Its so nice to have company...

 We had some guests over at the beginning of the week...this is our niece Kelli and her kids...Emily, Jake and Christopher...

 There was lots of jumping and flipping...

 A little football...

 Some tree climbing...

 Even a bit of painting and gardening...

The kids picked apples and helped make apple crisp...they thought it was so much better this time...I think it was all the extra help! We had a great time with them and were so glad for the visit...we don't get to see them near enough...they live up in Northern California...and decided to come down for a few weeks to visit everyone...they are making several overnight stops...we are so glad we were chosen as one of them! It feels really quiet around here now...I will miss all the laughs and giggles!!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Yeah...I'm still here...

 First things first...let me wish you all a Happy first day of Summer!! While Summer isn't my favorite season...too hot and too dry in my parts...I do enjoy the beauty of early Summer...like now! Its been in the 80's for the last few weeks...and we've had cool nights and cool mornings...perfect for our daily walks...

 Every year I plant new bulbs in the yard...this time it was Gladiolas...some pesky gopher ate a bunch of them in the back last year...so I planted most of them in the front...this is a new color we happen to get...I love it! I always buy the variety pack...so I never know what color will bloom...we got really lucky with this pack...

 We got a few of these...

 And some of these too!!

 Sorry about the shadows...no getting around that these days...these are the color of butter...I love yellow in the garden...well...honestly...I love all color in the garden...but I feel incomplete without yellow!

 You know its Summer around here when the Black Eyed Susans start blooming...they are getting very tall too...

 I saw this bloom hiding...

We have really been enjoying all the veggies in the yard too...Cucumbers are one of my favorites...we have 4 varieties in this mess...I mean box...they are quite tangles up...but very happy!

 Don's been grilling eggplant almost every day...Yummy!

 And the tomatoes...

 Let's just say...we have quite a few ripening up! Some are as big as softballs...delicious too!

Don's been busy making these...succulent boxes...now I have to get them all filled for the craft fair and flea markets coming up in the next few weeks! See how he does the bottoms for watering...double thick screening glued and staple gunned. The glue is waterproof...I just need to wait a couple days to let it set completely before I start planting...

I have also been sewing a lot...finishing up some orders...and getting things made for my shop and for the fairs...it makes for one bad blogger though! I am trying to fit in time to do it...plus read blogs...I love reading all your posts...just this time thing! I think I had more when I worked full time...but I am happy...so that's what counts I think! Well...back to sewing...

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Keeping busy...

 We've been staying busy this week...I have been working on custom orders for a couple clients...I finished this bag yesterday for a client who is big into cross stitch and wanted a project bag that would be flat.

 It's pretty big...14 x 12...she wanted it like a big envelope...I love this fabric...it's Riley Blake Butterfly Garden...I just need to finish a matching bag to hold her scissors.

 Of course I have been gardening...the roses are all in full bloom...this one is a pretty color...almost orange....most of my roses are white, pink or yellow...so this one is different...and so pretty.

 Don's been busy making coat racks...this color is one of my favorites...it sells out first on the succulent boxes...so he took a chance on a rack...I like it!

 Birds are always popular...this is a key rack...in aqua...a new color...

 We've been eating lots of salad...so yummy and great when it's warm out!

We've been feeding a lot of birds too...one of my favorite things to do is watch all the birds who enjoy our back yard...this is a Hooded Oriole...a female...Mrs. Cal...I've shown these gals before...but I can never have enough pictures of them here...they are quite shy...but by this time of year they are starting to get used to us...and are a little more trusting when I am out with my camera.

The weather has been decent here lately...not too hot yet....it's June gloom as we call it...cloudy and a bit of fog in the mornings...burning off to a sort of haze in the afternoon...I miss the blue skies...but I like the cool mornings...perfect for our walks...we walk about 4 miles around the area...today we saw our letter carrier on 3 different blocks...she was laughing when Don asked if she was stocking us! Not much else to write about...we live such an exciting life...but that's the way I like it!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

More rambling...

 Yesterday we went down for a visit to San Diego...our older son's in-laws invited us for a late lunch...it was delicious...I forgot to take pictures of everyone...but I remembered to get a few  shots of the food! It was traditional Turkish food...Yum!! This is stuffed eggplant...they use a lot of egg plant in their meals...now I have some new ways to fix it!

 Fava beans are another traditional food...the Abuts grow their own...because they're hard to get here...

 These are young fava beans...still in the shell...so tender and good!

