Please Pardon the Interruption

It is almost Wednesday and I haven't written the first thing all week.

Sorry.

You can blame it all on this.

Just trying to make a bunch of pajama pants.
No big deal.

Stay tuned for the full story.
Hours.
Hours I tell you.

Lots of foul language.

Sewing machine - 1.
Me - 0.

Independently Adorable!

Enjoy a sweet sale on all beach totes and tunics!

We just want to make sure you look good for the holiday. ;)

Flea Market 411

I go to flea markets for several reasons.

1. I like them.
2. You can find really cool stuff for almost no money.
3. Flea market people are in a category all their own.

This couple is the real deal.
They bring their stuff in their carpeted, velour upholstered van.

I was SO close to buying this.
And hanging it in my kitchen.

This chick rode to market inside the velour van.

But then, there is some really cool stuff.
Hardware is fun to dig through. I never buy any, but I always want to.

Letterpress letters. 

I just want to dump a little glue in this box and hang it up. As is. 

Voo Do. 

This really doesn't strike me as odd for our area. 

Until you get to this part. 

I would love to know who bought this guy. 

Anyone want to join me next time? 

Lions and Tigers and Bears...and Bugs

The pressure was on yesterday. 

Summer Solstice. 

Usually, I wouldn't much care, honestly. 

To the beach or the pool we would go. 

But now that I have the store, my full days with the kids are limited. 

I used to wish for something to do, somewhere to go, because 24/7 with three kids will make you insane. 

I would never change my decision to open the store, 

but I value our days together in a very different way now. 

For those of you who know me, don't fall over when I say this, but I like the woods. 

I have always liked the woods. Not the bugs. Just the woods. 

When I was a little girl I used to make up elaborate stories about living in the trees. 

Like a fairy. 

We went to Brandywine Creek State Park to go "hiking". 

Yes, I know we don't have real hills or mountains in Delaware.

But for my do-absolutely-no-excerise back end, it felt like real hiking. 

We stopped and looked at just about everything. 

Even the ants. And naturally alive mulch. 

Itchy yet?

Speaking of naturally alive. 

Dear Mr. Millipede - I am sorry. 

He did not die, but had to be touched, oh I don't know, ten thousand times. 

I have to say, I was really impressed. 

The trail was absolutely beautiful. 

And so peaceful. 

And strangely familiar. 

Holy crap. 

I ran a Cross Country meet there circa 1997 or so. 

Let me rephrase: Adam and I ran when everyone could see us. Adam and I walked in the woods. 

Because I don't run. 

We made lots of little discoveries along the trail. 

And some big ones. 

Kind of like most days, if we just stop for a second. 

It felt really good to just stop. 

Blueberries for Breakfast

We officially picked more blueberries than we could realistically eat last week at Fifer's.

You can ask my mom - I really don't like to bake.
When a cake is needed for an event I have no problem paying whatever/whoever to deliver a fantastic cake that I had nothing to do with.

But I couldn't waste all those blueberries.
I had serious guilt since they were both locally grown by people I know AND the kids picked them.

To the internet I go.

First up: Paula Deen's Easy Blueberry Skillet Cake.

Super easy.

The fluffy part is literally a tube of buttermilk biscuits and you sort of throw in the rest!
It was actually really tasty - I added a little extra butter and brown sugar to both the bottom and the top.
I never seem to be able to follow the directions - but what fun is that?

Next (and last since I was tired last night) : Barefoot Contessa's Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins.

I will admit on the front end that this was a little bit of a baking disaster.
Normally, everything I make from her collection is beyond delicious (I realize she can be a little off-putting if you watch her on tv, but seriously, her food is amazing).

No, that is not a bite missing on the right side.
It is broken.
They were all broken.

In this instance, I should have broken the rules and filled the muffin cups only partially (the directions say to fill them until they are just over the edge) because I ended up with giant overflowing muffin tops.
And the bottoms just could not support them.

Oh well, they tasted fantastic!
I guess that's all that really matters.

I can't say it was a bad idea - the picking or the baking - I just wouldn't quit my day job to do either!

Just What You Need

Here's what you can do when you're not having a great day. 

Tips from someone who has become a professional distraction artist. 

