This great tutorial makes me think I could actually make something this beautiful!
Doesn’t this look just like you would think Mary E’s office would look?
Nella walks!!!
Wouldn’t this be a fun addition to the yard?!
Gotta make one of these photo flip books.
This fabric! This dish towel!
I want to sleep in this bedroom, and read a book in that little nook.
This cake is just so gorgeous! I can’t imagine the trouble involved!
I want to try one of these photo shots.
Really enjoying this one! It’s one of those books that make you want to not leave the house until you’ve finished it!
While in Grand Rapids last week, we took a little side trip to the Meijer Sculpture Gardens. It was a rich and delicious reward taken during a couple of stolen hours after an exhausting conference. It was a mid-week afternoon, so there was a fairly small group of people there and it was almost like having it all to ourselves. The perennial garden was our favorite, but I also loved the children’s garden. Even the cafe was whimsical and bright and hushed.
I loved this piece- I think it is an autobiography of my garden and the disarray it is in right now!
I had a sweet picture to put here, but alas my computer’s hard drive has crashed and if I still have my pictures, I can’t get to them.
Dear Adam and Sophia-
This is a note of thanks for the fun and joy you have brought to my week. I heard Adam’s news on the down low just as we were stepping into the communion circle last Sunday. I got all flushed and smiley and could hardly look at your sweet family all intertwined across the circle. The excitement mounted when Cindy sent out an email to the whole church saying you wanted us all to be a part and it’s all we talked about all week. It gave my week such a jolt of energy and excitement!
When I arrived at the Urban Goatwalker Coffeehouse, the room was just buzzing with love and anticipation! There were sweet faces around that room that never come to Goatwalker. I had to run to pick up my youngest and we drove like a bat out of hell on an empty tank of gas to get back for fear we would miss it! But alas, it was unnecessary because there was no Adam and Sophia. Can I say we were getting a bit anxious? Adam texted that he was really having to work to make this happen. For some reason, Sophia wasn’t feeling the Goatwalker. At our table we shared the stories from when we got engaged to pass the time which was very sweet.
But you got there. We sighed with relief and tried not to turn to keep looking at you! Anne and I went ahead and started crying then. Thankfully, you didn’t make us wait long. Adam took the stage as soon as the act you had been watching ended. Adam, when you said to settle in because you had three pages……I was even more thrilled. I love your writing so much. I.Loved.Every.Word. And Sophia, you were so “present”- looking him straight in the eye as he spoke love and love and love to you. If your mind (as mine would have been) was racing ahead and you thinking,”Oh my gosh. Is this what I think it is?”, it sure did not show. And you let him work his way through all three pages. Girl, when he said, “Come with me Sophia”, I would have jumped up off that stool and screamed yes yes yes but you just stayed right there with him. Hey, did you guys know there were a hundred people there? Because it totally seemed like maybe you forgot that. Adam, you said every word you wanted to say and in your good time. Anne and I were not the only ones in the room crying now. You would have been hard pressed to find anyone who wasn’t crying at that point! And thank you Sophia for finally saying yes. But not before a kiss. Swoons, sighs, and tears times ten. Then a standing ovation and a line to hug and see the ring. And even sweeter that you stayed for the rest of the Goatwalker!
Thank you thank you thank you for letting us be a part of this! What a gift you gave us! It was the most romantic thing this old woman has seen in a very long time and it will continue to make me smile for as long as I can remember it. (insert wisecracks about my failing memory here) It was big and generous and delightful, and a gift to us all.
May you have years and years of love and happiness!
Love, Miss Sue
Around cooking blogs and online recipe groups, folks refer to TNT recipes. Tried and True. I’ve tried a few new ones recently that are now in my TNT rotation.
Key Lime Pie ice cream. I made mine without an ice cream freezer. It works fine- best though if you stir it up a bit about every 30 minutes. What I dream of is having some push-up molds, and this would be a great push-up!
Mango ice cream – Couldn’t be easier, couldn’t be more refreshing! Again, made without an ice cream freezer. ( Mine hasn’t come down from the attic yet)
Sticky Fingers! OH my! Always a hit!
Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats. Love them!
Sauteed radishes with mint You heard me. And they are also good without the mint. Fixed some last night for my husband who is not a radish lover and he said, “Those little potatoes you fixed were really good!”
Fresh Minty Fruit Salad It’s good with or without the kiwi if you don’t have a kiwi on hand.
Lemon Pepper Asparagus Salad Really peppery, really good!
I could seriously take up camping if I had one of these. And a private bath with a tub.
How loved would you feel if 25 of your friends did this for you on your birthday?!!!
I’ve never had a hummingbird feeder. But when two of my favorite colors meet up, I could be tempted! Love this!
Joel has a new baby, just this week! And he made her some tiny socks out of his old ones. Looks so easy that I could maybe do it! While you’re over at his site, check out his paper towns. Very cool.
I love it when one of my favorite bloggers shows up on another favorite blog. And how sweet sweet sweet is this little bib?
I love these garlands. They are so beautiful. The Purple Pug shows us how to make something one.
Ummmm. This looks like something my Aunt Elaine might make!
So, what happens when your video goes viral?!
Check out the video of Elsie’s wedding. Of special interest is the smallest member of the wedding party who shoes up at the one minute mark.
I love these water ideas from Maryam from Peacock Pavillions. They look perfect for the very hot days we’ve been having.
Bluebirds make me happy, so this birthday looks delightful!
Because it’s always good to have a spare crown around the house……
These rugs!!! I love them! But 4,500 balloons?!
I love these pictures and their rich colors!
Fun little bird mobile. I’m making one as soon as I find a stick!
Another fun wreath! I have a lampshade on my desk lamp at the office covered in these and it makes me happy.
Fun idea for your old jeans.
Thanks to my friend Shanda, I’m enjoying Bossypants. (Like everyone else in America, I think.) It’s very funny. Every word of it really. My favorite so far? The story of the fire on the cruise ship while she and her husband were on their honeymoon. They were given the all-clear just as they were stepping into lifeboats, but then had to wait on the deck for a very long time while the entire ship was checked cabin by cabin. She says:
Some crew members come around with coolers of cold drinks. A nearby woman takes a soda and hands it back, saying, “Do you have diet?” If God had a sense of humor, the ship would have exploded right then.
And in talking about a summer theatre group she worked with, she says:
No one ever turned gay by being at Summer Showtime, because that’s not possible. If you cold turn gay from being around gay people, wouldn’t Kathy Griffen be Rosie O’Donnell by now? The straight boys quickly learned to be accepting and easygoing, and the straight girls learned over the course of several years to stop falling in love with gay boys.
It’s a fun read!
