Little Things and Curiosities

and Pip at Pip Pip Hooray

‘Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn’- Gore Vidal

Have a stylish day!

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Animal Morphs

2010-11-30T06:12:00.000-08:00

Ok. Maybe it’s cheesy and maybe I'm a bit of a dork and maybe I'm the last person to see these things, but I just came across these hilarious animal morphs and I just had to share them in case there are others of you who haven't had the pleasure as well. I saw some photos like these in forward a number of years ago, but they were not very good. I ask people not to forward things to be now, which is maybe how I've missed out on this phenomenon. Anyway, people have gotten much better at making these since I saw that forward. The following are from Human Descent and I think they are fantastic.

Dowl

Geckat

Horilla

Lizot

Snog

Pog

I don't know who made the following pictures, but I found them here

Rhinoforish

Hippocrab

Porcuparrot

Zebrafish

Butterray

Elephant Seals

Sea Moose

Anyway, I hope these made you smile. If it did for even one of you out there it was worth sharing. Happy Tuesday to you.

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Thanksgiving Menu and Recipe Ideas

2010-11-29T08:48:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is refreshed for the week ahead. I probably should have done this before Thanksgiving, but I thought I would still share this year’s menu with you, with links to the recipes. You can always bookmark it for next year, use some for your Christmas menu, or there are a few dishes listed at the bottom that I think are fantastic at any time.

Appetizers

Cheese and Vegetable Platter

Shrimp Cocktail

Stuffed Portabella Mushroom

Bacon-wrapped Scallops

Breads

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Hickory-Bacon and Roasted-Corn Gougeres

Salad and Vegetables

Red Leaf and Apple Salad with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts

Green Beans and Walnuts with Lemon Vinaigrette

Mains

Herb Turkey with Lemon-Garlic Gravy

Venison with Roasted Vegetables

Bacon, Apple, and Fennel Stuffing

Cranberry Sauce with Port and Tangerine

Root Vegetables

Sauteed Parsnips and Carrots with Honey and Rosemary

Crispy Potato Roast

Sweet Potato Pudding with Pecan and Gingersnap Topping

Desserts

A choice of Cranberry Tart or Apple, Blueberry, or Pumpkin Pie

The following dishes were particularly easy and wonderful. Thank you to Epicurious and Bon Appetit!

Sauteed Parsnips and Carrots with Honey and Rosemary

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound carrots (about 4 large), peeled, cut into 3x1/4x1/4-inch sticks

1 pound large parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, cut into 3x1/4x1/4-inch sticks

Coarse kosher salt

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 1/2 tablespoons honey (such as heather, chestnut, or wildflower)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and parsnips. Sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are beginning to brown at edges, about 12 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Add butter, rosemary, and honey to vegetables. Toss over medium heat until heated through and vegetables are glazed, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Green Beans and Walnuts with Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup walnut oil or olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
2/3 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Remove peel from lemon with vegetable peeler and cut into very fine strips. Cut lemon in half. Squeeze enough juice to measure 2 tablespoons; transfer to small bowl. Whisk in mustard, then oil and shallot. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook green beans in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain; pat dry.
Combine beans, walnuts, and lemon peel strands in large bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

If you end up trying these dishes or any of the ones on the menu, let me know how they turned out :)

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne