Summer Loves

I love the winter but my true love is really summer.  

It builds a nest right in my heart starting with those first little blossoms of spring, twig by twig. 

 

Lake Erie's gorgeous lighthouse dated 1872

We have been enjoying these long summer days that go by so quickly.  Taking mini-vacations or "daycations" as we've been calling them.

Last week we visited Erie, PA.  Presque Isle is a lovely park with bike trails, beaches, and bird watching.  The lake was so clear and everything was a beautiful blue.

Dino & Lydia exploring the shore.

 

I will be writing from time to time just not as often as I usually do.  Once school starts again, It will all be back to normal.

I have been sewing and promise there is a pumpkin patch growing in my studio with an update coming soon.

You can find a few new listings on the Primitive Gatherings today.

I felt like Cinderella working on these little mice!

Pumpkin Lady has been sold ~ thank you!

Both mice are sold ~ thank you!

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I'm trying to squeeze it all in here, since I don't know when I'll be back on the puker (as our friends little girl calls it).

Thought I'd share a very simple recipe for blueberry tart.

Being the season, I've been making a lot of these.

They can be made as fast as the oven takes to heat ~ love it!

Fresh Blueberry Tart

Crust:

1 Cup Flour

3 Tbsp Sugar

Pinch of Salt

1/2 Cup (1 stick) Butter, cubed

1 Tbsp Vinegar (I use apple cider)

Filling:

5 Cups Fresh Blueberries

1/2 Cup Sugar

3 Tbsp Flour

Juice from half Fresh Lemon (approx. 3 Tbsp)

Pinch of Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter.  Process until crumbly, like corn meal.  Stir in the vinegar.  Pour into tart pan and press evenly into bottom and up sides.  Place in refrigerator.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt, and  blueberries.  Squeeze lemon juice over berries and mix.

Remove tart shell from fridge and spoon in berry mixture.

Bake on cookie sheet for 50 minutes to an hour.  Mine always takes an hour.

  Let cool before serving.

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farmer's market

swimming

breakfast on the back porch

fresh picked berries

reading by the pool

(i just finished Donna Bell's Ladybug books!)

tag sales

campfires & roasted marshmallows
the beach

summer concerts

daylilies

picnics & bbq's

lightening bugs
warm evenings

garden tomatoes

drive-in movies

My summer loves...what are yours?

lazy daisy

It's been fun this past week with Lydia home. 

We were even inspired to make a summer to-do list like she saw (somewhere??) online. 

I hope we are able to get it all in!  Something tells me I'll be stuffing mice at the pool again this year.

I've been feeling a little burned-out from everything lately and decided to extend my time off for just a bit longer.

I'm not updating this month on either The Primitive Gatherings or Early Work Mercantile.  Back for those in July for sure. 

I'll be catching up on everyone's blog soon also!  I know I've missed so much but I just need to be away from the computer right now. 

Weird??.... 'cause I'm really am addicted to this thing.

See you soon!!!
love ~ Jenn

taking a break to garden

I'm taking a week off to get my house and garden finished.  Not that those things ever get finished but you know what I mean. 

It's also my birthday week and I thought I deserved a week of weeding for a nice present.  Those darn gardeners just aren't coming!!
 

I am so pleased with my cottage garden this year.  (you know how we like to show off our babies.)  It really has taken off and is looking more like its been there for a while all rambley and wild. 

Now if only I could get a pretty little thatched roof cottage....
                  

KEEP ON DREAMING Jenn.....

Have a great week.....until we meet again my friends. 

I'll miss ya!


Sunny hugs,
Jenn

p.s. Petunia did have babies!  We've had these two hopping around for the last week.  So tiny they could fit in your hand.  And yes I know that is poison ivy up there.  It's been a good year for that also!

Frogs in the Garden

really he's a toad but i thought frog sounded better in the title.

Going through my baskets to replant , I found this little guy under an old pot of dirt still stuck in there from last year...highly organized gardener that I am. 

I don't know how long or how he even got in there but he gave me such a start, I screamed - loud!!! 

He looks angry 

 "get outta my house!"

He now lives in here.  A highly secretive place so the kids won't find him and want to keep him as a hostage in their bedrooms.

He's been in and out of there for the last 3 days so maybe after 6 years of vacancy the frog house will have it's first boarder. 

Sunny hugs,
Jenn :)