Constantly fascinated by the world around me. I've got the dreamer's disease... and I believe that a truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

I spend most of my time reading, writing, cooking & planning my life on Post-It notes. Music, wine, food, art & travel are my favorite fuel; spending time well wasted.
I began writing this blog because I think that every day we have something to be celebrated, shared, something that sparks creativity, inspiration & ideation.
Although I'm quite optimistic, I'm more judgmental than I'd like to admit. Here's to overturning assumptions.


Showing posts with label Holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holiday. Show all posts

Thursday, January 19, 2012

René of the Day // 12.4.11 // Pinterest Crafts

What was going to be a boring, rainy afternoon turned into a fun and crafty afternoon at my Haley's house. Her family was in town from Illinois and I'd had the pleasure of meeting them at her birthday party at Coney Island in the summer. She and her sister had chosen a few Christmas crafts from Pinterest and they invited me to join them.

First we made Christmas wine bottles - super simple and affordable. Soak the labels off empty wine bottles with hot, soapy water. Spray paint them white or silver. Allow to dry. Spray with adhesive. Roll in a cookie pan filled with epson salts. They sparkle! Stick festive floral arrangements or other decor inside.
[Note: they do tend to "shed" a lot, so place on a pretty tray or prepare to clean up some salt.]

Get full instructions with photos here.

Our other project was Starched String Ornaments - or string balls, you know, whatever. This was a bust (pun intended for the Beck girls but it worked for me!) Blow up a balloon and wrap string all around it... once it's densely covered, paint craft glue over the string until it's saturated. Hang dry then pop the balloon and pull out with a pair of tweezers. (I think because they were hung outside from the porch while it was raining they stayed moist. I took mine home and hung it over the tub then took a blow dryer to it for a few minutes.) It was a little lumpy on one side but depending on how it's hung, you can't see it.

This can also be a great idea for wedding decor and you can make them large enough to slip a light bulb inside for a pretty hanging lamp.

Get the full instructions with photos here.


And to take a break from our busy projects, Haley's husband George made Skinny Taste zucchini enchiladas which are amazing!

Get the recipe here.
[Note: buy enchilada sauce in the can at the store. The time and effort aren't worth it - the can is super cheap and has the same ingredients.)




Enchilada break!
Final product

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

René of the Day // 12.2.11 // Christmas with the Rat Pack

The Thanksgiving holiday has passed, December has arrived and that means we can listen to Christmas music without backlash from the Bahumbugs! My absolute favorite holiday album is Christmas with the Rat Pack, featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. They swoon you with the season’s most classic tunes. I listen to it on repeat in my car throughout the month of December. It’s perfect party music and for a tree-decorating soundtrack. Though it’s been said many times, many ways, merry Christmas, to you.



Listen to the song and order the album here.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

René of the Day // 11.24.11 // Thanks!


René of the Day // 11.23.11 // T-Gives Eve

It's tradition! For at least the past three years, Becca and I go to R.P. McMurphy's on Thanksgiving Eve. Usually her favorite musician, Paul Otten, is playing. This year there was another band but we still came and invited more friends (Vale, Maura, Dave, Alex...) to join us. With our plastic green and pink Mug Night cups filled, we sang and had a great time, enjoying the friends for whom we're thankful. Cheers!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

René of the Day // 10.29.11 // Halloweeen Party!

BOO! Just kidding. We didn't dress as anything scary - just as awesome stuff. Like a Freudian Slip, an orange barrel, a Pinky Lady, the Black Swan... and MR. A pair of Depends should've been in order for the laughs we had that night. We tried to fit Maura in the back of the Yaris and the barrel pushed up and covered all but the top of her head with the headband fitted with the flashing orange light LOL Caution!

