"Oh, Hi! Ohio!"

Hi there! A lot has been transpiring in our lovely lives! :) Memorial Day was memorable; we celebrated by hanging out at Daniel's mom's with family and friends, eating monstrous burgers and of course lots of sweets! I took homemade vanilla ice cream to go with brownies, and the delicious "flag" cake topped with cherries and blueberries that Ms. Margaret had made. We stayed night in Pace, so Alisha, Mom, and I could hit the river the next morn in kayaks. It was a blast! So peaceful, beautiful, and relaxing! Saw some huge turtles sunbathing, and Alisha even spied a little lime green snake slithering up a vine. Cute! :) As long as he (and his snake friends!) stayed on the banks, we were happy! I drove home in blinding sheets of rain, along with hail and streaks of lightning popping all around ~ Needless to say, I was very glad to be at last safe and sound at home again! I loved seeing the majestic lightning show though! Alisha flew home today ~ sure enjoyed being with our sis again! It felt like I had to drag my bedraggled self out of bed far too early this morn to bake a pecan pie to sell to Kerra at "The Coffee House." So thrilled that Atmore now has a quaint lil gourmet coffee shop again. This one even has wi-fi! Aren't we coming up in this ole world?! Kerra is having some of us Mennonite girls bake fresh pies and pastries for her to sell along with the coffees. Then I dashed by the library to pick up the The Journal of Best Practises by David Finch that they had purchased at my request and were holding for me! I can't wait to read it; it's about a man that was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, and how that revelation helps him understand himself and become a better husband. Of course it was my week to be in charge of cleaning church; (ALWAYS seems to fall on the busiest weeks!) so I almost made it there by 10 to get with it. After church was spic and span, I went to Rhonda's to get the monogrammed towels that we are giving to Mervin and Lydia for their wedding. Ended up staying there for lunch. Once home, I frantically sewed on Melanie's wedding frock that MUST get finished tonight! Also, I must get packed up and be ready to leave for the wedding tomorrow at 7! I'm going up to Ohio with my parents; we will be driving all day tomorrow; then we are stopping near Cincinnati at some museum about the creation of the world Friday morning. The family supper will be Friday night, then the wedding is Saturday morning. I'm really excited to be going! Couldn't bear the thought of missing my dear cousin Herb's wedding!! :) Danl was so sweet to encourage me to go ~ wish he could come with, but we can't "round-up" all the grass in time! I'm being very sanguine about this journey as I don't have my ride home lined up yet! (I do have lots of possibilities though!) So we shall see how it all plays out! I may not be blogging 'til I'm back, so until then ~ Goodbye! And wish me luck, because...

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep. ~ Robert Frost

Last Day of School Picnic :)

Today was one of my favorite days of the year! I love everything the day entails....education, homemade ice cream, volleyball, and softball! I still can hardly believe that the kids I taught in 5th grade are out of school now! They mentioned our pet garter snake and it's funeral in their memories....took me back to the days of the classroom; I really miss those days sometimes! Maybe someday I'll teach again. This year's program commemorated the centennial of the sinking of the Titanic. Twas sad; I even got misty-eyed at one point. Six different flavors of ice cream cheered me right up though! :) I tried chocolate, mint chocolate chip, orange pineapple, birthday cake, German sweet chocolate, and vanilla with caramel pecan sauce. I stayed until 5:30 playing ball, but I left feeling sunburned and tired, but happy! Daniel's dad is down for a couple days, so we went to Uncle Kevin's for supper. He cooked us steaks, grilled veggies, and garden salads. That definitely hit the spot! Now I think I will retrieve the dasher from the ice cream maker from the freezer and grab me a spoon to scrape it clean before hitting the hay! G'nite y'all.

happy birthday Danl and "SURPRISE!"

