Corner Of My House

I was inspired by Mrs. Stagg's Rose June corner to make my own. Since the 4th July is just around the corner I decided to make a patriotic corner.

A couple of years ago made these little cards. I printed up vintage post card. Glued them on cardstock, glittered them then added ribbon hangers. In the past I have hung them on a garland over my sink. But had fun setting them out in my entry room. Here a two images for you to use. Enjoy !!!

   

Summer Corner #4

In my wanting to create a summer vacation at home, I have been looking at food. Food is such a big part of vacations. Well life!! With temps warming up we are eating outside more and more. Even if it is cool outside we sit around the fire-pit and enjoy the relaxation. We have been barbequing almost everyday. I was think of what I could do that was different. We all know about roasting hot dogs, marshmallows, breads on a stick over a fire. Then I thought it would be fun to have an outdoor fondue. I  love fondues. When we do them it always seem like a party. A great way to bring family and friends together. If you do not have a fondue pot you could drag a crock pot out to keep the cheese fondue warm.(I always keep an outdoor extension in my yard) . Then have food to cook on a stick over the fire pit and dip in the fondue.  For dinner you could do a cheese fondue with shrimp, sausages, thinly sliced steak to cook. With a big raw veggie plate and lots of bread. It is dinner. For dessert an praline fondue is yummy. Fruit is wonderful grilled and with the praline dip even better. Sliced peaches, plums, apricot half's, strawberries, apple or pineapple, ect. Even if you do not have a grill or fire pit. You could cook your meat and have your fondue outside. I do not know about you but food always taste better to me outside.

Cheese Fondue.

My girls do not like the typical fondue it is to strong for them. So I do a cream cheese Monterey jack one. It is yummy. Make sure you get a good Monterey jack cheese, because that is were most of you flavor comes from.

1 1/2 cups grated Montery jack cheese (or do half fontina, half Montery)
2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/4 cup milk
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese,  cut in pieces

1/3 cup of dry white wine
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp. paprika

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium-size bowl, toss the Monterey jack with the cornstarch.

In a medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the milk and cream cheese over low heat until the cream cheese is almost melted smooth. Add wine. Add the Monterey cheese, a handful at a time, stirring until the cheese is melted before adding more. When all the cheese has been added, stir in the garlic, paprika, salt and pepper.

Transfer the fondue to an fondue pot (or crock pot) and keep warm over a fondue burner . Serve immediately

Praline Fondue

Beat together in medium bowl, then transfer to small serving bowl:
1/2 cup crème fraîche (or sour cream)
1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar

Place in another small serving bowl:
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

Place crème fraîche and nuts on platter

Melt in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter Increase heat to medium-high and add:
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water Stir sugar and water 1 minute (mixture will bubble vigorously), then stir in:
2 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Serve in a bowl for dipping!!!

Buttermilk Biscuits

 

 

 

    It is strawberry time, so that mean strawberry shortcakes. I like to make buttermilk biscuits for this. I make the dough ahead of time. I cut them, then set them on cookies sheets and freeze the. Then I transfer them to in zip-lock baggies. I pull them out and bake them off frozen. It only takes a few minutes more. This is a great idea because I only use butter in my biscuits and to get that flakyness you want your butter cold and hard when you bake it.

  

    My other trick is to keep the butter cut in larger sizes (about a small pea). I cut the butter into my flour with a food-processor carefully . Then add the liquid ingredients in a bowl by hand.

  

    The last trick is the buttermilk I use. I know sadly not all of you will be able to get Bulgarian buttermilk. But if your store does carry it I highly recommend it. I know it is a bit more and it is totally worth it. It is so much richer and flavorful !! It make a huge difference in my baking. I like to use buttermilk in my baked items because it helps it to have a more tender crumb.

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

Buttermilk Biscuits

 

 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 TBL milk or cream for brushing biscuits

 

 

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a bowl. Blend in butter till it is the size of small peas. Add buttermilk and stir with a fork until a dough just forms (dough will be moist).