And Sanker dressed up as MR. He had texted me earlier in the day as I was taking a nap and I thought, "What the hell ever that means, I'll just see later - I'm not going to try to figure it out" and I rolled over. He showed up to Vale's house (note: Vale and MR were at a UT game in Knoxville) and we died... He was wearing khakis, boat shoes, a camo jacket, a Black n Mild, a Miller Lite in a coozie, and UT shirt and hat. Then he told me he needed me to "do his eyebrows." Bless it. I painted on thick bushy brows with Lindsey's eyeliner pencil - and he insisted on making them bigger. He posed for us downstairs and we cracked up... but something was missing. Sanker is a slim dude... MR has a big barrel chest. I made him stuff a pillow under the shirt. The girls thought it may be offensive but as soon as he did it, it became the best costume EVER! I was laughing so hard I was crying with tears rolling down my cheeks!!! When we got to Dave's party, the guys yelled, "ROBERS IS IN TOWN!!!" as they always do when MR visits - hilarious. And everyone who saw it on Facebook debated whether or not it was really him - HAHA! Twas a good night.



Wednesday, November 30, 2011

René of the Day // 10.16.11 // Blooms + Berries


Going to the "pumpkin patch" is one of my favorite fall festivities! I have memories of going as many years back as I can remember... My mom and aunt would plop us on piles of plump orange gourds and snap our photos as we rolled off and petted goats and ran around with burrs grabbing onto our white rolled-down socks. As I've gotten older, I love taking my niece and seeing her doing the same things. Although we go to a different farm now, it's still a special tradition. It's so funny how three years ago we were sweating in summer clothes and the following year we were bundled up for the winter. Ohh, midwest weather, how you surprise us.

Blooms and Berries in Loveland hosts Fall of the Farm and is a wonderful experience for kids of any age... They have a massive corn maze (Kylie called it a "corn puzzle" a few years ago) that we get lost in. There's a hayride, a gorgeous field of sunflowers and tons of free as well as inexpensive activities and games for children. This year MR joined us and we had a so much fun... He didn't think my pumpkin was pretty - he called it "weird" - but I think it's very "Martha Stewart," and he bought it for me anyway :) I've suggested B&B to numerous friends, co-workers and others, especially people who Cincinnati transplants, and everyone seems to love it! 
My jack-o-lantern and the "Martha" pumpkin
Kylie hiding in the corn maze.
The best photo of the day!



Tuesday, July 5, 2011

René of the Day // 7.4.11 // BOOM!

Happy Independence Day! Happy 4th! Happy Birthday, America! You look damn good for 235 years old.

Every year my family celebrates this special day along with my cousin Elise's birthday and by shooting off the old family cannon that was made in 1911 by the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. Around the turn of the century, cast iron cannons such as this were used as signal cannons for the start of boat races and yachting. By pulling the yellow string in the back, it hits the primer cap of the 10-gauge blanks filled with blank gun powder and makes a spark that ignites and it goes BOOM! As kids, we would stuff our ears with cotton balls or plug our fingers in them, then run into the grass to stomp out the smoke...



This year after the party, we went to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Pop's Red, White and Boom in really good seats at Riverbend. We listened to classic patriotic tunes with features of opera and a military band and watched great fireworks - the grand finale was the best I'd ever seen - loads of blue, then red & white!

Elise's chocolate ganache birthday cake with berries & white chocolate...
and we had red velvet cake ice cream, too!


Monday, May 30, 2011

René of the Day // 5.30.11 // In Memoriam

On Memorial Day, I'd like to pay tribute to my deceased family members who served our fine country.

Roland Edward Brunelle, grandfather
Served in the Navy in WWII; he was shot in an aircraft carrier, the USS Randolf, in Okinawa, Japan yet he returned home safely to our family.

David Roland Brunelle, uncle
Served in the army in Greece in the early 70s; he returned home safely but died in a motorcycle accident after he returned home.

Clifford Ronald Lotz, grandfather
Served in the Korean War in Washington, DC, Hawaii and San Francisco from 1950-1954.
[Pictured below on the black sand beaches in Hawaii.]
















Thank you to all of the men and women who have and who currently do provide service to the United States of America.

Did you know... Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, which was first recorded to have been observed by Freedmen (freed enslaved southern blacks) in Charleston, South Carolina in 1865, at the Washington Race Course, to remember the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. Today, what is now known as Memorial Day, is a day of reflection and recognition of ordinary people who sometimes visit cemeteries and graves to honor their deceased relatives while also commemorating all U.S. Service Members who died while in military service.