Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Pineapple Mango Salsa




I got the recipe here.

Make it--it's good.
Like, really really really good.
You can thank me later~


Monday, June 28, 2010

Turkey Vultures


In our neck of the woods we have quite a few turkey vultures, and hawks, and wild turkeys, and deer, and and and...it's just that kind of place. So, one day while I was out lounging on the deck while my little one was playing I noticed this up in the sky:
Hello!! I am alive down here, please stop circling me.

Well, he wasn't really up in the sky,
more like just above the treetops right over me.
I pinched myself just to make sure I hadn't died whilst lounging. It hurt, so I was still alive (phew) and had a bruise to prove it (ow). I moved around just so he wouldn't land next to me and start pecking.
lord bless us and save us, can you imagine??
He wasn't convinced.
What can I say? It was hot out, he probably thought I was a beached whale...
See that little speck in the clouds? That's another one. I guess it was lunchtime.
Finally he got the idea that this restaurant was closed and he would not be eating here today. Just stick with the highways buddy, there is always something lying around there.

See you later...
and away he flew~

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Pinecone Birdfeeder Part Deux


Remember this?
Well, it didn't last long.

See this guy?
yeah, you! I'm talking to you!!

He wanted that peanut-butter birdseed coated pinecone
and he wanted it BAD.
He's a menace that guy.
He likes to climb atop our bird feeder and eat all the bird seed.
ALL.OF.IT. IN.ONE.SITTING!!!
Sometimes I let the dog out, just to scare him away so there is some seed left for the birds. You should see him jump then! It's amazing how these squirrels can balance on the teeniest tiniest branches. It's like cirque de soleil in our own backyard. Wildlife edition.

Anyway, like I said, he wanted the pinecone that little hands made and he got it. I didn't see him in action, but I can only imagine he jumped on it and fell to the ground with the pincone in his grubby little hands and made off with it to his secret lair.

This is all that is left:

Monday, June 21, 2010

Pinecone Birdfeeder



My daughter has been dying to make a pine cone bird feeder ever since she saw it on one of her shows.
She likes all that DIY stuff!
We found a pinecone at the park and brought it home and had at it.

peanut-butter:
hello!!! save some for the pinecone!! sneaky sneaky!!

bird seed:


All you have to do is smear peanut-butter all over the pinecone and then dip it in the bird seed.
This is what it should look like:
Easy peasy lemon squeezy...

Make sure you tie some yarn/string around the tip of the pinecone before you start the smearing of peanut-butter.
Then find a branch and tie it around nice and tight!
Sit back and let it swing
Then, after you've taken a few photos of a swinging pinecone bird feeder turn around and catch your daughter letting the dog clean off her peanut-butter


yum! can we make another one??





Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Foyer


Remember when I bought this?

Well, I tried it around a few different places and it ended up right where it started.
In the foyer.
I like it there. It serves its purpose.
I really like the piece I am just not crazy about it against that
wall color.

The wall color in my kitchen is green and this piece of furniture looked great against the green color. There just wasn't enough room--it looked too crowded. I would have had to rearrange a lot of things to make it fit and I did not feel like going through all that trouble. The kitchen needs to be redone anyway (probably next year) so I didn't want to change it too much now just for one little piece of furniture only to take it out again when we redo the kitchen.

Anyhoo...to make it look pretty in the foyer I searched for a picture to put above it to bring out some of the colors in the piece.

I found one and I think it looks pretty good.

It definitely helps bring out some of the purple and pink hues in the flower details, although I am not sure you can really tell in these photos.

I love the photo I chose. It makes me smile every time I look at it.

What do you think?

Friday, June 11, 2010

Wedding


Remember when I said I was on my way home from a wedding? No? Well, I mentioned it here.
I am going to talk a little about the wedding.
Yes, yes, yes...the bride looked gorgeous and the groom looked handsome.

Simply gorgeous!

Some of these were consumed:

People held hands under the table.
Cute!
I just thought of something! What if they didn't come together? What if it's a secret love? Oohh...holding hands under the table...naughty naughty!!

Anyhoo...back to the wedding...

Manicures were compared.

There was even a bagpiper. Because, well, that's just how we roll.
Oh, you take the high road and I'll take the low road and I'll be in...
oh, ahem. sorry. I got a little carried away there. Bagpipes have that effect on me.


BUT, the main reason I want to talk about this wedding is because of this:
It was served at the Rehearsal Dinner. Caprese Salad.
It looked so good I just had to take a picture of it. It was delicious.
I wish they had served me a few plates of this.
I don't need no fancy steak or fish, just bring me plates of tomatoes and mozzarella please!

I will always look back fondly on this wedding because of this salad.



Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Monticello


We were recently in Nashville for a wedding.
We drove down (which I will probably NEVER do again--
not until the little one is at least 21).
On the way home we decided to stop in Virginia and visit the home of Thomas Jefferson.


Monticello

It is a beautiful home and I would like to build one for myself.
Anyone have a 3000 acre plot of land they want to unload??

In the meantime I am just going to pretend that it is my home.
Just call me Martha.

The view is amazing.
Don't you think?

This was Jefferson's thinking chamber:
That's what I named it. Not sure what the official name is.
I like Thinking Chamber.
And since I now own it I can rename it if I want to!

Wouldn't you like one?

When you look out the window this is what you see:
Gorgeous.

These are my gardens:
Gardens on the right. Vineyards on the left.

Let's just say I will be eating al fresco ALL.THE.TIME.



This is the family gravesite:
Jefferson's headstone:
He is buried alongside his wife and children.
Only 2 of his 6 children survived into adulthood.
(Don't quote me on that, although I am pretty sure I am right).

This one made me smile and weep at the same time.

The circle of life