Sunday, June 30, 2013

Picked Up The Brushes and Tickled the Canvas!

11x14

Wow, can you believe it? After a lot of poking from family and friends for YeArS, a painting finally came off the easel.

This is not Hazel but is very similar to her and I had to paint it.

This is the reference photo. It was posted copyright free for any member on Wetcanvas. As you can see for the painting, I cropped it in. the following images are pictures of the piece as it evolved.

Thanks for looking!!!

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Swim Team

Hello again!

It's swim team time at Baboosic Lake. Laura loves a reason to be in the water every day - even chilly, cloudy days like today!

So lucky to have such a nice town beach.

Friday, June 21, 2013

8th Grade Graduation!

It's been a difficult year, but despite the challenges she did it. Meredith graduated from the middle school and is now heading into high school, next year.
The next one to graduate. Thankfully not for a couple years, though! Can't have them both grow up all at once.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Warm Sunny Day...

All that rain we've been having has certainly paid off! Things are bloomin' up a storm in the gardens.

Here are more pictures of a miniature rose, poppy and peony (sadly, the peonies will stop blooming in a couple weeks).


Oh, and here's one of the two tomatoes that started growing on my windowsill, so many weeks ago. They're lookin' pretty good!

Thank you so much for dropping by. Please come visit again, soon.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Rest in Peace George Infanti

A wonderful husband to an equally as wonderful woman and my daughter's Girl Scout leader-with (whom I have loved volunteering with for each meeting), father of a two beautiful and smart girls, and a dedicated and well loved community leader; selectman for 9 years. George Infanti will be greatly missed.

Read about this wonderful man, here --> Amherst Patch

Thank you so much for dropping by. Please come visit again, soon.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

A Beautiful Day

Great weather and the day seemed to go on for ever!

Took some really nice pictures of the garden and while standing back, I noticed a huge Pileated Woodpeacker banging away on one of our trees! Totally not the least bit interested in me however.

Black Iris I planted these the fall before my mother died. They were beautiful their first spring with me and every spring since.

Pileated Woodpecker, isn't he handsome?

Thank you so much for dropping by. Please come visit again, soon.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Mike's Day on the Cape

Hi

There's huge coastal rain storm coming this weekend and we are supposed to be in Chatham, at the Cape, for Mike's memorial ceremony (my cousin's husband). He died this past February and his funeral was the same month. The weekend of his funeral was the same weekend the east coast was hit with a huge blizzard, shutting down all the roads, rails and runways. I couldn't make it, no matter how I tried.

Let's hope this storm keeps moving quickly and is out to sea by the time we reach the cemetery.

Tracy likes peony, since it's one of the flowers blooming in the garden I'll be making a bouquet with them and some of the black irises (which are almost ready to open). Will be pretty to lay on the family plot.

Hope Mike will watch down on us, tomorrow and continues to rest in peace.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Cupcake Celebration

Hello again!

Last night was the Girl Scout's Bridging night. Made these cupcakes for the sharing table. Wish we could have made the event but Meredith wasn't well again and couldn't be at school. Next year Laura bridges and we will be there for her!

Coffee, Nutmeg and Cinnamon Cupcakes. UMMMMM my favorite.

Recipe for the Coffee, Nutmeg and Cinnamon Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes.

    Wet
  • 6 tsp Butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 C Brown sugar
  • 2 medium Eggs
  • 5 TBSP strong black coffee
  • 1/2 C Whipping cream
  • 3 tsp Vanilla extract

    Dry
  • 2 C Regular flour
  • 3 tsp Baking powder
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 2 TBSP Instant coffee
  • 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Ground nutmeg
Combine wet ingredients in a bowl until fluffy.

In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients; sift well.

Slowly adde dry ingredients to wet. Mix well until fluffy.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

Frosting

  • 2 1/2 C Powdered Sugar
  • Whole stick of Butter, softened
  • 2 TBSP Whipping cream
  • 2 TBSP Strong black coffee
  • 2 TBSP Vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Ground nutmeg
  • 3 tsp Instant coffee
Combine all ingredients until light and fluffy.

Chocolate Cupcake Sliders

These chocolate cupcakes sliders are frosted with either strawberry, blueberry or plain vanilla frosting. I think mini-cupcakes are the best. Pop them into your mouth, in all one bite they are gone. Sometimes the larger cupcakes are harder to eat.

Recipe for the Chocolate Cupcake Sliders

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes.

    Dry
  • 1 1/3 C Regular Flour
  • 1/4 tsp Baking soda
  • 2 tsp Baking powder
  • 3/4 C Unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/8 tps Salt

    Wet
  • 3 TBSP Butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 C Sugar
  • 2 medium Eggs
  • 3/4 Vanilla extract
  • *1 C Milk*
Sift dry ingredients; set aside.

Cream wet ingredients EXCEPT MILK, adding eggs one at a time, mixing well in between.

Slowly add dry ingredients and milk, alternating between the two. Mix well until fluffy.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

Frosting

  • 2 1/2 C Powdered sugar
  • Whole stick of Butter, softened
  • 1 TBSP Vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tps Salt
  • 4 TBSP Whipping cream
Mix ingredients until fluffy.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Love Balloons!

Spring and fall (and one time, several winters ago) are the times to see balloons floating overhead. Usually in the early morning, when the air is nice and crisp. Today's morning temps certainly were.

Isn't this balloon beautiful?

Balloons used to land in the field behind my childhood home, all the time. We'd have front row seats, sitting at our kitchen table!

My Top Topiaries!

Hi there!

Just gave the topiaries their trim for the year. Can't believe I shaped these almost 9 years ago!!! It's always a nice day, sitting and trimming these trees. There was so much growth this year, I got a huge blister on my finger, just after cutting only 2 trees. Have two more to go... I use scissors. So you think I should get a more appropriate tool?

Monday, June 3, 2013

Popping Peony!

The hot pink cluster is really blooming now.

This is the month where very morning it's like a new garden.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

It's June!

Yeah! Good month...
• the weather's not too hot (well, the past couple days really blew that theory)
• school's almost over for the year
• get-togethers are outside
• the gardens really start popping with their flowers and vases inside of full of flowers

See? The irises in the front yard are really coming in.

And this cluster of peony is just about ready to bloom. (The other cluster isn't as far along...)

Here are my chives and behind them you can see the other peony (which isn't as far along as the first pics of peonies.)

Isn't he the CUTEST thing ever? I just love him. Got him for Mother's Day, from my girls!!! He proudly sits in the backyard under the peony's canopy of leaves, with a watchful eye looking at everyone that comes down the driveway.

A blog buddy from Kentucky just recently asked me which is my favorite flower (her favorite in her gardens are her roses). In this NH yard, I really don't have one... used to be roses, however they don't do well here. The leaves get nasty blackspot, and the bugs feast on the leaves. I do have ONE beautiful rose bush called Brides's Bouquet (or something like that) which is totally worth the grief to grow.

AND on this second day of June, my younger daughter is going to the amusement park; Great Adventure. She and a friend are going to run around the park and also see Carly Rae Jepson in concert. Great Adventure holds such a special place in my heart. I used to go to the one in NJ all the time, with my high school sweetheart. We would have such a awesome time at the park and playing Skee Ball was our "thing". I can definitely remember he was much better at it than I and would win me cute stuffed bears. To this day, I can't pass a Skee Ball game without at least one game and thinking of him. I am blessed with such great memories. I can't wait to hear about Laura's new Great Adventure memories!!!