Friday, June 28, 2013

Just Some Photos for Friday ~ Busy Bees

 
Last Saturday I noticed some bees buzzing around a sunflower in our backyard, so I grabbed my camera and sat down underneath it. The sun was really harsh, and I had a tough time seeing my camera's display screen so I was just kind of winging it on camera settings. All of these were taken with my 50mm lens, and I cropped them to get a closer look at the bees. So, they're not as sharp as I would like, but still some neat photos, I think. :o)
 
 
What a beautiful day to be on the planet.
Even if you don't like bees {Carrie}.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Tea for Two (or more!)

Hello, everyone!
Today I’m linking up with my sweet blog friend Abi
for her monthly chat over a cuppa. So if you were really
here at my house, here’s how it might go down…

I'd invite you in quickly ~
 
Come in from the heat! Lucky, stay back…it’s ok… So sorry… Lucky, get back! {sigh}  I’m in the middle of making cookies, so come on into the kitchen while I finish mixing this batch.


Who are the cookies for, you ask? They're for my step-dad, Rod. He's on his way to Arizona as we speak this morning. He’s coming for a quick visit today, and bringing the collection of items that my sister and I set aside from our mom’s personal belongings back in January. I’m emotional about the thought of receiving these things into our home, and also excited to have these bits of my mom incorporated into my own belongings.


Are you doing much crafting lately? Wow – I am. I seem to be in a creative frenzy with several projects going on at the moment as well as several in the pipeline (aka: my head). I’m promising myself that I will not start sewing this quilt I have in mind until my blog-friend-mini-book is complete. Believe me, once I start on the quilt, all other projects will be temporarily pushed aside!


Aw, thanks for asking about my sweet little garden. You know, the Arizona heat and our digging dog have definitely taken their toll, but I’d love to show you the sunflowers that are just about to burst. These are my favorites – grown from seeds and highly photographed.



Hey, how are you doing with Rinda's Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt? I'm taking it slow and steady, turtle style. So far I have six of the 21 items, with a potential three more that I'm holding out on for a better photo opp. Like this airplane (item #4) flying over us... They come from Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix - the one you flew in to this morning. ;o) And just how am I supposed to find a cloud shaped like something in this clear Arizona sky?!?!


Oh, what’s that I hear? The kitchen timer? Ah, cookies are done… C'mon, I’ll bundle up a few for you to take along with you.


Oh and here - since you're on your way to Abi's, take a few for her as well.

Thanks for visiting me this morning!
Don’t be a stranger…

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Washi Tape Twisty Tie ~ DIY


I used washi tape, some floral wire, and a clear treat bag.
Then I filled it with chocolate chip cookies.
Sweet and simple.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Would You Be Mine, Could You Be Mine...

A story about a cake plate.
 
I was so fortunate to have spent the last five days of my mom's life with her. It was such a rough time - so emotional and somewhat frightening - but I know that my presence, as well as that of my siblings and our children, was a comfort to her.
 

In hindsight, I realize that asking for an old plastic cake plate and cover was a bit ridiculous at the time. In fact, there are a few things about those days that seem very surreal to me now. I had seen the cake plate and cover on top of a stack of things in the garage before Mom's passing, and I asked my step-dad if I could have it someday.


On the day of my mom's funeral services, we all met at her house to be able to travel to the chapel together. As we left, my step-dad said, "Here, Deb, take this..." and handed the cake plate and cover to me.

I remember the numbness I felt at that time, how I reached for the cake plate in disbelief, wishing with all my might that my mom was still there which would have meant that the cake plate wasn't up for grabs.


A few days later when we were back in Arizona and attempting to resume life as it was before, I looked at the cake plate with different eyes. I couldn't remember having ever seen my mom use that cake plate, and in my clearer state of mind I realized that it most likely had not belonged to my mother. In fact, as I pondered it I wondered if someone from their church had possibly gifted them with a cake but not intended to leave the cake plate behind for good.


