Today, I made cinnamon rolls…
The whole house smelled so good! There’s nothing like the smell of bread or rolls baking.
Are you hungry yet??
I made enough to share with my neighbors across the street.
They were very appreciative. 🙂
I topped them off with cream cheese frosting. It’s so much better than the
plain sugar icing. These rolls go really good with coffee. 🙂
Go ahead and have one. You can start your diet tomorrow.
Like I am.
Happy eating,
Daisy
Posted in Baking, Cooking, Photography | Tagged Baking, Cooking, photography | 8 Comments »
One thing I like about Mondays is that I get to go to the Farmers Market!
This Farmers Market is huge! There are hundreds of vendors and also a very large Flea Market section in the back. You can find anything here from socks to tomatoes. It’s like a gigantic outdoor department store! And so much fun!! I think my favorite section is the antiques area where you can find lots of interesting items. However, today I didn’t have time to go back there so I just went straight to the veggies and fruit which was what I came for.
Everything is so fresh. Lemonade anyone?
The peaches are so sweet and juicy! I’m thinking..peach cobbler… oh yeah, I’m supposed to be on a diet.
The cherries are one of my favorites so we bought 2 lbs for $2!
There were lots of cherries. We walk up and down the aisles looking for the best prices and produce.
I couldn’t believe all those radishes for $1!!
If you’ve never had a Florida avocado, I suggest you do. They are delicious!
And those hot peppers? I like to put them in a bottle with garlic, vinegar, and olive oil. You can use the oil for dressings and the peppers in anything from scrambled eggs to chili.
Watermelon and summer. Can’t wait to make frozen watermelon treats! My favorite!
Just blend watermelon, sugar, ice, and a little water. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze for a couple of hours. Place 4-5 in a glass and serve with a fork. Use the fork to break up the cubes.
My Dad made these for me when I was a little girl. I can’t make them as good as he did but close enough. They are so good when it’s hot outside! Very refreshing! 🙂
Beefsteak tomatoes! All I can say is, “Wow!”
My husband likes asparagus so we got 2 bunches for $3.
On the way out, I snapped this photo. The peaches were calling me.
Dinner tonight was delicious… nothing like fresh veggies.
Happy marketing, 🙂
Daisy
Posted in Cooking, Photography | Tagged Cooking, Farmers Market, photography, Summer | 19 Comments »
Last week, for our anniversary, my husband took me to Cheesecake Factory. If you have never been to this restaurant, you should definitely make plans to go. They have great food, but of course their specialty is cheesecake. They offer more than 30 flavors of cheesecake. Yes, 30!
eeny meeny miny moe
As you walk into this beautiful place… right there on display, are just some of their fabulous cheesecakes. As you wait for your table you can see and decide which one you will have for dessert. (Notice I didn’t say “if” you have one, but which one you will have)
Oh my.
Decisions, decisions…
Gasp!
I don’t know if I can do this… choose just one??
This is torture.
Triple Cho-co-late? Uh, oh.
My husband, who’s better at making decisions than I am, chose the “white chocolate caramel macadamia nut cheesecake.” The menu describes it like this: White Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake Swirled with Macadamia Nuts and Caramel on a Blond Brownie Crust. ” Because we had a full meal (which was also delicious!) we thought it best to share one slice of cheesecake. We knew it would be substantial. And it was.
All I can say is… Mmmmmmmm.
Oh and yes, my husband also got me flowers. Beautiful. 
What a special day! Roses, cheesecake, and a handsome date… Wow!
On the serious side…
I am so blessed to have married my best friend. I thank the Lord for him everyday!
Happily married, 🙂
Daisy
P.S. If you have a recipe for any of these cheesecakes, please let me know! 🙂
Posted in Baking, Photography | Tagged Baking, Cooking, Food, photography | 5 Comments »
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105
Have a blessed week!
Daisy
Posted in Photography, Sunday | Tagged Direction, photography, Psalms, Sunday | 2 Comments »
In Florida, “summer” is so hot, that we prefer going to the beach when the heat is not quite so intense… usually before June and after August. (At least I do; maybe I should just speak for myself!).
Earlier this year in April, while it was still nice outdoors, we went on a day trip to Venice Beach.
Somehow, the ocean has a therapeutic effect on me. (God’s creation always does!)
I can sit there for hours, just staring at it. I guess you could say (like John Denver’s song) it “fills up my senses.”
The sound of the waves seems to relieve any stress I feel. The wind, the sand, the salty smell, and one of my favorites…the sand pipers chasing the waves only to turn around and run before they get their feet wet. Sigh.
My daughter and I sat in the shade, talking, laughing, just enjoying one another’s company. How good it felt to be together and just relax. We swam for a bit, walked for a while, then came and enjoyed the shade again.
My husband and my son-in-law spent hours looking for shark teeth.
Men.
They always love a challenge.
They did find quite a bit. I was impressed. They were excited.
Here’s one of the shark teeth they found. They were very proud. As well they should be.
We left promising each other that we’d come back real soon.
I can’t wait.
Happy Summer!
Daisy
Posted in Photography | Tagged Beach, Family, Ocean, Summer | 6 Comments »
Recently, this kitty appeared at my daughter’s house. Yes, we fed her. She was hungry. We were weak. What can I say??
