#ThrowbackThursday A Quinceanera!

In Latin tradition, girls are given a quinceanera, or Sweet 15, in order to celebrate their passage from girl to woman.

We had a quinceanera for my daughter with our family and close friends as well as a number of her friends. It was a lovely time and I think everyone had a blast!

Part of the tradition is that the women of the family, mom, aunts, grandmother and godmother, each present the young woman with a gift that symbolizes the passage. Things like earrings, bracelets, rings and other items that a woman would wear.

Here are some photos of my daughter, her godmother (my sister), her aunt, her grandmother and me doing that rite of passage.

Here is a photo of my daughter, hubby and me. If you believe in such things, you will notice the orbs that were present in this photo and many of the others. One friend who attended and is a sensitive said the place was haunted. It could be. We had the celebration in an old inn that has been around since 1843.
Mom, Sam & Dad

#ThriftyThursday Fight Back Winter with a little bit of summer!

OMG I HATE THE WINTER! Yes, I am screaming! I am so not a fan of the cold and the wet. It makes so many of the things I love so hard to do, like walking to work or taking a stroll along the boardwalk. That’s why I’m counting down the days until spring. If you feel the same way, how about fighting back winter with a little of summer! ONE SUMMER NIGHT is only 99 cents and WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER will be out in June, just a few months away!

So don’t miss the special pricing on ONE SUMMER NIGHT and if you’d like, read the first three chapters for free at Radish!

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2krMwfE
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kYLWZV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2kNuo0p
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2ik8EfG
iBooks: http://apple.co/2qsqdwx
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2fuEphL
Radish: Read three chapters for free – http://bit.ly/2AERQFk

WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER is now available for pre-order at the following retailers:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2y6hi4h
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2y92UIQ
B&N: http://bit.ly/2BJNcov
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2hKg3BW
iBooks: http://apple.co/2hKgP1J
Kobo: Coming Soon!

#ThrowbackThursday #ThriftyThursday Summer Wishes & Summer Reads

Everyone who knows me knows that I hate winter. I hate the cold more than anything. I also hate going to and from work in the dark. Somehow I survive by conjuring up thoughts of summer at the shore and summer reads! LOL! So today, a throwback to summer and some summer reads from lil’ ol’ me!
Ocean Grove New Jersey

As for summer reads, don’t miss the special pricing on ONE SUMMER NIGHT and if you’d like, read the first three chapters for free at Radish!

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2krMwfE
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kYLWZV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2kNuo0p
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2ik8EfG
iBooks: http://apple.co/2qsqdwx
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2fuEphL
Radish: Read three chapters for free – http://bit.ly/2AERQFk

Look for the next book in the At the Shore Series, WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER, in June 2018. It’s now available for pre-order at the following retailers:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2y6hi4h
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2y92UIQ
B&N: http://bit.ly/2BJNcov
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2hKg3BW
iBooks: http://apple.co/2hKgP1J
Kobo: Coming Soon!

#ManCandyMonday Male Model Matthew Noszka

Good morning! Sorry to have missed you for part of last week but I was laid low by a wicked cold! WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER (June 2018) is available for pre-order and I decided to go searching for a sexy blonde man who could play Jonathan Pierce, the rebellious surfer dude billionaire from the story. It was a tough go looking at all those gorgeous blonde men, but someone had to do it. Luckily I found sexy Matthew Noszka who totally fits what I imagined how Jonathan would look. By the way, do you know that women don’t favor blonde men on book covers? Really? I think Matthew would make a great cover model, don’t you?

Thanks to Matthew’s Instagram for these photos!

Also, don’t miss the special pricing on ONE SUMMER NIGHT and if you’d like, read the first three chapters for free at Radish!

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2krMwfE
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kYLWZV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2kNuo0p
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2ik8EfG
iBooks: http://apple.co/2qsqdwx
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2fuEphL
Radish: Read three chapters for free – http://bit.ly/2AERQFk

A leaders worth is measured to the degree of which he or she empowers others. Shot by @christianoita

A post shared by Matthew Noszka (@matthew_noszka) on

Morning digitals 📸

A post shared by Matthew Noszka (@matthew_noszka) on

#ManCandyMonday – Cillian Murphy from Peaky Blinders

My husband and I are hooked on Peaky Blinders. Think Boardwalk Empire but set in Birmingham, England. I love the history in the story, the romance and also, sexy lead Cillian Murphy. Cillian first caught my eye in 28 Days Later, a drama about a post apocaplyptic society where a virus has changed people into zombies. If you’re looking for something interesting to fill your nights, check out Peaky Blinders on Netflix and Cillian’s amazing blue eyes. Be warned though: You’ll have to turn on the closed captioning to make sure you’re getting all the dialogue on account of the British and Irish accents.

Photo Credit: Tim Cornbill [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Spaghetti Squash #TuesdayTip

It’s not unusual for hubby and me to have a meatless meal during the week. We’ve always found it filling to load up on a lot of veggies, usually over pasta. We still do that fairly regularly, but try to make the pasta healthier by using whole grain versions of buckwheat soba noodles instead of traditional pasta. Another thing that we do when time allows is to use spaghetti squash instead of pasta or as a side dish instead of a carb like rice or potatoes.

Spaghetti squash is packed with folic acid, potassium, carotene, vitamin A, and fiber and is only 42 calories per 1 cup serving (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_squash).

I usually start off my spaghetti squash by nuking it in the microwave and then roasting it in the oven. Once it’s cooked, you remove the seeds, shred the insides and top it with spaghetti sauce, pesto, or any other kind of sauce that you like! You can even be decadent and make a nice cheese or alfredo sauce since you are saving some calories by using the squash.

Here are some cooking suggestions and recipes for you to try:

    • http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/properly-prepared-spaghetti-squash-162765
    • https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash-in-the-oven-178036
    • http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/spaghetti-squash-with-marinara-recipe-1950473
    • http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a52327/cheesy-baked-spaghetti-squash-recipe/
    • https://www.marthastewart.com/275670/spaghetti-squash-recipes

Christmas Cookie Recipes #TuesdayTip

I’ve never been a big baker, although I love making bread. Cookies, not so much, although I love eating them! So today I’ve rounded up some Christmas Cookie recipes that I plan on trying and maybe you’ll give them a shot as well. Not to mention that I’ve heard it from a good authority, namely the jolly old man himself, that Christmas Cookies have no calories since their only ingredient is love. (Yes, corny but what the heck!) So here are 12 recipes, one for each of the twelve days of Christmas!

    Oreo Coal Recipe: http://bit.ly/2kM7Ptx
    Creme Brûlée Sugar Cookies: http://bit.ly/2kKZExD
    Soft Christmas Cookies: http://armagazine.com/2kL0CKh
    Struffoli: http://bit.ly/2kLkCwd
    Walnut Snowball Cookies: http://bit.ly/2kL0LgN
    Gingerbread Cookies: http://bit.ly/2kM9sr9
    Classic Christmas Sugar Cookie Cutouts: http://bit.ly/2kO5ePE
    Snickerdoodles (one of my favs!): http://bit.ly/2kKiepG
    Italian Christmas Cookies: http://bit.ly/2kNdujh
    Cream Cheese Spritzes: http://bit.ly/2kIiZ2u
    Chocolate Crinkle Cookies: http://bit.ly/2kLGSGv
    Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies: http://bit.ly/2kMzF97

Hope you enjoy them!

Christmas Cookie Recipes