the end of the fresh eggs.

A few weeks ago, a weasel (or two or three or four) got to all of the hens. None are left. Not a singe one, hence no more fresh eggs.

And since the eggs are gone and I seldom have had the energy to post all the parts of life I really wanted to. Add the home school year back in and blogging has really been moved to the end of my want-to-do list, so, I have decided to officially refrain from posting here. My lavender is still growing out back, so maybe one of these days, it will move back up on my priority list. I may occasionally post at Life on Chestnut Hill, our family blog, and I'll keep posting some photos on flickr.

Thank you for those who have stopped by. I hope you all have a lovely Autumn.

A photo from our last visit to Sweet Rose Farm, the CSA we are apart of.

zinnias, crafting and summer...

We have been picking cucumbers, beans, and a few peas, and lots of zinnias for a job the kids have for tomorrow. I had mad the small patchwork purse for a little friend this past weekend, when I was gathering the cards the kids had made for her, I quickly noticed the special touch Hannah had added to the letters on one of hers. Talia loved our cats when we visited, hence all the cats.

The shawl is my completed Ishbel. Raveled here. I think I would like to make another, maybe this winter... The pattern for the purse was from Patchwork Style. How to make the flower tutorial I found over at Wise Craft.

time just seems to disappear.

Swim lessons are over for the summer. They are always good, but it nice to reclaim our mornings. I can't remember a summer that I have enjoyed as much as I have this one. It started out perfect with our family trip to Kanakuk and since our return home, it has stayed that way. I have so enjoyed my time with all four of kids. I am dreading the thought of Hannah returning to school in less then a month and a bit less flexible schedule as we begin school officially at home.

The kids are with Grandpa and Grandma today. I'm heading to the Farmer's Market to pick up our share from Sweet Rose Farm CSA, and since I am childless for the morning, I may even get a chance for another spinning lesson. :) After that, I'm going to find some blackberries to pick.

*The lavender and veg are from my gardens. The second photo is proof that I still do knit! The butterfly and sunflower also from the gardens.

some of this week.

The flowers are all from my backyard. The kids have had several paid jobs making bouquets for funerals this summer. The last photo has our first week's share from our CSA. We joined really late-but I am really glad we did.

It has been a long week. Swim lessons began, my Mom came to visit (that was a fun day), the house is a mess because of all our coming and going and it just seems like I haven't had much time to fit in some of the good things.

summer is...

-stealing a few extra minutes for sewing.

-cutting flowers for a late breakfast after church.

dress pattern is from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. The fabric is also Heather Ross. The garland is similar to all those floating around in blog land and at Farm to Market Cafe.

garlic and Monday's...

I harvested garlic last week from the garden. I had never seen such huge garlic bulbs before. They are drying now. 

Monday's are always a catch up day from the weekend. The weather is a bit cooler here today-finally it feels like June and not mid-July. So this morning we'll be cleaning the little hens house and picking black raspberries. 

Now it's time for a late breakfast.

five senses friday

Thanks for the reminder Abby. It has been awhile, but here goes...

taste: -butter pecan ice cream with homemade sugared black raspberries

-fettuccini alfredo with shrimp

seeing: -the sweet new signs Mat designed hanging up around town

-pulling a lemon sandwich cake  out of my oven this afternoon

hearing: -the dryer running

-"will you iron my beads for me?" (major crafting going on in the heat of the day)

-sneezing (besides for the heat, allergies are back)

touching:- the swimming pool

-Heather Ross horses and sea horse fabric

- lots of weeds in the garden, pulling out mint

smelling: lavender and yarrow

-sweet basil 

-cilantro

Summer is...

Some yumminess.


A green snake. Spotted right next to a perfectly ripe black raspberry. I was brave enough to get close enough to snap a photo, not to grab the berry. I left the raspberry where it was at.


Mat's given Hannah a lesson or two. She is loving it.
*Hannah's headband pattern came from Heather Ross' "Weekend Sewing".

pickin' black raspberries.

In our part of Kansas, besides for the high humidity, it is the season for black raspberries. Unlike "normal" raspberries, black raspberries turn a deep purple when they are ready (the color of a blackberry), however when you pull them off the vine, the core stays attached to the plant, not the berry. (Photo of that maybe tomorrow).  Our plants grow wild, they seem to like to mix with the honeysuckle and poison oak. The honey suckle is lovely, however the poison oak causes us to wear blue jeans, and wash ourselves and clothes as soon as we trek back to the house. The berries are well worth it though. 