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and gently fold over, press down in an even square till 1 inch thick. Do this  6 times. Pat out dough on a floured surface with floured hands, reflouring surface if necessary, cut, flouring knife between cuts. Transfer biscuitsto a greased baking sheet, arranging them 2 inches apart. Set in fridge one hour for butter to firm or freeze. Brush tops with milk or cream. Bake until pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature.

Makes 6 biscuits

What makes a handbag ??

I have been having fun thinking out of the bag on how to make handbag's out of things I would not normally use. I found (at the same store were I got the pillow) this $4.00 bag that is suppose to hold silverware. I loved it and thought it would make a fun handbag. Let me tell you, I am a lazy crafter. So everything I added, I did with Fabri-tac glue, no sewing. I LOVE this stuff use it all the time. Everyone should own a bottle !!

I was planning on making a ribbon handle but when I was in Joanne's I saw this bamboo handle that looked perfect. I took some red seam binding. Cut loops, glued them to the back of the purse to hold the handle. Changed out button. I went thru my stash of odds and ends and found this vintage wooden bead lady. (I am going to see if I can recreate her !! ). And wha-la !! a cute one of a kind purse to add to my (HUGE) collection. I need lots of purses though, well that is what I tell David. I change my purse everyday !! So what do you have laying around the house that you could glue ;- O (oh I am sorry "make") into a fabulous summer bag !!!

PS. Still working on changing broadband carrier !! But I am trying to get back to normal. Well normal for me !!

     

Hello

Hello Ladies, well I do have broadband and LOVE the fast part but not other parts. So without going in to a lot of details, we will be switching things around for a while. I will not be able to post as much. Hopefully by the end of the week all will be fine in storybook-land again !! I can not get to most of my saved favorites right now. So if you do not see me at your blog that is why. I can not write some of the post I was planning on till I can get back to my favs. This will be a bit of a crazy week. Please hang in there with me. I know it is frustrating when a blog is not consistent. But I will try as soon as I can get everything back on track. I am off to have some dark chocolate, even though it is 8 in the morning ; - }

xoxoxox

Houses

An Old Woman Of The Road

O’ TO have a little house!
   To own the hearth and stool and all!
The heap’d-up sods upon the fire,
   The pile of turf against the wall!

To have a clock with weights and chains
   And pendulum swinging up and down!
A dresser filled with shining delph,
   Speckled with white and blue and brown!

I could be busy all the day
   Clearing and sweeping hearth and floor;
And fixing on their shelf again
   My white and blue and speckled store!

I could be quiet there at night
   Beside the fire and by myself,
Sure of a bed loth to leave
   The ticking clock and the shining delph!

Och! but I’m weary of mist and dark,
   And roads where there’s never a house or bush,
And tired I am of bog and road
   And the crying wind and the lonesome hush!

And I am praying to God on high,
   And I am praying Him night and day,
For a little house—a house of my own—
   Out of the wind’s and the rain’s way.

                              By Padraic Colum

This is why I love a blog because when I find something really fun and have no one to share it with, it just is not as wonderful. I love free embroidery patterns and Needle Crafter has some wonderful ones. I am especially in love with the cottages.

Summer Cornner #3 (part2)

Well DH was on the computer 5 hours before calling (at my suggestion) tek support. I adore my DH (truly) but is this like asking for the direction thing. Well it turns out that we will not get the broad-band till later today. Just think all the hours and frustration he could have saved himself. Plus he had been up for 25 hours strait. Thank you for letting me vent to you, so I will not vent to him !@! Hopefully you will hear from me tomorrow !! By the way please feel free to share ANYTHING that has motived you in Summer Corner. There is no right or wrongs. Just fun sharing.

