Color oozing from the corners of my home

I just love this time of year....... the peak of summertime, where color ooozes from the garden, and the bounty is heaped in bowls all around the kitchen! Today the kids brought in yet another amazing bowl of tomatoes! We sat around the table at lunch time, eating fresh slices of red, juicy tomatoes with mayonnaise and salt and pepper sprinkled on top! Delish!!!!



After lunch, I sprang to work stirring a pot of peach jam, with fresh peaches off our neighbors tree! What a treat!



Slicing up fresh peaches, with juice spilling through my fingers, making me want to chomp into one of the fuzzy heads.......with anticipation of the glowing jars of jam within a few minutes time.



Can I hardly call this "work"?



Then back to the floor full of fresh cut flowery goodness, waiting for me to piece together!



It's all the same...........picking, baking, making, eating........all part of the art of living!

Bathroom Splendor

Don't you love it! I just love it! This aqua goodness that makes me want to smile....makes me want to blow bubbles in the tub.





I can let the curtains out to blow in the breeze...........



or tie them up to enjoy the view outside, and let the sun shine IN ......... either way, this climbing trellis of golden roses is a delight! I just love Anna Maria's latest line of fabrics: "Garden Party".




Notice the cute little soap dish I just found. It goes sooo well with the curtain, that I had to have it!
I am going to splurge and get a fun new bath mat to go with the whole ensemble. I have my eye on the perfect one.

Tractor dust, rust, tomatoes AND SQUIRRELS

Saturday we went to the Farmer's market......we have a fun farm we can go and buy our produce at. The kids can explore the old tractor museum, and jump in the bounce house. I know we pay a little more at the Farmer's market, but there is something so appealing about walking up to a table of fresh, colorful fruit and veggies that are SO ULTRA FRESH, you can smell them ripening, right before your nostrils. You just know that only a few hands have handled the produce, and that they are organic, fresh, and besides, you can chat with the local farmers.



There is something about old rusty, chippy, metal, that is fun to photograph.



Look at this fun tractor gut! Hard to believe that it used to be someone's work horse.



Old, painted new...........



Look at this shiny beauty....not so rusty, here.



Love the line competition going on here in this shot.

Back to the summery fresh veggies topic......I just happened to look out my kitchen window, as a big, bushy tailed squirrel was running away with one of our big, JUICY tomatoes. The nerve! We really need to get some kind of netting or fencing to keep the critters out! So not fair to water and weed all season and wave off your fresh tomatoes to the squirrels......I mean, I don't mind sharing one or two, but I just know he will be back and forth til they are all gone. *ugh*

Summery rockin frocks

Here are the summery dresses, as promised. I really and truly had fun making these. Talk about spontaneous.



With all the fabric leftovers, I made matching dresses for the girls!



I sure had fun making them, and now we get to enjoy wearing them for the remainder of the summer.



Made one for myself as well, I will post next time, once I get a photo. I'm not so good at self portraits. The kids are having fun with the backyard croquet set......used to be mine when I was this age.

Happy Friday, on this fine date of: 08-08-08

Oh Summer, summer nights

Now this is what I call "real" mood lighting for a backyard summer party!
I just love summer evenings like this one! Love looking out my back windows and backyard to the glowing, flaxen, straw colored hills.
Makes me want to paint this scene!
These hills are "home" to me. Oh how I love them.



My girlie and I have been saving these tin cans for a few weeks now, and we spent an afternoon last week, covering them with fun fabric scraps! Little fabric slip covers over the tin cans make for perfect posy holders......and we recycled both the fabric, and the cans!



Perfect for a backyard wedding reception.......like the one we hosted this past weekend. Oh what fun~



and some more............



and some pretty table runners to go with~
Jennifer's fabric is just perfect for a little wedding sparkle!
Next post........ some darling summery dresses to follow!

Dog Gone Summer DAZE

Dog gone summer dayz...........still setting up the house, or um, rather the studio! Yeah, the girls and I are tackling the sewing room. What a job! Honestly! I have been teased and prodded all this past move, about ALL the boxes of fabric I own. Quote from my girlie: "I don't even know what I'm digging up, Momma!".....she's grabbing fist fulls of fabric out of one of the gazillion boxes of fabric, and we are color coordinating...
(and did I mention that each box weighs in around fifty or more pounds).
Ok, she's calling me to come back and help her out! I gotta see this thing through, ladies! It's bad enough organizing one's studio, let alone a whole house, all at once....so hard to keep focused. Not to mention I'm sewing flower girl dresses for two weddings! Yup, both of my brothers are getting married in September. Whewewwweeeee, once I can come up for air I'll be posting the dresses and such.....not to mention another wedding quilt I haven't even started yet.



And yes, we've been taking time out to swim lots, and bike ride, etc.....not ready for summer to be over with just yet. We need to hit the beach at least a couple of times.

Setting up house

As you can see, I've managed to have a little fun, this past week!
Some new curtains.........



.....and a new lamp inspired by Anna Maria Horner.


It glows so warmly when the light is on.

Next on the to do list: a few new pillows, and a quilted wall hanging!
Hope you are enjoying your summer!
Laurie~