Happy 2013!!!

It's going to be a good year.....it already is!  Here it is already the middle of January and I am finally getting around to posting.  We spent NYE staying up well past midnight.  We celebrated with friends and family.  Watched the fireworks that went off in San Francisco, from Tiburon.  Fabulous!

Some pretty pillows I made for a Christmas gift...

 



*So sorry this New Years post is late......better late than never...hahhaa....I had typed it up and forgot to post it, way back when.*

And just like that, 2012 is almost over!

 We had the best Christmastime, ever!  Really and truly!  (well, at least it was the best twenty-twelve Christmas) I just love spending time with my brothers and sister in loves, and their precious little ones....we all get along great and have the best of times!  Wish we all lived closer, so we could get together on a weekly basis!  It's difficult having family spread out all across the globe.  I am thankful for friends that are like family!  We had the best Christmas Eve bash at our place again this year....and a cozy Christmas breakfast with family!  Lots of family and friends, and then a special Christmas Day with family the next day......baking, eating, gifting, games and cozying up by the fire.





Persimmon cookies that I made from Dad and Mom's fresh persimmons.  They have two persimmon trees!  I plan on posting the recipe very soon.



Sure enjoyed watching this amaryllis bulb grow and bloom all month.



My littlest one made her own gluten-free gingerbread house, all by herself!  I am so proud of her!  (I whipped up the icing, and handed the oven for her) but she designed and built it all on her own.



I loved sewing up these beautiful tablecloths with Sisboom fabrics! We had two pretty tables filled with beautiful family and friends!

Party weekend

 Bring on the summertime!  Birthday parties on the patio in the evening........lots of yummy food to eat!  Pretty roses for the tables.....





This delightful and fresh summer salad.  The recipe is basically fresh corn, purple onion, red bell pepper and cilantro!



These cute little goldfish joined our family this week.

Happy Friday!

This is my magic sunflower!  It's the weirdest thing....I have had a bouquet of sunflowers for two weeks now, and the rest of the flowers all did their pretty dance for one week and then passed on....with the exception of this beauty.  It has out lasted the rest by one week, and is still going strong!



Love having a continual bowl full of cherries throughout the summer!
Happy Friday, peeps!  It's anniversary and birthday weekend around here!

Happy cherry day!

 Cherries and pretty new birthday bowls!



Today is a happy, sunny day!!!!!!!!!!!! I am being spoiled by my loving family with flowers, cards, and gifts!  I just love this time of the year.....sunshine, new blossoms, flowers, and the fresh scent of grasses and blossoms in the springtime air.

Happy day, everyone!

Happy St. Paddy's Day

What are you doing to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

I will be making this bread, pretty soon.....along with some Irish Stew!

Happy heart day!

Festive Findings

Lots of busy, bustling, fun filled days......we went across the Golden Gate yesterday,and it was gorgeous out! Lots and lots of sunshine.













Busy times at the sewing machine, making pretty gifts. I can't show anything much before Christmas, so hopefully I will do some holiday posts later on. Hope you are having fun, festive days and lots of sunshine and cheer.

Feeling Thank FULL

for........

my family
faith in God
friends
good health
TWO tables full of family and friends at my house for Thanksgiving dinner
a cozy, warm house
my new white sheets
lots and lots of yummy food
my sewing machine
my oven
a kitchen full of organic ingredients to cook and bake with
and so much more!





Had fun sewing this pretty new table runner ....... still loving Laura Gunn's fabric.









I had a lot of fun making little burlap bags, and stamping everyone's name on them. We filled the bags with nuts, chocolate coins, ginger chews, a mandarin orange, and bouncy balls for the kids.



We ate way, too, much! Lots of fresh, delicious homemade goodness! We always follow up with dessert and fun games. What a wonderful, memorable time!

Happy Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, Canadian style! Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October. It is a few weeks earlier than the traditional American Thanksgiving. Canadian Thanksgiving coincides with the American holiday, Columbus Day.



I baked a yummy apple cake for dessert, gluten-free!





Have a wonderful day!

Happy Labor Day!

What are you doing for Labor Day?

We've been eating a bit of this,



.......and sipping a bit of that.