                                       

I needed a small lamp in my living room and had this wonderful antique glass lamp but needed a shade. Being on a tight budget (as usual) I went down to my fav. Target and got this plain white shabby chic lamp shade. Of topic, did you know the term shabby chic is not "in" anymore. Well I do not give a flying fig! So I bought a shabby chic lamp shade. But of course I had to mess with it. For the last couple of months I have had a black veil and old silk pink flower off an old hat. I saw this idea at a favorite store of mine in CA called Loo-Loo-Pom. All I did is wrap the veil around the shade and pin the flower on with a big hat pin. Easy, easy. No glue, no sewing, just a pin. The veil did not reach all the way around but the lamp was up against the wall, so who cared. Now with my new clean summery look I wanted something new. All I did was take a length of ribbon. Hot glue gun on some shells I had. Wrap and tie on the ribbon. I love it and am thinking what other ribbons can I do. I like the idea of attaching something to a ribbon, then tying that on. Just think I could have a whole box of ribbons with different themes and change them out to my whims. So look for what you could wrap a ribbon around. The possibilities are endless!!!!!

Here are some more interesting sea shell ideas. I hope you are inspired to play !!

I love these curtains and tie backs.

A sea shell sand globe !!

Shell herb garden

Beautiful mural above by Donna-Lee

Just In Case

                              

Hello everyone, I just wanted to let you know we are switching to broadband (yeahhh) and one never knows what will happen computer land. So if for some reason I am not around for a couple of days, that is why. Hopefully I will be here tomorrow with part 2 of Summer Corners. OHh that sort of sounds like a soap opera !!!

xoxoxo

Summer Corner# 3 (part one)

                       

Hello ladies, well I am enjoying summer corner and want to thank all who have joined in the fun. Thank you, thank you and keep the  creative ideas coming. It can be anything summery!!!

Mrs. Stagg's posted a beautiful Summer Corner of her home. I LOVE it. So sweet, rosy, Victorian. I love life in Merryville. You have inspired me Mrs. Stagg's with your wonderful eye.

Dear Debbie at Homespun Living  also posted some wonderful creative ideas we could all do at home. I want to copy her cabinet with bird's eggs, nest, feathers. Love it. Very Charlotte Mason !! Also now I want a bird cage !!!! Thank you !!

 

                                    

                     

I wanted to post this picture Jody took of her front porch. It is so festive and fourth of July !! Isn't the little chair with the basket charming. Jody I love the blessing sign. A special word for Jody, me and a few of you ladies who visit my blog. I will never look at the word blessing the same again.

                                           

I hope everyone is inspired and see at lest one small thing they can do. The weather here is weird this summer. Gray, cold, sometimes sunny but then raining the next. Very muggy but I had to pull my sweaters out again. I know you ladies in the other states are really suffering in the heat, I am so sorry. Well because of the weather we have not be spending as much time outside as usual. So I have been focusing on the inside. I have been putting away a lot of my small clutter, to give a cleaner look. I pulled out all my white linens for pillows. I did get one purple one (above) last week on sale $9 !!! I like purple as an accent color with white and sea shells for summer. I pulled out all my shells and have been placing and stacking them around my living room. I stacked to cake pedestals with my museum wax  and set out shells on it. I love this they look like little summer tea cakes to me.

                                     

Well my goodness I have more to share but I do not like to overload you to much in one post. So I will write a part 2. Thank you again ladies for all your encouragement and inspiration. The blog world is so full of kindred spirits and I am thrilled to be meeting all of you. I am off to have a cup of lavender/rosemary tea in a pretty tea cup and watch the gray skies. xoxox

 

Alfred de Breanski, Jr.

Thanks to Dear (Sweet) Jody xoxoxox

I have learned about the artist Alfred de Breanski,Jr. I have never heard of him and have fallen in love with his work. I am thrilled with all his work but I would love have this print A Rock Garden in my bedroom. I am wanting to hang it next to my window, so I can pretned that is my view out my window. But saddly this one does not come in a poster. So I am showing it off here. The joys of having a blog. Please look at his work, I know you will adore it !!!!!!

