hello september// grateful

Isn't it grand to be getting into the Fall months? As a knitter and cold weather lover, this is my favorite time my year (if only it would get chilly enough to break out the cardigans and cowls!!).
You already know this, but my wedding planning schedule has filled nicely! This month marks the beginning of my wedding related activities and travels, and I am so excited about what they all will bring. I'm so grateful to be looking at a month filled with wedding details, good conversations that go late into the night, boating in the sound, swimming and walks on the beach, waking to the sound of the water, breathing in the salty air---okay, I'll stop with the ocean themed sentence now, but you get the idea. :)

What does September bring for you?

As I think through August and all that has happened since last months post, I'm so grateful for

..... sweet times of fellowship
..... the unknowns and questions in life that keep me on my knees in prayer
..... sisters, who are also my very best friends
..... horseback riding! It has officially been added to my list of relaxing things to do (along with vacuuming,                rearranging furniture, putting fresh sheets on a bed, and going for long walks, just saying)
..... gaining a new friend
..... sweet friends who get engaged and ask me to help with their weddings
..... my girlfriend, who is almost like a sister, and the friendship we share
..... tall friend who lovingly places me into her heart and pocket, taking me to visit exciting, new places
..... new babies
..... wise counsel from dear friends who are practically family
..... the Neal's (totally miss them!)

of english pillowcovers and avocados

{Burlap Pillowcover---England Flag} 

Well, hullo everyone!
The past few weeks have been filled with watching children, a wee case of bronchitis, driving around downtown Austin (love doing that), estate sales, eating a Democrat at Torchy's Tacos (great place to congregate!), meeting new and wonderful people, and spending late nights talking. :)
How about you?

Today I posted the above throw pillow, yes friends, my very own curtsy to the plethora of hits I received after this Union Jack post, who knew those simple words would cause that much traffic?? So, I figured that creating a shop item with an English theme would be the best way to acknowledge those 45+ hits a day.
I really enjoyed creating my own version of St. George's Cross, in fact, this could be the beginning of a beautiful, flag-reproducing relationship...

What flag do you think should be next?

In other news, the avocado seed is growing marvelously! What was once a homegrown, California avocado is now a budding plant, contentedly shooting out of a depression glass on our kitchen windowsill.
Now to research what to do next!

Have a beautiful week.

new tidings

{vintage inspired dessert pedestal---spot on floral} 

We're taking a brief break from our regular blogging schedule to fill you in on a few of the happenings.
First, I wanted to show you the new listings in the etsy shop! If you've been looking for a dessert pedestal or place to lay your keys, our new vintage inspired dessert pedestal will do the trick! Perfect for dainty delectables or any collections of items, these two dessert stands are sturdy, upcycled, and quite vintage.

{floral whimsy} 

As always, we love doing international shipping and gift wrapping, so please let us know in a message or "note to seller" if you require either/both---we're very happy to oblige!

{nursing cover---amy butler lou lou} 

Also new in the etsy shop is yet another hip, fun nursing cover! Don't you think Amy Butler fabrics make breastfeeding in public so fashionable? We are really loving the stormy grey/warm pumpkin combination, the light blue adds an interesting dynamic to the fabric.

As I were listing this item, I realized how many different names there are for this one item!
Nursing cape, nursing cover, breastfeeding apron, hooter hider, and breastfeeding cover just to name a few;
what do you like to call them?

This week I'll be meeting with a few people to discuss an upcoming work opportunity (more on that later) and preparing for a baby shower, among other things (like chasing little munchkins, having tea parties, eating raw macaroons, making biscotti, and braiding hair). Around this time last year, I was preparing for the bridal shower of a sweet friend, now I am preparing a baby shower for the same friend---it's very sweet. :)
Also, I am working on a few projects for my crafty partner in the Oh, Hello Friend Shop Swap; this will be my first and I've really enjoyed it so far, pictures to come soon!


