easter eggs-cellence {guest post}

Hello all!  I'm Janet, Cailen’s Mom.  Cai truly works on designing a beautiful life, and she inspires me daily.  Many of these past moments that I share with you reflect her love of tradition and all things family.   Thanks to Cai, once again, for allowing me to write another blog.  xo to her!

And the ritual begins:

Remove tablecloth from kitchen table, if one is in place
Layer the table with newspaper or a blanket’s worth of paper towels
Gather waxy crayons, stickers, paints, empty egg cartons & rubber bands (you’ll see why)

The Players:

A few dozen hard boiled eggs - or more than probably necessary
Teacups or coffee mugs, half full with the vinegar/water/dye-tablet concoction at the ready
Spoons to try to rescue the eggs

cailen.  many moons ago...

I guess that you can tell what’s going to happen here.  We dye eggs for an Easter Egg Hunt every year, whether it’s inside or out, for 4 people or 24.  The cast of egg-decorating artists changes from year to year, but it always includes family of varying ages, and often a good friend or two.

This can be a lot of fun for a group of any age – you don’t need a child in place to make this ok.  There’s usually an adult that can ‘fit that bill’ as they say, and we have a few.  Put on some great sing-along music, have a Springtime inspired soup and some crispy breads and herbed butters at the ready nearby, and hand out the aprons.  Yes, everyone should wear one. 

austin's rubberband egg

The understudies to these finished “finely decorated, perfectly dyed and gloriously detailed” (smile here because this is said in jest) Easter eggs are the plastic cuties in rainbows of colors that had been waiting in a large bin on a basement shelf for a year.   They get filled with jelly beans and maybe a ‘peep’, or a tiny, silly toy and some pennies.  Chocolate never goes into these in case our Labs, Duncan and Colby happen to be the ones that find them first.   – Long time ago, our old (huge) lab mix named Taz climbed onto the dining room table and ate 2 Easter baskets worth of candy, chocolate and all, while we were out.   Thus, the name Tazmanian Devil. -

After the hunt:  In younger years,  when all the family kids were little, we’d gather up  a couple of quilts to put in the tractor’s wagon to provide a bumpy-but-fun ride for anyone willing to climb in.  Usually it would be the 10 and below group, but you’d never know.  Down the long drive, out onto the country road and into the field they’d go, squealing most of the way.  Those were very good times! 

Not Easter related, just bunny related:  There’s a 1950 Oscar winning film called “Harvey” about a gentle, odd sort of guy who takes life one minute at a time.  He thinks the very best of everyone and says so.  Nothing bothers him.   Now, here’s where the bunny part comes in… this mild mannered guy, Elwood P. Dowd, happens to have an invisible 6’ rabbit-friend named Harvey.  Harvey, being invisible, made Jimmy Stewart’s acting all the more finessed and appreciated.  Implausible and yet entertaining, this simple old movie may take a bit of patience to get through now, but has a real honest-to-goodness moral.   It’s sort of what Abraham Lincoln once said, “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. “   I like that.

So, enjoy the Springtime, thanks again for reading and I look forward to sharing with you next month! 

My best to all, Janet

thanks, mom!  another fabulous post.  speaking of posts...did you see my mom's last post about her favorite whole-in-the-wall bar called the boat house?  it's totally worth a read.  you'll be jealous of this little gem : )

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adventures in love & happiness {guest post}

Hello everyone!


I'm Cole, the girl behind Adventures in Love and Happiness, the blog where I share my adventures in being a newlywed, dog ownership & home restoration along with everything lovely.

Cailen & I decided to swap blogs for the day to give our readers a look at a day in the life of another blogger. Cailen's fabulous day is being featured on my blog while I'm here, sharing with you.

Just a note- this is a boring, old, normal day in my life.

7:02 AM Alarm goes off. I hit snooze approximately 4 times and finally drag myself out of bed at 8ish. 

8:05 AM Let the dogs out. We have two dogs, Layla, a rescued mutt & Edie Sedgwick, a Basset Hound. We've had Edie since she was 5 weeks old and she's as spoiled as they come.

8:10 AM Try and convince Edie to come inside. Run around the yard alternating who's doing the chasing & who's doing the escaping. Finally trick her into chasing me inside, feed the dogs & kiss them goodbye.

8:20 AM Arrive at work.

My family owns a diner that was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives four years ago. Since then I have taken over the baking responsibility in addition to being a waitress.

