Category Archives: etc.

etc.

Ireland: Day 4 (Dunluce Castle)

April 17, 2012

We started our morning with a visit to Dunluce Castle ruins.  It was a fascinating sight and had a great audio tour.  The kids even had their own children’s audio tour that had activities and a treasure hunt as they went.  It was well worth the visit, and we learned a lot.

We found a cute and quirky Tea House near the castle and stopped for a spot of tea and a Raspberry White Chocolate Scone (oh, I’ll be coming up with a recipe for those very soon).  I love me a good scone.  I have been known to make them from time to time (click here for lots of my scone recipes).

etc.

Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

April 16, 2012

Marks and Spencer is a fantastic grocery and department store in the UK.  When I first went to London, I discovered this great shop and their bakery.  I ate way too many of their choc chunk shortbread cookies.   I made sure to hunt out a M & S as soon as we arrived in Dublin, Ireland.  The shortbread was still amazing.  So this time when I came home, I knew I needed to come up with a recipe for these buttery biscuits.

M & S Chocolate Chunk Shortbread
1 cup butter (room temp)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk choc chunks (I used an Easter Bunny)

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer.  Add the salt, vanilla and egg yolks and beat until smooth.  Add the flour and mix till dough comes together.  Add the choc chunks.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4″ thick.  Using a ruler, cut the dough into 3×3″ squares.  Bake at 325 F for about 12-15 mins or just until the edges of the cookie start to turn golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

I think these are a pretty good replica of M & S’s.

We had a little fun “killing” the Chocolate Easter Bunny.  He was really yummy Irish chocolate from Butlers Chocolates.  His sacrifice made great cookies.  My 8 year old son, Dylan, got a kick out of this.

Plus I’m practicing my photoshop skills by putting this collage together.  I have been reading lots and watching tutorials online to try to learn how to use this program.  I’m definitely not there yet.  But, it’s a start. I’ll share with you some of the resources that were helpful to me very soon.

etc.

Ireland: Day 3 (Giant’s Causeway)

April 15, 2012

Located on one of the most Northern points of Ireland, The Giant’s Causeway was a highlight of our trip. These coastal rock formations are both beautiful and fascinating.  Created by either volcanic heating and cooling or by Finn MacCool throwing stones into the ocean so that he could get to a Scottish giant that was taunting him.

We had a lot of fun climbing around on these geometric pillars of rock.  Can you believe the sunshine?  We were so blessed to have a rain-free day for our time at the Causeway.

Definitely a MUST-SEE if you visit Ireland.

etc.

Ireland: Day 2 (Newgrange and Armagh)

April 13, 2012

I started my second day in Ireland with this lovely cappuccino before we took a tour of Newgrange (move over Starbucks). This is a huge prehistoric stone tomb (80 meters in diameter and 13 meters high).  It is more then 1000 years older then Stone Henge and is older then the pyramids.  It’s original purpose is not know, but it is believed to have been a burial place and the builders made the passage way in such an accurate way that at the winter solstice the light shines directly down the tunnel into the center chamber.  It was an extremely windy and cold day, so we were happy to go inside and have a tour of the domes chamber.

We spent the night in Armagh.  Well, actually in a beautiful 1700’s farmhouse just outside of the city.  The kids even got to bottle feed two lambs.

We had to stop at this adorable country store just down the road from the farmhouse.  It was so picturesque with it’s red phone booth and mail box and beautiful spring flowers everywhere.

etc.

Ireland: Day 1 (Dublin and St. Patrick’s Cathedral)

April 11, 2012


Today I’m starting to share pictures from our Spring Break trip to Ireland. We flew into Dublin and were definitely tired from the 8 hour time difference, but we had a few coffees and some good Irish tea and then packed in some sightseeing.  Dublin was probably our rainiest day.  We were blessed and really only got sprinkles here and there the whole trip.  The city was blooming with Spring flowers.  Tulips and daffodils were everywhere.  St. Patrick’s Cathedral was beautiful (my inside pictures really don’t do it justice).   So, enjoy some pictures from our first day.

etc.

Hunger Games Inspired: Arrow Heads

April 10, 2012

We got home yesterday afternoon from our trip to Ireland.  I can’t wait to share with you pictures from our adventures.  But, for today I’m buried in loads of laundry and trying to stay awake on some serious jet lag.  So, here’s some inspiration that I collected a few weeks ago.  