Well, first off I want to say Happy 28th Birthday to my amazing husband!! :)
I wanted to blog this post yesterday, but it didn't happen! The day began with Danl opening his presents, (I got him $$, bullets, and a fishing lure). Then we headed down to Pensacola where we devoured a cheesy cheese pizza at Mellow Mushroom. Next stop was the Pensacola International Airport to pick up Danl's birthday present coming in from Canada - ALISHA! We had known for a month that she was coming to surprise Mom and Mr. Bill. And was it ever a fun surprise! Danl and I walked in to Mom's and Danl soon said, "Come out to the car and see what I got for my birthday." So I opened the back car door and out popped Alisha!!! Not the dog or gun Mom was expecting to see! She was SHOCKED to say the least! Then we piled in and went to Bill's office and surprised him! It was great. Next stop was Sake Cafe. We managed to make a huge dent on our "cruise ship" of sushi! Alisha let it slip that it was Daniel's birthday (much to his chagrin!) and they came out with ice cream topped with a lit candle while clanging cymbals and singing Happy Birthday! Back at Mom's we had delicious Baskin Robbins ice cream cake out under the pergola and Danl got to open more presents. So his birthday was a festive, shocking day that was enjoyed by all!

Key Lime Poke Cake

Mel and I took lunch to school for the teachers today. This scrumpdiddlyupmtous cake was dessert!  It's a Better Crocker recipe I had spied on Pinterest. We frosted it with homemade whipped cream cream cheese frosting instead of a tub of store-bought. Also, after eating it, we decided it would be better baked it in a 15x10 inch pan with the Key Lime filling doubled! Then it wouldn't be as "cakey" and would be even more fattening and refreshing! :) I don't think you can't go wrong serving anything Key Lime in the South! Or North, East, or West for that matter! Try this simple cake next time you need a quick and easy dessert! Key Lime is probably my favorite flavor....following closely after chocolate, mocha, strawberry, dewberry, pineapple, caramel, birthday cake, pumpkin.....guess I'll just quit now while I'm ahead! (have yet to find a dessert that I didn't like!)

Cake

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix

1 1/4 cups water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 large eggs

Key Lime Filling

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup Key lime juice or regular lime juice

1 teaspoon grated lime peel

4 drops yellow food color

1 drop green food color

Frosting

1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped vanilla frosting

2 teaspoons grated lime peel

Garnish, If Desired

Fresh strawberries                     

Key lime slices

Lemon leaves                                           

 

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
• 2 In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
• 3 Bake 27 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. With handle of wooden spoon (1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter), poke holes almost to bottom of cake every 1/2 inch, wiping spoon handle occasionally to reduce sticking.
• 4 In medium bowl, stir together filling ingredients (mixture will thicken). Pour over cake; spread evenly over surface, working back and forth to fill holes. (Some filling should remain on top of cake.) Refrigerate 1 hour.
• 5 Spread frosting over cake; sprinkle with lime peel. Garnish as desired. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

 

"Hello again!"

"Hello again!"
"Hello!"
"Do you like my hat?"
"No, I do not like your hat!"

Name that book! :)
Anyway, it's good to be back on the ole blog! Yesterday was so very frustrating as my faithful red Dell decided it had charged enough in its somewhat short lifetime, and simply REFUSED to take another charge! It proceeded to completely give up the ghost and died, apparently never to be revived again. I tried to be calm, and not focus on how much no computer/internet affected me. (Scary!) But I couldn't check my email (what if I had sold something on eBay?! I wouldn't know to ship it!), couldn't check the bank account (what if we were about to get an overdraft?!), couldn't pay any bills (do NOT want to be late!!), couldn't log how much food I had eaten on "MyPlate" (how many calories did I have left for the day?! what if I tremendously overate?!!), and neither could I blog! I missed writing about life and its endearing perplexities. So I sat myself down, and prayed that God would somehow just MAKE my laptop charge again! I had called Southern Computer earlier, and was told that I most likely needed a new charging port installed which would cost approximately $140, a sum that we did not have floating around at the present moment. My prayer felt somewhat selfish, but I knew that God cares about every little thing in our lives. The charging light remained black. I preceded to go about my day, and did manage to pay a pressing bill by using Danl's laptop, which is cumbersome and annoying to me. I just really like my OWN stuff! Then, later in the evening, I happened to glance over at my laptop, which I had not touched since my prayer, and noticed that the charging light was ON!!! Yippity yay!!! I guess God just wanted me to be patient for once! :) Don't you just love answered prayers? I do! Makes me feel so unworthy of God's attention. I decided to just leave my poor laptop alone for the night. This morning, it fired right up, fully charged and ready to go!