Every morning I spend about 3 hours baking pies, cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, brownies & whoopie pies. 

I spend that time catching up with my dad, listening to NPR and guzzling coffee.

Lemon Meringue on top, Cherry Red Raspberry on the bottom

11 AM Head upstairs to starting waiting tables. This summer will mark 12 years of waiting tables for me. While it can be trying at times I thoroughly enjoy the people I work with and love getting to spend a significant part of my day with my parents.

11:30 AM Squeal when I see my husband, Jus, walk in the back door. His job requires him to travel around our area so I'm always excited when he's able to come in for lunch. I could never get to see Jus enough, he's pretty fabulous.

Cheer up, Jus, I promise to let you eat in peace & not take your picture anymore.

11:30-2 PM Wait on tables. Hopefully customers will be happy and lunch will be busy. Following our appearance on Food Network we get a ton of tourists through the restaurant but also have lots of regulars.

2 PM Following my lunch break the rest of my coworkers leave and I'm left to run the restaurant by myself. I cook, serve, tidy up & make sure the pie tray has enough options.

3:30 PM The afternoons are usually slow so I'm able to sit down and start getting ready for Friday evening. While I write up the menu I check Twitter to make sure I'm not missing anything.

4:30 PM Night crew arrives & I make a break for it. 

4:36 PM Arrive at home. Twenty days before our wedding Jus & I bought a new house we lovingly call "The Behemoth." A foreclosure that was built in 1890 we have lots of work to do but love the projects that come with a project.

4:40 PM Jump in the shower & scrounge around in my closet figuring out what to wear & settle on my go-to uniform (dress, tights, boots & belted cardigan) all the while keeping an eye on the clock so I'm not late for a 5:30 meeting.

5:15 PM Say bye to Jus. He's getting ready to head to the radio station he volunteers at to fill in for another DJ.

5:20 PM Last check in the mirror. If somethings astray it's too late, I have to get going!

5:30 PM Arrive at the local coffee shop for said meeting. Following our October wedding I've started coordinating weddings. A florist friend got in contact with me when a bride she is working with was looking for help with decor. 

7 PM Meeting wraps up & I'm feeling excited about helping the bride make her day wonderful. The only concern? Her wedding is 6 weeks away and the reception space needs a ton of work. After the meeting I catch the start to Jus's radio show while in the car.

7:15 PM Meet my mom at the local auction house. We go every week in hopes of finding treasures to fill the Behemoth. When Jus & I upgraded from our 1100 square foot first house to the 4200 square foot Behemoth we realized just how little art & furniture we actually have.

7:30 PM After striking out at the auction my mom & I head to Target to get Easter supplies. 

9 PM Arrive home after a non eventful dinner at a chain & park myself at my computer for the rest of the evening. Blog & watch Netflix for a couple of hours.

12 AM Turn off the TV and start reading, I read every night before bed, sometimes I fall asleep with the light on and other times I stay up into the wee hours reading.

Thanks so much for joining me on my (not so exciting) adventure of every day life. I'd love if you stop by Adventures in Love & Happiness, head over now to see Cailen's day!

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the boat house

another treat today!  my mom has agreed to share her take on one of our all-time favorite places.  the boat house.  my mom and dad introduced craig and me to this classy little bar, and it never disappoints.  so, without further ado, here is my oh-so-eloquent mama!  (oh, and my dad took all the pictures : )

Hello all!  My name is Janet, and I’m Cailen’s Mom.  Thanks, to Cai, for asking me to write my first blog post!  I do write daily, in a boutique real estate company, but complimentary descriptives  about old stone houses and country estates is a bit different from blogging.   But, having a real passion for this completely wonderful  river valley area was motivation enough, and Cailen has kindly and gently guided me in this venture.   For my first installment I give you the following…

Lambertville, New Jersey is not a sleepy river town.  A river town, yes, but with an amazingly vibrant culture.   Located on the Delaware River in western Hunterdon County, New Jersey.  This town has a completely engaging nature for both visitors and locals.  We’re lucky to be from a smaller neighboring river town, so we can consider ourselves ‘local’.

Lambertville has charming shops, outstanding galleries, classic antique stores, NY chic restaurants and cozy bars.   The homes in the neighborhoods look historic, and they are, but take the fabulous house tour in October and you’ll marvel at the interiors.  The décors range from country casual to retro to cosmopolitan.  This tour is never disappointing, and somehow it’s usually a great, lovely fall day for walking around the storybook streets.

