Happy Birthday Victoria!

Yesterday was this one's birthday. My little baby all grown up. She's holding a doll my grandmother made for me when I was little:>)
She is 19 now, just beginning to step out on her own and make choices with as little parental advice as she can get away with. We are trying to hold back but I'm sure she would tell you we are failing. Haha

We had a great time on her birthday. We spent the morning renting paddle boats at a county park and exploring the lake. Had a yummy picnic under a gazebo overlooking that lake, it was filled with purple martins. Their nests were all up inside the gazebo and we got to watch these little beauties swoop over our heads in and out of their nests. So beautiful! Then a movie, a fire, smores and friends. The camera batteries ran out first thing. It's ok.

Happy Birthday sweetheart. We love you to the moon and back:>)

Mosaic Monday

I'm just catching up with everyone. Sharing a mosaic of the garden in July for Mary's Mosaic Monday:>)
One of the girls admonished me that I haven't posted in a while. Chalk it up to the lazy days of summer. I have actually been reading, doing a little gardening and weeding, trying to get into the swing of sewing and failing. There may be too many projects swirling around in my head and it sometimes completely stops up the works of actually getting anything done. I STILL have not finished the last two dining room chairs, bad me. I see the back to school sales begin (shudder) and the countdown to going back to work begins in my head and I realize how quickly the last month has flown by and how quickly the next month will fly and I don't quite know how to catch up on all the things I wanted to do. I need to take one day at a time and savor each one. So many projects so little time. Earl put up another section of picket fence beside the chicken coop to define our little garden area. It is a work in progress but we have a vision for it that makes me happy. Raised beds, paths and flowers. An area for our little outdoor fire pit. I have been spending some time just daydreaming and that is ok. I think we all need daydream time. It recharges out creative batteries. My posts may be a bit fewer and farther between for the next month while I make the most of summer. I think that is normal. August is booked solid already! Family reunions, a weekend away (hallelujia!) and some time I will be spending with my BFF in Florida. It's all good. I will be catching up with everyone as I can. You aren't forgotten, but I have noticed you are all posting a bit less and enjoying summer a bit more too:>) Good. Summer is flying by and it would be a shame to spend it all staring at a computer screen! How will you make the most of the rest of summer?

A Generous Friend

I don't know if you have all met Karen Harvey Cox, if you haven't you should. She is a dear blog friend and we have had some great times of sharing and emailing. She is one of those people who is just so easy to talk to. Karen had a give away recently on her blog and the prize was one of her lovely original watercolors in the flower of your choice. So generous to get a piece of beautiful art made just for you. What all of us who entered didn't know was that Karen was going to make us ALL winners! yes, for every person who entered, Karen is painting the flower of their choice just for them!
Mine came in the mail yesterday. Beautifully packaged with a handmade tag and a lovely card was, this....my watercolor of one of my favorite cottage flowers, the hollyhock:>)

A profusion of pink hollyhocks just outside a cottage window. I love it Karen! I need to find a frame and then the perfect place to enjoy it. I have been blessed with several of Karens lovely works and I have a couple hanging in my living room right now. She is a fabulous artist and, more importantly, a fabulous friend:>)

Summer nights seem just right for fresh strawberry lemonade, fresh blueberry pie (made by my sweetie, "Mr. Dessert") and an evening with friends. Our friends brought a salad and we grilled some Mini Ranch Turkey Burgers (add 1/4 cup of bread crumbs and they hold together much better on the grill) These are so good, they are our recipe of the summer for having friends over, and they all want the recipe!
After our picnic we headed into town for a free concert in the park. What a beautiful night! it was hot during the day but as evening approached we enjoyed a cooling breeze and a spectacular sunset. Get out and enjoy these summer evenings, they won't last forever:>)

My Blogicon

See the little heart in my address line? It's called a blogicon. You probably know that, but for those that don't, there it is. I went to this lady and she made it for me. For a teeny price I have a cute symbol of my blog that shows up so much better if you bookmark me. My icon happens to be a red heart, (red being my favorite color, and the heart is not only for the hearts I make for my shop but for my love of blogging), with a little white bow. If you want to stand out in the crowd, run over and see how easy it is to get your own.