Father's Day Dinner

I thought I would share my recipes of what I cooked for David on Fathers Day. I hade bigger plans but was in a comma after the curriculum sale (which I found something cool and will post on it later) so I simplified my menu. It still has the same Italian feel I wanted but a bit easer. We had

Italian stuffed pork loin

fresh tomato basil salad

sautéed spinach with garlic and pine nuts

roasted garlic bread (from Costco) this is out favorite bread lately

Assorted olives from the olive bar

For dessert balsamic strawberries with zabaglione

I stuffed the pork loin the day before to let all the flavors meld together. If someone has not trimmed and stuffed a pork loin before, I took picture to help walk you through it. Just click on pictures to make them larger. I bought a large pork loin at Costco and cut in into tree loin and froze the other two. So the loin was about 1 1/2 - 2 pounds.

You want to create a flat piece of meat. Take your loin and look at it in thirds. Make your first cut about a third in and a little over half way down.

Then turn that cut side up and make a cut again, a little over half way.

You will probably do this 2 more times, till you have a somewhat flat piece of meat. Do not worry about this being perfect. Mine is not (if you look close). It is uneven and bumpy. But when you roll it up it will be fine and no one will see all that.

This is the filling I made but you could do any filling. I first rubbed the inside with tapenade. If you do not have tapenade just finely chop up some olives in a processor. Then I laid 5 thin slices of prosciutto, then thin slices of fresh mozzarella, then fresh basil leaves. I rolled it starting with the ugly side (the left of the picture). I had Chloe cut 3 lengths of all cotton string and we tided the roll in 3 places and then rubbed with olive oil, salt and pepper.

After a day cover in the fridge, I set in foil lined pan. Roasted at 375 about and hour or so. Till internal temp 160. Do not worry about how long, just wach internal temp. Let sit 10 minutes. Then cut off stings and slice

Tomato salad was good tomatoes sliced drizzled with olive oil, salt pepper and torn fresh basil

!!!!

Sautéed spinach was fresh spinach quickly sautéed over medium-high heat in olive oil and finally chopped garlic till barely wilted. A minute or 2. Then topped with toasted pine nuts.

Balsamic Strawberries

Early in the afternoon I slice strawberries and tossed them with a TBLS or so of balsamic vinegar, 3 TBLS. sugar and a generous dash of marsala wine and let it macerate all afternoon. At first it taste fairly vinegary but then over time it lost that balsamic taste. So before I served it I add a dash more balsamic. It was sweet and balsamicy, but not vinegary. But taste the strawberries before serving and add what is needed.   

I made zabaglione after dinner. Here is a tutorial on making it.

But I will tell you I am lazy and did not whisk it by hand. I use a blender stick on low. The trick is to keep moving it, so it is all frothy. In large wine glass I put the strawberries and pour the warm zabaglione on top. It was incredible !!!

It was all lovely and DH felt pampered. Just like the days before children, when I would spend all day cooking for him.

Happy Fathers Day

Dear Daddy.

I love you very, very much. If there were a line of really good daddies I would choose you out of all of them. I really love it when we tickle, reading Garfield books and play baseball. I think you are a good daddy because you are really fun to be with. Also because you spend a lot of time with me and Aubern’e. I hope you have a really good Father’s Day.

Love Chloe

Corner Of My House

 

Hello!!!
Well it is a crazy end of the week, so this is a quick post. Between cooking for Fathers Day (I will post my yummy menu later !!) and the yearly curriculum sale. I am busy, busy. Somehow a holiday does not seam special unless I cook for a couple of days. Well at lest for one day ahead.

 

I never look forward to buying curriculum but then I always come home with at lest one cool find. I hope! We will see.

