Self Portrait Challenge - { senses - hearing }

something's coming...


it's the final week of the "five senses" over on Self Portrait Challenge...

Self Portrait Challenge - { senses - taste }

a little taste of heaven...


well, I sure hope there's chocolate in heaven!


more "five senses" over on Self Portrait Challenge...

the cleaning continues...

I've now listed a variety of homeschooling materials & curriculum over on eBay. Click here if you're interested.

Up next - fabric!
That's going to be a big job...

cleaning the closets...

I've just listed a couple of resells from our own closet, some very sweet, hard-to-part with pieces that we loved! Too bad clothing can't grow the way the girls do.


First, this sweet, bright pixie hoodie...




Also, I've listed this amazing pair of shabby patchwork overalls, with a Noah's Ark theme...

Fingerprint Friday { busy busy busy }

The crepe myrtle outside my front window is a magnet for bees, hummingbirds, and other assorted natural wonders. Today, it's the bees - munching on pollen and collecting it to take home.










There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in:

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints.

2. Be sure to link so others can find the entire list of participants! Go over to TheRustedChain blog to add your link to the list of participants.

Miss D

I had the pleasure of working with a new model earlier this week...








The sweater and cloche hat set can be found here, in my etsy shop, and the jeans she's wearing are a preview of what's to come very soon, so keep an eye out!

Self Portrait Challenge - { senses - sight }

"To look at a thing is quite different from seeing a thing, and one does not see anything until one sees its beauty."

Mabel - An Ideal Husband, Oscar Wilde



And can I just say, I'm so thankful for optical technology.
Without it, my world is truly a blur.



Click here to see more of "The Five Senses" theme over on Self Portrait Challenge...

dinner and a dress

for dinner:





pecan crusted mozzarella salad

dredge whole milk mozzarella cheese rounds in flour, then egg, then a mixture of finely chopped pecans/parmesan cheese/breadcrumbs

fry in 1 tbsp olive oil for 2 min. each side

serve over spinach or salad greens with lots of chopped basil, tomatoes, and italian or vinagrette dressing


~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~





I also made this dress yesterday for baby Cloee, using the Itty Bitty Baby Dress from MadebyRae again. This is a great pattern for using up small bits of fabric for a lovely baby gift.

This was a good one!

I took the girls and one of their friends to a movie yesterday afternoon...

Ramona & Beezus!







All four of us really enjoyed it - Nicole & her friends burst from the theater door saying it was the best movie they had seen in a long time! Wow, now there's a good review.

I loved John Corbett as the dad, and the loving portrayal of a crazy, fun family. I was very pleased with the way the loveable character of Ramona was translated to screen.

After seeing it, I realized that technology was not really part of this family's lives - Beezus didn't have a cell phone with a texting plan (nor did her friends), there was no computer in the house, no big screen tv & game system in the living room. Refreshing... for once a movie not telling my kids "Everyone else does this all the time!"

Full of lots of laughs and a few tears along the way... I know I'll be picking this one up on DVD!

Self Portrait Challenge - { the five senses }

This month's Self Portrait Challenge theme is The Five Senses. This week, I chose Touch...





When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok
I miss you

Avril Lavigne - When You're Gone



Click over to SPC to see all the creativity with this theme...

:: blueberry scones ::

If you have lots of seasonal blueberries right now, this is a yummy recipe to make! I love the molasses in the base, adds a richness to the dough. I think it is a great base dough to use with other varieties - I'm going to try pecan next, I think.

You'll notice I didn't bother with the whole rolling-out-the-dough-then-cutting-and-rolling-more-then-cutting-more which takes sooooo long... I just patted it into my stoneware deep dish baker (lined with parchment paper), cut it into eighths, then baked for 15 minutes. A 9 or 10 inch pie or cake pan would work too.

I also added a confectioner sugar/milk glaze just because I like glazes - yum!

funny faces

What to do when it's 106°F outside?

Pose for the camera, of course!