Prom 2016

Prom 2016

So fun to see these two off on a fun night! Honored to make their flowers! 

Memories of a lifetime! 

Enjoy!

https://flipagram.com/f/pcUehsSg3Q

Today I Smiled

Today I opened my eyes to the morning light streaming through the drapes and smiled. I could see the rumpled sheets next to me of soft white down covers with sweet brown curls spilling out. I smiled because no matter how old the boys get they always find their way back to me. Whether it's one sneaking between the feathers and drifting off to sleep because he feels safe there. (They are only little once, let them feel safe and let them crawl in sometimes.) Still wanting your mom to hold you, needing a back rub or just needing some advice.... 

I smiled because I have everything I could ever need and most things I could ever want and those are not materialistic things.

That doesn't mean I don't have to trip over soccer cleats, rewash floors, replace screen doors, run home numerous times because someone forgot something, remind them that they are not allergic to toilet paper replacement duty, be a drill Sargent, rewash clothes that were clean but ended up in the dirty bin, gel their hair, teach them over and over how to be responsible, show them what good character means, what a bully acts like, how to be a good friend, explain why ya can't swear when your twelve, warn them to be careful, teach them to be humble, remind them to be kind, show them what good manners look like, leave work early to get them to practice, get up early to get them to games and make homemade food that sometimes goes uneaten while working three jobs.

I smile because even on my toughest day, I wouldn't change a thing...

Someday I'll miss tripping over cleats so for now I laugh and remind myself that it all goes by so quick. (Ok, sometimes I kick them out of the way and swear) 

Walk with them, talk with them... I don't care how big your child is, they are never to old to embrace and it's never to late to start telling them everything what's good about them. Even if the bad out weighs it.

Perspective is so important.

Being my boys Mom is the best thing I ever done. It's the toughest job in the world with no play book, no job description and no road map. At times it can feel like being dropped in the deep end and you can't swim.

So today is your day...

Love your kids and be proud of all that you have done and who you are!

Happy Mother's Day!

️xo celeste 

Saving the world one parking spot at a time

This is my take on saving the world one parking spot of the time.

We are all in on this you have either been the person waiting for them to park or the person flustered trying to parallel park their car...

I have seen countless people back in and out of a parking spot only to go nowhere as if they were swimming laps in a one way pool. I said out loud to my son "This is like watching the salmon run"

 I have actually tried to save drivers and offered my assistance to a young gentleman once who was so red in the face and looking for a life raft as if drowning at sea, mortified at his inability to park his car in the only spot left for miles. Meanwhile his date is embarrassed and trying to hide on the floor under the dash or wish herself invisible. 

So this is my good deed of the day after sitting waiting for my carry out. I watch several people attempt over and over to parrallel park to run in and get their carry out. It became a game between my son and I just to see how many times they would pull forward and back up and how many turns it took them before they actually got in the spot only to realize they were still three feet from the curb.

Here is visual aid...

 I can't take credit for my parallel parking skills. I owe every ounce of my parallel parking to my mother as she bestowed to me this gift and it has my boys in awe that their Mom can not only parallel park  but she does it with only one turn. They think I'm super human. Shhhh... Let keeps this between us:)

Here is the magic...

 I have witnessed so many people struggle with this driving skill so this is my public service announcement. 

I look forward to seeing everyone parallel park with confidence... It's the first of many steps towards World peace!

Your Welcome!

Enjoy this glorious day!

️xo celeste

Grilling and Chillin' Brunch!

OK so we are known for coloring outside the lines around here we make French toast 1 million different ways but today we put a fun little spin and threw a curveball on a regular French toast recipe so there is no recipe attached here. Just use your favorite French toast recipe and instead of cooking it in a regular pan heat up your grill pan cook the French toast on the grill pan. When you're finished, butter the grill pan sprinkle sliced bananas with cinnamon and sugar and grill them until they caramelized and brown top off your French toast... crush some slivered almonds and rock out your brunch!

And than go get a mani! Ha just realized my nail is chipped in this pic!

Lol

Have a glorious day!

Celeste ️XO 

Cherries in the snow!

Fresh summer cherries are right around the corner...

But util than cherries in the snow will have to do! 

Here in Cleveland we know a thing or two about rolling with the punches, bending like the willow and enduring and making the best of things... Sports teams like the Cleveland Browns and snow storms in spring can do that to a Clevelander! 