I haven’t gotten to see the Hunger Games movie yet.  I am so excited to.  Last year, when I read all the books in one week, I kept saying to my husband “They should make these books into movies!”.  They are fantastic stories, and I can’t wait to see the movie.

Inspiration can come from most anything.  And today I’m inspired by Kat’s archery skills.  Below is a sampling of some beautiful work that features arrows in the design.
Fold Over Clutch
Arrows Print
Gotcha Arrows and Heart Print
Arrow Linen Pillow

Honey and Fitz put together a great selection of arrow inspired images as well.

etc.

Adventures Abroad: Ghana

April 6, 2012

I’m starting a new series of posts on Oleander and Palm.  I will be sharing my Adventures Abroad.  Travel is such a huge part of who I am.  My global travels have definitely shaped how I think and how I live my life.  By sharing some of my adventures, I think you’ll learn a bit more about me.  And I hope to inspire you to see some unusual and beautiful corners of the world.

Sitting on the balcony of our guest house in Mole Game Reserve.  Real Elephants!

I’m lucky enough to have seen both African and Asian Elephants in the wild.  There is no animal that compares to seeing an elephant.  It’s definitely a highlight in my life.  They are amazingly graceful and quiet for their giant size.
I must have been feeling brave or just stupid.

Ghana is not the beginning of my travels, but Africa seemed like a good place to start.  I’ve said before that I grew up in Papua New Guinea.  I graduated from High School there and moved back to Canada for College. While I was in College, my parents and my two youngest brothers moved back overseas.  My parents were missionaries.  My Dad is a pastor and he started and guided local churches and pastors.  He also built many churches, clinics and schools.   My mom is a nurse and she ran clinics in villages and shanty settlements and also taught primary health care.

Arriving in Accra, my parent’s friends greeted me with a Welcome to Ghana sash.

The Christmas of my Sophomore year in college (1997), I got to go spend a month with my family in Ghana. They lived in Accra (the capitol of Ghana).  But, we visited lots of parts of the country in my parent’s, sometimes reliable, Jeep.

My three brothers and I swimming at a waterfall.  It took some hard swimming and tricky climbing to get up under the waterfall. 
West Africa is an exciting place to visit.  The food is spicey and flavorful.  The people are lively and friendly. There is rich tradition and a sad history (we visited where slaves where shipped to America).  And amazing scenery and wildlife.
Fishing boats near the Ivory Coast border. 
Swimming with my brothers at the beach.  Very warm water and great waves to play in.
Sunset in Africa!  What could be better?  At Mole Game Reserve.

I obviously didn’t have a great camera, I was a poor college kid.  And my photography skills have definitely improved over the years.  I guess I’ll have to go back to Ghana and take more pictures.  But, it’s still so much fun to look through these.  I’m not sure if these Adventures Abroad posts will be interesting to my readers, but I’m having fun putting them together.   
Let me know what you think.  Do you want to see more of my travels?  Is Africa a destination on our list of places to see before you die?  It should be.

etc.

Wash Cloth Bunny

April 3, 2012

Here’s a really cute and easy Easter craft that your kids will enjoy making with you.  My mom made these for my brothers and me when we were kids.

Supplies:
wash cloth
2 googly eyes
1 small pink pom pom
1 large white pom pom (or just a cotton ball)
2 kids elastics (the little tiny rubber ones)
glue dots (Zots is what I used)
piece of ribbon
an egg shaped soap (0ptional – I got mine at Cost Plus World Market)
Start by folding the wash cloth in half diagonally, leaving about a 1/2″ overlap on the bottom.  Then roll the cloth towards the corner.
Fold the rolled wash cloth in half and secure with an elastic band in the middle.  Fold over the ears to make the head, and secure with another elastic.  Fluff up the ears.
Using the glue dots, attach the eyes, nose and tail. Tie a simple bow around the neck of the bunny.  You can tuck an egg shaped soap or another treat in the middle of the bunny.

BE A FRIEND!  Leave a comment, follow Oleander and Palm by email, Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter.

etc.

Day 2 in New York

So, here’s just a few more instagrams from our 2nd day in New York.  We packed it in and tried to see, do and eat as much as possible.  It was a little warmer today, so we did a lot of walking.

We went to the Met and really enjoyed the impressionist hall.  Oliver saw Monet’s, Van Gogh’s, Degas’, and so much more for the first time.

We caught a taxi after a long walk through Central Park.

We ordered a real NY pizza for dinner.  It was quite delicious – I’m a fan.

A warmer day in New York then the day before.  We enjoyed a nice walk through Central Park.
And now on to Ireland!