a shop for summer -

Around and Around - signed fine art photograph

On The Dock - signed fine art photograph

Ready, Set, GO - signed fine art photograph

I found a shop in Etsy with wonderful summer photographs, they would look fantastic on the walls of my beach home (well, if I had one that is! ), but they would certainly brighten the inside of any room. The shop is Christine Reilly's and she really uses images that evoke summer, and in such an interesting way - who knew those huge waterslides could be considered art, but they certainly look like it in her amazing photographs.

Christine is new, this month, to selling on Etsy, so go check her out and give her some hearts!

Have a great summer weekend!

wordless -atc- wednesday!

I ♥ Coraline!

So, yesterday, we got the new just-out-on-dvd movie Coraline. It's such a good movie, we all put on our 3-D glasses last night for the super-cool 3-D viewing, and then this morning we watched the regular 2-D version - both are truly amazing!
The book by Neil Gaiman was already really cool, what ideas that man comes up with!, but the Tim Burton vision is just as amazing. We also all loved this movie, from youngest child to oldest adult, that's the power of good storytelling. If you haven't seen it yet, you must, it's excellent!

So, of course while checking on my Etsy shop today, I figured I'd see what Coraline goodies were out there, and what goodies I found indeed, check them out -
My daughter really wants a Coraline doll, I see a Christmas theme emerging! Hehe!

Coraline Doll by SewLolita

Coraline Button Key Necklace by RefreshingDesigns

Mouschka by AnitaBelcast

Coraline Movie Squid Plush by DawnMilstrey

♥ day 5 - lazy days in the sun ♥

Reclining shadows, awaiting a summer
Originally uploaded by Java Cafe

Probably the best thing about summer, especially when you're a child, is doing absolutely nothing at all! Just reclining in a lovely sunshine yellow beach chair, and just daydreaming the time away.
Sounds like bliss to me, unfortunately most people don't get the summer off, but still, it's a time to slow down and smell the roses as it were! So kick off your flip-flops, lay back and do nothing for a while!
Have a wonderful weekend, and enjoy!

♥ day 4 - Swimming ♥

Otis Has Ups
Originally uploaded by hrtmnstrfr

Summer is all about water! Swimming in a pool, or a lake, or an ocean - fun, fun, fun! Getting wet, but liking it! Yesterday was a really nice summer day here, and my kid's were running in and out of the sprinkler, and throwing water balloons! We sprayed the dog too, not sure she totally appreciated it, but it cooled her down!
So go ahead, jump in!

♥ day 3 - going to the county fair! ♥

Fair Light 8.3.2006
Originally uploaded by Notley

Every summer is marked by a trip to the county fair! We actually don't go to ours, but a neighbouring county. I love going, the kid's are still small enough that we can get away with not too many rides, and we tend to stay on the side full of animals and tractors!
The best part of the fair are the snacks, but last year we find slightly better alternatives to our favorites - they make dye-free pure maple syrup cotton candy, and dye-free pure apple slushies, and they are both sooooo delicious!
So, go and revisit your local county fair, and see what's changed, and more importantly, what's not! Enjoy!

♥ day 2 - watermelon ♥

Smile!
Originally uploaded by mactastic

Don't you just love watermelon? It's soooo good!!!
You don't mind that it drips on you when you're eating it, because usually you have a swimsuit on anyway. Picnics and cook-out's would not be the same without this summer lovely! Enjoy!

♥ day 1 - popsicles ♥

111: 5.22.07
Originally uploaded by girlhula

This week I'll be having fun blogging about some of the best things about summer!
Vote for your favorites in the comments!
Today is POPSICLES, what would summer be without their icy goodness?

July is National Hot Dog Month!

1. Pwease Don't Eat Me, 2. Freshly baked!, 3. Smiling Food Friends Pillow II, 4. Crux Happy Lunch Sandochi Memo, 5. Kawaii Memo Sheets Stationery Paper Happy Smile Cute Japan, 6. Funny Erasers, 7. Cute Japanese Plush On A Chain-Nyan Nyan Nyanko Hot dog, 8. World's Smallest Hot Dog with Mustard Earrings, 9. Mr Hot Dog Bun

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

We all know we eat a lot of hot dogs in the Summer, be it pork, beef, turkey, or tofu! But, would you wear your hot dogs? Super cute plushies, fabric, stationary and jewelry courtesy of the talented guys at flickr!
Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend!

a Pullip and a Totoro!

Totoro!
Originally uploaded by miss modular

Does it get much better than this?
A lovely pullip doll, in a japanese kimono, wearing a totoro hat - how wonderful!
I have to make a couple of plushies for some swaps I'm in, and I know I want to do at least one totoro, so I was looking for inspiration on the amazing flickr, don't you just love flickr?! When I stumbled across this photo, how talented she, Miss Modular, is indeed.
I wish I could knit one of those myself, how cute they are!
Happy Thursday!

summer days

I hope your summer is treating you well so far! Ours has had a lot of rain so far, but this weekend it held off for us. We had great fun watching fireworks, seeing family, swimming and general summer fun! I wish it was more of lazy summer days, than slightly hectic summer days, but the kid's have camps to go to every day, excursions to the beach are daily requests, also library visits, ice-cream eating, water-balloon filling, you get the picture! I'm holding out hope for a lazy August!

a wonderful surprise -

If you check out the lovely blog called Dorset Hill Beads, here, and read the latest post, which just happens to be the fun 'Theme for Thursday' post, here, you'll understand why I got a lovely surprise in the mail from the owner of Dorset Hill Beads, the lovely Eileen. I won the draw for a surprise gift on a previous 'Theme for Thursday' post, and what a gift it is! Eileen specializes in lampwork beads, and she sent me two absolutely beautiful ones, one as a charm, and one as a button. If that wasn't enough, they came in a cute handmade box with a sweet handmade notebook, how lucky am I? Thanks so much Eileen!

So, go and play the game at her blog, but also check out her lovely Etsy shop, here, where you could get instant -almost- gratification and buy a couple of your own!

Have a wonderful weekend!

my favorite summer recipe -

Berry Madness
Originally uploaded by [ Hungry Hungry is away until July 3rd ]

is...drum roll please.....

Yoghurt Cheese Pie w/ Summer Berries

Ingredients -

1 quart low-fat plain yoghurt (without gelatin)
( - add 1 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract and 1/3 cup of pure maple syrup to yoghurt once it's sat overnight)

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tblsp pure maple syrup

2-4 cups fresh berries

The yoghurt cheese needs to be prepared the night before -

Line a colander with overlapping paper coffee filters, place it in a bowl, spoon in the yoghurt, and cover with a plate or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 10 hours. After about 3-4 hours, pour out the liquid collected in the bowl to ensure that it doesn't reach the bottom of the colander. The yoghurt will thicken to a consistency similar to that of soft cream cheese. Discard the drippings. Add the pure vanilla extract and maple syrup and mix together.

Prepare the pie crust - In an 8-9 inch pie pan, mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and the maple syrup. Stir well and press into the pie pan evenly. Spread the yoghurt cheese over the crust. Top with the fresh fruit, and serve right away. It will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 3 days. Enjoy!

This recipe is so easy to make, and if you get creative with the fruit placement is amazing to look at, and you can kid yourself that it's a healthy dessert, because it's yoghurt and fruit right! I got this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks - "Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home".

Wordless ATC Wednesday -