P.S. Our fabric arrived!!! I love the piece with the lil black flowers...but the other piece I ordered???? Far too fuchsia for me and my red head! :(

Happy Birthday Neil!! {and birthday cake ice cream recipe}

Last night, we celebrated Neil's 3rd birthday.{which is today} Wade grilled some awesome hamburgers over charcoal, and we ate outside. Rhonda did a "Construction" themed party; the carport looked very festive adorned with balloons, caution tape, and strings of lights. The cake she made looked even cuter than the one pictured here that she used for the idea! Neil was so thrilled about his birthday; it was so funny after we sang "Be Present" for the prayer before supper he said "I didn't like that song!" So then we sang "Happy Birthday" and asked him if he liked that one! He said "YES!" and looked so pleased with himself! Later he told me so seriously "I've been 2 for terrible long!" Lol! I made homemade ice cream to go with the cake; a 6 qt. of vanilla, and 1 qt. of birthday cake! I had made it last year for the Last Day of School Picnic, but of course {sanguine me!!} did NOT write down anything about how I made it! So I'm back to experimenting and combining recipes and ideas to come up with my own. The following recipe is what I came up with; we all really liked it, at least those of us that tried it! Danl is a die-hard vanilla fan and doesn't appreciate my dabbling with creating various flavors! I may try adding some frosting yet; a lot of recipes and store-bought versions have it in. But, I don't want it to get TOO sweet.

Sharon's Bday Cake Ice Cream

Make 6 qts.

6 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 box Junket vanilla ice cream mix
3 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups yellow cake mix {dry}
1 T. French vanilla extract
2 cups rainbow sprinkles

Beat the eggs and sugar until light-colored, then add Junket and beat on high for 5 minutes. Add the whipping cream, salt, cake mix, and vanilla stirring until completely mixed. Pour into 6 qt ice cream freezer, then add milk until 1 1/2 inches from top of can. Freeze according to manufacture's directions. For sprinkles, either add near the end of freezing, or stir them in after it's done. Happy eating! :)

I just had a bowl for an afternoon snack, and did it ever hit the spot!

bridal shower

Tonight I was privileged to attend Erica Holdeman's bridal shower. Shawna Mininger hosted it; twas a lovely "country/farmer's wife" themed outdoor event. They had all the guests bring their own lawn chairs, and we sat in a circle surrounded by tiki torches and lanterns. Hay bales draped with bandannas and cowboys boots filled with flowers completed the decor. First item on the agenda was "Pass the Victoria's Secret Bag!" while Teacher Mel read the Dr. Seuss story about the "Empty Green Pants With Nobody Inside Them."  When the story ended, whoever happened to have "the bag" was supposed to model its contents! Crystal was the lucky one! And the little black British-style hat that she pulled from the bag fit her just perfectly! Lol! Next they quizzed Erica about Ben; questions such as "What kind of deodorant does Ben wear?" and "What is his favorite song?" For each question that she answered wrongly, she had to chew a piece of Double-Bubble gum! She missed 6 and had quite a wad! It was funny to watch her chomp as she tried to answer more questions! Then several ladies were asked to tell interesting/embarrassing moments from their honeymoon or engagement. We had some good laughs! The girls that put on the shower sang "Sweet Violets." Finally it was present time!! On the invitations, they had requested each person to bring a kitchen item that Erica could use at (for example) 6:30 a.m., which was my time. I painted some wooden spoons from a pinterest inspiration, and gave them with a box of grits for my "time" gift; also gave a 4 cup measure, kitchen towel, and a whisk. Anyway, it was interesting to see what items people gave for each time. Some that I remember were coffee mugs for 6:00, ice cream cones and scoop for 12:30, SOS pads for burnt pans at 1:30, Lipton citrus tea for 2:15, Kleenex for lonesome tears at 4:15,  and roach spray for midnight...The refreshments made my heart go pitter-patter! I'll list all the yummy goodness they served us: Grilled Chicken Wraps, Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries, Mini Lemon and Red Velvet Cupcakes, Olives and Pickles, Seasoned Oyster Crackers, and Cherry Limeades. I think that was everything! Needless to say, I feel fat and happy! G'nite....

waiting...