We don't discuss politics here but on a side note from the mouths of babes my son just said "Johnny Manziel is the Donald  Trump of football" I take it he's not voting for The Donald... 

funny kid... But we love it here... There is much to love in this city that you would be amazed, so put us on your bucket list once the snow melts if you have never been!

So today we celebrate this day... It's another day to plan the garden instead of digging it, a day of organizing your closet for when spring actually springs, a day that we can rest easy because we have a bit more time to squeez in a few more pull-ups and sit-ups before squeezing into that string bikini from last year and use this time be one with our yoga mat until then...

We brighten your day further with this yummy treat!

Cherry Chocolate Protein Shake

1/2 cup low fat organic chocolate milk

1/2 cup sweet dark pitted cherries ️frozen

1 Tablespoon flax seeds

1 Tablespoon almonds

1 Tablespoon protein

3 Drops almond and vanilla extract

Wiz all this goodness in your bullet blender, top with whipped cream or coconut milk, don't forget the sprinkles and devour!

We hope you enjoy!

Have a glorious day!

Celeste ️xo 

Next up on the blog 

Pan crepe-tortillas for easy breakfast borritos

Sunday Morning Crowd Pleasers

Best for a crowd! 

I substituted almond for the vanilla and cooked each piece in butter. Transferred to a cookie sheet, added a sprinkle of cinnamon (I left it out of the batter as it tends to float) I also added a bit more milk to the batter, added butter and syrup on top of the French toast and put the pan in an oven at 350 until the butter melted and the syrup bubbled...

All six boys said it was the best they ever had!

Celebrate with a few Bubbles

It's that time again to say farewell to a year of memories and jump full force into a brand new year of possibilities! 

And what would be better than celebrating with a few bubbles to tickle your nose?

Here are a few of our favorite champagne induced cocktails because just plain champagne wouldn't be creative enough!

*sidebar: Any of these can easily be turned into mock-tails by substituting your favorite flavors from http://www.lacroixwater.com/flavors/

Fresh is always better in my book but don't be afraid to use what you have in your fridge or pantry! And for gosh sakes don't forget to garnish!!! Fresh berries, sugared rims and drink stirs can make the drink!

Pink Lemonade: Pour 1 tablespoon lemonade and 1 splash of grenadine or pomegranate juice into each flute, then pour in 5 ounces of sparkling wine.

Tart and Sweet: Stir 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice and 1 teaspoon honey together in the bottom of a flute until the honey loosens and dissolves. Pour in 5 ounces of sparkling wine and stir very gently to incorporate, as the wine will continue to fizz.

Quick Bellini: Gently stir 1 tablespoon peach or apricot jam into a flute filled with 5 ounces of sparkling wine, taking care as the wine will continue to fizz.

Minty Berry: With the end of a wooden spoon or spatula, gently smash 1-2 chopped strawberries and 2 large, roughly torn mint leaves in the bottom of a flute to release the berries' juices and the mint's essential oils. Pour in 5 ounces of sparkling wine.

Rosy Raspberry: With the end of a wooden spoon or spatula, gently smash 2-3 raspberries and a small handful of rosemary leaves in the bottom of a flute to release the berries' juices and the rosemary's fragrance. Pour in 5 ounces of sparkling wine.

Happy New Year!

The best is yet to come!

Celeste ️xo

Feel the Love

Merry Christmas! I hope you had a lovely day filled with your favorite people...

My babes are always so thoughtful! They got me this...

I sure do feel the love every time I start my day with this beautiful heart mug from Starbucks! They know I find hearts everywhere so they wanted to make sure my days started with them finding me!

Starbucks had great mug designs this year! 

You can grab yours today just click below!

https://store.starbucks.com/drinkware/cups-and-mugs/?nofilter=false

Enjoy this glorious day!

Celeste ️xo 

"POISE Magazine" by celeste m.

Welcome the first addition of "POISE Magazine". A lifestyle magazine based on making design accessible. Specializing in easy elegance...

The cover

There was some Raulph Lauren inspiration to adding the plaid background... Mixing the feminine photo with the masculine backdrop always works for me.

A peek of the inside...

A sample of the content...

To subscribe please send your request to celestemarie25@yahoo.com

Thank you for taking a peek!

See online version below~

I hear Martha Stewart is in her 89th book so I better get going!:)

https://steller.co/s/54d5BYJxz3d

Enjoy!

Celeste

Surprise Cleveland!

Surprise Cleveland! If you haven't seen it yet it will make you happier!

Hope your are looking forward to a wonderful weekend ahead!

I love surprises... Well, good surprises... I never thought I would have to preface that but anyone who has had a "bad" surprise knows that can really suck! Any who...