What sorts of tidings does your week hold?

smiles and waves

 Isn't Eva just edible?
What you don't  get from these pictures is the sweet squeals and cooing sounds that come from this wiggly cutie, nor do you hear the rest of her Tia's and her Mama speak all kinds of lovey things, nor can you feel her chubby hands and cheeks.

You're missing out.

One of the things I love about being a Tia, is the excuse it gives me to knit all sorts of things for my adorable nieces and nephew (remember this knitted dress?). Though enjoyable, this project took me a bit more time to complete than I'd like, due mostly to the concentration I needed to get the hang of the lace pattern and I can only take so much of the stockinette pattern but at long last it is completed and more importantly, it still fits her. :)

 For this project, I used the Wave Jumper pattern from this book (thank you, library!); the blue wool from England (via my Dad on one of his business trips), the green wool from one of the craft shows at Homestead Heritage, and the buttons are re-purposed from an unworn jacket. The pattern was easy peasy to figure out and looks like it'll fit Eba for months to come, or at least until this weather stays cool. ;)

I probably won't be doing any personal knitting for a while as I have a few other projects on "the list" but after those are completed, I'd love to find yarn for this delightful shawlette or this super cute sweater.
What's on your project list?

of paint pens and peanut butter m&m's

{Butter Yellow Baby Booties}

Yesterday I started my first painting project (pictures to come!); a dear family has commissioned me to make name signs for their children and this week I've started with the so-far youngest child's name. I'm happy to say that with a fine tip paint pen, calligraphy on canvas is indeed possible! I'm very exciting to finish the lettering part of the project today and begin the decorative bits tomorrow (or later this afternoon?).
To be quite honest, I really haven't done much crafting with canvas before and was so pleased to discover that there really isn't anything to it, at least as far as my projects are concerned. So, watch out, you may just see a flood of new paint items in the shop soon! At the very least you can look forward to tomorrow's post where I'll show you the process and the product thus far.

What sorts of things do you have in your crafting schedule?

Another small tidbit for today is a note on the startlingly positive influence of peanut butter m&m's. For the second time this month my darling mama has bought a big bag of them and they are currently being held in our Vietnamese serving bowl in the china cabinet. A great practice in self-control as the door of the cabinet opens pretty loudly. ; )

dubai

 I'm here!!!

If you've followed my other blog you'll know that already and will have seen pictures of what my sister and I have been up to the past few weeks. As I've already mentioned, Dubai is such a glamorous city and definitely caters to the wealthy while there is also a large portion of the population that is hard-working and just here to make money for their families back home; there really isn't much of a middle-class since you have to be working in order to stay in the country (unless you're on holiday, like me).

 I've really loved being here.

Our dear friends have been so kind and generous and I quite feel as if I live here myself, very odd, especially considering that it's only been three weeks; perhaps it is because of the familiarity that has already been established, the grocery stores and places of interest are discovered, kindred spirits are met, and there is a solid church already in order. 

I love that we literally walk around the corner to a closet-sized grocery shop (price tags not included) and purchase milk, eggs, full-cream yogurt, and whatever other kitchen necessities we may need.

I love that the beach is a 5-minute brisk walk away and that Mica and I can run in the wee small 

hours of the morning right next to the beach 

(I don't love the mangy cats that we have to avoid but who's counting the dislikes?).

I love the way the sun rises in the morning room and that if we get up at 5 am like we're supposed to I can have an entire hour of still, morning quiet to read and pray.

I love that---for the first time---someone here thought that I was Mexican and not Indian, Middle Eastern, or Italian; not that I mind but it was a pleasant surprise to know that I do look somewhat Mexican.

I love that the store bought eggs come with feathers and that beautiful artisan bread is so inexpensive.

I love meeting people from every corner of the globe and I love hearing their stories.

Stay tuned.  : )

Early Smiles {a sale!}

{cate via pinterest}

Things That Make Me Smile:

yarn shops

a particular little man running with chubby cheeks

black and white photos

lying in the sun, at the beach

hunting for sea glass

wearing knits (especially handmade)

cold weather and hot drinks/munchies

playing boggle with friends and family 

lacto-fermented carrots (call me crazy)

and particularly,

sales!!!

