Pumpkin Patch

Hello Dear Ones!


First of all I wanted to thank those of you who commented on my previous post concerning the loss of our sweet baby. Your kind words were beyond encouraging and have lifted me up during this time. And for so many of you who have lifted us up in prayer, called us, visited, etc. the past couple of weeks.....thank you. It means so much!! It reminds me that we aren't suppose to carry our burdens by ourselves, and so by sharing with you this burden and having seen so many come alongside us we have seen the Body of Christ at work...and it's a beautiful thing. xo.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Yesterday my two sisters with kids and I set out to the beautiful Dallas Arboretum to explore and enjoy the sights of their Autumn pumpkin displays and flowers. It was SOOO beautiful!! Naturally, being a floral designer and an all-around lover of all things natural, I was in awe the whole time. :) And being there with two of my best friends didn't hurt either! And the kids? Well....they just had a ball (literally, I think a couple of them thought the pumpkins were balls!) in the pumpkin patch! Here are some photos I took to capture the memories of the day:

Cole on the path lined with pumpkins :)

This is his newest thing: he loves to point
at things with his index finger and has the
funniest expression on his face when
doing so!

Just his size ;)

Always a little taste too...

My Little Pumpkin :)

Me & My Baby

Yellow ruffle shoes among heirloom gourds

One of the Pumpkin Houses....there were lots of them!!

Gwen, Gracie & Eli in the pumpkin house
called "Cinderella's Kitchen"

All the pumpkin excitement wore him out!

Goofy little guy :)

Tongue smiles :)

What a fun day it was!!! I hope you enjoyed the pictures and if you

live in the area...let's go again! (I know I plan to!) :)

Happy Start of Autumn Festivities!!!

Gail

P.S. What fun Autumn activities do you enjoy with your family??? Please

share and maybe I'll get some good ideas!! 

Summer Salads: Part 2

I love cooking from what is available seasonally. As much as I sometimes want to grab for that container of strawberries in the middle of Winter, waiting 'til Summer has proven to result in major payback. Not only are fruits and vegetables cheaper when they're bought in-season, but they are OH SO DELICIOUS too. Lately we've been eating lots and lots of watermelon, cherries, and berries. Also squash, peppers, tomatoes & of course- the star of summer: corn on the cob. :)


Tonight I made a very unusual-sounding salad recipe using green beans and strawberries as the base. I wasn't sure how this was going to taste in the end, but I was pleasantly surprised- it was scrumptious! If you decide to give it a try I hope you enjoy it too!

~Strawberry & Green Bean Salad

with Feta, Mint & Pistachios~

Serves 4-6

1 lb. fine green beans

1 lb. strawberries

2-3 Tablespoons pistachios

1 small bunch fresh mint leaves

(I used some from my yard!)

4 oz. feta cheese

salt & pepper

Dressing:

2 Tablespoons raspberry vinegar

2 Tablespoons superfine sugar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

pinch of salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1. To make the dressing, mix the vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt together in a bowl until smooth. Slowly poor in the oil, whisking constantly until the mixture has emulsified. Cover and refrigerate until required. 

2. Blanch the beans in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes, so that they retain plenty of crunch. Drain and quickly toss in a large, cool bowl. Hull and halve the strawberries, then add to the beans. Stir in the pistachios and mint leaves. Toss the salad with enough dressing to coat lightly.

3. Break the feta cheese into chunks and scatter over the salad. Add a good grinding of pepper and serve immediately.

Happy & Healthy Food to You,

Gail

Summer's Heat

This Summer's heat has been very wearing on me. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. It's just been SOOOO hot in Texas this Summer! I usually look forward to Summer, too. There's lots to look forward to in Summer...


Like...


*Swimming
*Wearing shorts, skirts, sandals & tank tops
*Taking the baby for a stroller ride outside where it's pretty
*Watching your plants grow
*Watching other people's plants grow
*Feeling the warmth of the sun's rays on your face
*Ice cream cones
*Spending time with family & friends
*Vacation
*Pedicures
*Eating a ripe piece of fruit in season- like strawberries, peaches & cherries
*Suntans & freckles
*But mostly... just being OUTSIDE!!!


Unfortunately, being outside isn't something we've done a whole lot of around here...and I'm starting to get major cabin fever! I want to take Cole for a stroll around the neighborhood...but it's waaay too hot. My plants are practically burnt up (even though I water them) and everyone else's grass is pretty much brown and dead. I haven't swam once....not even ONCE!....therefore no tan (which honestly isn't a top priority, but would be nice to be a darker shade of pale) and most of the other things I would love to do during the Summer somehow have just not been gotten to....or can't be done. The thing that gets to me the most though is not being able to be outside. There's only so much indoors I can take! Even Cole seems to be getting cabin fever and he doesn't even know what he's missing out on...haha! I remember Summers when my siblings and I were growing up where we'd play outside all day long, run through the sprinklers, eat ice cream on the back porch, play kick-the-can late into the evening hours with the neighborhood kids and just. have. fun. Either I've gotten really old and crotchety or I was really oblivious back then and too carefree to see what was going on around me. I'm guessing it was the latter...I hope? Hmmm...


