Yesterday I spent the majority of my day in the kitchen. It rained in the morning so I figured, why not get an early start on canning some fruits and vegetables. I cleaned my farmhouse kitchen twice, canned dill pickles for the first time, and then got some peaches into mason jars, too. I’m inspired to cook…
Today I have such a fun and cute house to share with you! Touring this charming home will put a smile on your face and you’ll soon understand why Krista calls her blog, The Happy Housie. The cheerful colors in each cottage style room will leave you feeling light-hearted and happy as you enjoy each room….
If you’re an avid gardener looking to do something a little different, you might want to consider adding a water garden to your landscape so you can enjoy the many varieties and colors of beautiful water lilies. There’s something so special about these colorful jewels. (All photos courtesy of Aquascape, Inc.) I have to confess…
When the kids were little our favorite place to vacation was Hilton Head Island. I love that island with its graceful palmetto trees, saw grass beaches, and beautiful coastal homes. Like Hilton Head living, coastal style decorating is carefree and beach-inspired. For today’s Humpdays with Houzz, I’ve rounded up 5 ideas for adding coastal style…
Sweet potatoes in July? Sure, why not? Sweet potatoes are available year-round but typically eaten in the fall. They’ve been stereotyped as a holiday food but I love ’em and enjoy them any time of the year. I especially like them baked in the skin but decided to try something different. I wanted to braise…
We’ve been having some fabulous weather here in the Midwest … enough rain for the garden and plenty of sunshine to enjoy. Of course, this means the weeds are growing like gangbusters and in order for me to get out in the garden as much as possible, I need to simplify things indoors. As part of…
When I started this Charming Home Series of beautiful home tours, I knew that JoAnne at A Pocketful of Blue would be one of the features. I’ve been reading her blog ever since I started blogging myself. We share a love for the color blue … especially when it’s paired with white. Her home embraces…
Sunny days, warm breezes, fresh air, and colorful flowers. These are just a few of the reasons why summer is my favorite season. But most of all … I love the riotous color of flowers blooming in the garden and alongside country roads. To inspire you, I’m sharing 10 summer flower arrangements that are easy…
When I became a vegetarian several years ago, it forced me to try new foods since I didn’t want to eat the same old veggies day in and day out. About a year ago I added a small bit of fish back into my diet so technically I’m a pescetarian. I try to eat seasonal foods…
This summer we’re working more on the outside of our house, which includes painting it … ugh! But I’m also lending a critical eye to our garden spaces. I’ve always wanted a cottage style garden … you know, that riotous floral look with foxgloves stretching high and daisies spilling out of a picket fence. So…
Normally I don’t do a lot of patriotic decorating for 4th of July. Not because I’m unpatriotic, but because summer is always busy and we usually go to someone else’s place to celebrate the holiday. But the other day I found a patriotic bunting and some flags and yadda yadda yadda … I now have a…
One of my favorites bloggers not only has a gorgeous home filled with charming traditional elegance, but she’s a lovely lady with a sweet spirit, loads of decorating skills, and she takes great photos too! Hard to believe all that talent comes in one package but you’ll see what I mean when you visit Yvonne…
Last week a group of us bloggers hosted a Fun in the Sun linky party along with a $250 cash giveaway! Congratulations to Danette D who was the lucky winner of the giveaway! I’d also like to extend a thank you to everyone who linked up their Fun in the Sun summer projects. There was…
We’ve been getting buckets of rain this past week and it’s great for the garden! Rainwater has many nutrients and is always better for your plants than tap water from the hose. After a recent rain I grabbed my camera and 35 mm lens and ventured outside to capture photos of my perennial flowers in…
Just 5 miles from my house is an amazing winery and restaurant that serves award-winning Illinois wines. Can you believe it? Award winning wine from Illinois? The first time we ate there I was sure the wine would be a little lacking … but it’s amazingly good. Acquaviva Winery also has a fabulous Caesar salad that left me…
Lately I’ve been doing a lot of summer decorating in the house, so I thought I’d take a little break and make a simple summer banner. Last Christmas I purchased a chipboard banner and decided to try something similar for summer. So today I’m going to show you how to make a simple garden banner…