What makes you smile? 

Tell me and you could qualify for free shipping on your next purchase

(Bet you want to comment now, don't you? Well, finish reading and then comment)

Now, back to our sale announcement, I call it the

Lemons and Blueberries

Early Smiles Sale

As I'll be away from my closet studio during the Christmas sale/purchasing season, I wanted to give you a 30% off coupon code, good for anything in the shop as well as custom orders! At the time of your purchase, please type in the code: 1EARLYSMILE

and you'll have 30, yes, 30% off your purchase (custom, ready-made, or vintage!). Go ahead, get over there and smile.

{Octobre}

I know, I know, you think those flowers are pretty cute but despite your searching, you can't find them in the shop!

Well, that's because they are a part of the freebies you will receive when you order anything during the month of October!

That's right, each L & B item comes with a free of charge posey,

just because. : )

So, in an earlier post, I shared with you some of my goals for September, and as it is the beginning of a new month, I thought we ought to review and check off some things on our list as well as listing what we actually did: *sigh* here we go,

Organize Closet (again)---hehe, yeah, this halfway happened. : )

Create business goals for 2012

Post Fall 2011 Line for Shop (knitting, knitting, knitting)

Make two more projects using UK yarn (post to come)

Begin video series (Youtube, here I come!)

Research, research, research for my Light bulb Idea (again, post to come!)

And here are some of the things I actually did (that didn't make the list above),

Researched things for Etsy shop (lots of fine print reading)

Collected more items for my Light Bulb Idea

Knocked another "craft to-do" off my mental list

Odds and ends that I can't think of...

For our final list, here are some of the plans for October,

Pack gifts for Dubai friends

Plan and announce "Early Christmas Sale" for L&B

Create channel and post Youtube video

List another item to the vintage. section in the shop

For the first time, ship a sold item to an international destination (way down under!)

Contain my excitement of meeting several wonderful young women at this conference

(Are you attending as well? Let me know, I'd love to meet with you!)

I'm so looking forward to our time during the conference in North Carolina! We plan on making a mini-family roadtrip out of it and are driving up a week early to enjoy Charleston, a bit of the beach, and a fabulous little town called Hickory (I. can't. wait. A!!!); the fall colors, weather, and the search for fun little gifts along the way are just a few of the things I'm anticipating.

I'm also so excited about our first early-Christmas sale.

The sale will last for the entire month of October, right in time for our shop vacation (which will last until the end of December, I won't be able to ship things while I'm in Dubai!). Keep checking back for the details and coupon codes, also for the cut-off date for custom orders. 

What are your October plans?

vintage+a sermon

I'm very pleased to show you the new vintage section in the etsy shop!
At last, I've made the decision to list some of my estate sale finds and treasures, though I must confess that it was a bit difficult to decide what to sell; most of my thoughts go like this,

"Okay, I've got to list at least--oh, wait, I remember buying this! It was in that old house with the--no, Elena, just list it, when are you possibly going to use this anyway? Well, maybe someday I'll need a really small decorative bowl and--oh, mercy, just list it!"

So, in the end, I convinced myself decided to pull a few things from my stash and see how they sell in the shop; this week there are a few estate sales that I'm planning on checking out, so hopefully I'll be able to add more things in the shop.

Also, along the "vintage" thread, I saw this diy project for recovering books, vintage-style, on the ever resourceful Design*Sponge (I just love that place); let me know if you try it out, I'd love to see how your covers come out! Currently on the project list are a few painting projects (I've been loving that lately), a lace baby dress, and a shawl for my Mama; so, don't really have the time to devote to this but I'm definitely putting it on my "future project" list (I'm a big fan of lists. : )
What's on your project list?

Also, I wanted to share with you the link that I posted on Deep Roots At Home for this weeks "Encourage One Another" link-up. This week shared this sermon on Humility: A Blessing from Dr. Peter Masters of the Metropolitan Tabernacle. I was first introduced to Dr. Masters when my parents visited during a trip to the UK last year; they were so blessed by his sermons and we've been listening to them online for quite a while.

