Taylor Made designs

Rain Rain Go Away...

Davis + William at the end of the day at Storyland.

Despite the horrible weather (rain, thunder, lighting + even more rain) we had a great time up north last week. We put off Storyland theme park for a day, which turned out to be a good decision, because the next day was nice. No rain, just hot + humid :)

It's funny, growing up we use to summer at Mount Washington.  And because my family owned townhouses right on the mountain at Bretton Woods we were able to use all the facilities over at the Mt. Washington Resort. Looking back, I don't think we ever really appreciated how lucky we were. It's so beautiful there, and there is so much to do. But we never went to Storyland as a family. And now, I know why. In my opinion, it's really for kids seven and under. I'm glad we went this year. By next year William would have been bored and thought it a bit hokey. As it was, he was not interested in a lot of the "storyland" areas. He just wanted to go on the rides. Davis was the perfect age for the park, loving every single minute we were there. When Davis got to ride in the pumpkin to visit Cinderella, I had to remind her to breath :)

I'll post photos this week. I need to cull through the hundreds of photos we {meaning will + davis} took!

Happy Birthday to Me

Tonight, because it was:

1. hot

2. summer

3. yummy

4. my birthday on Thursday

we went to Far Far's for ice cream. I had chocolate chip. Heaven. So creamy. So good. For those of you who are familiar with weight watchers... it's a good 14 points! Seriously. But worth it. I hate the fact that I am getting old. But as they say, "it sure beats the alternative, dying young." So happy birthday to me. I hope it's a good year :) 

Write it down

I'm a total list girl. I have an itouch which I have used for lists making. But nothing beats writing it down on paper. {And then crossing it off my list.} I find it so tedious to type my list in. And from the amount of books I sell, I am thinking I am not alone. I much prefer to use a nice pen and a favorite notebook than some electronic gadget. Am I alone on this? Maybe I really am getting old!

Homemade Ice Cream

Ah summertime :) Nothing is better than homemade ice cream. J'adore plain, yummy vanilla. It's still my all time favorite. Add some strawberries from the farmer's market + some homemade chocolate sauce and I am one happy camper!

World's End, Hingham, MA

With the loss of Kotyboots {our black lab}  this Spring, poor Montana {our yellow lab} has been all out of sorts.  So I have been trying to include him on family outings - I really think he's lonely!

This weekend we brought him with us to World's End. Just a lovely place to take a walk. Seriously, this place is peaceful and just beautiful. If you are feeling a bit down, or feeling a bit troubled, a morning/afternoon here is way cheaper than therapy!

The kids really enjoyed our walk. Which makes me happy. I want them to appreciate the world around us. To see things. To see nature! It's one of the reasons I refuse to get a DVD player for the car. I always tell them to look out the windows, see what is out there. They can watch TV anytime... but the world, it's passing you by – don't let it!

Anyway, William was our guide... reading the map and directing us to follow certain trails. We saw tons of butterflies, a couple of red tail hawks, and a baby deer. If you think the photos are pretty, just imagine being there. After about 2 hours, and a 3 plus mile walk, we drove Monty home and then we went out for a late breakfast. A perfect day in my book :)

Life Lessons

Is this not the most magnificent tree? Perfect tree to climb. 

I have been keeping this list on my computer to read daily. It makes me feel better :) I hope you'll find one or two gems that will resonate with you!

Written By Regina  Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It  is the most-requested column I've ever written.  My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.*

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15.. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19.. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up  to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27.. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Knitting Extraordinaire

Thank goodness my sister Nicole loves to knit! Look at these gorgeous sweaters she has made for my beautiful kids. Seriously! Does it get any better than this? I am so thankful that she is so generous with her talent. What do you think? Can you believe how talented she is?