Look What I Won!

Cathy from Victorian Garden Gourmet found my website and left me a wonderful comment. So when I visited her site to reciprocate I found out she has

a monthly give away, isn't that a fun idea!

Here is the sweet tag!

So naturally, I left a comment and sure enough I won! What is so great is what I won. A gift basket sampling of some of her products. I couldn't believe it when it came, it was like getting a Christmas gift in the mail. It came packaged beautifully in a sweet little tin bucket with clear cellophane and a lovely ribbon too. I was so excited that I torn into it before I took any pictures but I am sure you can use your imagination. Here is what I got:

Lavender Sugar, Wedding Soup Mix, Naughty Nancy's Nautical Herbs, and

White Pizza Cheese Spread

Is your mouth watering yet? So, here is a big thank you to Cathy and The Victorian Garden Gourmet, go stop by and see what she has that might tickle your tastebuds!

To Summer's End-Coquilles Marines

While on vacation I spent a considerable amount of time relaxing and sketching, which I don't do very often. I don't consider myself a classically trained artist so drawing and sketching are something I have to work at. However, I don't mind when there is ocean waves lulling, the smell of salt and sand in the air, warm sun and cool winds tangling my hair... Ahhhh La Mer! I'm on vacation.

I just got back from our annual summer vacation to Cannon Beach Oregon, such a beautiful place, filled with charm, beauty, lots of artwork and sand! There was all kinds of ocean inspiration about us. I just had to sketch something. Usally I sketch and journal vinettes of our daily outings and family time. This year I did something a bit different...

Here are my sketches in my art journal, not bad. My younger daughter bought some watercolor paints with her spending money and we spent a couple days painting and sketching the shells we purchased locally. I have wished that I could find the kind of shells I sketched but I am afraid that would be an international adventure all its own, hmmmm maybe someday.

Wishful Watching Waiting and Roses

Here is another entry for Layers of Color Challenge -Roses. Enjoy!

Layers of Color Challenge- Roses

Here is my entry for this weeks Layers of Color challenge. I know this isn't the traditional way to use roses but I thought that I would try something different. I was too excited to use this thriftstore find! It only cost me $2.00, a real steal! It already had this wonderful gold and cream patina to it. My kind of treasure!
I used some old hardware and of course added one of my signature roses to it in antique
brown-blue. I am using this treasure box to house all my ATC's. I used the fleur heart stamp and pearl boarders from LOC too, I think they add a wonderful textured detail to the edges.

Blueberry Pickin'

This weekend we spent the afternoon at a wonderful park in our city...a public blueberry park can you believe it? Well it is true! I find this particularly exciting because I love blueberries and so does my family. It is a tradition for us every August on a clear evening to go pick blueberries by the handfuls off the bush. Its incredible, and then we have enough blueberries for the year. We wash them well, drain them, and then spread them out on cookie sheets and freeze them. Once frozen they are much easier to pack into zip locks. Then we just use what is needed for blueberry pancakes or scones. Delicious!

As you can tell I love blueberries, I even painted my bottom cupboards in my kitchen the color of blueberries!

This park is many acres within the city that at one time was a blueberry farm. There are tons of bushes and 15 varieties of blueberries...I didn't even know that there were that many varieties. Some of the plants produce berries with the most beautiful, big, bursting with purplish- blueberry goodness! You can't find these in the stores and the best thing about this park, is that its a public park! You can come and pick till your hearts desire, because it is FREE!

They have a volunteer group that keeps the bushes pruned and the pathways clear and clean, I even hear that they serve coffee and donuts to those that help out, that's a nice deal! This year they have made some great improvements to the park. They put in picnic benches and paved some pathways there is even a portable outhouse there now.

Ode to My Lavender

I created this sweet lavender fairy tussie mussie to watch over my harvested lavender while I was away I'm hoping she will do a good job although she does have a bit of an impish grin on her face...I wonder what she is thinking?

"ladies fair, I bring to you lavender with spikes of blue;

sweeter plant was never found

growing on our English ground."
Caryl Battersby

"And lavender, whose spikes of azure bloom shall be,

ere-while, in arid bundles bound

to lurk admist the labours of her loom,

and crown her kerchiefs witl mickle rare perfume."
William Shenstone The School Mistress 1742

"There’s flowers for you;Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram;

The marigold, that goes to bed wi’ the sun,And with him rises weeping;

thes are flower Of middle summer,

and I thek they are given To men of middle age."

William Shakespeare The Winter’s Tale

Girl Time Tidbit #4

I just enjoyed the most pleasant afternoon with my daughter today! I thought what we did today was a good Mother/Daughter project and so of course, I have put it into the Girl Time Tidbit category!

Today, I taught my daughter to can homemade, sweet, raspberry jam! We picked the berries from our garden this year because we have an abundance of them this season. Then we wash them, and lay them on a cookie sheet and separate them to freeze. We store them in a freezer bag and just keep adding to them until we have enough for jam. We were able to make two batches today! 14 jars of ruby red goodness. We have vowed to have buttered toast with jam for breakfast tomorrow morning!

Here is the recipe~ pretty traditional~ Make sure you follow all canning directions correctly so that your jam will stay fresh and yummy for the months ahead. Here is a great resource for canning and preserving

4 c. crushed berries

6 1/2 c. sugar

1 pkg. of pectin (we use Certo liquid pectin)

This will make 7 cups

This is so yummy and tastes just like summer! Have fun!