Easy Summer Gardening

 

I made the decision this year to not plant any vegetables in the garden. 

Last year, I spent too much money with too little results. I just don't have the proper yard for growing a veggie garden. Between the shade of the trees and the roaming deer, it seemed like a waste of time and effort.

But what I do really enjoy are fresh herbs in my cooking. And I like the convenience of popping right out my patio door to the deck and finding what I need.

Basil, parsley, cilantro, thyme, chives. I also put in two sweet banana pepper plants, and I'm trying to grow some dill by seed.

If I can find a pre-planted pot of cherry tomatoes, I might add that to this spot as well.

In the spot where I used to grow the veggies I am trying lots of varieties of zinnia and cosmos by seed. We will see what happens.

When life gets complicated (Lyme disease, aging parents, travel, writing), it's best to scale back on some things and try to find those things that bring you joy.

A Blue Moon Father's Day

 

Dads like this guy only come around once in a blue moon, which is why he needed a blue moon Father's Day!

It started with the new shirt, which had a pattern called Blue Moon. And that got me thinking. Didn't I see a recipe once for a Blue Moon cupcake?

Here's how it works. Using a Duncan Hines box yellow cake mix, I followed the directions but swapped one cup water for one cup of Blue Moon beer. I also added orange zest to the batter.

For the frosting, I used  yellow vanilla frosting (Duncan Hines) and added one tablespoon orange juice and one tablespoon of the beer. After spreading, I sprinkled each cupcake with more orange zest.

The cute little moons? I made those using Catherine Pooler's Star Gazing stamps and dies, along with CP inks, and taped them to some toothpicks.

This combined two of my husband's favorite things...beer and frosting! 

A fitting way to celebrate his special day.

Soda-Lighted

 

So, at last year's Concord and 9th Inventory sale, I ordered the Soda-Lighted bundle, knowing I would get around to using it one day.

And that day finally happened. What was I waiting for? This set was so fun!

For the first card, I was inspired by Vernor's Ginger Ale. Vernor's is a Michigan soda that locals revere. Michiganders think that Vernor's can cure everything. Stomach ache? Vernor's! Headache? Vernor's! Fever? Vernor's!

For the next card, I was inspired by Faygo, another Michigan soda company. And by the way, we call it "Pop", not "Soda". Faygo has so many great flavors. Rock and Rye. Moon Mist. I went with Grape here.

And finally, just a fun floral can with a straw, ready for sipping.

These cards made me so happy. I'm hoping they'll make the recipients happy, too.

Unexpected: The Good and the Bad This Week

 

Friends, it's been a week.

There have been some sweet surprises. You never know what You'll find when you step outside the door.

I could have walked right down the sidewalk and missed this slithery little fellow sunning himself in the bushes.

And then there was the peeping from this little fledgling who was calling for its mother.

Jemma was so intrigued! It was hard to keep her away.

And finally, there was this postcard/photo that I found in a book that I'd purchased at Half Price Books in Indianapolis.

It says "May I never forget on my best day that I still need God as desperately as I did on my worst."

I love this so much. And I really needed to hear that this week.

Surprise. The unexpected: I have Lyme disease, again.

Ugh.

I had a nasty bite when I came home from Indianapolis that developed into a classic bullseye rash. Lucky for me, I had scheduled a regular exam with my new doctor, and she put me on a course of antibiotics that I will be finishing this weekend.

I have a history with Lyme that developed into a chronic condition with lots of side effects. Thus far, it's been relatively mild other than the nasty bite. I'm hopeful that this won't consume my summer.

Worthy of a Trophy

 

I have two fun trophy cards to share with you today, both from Concord and 9th. Yay! I'm using the sets I purchased at LAST year's sale...before my order from THIS year's sale arrives. ha!

This trophy set...super easy, with lots of impact. You can also add a ribbon banner on top of the trophy, but I opted to keep it simple. This one's going to my sweet husband this Sunday.

And this set has lots of elements and combinations to make ribbon-style "awards" for the recipients. 

I'm giving this one to the gentleman who's been serving as our church council president for quite a few years and is now stepping down. Well done, good and faithful servant!

Birthday Sheep

 

Happy Monday, friends!

I have a light work week ahead, and I'm so glad. I want to get to my craft room and have some fun.

Last week, I made a few fun sheep cards.

When I made this card, I must've gotten the stencils a little wonky because the legs and wool didn't match up very well.

No worries! I Just placed the stencil over the top again and used a very small blender to fix the problem.

I think I'll work on some summer themes: Farm, fruit, flowers and fun!

Another Book Haul for Summer Reading

 

Last summer, I participated in our library's summer reading program, hosted by Read Squared. It was fun to track my books, and I even earned two prizes! Gift cards to local cafes and ice cream spots. Yay!

This summer's theme is Unearth a Story. It's a dinosaur theme, and there is a group read of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park to go along with it.

We took a weekend trip to Indiana to visit our family, and I managed to pop in to two Half Price Books stores. I'm happy to report that I also traded in a big box of books, which helped pay for my latest haul.

I now carry a small notepad in my purse, where I have a list of authors and titles that I am looking for, and this helps. You never know when you might be at a garage sale or resale shop and stumble upon books for sale.

I also take photos of my bookshelves. This way, I can grab my phone, look at the photos, and see exactly what books I may have in my collection so that I'm not buying doubles.

I'm currently reading Jan Karon's latest Mitford novel, My Beloved. It's fun to revisit old characters in this story. I purchased this copy from HPB last February, and was so surprised when I brought it home and realized I had picked up a copy signed by the author. Bonus!