Pink Roses

summer rhythm...

My kids and I are night owls.  All year we suffer with getting up early for school, and when summer finally comes, we get into our natural rhythm of staying up late and sleeping in.  Christopher has a curfew of midnight, so that means I am awake until he comes home, but then he wants me to "scoop :)", and I like to stay up and have time to visit with him.  He is working this summer as a camp counselor at a sports day camp, and the little kids LOVE him.  He has to be at work at 8:00am, so he is all kinds of grumpy in the morning.  He's off this week for the 4th of July, so he can finally sleep in. He and Elizabeth can play Guitar Hero until the wee hours...

So, I wanted to share this recipe with you...my friend Julie told me about it and said it was delicious.  When she told me the ingredients, I thought "yuck".  The next week I went to a party and she brought this dip... DELICIOUS!!!

So trust me...it's a good one...and EASY!

Roasted Corn Dip

3 cans shoepeg (white) corn ( about 10-12 oz size)

8 oz. cream cheese (I tried making it with light and it didn't taste as good-just use regular cream cheese)

1/2 stick butter or margarine

1/4 cup chopped jalapenos (can use more-mild to hot-all depends on your taste)

Drain corn and place in a baking dish.  Mix in chopped jalapenos.  Cut up cream cheese and butter and place on top of corn mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Corn will be roasted and cream cheese and butter will be melted.  Remove from oven and stir it all together.  (You could then put it in a decorative dish for serving if you want) Serve with Fritos Scoops.  This stays good even when it gets cold, but you could microwave to re-heat.

So easy!  I'll be making this for the 4th of July cookout...let me know if you try it!

EDIT: this is shoepeg corn...

just another reason...

My son went fishing with his friends and found this tiny turtle shell and brought it home for me.  In his pocket.  Like he used to do when he was little.  He was always the boy with pockets full of rocks and bottlecaps and things found along the way.  He would always bring me treasures like birds nests and feathers and shells.  He knows how much I like those things.  Just another reason why I love this boy so much...

not again...

Her: Mom you are NOT taking pictures of hydrangeas again are you?

ME: (bending over with my camera in my hand) ummm, maybe, why?

Her:Mom you've already blogged about Hydrangeas

ME: Well I've never blogged about this English chintz pitcher I bought at the Garage sale for $2.00.  Could be my best deal EVER.

Her: Can't you take a picture without the Hydrangeas?

ME: No, there's a chip in the top...why do you think I got it for $2.00...and since when are you the "blog police"?

Her: I'm just saying you could use another flower

ME: No, this pitcher was MADE for Hydrangeas...

You see we don't always agree, my daughter and I, but I think YOU will agree, that $2.00 was a deal!

out-crafted...

Elizabeth and I have been playing in the studio the past few nights, while Mr. Popular hangs out with his friends.  She puts her enormously eclectic music collection on shuffle and one minute we're listening to Earth, Wind & Fire, and the next minute I'm saying...what is this, and what language are they "singing" in?  Anyway...it's been fun.  So last night she wanted to decorate some old bottles she collected years ago.  We pulled out lots of things to embellish with, and this is her creation.  I was so out-crafted by my daughter!    She cut an old letter into shreds and used a chopstick to stuff it in the bottle and make a nest.  She found 3 tiny rocks and painted them blue to make the eggs... 

She rubber stamped a frame onto another piece of the old letter and cut it out and added a bird image. She glued it onto the front of the bottle and added a piece of seam binding.   The hand dyed silk ribbon at the top was the final addition.   I don't even want to show you what I made because it is so ordinary by comparison!

Tonight she is making one with an Alice in Wonderland theme...her excitement and creativity is so inspiring to me...I wish every night could be a craft night!

cupcake stand...

Here's a super quick project for you...I've had this little cloche for a few years now, and it is the perfect size for one cupcake, but I never could find a little stand to put it on.  At the flea market on Friday, Elizabeth and I were rummaging the $1.00 tables and found two of these pink pressed glass depression dishes in a soft shade of pink...

We also found a pair of glass candlesticks for $1.00.  We brought them home and washed them and used some clear china glue to glue the candlestick to the bottom of the dish.

This took a total of 30 seconds!  I had hoped to have the perfect cupcake to photograph, but I've been fighting a migraine for 2 days now, so the baking will have to wait.  Now all I can think of is turning all my plates into cake stands...

at the flea...