Isn't this little cotton print so charming?! I am having a hard time waiting for our fabric to arrive! The tiny black flowers of this old-fashioned looking cotton voile captured me! I think it will make up into a lovely summer dress. (IF I get it sewed before winter!)

BLT Mac Salad

This pleasing pasta salad is like eating a BLT in a bowl. Chock-full of crispy crumbled bacon, chopped tomato, celery and green onion, the sensational salad is draped in a tangy mayonnaise and vinegar dressing. It's a real crowd-pleaser! -Norene Wright, Manilla, Indiana

Here's the pasta salad recipe that I took to Sewing today compliments of Taste of Home. For once, I made it precisely as the recipe told me to; didn't change nary a thing! To my way of thinking, it's a brilliant salad because it's a complete meal! You have your meat (bacon), starch (macaroni), and veggies! (tomatoes, onions, and celery!) I'm having a bowl of it for supper as I type! :) Make this refreshing salad for a cool, summer supper some evening....your family will love you forever! Except if they are like my man and despise celery. :(  

20 20              

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 5 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1-1/4 cups diced celery
• 1-1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 5 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, green onions, tomato and celery.
• In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over macaroni mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Just before serving, add bacon. Yield: 12 servings.

helter-skelterness

What to write, what to write?! Unfortunately, I feel a bit of a blogger's block tonight... I don't like it when my mind isn't brimming with things to blog about; it makes me feel dull and tired. Which could result from the fact that I AM tired!!! I just finished whipping up two desserts, a key lime and a 3 Musketeer's one, for Sewing Day at church tomorrow since it's my turn to help cook. I "intended" to get them made earlier in the day, but "stuff" happened. Although we were late getting in last night from spending a delightful Mother's Day evening with Mom and Bill, we painfully managed to start the day bright and early! Danl left around 6, and I so wanted to go back to bed! But, I DIDN'T because I knew that Danl wanted to go back to bed as much as I did, and COULDN'T! (does that make me a good wife?!) I downed some coffee and pie, (please don't tell anyone how much sugar I consume on a daily basis!) and got some laundry going before heading out for a brisk walk on Garrett Road. Then I told Rhonda we should order some fabric online since today was the last day of a big sale on one of my favorite sites! We browsed far too long while making our selections, and the day began to rapidly slip away. After guiltily gobbling a piece of pizza, I zoomed to Atmore to get the groceries I needed to make my BLT pasta salad and desserts for tom. Once in Atmore, Dirt Cheap lured me in to quickly dig for some treasures. I did find a few, minus the "quickly!" Then Danl informed me that if I could PLEASE go down to Pensacola and pick up the new tiller from Sears he would be so happy with me! So that's what I did next! (trying to be a good wife!) I knew the mammoth tiller would never fit in my GP, so with much trepidation, I borrowed Dad's old white Ford. (It likes to wander out of its lane whether or not you tell it to "stay!") The trip was thankfully uneventful and I got back home to a bleak kitchen. I slapped a salad together for Danl and called it good! (does that make me an awful wife?) Then I started cooking. I went to bed a little while ago, but got back up once Danl was asleep to finish the chocolate dessert. I'd much rather stay up late and get it done, than have to get up extra early in the morning! (I know I am a terrible wife!) Maybe tomorrow I can be organized and sane, and leave my helter-skelterness at home! It doesn't hurt to have hope, right?

my mom

My Mom

My dearest mom...

You look prettier than Miss America

And sound like Solomon with your wise quotes that help me through life.

(A little humor makes all things possible!)

You bring to mind the smell of fresh-washed clothes hanging in the utility,

And the taste of the little loaves of homemade bread you baked for us while we played in our tent-house made of sheets...

