Simplify

7 summer faves

It's over 100 degrees here in our happy little corner of the world, which means summer is in full swing.  Summer here is a little bit like winter everywhere else, it is so unbearable that you just stay inside for 8 weeks or so until you are completely stir crazy and ready for fall.  Of course, we get out to go swimming once in a while, but it is risky.  Have you seen how white I am?  The sun and I do not get along.  Aiden got that from me.

So, since I'm stuck inside for the next few months, I thought I'd compile a list of a few of my favorite things this summer... 

1. My aqua-ish flats from Target via Amazon (above).  Cute, comfy and lets face it, the perfect color.  

They match perfectly to my favorite aqua-ish necklace.  

Also, I really want them in red...

2.  Getting packages in the mail.  Today there was one from Target, and one from Ted.  Any guesses on which one was opened first?

Sorry Target, no contest.  It was full of French General and Sweetwater goodies.  

I'm working on some super secret stuff over here (gosh darn it I hate the secrets) and having a ball.  Here's a peek, but don't tell on me.

3.  The pretty new lantana that is growing in my yard.  Love the colors!  We planted some new stuff out in the yard for FHE on Monday (Family Home Evening= a little family activity {almost} every Monday night) Definitely better than the crispified snap dragons that had seen better days.  The yard looks so cheery.  Too bad its too hot to go out there, huh?

4.  Winchells.  I am hooked.  We used to be fans of Krispy Kreme, but Winchells has now taken that place in my heart.  Oh my gosh they are good...

5. Twitter.  Don't tweet?  Well, you should.  I'm afraid blogging has taken a backseat to this simple, quick, fun little... program(?).  I tweet from my phone, and I love it!  I think you all know of my (undying) love for my iPhone already, so I won't go there.  

6.  This nifty little lens cleaning pen thingy I found on Amazon.  No more fingerprints on my lenses/filters, and no more cleaning them up with my shirt (gasp!).  

7.  The way that my little man can kick back and relax.  I've mentioned this before.  And I'm still jealous.

Okay, well there you have it.  I have {many} more favorites but I'll save those for another day.  I'm off to enjoy a maple bar.

What are your summer faves?  Let's hear it...

One Happy Meal

Okay, you KNOW I never blog about cooking.  I rarely blog about food actually, as it just makes me feel guilty for not cooking more than... oh, once or twice a month (don't judge).  In fact, I don't usually read Bakerella because there are just too many delicious things to bake, and it makes me want to drop what I'm doing and go mess up one of her recipes.  But this... this I am absolutely dying over.   

 

You have to go check it out if you haven't already.  

All I ask is that if you make some, you send a few this way.  Deal? 

Drool away...

...jiggity jig

I think it is safe to say, I am traveled out.  Don't get me wrong, it has been a fantastic month and I wouldn't change a thing, but I am ready to be home for a little while.  This last weekend we went up to Idaho to see my little brother, Ryan, and new sister-in-law Breanna get married.  Yes, I was the obnoxious older sister who was standing behind the real photographer snapping away.  I took.... oh, 400 pictures or so??  Yikes.  

Anyway, it was a fun weekend, filled with everything that comes with a wedding, plus kids, cousins, sno cones, etc.  I heart Idaho.  Here's a coupla photos...

 

Now that I'm home?  It is back to work.  Times 100. Plus 5.  I've got deadlines all over the place, a disastrous sewing room to tackle and a sewing machine that is begging to be dusted off since all the market madness.  Oh, and the fabric.  OH the fabric.  It is just begging to be cut up and sewn back together...  

In other news, there were a few things I've been meaning to tell you, things you definitely need to know.  

*Sandy Gervais (yes, THE Sandy Derbais or something like that ;-) has started a blog.  So do your thing, bookmark, google reader it, whatever you need to do.  She's awesome.  

*Speaking of awesome, the girls over at Sweetwater, also known as the masterminds behind the new au*then*tic collection that we are all swooning over, have started a blog as well.  So do your thing over there as well.  Did I mention they are awesome?  I got these quilt labels from then a few days ago and have since been trying to cook up some great reason for them to send me 10 zillion more.  Are they not the cutest thing ever? (and did I mention you could win some?) Thanks girls! 

*Also last week I got a surprise in the mail from Beth that just made my day.  It has found a home in my sewing room and I think it will live there happily for a very long time.  Thanks Beth!  Aqua red, and green?  You know me well.  :-)

One more thing, I'm jabber-ing over at the Jolly Jabber again today.  Pretty exciting stuff, check it out here.  Thanks for having me, Kimberly, Jocelynilla and crew!

Okay, okay, seriously, back to work.  Have a good one!

*one more thing... THANKS for all the birthday wishes.  You girls are so great!  I really am a lucky girl to have friends like you...

Apparently, I'm very easily distrac...

26

Yep, its true.  I'm another year older.   To celebrate, I'm wearing red polkas and my favorite new aqua necklace from Chicago,  

enjoying my freshly painted guest room, 

and kickin' my feet up and drinkin' a DP from Sonic.

Yes, I know what I said, but it's my birthday.  Don't judge.  And no worries, I'll quit again tomorrow.

So, yep, 26 years since this day, which just happens to be my mom's birthday too.  Pretty cool, huh?

Happy Birthday Mom!  Thanks for bringing me into this crazy world, and for not selling me to the gypsies 20 years ago.  Much appreciated.  ;-)  Love you!

And thank you to all of you, who through phone calls, emails, posts, tweets and delicious Dr. Pepper have made me feel special today.  I'm a lucky girl.

Whew!

I'm back!  Again.  It seems I've been gone an awful lot lately, and have one more trip coming up in a week or so, but this trip was one purely for fun, and gosh was it fun!  I met up with Lissa and Joanna in the Chicago airport, which is where we started talking.  We talked and talked while shopping in Armitage.

Met up with Stephanie (a lovely Moda rep) and talked all through a delicious dinner.

Attended the Country Living Women Entrepreneurs event and listened to others talk (it was fantastic, by the way).

Talked some more about photography,

talked while practicing our photography skills on Navy Pier,

talked till at least 3:30 each night, and talked all through the airport on the way home. 

That's a lot of talking.  And laughing.  And more laughing.  I learned a lot, in fact.  Maybe too much.  ;-)  Quite honestly, the most fun I have had in a long time, and I have a lot of fun.  Definitely a much needed break from all the craziness of life.

Thank you SO much for letting me tag along girls!

I speaking of talking, sortof, thank you for all of your comments on the Moda Love giveaway post!  I loved reading through all your comments, and hope to visit some of your blogs here in the next week or so to say hello.  How sweet are you?!

The randomly selected Moda Designers were Me and My Sister and Sweetwater, so the Honey Bun winners are:

1.  Valerie who can't snap her fingers and makes darling camera straps

and

2.  Whitney T from Missouri who has excellent taste in Target bedding

And since there were so many of you who were sweet enough to mention me and my mom as your favorites, we thought we'd pick a few more winners and send a few patterns your way.  

So the winner of 3 Thimble Blossoms patterns is:

Liz Martig who is moving in 4 weeks 

And the winner of 3 Cotton Way patterns is:

Heidi who is worried about her quilting time being cut in half now that school is out

Congrats girls!  Email me your info (camille(at)thimbleblossoms(dot)com) and these goodies will be on their way.

Thanks again, everyone!!  We'll have to do this again sometime.  Soon.  You know I love giveaways! (Psst... speaking of which, you better go check this one out at Lanie Jane's!)

And to you Chicago girls, next year, what do you say? :-)