Over the years, I have slowly made my way around o Over the years, I have slowly made my way around our house … decorating, renovating and reorganizing it into a soft place to land. The only part that I haven’t touched that much are our yards (except for a fire pit area that went in two years ago, thank you pandemic). I want our outside to be as much as a sanctuary as our inside is, so I plan to spend the next year digging in (no pun intended 😂). I don’t have a green thumb, so feel free to spam me with all your awesome, low maintenance ideas as we create a Japanese-style zen garden. 🤩 I also hate gardening, so there’s that, but am hoping that some #gardentherapy changes my mind as much as it changes the space.
✌🏻 ✌🏻
About last night … we spontaneously decided to m About last night … we spontaneously decided to make a @crumblcookies run at 8:30 and snagged a front seat to Mother Nature’s show. 😍
I took five books with me when we went on a little I took five books with me when we went on a little vacation in May, and got through two of them, one of which was The Magnolia Story. You are, no doubt, familiar with Chip and Joanna Gaines, but you might not know how they became so popular or how their business exploded. This book, told by both of them, shares their journey from their dating stages to just a few years ago. It’s quite amazing how their path unfolded, with the universe seemingly guiding them every single step of the way. Every time they hit a crossroads, they received clear signs to continue to point them in the right direction. It was interesting to learn more about their story, and a great reminder that you need to trust in yourself and follow your passions, and everything really does just fall into place. Chip has his own book out too, Capital Gaines, which I added to my list after I read this one. If you’re curious about their story or just need confirmation to continue to chase your dreams, read this one. ✨ #catesbookaweek 6/52
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the w “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl ✨
We’ve been dog sitting Gracie while my sister an We’ve been dog sitting Gracie while my sister and her family were away. She has settled into a new routine here (ours 😂), and now doesn’t get up until after 9 am, stays up until well past midnight, eats a very late dinner, knows that the kitchen is where the magic happens and sits for a treat after her morning backyard visit. We’ve broken her in nicely but she will be returning with her continued bad habit of suffering from #fomo, playing tag with the cats, and barking every time she hears a door open or sees someone go up the street. We did our best. 😇
The rewards of a weekend of farmers marketing! Gar The rewards of a weekend of farmers marketing! Garlic butter and bleu cheese butter from @njgarlic (the bleu on steak! 😍), empanadas from @catalina_empanadas_2017, half sour pickles from @pickleculture and the quiche and bread were from a vendor I forgot to get the name of. This was all from the @bernardsvillefarmersmarket. Today I hit the @denvillemarket and added full sour pickles from @pickle_licious and a roasted garlic and duck fat loaf and cheese biscuit from @bobolinkdairyandbakehouse. Basically give us all the bread, cheese, butter and pickles and we’re happy campers! Did you hit up a farmers market this weekend? What’d ya get?
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and so it Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and so it is with the gnocchi from Trader Joe’s. Skip what their directions tell you and pan fry them in olive oil, add some of their 4-green bag of vegetables, salt, pepper, drizzles of pesto and a sprinkle of parm. So freaking good and dinner on the table faster than you can order take out. 🤤
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

On Dating, Figurative Fires and S’mores

June 20, 2011 · Narrative

Apparently I have a thing for firefighters.  It doesn’t have anything to do with the uniform.  Really.  Although that certainly doesn’t hurt.  Hello Backdraft anyone?  Though The Ex was not a firefighter when we met and dated, he joined the department after we got engaged.  It turns out that Mystic was a firefighter too.  Of course, I didn’t know that when we first met a few months ago, but judging by our time together so far, it seems his background could come in handy.  Figuratively, of course.

We (and by we, I mean I) like to call it the O’Malley Trial by Fire.  You know, like the initiation process when you date me.  It’s like freshmen hazing rituals.  Only way more fun. At least that’s what I tell him.  In the short time since we started dating, he has dealt with the after affects of the Great Power Outage of ’11.  You know, when a surge went through the house and torched my computer, printer, fax, house phones, microwave, tv, a portion of the hot water heater and goodness knows what else in its wake.  He actually started hanging out with me just in time to deal with the aftermath.  Like when I got all new stuff and had to figure it all out.  I don’t do manuals.  Or technology.  Thank goodness he does.

And then there was the ankle sprain.  My left ankle is still a good bit bigger than the size of my right.  And I’m still hobbling around on it.

And the diagnosis of our beloved Eli.

And a cat missing for two days.

And my trip to Seattle.

And Atlanta.