But let’s jump back to the cozy bars, shall we?  There are few gems in this charming riverside enclave, but a favorite of many - and mine - is the Boat House at 8 ½ Coryell Street.  Yes, that address is right!  The Boat House has been a destination for many years, and I know this first hand as my husband and I travelled here via motorcycle a ‘while’ ago.  

The Boat House is a completely cozy, small, sophisticated bar that serves great cocktails in an enthralling atmosphere.  The plethora of art that covers the dark walls and pitched ceilings here is vintage nautical in nature, with classic overtones.   There are fabulous framed periodical covers from decades past, and equally extraordinary watercolors, oils and photographs, many having a sense of intriguing ambiguity.  This atmosphere offers rare moments to take in a different time and space, all safely in the comfort of a nearby woodstove or comfy couch.  Disclaimer…the woodstove makes it sound rustic, but it’s not.  Remember that this place is sophisticated.  The staff is completely knowledgeable and courteous, and the bartender younger and aware, but old-schooled in his performance.  Perfect!

Not easy to find for out-of-towners, the Boat House is down a small alley.  If you can locate Finkle’s Hardware Store on Coryell Street near the canal, you’re ‘hot’ as we’d say in childhood days.   And that’s a good thing!

If you have any interest in classic films, you’ll appreciate the ambiance of the Boat House.  You’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a movie set here.   I don’t have a vast knowledge of mixed drinks, wines and beers, but I do know that the Boat House has to turn people away on balmy summer weekends because there simply isn’t room.  One great drink, and my favorite, is their gin gimlet - straight up.  (I prefer Tanqueray, probably due to the memories of…summer evenings… with a Tanqueray and Schweppes bitter lemon in hand…watching the ocean from the deck of our beach house...ahhh)   But, back to the Boat House!  They make the best gin gimlet I’ve had.  It’s smooth, icy, just enough Rose’s lime juice to hint of something faintly sweet, and fresh lime wedge to squirt.  Flawless.  My husband’s favorite is their Bloody Mary (virgin, please) with extra olives.  Spicy but not too, and robust flavor.  Even something about the rich, savory olives here makes this drink a standout.  Some people linger, some stop in for drinks before walking to one of the many great restaurants in town.  Either way you’ve got a great night!

Hope that you’ll be able to visit Lambertville sometime!  It really is worth the drive from just about anywhere - so is the Boat House! 

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to sharing with you again next month!  Think your best thoughts, enjoy your moments, breathe and go outside when you can.  My best to all, Janet

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cornflake's 5 favorites

everyone, please say hello to jillian from cornflake dreams.  jillian's a sweetheart with to-die-for style and a completely awesome blog.  it's such a treat to have her visiting lifestyle maven today.  hope you enjoy reading about her five favorites!  oh, and if you miss me...be sure to check out my five favorites guest post over at her blog : )

xoxo cailen

food:: i am slightly obsessed with sandwiches: caprese. bbq pulled pork. blue cheese burgers. turkey blt. grilled cheese w tomatoes. peanut butter and jelly. i love them all- everything tastes better on bread. my two favorite places to eat in chicago are sandwich shops:: jerry's sandwiches in wicker park and pastoral bread off michigan avenue downtown. 

city:: i moved to charleston, sc after college and i fell head over heels in love. the historic city is such a sweet and charming place and i would love to live in one of the many gorgeous southern homes. my stay in charleston only lasted six months but the city will always hold a special place in my heart. check out the design sponge chuck town city guide. 

store:: west elm. i discovered this store a few months ago and was thrilled to find lots of affordable, unique and modern pieces. my fiance likes the store too--major bonus! i just wish they offered wedding registry :) 

blog/website:: etsy. i have been known spend hours on this website... not sure how that happens but it does. a lot. i love discovering new artists and designers and this is the perfect place. 

movie:: sense and sensibility. swoooon. i have seen this movie more times than i care to admit. i am a fan of jane austen and period pieces but this one tops them all. i love kate winslet as the passionate and romantic marianne and emma thompson wrote a fantastic adapted screenplay. the film was directed by ang lee and the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. if you haven't seen this version do yourself a favor and rent it. you'll never see alan rickman the same way again. 

thank you to cailen for having me! stop by cornflake dreams anytime for more fashion, travel and design inspiration. xoxo, jillian.