Dr. Masters precision and burden for the Word of God to be preached rightly makes for a rich and encouraging sermon. (also, I'm a huge fan of accents so it's a nice feature. ; )

Check it out and let me know what you think!

friday musings

{Sleeping Eva} 

You might have noticed the absence of the {Dubai Covers} page (don't look for it, it's already gone), well, the time has come to add the inventory to our shop! Though this feature did quite meet my expectations, I've decided to employ my "reuse, reuse, reuse" mentality and am posting the unsold covers in my Etsy shop!

{Here is the first of many listings to come}

Mica and I still planning our trip and thanks to some other forms of fundraising, have enough collected for our trip! I'm so, so, so excited and have continued my mental packing of suitcases. : )
As the planning continues I have a mysterious question (don't you just love it??), how many of my readers are located in the London, England or Frankfurt, Germany area? Just wondering...

As an interesting bit of random information, I'm also wondering how many of my readers play musical instruments? This question has no mystery, sorry. Currently, I'm learning to play the piano again (Thanks so my fabulous teacher, Amy Sheehan) and one of the songs I'm working on is Beethoven's Sonatina in F (if that little seven-year-old can play it, by george, so can I).

And before I part with you on this fine Friday, for my estate sale/thrifting friends,
here is a great resource I use: estatesales.net
Ever used it? I will be this weekend, I'm on a hunt for plates. Lots of them. And teacups with saucers in addition to my usual, "Gee I Wonder If They Have This" list. Yet another mystery for you (isn't it exciting?).

There's still time to add your link to the 

Encourage-One Another link-up!

Click the button for more details.

A Wonderful Kind of Ugly

Do you have an item/accessory/trinket that you just love...but everyone else thinks it's hideous?
Well, the pair of shoes you see is my "Wonderful Ugly" item. Those Simple shoes are probably the most comfortable pair of shoes that I own; I could wear them all day long, they're just practical and super comfy. However, around these parts, they're known as my "granny shoes" (I prefer to call them my "Whole Foods Shoes"). 
This reminds me of my journey selling on Etsy; at first, I had to remind myself "not to despise meager beginnings"; to do what I could with what I had. Rather like my "Whole Foods/Granny Shoes", my methods weren't terribly streamlined or professional (and are still being refined) but practical and they worked for the time being (I'm glad to know that I did the best with what I knew at the time!).  I'm so thankful for the helpful people and resources that I have discovered and am still discovering (You know who you are)! I'll be you have a "Wonderful Ugly" item as well, don't you?    ; )
 

Also, I wanted to introduce you to a great, new resource for selling your crafts online, in fact, it's called How to Sell Your Crafts Online (groundbreaking title, I know ; ). It is being released on Amazon in October and seems somewhat similar to one of my favorite how-to books, just more relevant to Etsy sellers.
What sorts of books/resources do you find helpful? Let me know, I'm always looking to expand my library!

There's No Place Like...

...Home

It's been very nearly a week since I was last in Austin. 

Not surprisingly, I really miss rinsing diapers (crazy, I know), wiping chubby hands, and getting bitten by Wee Teeth (long story); the rhythm of my home is pretty different from the hustle and bustle of little people laughing and ricocheting around. In case you get the wrong impression, we Marques girlies can get pretty crazy in our own way.

Since being home, I've been settling into my new routine (read: trying to get used to a house without littles--we miss you, Hoods!) and since I've become a huge fan of lists, I made a list of things I'd like to do for September, wanna peak?

Organize Closet (again)

I've become inspired by Kendi's organizational post

Create business goals for 2012

Post Fall 2011 Line for Shop (knitting, knitting, knitting)

Make two more projects using UK yarn (post to come)

We have a trip to NC coming in October and I want to be ready!

Begin video series (Youtube, here I come!)

Research, research, research for my Light bulb Idea (again, post to come!)

