Rise and Shine and...try not to breathe in the smoky air!

 

Continuing on weird Michigan summer rant, this week we've been experiencing Canada's latest import...wildfire smoke. Day three, and the air is still hazy and smells smoky.

Michigan reported having the WORST air quality of anywhere on the planet yesterday. Wow. My son, Sam told me that he read that if you spent a lot of time outside yesterday, it'd be the equivalent of smoking a pack of cigarettes for your lungs.

I took these photos around five o'clock yesterday afternoon of one of our neighboring farms.

The word we kept hearing to describe it: apocalyptic.

It did feel as if you were on the surface of another planet.

We're hoping this will dissipate over the weekend.

In the meantime, I'm spending most of my time indoors, which means it's a good time to craft.

I found this cute sticker pack at Hobby Lobby, and used it as the starting point for my card.

You know how I love the Rise and Shine stamps and dies from Catherine Pooler! Right now, you can get this stamp set for only $4.79 at the Catherine Pooler website's retirement sale! And the dies are only $7.49. A deal! While you're at it, grab the Morning Borders stamps (4.79) and Great Start Patterned Paper Pack (7.23) to go with it, and you'll be crafting all summer!

Hope your Friday is sunny, not smoky!

Heat Domes, Cyclospora and Summer Doldrums

 

It's been a weird summer.

This week, the news feeds are all about the heat dome (it's hot) and the Cyclospora outbreak (it's nasty).

So stay cool, and don't eat the salad.

Perhaps it's a case of the summer doldrums. I decided to step away from one of my jobs this week. It just wasn't a good fit anymore. I needed to let some things go so that I can make space for other opportunities.

Maybe it's the heat, but I'm just burned out.

I took some time for creativity to recharge.

Another serving of cherries!

Is it safe to eat cherries? I hope so!

Stay cool, friends!

Sloths for Summer Birthdays

 

Our son, John, likes sloths. They move slow, they take naps, they blend in to the trees. What's not to love about them?

I had to make him a sloth card for this birthday!

I combined this sloth stamp from Lawn Fawn with the cover plate from Catherine Pooler and the banner die from Mama Elephant.

And here was the inspiration for the card...this shirt that I found for John for his birthday!

How perfect is this? I think John loved it.

We had fun celebrating with John and Rachel this weekend. We were able to attend Michigan Celtic Festival for some festival fun.

Summertime birthdays! John, you are always a great reason to celebrate! Love you!

Cherry Season

 

Cherry season is in full swing here in Michigan. I do so love them this time of year! 

I got the Cherry Nice collection of stamps, dies, and embossing folder from Concord and 9th during their inventory sale last month. So fun!

Did you know that cherries have plenty of health benefits, along with being so delicious? They have known anti-inflammatory properties, as well as helping in sleep regulation.

Fruits of the season...enjoy!

Flora and Fauna This Week

 

It's been a busy week here in our suburban yard.

We were out surveying the woods next door, as we will be having a big tree removed next week. It's leaning precariously over our roof, and looks as though there's a fair amount of rot that could lead to splitting. It has to go.

And as we were looking up into the trees, we saw these baby raccoons, chittering away.

After a while, they just fell asleep in the crook of the tree. So cute.

But you know what's not cute? Critters that destroy my pillows to steal the stuffing for their nests.

I'm fairly certain that's the handiwork of our many squirrels.

And then there's the deer who have eaten one half of my Annabelle hydrangea bush by the front garden.

It's hard to get too mad when they look this precious.

At least the turkeys just mind their own business.

Now that the heat wave has gone, I think I'll give all the flowers a good boost of fertilizer to give them a fighting chance.

Nature! It's always entertaining.

An Easy Summer Dessert for Summer Holidays

 

Happy Fourth, friends!

I made this easy dessert for our weekend cookout dinners, and thought I'd share it with you.

I'm calling these cheesecake parfaits. And here are the two secret ingredients that make it super quick.

I put about 20 Nilla wafers in a Ziploc bag and crushed them with the back of a measuring cup. Then, I mixed them in a bowl with about two tablespoons of melted butter. I pressed this mixture into the bottom of these little parfait glasses.

Next, I scooped in this Cheesecake No Bake filling.

I crushed some raspberries and put that on top of the cheesecake filling. Finally, I sprinkled some more of the Nilla wafer crumbles on top and chilled the whole thing for a few hours.

Put a little USA flag on top, and you are all set for celebrating.

And speaking of USA...

...hope your 4th is stress-free and full of smiles!

Patriotic Stitching

 

I've been doing some patriotic stitching this month.

I was inspired by a recent trip to Always in Stitches in Noblesville, Indiana. I happened to pop into the shop last month when their local stitching group was meeting. Oh my word! They were so talented! And it seemed like every lady there was working on a patriotic stitching project. They gave me some helpful tips regarding aging eyes and tiny linen counts, too.

This one, however, is not on a tiny linen count. I did this one on 14 count Aida cloth, making it easy to stitch in the evening when I've propped my feet up and turned on BritBox.

We've been fitting in some festive things in celebration of the 250th this week. Last night, we went to our small downtown for some food and live music. And this weekend, Sam is in town for some cookouts and meet ups with his college friends.

Me? Well, I'll probably spend my 4th in the usual way...with a dog who's been tranquilized and is hiding in the closet, away from fireworks. Sigh. It's our yearly tradition!

Happy Friday, friends!