I Want One of Those...Please!

Every time this commercial comes on, I look at my husband say...."I want one of those...please!" Will I get one? I don't think so but it sure looks like it would be fun to have.

I have been busy sewing some table runners to use in my bedroom on the night stands.

I love the fresh, springy fabric. I plan to make a few pillows with some of the same fabric for our bed.

Lemons+Blueberries =?

What do you get when you mix 1/2 cup of juice from these:

2 cups of these:

3 bags of these along with 4 cups of boiling water:

and a little sugar....
You get a refreshing beverage - Blueberry Lemon Iced Tea. This recipe is in the current issue of Southern Living and it was delicious and quite refreshing. PS I grew the blueberries. They make great muffins, too.

This was a fun weekend. A couple of friends and I visited several local gardens in our town during our Flower Festival Weekend. The gardens were on both ends of the garden spectrum, from very simple and elegant to elaborate and unbelievable. A garden that I loved was a garden some grandparents had developed for their grandkids.

All the plants had animal names (caterpillar fern, tiger lily), and in the center was a divided garden for each of the grandkids. Each child planted what they wanted and painted their sign for their mini garden. It was so cute. Maybe one day, we'll have grandkids and we can do something like this. It also reminded me of visitng my grandparents at their lakehouse when I was little. Every summer my grandfather would make cement stepping stones for us to decorate with our hand/foot prints, pebbles, etc. Eventually there were enough stepping stones to trailed down the hill from the house to the lake.

Beth had a 4 Question Interview on her blog the other day. After reading her responses to the questions, she asked if anyone would like to respond to 4 questions she had. I agreed and here are my answers:

1) What is your favorite thing about summer? What's something you have to do or summer doesn't seem complete?

Not having to go to work. I enjoy what I do and feel blessed to be an educator. But once summer arrives, I love just being home in the morning, I love the slower pace of the day, and I love having "me" time. As far as something I have to do or summer doesn't seem complete - I guess that would be making and eating peach ice cream, going to at least one Atlanta Braves game (poor thangs are struggling now) and going on an adventure with my husband.

2) Sometimes cooking projects don't turn out well. What's your biggest food flop?

This wasn't necessarily a flop but it was a nerve wrecking experience. An experience I'll NEVER, EVER do again! I agreed to bake a 5 layer wedding cake for a friend. Now keep in mind, I can bake a cake and I can ice a cake. That was the easy part. It was the decorating that drove me nuts. I had at that time very limited experience with decorating cakes. This friend saw a small cake I did once and talked me into doing this for her. To this day, I ask myself WHY did I do this? Long story short. It was in the middle of the summer, you know 95+, hot, humid southern summer. Ugh! I had to keep the house cold to keep the icing from melting, a couple of times a cake layer or two would crack, had to bake again and then trying to get it to the reception in my small car. What was I thinking???? It must have been the heat that took away any common sense that I might have had. Oh, boy, what an experience???

3) Who do you most admire (living or dead)?

This is a tough question. I do not think I can pinpoint a single person for this question. There has been and continues to be people in my life who constantly and consistently remain in Christ and embrace His grace no matter what life has dealt them. I am always so amazed and awed by their faithfulness.

4) How did you learn to knit, sew, or do other hobbies?

My mother and both grandmothers. I learned as a child but as I grew older knitting and sewing went to the side. In my early adulthood, I spent many hours cross stitching. It was after my mother passed away that my interest in knitting and crocheting returned. I was cleaning out her home when I came across all her knitting needles and crocheting hooks. That got me thinking about all the stuff I had in my home that either she or one of my grandmothers had made. At the time our son was no longer living at home, I had a little time on my hands in the evening (when I wasn't doing school work), the internet was a plethora of resources to refresh my memory, and lo, and behold here I am knitting and crocheting. Plus the ladies in blogland (like you, Beth) have been a huge encourager.

Bonus question: For what are you most thankful?
1. that my name is written in heaven
2. discovering and believing in God and our Lord, His power, His plan for me and His grace (the most wonderful gift of all)
3. parents and grandparents who loved each other and showed me what it means to truly love someone through thick and thin
4. a wonderful husband and son - I am so blessed to have them in my life.
I could go on and on....

That is it for now. Who would like to do this? Anyone interested in being interviewed? It is a great way to learn something new about each other. If you'd like to participate, here are the details...

1. Leave me a comment saying “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you four questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them four questions.

July 4th Giveaway

It is contest time again with 5 Minutes for Mom. They are having a "huge celebrations featuring tons of contests with fantastic prizes."Check it out!

Liquid/Solid Sunshine

After a very dry May, it has finally rained numerous times in June. In fact, the other afternoon we had not only liquid sunshine (rain) but we had some solid sunshine (hail).
It was marble sized hail and lucky it didn't last long nor harmed anything. (My hand looks so old...ugh!) Anyway, this is what happens when the earth's thirst is quenched...
My flowers in the yard have been beautiful.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time off this summer. I haven't blogged much on my blog, but I still take time just about every day reading all my favorite blogs. I am in the midst of trying to do some quilting (pictures later). I also have been combining some crocheting with beading.
The idea for these crocheted bowls came from Uncommon Threads on DIY. The blue bowl makes a nice container for the earrings I have made recently.

Tomorrow my husband and I are getting our shots for our trip to Honduras in August. I have a brother who lives in Honduras and I have never visited him. In fact, I have never been out of the country. We will be meeting another brother of mine and his daughter in Miami and together we will fiy down to visit for a week.

One trip that I will not be able to make this summer is a trip to Philadelphia to visit our son, the doctor. He is completing his 1st year of residency in emergency medicine the end of this month. His schedule does not make it feasible for my husband and I to visit. I hate not seeing him for so long.

Summer Fun

I have been off for summer break for two weeks and look at what I have accomplished.....

A friend of mine asked me to make her 81 year old mother a purse for her to carry to a grandchild's wedding this weekend. She was so tickled over this simple little white purse. The green matched the dress she was wearing to the rehearsal. She (her mother) called me this morning wanting to know where the turquoise purse was to match her outfit for the actual wedding. :)

I also took a beading class on making hair barrettes. There isn't a day goes by that I don't have barrettes in my gray hair. This should add a little glamour, shouldn't it?

And I have made a few necklaces and earrings for Christmas presents.

Now don't think I have only played these two weeks. I did get in some heavy duty cleaning time in the kitchen and clean out time in a back bedroom - better know as the junk room. My goal for this coming week is to do some cleaning out in our bedroom and in the home office room.

Now a BIG BIG thank you to the most thoughtful person in blogland. Mary Ann sends out some of the cutest items just for the heck of it. Recently she sent me a lovely note with the letter "L" in red paisley chipboard. Thanks, Mary Ann. Your kindness is greatly appreciated. I wish I lived closer to Ohio. I would make a point to pay you a visit. You are amazing!