So, there you have a few of the things I'm working on; thankfully, I don't really see anything currently on the calendar that would prevent me from checking these items checked off, aside from the fascinating book I'm reading. I'm about 3/4's of the way through The Help and so far, I've really enjoyed it (thanks so much for lending it, J!); a kindred spirit loaned it to me, we have similar taste in novels and this is no exception. I love the feel and flow of Kathryn Stockett's work. It reminds me very much of Harper Lee in the sense that I can clearly "see" everything happening and I am quickly familiar with the characters; the story is set at the tail end of one of my favorite times in history and I love the way Stockett has incorporated so much of the culture and happenings of that time. Have any of you read it/seen the film? 

{Note: the following is not at all to meant to downgrade fiction reading, it's just something I haven't done in a while.} I haven't read a fun, fiction book in quite a while, so I feel the need to ration the time that I spend reading; it's dreadful, but somehow I feel like I'm wasting time when I read fiction (that. sounds. so. prudish.). Honestly, I haven't read such an intriguing novel since, The Chosen (loved that one) or The Red House Mystery (delightful story!), but like Pinterest, I ration the amount of time I spend reading. 

Are you mostly a fiction or non-fiction reader? I'd love any of your suggestions!

Fresh Baby

Eva Christine

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

the fruit of the womb a reward.

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior

are the children of one's youth.

5 Blessed is the man

who fills his quiver with them!

He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127

As you've read on my other blog, my dear Sweet Pea Niece is here!

Since her arrival, each day has been wonderfully filled with cuddling, changing, washing, and caring for this new little one. Some sweet ladies from Nicole's church have been very attentive and brought scrumptious dinners too!

I'd nearly forgotten how wonderful new babies smell, especially the tiny part underneath their chins; Eva is a particularly sweet baby (as her Aunt, I am privileged to say this), she doesn't fuss until she's hungry and is practically perfect.

The past few days my Mom has taken my place in Austin and I've been here in Houston, enjoying a few days at home. Mia acted as our Little Stowaway and it's been a fun pleasure to have her here by herself! PBJ's and ice cream have been an almost daily occurrence

(my Dad is a wonderful Grandpa. :)

Oh, and I wanted to show you this new apron I got from one of my favorites stores (courtesy of the sale room, that is); yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a maxi-apron--with pockets!

I've found it comes in high handy when you're washing dishes and a sticky fingered munchkin attempts climbing up your skirt and the pocket feature is very nice too.

In between changing/washing diapers, baking pavlova, and kissing Little Munchkins,

I've been doing a bit of reading and here are some interesting links, enjoy!

Reliable resources that the book for this film is excellent and

I'm hoping to read it before seeing it(I'm a big book fan).

You've seen Sarah on this space before, and here is a new blog feature she's started!

That's all for now!

Ah ha!

Here I am.

If you've kept up with my "Mary Poppins Writes" series, you'll know that today is a day of preparation and hopefully a labor and deliver of my newest niece!

My dear sister is at the hospital and is carrying on bravely, the Chicklets and I have been keeping her and the Bun in the Oven in prayer and dear thoughts all day.

Praise the Lord for His perfect timing!

As I type this, children are napping and the a/c is running (a delightful combination), in an hour or so I'll get supper started and possibly make a run to the store for ingredients for Straweberry Limeade! An sweet acquaintance made it recently and I've been officially inspired to do the same, all we need are the strawberries. :) I may also get some items I'll be needing for the hospitality snacks that are on the menu for hungry visitors who come to get a glimpse of the Fresh Little Raisin. Pavlova, Cream Scones, Strawberry Lemonade Bars, tea, and coffee are to be served on the "new" vintage trays

They're just so adorable!

There's two of the smaller ones and one big tray, perfect for decorating the house, even if it's just temporary. :) My dear nieces were so patient and went with me to an estate sale last weekend, I think they enjoyed it almost as much as I did. Using this site, I've been able to find more sales, so that is hopefully what we'll be doing this weekend as well!

