Happy 4th of July!!

Today we are having family friends over to eat delicious 4th of July foods.

My grandmother in Delaware had the best recipes!
On the menu:
Barbecued Chicken (The Chief's concoction)
Mimi's Potato Salad
Deviled Eggs (mmm a personal fav)
Baked Beans (with bacon on top!)
Sun Tea
. . . . .

The only thing that's not a Mimi usual is my Berry Cream Cheese Pie!
Strawberries and Blueberries on the bottom and the top...
Cream cheese, Cool Whip, and powered sugar mixture in the middle.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese is simply unbeatable.

Patriotic Indeed

Salad with Raspberry Vinegarette

This was too good not to share! My dad bought raspberries (which I never get to eat), and it made me very happy! We made a salad with them...and some pecans and feta cheese! Ah heaven in a bowl!

Commissioned House Drawings

I just finished drawing this house for a friend. It was a birthday gift to her fiance. I believe it was a success.

This is a house I drew in 2008 for my cousin.

A Summer Paper Chain

Is it bad that I made a paper chain to count down the days of summer? I can't deny that the frenzy of fall calls my name...

Blueberry Season...Finally!

These are the blueberries in my backyard...
totally NOT edible (yet)!

Luckily Daddy bought some from the store.
It's funny, because I used to hate these summer fruits,
along with peaches,
but now they are two of my favorites!
The peaches aren't quite ready, but when they are, I'll give
them just as much attention.

As you can see we have nearly wiped them out in less than 24 hrs!

2 Drawings

Her are two sketch/doodles I've done recently.

Labor Day Weekend in Hilton Head

We had a minor set back on our first day at the coast.

Hazy. Cloudy. Light Rain. Very un-vacation-like.
We ventured out anyway.

One day my sister and I were walking to the beach...
Something caught her attention.

...And I think that is when the weekend developed a new atmosphere of brilliant color...
dusting off its sinking shades of gray.

Shannon spotted the most color-frazzled flower! There were so many layers to it. (I wish I knew the name of it!) The bees loved them... they were covered in pollen.

The sun miraculously came out...despite the gloomy forecast that was predicted.

I brought some hydrangeas in a vase...
in hopes that I would draw them: