Purple Coneflower

Cherry Picking

The bounty of summer keeps giving. Several years ago my mom planted Nanking Bush Cherries. Unfortunately the birds ate all of the cherries last year. This year she had an overabundance of fruit.

Nanking cherries are smaller and tarter than the sweet varieties sold at the grocery store.

My mom and I agreed to a barter: I helped her pick the fruit and she would give me cherry jam!

You cannot get any more local than your own (or your family's) backyard.

Queen Anne's Lace

Sweet Lavender Dreams

A few weeks ago I harvested a basketful of lavender. My mom dried it for me in her dehydrator. Now, I am picking the fragrant blossoms off of the stalk. It's slow work, but rewarding. My fingers smell of lavender and sweet dreams.

It's a peaceful meditation.

Knapweed

A Beautiful Mess App Review

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you know that I recently bought the iPhone 5.

Tweet

My HTC Evo was over three years old, and it was time for a new phone. I like the iPhone's size and the balanced specs (and I will blog about my choice of Apple over Android soon).

I have been on an app downloading spree. Most of the apps I've downloaded are free, but I noticed that one of my favorite blogs, A Beautiful Mess by Elsie and Emma, released an image manipulation app by the same name.

At $.99, A Beautiful Mess allows users to add fun borders, doodles, filters, and text to images. Afterwards the image can be shared via social networks Instagram, Twitter, Facebook (using hashtag #ABeautifulMess), or emailed.
 

Image created using A Beautiful Mess

I found resizing the type and doodles to be tricky, but the end result is worth it. One thing to note is that while the app only costs $.99, users could easily spend over $10 buying expansion packs. Overall I really liked the app, and I recommend supporting these lovely ladies.


The app is designed for both iPhone and iPad. An Android app is being developed and should be available soon.

A Beautiful Mess, $.99

Girl's Night at Beads to Live By

My friend Suzanne invited me to make a necklace at a Girl's Night at Beads to Live By a few weeks ago. Although I did not know most of the women well, it was a fun, intimate night filled with laughter.

The necklace we made was a long, single strand that can be doubled. We were given different glass jars of bead soup to search for our treasures. I choose neutral shades of bronze, brown, and topaz.

Transformation by Sandhill Crane Vineyards

We shared pizza, veggies, brownies, and wine while we worked on our projects. I usually drink white wine, but I enjoyed Transformation by local vineyard Sandhill Crane Vineyards. It was sweeter and less dry than other reds I've tried.

Cassandra, the owner of Beads to Live By, was patient with our frustrations. She gave us design tips and encouraged us to have fun with our bead choices.

With a history of crimp bead failure (and beads flying everywhere) I usually avoid them. Cassandra explained cheaper crimp beads don't work as well, and I couldn't resist buying a few with a couple strands of new beads.

All of our necklaces were unique. I love how mine turned out. I am going to make a purple necklace for my mom's birthday at the end of the month.

Motif

July Fourth Weekend

Vacation has been a wonderful combination of relaxation and fun. Matt and I spent four days in Ludington with my family. We saw fireworks on the beach, ate grilled food, rode bikes, and enjoyed the sun on the beach and in a pool.

 Here are a few vacation photos I uploaded to my Instagram:

Home away from home.

Morning birdsong.

 

 

Waiting for dusk.

Sargent Sands.

Clear waters.

And a couple from my sister Jeannine's Instagram:

Champagne on the beach!

I have a knack for not looking at the camera.

The best part is I don't return to work until Thursday so I have a few more days to relax.

How was your July Fourth?

Kiwi Flower