It was a nice day at the flea market today...the CHIPPY girls had some amazing things going on in their booth, as usual... today the babies had bodies, but no arms...

silver with pearls, a classic...

silver with dominos, fun loving...

baskets of croquet balls...

decorated bottles under a cloche...brilliant...

a close up...

vintage fun and games...

and some repurposed jewels...

...these girls have talent! 

moving...

We had cooler temperatures yesterday morning, so we were able to get in the yard and do some digging and dividing and moving of the daylilies.  I made a whole new bed out of these 3 colors...it's kind of cheery!  I made a little bouquet that will only last a day, but it was happy while it lasted ...

 

Elizabeth and I are headed to the flea market today, with cash and a camera...hopefully I'll have something pretty for you to see tomorrow!

lemonade set...

I received this milk glass lemonade set from my friend Mildred last weekend, it belonged to her mother.  The set has a pitcher and 6 glasses...

I spoke with Mildred this morning and we talked about her mom, who is currently living with her, in the care of hospice.  Mildred's mom has been blind for 30 years, but for the past few days she is having visions, and can see people and colors, and describe things in perfect detail.  Mildred says her mom never forgets to thank her, even for the smallest of things, like a sip of water. 

I hung up the phone and was inspired with the grace and strength and kindness, in which her mother is spending her final days.  I was hopeful with her gift of "seeing" color once again.  I am honored to have her lemonade set, and will cherish it forever...Thank You Mildred.

full circle...

This is a story about how amazing and unexpected life can be. ONE YEAR AGO (June 2007) I was reading a Somerset Magazine (don't remember which one), and I saw an article on Pam Garrison.  I was mesmerized by her talent and wanted to see more.  The article listed her blog, and although I had never HEARD of a blog,  I looked her up.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  I read every single post, and was amazed with her talent and creativity.  I loved reading about her flea market adventures, and art projects, and home and family.  She mentioned that she was teaching at this thing called "Silver Bella".  I quickly looked up the event and registered to attend before I could talk myself out of it, and got into one of Pam's classes!

A few weeks later I got an email (via Silver Bella), inviting me to participate in a collaborative art project for Teresa McFayden.  Everyone was supposed to make some sort of party hat/crown/tiara, and mail them to Teresa, to surprise her on her birthday.  The catch was: On Teresa's birthday, we were supposed to post a picture of what we had made on our BLOG!  HELLO...I just learned what a blog was 2 weeks ago..what was I going to do?

So I started a blog, and everyone I knew thought I was crazy!  I made Teresa a crown, and posted about it on my brand new blog...Teresa even wore it, and posted about it on her blog too.  That was cool.  In November I flew to Nebraska to attend Silver Bella, and took a class from Pam. I met TONS of wonderful women, and life was good. I kept on blogging, and continued to be inspired everyday by the talented, funny, friendly women out there in blog-land.

A few months ago I got an email from Jenny Doh (editor of Somerset).  She said she had seen my photos on another blog, and asked if I would submit a few for publication consideration.  I sent them to her, but thought... don't tell anyone, because they may never use them.  I never heard another word.  Today I received an advance copy of the Summer 2008 issue of Somerset Life in the mail...  I was trembling as I opened the plastic, thinking...this must mean I'm in here!  I flipped through the pages (it's FABULOUS), and saw so many familiar names.  When I finally turned to page 127,  there was one of my photos, but wait...it is on the SAME PAGE as a photo by PAM GARRISON! 

I can't tell you how thrilled and honored I am to have one of my photos included in this beautiful publication...it really is a dream come true!  And to be on the same page as Pam...it's all come Full Circle. 

I can't believe how all this has happened in one year...but I will tell you this...Every step of this journey has been because I followed my heart, and believed in myself  for the first time in a VERY long time.  Without being too mushy or philosophical, I just want to say...Believe.  Believe in yourself, believe in your dreams...whatever that thing is you have been wanting or waiting to do...be brave, and do it.  Follow your heart.  Dreams do come true!

fathers day...

In the spring of 1936 the Atlanta newspaper held a contest for "The Prettiest Baby in Atlanta".  My Grandmother said that everyone was always telling her what a beautiful baby my father was, so she entered him.  He won.  My dad was the Prettiest Baby in Atlanta, 1936!  One of the prizes was a professional portrait by this company...

The Little Studio is no longer in business, and somehow I was lucky enough to get my Grandmothers original cabinet card photo...

He's still pretty cute in my opinion...

...and he's the best dad in the world to me!

Happy Father's Day daddy...

I love you!