And oh yes, there was this water incident the week before last.  As I tried to run through all the people who I thought could help me at the time, when two buckets of water was steadily pouring through my living room ceiling, and who might be home, and who were boys, Mystic was the second person I called.  I tried to hold the phone to my ear, as I was holding the buckets, attempting to catch the water and keep it from going into the tv on the way down.

” Are you ok? “

No, are you nearby? 

“No, what’s the matter?”

Ok, gotta go.  I didn’t mean to hang up on him, but the water that was pouring down my head slipped the phone from my grasp.  There’s only so much multi-tasking a girl can do.  He was there within half an hour.  Just slightly behind The Neighbor Wife who had the misfortune of calling me during the whole event.  Both were total troopers.  Who were repaid with spaghetti and garlic bread.  That’s how I roll.

There was, ahem, another minor incident two weeks ago that I proudly handled myself.  Well, ok, it might have involved the boys in blue, but I didn’t call anyone else for help.  Swear.

Later that week when I told Mystic that I thought it had been a bit of an action-packed few months, he asked how he was doing.

“Well, you haven’t run from the burning building yet, so I think that’s good.”

So far.

“Oh I see.  I’m on PROBATION?”

He wisely didn’t answer.

“I’d like to think I’m bringing happy chaos to the table.  I’m just trying to keep things interesting.”

You’re doing an excellent job.  Maybe I should try harder from my side?

“Try harder for what?”

To keep things interesting too.

I then politely explained that perhaps he could just balance out my crazy and not bring his own.  You know, ying to my yang or something.  Thank God he was ok with that.

Speaking of fire… nothing like summertime and camp fires to make me think of s’mores.  How ya like that segueway?
Smores_Illustration

This summer, the Hershey Company is launching the Say S’mores campaign to help families create their own s’mores memories.  I actually never had s’mores growing up – I’ve never been camping, if you can believe it!  Nick has had them tons of times since he’s a Boy Scout, and we also make them at home (in our microwave!).  If you and your family enjoy s’mores, you might want to check out Hershey’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/hersheys for a chance to win S’mores-themed prizes.  The grand-prize is a Canon Rebel Camera, slate marble outdoor firebowl, $250 SnapFish gift card, roasting skewers set and all of the ingredients needed to make S’mores, including Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars. Families who visit the Hershey’s brand Facebook page can download the Say S’mores application to participate in monthly photo contests and receive a $1 coupon good toward the purchase of any two Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar 6-packs.  Um, I totally want the roasting skewers.  Well, the Canon Rebel would be pretty sweet too!

*s’mores picture courtesy of Hershey

June 20, 2011 – Bonus Photos
Love Love Love this sky
I absolutely love this picture, taken in my favorite spot in our neighborhood. By Nick! Nick took this shot, and this is completely unedited, SOOC (straight out of the camera). And for sale in my Etsy shop if you love it as much as I do.

Sun Reflection

Sexy legs
I can never find my shoes, or at least in pair form, when I need them. Gee, I wonder why.

Last Week of School Trip to Ritas
Gorgeous weather during the last week of school begs for an after-dinner stop at Rita’s.

Love her
I love this face. Cherry Italian ice and all. And this is precisely why I never get cherry flavor. Juicy pear? Sign me up.

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: dating, Hershey, S'mores

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    June 21, 2011 at 6:32 am

    Seems like mystic is quite the trooper! And the good thing is that now you can purchase a creme brulee torch without any fear because you’ll have a firefighter around…just in case!

    Reply
  2. Patsy says

    June 21, 2011 at 8:30 am

    Wow! It’s been a crazy few months for you… but, he seems like he can handle it. :) Keep that sense of humor!

    Reply
  3. Ramona says

    June 21, 2011 at 9:49 am

    Great shots by Nick. Budding photographer you have.

    Can we say ruby red?

    Good luck with your new friend.

    Reply
  4. Amy says

    June 21, 2011 at 9:51 am

    Shoes, please – where did you get them? Must have them!

    Reply
    • Cate O'Malley says

      July 6, 2012 at 5:34 pm

      I know I’m really behind with this answer – just saw the question – the shoes are from Naturalizer (purchased at Famous Footwear).
      Cate O’Malley recently posted..Photos in Review: Celebrating the Fourth of July {2012}

      Reply
  5. KRHM says

    June 22, 2011 at 8:43 am

    Sounds like Mystic is good people! (or is that just a southern phrase?)

    For an adult twist on S’Mores, try some of the flavored chocolate bars! My two favorites are orange/dark chocolate and chili-chocolate.