 

I am posting my new wardrobe in my bedroom. We have for over a year had no dresser. I gave my antique one I got as a teenager to my lovely teenager for her new bedroom. So dear hubby was living out of boxes. We looked and looked for a large dresser but to no avail. Either they are a fortune or small. Out of desperation (the day before we were going to IKEA and buying a plain old white one) we stopped at a local antique store. They had several of these wardrobes from the Thirties and Forties (our is from 1932). I fell in love with them and it was hard to choose. Some had wonderful labels inside saying shirts, pants, ties, ect. Some (ours does) have metal rods and hooks, some had wonderful mirrors (ours does), some had little cubbies with glass doors.  We end up with this one because the size was right. We picked an open one so David can build his own cubbies to suit his needs. He will build it, so it can be removed with-out being attached to the wardrobe. I also loved this one because at the top on each corner is a black carved piece with flowers. It actually goes much better in my room (which I am still working on) then I thought. I had to set up a vanity across from it (which I will show another time) to hold all my goodies !!!

 

PS. I forgot to mention in the Sangria recipe. It is best made a day or two before. It helps the fruit to macerate and give the sangria more flavor !!

 

Summer Corner #2

I have been thinking all week how I can make each day this summer special. It does not have to be a big all day thing. But just one special thing a day. A treat. Really all it is, is appreciating the small things. Like what we drink! How can I make it different? So I decide to come up with different lemonades. My favorite of course is lavender. But just a simple little twist can make something feel new and special !!

 

Also do not forget how you serve it. Maybe pull out those special wine glasses. I always buy pretty ones at goodwill for the girls. So if they break no big deal. Or buy some fun cheap plastic ones. Fun straws or stirers. You can add fruit, colored sugar rim, coco rim, ect!!

 

 

I am very excited to hear everyone else's ideas for Summer Corner. My good friend Mary (who I have know since I was 20) sent a couple of pictures of their garden. If you could only have seen the dirt lot it was before. I do not even think there was weeds before. It is just amazing. Now people drive by just to look at their house. Maybe Mary can send more pictures (hint, hint).

                                                                        

 

And Jody sent some wonderful pictures of bouquets from her garden. Having flowers around the house is a great way to bring the outdoors in. Unfortunately I am allergic to most flowers (although not roses!!) and can not have bouquets sitting around. So I can enjoy Jody's !! 

 

                                                             

Lavender Lemonaid

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup dried lavender
• 2 cups sugar
• fresh lemon juice
• water

To make the Lavender Syrup, boil 1/2 cup dried lavender with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Strain and save in a squeeze bottle.

Next, boil equal amounts of sugar and water (i.e., 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water) to create a simple syrup.

To  Lemonade, combine one part simple syrup, one part fresh lemon juice and four parts water. Stir thoroughly.

 

Minty Green Tea Lemonade

4 cups freshly brewed green tea
2 1/2 cups water
1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate (or fresh lemon aid)
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. Chill, strain and serve

 

Honey-Vanilla Lemonade

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 cups water, plus more as needed
1 vanilla bean
2 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 24 lemons)
Lemon wheels or wedges, for garnish

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, honey, and 2 cups water and place over medium-high heat. Cut the vanilla bean in 1/2 lengthwise, then, using the back of the knife, scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add to the saucepan, along with the pod. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 4 or 5 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Put the lemon juice into a gallon jug or pitcher. Pour the sugar syrup through a strainer into the pitcher and discard the pod. Add water to equal 1 gallon and stir well.

Serve over ice with lemon wheels or wedges

 

Blackberry Lemonade

6-8 lemons
water
sugar
1/2 cup blackberries (or any fruit really)

Juice the lemons into a pitcher and add water and sugar until it tastes right (depending on how many lemons you use and how much of a sweet tooth you have!). Chill, then add blackberries

 

Sangria Lemonade (for the adults)

Fill a pitcher half way with sliced ripe peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines. Add some fresh berries to. Then our in 1/2 cup simple syrup, juice form about 10 lemons, 1 cup water and a bottle of dry rose wine. Adjust from there to your taste.

The Sangria is best made a day or two before. it helps the fruit to macerate and give the sangria more flavor !!

 

Button Bouquets

We made buttons bouquets yesterday and had so much fun. I got the idea from Kiddley.I am getting some fun ideas there. We took old bottles and I printed up this saying

"A button's place is in the home!"

and added paper strip to the bottle. It was soooo easy. The quote came from a little button book I have.