 Complete with berries grown in their yard too...there was a lot more food...and everything was so wonderful...Joseph and Selin were able to take home a ton and they were very happy about that...we left with food too...one of my favorites...which I forgot to take a picture of and I can't spell...so I'll describe it...spinach and feta chese layered in phylo dough...baked to a wonderful golden brown...delicious!!

 This morning I got out in the yard bright and early...I just noticed there's some glare in some of these...sorry...but it's pretty exciting when all the Glads start blooming around here...I have bulbs everywhere...and they look so pretty right now...

 This is miniature phlox...its blooming like crazy too...right by the front step up to the front porch...

 Another Glad starting to open...

 The Hydrangeas are doing well too...

 I love these big flower heads...so pretty...

 This is what covers so much of the ground in my front flower beds...you can't see any dirt in my beds...these are growong like crazy! I spent so much time trimming back things...but everything in the front looks nice now. 

I have been sewing a bit too...trying to get some orders finished...I really enjoy this time of year...warm during the day...but nice cool evenings and mornings...perfect weather to be outside!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Some of this...a little of that...

 Sunday we had a booth at the Pasadena City College flea market...we have been going every other month since last year...Don started making these little boxes for my succulents...since I am always hunting for interesting containers...we sell these like crazy! Sunday was no exception! Don enjoys making the boxes...and I plant them all from the babies and cuttings from other succulents...I should have shown you a picture of the bottoms...they have double screen bottoms...perfect for drainage...all reclaimed cedar...

 Here's another table...all sorts of stuff here...

 I thought if I had a picture as a back drop...people would notice these guys...they did...they sold! It was a pretty successful market...we met lots of nice people...I petted a ton of doggies...even got a few repeat customers who came looking for us! I even had a visit from my sister! It was a nice day!

 I changed up my back pack pattern a bit from the last one I showed you...I like it better now...except I realized when I took this picture...I pulled the draw string wrong and the flap looks wonky...it isn't...

 I put a magnetic snap on the flap...

 Here's the biggest changes...the straps...small enough for a little girl...yet adjustable enough to fit me!

 Grommets hold the draw string in place...

 A pocket on the inside...a loop for the drawstring...it's a pretty  good size too...and I reinforced all the spots that will get pulled...I even added a hook at the top...what do you think? I'm happy with the changes...it takes a little longer to make...but I have time!! I am going to add these to my Etsy shop...

 While gardening this morning...I harvested a few things...I tried spelling with my Japanese cucumbers...

 Amish tomatoes...pretty aren't they...tasty too!

 While I was cleaning around the cucumber raised bed...I noticed that the Dusty Miller has gone totally wild...I had to trim it way back...I couldn't bear to just throw out all these blooms...so I popped them in a vase...they're kind of an odd cutting flower...but I like them!!

 They are pretty little flowers!

Yesterday we made soup in the crock pot with some of the veggies we harvested...Yum! Now I just have to figure out some new recipes for all the Japanese eggplant...we can only make so much Eggplant Parmesan! I like to eat them breaded...fried or baked with Ranch dressing dip...but that's probably not the healthiest way to eat them...any ideas...or recipes??

Until next time...enjoy your day!!

Lots of veggies...

 Now that I'm almost 100% better...I'm back in the garden again...trying to catch up on 2 weeks of neglect...lots of surprises out there for me...apples are getting big...we have 1000's of apples...there will be lots for us, family, friends, neighbors...the food shelter...anyone and everyone who will take them very soon! Our apple tree is a bit odd...like us...it bears fruit in the Summer...not Fall like most!

 The kale is huge and we're eating it every day...I just finished a salad for lunch...half romaine...half kale...tasty!

 We have lots of peppers...bell peppers have been doing well...Don loves those! These are or shall I say will be...yellow Hungarians...I don't know why that front one is so round...they get long and thin...unlike me!

 Japanese eggplant is doing well...a few more days and we'll harvest some...

 Oh...I can't wait for these guys...big beef tomatoes...Don pulled one Amish one...I forgot to take a picture...we'll have it tonight with some cucumbers I picked...

 Here's a lemon cucumber...never had one...but I do love cucumbers, so I had to try it...

 Japanese cucumbers...we'll have some of these tonight...Yum!!

 Squash is still small...it gets a lot of shade...so it is going slow...but we're patient!

 Don caught this lovely photo of me getting the succulent boxes ready for the flea market tomorrow...

 I have a ton ready to go...

Now let's hope everyone is in the buying mood!! If you are a local...we'll be at the Pasadena City College Flea Market...we're there just about every other month...this time we're in the parking structure...level 2...booth 575...just in case you go and want to visit!!

I have been sewing a bit too...I'll show you what I finished next time...I'm off to check my totes so Don can finish loading the car...

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!