Today was filled with a great unexpected surprise... Nope not the traffic on the way in to work...that comes as no surprise!

And at least when I'm stuck in traffic there are beautiful things all around me! Like this...

But I often find myself jumping off the busy highway and winding my way around my beautiful city to get to work, today was no different. Until I stopped at a light and looked to my left... What a delight! 

The picture below was what I saw... My city... Up in lights! 

Thank you @greetingstour for adding so much to a little wall on a cool street in Cleveland! I could not love this more!!! I'm so proud of our city and everything that Clevelanders have done to rally together to make it great...

Cleveland truly does rock!

Photo: celeste m. photography

Oh and p.s. How much do you love the fact that they left the wall all peeling and edgy looking! Yay!

http://www.greetingstour.com/murals/greetings-from-cleveland/

Things are Getting Steamy!

Good morning! Happy Sunday, thanks for joining us on the blog. 

We woke up in beautiful Cleveland Ohio this morning to a gloriously perfect fall day... Amazing weather. Mr. Snuggles couldn't wait to go explore! 

It takes a lot to pry me out of my flip-flops... I'm very much a summer girl but I have to say I do look forward to my vast array of flannel shirts and cozy scarves going into the fall season...

 So grab your favorite flannel and give this a try! 

I came across this wonderful one pot clambake recipe in one of my favorite magazines Coastal Living. This recipe is meant to be cooked inside if you can't get outside to put it on the fire you have it made! It also makes it especially nice if you don't have a lot of people to cook for and are craving a clambake it takes it down to a smaller, more manageable recipe. So grab your red and white checked tablecloth, plug in your wave machine if your aren't on Lake Erie and turn up your favorite music and get to cooking! 

Enjoy this glorious day!

Stove top Clambake

Prep time 30 minutes 

Cook time 40 minutes

2- 1pound live lobsters 

Shrimp and crab boil seasoning or seafood seasoning 

2 pounds of small new potatoes 

3 yellow onions quartered 

2 garlic bulbs, halved crosswise 

1 1/2 pounds smoked or spicy sausage sliced diagonally 

3 dozen clams scrubbed 

2 pounds mussels scrubbed and debearded 

4 ears fresh corn, husk removed and cut into thirds

 1 pound unpeeled medium raw shrimp Melted butter 

Lemon wedges 

French bread 

Garnish: fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

1. Place lobsters in freezer 60 minutes before cooking. Add 1 to 2 inches water and 3 tablespoons shrimp and crab boil seasoning in the bottom of a 16 to 20 quart stock pot. Add steamer basket with the legs that raise the basket about 1 to 2 inches above bottom of the pot, and bring water to a boil over medium to high heat.

2. Place potatoes, onions, garlic, and sausage in a basket; cover and steam 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Place lobsters on top of potatoes; cover and steam 10 minutes. Place clams and mussels on lobsters. Cover and steam five minutes. Place corn and shrimp on shellfish; cover and steam 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp are pink and shellfish are open. (Discard any that do not open.)

4. Remove ingredients from pot with tongs and a small colander, and place on a serving platter. Serve with melted butter, lemon wedges, French bread, and additional shrimp and crab boil seasoning. Garnish, if desired with flat leaf parsley. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Here is a little cooking music!

Fifty Big Ones: Greatest Hits by The Beach Boys
https://itun.es/us/n3ovV

Amazing Soup In Record Time

I love good food, but don't always have time so this is one of my go to meals! So quick, so yummy!

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

1 can coconut milk

1 can chicken broth

1 little can of green chiles

Pre-sliced mushrooms

Left over chicken breast sliced (from last nights dinner) you can also use canned white chicken.

Fresh cilantro

Fresh ginger grated

Salt 

A teaspoon of sugar

And bring to a boil... Tada!

I also like to spoon a few scoops of leftover rice in to make it a bit more hearty!:)

Eat up and enjoy!

Xo Celeste❤️

Reflective Must Read

This is wonderful! I hope you enjoy reading this talented writers words! 

I want to know what kind of man you are beneath the surface.

I want to understand what makes your heart beat faster and what you love. What makes you mad, and why it has that power over you.

I want to learn if your anger is hot and quick like mine, or a lingering coldness that freezes those who invoke your wrath. Do you forgive them when the red mist subsides, or do you hold a grudge through all of eternity?

