{ Jack, our lantern }

We carved the pumpkin this evening. I say WE, but, I can't take too much credit. I supervised and removed the seeds from the pulp, while my husband carved and my daughter gutted the pumpkin. I thought it was sweet that he added a "beauty mark" and told Saylor, "Now we can say it looks like, Mommy." Luckily, I have more teeth than our pumpkin. 

While carving the pumpkin, the sun was setting and Saylor was having fun getting her hands in the "pumpkin brains". We threw some pulp into the water to feed the turtles and my husband said the pumpkin was making him crave pumpkin empanadas. 

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ This Moment }



 {This Moment} ---. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember.  

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Inspired by  SouleMama  

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eater }

 As I stand between the rows of pumpkins I think to myself, Has a whole year gone by since we last visited this pumpkin patch? and How can that be? ....I also revisit the idea of how nice it would be to have a pumpkin patch of my own.

Me and my Pumpkin Pie

My favorite part about the temperatures 

dropping is snuggling with these two.

She is getting older because today while getting dressed, I walked in on her standing in front of the mirror with the comb she received from photographer on school picture day styling her hair and tucking part of it behind her ears and saying that this is how she wanted her hair styled and asked if I could help her get it this way. I love having a little girl.

Cheater Cheater, Pumpkin Eater

Look, it's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

After buying our pumpkins, big and small, warty and orange, my husband had a great idea for dinner by saying,

 "Let's go to Al's Pizza."

and so that is how we ended a lovely Autumn day.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Muscadines }

For the past 4 years, we set out on a late Thursday afternoon to go pick grapes; Muscadine grapes. These grapes are so aromatic and have the taste of a long summer beneath their skin. They are black, velvety purple, and a bronze green(my favorite). 

Picking muscadines with my daughter always marks the end of summer for me and the start of Fall. 

I'll never forget something she said the first time we walked down the rows picking grapes off the vine."Mom, do you think this is what Heaven is like because I really like it here." 

No word best describes the act of taking a plump

sun-warmed grape off the vine and popping into your mouth

We pick muscadines...and she also likes to catch the grasshoppers and lizards who laze about the vines.

the best grapes are up underneath the vines

I love gnarly vines

Well hello there

She is my Sunshine who makes me happy when skies are gray

Muscadine grapes also make a wonderful wine. Our local winery, San Sebastian , has a great selection of wines featuring muscadine grapes. My favorite is their Vintner's White.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Why I am sending my husband to grocery store more often }

My husband was on a quick errand to the grocery store and surprised me with these when he returned! Peach Mmmarshmallows. And guess what, they are also filled with a little bit of peach jelly. Milk, bread, catfood, .....and peach marshmallows. 

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ I love this place -- Ybor City }

Some more of Ybor City

Prana is the mecca of nightlife in Ybor City. 

Like mother like daughter.  Taking pics of her surroundings.

I love the movie theater sign; the red, the latin lady, the rose in her hair.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Much Ado about Owls}

 Muse Box Sources

scissors -- Sublime Stitching

owl krispies -- Cookies and Cups 

framed owl -- Kelly Hicks Design

owl embroidery -- Carinas Craft Blog

grey owls -- Observando

white pumpkin owls -- bhg.com

owl cupcakes -- Pinterest

purple owls -- efemera-ink.blogspot.com

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've noticed how owls are quite a hoot right now. They are popping up everywhere from cute cupcakes to owl scissors to owl pumpkins.

Here is a little something I put together and thinking about making a regular on my blog. I am going to call it a Muse Box.....basically, an inspiration board centered around a main theme using photos and their links as a reference point for ideas. In this case, Much Ado about Owls. 

Owls remind me of two people in particular; Mrs. Houlihan, one of my elementary school teachers, and my Dad. Mrs. Houlihan always wore turtlenecks and an owl pendent hanging on a long chain. As a child, I use to think her name was Mrs. Hula Hand. So even over 30 years later, I still think of her when I see owls and anything referring to the hula.

Owls make me think of my Dad b/c when I and my siblings were younger, his reply to some of our teenage angst-filled complaints was a simple, "I don't give a hoot."  Example: "But, Dad! All my friends get to stay out late." His reply, "I don't give a hoot what your friends get to do." hahaha Classic!

I hope you like my Muse Box.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Yay Me }

Earlier this week, somewhere between hanging my head in the toilet multiple times and laying in misery (stomach flu), I entered a photo in a weekly Facebook photo contest on the Port St. Joe's Marina Facebook page.....and guess what? I won! And, I didn't just win bragging rights, I also won a Columbia logo Polo in lavender. Yay, me!
I took the picture when we went for a vacation with our friends, Candis and Derek, this summer to Port St. Joes on the Gulf side of Florida. We were sitting inside the marina's Dockside Cafe waiting for an afternoon rain shower to pass while sipping on pina coladas (or beer depending on who ordered what). The sunlight breaking through the rainclouds was coming in perfectly through the windows of the Dockside Cafe, the smell of rain, the slap of water against the docked boats, and day one of vacation with friends....Yup, it was definitely a photo moment. But, the real memory of this day lives on happily inside my mind.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten
S.W.A.K.