Last Days of Summer

Our dog Abby LOVES to swim. There is nothing that makes her happier.  I know, I'm her mom! Summer is quickly coming to a close. The pool temp is going down a few degrees every day. Abby doesn't care though, she is ready to jump right in.  Here she is getting a few last laps in before fall....

Love her!!

Paper Banners

I have been on a paper banner kick this week.  I really do love paper.  I don't know what it is about paper....the feel, the beauty, the usefulness, the history.  I've never been a writer but have always loved to use paper for it's decorative abilities.  One year in the 90's I made dozens of decorative paper mache mirrors using handmade papers.  I've made scrapbooks,cards, and paper bag books (those were fun!) Now I'm on to banners!! Here are two that I made this weekend.

I'm sure there will be many more to come :)

Summer Fun

This summer I decided to enjoy jewelry making just for the fun of it.  No pressure. Just enjoyment.  I ended up making many more pieces than I would of if I had pressured myself.  I made jewelry for friends just to brighten their day.  I enjoyed seeing their faces when they received an unexpected gift.  I even ended up having some for my Etsy shop and a local store in our town.  Here are a few pictures of what I made this summer:

Hummingbird Heaven

 We have a covered deck on the back of our house.  It is one of our favorite places to spend our free time.  The deck is one of the first places the kids look if they can't find me!  We hung a hummingbird feeder on the back deck this summer and it has brought us so much joy.  The hummingbirds found it within a day or two.  First two adults came and then two babies! They feed all day long on the sugary water we have prepared for them.  We've read that they need this sweet substance to give them energy to fly around and eat bugs (actually my husband did the reading and I'm just acting like I did). I didn't know that these amazing birds eat bugs but I am so glad that they do!

Every time the hummingbirds come to our feeder I feel like we are receiving a special treat from Mother Nature.