I wish I could know how you see me through those quiet eyes of yours. I want you to tell me if you long to stroke my hair as we drift off to sleep, or if it’s my curves that your hands ache for. I wonder if you would message me goodnight before bed, so that I would never close my eyes without knowing that I was loved. Perhaps you would expect my heart to know that already, simply by the way your face lights up at the sight of mine.

What do you dream of when you close your eyes? Do you sleep peacefully until the light dapples your skin through the blinds, or do the tigers prowl around your head, leaving you shivering in fear in the darkness?

When you are lonely, do you ever think about my smile, or the way that I always know how to still the demons that scream inside you? I wonder if I am still vivid in your awareness, or a distant memory now; a spectre bathed in the gentle lustre of nostalgia.

Do you chase sunsets or sunrises? I love both. Does the promise of a shimmering new dawn appeal to you more than the glow of another day closing in a riot of colour? I wonder where peace finds you. Will you drink hot tea with me as the sun blazes through the horizon, reminding us of the fleeting nature of this life? I think I would like that.

I want to learn if you prefer the bright crackle of a burning log fire, snuggled up in blankets against the cold, or the way that the sun plays upon warm limbs, making them glow golden in the afternoon light. Is it summer that brings a smile to those lips I covet, or would you rather turn your face up to taste the snowflakes as they fall?

I watch to see if you curse the fact that you cannot get to work in the snow, or if you roll up your sleeves joyfully to build a snowman. And if you do, I notice whether you give him a stone mouth so that he might smile upon the children that wave as they pass him by.

Do you ever fantasise about losing yourself, out there, in the world? Do you seek the quiet solitude of a wooden log cabin on the edge of a lake, or do you prefer the lights and glamour of cocktail dresses in a fancy room full of raucous laughter?Where do you want to go? What do you want to see?

Do you hear it when adventure calls out your name and more importantly, do you answer?

I want to know where you hide, when the world becomes too much to bear.

Where do you take your freedom?

Is there space for another in your haven, or can I follow you only so far, then settle patiently to await your return to me; the reunion all the sweeter for your absence.

See, I wanna know if you have hurt people. Did their tears rain on your heart, each drop a sharp stinging torment? I try to imagine if you wear a mask of hardness in the face of another’s pain, or if you are gentle as you ask for forgiveness. Do you bleed through another’s wounds? Can you?

Tell me how you have broken someone you loved, and whether you were able to fix them again. Did they love you still when the pieces were put back together? What horrors live in the bleakest corners of your soul? What do you think about when you go there?

I want to know the very worst of you.

Share with me the music that plays in your heart, and whether you dance to the beat of your own drum. Show me the colour of your love. If you could splash its brightness onto a waiting canvas, would it burn with passionate reds and oranges, or would it run still and strong in a cool turquoise calm?

Tell me if you kiss softly, your lips singing mine a gentle lullaby, or whether they would rage intently, scorching new pathways to my heart with a desire that refuses be stilled. I want to feel it either way.

Show me if you want a sweet girl, or a dirty one. Or a little of each. What makes you cry out in ecstasy? Is it a woman that makes you laugh until your stomach hurts, or one whose beauty takes your breath away with a single look? Do you look for the quirky ones, perhaps? The ones who are too easily overlooked, the hidden treasures?

Tell me, would you risk it all for love? Would you fight for what you truly want, or would you let it slip away into nothing, never knowing what might have been, because you never told her that your heart beat only for her? Did you ever realise she was waiting for you to fight for her? Will you watch someone else love her because you were too afraid to be vulnerable with her?

Will you settle for next best, the girl you could maybe grow to love someday, instead of the one that haunts your thoughts today? Is that enough for you? Maybe it is. Could you live with yourself knowing that she got away?

Tell me about a time that you cried until you couldn’t breathe anymore. Or where you lived through a day where you prayed for the sweet release of death. Did you make it through? I have been there. Has your heart been broken into a million tiny pieces and, if it has, has it made you hard? Or are you are still open to the beauty that the world holds for you?

Show me your pain and I will show you mine. I hope it does not scare you. It has helped me to grow.

I want to know if you talk to the glittering stars above us, and which one is special to you. What do you think happens when we die? Do we join their shining ranks in heaven or is there nothing left for us? Are you afraid of death? I am. Will you hold my hand if I leave you first? If you whisper to me that love knows no boundaries, not even death, will you mean it?

Tell me about your childhood. I want to know the way your mother’s hair smelled when you crawled exhausted into her lap, and the way your bedroom looked when you were 10. Did your father cry when you curled a tiny fist around his finger for the very first time? I bet he did. I want to know all the people that you have loved throughout your life, so that I might love them through you and with you.