" A button's place in in the home !

on the pillow, on wearths, on quilts, on curtians"

We also made Oatmeal Gingerbread Muffins. The reason most of my muffin recipes had both butter and a little oil is butter adds flavor, but a little oil makes a much moister muffin.

Oatmeal Gingerbread Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins   

Ingredients:

Dry                                  

1 cup regular or thick-rolled oatmeal

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 all propose flour                                                   

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda                                          

1 teaspoon salt

1 TBLS. cinnamon                                                      

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg                                          

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/8 ground allspice

Wet

1  cups buttermilk                                                    

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses                                                    

1/2 stick melted butter

1/8 cup oil                                                             

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper muffin cups.

2. In a large bowl, combine combine dry ingredients. Then add wet.

3. Divide the batter into the prepared muffin pan.

4. Bake for 15-20 muffins or until top springs back when lightly touched.

Annabel's House

I had seen the cover of this beautiful book Annabel's House by Norman Messenger (Sorry I can not remember were right now) and did a search. I came up with this wonderful site that has pictures from the book. It is a popup dollhouse book. I am in major love with the illustrations. Plus I love dollhouses and anything Edwardian. Enjoy !!!

"The back cover says.... A magical recreation of an Edwardian home, complete with figures to press out and secret doors to open, that will provide hours of enchanting play for every child.  Me.... This is Annabel's house. If you ask she will tell you that she shares it with her brother Tom, some cats and a dog, two tortoises and a parrot, mummy and daddy, Sarah the housemaid, cook and Joseph the gardener plus nanny and her baby sister.  It's Annabel's birthday and mummy has hidden her presents all over the house. There are many places with doors and lids and things to lift and explore in Annabel's house and many doors to open to walk through or see what lays beyond.  There's a story to follow (all visual) or make up your own, lot's of surprises and even a mystery. Who belongs to the legs we can see just disappearing out of sight as we roam through the house? "

Warm Zucchini Salad with Olive Dressing

 

I had some friends over the other day (hello) and made this salad. It was a big hit. I love it because when you put the hot zucchini over the cold spinach. It makes it all soft and yummy !!

I also wanted to say thank you to all the wonderful responses to Summer Corner. I think it will be quite fun. Yes, please write anything you would like on your blog (or to me) and I will post it !! Gena I  would love to hear tea about your English teas. KelliI look forward to your posts. Mary I got your pictures xoxoxox.Debbie you will have to show and tell if you fix up your child's easel !! Dear Joanne, I know you have some beautiful creative corners in your home that we would all love to see. Sombra, I am dying to see your "spot" under the crab-apple tree.

Warm Zucchini Salad with Olive Dressing

Olive Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

2 TBLS. Balsamic Vinegar

1 TBLS. Tapenade (if you do not have this, just use chopped olives. Both black or green would be good)

1 tsp. granulated garlic

salt and pepper to taste

whisk and set aside.

Sauté 3 medium zucchinis (cut into small cubes) and finely chopped garlic clove in a couple of TBLS. of olive oil. Just a quick sauté. Till a little somewhat soft but not mushy. About 5 min minutes over medium heat.

Take your platter line it with fresh cleaned spinach. Then lay sauté zucchini over spinach. Garnish's with fresh tomatoes and crumbed goat cheese. Pour dressing over the top.

You could garnish with toasted pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes, shaved parmesan, thinly sliced fennel, ect !!

Foxglove

I taste a liquor never brewed, From tankards scooped in pearl; Not all the vats upon the Rhine Yield such an alcohol! Inebriate of air am I, And debauchee of dew, Reeling, through endless summer days, From inns of molten blue. When landlords turn the drunken bee Out of the foxglove's door, When butterflies renounce their drams, I shall but drink the more! Till seraphs swing their snowy hats, And saints to windows run, To see the little tippler Leaning against the sun! Emily Dickinson

My garden is so lush this spring with all the rain we have had. My foxglove is huge. I do not have a lot of flowers in my garden. I like to garden but confess I would rather cook. But a took a couple of pictures of what little I have. I am soooooo in love with these double pink columbine. Isn't this painting buy Marni Mareeamazing. I just love it.

