sheppard girls

treats

The big one and the little one have sisters over for a playdate. 

The little sister of the other family told me, "You are so nice, our mom never gives us treats like this!"

They are never going to be allowed to come over here again.

Grrrr

Even though the dad assures me it is not a conspiracy, I have my doubts.

1. The roof cleaning people cancelled for the third time so we still haven't had our roof sealed.  They didn't replace the outside pots they ruined either.

2. The six month old coffee-maker broke, although Cuisinart was really nice and sent me a new one quite quickly.  Yea Cuisinart!

3. We have had a KitchenAid stove for about three years, for the first year, the front panel continued to short out and we were without a stove or oven for weeks at a time.  It was finally resolved after unnumeral service visits.  Guess which off switch didn't work with a chicken in the oven at 400 degrees tonight? 

4. We have also have had the most expensive KitchenAid dishwasher made for about two years.  We have had two service calls every month since January and it still isn't cleaning the dishes. 

5. As previously mentioned we are planning a kitchen remodel and guess who won't be buying any more Kitchenaid appliances?  I actually intend on being the most level headed but persistent customer they have ever met. 

Eat your vegetables

I was talking to a friend on the phone the other night and she was asking what we were having for supper.  I was complaining that nothing yet, because I hadn't come up with an inspiration. 

Then I walked into the kitchen and saw what the dad had made me from our CSA box finding.  Love that guy.

Summer reading

My blog reading goes in cycles, I think depending upon what I am currently obsessed with.  Right now I am obsesses with redoing our family room.  We are planning a kitchen remodel, which will begin with cabinetry and crown molding in the adjoining family room, so I can move this cabinet

into the playroom (dining room) so it can become more of a studio for me.

The family room has a fireplace that has never been used, because of undisclosed fire damage to the flue.  Thanks house inspector! 

I am working on the mantle decorations too.  I am looking for more old cream colored frames for the very large pictures I have leaning up there, but I am afraid my usual vintage accessory stores will begin to think I am strange because of my many many trips wandering through.  The cabinets will include a new mantle, so I hope to get rid of this rustic slivery one.  What is the purpose of that?!  And a gas insert.  Man are they ugly.

Because of our ongoing water and mouse problems in the basement, I can't move our existing sofa down there, so I am having it slipcovered in dark grey linen, with a tiny ruffle.  Like most things around here, I am not quite sure the slipcover guy understands my vision.  Really tiny ruffle, with the legs still showing.  Can I draw it for you?

I am getting so much inspiration from Making It Lovely, Design Sponge, Decor8, and Sfgirlbythebay  But I am stuck on rugs.  I wish I could hire a designer to find me the perfect, inexpensive summery rug, but I think hiring a designer, defeates the goal of inexpensive.

First day of summer

Today, tomorrow, I am never quite sure which?!  My first day of summer also means my peonies are blooming.

These are all from my grandmas garden. 

I wish I had sunny space for ten more.

The newspaper has an article this week about a giant peony garden at an historic house in our suburb, and we drove by it on the way home from soccer this evening.  Even from a distance, it was amazing.

P.S. I am sure the dad would like me to clarify, that he took these pictures, with my new camera, which was a much needed birthday present.

Busy days

In the next five days we have two birthday parties, a retirement party, my sister and her family are arriving for a visit and I am in charge of vacation bible school crafts.  Yikes.

The dad's father is retiring and the big party is tonight.  I am so proud of my gift idea.  An engraved fishing reel.  I am not much into fishing, but isn't the reel pretty?  It isn't at all like the ones I remember from fishing bullheads as a kid.

The big one is turning 9 tomorrow.  If you remember, I had the brilliant idea of getting her a bunch of gifts to encourage her love of design.  The dad had the idea to get her a Wii.  Guess what is sitting in our mudroom right now?

I am co-chairing the carnival at the girls elementary school in the fall.  We have been having lots of meetings recently, and all the other moms have cool necklaces.  So I took matters into my own hands.  Or more accurately, the hands of Lisa Leonard.

I am also doing the current Poppytalk Handmade sale.  At last glance, I was next to Mahar Dry Goods.  They are so awesome.  That can't go well.

From her closet to mine

This is the pile of fabric my sister doesn't want anymore.  Sometimes it pays to know someone as crazy as you.

Two birds with one stone

I am very behind on baby gifts.  You know you are behind, when the gift you planned to give is now too small for the baby because the baby is now six months old. 

I am also very behind on updating my Etsy shop.

So I am getting two things done at once.  After these are photographed and listed for sale, they are off to the sweet babies.

CSA, box one

Our first CSA box arrives this Thursday.  I love our CSA.  When we started last year, we committed to eating whatever came in the box.  We did pretty good, but one meal featuring kale, was enough.  This is an excerpt from our subscriber email this week.

Your first box will be available Thursday, June 5th.  The bounty is very light in these early boxes because we begin early especially so we can share the Spring delight of asparagus with you. Don't worry! Our fields are full and beautiful and your boxes will quickly be getting fuller and heavier as the season progresses.

Here's what is likely in the box this week:

 

Red Oak Leaf Lettuce ~ one gorgeous head ~ so delicious

Bagged salad mix ~ a delicious mix of baby lettuces with some tender spinach leaves

Asparagus ~ one pound for Grande shares and one half pound for Chica shares ~ so sweet

Bunched Radishes ~ a small bunch (if they haven't gotten too big ~ they came on pretty early)

Green Garlic ~ if we can't give the radishes, we'll include this instead (if we do give radishes, you'll get the green garlic next week)

 

Yea!

Little things

I can't tell you how excited I am about this little home improvement item. 

These are our old front door knobs.  They are hideous.  Truth be told, they matched all the other shiny brass fixtures in our house.  Also hideous.

This is our new door knob.  It is simple and lovely.  The guy at Home Depot said replacing a door knob was one of the easiest home improvements and would only take a screw driver and about 40 minutes.  These knobs took a wide variety of tools, and 4 hours over three weekends.  I didn't actually do the work, but I am certain it was completely worth it.  I hate to tell the dad I am hoping to change out the rest of door knobs as well.