Do you write? Do you draw? I want to know whether you ache to capture my face with your pencil, preserving the wonder that lingers softly there. Do you like to express yourself through words, or action best? Will your hands illustrate your story as you speak and will I know that you that are lying from the way your lips tremble gently as the words tumble guiltily from them?

What is your favourite book? Explain to me why it enraptures you so. Please? It tells me a lot about you. I love the way people cry when their favourite character breaks their heart, as though they are an old friend to be adored. Who is yours? I will seek them out and befriend them to understand why they have moved you so much.

Lend me your secrets. I’ll keep them safe and I’ll return them when my picture of you is complete. Whisper into my ear so that only us two may share them. Do you believe in magic? I do, now that I have met you.

Tell me your story, for it might well become part of my story. Let me in. Let me see you. All of you.

I want to know you.

 Featured in elephant journal

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/02/i-want-to-know-you/

Via JoJo Rowdenon Feb 11, 2015

The Best Craft Ever!

Yes! It is the best craft ever...

On a plane, in a train... Even on a day of rain!!! Lol:)

All you need is a bag of fruity tootsie rolls and a few chocolate tootsie rolls and some imagination!

Open the candy... Roll it in your hands to warm it and craft away!

Best part? Clean up is snack time! 

If you want to take things to the next level you can always use cute polymer clay moulds and add these to the top of cupcakes! You can also roll out the tootsies and use cookie cutters to cut out edible shapes for cakes! Be sure to dust a bit of powdered sugar to surfaces and mould so it won't stick!

Have fun being the mom, auntie, or teacher of the year! They will love this craft!

Have a glorious day!

All my best,

Celeste xo

Homemade Shamrock Shake!

They wanted McDonald's....

Who doesn't love the green chemical concoction known as the Shamrock Shake? Ugh... I cringed... Than I challenged them to do better!

I love a little challenge so I promised we could do better... And we did!

Two scoops of Breyer's Girl Scout thin mint ice cream...

A few ice cubes and some milk!

Green food color if you dare and fresh whip cream! Green sugar to top and one mini mint Oreo to garnish.

They were thrilled and said "We will never ask for McDonalds again!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Celeste xo

Feeling Crabby? Get Healthy!

If you are feeling tired, crabby or run down it may not be the weather. Make some little changes in your diet!

If you like creamy foods try whipping or mashing avocado and adding to crab or chicken for salad instead of mayo. I promise you won't miss it! I added lemon and salt/pepper and scooped it into a cucumber! Yum:)

Hope you enjoy!

Have a glorious day!

Best,

Celeste xo

Making Life Better One Juice Box At A Time

Some things in life you really do have to live and learn... 

But who ever thought a simple placement choice of your kids juice boxes could be so valuable! 

So my boys use to go through our juice boxes pretty quickly, and when it came time to pack a lunch, low and behold they were all gone. It was out of this desperation to prolong the juice box supply that I moved the juice boxes. I decided that they could not swill down nine juice boxes in a sitting anymore if I moved the juice to the freezer. And it worked. They never looked in the door of the freezer. So my battle was won! Que the silly impromptu kitchen dance. 

But as the months went on I began to realize what a fabulous ideas this really was...

I began to access the juice boxes for lunches realizing I could forgo the freezer packs I had been shelling out for because the frozen juice took the place of the freezer packs that my boys would accidentally, on purpose, throw away each week. Lunches stayed cold, no wasted money, no guilty looks and the bonus was a juice slushy by the afternoon!

I also quickly realized that every time someone got hurt and needed ice we went to the freezer for a bag of peas (sidebar:best bridesmaids scene ever) or frozen raspberries, those baged foods were never the same once refrozen. So I started grabbing frozen juice pouches instead. Once they were done calming their injury, yep you guessed it... Consoling a bruised ego with slushy time. And no wasted frozen food.

They are also perfect for a picnic to put in the cooler instead of ice!

So get to it and move those boxes and pouches of juice to your freezer! 

Enjoy this glorious day!

Best,

Celeste xo

Put Some Oomph In Cabbage

So all good Irish girls I'm sure know a thing about cabbage. I love it cooked simple, oil/butter, water to steam, few tablespoons of sugar to carmelize and salt.

But this time it needed something...

So I made it the same way but sprinkled a bit of curry powder (I can hear my Grammy gasping that the Brennan's would never) but I did and on top? Smoked almonds! Amazing!

I hope you try some oomph!

Have a glorious day!

Xo

Celeste