And now, I have a cake plate and cover that quite possibly should not be mine. I'm hoping that someone will ask my step-dad for it, and I would gladly send it back to its rightful owner.


In the meantime, while I continue to borrow it, it was a sweet little holder for these cupcakes.
PS: Does this cake plate and cover belong to you?
Thanks for letting me borrow it...
now I'll gladly give it back!

Monday, June 24, 2013

The Weekend Around Here

Hooray! Hooray!!!!
It's Monday morning!!!
{just kidding...about the hooray part...}
Ah ~ it was a wonderful weekend around our house. We relaxed, we played, and we got some things done. Come on in - I'll show you...
 
Doug went fishing on Saturday, and I was left to my own devices: a camera, some sunflowers, and a craft room. And laundry. See that wall behind the sunflower? That's our Arizona fence. I had several comments on my last post and while I would agree that a "fence" is typically wood slats, a block wall is more Arizona style. Wood fences don't last long in our heat, so the wall/fence around our backyard is what we see here in these parts.
 

Saturday afternoon I went to a makeup party at my SIL's house. I swore I wouldn't buy anything, but ended up purchasing some products that I was impressed with. Plus it was fun to see my SIL and meet a few of her co-workers.


Sunday morning we had breakfast outside. Our backyard gets morning shade, and the temperature was not only tolerable, but actually really nice. We enjoyed it while we could. {No, I didn't make the quiche. Store bought.}


Yesterday afternoon Carrie and I had pedicures and then got frozen yogurt. The froyo place is in the same complex as our pedicure spa...convenient.


And leaving from our pedi I spotted a police car for Rinda's Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt. I've seen a few here and there, but I was holding out for one that had "Chandler Police" on it {our town}.


#15 - a police car

And last night there was this:
#5 - a sunset

So, yeah. The weekend was awesome and went by way too quickly!

Things to look forward to this week: My step-dad is coming to Arizona for a quick visit and to bring my stack of Mom-stuff {gathered in January when my sis and I went through her things}, a 21st birthday party for our nephew, and on Saturday a family wedding.

Let's do this thing.
And make it good.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Just a Quote for Friday


"Anytime you see a turtle up on top of a fence
post, you know he had some help."
~ Alex Haley

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Camp Coffee. And Sunflowers.


Doug and I aren't coffee snobs. We like our basic coffee made with our own coffee pot every morning - Starbucks really doesn't do much for us. And when we camp, we take some of our basic coffee grounds and brew them up in a good old fashioned percolator on our camp stove.

 
Several years ago, Doug ended up with a coffee maker that plugged into his truck's cigarette lighter. We were so excited to take it camping and have some fresh brewed coffee at camp - and we were pretty sure everyone would see us as coffee hero's around camp. We got it all set up that morning at camp, plugged it in, and we waited. We waited. And waited. And finally: a drip. Waiting. Waiting. Another drip. Our friend Steve walked by the truck where we stood (waiting) and said, "I'll be on my second beer by the time that thing is done." Camp coffee fail.


And then there was the time I bought a coffee press because I thought it would be so handy on a camping trip. You put the grounds in (which had to be coarsely ground which meant having to buy special coffee and have it ground just right), pour some hot water over it, wait four minutes, press the handle down and voila! TWO small cups of coffee in the midst of six other people waiting in line with empty cups. Plus, there was a little bit of {good natured} ribbing about the fanciness of a coffee press at camp. Tough crowd.


We always went back to the tried and true, old fashioned percolator. And then recently, the unthinkable happened. The little bulb for the top of the pot broke, rendering this coffee pot useless at camp.


After shopping around we finally did find a replacement coffee pot, and we broke it in on our last camping trip. It worked great, perked enough coffee for Doug and I with plenty to share, and is all nice and shiny and new looking. For now.