So that's my rant for the day. Thanks for listening....


Today I said a little prayer to God that if He should lead Matthew and I to a place where there were 4 seasons a year, where there weren't 111 degree temperatures during the Summer, and where it was pretty all year long and you could actually grow plants in the Summer and your grass didn't burn up....


.....then it's be alright with me. :)

Have a happy & *hot* Tuesday,

Gail

*Now I need to go say another little prayer that God would put in me a content heart and open my eyes to the blessings He already has before me! Dear Lord....HELP!

Outdoor Country Party

Ever since we moved into our little rental I've wanted to host an outdoor party. The patio between our back porch and garage serves as the perfect little place for stringing up some lights and having a party. So finally......after living here a year and a half.....we did just that. :)

Meet my "Little Big Sis", Grace:

She just turned the BIG 3-0,...but you'd never know it. She knows how to rock a 3-inch wedge and could be the cover girl for paper drinking straws. :)

I call her my "Little Big Sis" cause she's shorter (though older) than me....and she calls me her "Big Little Sis" cause I'm taller (though younger) than her. If you ask me, her nickname sounds waaay cooler. I've always been the "tall" one in my family cause all my sisters are just so short!! And I'm not even tall....I'm just an "average" 5'6"!!! :)

{Goofballs :) }

Gracie turning 30 provided the perfect opportunity to use our little patio for the party. It was so fun to put the party together for her (with the help of her family and friends) and to {hopefully} show her just how much she means to all of us.

{Flowers in a canning jar on the food table}

{Little guest at the party-my sweet little nephew, Levi}

{Drinks were served in jam jars}

{The beverage table:

peach tea, lemonade & water}

{Vintage fabric flag banner above the

food table}

{My sister Glenna}

{Sisters Gwen & Glenna with

Cole}

{The seating area. Old quilts were used as tablecloths

to create a more country feel}

{Grace & her husband, Aaron}

{8 years later and still going strong! :) }

{Gracie with her little man, Johnathan}

{My incredibly beautiful sisters,

Glenna & Greta}

{My Dad being, well....Dad :) }

{Gotta hydrate!

Paper straws source here}

{Dad & Cole....with his "deer in headlights"

look}

{Gracie's favorite: Angel Food Cake}

{We made the birthday girl cut her own cake.....

JK.... she wanted to!!}

It was a very casual evening but couldn't have been more fun. After the guests finished eating & drinking, we headed on inside to open gifts and look at old photos of Grace strung all over our living room using jute string & clothes pins. Ooohhh....the memories!

I've known my sister my whole life....so I barely have a memory of my childhood that she isn't also in. We shared a room together, told each other secrets, went through "awkward" phases of our growing up years together, saw each other with braces on, squirted pimples together, had silly sister fights, fought over boys, shared clothes (she wore my hand-me-downs cause I was taller :), and saw each other grow up. When she went to college I bawled my eyes out cause I had lost my best friend. Then she got married to the love of her life and I was her Maid of Honor. Then I went to college and she called me up and told me she was pregnant. We've shared a lot in our years together....marriage stories, unhealthy pregnancies, losses of children, healthy pregnancies & babies, moves, homemaking....and the list goes on. I could write a novel about all the little things I love about my sister....Gracie, are you listening?

I love my sister so much. You know they say, "you don't get to choose the family you are born into". Well....that may be true, but if I DID get to pick out the perfect older sister to "look up" to...

I would have still chosen her. :)

Happy 30th Birthday, Gracie! {again!}

Hugs,

Gail

Hydrangeas

The hydrangeas on my patio are in full bloom! I love their pom-pom blooms and light fragrance. To me, they're especially beautiful right after a light rain or sprinkling of the hose when their mop heads are slightly damp.

Each one of my hydrangeas are special to me because they mark a special time in my life. This one (above) was given to me by my Mother when I got engaged. Blue hydrangeas are my favorite flower and I used a lot of them in our wedding, so it was special to receive this from her. It makes me happy that it's lasted this long too! I hope to keep it alive for many years to come. ;)

Did you know that blue hydrangeas can range from light purple to dark blue depending on the acidity of the soil? The more acid {lower pH), the darker the color. Last year I would dump old coffee grounds on them and they were much darker and bluer. I'm enjoying the purple this year though!

This hydrangeas is also from my Mother and was given to me at Easter when we lived in our first apartment. I still have the dried blossoms that it produced that first year. {Thank you, Mom!}

This pretty pink variety was given to me by Matthew right before we moved from our 1st apartment. Moving is always a hard transition, but this little lady helped to soften the change.

Someday I'd love to have an entire hedge of pure hydrangeas in all varieties, but for now, I'm perfectly content with these beauties. ;) They bring gladness to my heart and remind me of The Gardener who does a much better job of taking care of them than I ever will.

Happy gardening to YOU!

Gail