In the meantime, stay tuned for baby pictures to come! I'll be snapping away lots of pictures of my third niece, just please be patient as I'll be a bit busy the next few days. :)

Knitting for a Bun in the Oven

Today I finished the second sweater for the wee one my sister is brewing.

Remember, I'm in Austin! Read here to follow my mini adventures in the Weird city.

That's really where I'll be sharing most of my thoughts and accounts from my time here.

Back to the pattern!

It was so easy peasy, lemon squeezy, a great one-skein project, and I don't have to block it (another nice feature)!

Here are the notes for you ravelry members.

Did I mention fast? My "To-Do" list caused this project to go on longer than it would have but I can see getting this project done in a day or so.

No dpns and so simple, I could drop and pick it up with no problem,

the lace pattern was simple enough but still looks like more than a few yarn overs and knit together's.

All that it needs is a button and a baby to try it on for size!

More pictures on that soon, you can be sure. :)

I'm so excited to see what this new addition will look like; each of Chris and Nicole's children are so different, what will this little, nameless dumpling look like??

Happy Summer Giveaway!

Well, summer is here all bright eyed and bushy tailed!
We've been at the pool, in the sprinkler, and trying new ways to cool off
(let me know if you try it--we're big fans here!)
Hence, the slight lapse in blogging time, we've been a bit busy around here!
More on that later...

Also, I've added a few new items to the Etsy shop, please have a look around and let me know what you think and what you would like to see more of in the future!
I'm also interested to know what you all think of the newest addition to the summer line, it's a bit different but I've been wanting to expand my creative horizons. ; )

Now for that giveaway. *grin*

I'm very excited to announce

the very first giveaway for Lemons and Blueberries!

Thanks to Sarah from forgiven. love much,
I've been inspired to give away
two skeins of vintage Italian Mohair.
These treasures were found at a recent estate sale and are entirely clean and unused;
I tried to find more information on them but couldn't! If you happen to know the dates or more info, please share--I'm always interested in the story behind what I find.
For those of you new to mohair, it's a wonderful world. : )
Just by following a simple pattern you can make things like
this Cat Cay Cowl, something out of this look book, or these fun Sabrina Mits.

So here's how it'll go down:
From July 1st to July 2nd
the giveaway will be open until midnight, July 2nd.
1. Follow my blog (if you don't already) and
leave one comment below and include,
2. The nutshell story of how you met one of your
kindred spirits/dear friends,
3. and your email address (I'll get the winner's
physical address after the announcement).

Here's a few important p.s.'
*I'll be shipping no later than July 8th
**I will be covering international shipping, so those in Kenya, Kazakhstan, and Cadiz, feel free to join too!
***It's very important that you provide your email, that way I know how to get your physical address!

I'll be announcing the winner on July 3rd, so stay tuned. :)
Let me know if you have any questions.

That's all!

Bits of My Home and "Hello Summer"

{Irises gracing the dining room table}

Ah, summer, the time for pool parties to get in the sun and games of scrabble

and cards to get out of the sun; this year I'd love to have a few movie night

with friends, start a bookclub, and try out this Basil Lime Soda recipe

--anyone want to join me?

Though we don't really have a beach here in Houston I'm looking forward to

getting into the water this summer and have lots of sun time with my nieces

and nephew, because it's just so much fun to go to the pool with stickies.

What are your favorite summer pastimes?

{Lounge Around Baby Sweater}

So, the shop has been refreshed and replenished with new items, just in time!

Today's new listings are just a start so be looking for new ones in the weeks to come.

Here are a few peaks at what's in the Etsy shop, enjoy.

{Butter Yellow Lace Baby Hat}

Have you been by Spancy's Closet yet?

Check out Sarah's project on Goodsie and it's kind of a test to see how things sell;

I'm looking forward to hearing her results and opinion!

I've already bought something and am please with the process, very similar to

buying something on etsy

(I especially love how the shipping cost is worked into the price.)

{I just love the half off section in the floral department}

This week will be moving on in my studies with educational psychology and reading

more about the effects of caffine and sugar (gasp!), as well as buying yarn for my sweater

(which will be unveiled to all of you in September!).

