Organizing an Event

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Have you ever had the privilege of organizing an event?  Maybe event planning is what you live for or make your living doing.

I organize events often and I am always looking for helpful tools to get the job done right.

One of my favorite online organizing tools is Writeboard.   I utilize Writeboard whenever I plan events that involve input from multiple people.  I love their logo, "Write, share, revise, compare".  This tool has saved me tons of time in the planning process.

Hugs, 

Melissa

All for Fall!

Creating a beautiful Fall scene in our front yard / porch is something that I have always enjoyed doing around this time of year.  A bale of hay, some fall foliage, some gourds, and pumpkins (both the orange ones and the kid-type ones) and you are in business.

Here is one of my favorite scenes from years ago:

Here are some other really amazing ideas from Martha Stewart:

Hugs, 

Melissa

Genetically Predisposed to Liking Burnt Marshmallows

We made S'mores tonight.  Our kids are so weird.  They like to catch the marshmallows on fire and burn them to a crisp.  I think that they inherited this oddity from me.  I like my mallows charred on the outside and gooeylicious on the inside.  Yum!

Random story #1 - When my sister and I were little, we "roasted"an apple in the fireplace.  When the apple kept falling in the ashes, we thought that it would be a great idea to wash it.  So naturally, we used toothpaste to clean it off.  Ashes,  hot, oozing apple, and toothpaste makes such a lovely mess.  My poor mom!

Random story #2 - Later on that night, after my mom sent us to our room for nearly burning the house down, my sister and I were jumping on the bed.  We collided head first.  I heard a loud crack and my nose became a crimson geyser.  My poor mom!

What about you, do you like your marshmallows burnt? Have you ever almost burnt down your house and broken your nose in the same night?

Check this out:

Hugs,

Melissa

Cracking Up!

Our middle monkey boy is a HUGE Julian Smith fan.  Middle monkey is hoping to have an amazing career in the film industry one day.  He practices his mad, crazy film skills on a regular basis. Tonight, he ran into the family room and said, "Mom, you have to see the latest Julian Smith video! It's sick!" (good sick not bad sick-I'm still trying to figure this one out).  So I watched.  And laughed, and laughed some more, and I am still laughing!

But still, nothing makes me crack up more than this Julian video-

Except for maybe, this one-

Funny stuff.

Hugs, 

Melissa

Whatever Happened to the Drive-In Theatre?

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One of the first movies that I saw was Star Wars at the drive-in theatre.  I remember sitting up on the hood of our family car with my mom, dad, and sister.  We were eating popcorn, drinking cokes, wrapped in blankets. It was autumn.  Fast forward to high school, my friends and I are sitting in the back of a pick up truck at the drive-in watching some movie that I can't seem to remember.  I do remember that I  had a sunburn from being at the beach that day without a stitch of sunscreen on.  Nice! I also remember how much fun it was to go to the drive-in.  It was a great place to hang out as a family or with your best friends. Oh the memories...

The last drive-in theatre in my hometown closed down years ago.  It used to double as a flea market during the day on the weekends.  So, where have all the drive-in movie theaters gone? I did a little research and found this website.

Now that the weather is cooling down in Central Florida, I would love to take our monkeys out to see a movie under the stars.

Hugs,

Melissa

Up Tight

Now that Fall has arrived, I am looking forward to playing dress up.  Here in Florida, we really do not get much cool weather in October, but if I kick the air conditioning down a few degrees, well, it will be just like Fall.  Minus the gorgeous colorful leaves.  Oh, and plus hordes of mosquitos.  Yep, just like Fall.  

Photo courtesy of HUE

One fashion accessory that really makes my day is tights.  Oh, how I love them so.  There are so many fun colors, textures and styles.  They are so fun to pair with a skirt or even under shorts. Tights can really make an average outfit outstanding.

Photos courtesy of Sock Dreams

Do you have a favorite Fall accessory?  Are you into hats or maybe scarves?  Have you brought out your boots and blazers?  Do tell.

Souper Sunday

Something about the onset of autumn makes me want to make soup.  A few autumns ago we started a tradition of making soup on Sunday.  Here is one of our family favorites:

Butternut Squash Bisque:

Take one large butternut squash and slice it length-wise.  Scoop out the seeds. 

Coat the flesh of the squash with olive oil, sprinkle on some salt, curry powder and a little cayenne pepper.

In the little holes where the seeds were, places 3-4 cloves of garlic

Place the squash on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400 F for an hour or until the squash is soft all the way through.

Allow to cool.  Scoop out the squash (and garlic) and place in a blender.  Add 32 ounces of chicken broth and 1 cup of heavy cream.  Blend.  

Place the mixture in a pot on the stove top over low/medium heat.  Add more curry powder, salt and cayenne to suit your taste. Simmer and serve.

You could totally go vegan with this recipe by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream. It will change the flavor a bit, but the curry and coconut flavor will really pop when paired with the nutty flavor of the squash.

Enjoy, 

Melissa

Monkeys in a Monsoon

Did I mention that it is raining in Orlando?  I think that we have received 10 + inches of rain this weekend.And it is still coming down.  Now, I am not complaining.  We will take the rain any day over drought conditions.  I do feel sorry for any tourists who came to sunny Central Florida to enjoy the attractions this weekend though.  They have definitely gotten a good dose of what we Floridians called liquid sunshine.  

Actually, the last time we went to Disney, it rained all day long and we had a blast.  The lines were short and our monkeys got to ride Thunder Mountain Railroad over, and over, and over, and over again.  It was like we had the park to ourselves.  Sort of.  

 As for our family, we hunkered down this weekend and enjoyed movies, baking, and hanging out together.  When cabin fever set in though, some of our monkeys decided to brave the monsoon and go outside to play.

I love the bathing suit and rain boots look.

Hugs,

Melissa

Would You Dare?

Do you wear false eyelashes?  I never have, but I would love to try some time.  I have always thought that they looked glamorous.

Would you dare wear these false eyelashes from Paperself?

Pictures courtesy of Sephora's websiter

These faux lashes are made from paper.  Each is a little piece of art.  There are several different styles - but these peacocks are my favorites.

Since I have never wore falsies, and I have no idea how to apply them I did some research.  I found a helpful little video.

Hugs,

Melissa

Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away. I Want to Nap Today.

Stormy Central Florida Sky

Today is Sunday.  It has been raining since Friday.  We are now the proud owners of waterfront property.  Our dog had to wear a life jacket just to go out to use the bathroom today.  But it's okay. I love the rain! Really, what could be better than a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon? No place to go, and no yard work to do.  Just plenty of time to relax and take a really nice, super cozy nap.  Rain pitter-pattering on the roof, the sound of the wind rustling through the trees outside, the cool breeze from an overhead ceiling fan.  Ahhhh....

What about you?  Do you like to take naps?  Are you a power napper or do you indulge in a long, luxurious afternoon slumber?  

This is the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in at our favorite bed and breakfast - Port D'Hiver

Sleepy in the Sunshine State,

Melissa