i have to say...

just checking in...

...to say that our visit was lovely.

Our family members arrived early so we had a houseful for a couple of days, but it worked out just fine.  Everyone was a wonderfully easy guest (I am serious about that!) so it made the time pass by too quickly, and it seemed premature when everyone left. I suppose that is better than counting the minutes until a difficult guest leaves, right?

Our garden is beginning to produce some edibles.  Is it me, or are garden-fresh tomatoes heavenly? 

My basil is going strong and I am looking forward to making some basil pesto soon.  Usually we make spinach pesto and I am looking forward to trying it a different way.

The only other item we are growing is peppers---3 kinds---but they aren't even close to being ready.  The one little jalapeno that I can see is only the size of a small bead, but I do hope for enough to makes loads of salsa!

It makes me laugh to think of those early spring days when we were so excited to go to the nursery and pick out our plants.  Snow was falling softly on the day we chose, but that didn't stop us, because the change of season held too much promise.  Warmer, longer days filled with sunshine and laughter and lemonade.  It occurs to me that we are living the days that we longed for back then. 

It puts a smile on my face to think of that.

i want...

...one of these super-cool bikes:

At Newport Beach in California, these are all over the place sporting a rainbow of pastel colors and even polka-dots.  Of course, they are mostly ridden by skinny girls in bikinis. 

When I was a kid I wanted one badly, but never got it.  Funny how those things we wished for in childhood seem to stay with us forever.  I always imagined myself on a watermelon-pink one.    Maybe a wicker basket on the handlebars?

Now I am older and I live in the mountains, so having a beach cruiser would be pointless.

A girl can dream, can't she?

The blog will be rather quiet next week due to friends and family visiting for the week.  I will probably check in at some point, because I am obsessive about my blog cool like that, but you may also find crickets chirping when you pop in.  The shop, however, will be open, and orders sent out promptly.

See you all soon!

wama lama jamas

I finally broke out the sewing machine a couple of days ago and made something:  new pj's for Aubry.  I even used some of the fabric from my shop (I can't believe that I haven't done this already!!!) and I traced a pair of her old pajama pants for a pattern.  I added some length and some room to the width of the legs, although I think I was too enthusiastic adding width.   I am sure that the next pair will be a better fit.

I do like the combination of fabrics:

Surprisingly, the dots are Aubry's favorite of all of my stock.  They are adorable, but I thought she would go for something with more pink and more flowers---you know, more girly. Maybe my baby is growing up?

Just for fun, we are calling them Wama Lama Jamas. 

Doesn't everyone name their clothes?

links, links, links

***What kid wouldn't love to have a Wandering Sack  to carry some goodies around while wandering on a summer day!

***Madeline-Marie Studio has tutorial to make a simple t-shirt dress.  So cute!

***Here is a video that shows how to make your own laundry soap.  Watch and see how simple it is!  (Thanks to Deb for the link!)

***One Shabby Chick has put together her first tutorial---a pillow cover.  It is a cute one, so check it out!

***Cindi has a great idea for keeping the kids busy:  a family newsletter created on your own desktop publishing software.

***Angry Chicken shows how to make a 5-minute skirt.  5 minutes!!!

***Have you seen the quilt that Old Red Barn Company is giving away?  Amazing!  Go check it out!

Have a happy day!

some canning

One of the perks of working at a CSA is that we get to take home "extras" sometimes.  Beki, the farmer-in-residence is quite generous when we pick, and this week she gave us some extra yellow zucchini. 

Martha's recipe for Sweet and Spicy Bread and Butter Pickles was the perfect way to use them up.   (You can always count on Martha, can't you!)

They taste great, but next time I will add a little more of the spicy stuff to each jar, probably a 1/4 teaspoon of the red-pepper flakes, to make them hotter. 

My family likes a lot of flavor!

Our weekend, even though it was busy, was a good one.  We got lots of stuff done, but took some time out to play also.  A day of hiking and geocaching was perfect since the weather dipped down to 80 degrees; only the day before it was 95!  Funny how 15 degrees can make such a big difference.

As usual, my husband was more than willing to accomodate my need for good blog photos.  Here he is doing his best Nacho Libre pose---sans the white polyester pants:

When we got to the creek the kids wondered what the temperature of the water was, so my hubs tested it out for them:

Aubry, of course had to be just like daddy:

What was your weekend like?

does this mean that I have to quit calling her "snaggletooth"?

homeschool conference ticket winners...

Thank you to everyone who commented! 

Here are the five winners:

Jill
Kristin
MomRN2
A Snip of Goodness
LeeAnn

I need all of your emails so that I can send them to the gals at The Heart of The Matter, and when the conference is all ready to go they will send all of you access codes and log-in instructions.

If you are interested in finding out more about the conference, click here.

Have a great day!

attention: homeschoolers and people interested in homeschooling

The Heart of the Matter Online is hosting it's first Homeschool Virtual Conference and I have 5 tickets to give away to the event!  Whether you are a seasoned homeschooler, someone just starting out, or a parent curious about how it's done, this conference will be a blessing to you!

On the week of July 30th through August 3rd, HOTM will host motivational speakers, video tutorials, free products, question and answer sessions, and a vendor hall--all online!  You can choose to either listen live or log in at your convenience and download the audios.

To win a ticket to this online conference, simply leave a comment in this post and I will draw names to pick the winners.  The names of the winners will be announced on Thursday, July 10th.

More information about the event can be found here.

***Comments on this post will be closed on Wednesday, July 9th, at 9:00 PM.

Have a great day!

 

we're a little goofy--or at least that is what the pictures tell us!

We had a hot, fun summery weekend filled with lots of pool time and, of course, trampoline time.  I held my usual position of photographer, but I did take the time to get in on the fun.  My kids tell me that I spend too much time on the sidelines so I actually put on a bathing suit and swam, and after that, I jumped.  I guess I need to quit acting my age!

We cracked up when we downloaded this photo on the computer. My daughter said I needed to save it for future blackmailing opportunities when he is a teenager:

Imagine our surprise when this photo came up soon after.  Does he get his graceful moves from daddy?:

I about fell off my chair when this photo showed up.  Yes, that is me in a bathing suit.  Get a good look because I will NEVER show myself in such attire again!  It just seemed too funny not to post!:

Here is Maddie looking cool in some googles:

I know.    Poor dog!  At least we don't dress her up in people-clothes!