Tip #1: Paint Your Front Door

You can buy a quart of premium paint for about $15. 

Buy a can. 

Buy a brush. 

Change your world. 

I recently needed a little pick-me-up. 

I picked a bricky-orangey-red for my door. (this is not a picture of my door)

It literally made my whole weekend better! 

Tip #2: Buy a New Bag

I really can't see how you can go wrong with a summer jute bag for $18.
Grab your bag.
Grab your towel.
And go.

I think goldfish are lucky. Right?

Tip #3: Blowing bubbles makes everyone smile.

And when you're done blowing bubbles...

Head downtown and see a free outdoor movie!
Downtown Milford Inc is sponsoring a Music and Movies series this summer.
Your town might be doing the same!
Fun and Free is the way to do it.

Tip #4: Pick Your Own Fruit and Eat It

U-Pick blueberries are ready and waiting at Fifer's!

A note about the rule: Don't eat more than you pick.

YUM

And you should definitely wear your best Hawaiian shirt to pick blueberries.
And while I personally have trouble combining cost control and self-picking, the experience makes it worth it.

Tip #5: Go Old-School

There's no bad mood a good game of hopscotch can't fix.
Especially when you get to teach a 3-year-old boy how to "appropriately" throw a rock.

It is amazing what these five things have done for me in the last week.
I am not kidding - major mood overhaul!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Shake What Your Mama Gave You

On this absolutely gorgeous east coast morning,
I would like to remind myself that every day is a day to be thankful for.

And since the only thing I can ever be is myself,
I will spend the day celebrating what I am good at and not worry about the stuff I'm not.

Take my daughter for example.
Ballet, yes.
Soccer, no.
She gets it honestly. I can't run with or catch or throw a ball to save my life.

I think we're all the center of our own stage.
It's up to us to figure out what the show is going to be.

It's a little crazy when you own a public business. Everyone gets to watch. No pressure. None.

No harm in dreaming.
No harm at all.

Have a fantastic day today!
And don't be afraid to shake whatever it is your mama gave you.

Just Far Enough Away

It is interesting to grow up in a place that is 90 minutes from major cities, 3 hours from NYC, 20 minutes to resort town beaches, yet cornfields and soybeans are all around you.

We are sort of everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
There are days when I feel like I might go crazy.
And others when I wouldn't want it any other way.

But I like my kids having a life, right here, in everywhere and nowhere land.
At some point, I want them to leave and see the what else is out there.
It was good for me. It'll be good for them.

Yesterday, we enjoyed what living in the middle of nowhere offers.
My dad taught them how to plant corn.
He never taught me how to plant it - just how to weed it and pick it.

To the garden we go!

It looks exactly like a garden should, in my opinion.

The bag of corn seed was $5.90 in case you were wondering.

Here is the goal. Nice, neat, little rows of corn plants.
But can three kids under the age of 8 accomplish this? Ha.

Pop-Pop controls the seed distribution despite the many protests from the youngest "farmer" who wanted to do it himself.

The oldest takes the lead.

Definitely a group effort.
More quality control than effort, however.

If the pictures had audio you would hear:

"Put that down"!
"No! Don't dig up the plants"?!
"If you don't stop digging the plants that are already growing, you are going in time-out"!

Life always looks better in the pictures.

He looks so cute when he's being naughty.
Don't ever tell him I said that.

Attempt to put the seed directly under the string. 

Attempt is the key word. 

And if you visit my parent's house any time after May, expect to find my dad only wearing shorts.

It is his summer uniform. 

You just get used to it. 

Lesson on how far to push the seed down into the dirt.
That far up on your pinky finger.
If you have a three year old pinky finger.

Down they go!
And that's pretty much it!
How to plant corn.

Our in-house Lassie is supervising.

She rounds out the fun with a bouquet of wildflowers from the field behind the house.

After all the excitement, the kids wanted to have dinner outside.
Obviously, we didn't have corn.
But we did have dessert!

I'm not a marshmallows in my ice cream kind of girl, but the kids were the decision makers on this one.

It's good to be reminded why I live in the middle of nowhere sometimes.
If you come visit, I can't guarantee corn planting lessons.
But I can promise cornfields and quiet just when you need it.