Thank you, Mom, for always making me feel

Safe, secure, and surrounded by love.

written by:

sharon faircloth

5.12.12

I feel so blessed; I have the sweetest, most accepting, and most loving Mom, Mom-in-law, step-mom, and grandmothers that a girl could wish for! So Happy Mother's Day to all my dear family and friends! :)

to kill a mockingbird {again}

Last night Melanie and I enjoyed "To Kill a Mockingbird" in Atmore performed by GECA. It was spectacular! Some things were different than Monroeville in a better way and some things I didn't like as well. Overall though, it was well worth attending for $10! :) A night of culture and talent is always appreciated! We swung through McD's for a towering ice cream cone on the way home! The perfect ending to a perfect evening... Mel stayed at our house for night; now I'm "supposed" to be working in the office, BUT I just got back in from sunning and reading by the pool (the water is STILL too cold to swim!) and I wanted to quickly blog since it has been collecting a bit of dust of late. My apologies! Sometimes life gets in the way! :) I must get a move on and get a LOT of filing done before Dad gets home!

a painted day {or two!}

Yesterday Rhonda, Diane, and myself were employed by Kaufmann Construction to do some interior painting! We started tackling the 4 rooms that we need to finish today. It was fun, and we three made an efficient lil crew! Diane "womaned" the roller, while Rhonda and I cut in with our beloved "Purdy" brushes. Now I need to get my lunch packed, and some breakfast downed since it won't be long until we need to be on our way today! Have a great day, everyone!

sudorific

Word of the Day
Monday May 7, 2012

I really liked today's word; it so fittingly describes our sultry, humid weather in the South!

sudorific \soo-duh-RIF-ik\ , adjective:
1. Causing sweat.
2. Sudoriparous.
noun:
1. A sudorific agent.

Having thrown him into a cold sweat by his spiritual sudorific, he attacks him with his material remedies, which are often quite as unpalatable.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Medical Essays, 1842-1882

Wracked by such sudorific thoughts, he tossed noisily about, maddened, aching.
-- Angela Huth, South of the Lights

Every sudorific hitherto employed had failed to produce this result upon a skin which horrible diseases had left impervious.
-- Honoré de Balzac, Cousin Pons

Sudorific comes from the Latin word sūdor meaning "sweat." The word "sweat" is unrelated and comes from the Old English, swote.

this weekend

Life is bustling for us this weekend. Daniel is off to GA for a much anticipated rendezvous with his long-range shooting buddies, and I have been constantly on the go as well! Can't let myself sit around and get too lonely, so I've been packing in as many fun activities as I can while he's away. He pulled out just after lunch yesterday, and I headed over to pick up Mom and Mel so we could stop by Wade and Rhonda's to meet the newest addition to their family - the most adorable lil black and tan wiener dog! He's just so tiny at not quite 8 weeks old! To my knowledge, they haven't quite settled on the perfect name for him yet. He has a very wise look....he may be saddled with "Wilson" or "Clyde." Then I spent the rest of the afternoon sorting for Dad in the office. After that, I ate supper and spent the eve with Moni and Glendon's. I really enjoyed the delicious food, precious babies (Zoe & Becca), and great friends! Today, I miraculously rose with the sun to go YARD SALING! :) Mom went with me, and we had such a fun time poking around in people's debris and finding treasures! I had only taken $4 in quarters and snagged the following items listed in the order of preciousness: {green glass jar/cruse with handle}  {yellow pedestal mug}  {wire mesh pitcher}  {Tripwire by Lee Child}  {toys for Neil for his bday}  {small old, gold vase}  {vintage McCall's dress pattern with flare sleeve.} I don't need to spend much money to have fun and come home happy from a yard sale! :) I didn't have a single penny left though! I spend everything I have! Of course, we couldn't resist a quick "WeCare" stop before we headed home. (Good thing they take plastic!) Mom found me a large mouth Mason jar with a handle! Danl will be so impressed! He has been wanting one to use for a drinking glass; he thinks the ones we have are too dinky for real man's thirst! Anyway, I also unearthed a VS Pink dog, more bday toys for Neil, an old 1925 Edition Webster's Dictionary, and my favorite find- a 1909 edition of The Complete Poems of John Milton! Is it as rare and valuable as I hope/think it is?! I googled and eBayed it, but couldn't find another copy for sale just like it to go by, so I'm telling myself, until I find out differently, that I actually nabbed a notable antique worth several hundred dollars! (LOL!) If anyone reading this knows how to find out if its valuable or not, please let me know! The most unique thing to me though, is what I discovered hidden in its pages- an old yellowed "calling card" with "Mrs. Walker Ingraham" inscribed in a calligraphic font! Brings to mind the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder! Remember her beautiful calling cards? :) Sometimes I almost think it would be fun to be back living in that era...minus all the hard, manual labor! Give me my thermostat, internet, and dishwasher, please and thank you! The rest of the day was spent at Mom's making a blueberry dessert and doing housework since Anthony has a friend coming for Luke and Becky's wedding reception tomorrow. Why on earth do I not have the dress I wanted to wear to it sewed, and why don't I have a wedding present or a wedding card?! Procrastination will be my demise....I suppose I will have to wear an old dress, and make a quick dash into Atmore for a gift after church tomorrow if I don't want to feel like a complete failure! Now I'm finally back home sitting and blogging in my red chair; too tired to go to bed! Danl will be heading home Monday. It's just too lonely and quiet; I am so ready to have him home again, home again, jiggity jog....there's nothing like home with your man and your dog! (I know it's time for me to be asleep when I start typing silly things that rhyme!) Later 'tater....