Iced tea - Lemonade with fresh fruit (on ice)



Apple Plum Crumble

8 freshly picked apples (I used Gravenstein) peeled and sliced
4 ripe plums, sliced (do not peel)
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 tablespoons tapioca starch

Toss the ingredients together in a bowl, and pour the mixture into your pie dish.

Topping:

1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), softened
dash of sea salt
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Stir all ingredients together and use your hands to squeeze and knead the dough together. Crumble the topping over the top of the apple mixture. Pat down, lightly. Put in oven and bake for 35 minutes at 350 F.

We ate half of the dessert while it was bubbling hot, with vanilla ice cream on top (it melts into the dessert, deliciously) It tastes good chilled, as well.

What we ate on the fourth of July

My sweet husband made supper, and I made these for dessert......



They are basically biscuits, sprinkled with sugar on top....let them cool, slice them in half and dump a blob of whipped cream and your favorite berries inside.....we had peaches, strawberries and raspberries. Ours were gluten-free, of course!



I'd say we fare sumptuously in our house. There's always room for dessert!

Oh, and happy 4th of July!

I am so glad to be living in the US of A!



I am so thankful for the freedom of our land, and for all the men and women that have made it possible for us to enjoy our freedom. After living in another Country for a few years, I have to pinch myself every time I see fireworks, and hear the star spangled banner. I'm so glad I'm here!

Happy fourth of July, everyone! What are you doing today?



We've been enjoying lots of yummy food and watermelon, poolside. It's another HOT day.

Pretty flowers bring big smiles

So, my birthday was last month, but I didn't get a chance to post these gorgeous roses and flowers! Just before my birthday, I woke up with the sorest throat and swollen glands. By the end of the day, I could not swallow with out wincing and experiencing a lot of pain. Hard to eat, and talk, etc.....a long time ago, when I was a kid, we used to pick up strep throat from the swimming pool, during the summertime. One summer, we kids all had strep throat back to back for an entire month....even poor Momma got sick. I remember we kids getting over it, just in time for our trip to the cabin, up in the mountains. We literally tagged the door of the cabin, and had to turn around and come home, because Mom was so sick with strep throat. Poor thing! Man, we kids were sure bummed out! So yep, you know where I am going with this......my worst fears confirmed, I had strep throat! Where did it come from this time?! Thankfully, I was the only one in the house to get the nasty crud. The month of May came and went, and I hardly had a chance to enjoy my birthday month. My sweet husband brought home these gorgeous red roses, the day before my birthday, and even stopped at this cute little home and garden shop and got a darling little vase (the one with the red roses....there are six little tiny glass vases all in a circle with a metal handle going up the middle of the circle of vases) that I had my eye on for the past year. Now that cheered me up!

Hoping to at least see a glimpse of the sun, since June is here! If I am counting right, I have worn winter sweaters and boots for 8.5 months out of the year. Not normal for this part of the world! Not normal!

We're making the best of it, though.

Best Mother's Day ever!

Mother's Day is one of those holidays that just can't be celebrated in one day. I want to celebrate Mother's Day everyday. I believe that being a better mother myself, makes for a happier family, happier home life. This is what I strive for each and every day. I want to be the best mother for my children. To laugh with them, to love them, to cherish the good with the bad.



I am so thankful for my own mother who taught me how to love and to be a giver. It's my mother that gave me my first sewing machine(s), taught me to bake bread, to cook, to garden, went for walks with me before I could even walk! Took me across the street to feed the neighbors Shetland ponies.

I made my sweet Momma this vase cover, that I fell in love with, over here. It's a great way to use up your gorgeous scraps that you just can't throw away. I ironed my fabric pieces onto fusible interfacing. (The stiff, heavy kind of interfacing.)



I hope all you mother's had the best Mother's Day weekend!

Easter Schmeaster

Bunny eggs made by the little ones......



Pretty flowers for the table



Something fresh and sweet to eat! Juicy and ripe strawberries from the local farmer's market.




We snitched a few before slicing them to put on top of chocolate cupcakes! Delish!
Who could resist some organic, juicy, AND sweet strawberries?!