Congratulations Tracy & Andrew

We went to their wedding, oh about 3 weeks ago now. I'm just a little behind in posting. Plus the fact that when I looked through my pictures, I neglected to take any pictures of the bride, groom, or people, but lots of the cake. Ha! But the cake was pretty too :)

Summer Table Boquets

When Company Comes: Saying Goodbye

I love this book, "A Life that Says Welcome" by Karen Ehman. It has alot of ideas I'd like to incorporate in our home eventually.

One of those ideas is that art of Saying Goodbye:

"The final moments of a visit can come too quickly and be filled with mixed emotions.....No matter what time they leave, don't let guests go empty-handed. Give everyone a special token as a reminder of their stay. There is excitement for the time spent together and sadness that it is coming to an end."

Some ideas include:

• A box of chocolate and a "thanks for visiting" card
• A local treat (fresh picked blueberries)
• Maple syrup
• Jar of homemade jam
• Loaf of homemade bread
• A framed picture of something you did while here
• A recipe card
• Small trinket
• Busy work for little hands....sewing cards, picture books, crayons
• Fresh filled water bottles & some cheese & crackers
• Picnic Lunch
• Cookies
• Hot cinnamon rolls

Do you have any more you'd like to add?

Went to Duluth

I had the chance to go to Duluth with some wonderful friends last Saturday.

We spent the day hiking, driving, and taking pictures.

It was pretty funny watching all of us exploring.

Even though my camera doesn't do it justice, it was sunny and beautiful out.

Trying hard to get the right shot.

And afterwards, we headed out to eat for some Italian food and ice cream. It was a lovely day.

Homemade Waffle Bowls

Yum!
The other day I decided I was hungry for ice cream in a waffle cone or bowl. I also decided that it must be something you can make at home, and I was right. Though, it wasn't quite as succesful as I first imagined!

I found a couple batter recipes, here, here, and here. All contain basically the same ingredients:

3 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder

Beat the eggs and gradually beat in the sugar until the mixture is creamy.
Stir in the melted butter and vanilla.
Combine the flour and baking powder, and then add it to the mixture. Blend it in well.

Here is where it got tricky. Most sites said to use a pizzelle maker or Krumkake machine , which I don't have. Hmmm....what to do?

Nope, in my waffle maker they made, guess what? Waffles! ha

So I got out my griddle and tried my best to make them thin round pancakes. The first were a bit thick, but I got better and better.

This is how I decided to make my pancakes into bowls. I slipped the pancake over one glass and gently set a bigger glass on top. It cooled in about 2-3 minutes.

Now, both M. & I thought they were delicious, but we actually ate them without the ice cream. We just snacked one them as-is. :)

I wasn't very good at storage, so they got a little soft by just keeping them in a tupperware container.

This website, Skip to My Lou, has some great pictures and success it looks like. I'd recommend going on over there to follow her steps. :)

What I've Learned so Far

• There are alot of books to read
• I shouldn't read all of them
• That I should take one week at a time
• Napping is wonderful
• One hour lunch breaks work well for 45 minute naps
• Orange juice is delicious
• So are blueberry waffles
• Evening naps are nice
• That a baby's hearbeat is 153 beats per minute
• There is a lot to be thankful for
• Have I mentioned that I am tired? :)
• That I need to eat even if I'm sleepy
• That I need to eat snacks
• That processed food snacks make me feel worse
• Cooking is unimaginative right now
• Indian dishes are very satisfying
• Walking is good
• I can survive doctor's appointments
• Not all people enjoying talking about pregnancy
• That it is God's gift

When Company Comes: Enjoy Nature!

This summer I have been really enjoying the "weeds" that grow around my backyard and to & from my walk to work! :)

I forgot to take a picture of my table, but my July goal is to keep my table clear, clean, and have a vase of fresh flowers on it. I also have some really fun place mats from India that add a nice touch.

I think it's so pretty to have flowers and greenery around our house, and it makes a simple but refreshing way to decorate when company comes. (As long as you are aware of alergies)

Just for fun, I was browsing around Better Homes & Gardens for ideas and inspiration, and I found these beautiful ideas:

Since we don't even have a fence, much less a gate, I thought that I might be able to do this on my front door... :)

The above images were from Better Homes & Gardens

This image from here.

And this image is from Martha Stewart, here.