Almost

juicy
Originally uploaded by a COWsignal from outer space

It's almost blackberry picking time. Yum.


(Click on the picture for credits.)

St Nicholas Church

Alfold..1 Mar 2008
Originally uploaded by strussler

A church for your Sunday.

(Click on the picture for credits.)

Home Sweet Forest Home

IMG_4022
Originally uploaded by jordansmall

If this had skylights, I think I could be quite happy to live here.




(Click on the picture for photo credits.)

Links, Links and More Links

If you are reading this in Google Reader, come on over and see all the links I now have on my blog(s). Maybe you will find something new to like.

Messy No More

Oooh. I really appreciate this post over at Unclutterer. Simple tips for keeping your home looking good.

Do You Love This as Much as I Do? (not mine)

Broken dishes wip
Originally uploaded by qusic

Thank you to qusic for this great example of one way to use fabric charm packs. (Click on the picture for more about this photographer.)

Is That a Cute Baby, or What?

We Likes Google Reader

Are you using it yet? If not, here is a video to help you get started.

Birthday Breakfast Cake

Sour Cream-Blueberry Crumb Cake
Originally uploaded by 2chacha

My mother made this every birthday morning. I passed the tradition down to my children. Now they, if they wish, can pass it down to theirs.

Birthday Breakfast Cake

Grease a 9x9 inch cake pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together:
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons cooking oil

In another bowl, combine:
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder

Add wet ingredients to dry. Pour into baking pan.

Combine:
1/4 cup brown sugar (firmly pressed into measuring cup)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon softened butter

Sprinkle brown sugar mixture on top of cake batter in pan.
Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serve warm.

(And serve something with protein in it alongside. You need to watch your blood sugar even on birthdays.

[Listen to your mother.])

(Thank you to 2chacha for the cake picture. Click on the photo for credits.)

Bomber

curious squirrel in tree
Originally uploaded by Sara Heinrichs (awfulsara)

We learned on our walk today that squirrels climb to the top of Douglas Fir trees this time of year and throw pine cones down to the ground. We had to run down the tree-lined sidewalk bent over with our arms covering our heads, for a bit.

Funny squirrels. (Glad it wasn't coconuts.)

Yearbook Yourself

We're having lots of fun with this.

Come and play!

Stitchindye's New Quilt

Baby quilt
Originally uploaded by stitchindye

Isn't this latest quilt from Stitchindye just beautiful? (You can link to her flickr quilt pictures on the right sidebar under Quilts of True Artists. Her lovely blog is here.) Very inspiring!

Peacefull Stroll

Peacefull Stroll
Originally uploaded by Arnold Pouteau's

This looks like a scene from my teenage years.

I was blessed, wasn't I?

(Thanks, Mom and Dad.)

Still Quilting

I haven't posted about my quilts for a while because I have been working on the most intricately hand-quilted project to date, and I must finish it before I start quilting the next one. In the meantime, here is a peek at the quilt-of-a-million-stitches, as well as a preview of the fabrics I will be using next. (In case anybody is interested.)

foresta

foresta
Originally uploaded by angelicchiatrullall

"Sol en Cirque"

The kids' lipdub from Capucha on Vimeo.

I love this song.
I love these children.
I love the French.

I just love this video!

Kidney Beans and Tomatoes

9th July 2008 - Beans means...
Originally uploaded by mrszooropa

Here is an old family recipe.

Step One:
Empty into a small saucepan
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can kidney beans

Step Two:
Heat to simmering.

Step Three:
Serve with a dollop of sour cream (for K), or not (for me).

Step Four:
Be surprised by how yummy this is.

(Click on the picture for photo credits.)

A Bit of Ireland

(Click on the picture for photo credits.)



A Bit of Ireland
Originally uploaded by Sandra Leidholdt

The Avenue in Mist and Sun

(Click on the picture for photo credits.)
The Avenue in mist and sun
Originally uploaded by algo

English Countryside

If you love England even half as much as I do, you will love these latest photos from Nicky Frasier. Stone cottages and more.

Frampton-on-Severn

Click on the picture for photo credits.
Frampton-on-Severn
Originally uploaded by canong2fan (on the road again!)

Nice church, what? And the adjacent cottage quite loverly, too.

Solar Power

Solar Power
Originally uploaded by giggex

I came upon this while looking for something else, and I thought it was worth sharing. Pretty, huh?

window box

window box
Originally uploaded by crankysue

Someone else's window box. ( I think I will show this to my gardener husband.)

The Poor Man's Garden

The Poor Man's Garden
Originally uploaded by linda yvonne

Click on this picture to see a lot more California prettiness. (Thank you Linda Yvonne.)

More Pretty Quilts

Amazing thrift store finds. From Cassie Griffen at Bella Dia.

On the Power of Words

Mostly for Kate: "Recess"

Recess from eat a bug on Vimeo.

Mandala Cupcakes

Click here for the prettiest cupcakes ever. (Thanks to Nokiomi.)

Scraparadise (Not Mine)

Scraparadise
Originally uploaded by qusic

Just so pretty!

(Click on the picture for proper credits.)

Lowe's Cottages Revisited

I posted some time ago (here) about the Lowe's Katrina Cottages. There is an additional photo gallery at cusatocottages.com, with a few interior shots (thank goodness).

I am in love with KC697. There is a model home of that one in Gautier, Mississippi, as pictured above. There must be some pictures of the interior somewhere.

Anybody know where?

tumbleweed Enesti

Enesti Pictures
Originally uploaded by Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

Another charmer from Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

Little Deer

Originally uploaded by ~K~

One of my favorite things about living where I do now.

(Click on the picture for photo credits.)

Harbinger

Harbinger
Originally uploaded by Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

I think that this is adorable. Could this be my attainable mortgage-free dream house? (It is a tiny 297 square feet, plus a loft.)

See more like this at Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

A Fun Decorating Quiz

This was fun to do, even though the results page didn't work for me. Maybe you will have better luck. It is fun just to look at all the options and click on your favorites. (Thank you to How About Orange for another great post.)

Letting in the Morning Air

Our green way of keeping our house cool is to open up all the windows in the morning, when it is cool (and how thankful we are for cool evenings and mornings here in western Washington) and then to close everything up tight when the temperature outside begins to climb. (We also have coverings for our windows, which we move according to where the sun is shining, but that's another story.)









One benefit of this is that, while opening the downstairs windows in the morning, I get to look out onto my porch with it's flower-laden window boxes and smell the clove-scented dianthus wafting in on the morning breeze. The scent is one of the best parts, but I'm afraid I can't share that here.

I do have these pictures, though, including one of the quilt I leaned over this morning, as I opened the window behind the couch.

The Cutest Little French Girl

Too much candy from Capucha on Vimeo.

Cottage, Regneville sur Mer, Normandy

Cottage, Regneville sur Mer, Normandy
Originally uploaded by *Susie*

Click on the picture for more from*Susie* the photographer. ( Aren't we grateful to have found her?)

Rose Cottage

Rose Cottage
Originally uploaded by Steel Steve

( Thank you to Steel Steve. Click on the picture forhis flickr page.)

Seaside Garden

Seaside garden
Originally uploaded by *Susie*

Thank you to *Susie* for this pretty picture of a coastguard cottage. (Click on the photo to see her flickr page.)

Decorating Inspiration

A pretty, pretty room. How does she do it?