miramichi wedding: friday

a moment of reflection for the bride - mentally checking off the to-do list at O'Donaghues

organizing the place cards

1:30 a.m. - finally done!

it never entered my mind

70 years ago tonight the Rodgers and Hart musical "Higher and Higher" re-opened for a three-week return engagement at Broadway's Shubert Theatre (it had closed after only 84 performances in the spring of 1940).  The musical has been more or less forgetten now but it made one lasting contribution: "It Never Entered My Mind."  This haunting 1956 version is one of my all-time favourite Miles Davis recordings...

down the lazy river

Monday was a holiday and the pup and I took our new-to-us car for a drive down river to the little village of Gagetown.  Would you just look at those blues and greens?

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I remember stopping at the inn above for lunches on my way to summer camp many years ago... It's closed and there's a for sale sign out front now.   Dangerous for someone who secretly fears she will go all Lorelei Gilmore and buy an inn in an impossibly quaint town... Ah well, a girl can dream!

pink and coral

I love pinks, orange and corals together so when I saw these flowers at our local farmers' market, I knew I'd found the colour scheme for the garden party I hosted for my mom's and my shared birthday.

ready for guests

sweet candy, sweet colours

pink bubbly

two of my faves

dusky croquet

Strawberry-Rose Punch

My mom and dad bring the best birthday presents.  The sangria jug comes from Urban Almanac and the vintage metal bird tray was found at Le Pink Chandelier on Etsy .

Champagne and strawberries are a classic pairing and I added the rose water to this recipe to give it a subtle floral note. Rose water is available at many specialty food stores. (Here in Fredericton you can find it in the Middle Eastern food section at Scoop & Save.)

Makes 2.5 litres of punch.

2 ½ cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
Two   750ml bottles rosé wine
One    6oz can of frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
One    750ml bottle champagne or other sparkling wine
¼ - ½ cup of rose water to taste

Combine strawberries and one bottle of rosé in glass pitcher or bowl. Cover and let stand for at least one hour. Add second bottle of rosé, lemonade concentrate and rose water. Just before serving stir with ice and top with chilled champagne. Enjoy immediately!

a dOZen moments

I'm home from my Australian adventure and I have loads of photos to go through but until I get them organized here are a dozen favourite Australian moments...

Sydney Harbour

My first lamington at the Beechworth Bakery.

Sparkling shiraz at Cofield wineries

Kangaroo

Hill country

Rainbows in the rainforest

first of 10 wild koala spottings

12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road

shopping in Block Arcade

Brighton Beach

Melbourne's cafe culture (even in winter!)

Melbourne at night from Eureka Tower