KAL's are so fun. :)

What plans do you have for the week?

Pins and Pavlova's

{A wee bit of my home}

Recently I've come across the famed Pinterest--been there yet?

Well, I did for "a few minutes" and was very much entertained by all that people "pin"!

The wedding and DIY sections were wonderfully inspiring (especially this ruffled t-shirt idea).

Though I'm not sure about getting my own pin board for fear of being sucked into the never ending flow of pictures, I am putting it as an "idea resource" for future reference.

In other news, I'll be baking some more pavlova today for the tireless staff at the Fifth Ward Pregnancy Help Center. Around two to three times a year, my Mom will teach a 3 week birthing class to the clients who have chosen to keep their babies, and though it's really my Mom who has all of the information, our entire family goes and works behind the scenes work while she is teaching; my Dad prays before and after and my sisters and I prepare the "goodie bags" and snacks for the nutrition part of the class. I really enjoy the opportunity of talking with the different clients who come in and talk about their lives. Each class is different and it's always interesting to see who is more open and what sorts of stories they have to tell.

It's quite an experience to set across from these girls who have such a different life, come from broken families, and in most cases, are completely blind to the state of their souls; and especially here I am reminded that God's grace and mercy shines brightest, in the darkest places His love pours forth and people are changed. For most of them, seeing a family function together is a new thing and as God works all things together for a purpose, I am confident that He will bring His will to fruition in their lives.

Do you volunteer your time/resources?

How to: Say "Thank You"

We were so very blessed to have a local garden center, Plants For All Seasons, allow us to use their plants for Andy and Lisa's wedding. Considering our facility limitations and desire to create a warm atmosphere, we were delighted to be able to bring in live plants!

The staff at Plants for All Seasons were very helpful and accommodating; working with them was easy peasy. So, if you're in the Houston/Spring/Tomball area and are in need of some gardening help, stop by and see how cheerful and knowledgeable they are!

As a way of saying danke, I decided to make them a refreshing treat:

Mixed Berry Pavlova!

This dessert is a summertime favorite of mine, ever since tasting it a few years ago. Each time I think of it and make it I think of the dear friend that first made it, and it causes me to pray for her and her family.

I loved eating it, making it was a bit of a saga as I used Ina's recipe; the meringue came out more like a runny marshmallow, so we ate it plain. The second time was a charm though as I used"The Best" Pavlova recipe--it came out perfect. No really, it puffed and looked like a creamy cloud of yummy goodness! Topped with the blueberries and whipped cream I second guessed my decision to give it to the hard-working staff but in the end I drove over and dropped it off without a second thought! I made another one today and plan to serve it with cherries instead of blueberries.

Do you have any summertime dessert recipes?

How to: Say "Thank You"

We were so very blessed to have a local garden center, Plants For All Seasons, allow us to use their plants for Andy and Lisa's wedding. Considering our facility limitations and desire to create a warm atmosphere, we were delighted to be able to bring in live plants!

The staff at Plants for All Seasons were very helpful and accommodating; working with them was easy peasy. So, if you're in the Houston/Spring/Tomball area and are in need of some gardening help, stop by and see how cheerful and knowledgeable they are!

As a way of saying danke, I decided to make them a refreshing treat:

Mixed Berry Pavlova!

This dessert is a summertime favorite of mine, ever since tasting it a few years ago. Each time I think of it and make it I think of the dear friend that first made it, and it causes me to pray for her and her family.

I loved eating it, making it was a bit of a saga as I used Ina's recipe; the meringue came out more like a runny marshmallow, so we ate it plain. The second time was a charm though as I used "The Best" Pavlova recipe--it came out perfect. No really, it puffed and looked like a creamy cloud of yummy goodness! Topped with the blueberries and whipped cream I second guessed my decision to give it to the hard-working staff but in the end I drove over and dropped it off without a second thought! I made another one today and plan to serve it with cherries instead of blueberries.

Do you have any summertime dessert recipes?

{Photo Credit}