    

Summer Corner #1

Hello, as I mention I want to turn my home this summer into a vacation beach cottage. I am a firm believer in making the most of what you have. My goal (hopefully) for June and July is once a week to post an idea to help bring summer into your home. But I would like to invite all of you to be involved too. So if you post over the next 2 months any Summer Corner Ideas, send them to me and I will post them here. Just send me a link to your post.

Idea #1 is to set up an out-door art studio. Find an inspiring corner of your garden, get a cute comfy chair, set out an art easel (or maybe you have a tree that would work). Have a basket to hold all your supplies. Some ideas for your basket sketch pad, different pens and pencils, a piece of charcoal, some fun scented markers, mini canvases. Instead of dealing with oil paint why not use acrylic paint on the canvas ??  Just a good old pencil and some paper will be fine to. Make it fun, not a pressure.

One of the things I have learned homeschooling over the years is not to be intimidated to paint or draw. My girls and I all have our own sketch books and do lots of nature drawings. They are not really very good drawings, well at lest mine are not. But that is not the point. I have learned to just go sit somewhere I am inspired and to enjoy the process !!

I thought this Twig Easellooked like fun to make and a great idea for use when you are not drawing.

Here are some other patterns to make your own art easel. They look a bit complicated but maybe you know someone who loves to build things.

Making An Easel

Build Your Own

Simple Easel

Have fun and send my your Summer Corner ideas.

Skirts, Skirts, Skirts

 

I have a new sewing machine and I am loving it. I never really enjoy sewing on a machine. I would rather hand sew. Which shocks me, I never knew that about myself.  I am finding I do not get as frustrated though with my new machine. With summer here and being fat it is hard to find comfortable cool alternatives to shorts. I am finding flowy cotton skirts are working well. I have a cotton bias cut skirt I got at Ross (for $8, yahooo) that I love and want to wear all the time. Well one day I was looking at it and realized all it was only 2 pieces and a waste band. So I got 2 1/4 yard fabric, laid the skirt down on it and cut out the shape of skirt. I set in a waist band. I did not want a zipper and I am sharing them with my DD. She is a size smaller then me, so I made the back half of the waist band a draw string waist. Easy, easy. So if you have a simple skirts you love I encourage you to use them as a pattern. Then you know what fits you and is comfortable.

 

If you are not sure you can do this all on your own, here are some skirt tutorials.

Circle skirt

Cadterns basic skirt

There are several how to makejeansinto  a skirt tutorial but I thought this was a good one.

Another circle skirt

WhatTheCrafthas several tutorials

Ohhh and my favorite (I have to make this skirt !!!) is the scalloped hem skirt.I love the way the scallop is only on the back. But you can do what you want !!! She also talks about how to make an un-waist.

 

Nice To Be Home

Hello it is nice to be home, although we were having such a wonderful time we were not ready to come home. Thank you for the prayers they worked. It POURED rain the day we got there and the day we left, but otherwise it was beautiful.

      

Aubern'e spent a lot of her time with her grandparent who she adores. But Chloe was a beach bum the whole time. She probably would have slept on the beach if we let her.

        

Pacific beach is not much and is very small. But it was great because you could walk to everything and we were right at the beach. It is very quite and I loved that. The house we stayed in was ugly but the house next-door was adorable (sadly not a rental!!) So it took a picture of the pretty house.

Everybody went to Ocean Shores (except me, who enjoyed the silence I rarely get to hear). The girls rode horses on the beach and went to a nature interruptive center. Here is Papa, that we all love. It was a wonderful start to our summer. We probably will not go on any more vacations this summer. So I am gearing up to turn my home into a beach cottage (I will write more about it later). Vacations at home are the best xoxox