Strawberry Short Cake (Of Sorts)

Recently a Culver's was opened in town. Well, let me rephrase that, a Culver's opened up on the next street over! I have to say, I did not think their food was anything super special, but their custard......soooooo good. The first time we went there, I got a marshmallow sundae with sprinkles.  I know, I know, it sounds like something a little kid might order, but I just can't help myself.

Anyways, I have been day dreaming and craving those sundaes all month.

Last night, Poppy came over for dinner, and I was trying to talk everyone into walking down there for desert after dinner. I had no takers! Poppy did not want any ice cream, and DJ was quick to remind me that we have already spent all of eating out money for the month ( how responsible, right?!?! ) Man I was disappointed, and I still really wanted something sweet. I was not wanting anything with chocolate, then it hit me. When DJ's grandparents were in town, they left us some strawberries. I baked a yellow cake, pureed the strawberries, and made some whipped cream.( if anyone out there has never made homemade whipped cream, it is so easy and you will never want to buy Cool Whip again.) It was the perfect substitute. It was  quick and easy to make, and it totally cured my sweet tooth.

 



This Week In My Garden May 28

Last time in my garden May 13

This morning in my garden

 

 

 

 

 

This year we have been blessed with a very cool Spring. We have not even had to turn on our swamp cooler yet! The down side of this awesome weather is the garden. It is taking its time and growing slow this year. I think the next few days are going to warm up, so maybe next week there will be some more growth to show you.

Until then let me tell you about the changes that have taken place. For starters some of the peppers have started to pop up. This year all of my peppers are in my new raised bed, so they are overall an experiment. The green beans are growing great, and the eggplant and okra are finally starting to look like they are getting a little bigger. I also got my first squash blossom!

I am so excited for this little garden of mine to take off!

Oh, and I almost forgot....DJ's grandparents have been in town, and they brought us these super cute flower pinwheels for the garden!! Miss O put them in their new homes, and now every time I look out the window from my work area, I can see them!

 

If you have any garden photos, tips, tricks, or stories that you would like to share; leave a link in the comment section. I would love to see how your garden is growing



Summer Dresses Are The Best

This is the newest addition to Miss O's wardrobe, made by me! I could not have been more happy with the way this dress turned out.

I had the fabric cut out for this dress for weeks, and it just sat there on my cutting table collecting dust. Then, last week on one of DJ's days off, he took the kids off my hands, and the results are pictured above. I was surprised at how easy this dress was to make! Oh, and I was even more excited that it fit her. She is so skinny but she is tall, which makes clothes fit her a little awkward.

The pattern is one that I got at Joann's during their pattern sale, and the fabric is some from the stash I got when Lissa and I went on our shopping spree. I think I had two yards of this fabric, and her dress used only about half of that, so I have plenty to make something else with. (any suggestions?) 

I have a feeling you guys are going to be seeing a lot more of these dresses in the future.

Memorial Day Recp

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend.

I must say, this Memorial Day was so great. We have had family in town, DJ was off from work, and our neighborhood got together for a big block party cookout! It was a day full of great food and fellowship.

 

Much Better The Second Time Around

Miss O went fishing recently. It was such a beautiful day, with plenty of sunshine, and no wind. We slathered the kiddos up with sunscreen, and cast our lines. Lucky for us, the fish were biting.

Miss O enjoyed this fishing adventure much more than the last one. Last time it was cold, windy, and the fish were in hiding. Miss O was tired, and she cast her line, then threw it down on the ground along with herself in order to throw a fit. It was a disaster!

Ah yeah, this was a much better fishing trip. I got some cute videos of her reeling in her fish. She got to help take them off the hooks, and she still talks about the slimy fish. She had so much fun.

Oh and as you can see above, Short Round got to hang out in the sunshine with his snacks, which is a guarantee to make him a happy little fella.

 

Exceeding My Craft Budget.....Again

Yep, I did it again. I exceeded my craft budget. However, this time it was or a deal that I just could not turn down. I know that is what I say every time, but this time it was really true. About a week ago Joann's had a pattern sale on all of the Simplicity patterns, for $1 each!! I got 10 which was the limit, and then I went back the next day to get 5 more! For those of you who don't know much about patterns, these usually run about $14-$17 at the craft store, so I bought 15 for the price of one pattern!

Even though my sewing time is super limited these day,  I am determined to get some super cute outfits made for Miss O. (Sorry Short Round, they just don't make many patterns for little boys) Fortunately I have a large fabric stash, so I did not have to buy any fabric to get started working on some of these projects. 

We don't spend a lot of money on clothes in this house. Everything we wear is a hand me down, from the thrift store, or something my mom has bought. One of my dreams is to make a large part of the clothes we wear. I love the idea of producing many of the items that we need and use in this house. I will get there one day, it just takes time. I feel like I am on the cusp of having a little more opportunity to craft. Short Round is getting better at napping, but every time he starts nap, he starts to cut a new tooth, and it throws it all off. He is starting to get more mobile, and it makes him happy to be able to follow his sister around. Even though he might be getting into more things, he is not wanting the constant hugs and snuggles from me.( which is sweet and I love by the way) More crafting is on the horizon, I can just feel it.

 Oh man, that just means my craft budget is in even more trouble.

Spring Joys

On nasty days like today, when wind gust are predicted to be up to 50 mph, it helps to remember the more pleasant parts of Spring. We have had a family of quail that has lived in our yard when their babies were little. They have been here for the past two Springs, so of course I was happy and relieved to see that they had returned for year number three.

Normally I think baby bird look gross, but baby Gambles Quail are so cute. They are great at hiding, so my heart always jumps with joy when I see them.

So today, when we are miserable from hearing the wind howl, having run out of things to do inside the house, and having wiped super snotty noses about 100 times; I will keep an eye out for these cute little fellas every time I pass by my window

This Week In My Garden May 17

Have I ever mentioned how much I love growing a garden? Ok, maybe just a time or two. I just can't help myself, it is so much fun.

Things are growing great out there right now. However, here are some things that are taking their time. My Eggplant and okra are still super small, and those are two things I am really looking forward to !

The yard still needs some work, and realistically some of it might not get done this year. ( so disappointing) I have plans on planting a lot of flowers, but flower beds are low in the priority list at the moment.

 

If you have any garden stories, or tip and tricks. I would love to hear them. Please leave a link in the comment section below.

My Baby Girl is 3

My smart, beautiful, and sassy girl turned 3 recently. WOW! It still blows my mind to think how fast the last three years have gone. They have been a challenge and a blessing.

We did the same thing for her birthday this year as we did last year, the only difference was that she understood what was going on this year. We had a cookout in the back yard for her, and we invited all of her friends over. I made a Hello Kitty cake ( pictured above, in case you could not tell what it was!) per her request. It tasted wonderful, but was not as pretty as I had it pictured in my head.

It made me happy and proud to see Miss O interacting with her friends. They all got to sit at a table together, and it was so much fun to hear them talking. They were saying silly thing and making funny noises in order to make the other kids laugh! So cute!

Before the party, I was experiencing some guilt for not having a typical "kid party". There was no theme, no decorations, and no party favors. It was a cookout with Miss O getting to spend time with all the people who love her dearly. In the end, that is what it should be about anyways. I could not have been happier with how it turned out.

Happy Birthday Miss O!! I Love You!