Summertime......

What are your plans this summer??

My first plan is to get all

my garden going. Get all my starts

in the ground, the 9 tomatoe

plants a friend gave

me, some transplants sent home

with me from my trip.......

Then I just need to catch

up on weeds, it has been

raining, with thunder and

ightening and even hail!!!!

Very Crazy!!! But boy do

the weeds love it!!

After my garden is planted,
I will begin preparing for my

May Farm Cottage

Summer Daze Tea on the Veranda.

Every Tuesday and Thursday

through July and August,

Ladies can come have

tea on the porch.

So I am going to create a

"Tea Room"

at one end of the porch with

some fun finds from my trip. Had my

first call yesterday for a group

of 8-10 for a birthday celebration!

Then a lady I know is having an
"Upscale Yardsale"
in July.
She puts a pretty big ad in the
paper and it is not just a yard sale!

There are homemade items,

she has ladies serving

lemonade and cookies,

she has lovely

things on a clothesline, a

place to sit in the shade with

your refreshment,

several vendors as

well as we can bring our yardsale

stuff that is in good condition.

I have several things I want

to make, so that is in my plan.

Yummy Rhubarb Sauce....and I will

make some Strawberry and

Strawberry Rhubarb Jams.....

And, last big thing

of the summer,

well maybe not last

if I do an end

of summer tea in my

friends garden

.....but almost last

.......have not really

decided if I will do this.....

Prairie Day Camp!!

Yep!! Girls come for a

day camp, 3 or 4 days in

a row. First we

make bonnets and aprons

so they have them to wear,

then we do all

sorts of fun things,

from making candles

to embroidery......

Prairie stuff!!

Here they all are having

afternoon tea....

Ever seen girls have so much fun

washing dishes!?!

Sitting around doing handwork.......

Oh, yes, and in between

all that, I will be

busy keeping

the quail and such

out of the garden!!!

The girls love washing clothes in

the washtub with a washboard and

hanging them up to dry......

And just so you do not think I am a crazy woman......all these things just take a bit of initial organizing and then they are really very fun!! Also, my husband has not had much work and this is a little bit of income and a way I can help from home.

And, I do plan on having some nice breaks.....July is our 30th wedding anniversary and we plan to go somewhere nearby for a night or two.....On the Tuesdays and Thursdays that no one has called to reserve tea, I may have my own friends over for a time of relaxing and chatting......And, I do want to read this summer....in the shade......yes!! Not sure what I will read, nothing too intense, just something fun......

Some friends and I plan to go to the Coburg Quilt Show and take our own "Tea Party" picnic. We also have a fun local camp we attend that is very relaxing for me.....

And if I had small children around, which sadly I do not, I would have them by my side in the garden, they would help me make cookies and serve tea to the ladies, and of course they would enjoy Prairie Camp!!! And when it got too hot.....they would dip into their wading pool, while I cooled off in the hot tub which will be set on a low temperature......Enjoy your children this summer!! Keep them nearby, they will soon be grown, very soon.....

What are your summer plans???

The Store......

At the Nutcracker Tea.....

All my ornaments that didn't sell are soon to be in my Etsy shop.

I LOVE this paper!! It is from a grocery bag!!!!

Soon I will have my daughter's link on my sidebar.

She has been busy making some very fun things for winter!!

Still going............

Making more ornaments.....the hand sewing is all done, now I just have to sew backs

on them and put in a bit of stuffing. (Those are "reclaimed" holy socks cut out in

those cute little hearts:)

Good Intentions Gone Right............

For my Anne Tea I had cut out over 30 little silky mice. I was going to give them to the ladies as their take home gift. Probably serving it on the plate with their plum pudding. :)

Good intentions.

Well, I did not get very far with that idea.......after the tea, I got 5 done and put a little bit of lavender in them to give to the girls who helped me serve.
So, since I have so many little silky funnels sitting here needing stuffed and crafted into something, I looked at them and came up with this........

Added little pearly beads and velvet ribbon and made them into Christmas ornaments.....

They hang in pairs from velvet ribbon attached with beads......

I am also working on these star ornaments.....

Calico on felt with calico on the back and a

blanket stitch.....in three patterns.....

All for the Christmas Boutique at my

Nutcracker Tea!!!

Two Days Later......

Soap gets uncovered, and then.....
Cut into bars and ready to cure! On the board is Lavender Vanilla, top of basket is Cinnamon

Clove and lower basket is Oatmeal Cinnamon.....mmmmmmm!!

They will be for sale at my tea and later in my Etsy shop.

Soapmaking.....

Gathering supplies......

Yummy scents.......Favorite recipe.......


I Love this recipe!! It is a chart that tells you proportions to what you have. If I happen to have 1 cup of lye, it tells me I need 8 C of fat and 1C of liquids!! I Love it!