Off to NYC

We will be here this weekend:

See you soon with some pictures from the Big Apple.

See more pictures from our last trip to New York City here, here and here.

Family photoshoot

Have you noticed the change in the weather here in the ATL? This is the best time to book a family photoshoot! Email me to schedule an appointment at planandplay1{at}gmail{dot}com

Check out my friend Kristina's beautiful family blog for more pictures from this photoshoot.

Pictures from the weekend

It was a lovely one friends... Here are some pictures from our trip to the apple orchard...

We also partied with our neighbors (and while there, met some lovely folks from Montana and now we're seriously contemplating the idea of going to Montana next year... It sounds amazing), got lots of work done around the house, cooked and baked up a storm, I even was able to finish some sewing projects... It was a productive weekend for sure. I hope yours was a good one too.

Ah, and if you care to see them, here are some pictures from our last visit to the apple orchard.

Camouflage

From our trip to Ireland

Happy Monday everybody!

Menu for the week

Chicken Schnitzel/Warm potato salad/Cucumber salad - Hello Octoberfest!
Vietnamese beef Pho
Lettuce wraps/basil rice
Minestrone/Salad

Aldi $14
Costco $19
Kroger $40

We're getting an early start on Octoberfest based on our menu for this week... We thank the husband for that.

This weekend we will be working on the yard. Planting season is here... I am looking forward to continuing the work of beautifying our backyard, slowly but surely. There is so much to do... The plan for now, is to plant a few flowering bushes. Later, in the Spring, we will be planting more ornamental plants. It's coming together nicely. It feels good to work on our beloved house.

We are also planning a trip to the apple orchard and going to a party at our neighbor's house (think backyard lounging, wood fire pizzas, wine and guitar/banjo impromptu sessions, amazing right?)... Always busy around these parts. We would not have it any other way.

Hope to see you back here next week. Have a great one, everybody!

One last ode to Summer

Confession: Summer time in the ATL is not pretty, not pretty at all. Unbearable even. However, this year with the addition of our new patio, we were determined to make it a good one. The best way to fight the heat here in the South is to get an early start, when the temperatures are not so high. Later in the day when the sun is the strongest we try to spend it in the shade drinking a cold beverage and swinging in the hammock.

And just like that, I found the solution for beating the heat here the South, so, you are welcome!

Here are few of the pictures where I capture what made our Summer so special...

Sitting in the shade enjoying a hot afternoon in our new patio

Early morning walks

Popsicles

Tubing

Drinking slushy Limeaid

Blueberry picking

Water games in the backyard

Drinking Coca Cola  in the shade - From our visit to here

Eating watermelon

Summer, we'll see you again next year. For now, we have Fall to keep us company. Here are a few Fall activites we have in mind right now:

Lighting up the fire pit
Roasting marshmallows and making s'mores
Diving in a pile of leaves
Going apple picking
Going camping and hiking (and on my yearly scrapbooking retreat)
Beef Bourguignon, Raclette and onion soup

Welcome Fall, we are ready for you!

Family resemblanse

While my niece, and then my brother, were in town I was reminded of how much my little boy looks like them... Which got me thinking how we all look a little like each other...

Look at these ones... Crazy right?

See other family resemblances here

Pictures from the weekend

Are you ready for some random shots of our weekend? Here goes:

We tried a new place for breakfast

Took a walk in a cemetery

What??? You don't do that?

See pictures from my last visit to Historic Oakland Cemetery here.

Some more walking around town

Some Doughnuts...Yum!

And as if doughnuts weren't enough, some ice cream at our favorite ice cream shop (I love Brusters... See my love for it here)

Basically, our weekend was a blur of food. Just in case you needed some clarification...

I hope yours was grand too!

Menu for the week

Oven cooked kibbeh/Yogurt sauce/Tabouleh
Green Lentils/Salad
Three cheese stuffed manicotti/Salad
Grilled paninis/Oven roasted veggies

Aldi $26
Costco $6
Super H $8
Kroger $23

So, do you remember how last weekend I was going to stay home, relax and enjoy a quiet weekend? Well, lets say that it did not turn out just like that. Our Sunday included beers and go cart riding around our friends' neighborhood, that's all I'm going to say... So not a quiet one, at all {but fun!}.

This weekend I am looking forward to trying a new place for breakfast and some in town exploring...So far, nothing else has been planned, but with the weather cooling off around these parts, nothing is out of the realm of possibility.

See you all next week!

Tiles - Part II

This time, from beautiful Dublin...

See tiles from Puerto Rico here

Random South Carolina

And I mean, really random...