The last time I served a New England Shore Dinner, I set a "beachy" table . It was easy, inexpensive and added a fun ambience to the meal! Instead of using a tablecloth, I draped the table with a fishnet. Next, I spread a light teal crinkled fabric curtain panel in the center of the table, positioning it around the umbrella base, so that it resembled ocean waves.Get the rest of the details! Read Full Story

My 1st Metamorphosis Monday! I was tired of the look of our deck. We've had it the same way for a couple of years, and I wanted to give it a fun, new style. My inspiration came while visiting Florida last March. My family and I had the pleasure of dining at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Restaurant in Orlando. We loved the fun, tropical décor in the restaurant and felt it would be the perfect theme for our deck.Before beginning the deck redo, I thought about how our deck functions. It is used... Read Full Story

We recently had a party on our tropical deck. I wanted to serve a meal in keeping with the tropical theme. After comparing a few recipes I found online, I concocted my own version of Tropical Chicken Kabobs and Caribbean Rice. I received many compliments on this healthy meal, which, if I do say so myself, was delicious. I will definitely make it again. Get the Recipes. Read Full Story

We frequently visit Cape Cod during the summer, and a visit there was the inspiration for this shore wreath. It was simple and inexpensive to make.I used a twig wreath as a base for my shore wreath. Yard sales are a great place to find them. I have found some that were decorated. I just carefully remove the decorations and give them a good cleaning before reusing them.The shells were collected on a Cape Cod beach, so they were free. I wasn't able to find any starfish on the beach, so I ... Read Full Story

After battling with a hungry woodchuck over the past couple of years, my husband and I decided to downsize our garden and move it to the back deck using containers. Since we didn’t want it to interfere with the space we use for entertaining, we opted to use long, narrow window boxes for our planters. That way, we could put them along the edge of the deck, where they would be out of the way. When choosing the window boxes, we decided on the type with drainage trays, which we found at Hom... Read Full Story

Amending your soil with rich compost is a wonderful, inexpensive way to ensure a robust gardening season.What You'll Need: Compost Container Dried Leaves Composted Manure Grass Clippings Landscape Waste Kitchen Waste Gardening Rake Pitchfork You don't need to buy one of those fancy compost bins. An affordable alternative is to make one out of a plastic, 32-gallon, covered trash can. You can purchase one like this for about $20.00 at Wal-Mart. Be sure to drill some holes along... Read Full Story

Prepare some ingredients ahead of time and on Sunday morning you can surprise Dad with a nice breakfast–in a nice clean kitchen!  Omelets taste good, feel special, and are quite easy to make. Ingredients: 6 Strips of Bacon 1/2 Block of Cracker Barrel Cheddar Cheese 1/4 of a White or Yellow Onion 6 Eggs 1 Tablespoon Tarragon PrePrep: Precook bacon, let cool, then [...] Read Full Story

Yes, it has come to pass! My son Stephen and his fiancée Andrea were married Saturday evening, June 13, at 6:30 PM in the ballroom of the Ashland Plaza Hotel. The reception was immediately following the ceremony at the same location. It was so amazing and beautiful and bittersweet and precious…all at the same time. The [...] Read Full Story

Shopping for clothing is one of my favorite things to do!  However, despite my ability to shop smart, a trip to my favorite discount clothing store is not always within my budget.  When I am feeling the urge to shop, I know I can always do it at home. I’m not talking about Internet shopping, [...] Read Full Story

Fresh strawberries from your own garden are the sweetest and most delicious strawberries you will ever taste.  The big red juicy berries are growing in my small patio garden, which I planted a couple years ago.  The strawberry plants were purchased at a local plant nursery.  The plants have spread during the past couple years [...] Read Full Story