an ode to Chick-fil-A's lemonade

(this was supposed to be yesterday's post, but lemonhead that I am, I FORGOT to post it!)



O lemonade from Chick-fil-A,

How I do so love thee!

I simply slurp, and slurp, and slurp away

And get my cup "refreshed" for free!

How tangy, how tart, it hits the spot!

Tis "my pleasure" to quench my thirst

Like magic liquid sunshine, it makes everything OK.

So if lemons from life is all you've got,

And your luck is at its worst

Just hand them over to Chick-fil-A and let them save your day!

by: Sharon Faircloth 5.3.12

happy book owl

Love this quote; how true it is! Plus, it's just nicer being a "book-owl" 'stead of a "book-worm," don't you think? :) I don't have the time or energy to write a big post tonight because I'm too deeply boroughed into my book! I'm reading The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok. It's the harrowing memoir of two girls growing up with a schizophrenic mom. Today was pretty productive day for a change. Managed to plant most of all of my Garden Party plants, then vacummed and mopped the house. Also had to package the candle sticks that finally sold on eBay! Don't be like me!!! I sold them for $15 free shipping. Sounds great, eh? Not so! It's costing me $11.36 to ship them, plus it's $.50 to list and who knows what my eBay fee is! I just hope I don't end up in the hole over the deal! It's still raining here; a slow, steady drizzle which is perfect reading weather. (itching to get back to my book!) I really should be doing the April billing for FL&L though instead of sittin' here in my red La-Z-Girl.

ammendment: 5-3-12  Forgive me for being so scatterbrained and forgetting to record my last and final pillow times! Monday night was 10:38 pm if I remember right, and Tuesday's pillow time was the worst of all! 11:48 pm :(   This font size is for you, Tara!  Whew! Glad this recording business is over! It worked about like my last diet! I gained weight.

happy May!

Seems almost unbelievable that today is already May 1, 2012!! I decided it was time for a new face on the ole blog again! How do you like it? :) I tried to pick colors that were somewhat out of the box for me! (to put it plainly, not some shade of GREEN again!)

A few simple things that made me happy lately.....

a big bowl of sopa

my hubby coming home from work

getting out my brushes and painting two acrylic paintings (thanks for the Christmas $ MamaLisa! :)

sleeping in!

the perfect banana - not too ripe and not too green!
(that would be #5 for me)

canvas shopping totes

swimming with Mel

farm-fresh eggs

farm-fresh Jersey milk from Brent Yoder

the amazing Singspiration last Sunday night!

new green striped sock monkey from Target that sings (for our "someday" baby!)

the resurrection of our faithful vintage dryer (keeping fingers crossed!)

finding a brownie recipe that I had been SEARCHING for

lots of cute banana pics (sorry! couldn't help myself! :)

pillow time 4.30.12 was 11:03pm. (This time recording doesn't seem to be doing much good!!)