Winner

Congratulations to my Christmas in July Winner:

Baby Ford

Stay tuned for more fun stuff coming this month - like Back to School must haves and a few more wonderful summertime recipes! :)

{crabapples}

If I could I would have all kinds of fruit bearing trees in my yard and it just so happens that we do have one. Doug planted a series of trees in our yard when we first moved in. They were just saplings and we got a variety from The Arbor Foundation. The problem was we weren't sure what our variety included. Doug noticed these pretty little things last year on the tree and he and the kids ate a few. We have been pretty certain that it was a crabapple tree, but I finally did a small bit of research just this past week and we had our suspicions confirmed. So while I don't have a multitude of fruit bearing trees I can enjoy this one - not to mention it's blossoms are beautiful in Spring and these little baby "apples" are pleasing to both the eye and palette.

Happy Friday and be sure to check back tomorrow when I announce the winner of my Christmas in July contest!

to cinch...

to cinch...

or not to cinch?

This was the question I posed to Doug after I completed this dress. So... I want to know, what do you think. I have a very pear shaped figure so cinching is not always that flattering. You won't hurt my feelings, I honestly want to know. What do you think?

and here is the little item that is causing me all the questions.

And for documention purposes - yes, I made the dress and the belt. My first ever project for me with NO pattern. Before you are too impressed, look closely. It is a grown up version of a pillow case dress. Yep! With a few darts for my womanly figure and some altering around my waiste and nice birthing hips. :) It was fun, and now I am glad I have it finished so I can enjoy it before summer's end.

Don't forget to comment on the cinching so I can clear these questions in my silly mind. :)

a LOST superhero

Many of you know I am the oldest of six children. This meant many things, but I spent many an afternoon, evening, car ride, etc. helping my mother entertain little ones. I started making up stories about the kids things, animals, scenarios and they always thoroughly enjoyed them. My mother also made this a regular habit - probably where I came up with the idea - giving us many wonderful stories about tangle rats, our pets, and her own experiences as a little girl with big brothers.

I still find myself from time to time conjuring up stories about little things and from time to time I will jot them down. So when a friend left his little superhero one afternoon after playing I came up with this story to humor him upon the superhero's return.

Feel free to use the story if you ever find yourself in the same prediciment - returning a lost toy (filling in the specefics where you may).

Letter From A Lost Superhero:

by Alison M. English

Copyright 2011

I have been on a long journey through the neighborhood. After you left the English house on Thursday night I very quickly realized that I wasn’t with you. I was a little scared, but not really. I am a super hero after all. So after an evening of being fought over by Charlotte and Douglass Charles I decided it was time to venture out on my own to find you.

I got up bright and early Friday morning. It was a bit rainy, but I was determined, determined to return to you. I sat out on foot hoping that maybe, just maybe there was some way I could jump on a car, ride a dog, or even talk a bird into flying me home.

I do believe I would have been there Saturday, but after trusting a very devious squirrel I found myself on quite the detour. That silly squirrel swore to me that she knew the way – she described your play set, the front porch, and cows in the pasture to a “t.” Nonetheless, by the end of the day Saturday I found myself on the other side of the golf course, near the pool, and even further from you than before.

Finally this morning I found myself in the graces of a very pudgy cat and with some coaxing she agreed to return me the our part of the neighborhood. We took golf course trails and before we knew it I recognized the main street where we live.
I walked the rest of the way and knowing that I couldn’t get into the house I felt sure someone would find me here, in the mailbox, waiting for you. It has been a long, hard journey and I am one tired superhero, but I am so glad I found my way back to your beloved room.



{snapshot}

I don't know what we were doing this particular morning - probably lounging around - but the kiddos jumped up into my chair and Mo followed after. They were all too cute - so I had to snap a picture. Hope you enjoy your week - it is our last official week of summer and then it is back to work for daddy. Have I mentioned that I am spoiled... yep, I think I have. :)

Happy Monday!

blueberry muffins {aka polka dot muffins}

 My dear friend growing up, Emily, gave this recipe to me at a recipe shower a few of the ladies threw for me when I got married. I have been making them ever since, but hadn't pulled out the recipe in quite sometime. It is a delicious one - sweet, soft batter that turns into a very tasty muffin. My favorite is the sprinkling of sugar on top of the batter just before it goes in the oven - giving a bit of a sweet crunch on top when finished.

 I did take a que from my favorite cook, Ina Gartin, and having some oranges on hand added the zest of one orange to the batter. I am calling it my "secret ingredient." There is a reason why Ina Gartin is the famous Barefoot Contessa, has a Food Network show, and makes lots of money selling her cookbooks. She knows what she is talking about and that orange zest, well, it just added a delicious element to an already wonderful recipe. Delish!

So, I will banter on no more... Here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do.

Blueberry Muffins
2 1/2 cups flour + extra
1 cup sugar + extra
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cups (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 - 2 1/2 cups of blueberries
(I have used frozen, but fresh is best)
secret ingredient: zest of one orange

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour tins. Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter, add egss and beat. Add other moise ingredients. Stir until moistened. Roll blueberries in flour (I rarely do this, but they do ten to fall to the bottom if you don't). Fold in blueberries. Put in muffin tins and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Bon Apetite!

{polka dots}

Ahhh, if you have been to the store lately and attempted to pick up a pint of blueberries you have discovered that even though they are in season, they are not cheap. Thankfully we have friends (aka Suzie) who have families who have 20 or so HUGE bushes in a Christmas tree farm that produce more blueberries than they can use - so we were invited to come pick.

{Charlotte also affectionately calls blueberries polka dots. I am not sure why, except for the fact that when we add them to receipes their round little blue selves look like dots in whatever batter we add them too. :)}

I invited my good friend Anna and her boys to come along. I knew her boys loved blueberries as much as my two do and I thought they would have a good time.

Thankfully, Suzie got to come out for a bit (shhh... she wasn't supposed to be out there since she was on bed rest) and the weather was relatively mild for a July morning. Anna and I picked for an hour or so while the kids ate their fill and played like crazy. Afterwards we headed to the pool to burn off our blueberry high.

Thanks to Suzie and her family for once again allowing us to partake in all their blueberry goodness. Stay tuned for a wonderful recipe tomorrow - one of the many ways we used all those delicious berries.