Kitty the cat.
Yes, Kitty stuck around. Every morning she’d ask for her breakfast before my daughter went off to work. Then Kitty would disappear until dinner time, when she would meow so loudly, we’d hear her even above the TV. We couldn’t ignore her even if we wanted to (we didn’t want to).
Mona & Lisa
One day not long after, Kitty appeared to be “getting fat”. I told my daughter she was probably more than fat, she was expecting kittens. Sure enough, one day Kitty showed up with four beautiful kitties. They were so cute!
Lounging in-between wrestling matches.
We had so much fun playing with them, and watching them “wrestle”. They were so entertaining, we could watch them for hours. Kitty took good care of them.
Her first photo shoot. You’d be nervous, too!
This one was my favorite I think.
My daughter who’s allergic to cats would sneeze for a while every time she played with them. So, reluctantly, she had to find homes for all the kitties. We miss them, but are glad they are in good homes.
I’ve always been a dog-lover, don’t like cats much, but even I had to admit how cute these kittens were and how much fun we had with them!
Oh, and yes, we also found a good home for Kitty… the same person who adopted her children. Now everybody’s happy.
Daisy
Posted in Photography | Tagged photography | 4 Comments »
Journaling is so popular now, with so many different types of notebooks and even mixed media journals (I’m working on one now, and it’s so much fun!). I thought I’d make my friend a cover for her personal Journal so she could take it with her on her many trips. I had fun making it and she loved it. Here’s what it looked like on the outside:
Okay, I’m blessed to have a Dad that’s an upholsterer and he gives me all kinds of fabric remnants, along with trims, tassels, and other left-overs. I know! That’s pretty nice!!
This is what the inside looks like. The gold quilted fabric is silk (SO nice!) and feels so soft and smooth, while the white & gold/yellow fabric has some texture to it and feels equally nice. I sewed pockets on the “flaps” so she could put in a note pad and a pen or pencil. I also sewed in a ribbon at the top center so she could mark the spot in her journal and just open right up to it. (I really like that little detail when I’m journaling).
I tucked in a lacy bookmark I made her and a pen. Tucking in the journal or notebook of your choice is easy and quick.
I sewed a ribbon on the side back in the center so I could wrap it around the nice button sewn on the outside. It keeps the journal secure while looking feminine and pretty as well.
Here’s another Journal cover I made for a friend:
I thought she would like the fabric. This journal was made the same as the other, just a bit smaller. Here’s the inside:
Once again I sewed pockets for a notepad & pen, highlighter; added the ribbon on center top for a marker, and a ribbon on side back for closure.
The button looks real fancy but I bought it at Wal-Mart very inexpensively. I had purchased both these buttons for other projects but they went so well with these fabrics that I decided to go ahead and use them for these Journal covers.
It’s great when you can both give gifts that you know they’re going to love as well as have fun making them.
Happy Sewing! 🙂
Daisy
Posted in Gifts, Quilting, Sewing | Tagged Gifts, Journals, Quilting, Sewing | 21 Comments »
I recently stayed with my daughter and was able to take advantage of a nearby park with a path for walking, exercising, biking, and even horseback riding. Early in the morning the park was so quiet and still. The sun was just barely peeking and the breeze was still cool. There were other people there, of course, but we were all in a “world of our own” you might say. The silence was too good to interrupt. I had a lot on my mind so I used the time to think, journal, pray, and just be still.
As I walked through the park path, there were some beautiful scenes that I just had to stop and take in.
No, I didn’t see any elk, moose, or deer (this was Florida, after all), but it was fun to watch the squirrels chase each other while they ate their breakfast.
By the time I left, the sun was up and the magic of those early morning moments were mine to take with me and enjoy all day. It wasn’t easy getting up extra early, but oh, so worth it!
Take time.
Daisy
Posted in Photography | Tagged photography | Leave a Comment »
Sanibel Island, Florida
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you;
not as the world gives do I give to you.
Do not let your heart be troubled,
nor let it be fearful.
John 14:26
Have a terrific week!
Daisy
Posted in Photography, Sunday | Tagged photography, Sunday | 2 Comments »
I really enjoy going to thrift stores. I find all kinds of cool stuff at great prices. One of my favorite things to look for at thrift stores is furniture pieces that just need a little TLC to bring them back to their former glory.
This piece was ok but was just blah. I saw so much potential and just loved the shape. I thought it would be fun to paint it and use it at my son’s Rehearsal dinner. I forgot to take a picture before I started painting, but here it is just after I sanded it and began the first coat of paint. Not very nice yet…
Before
I also bought a desk at a thrift store and painted it the same day as the other piece:
Before
I gave each piece three coats of paint. I added pink antique glass drawer pulls to both. The glass sliding doors on the china cabinet are original. The desk was only $3.98 at the thrift store! I really like how they turned out and now I’m trying to decide which room of the house I should put it in.
What do you think?
After
After
They both looked great at the wedding rehearsal dinner; they added a lot and were fun to decorate!
Can’t wait to visit the thrift store again! 🙂
Daisy
Posted in Furniture makeovers | Tagged Antiques, Painting, Thrift stores | 19 Comments »
A Daisy Garden 