But just because that top-knob-thingy is toast doesn't mean this vessel is of no further use.
We'll just fill it with some different kinds of wonderful from here on out.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The Chocolate Ones

And now, a post about the chocolate cupcakes I took to our niece's graduation party.

There was a cake that my mom used to make when we were kids. It was a no-frosting cake, super moist and chocolatey and we loved that cake! The recipe is one that I wanted to get my hands on, and having gone through Mom's recipes after she left, it was one that wasn't in the mix.


I searched online and found some similar versions, but nothing that sounded just like Mom used to make. When I finally mentioned it to my sister she said, "Oh, I know how to make that!" Awesome!


Chocolate Pudding Cake
{aka No-Frosting Cake}

1 3.5 oz box of chocolate Jell-o pudding and pie filling {the kind you cook, not instant}
2 cups milk
1 chocolate cake mix
1 to 2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts {I used pecans because that's what I had on hand}

1 - In a large saucepan, cook chocolate pudding as directed on box. Stir in chocolate cake mix until smooth
2 - Spread in a 9x13" pan that has been greased and floured
3 - Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts on top
4 - Bake at 350° for 20- 30 minutes (cupcakes for 12-14 minutes) until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

Yum, yum, YUM!
{man, I miss my mom}
 
PS: If you live outside of the USA and don't have access to chocolate pudding mix, I would love to send a box to the first two readers to ask for it in the comments. Edit: I've had two takers. :o)

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

This Week In Our Backyard

Come on out back -
out in the Arizona heat where we'll have a little look around...

In our backyard lives a giant eucalyptus tree. I swear it's the tallest one in our neighborhood. When we moved into this house (almost two years ago) I started nagging encouraging Doug to see about getting it trimmed down. My fear was that during a wind storm, branches would surely break off and crush someone/something below it. Wow - you should see this thing sway and bend in the wind. Anyway, an arborist looked at it and told Doug it was the healthiest looking eucalyptus in the neighborhood and not to worry. Of course, I still worry.


And see those little bunches of seeds or berries or whatever-the-heck-they-are in the photo above? The wind blows and these things fall like rain all over the place - mess!


The birds and lizards love this tree. I think it's like their own separate eco-system. Really.

And here's a little peek at this summer's sunflower crop, and our lawn that is struggling to take hold right now. Poor Doug, he's tried just about everything and we're finally getting some green out there...
 
And, for real, Lucky? No respect, I tell ya...


Ridiculous. And eucalyptus leaves on the ground.


And loveliness.


Phew - it's hot out here.
Time to go inside...

Monday, June 17, 2013

The Weekend, Instagram Style

Good Monday morning, blog friends.
I hope you all had a lovely Father's Day weekend.
Here's a little look from around our place these past couple of days.
 
Both of our turtles were out and about a lot this weekend. We see Casper, our baby box turtle, daily because she lives indoors, but Rexy is a bit more illusive. I was actually able to take a few photos of him on Saturday morning. Here's one I posted to Instagram:

 
Saturday morning while the turtles were roaming, Whiskers could do nothing but lounge...


After seeing this really cool tutorial for chalkboard art, I had planned to do something really fancy for Father's Day, but I ran out of time so I kept it simple {turtle style}:

 
We had Doug's family over for a pancake breakfast for Father's Day, and Carrie was here to honor Doug. She had breakfast with us, then went out for lunch and a movie with her own dad. Few things warm my heart the way these two do...


And yesterday afternoon when I should could have been doing housework, I spent a couple of hours at my craft table playing with photos from our England trip. I'm making a mini-book with photos of each of the blog friends Carrie and I met on our trip, and I'll have a post about the finished project...next week-ish...

 
And here we go with another busy week. I've got a busy work week ahead, and a few craft/sewing projects that are keeping me awake at night {must get them out of my head and out through my fingers soon...}.
 
Here's wishing for a fantastic week ahead.
I'll do my best to make it so.
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