Blueberry Cake

I am not a dessert eater.  I love an oreo, but otherwise, it isn’t my thing…blueberry cake is the exception.  My Mom and Aunts have always made this and it is simply the most delicious thing you will ever eat!

RECIPE

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla
3 cups flour
3 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp sugar & cinnamon & nutmeg
1 box blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix together sugar and shortening, then add eggs and beat well

2. Add vanilla and mix some more

3. Add dry ingredients and add the milk gradually. Now mix it up even more

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4. Flour your blueberries

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5. Fold the blueberries into the mixture

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6. Pour the batter into a greased pan and top with cinnamon/sugar/nutmeg (I always use more than a tsp)

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7. Bake for 1 hour at 350* and then enjoy!

I promise this cake will become one of your staples.  A hint: use whole milk so the blueberries don’t sink! xo- j

Surprise (& cornhole)

Last Thursday I went out with an old friend for lunch and had so much fun catching up.  We talked about weddings, life in Mass, how our friends are doing, and had maybe a few too many brews for lunchtime.  Anyway, we came back and were hanging at my house waiting for Jay to get home.  Jay came in like everything was normal, taking off his shoes, talking about work, and then suddenly the doorbell rang.   I went to answer and it was TOMMMM!  I have been whining for him to visit since we moved and he told me he couldn’t come for months because of busy weekends, but there he was.  I was so excited I cried (seriously cried).   We ended up having such a great weekend together staying in our new town, enjoying the house, and even going to a cornhole tournament.  Tom, I love you bud, thanks for making me so happy and being such an amazing friend to both of us.

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(cornhole!)

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(ron’s favorite is jumping on backs, and homemade picklebacks with tom!)

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(our house ready for fall)

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(our little turtle i finally let go, and nash helping me walk rondo)

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(attempting to use the force to get my banana…he’s obsessed with them)

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(our beautiful backyard!)

This weekend I have my best friend coming to visit!  I couldn’t be more excited to see her!!

xo-J

 

 

Julie is amazing

We were in Newport last week with Jay’s family and as you can see I posted some (meh) pictures below from my phone.  Julie just posted all her pictures and they are so fantastic (she’s an amazing photographer).  I am so lucky to have her as my future sister-in-law and, regardless of Jay, one of my favorite people on earth.  Anyways, here are some of her pics that I love…

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xo-j

Lately

If we thought life was going to calm down moving out of the city, boy were we wrong.  We have been running around seeing friends, getting our house together, planning the wedding (we have a date!), Jay started his new job, we went to Maine and Newport, we’ve been hiking, we have had visitors (and have more this weekend), and we’re getting in the swing of things up here.  Overall, it has been a really great transition and we are loving it up here (plus, I can go to the grocery store and buy more than 5 things at at time…say what!?)

Here are too many pictures from life lately. I have to get better at updating this!

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(blue hills hike.  rondo was tired at the top)

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(a little wedding venue preview!)

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(double rainbow all the way, illumination night fun, and a crazy squash from the local farm)

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(my ❤ in newport)

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(vineyard visit outside of newport)

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(beach day with julie, doug, & family in newport)

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(cliff walk!)

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(ohhhh yea)

 

xo-j

 

Starting out

So, I’ve been here a full week, and I’m loving it.  It gets a little lonely during the day while Jay is at work, but the projects are never ending so I’m always busy.  I really want to share pictures of our new house (we’re both in heaven, we live in 3x the space as our apartment!) but I want everything to be done first.

This past weekend my Mom & brother were up here for a family party, Jay and I went to a concert, and we hung out with family at the pool.  We can’t wait until the place is all done and I am working again so that we can get in the full flow of life up here.  In the meantime, I’m enjoying getting to be with Rondo all day and putting together furniture…I am the master of all tools now.

Here are just a few pictures from lately…

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(new backyard)

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(bob dylan, my morning jacket, & wilco)

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(ice cream date with the boys)

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(worst laundry assistant of all time…but we have a washer in our house…the things you appreciate after nyc)

xo-j

New York I Love You

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I can’t believe that tomorrow night I will get on a train, leave my job, family, the city, and go start our new life in Mass.  I’m beyond excited and wildly nervous all at the same time.  So many huge changes are ahead of us…

The past couple weeks I have been trying to appreciate New York as much as I possibly can.  Walking to work instead of taking the subway, looking up at buildings, and pretending to be a tourist everywhere I go. New York, thank you for everything you have given me…my first real job, where, hey, I ended up meeting my future husband, my first apartment, meeting some of my best friends, the crazy weekends and weeknights out way too late…if I named everything I love we would be here for a month.  NY, I will miss you, but it’s time to go…

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xo always and forever ny – j

 

 

 

 

lately

Well, we moved, we had a long weekend together in our new house, and now I’m back in NYC!  Ay!  I am working at my job for a couple more weeks down in the city and will permanently move up to be with Jay next Tuesday.   I can’t wait to be there and get going on our house.  We have done so much work already, but there are a still million things to do.

Here are some pictures from life lately…

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(our new backyard!)

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(spent the 4th with the cutest kids around)

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(falling asleep sitting up…he has so much space to run now!)

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(our guest room that I love and Jay hates. the disaster of furniture boxes that is our living room.)

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(back in the sweltering city. rondo trying to get packed. the plaza construction looks like the plaza!)

xo-j

 

Well, we moved…sort of!  There are a million things to do, and I am in the city still, but all of our belongings are in our amazing new house!  I can’t wait to organize and decorate and make it our home!  Both Mom’s and Dad’s… we couldn’t have done it without you.  And to all of our friends, we love you guys so much, especially for waking up on Saturday and helping instead of sleeping in.  Here are some pictures from our last date in Williamsburg at Motorino, and Rondo being Rondo.

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xo-j

Party & Purchase

Well, it’s official…we are home owners!  After a long, difficult, and trying journey to own our new home we finally closed!IMG_0295

We had a going away party Saturday morning on our roof with a bunch of friends and had a really amazing time getting to see everyone.  No words can express what all of you mean to Jay and I…we are going to miss you all so much.  Part of our hearts will always be in Brooklyn.  I can’t believe it is all coming to a close, I really can’t.  But this next chapter is going to be incredibly exciting.  There will be a lot of changes, and I’m sure some tough days, but I think we are ready for this big move.  Thank you all for your love and friendships…now everyone come visit!

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(sunset on our beautiful roof deck at the party)

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xo-j