This morning after cleaning up, I made a batch of sugared raspberries from "How to Eat Supper" to enjoy later on.

Not black raspberries, but here is some of the lavender blooming in the garden right now. 

some sewing.

Most of my sewing projects get spread out to last days and sometimes weeks. I may cut out a pattern one day (sometimes more) and then cut out the pattern pieces from fabric another, and then store them in a giant zip lock bag until I can get to sewing them together. 

This dress for Alli only took about a week. I had the pattern cut out from before (from one of my Japanese craft books) and so all I had to do was iron the fabric (I had washed that before hand-the fabric was originally for a skirt).  And after looking at in it's bag for several days, I made some time to finish it up.

This morning, no time for sewing, we made our first trip out back to pick black raspberries...

good morning!

Have I mentioned that the summer issue of Small Magazine is online? 

today.

Today... struggling with restlessness, catching chicks, late as usual,  forgot about the scheduled oil change, piano practice a bit easier, surveying damage from the winds and rain, a trip to the pond, scared by a brown snake with a stripe down its body, a bit of sewing, time spent playing in a stream, and finally-almost bedtime.

So, I found a new favorite spot...

Farm to Market Cafe. And the brownies convinced the kids of the same thing. 

If you know me very well, you would know that I go to great lengths to cook with fresh and local products and from scratch so I know what is in what I'm eating. You would also know that I enjoy dessert more then any part of a meal, well except for a really great loaf of bread fresh out of the oven... So, when I find a place that serves fresh and local food and makes dessert? Well, whenever I can fit in a visit to this adorable spot, I will be. 

summer is...

VBS is finished, still catching up all over the place, but echoes,  is doing a "summer is" project. Since I tend to skip from one project to another, one thought to another... (like the rest of my days being Mom), why not try this one for a bit?

slowly.

unpacking, catching up on laundry, making bread, caring for the chicks again... get back to reality after an incredible week. More words and photos to hopefully come soon. 

summer vacation.

I'm starting family vacation in less then 24 hours. Hopefully when I return I'll have a bit of Ishbel to show. Have a super week!

five senses friday number 10

looking: hydrangeas

-weeds growing in my garden

-the Ishbel

-kids in their swim suits on the slip and slide

-the zoo last weekend

-these lovely photos

hearing: The House FM

tasting: -macaroons with ganache

-fresh strawberries from the garden

-coffee

feeling: lots of laundry and the handle of the vacuum cleaner :)

smelling: baby chicks (the good and the bad)

*dreaming of - a full couple days of sewing and knitting. Time to make new pillow cases, tackle a dress from Heather Ross and Threads, knitting a shawl, no weeds in my garden...

procrastination...

Today continues the saga of packing for a long vacation, and since my tea and bread with ganache is finished, I think I will cut a bit of my yarrow.  I am hoping to save enough to try dying some wool  later this year. (It is really procrastination, I can only fold so much laundry and clean so much without a good break.)

*One and a half bathrooms cleaned, more packing completed, macaroons made, another bedroom cleaned, chicken house cleaned, piano practices and lessons went super, time with my Mom- it's been a pretty good day.

hydrangeas, jammies and chickies.

The hydrangeas, small as they may be, have turned a lovely blue, jammie shorts have been made for all children and the chicks arrived yesterday.







Before "Weekend Sewing" arrived, I had other projects in mind to try first. However, the need for summer jammies, a vacation next week, and the great photos from Heather Ross' book made them the first project(s). The girls would all like matching tops, but for the sake of time I picked up a few tank tops to coordinate until I have a bit more time and a few other projects completed. 

*The fabric for Alli's shorts is also Heather Ross. I found it at Sew, Mama Sew.

Picking strawberries.

Action found over at Pioneer Woman. I have been hoping to find one like this.

After a day at the K.C. Zoo with the family, Mat and I picked 1lb. of strawberries. From our own garden- I love gathering from my own plot of land. Everything that needs to be planted is now in the ground. Now for some intense watering the next week before we head off to vacation.

Our chicks arrive Tuesday. I think I am ready... :)

Monday, Monday.

Right now our strawberries are turning red, the roses are blooming and I have an over-abundance of fresh eggs. Not to forget some lettuce and a garden that will hopefully dry out enough in the next couple of days to fill it with seeds and already started plants. Next week our new chicks arrive so I am really hoping to have everything in the ground before they do.

Well, hopefully, this is our last official Monday of our school year. I better get busy.