    Reply

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Over the years, I have slowly made my way around o Over the years, I have slowly made my way around our house … decorating, renovating and reorganizing it into a soft place to land. The only part that I haven’t touched that much are our yards (except for a fire pit area that went in two years ago, thank you pandemic). I want our outside to be as much as a sanctuary as our inside is, so I plan to spend the next year digging in (no pun intended 😂). I don’t have a green thumb, so feel free to spam me with all your awesome, low maintenance ideas as we create a Japanese-style zen garden. 🤩 I also hate gardening, so there’s that, but am hoping that some #gardentherapy changes my mind as much as it changes the space.
✌🏻 ✌🏻
About last night … we spontaneously decided to m About last night … we spontaneously decided to make a @crumblcookies run at 8:30 and snagged a front seat to Mother Nature’s show. 😍
I took five books with me when we went on a little I took five books with me when we went on a little vacation in May, and got through two of them, one of which was The Magnolia Story. You are, no doubt, familiar with Chip and Joanna Gaines, but you might not know how they became so popular or how their business exploded. This book, told by both of them, shares their journey from their dating stages to just a few years ago. It’s quite amazing how their path unfolded, with the universe seemingly guiding them every single step of the way. Every time they hit a crossroads, they received clear signs to continue to point them in the right direction. It was interesting to learn more about their story, and a great reminder that you need to trust in yourself and follow your passions, and everything really does just fall into place. Chip has his own book out too, Capital Gaines, which I added to my list after I read this one. If you’re curious about their story or just need confirmation to continue to chase your dreams, read this one. ✨ #catesbookaweek 6/52

Pinterest

Over the years, I have slowly made my way around o Over the years, I have slowly made my way around our house … decorating, renovating and reorganizing it into a soft place to land. The only part that I haven’t touched that much are our yards (except for a fire pit area that went in two years ago, thank you pandemic). I want our outside to be as much as a sanctuary as our inside is, so I plan to spend the next year digging in (no pun intended 😂). I don’t have a green thumb, so feel free to spam me with all your awesome, low maintenance ideas as we create a Japanese-style zen garden. 🤩 I also hate gardening, so there’s that, but am hoping that some #gardentherapy changes my mind as much as it changes the space.
✌🏻 ✌🏻
About last night … we spontaneously decided to m About last night … we spontaneously decided to make a @crumblcookies run at 8:30 and snagged a front seat to Mother Nature’s show. 😍
I took five books with me when we went on a little I took five books with me when we went on a little vacation in May, and got through two of them, one of which was The Magnolia Story. You are, no doubt, familiar with Chip and Joanna Gaines, but you might not know how they became so popular or how their business exploded. This book, told by both of them, shares their journey from their dating stages to just a few years ago. It’s quite amazing how their path unfolded, with the universe seemingly guiding them every single step of the way. Every time they hit a crossroads, they received clear signs to continue to point them in the right direction. It was interesting to learn more about their story, and a great reminder that you need to trust in yourself and follow your passions, and everything really does just fall into place. Chip has his own book out too, Capital Gaines, which I added to my list after I read this one. If you’re curious about their story or just need confirmation to continue to chase your dreams, read this one. ✨ #catesbookaweek 6/52
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the w “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl ✨
We’ve been dog sitting Gracie while my sister an We’ve been dog sitting Gracie while my sister and her family were away. She has settled into a new routine here (ours 😂), and now doesn’t get up until after 9 am, stays up until well past midnight, eats a very late dinner, knows that the kitchen is where the magic happens and sits for a treat after her morning backyard visit. We’ve broken her in nicely but she will be returning with her continued bad habit of suffering from #fomo, playing tag with the cats, and barking every time she hears a door open or sees someone go up the street. We did our best. 😇
The rewards of a weekend of farmers marketing! Gar The rewards of a weekend of farmers marketing! Garlic butter and bleu cheese butter from @njgarlic (the bleu on steak! 😍), empanadas from @catalina_empanadas_2017, half sour pickles from @pickleculture and the quiche and bread were from a vendor I forgot to get the name of. This was all from the @bernardsvillefarmersmarket. Today I hit the @denvillemarket and added full sour pickles from @pickle_licious and a roasted garlic and duck fat loaf and cheese biscuit from @bobolinkdairyandbakehouse. Basically give us all the bread, cheese, butter and pickles and we’re happy campers! Did you hit up a farmers market this weekend? What’d ya get?
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and so it Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and so it is with the gnocchi from Trader Joe’s. Skip what their directions tell you and pan fry them in olive oil, add some of their 4-green bag of vegetables, salt, pepper, drizzles of pesto and a sprinkle of parm. So freaking good and dinner on the table faster than you can order take out. 🤤

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