july – Page 2

A simple summer snack

July 14, 2014

Just a quick post to share an easy and refreshing recipe made with three of my favorite summer flavors. It’s a perfect appetizer to bring to any picnic or party this summer. And it’s pretty too.

Watermelon, feta and basil. Stack up the three ingredients and hold together with a toothpick. Sprinkle with some cracked black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and voila!

I brought this to my Aunt Patty’s birthday luncheon today and it was quite the hit.
I also gifted her a little homegrown basket of goodies. Cucumbers, yellow squash, tomatoes, fresh herbs, eggs and homemade pesto.

Also don’t forget to visit Tend to gather all sorts of garden tips, stories and inspiration. I write on Fridays.

A sneak peek of Norah’s room

July 2, 2014

When Hannah moved up to her new room last year we promised Norah a little room make-over.
She has been so patient as she has been sleeping up with her sister and living out of baskets over the months. As her room sits at the top of our stairs, I always had the door closed to hide how much work was to be done.
It feels so good almost a year later to have finally made some major progress.

When we first bought our house our budget only allowed us to put in new hardwood floors in the downstairs only. We put a cheap sisel rug down in the upstairs with the intent of one day putting hardwood in. Finally this spring Chris started that process and put floors down in Norah’s room and out into part of the hallway.
It made such a difference! I can’t wait to do the rest this fall!

A few weeks back I painted the walls this color and I cannot tell you how much I love it. It is so calming and peaceful and looks great against the wood pieces in her room.

Norah’s little Jenny bed was my mother’s when she was a girl and her bureau was her great, great, great grandmother Gladys’s.

We hung white dotted Swiss curtains which brightened things up a bit along with a white cotton quilt for her bed. My mom gave her a beautiful antique hooked rug and I found a little side table on craigs list which I want to eventually paint grey.

There are still shelves to be hung along with some artwork. And Chris is working on making an extension to the radiator cover for a makeshift desk.
We are also working on renovating her closet with both shelving and hanging.

I now find myself going upstairs for no reason at all but to just reach the top of the stairs with a door wide open and a happy little girl inside.

Some things that make me do a jig….

August 1, 2013

some things that make me smile….

::earl came to my bedroom window for the first time yesterday morning. i guess i need to keep a jar of nuts by my bedside. he has been bringing a lady friend around lately. we named her pearl. i think chris and i may be grandparents soon:)

::we are headed to the lake on thursday to visit friends for a long weekend and then we will head back up in a few weeks for a week long stay.

::tomatoes are coming in strong from the farm and i find myself eating something tomato-y at every meal.

::harry has found many new friends in our neighborhood and has doggy playdates almost every day. yesterday he spent the morning in a neighbor’s backyard playing with his buddy burt, a standard poodle. he came home pooped.

::swim team is over as well as camp and we now have the rest of the summer to just be before the busy fall schedule arrives.

::the heat has broken (for now) and i am a much happier camper. the forecast is sunny and 70s with no humidity for the next week and i am doing a jig!

::the attic project is close to complete. it is beautiful and bright and gets the best light in the house. i sit up there every morning and take it all in before it will soon be hannah’s space and i will have to step back a bit.

::norah and i have been dreaming up some plans for her room re-do.

Home stretch!

August 1, 2013

some sneak peeks….
home stretch!

Pickles

July 22, 2013

it was a little bit cooler yesterday and so we canned some pickles.
the kitchen got a bit steamy but it was worth it.
afterwards we headed to my sisters pool for a swim and some barbequed chicken.

Summer has been good to us

July 21, 2013

it’s been hot and humid which makes me grumpy.
i wish i had more tolerance for the heat.
you would think that i would have accepted by now that summer is just hot around these parts.

i have not been out in the garden much, although it is looking happy thanks to all of the rain we have had.
we have been eating lots of tomato sandwiches, smoothies, homemade popsicles, watermelon and snack bar food at swim meets. i don’t think i have turned the stove on in almost a week. thank goodness for the food processor.
we have been going for either a late night swim or taking an ice cold shower just before bed each night to cool down.

but aside from all of that, summer has been good to us. really good.

:: chris makes a few jars of sun tea every other day in old pickle jars.

:: harry is adjusting beautifully and goes where ever we go. his breed is known for adapting well to an active family. he plays hard and sleeps hard like all of us.

:: earl still continues to stop by for a few nuts. i saw him playing with two other squirrels this morning, circling the big maple tree in my neighbor’s yard.

:: today we make pickles from an overabundant crop of cucumbers. i harvested loads of dill flowers from the farm last night to top each jar.

:: i miss the cicadas. i have hardly heard their song this summer.

:: i am counting down the days until we head to the lake. it’s my reward for getting through the dog days of summer.

Meet Harry

July 13, 2013

meet harry!
a white dog with black spots like this fellow.
we are smitten.

he’s a coton de tulear.
and a lovebug.
he’s a 4 month old pup and a perfect mix of playful, friendly and mellow.

the girls have been begging us for a year now for a dog.
i always just said no with excuses like our house is too small. norah and i have allergies. too much time. too much money.
but luckily their persistence got me thinking more about it and we started to do some research on breeds and what kind of pup might fit well with our family.

well we found him and i can’t even believe just how perfect he fits in.
it’s like he has always been here.

A pond party

July 11, 2013

on a very humid and sticky saturday last weekend we loaded in to the car all hot and bothered and headed out to a pond party.
it was a gorgeous spot in delaware on the property of a friend’s grandparents home.
the cement bottom pond was clear and refreshing and the rope swing was incredible.

everyone brought along a picnic and we ended the evening with fireworks and sky lanterns.
we walked back to our car with flashlights to the song of frogs and cicadas.
we drove home with the windows all the way down, our bodies cooled down to the core.
it was the perfect summer evening.

A fourth of july tradition

July 6, 2013

i know i’ve told you before but i just love my neighborhood.
many traditions have been formed here over the years that we hold near and dear to our hearts.
i love thinking of my girls carrying them all with them wherever they may go.

one of our favorites is our neighborhood fourth of july party.
our neighbor travels to new hampshire to buy an amazing selection of fireworks each year.
we host a big potluck and then at dark the show begins.
people from all over town come out to see the festivities.

good hometown fun.

July 28, 2012

we are all packed up and ready to go.
my mom is up at the lake already and says it is in the 70s.
i’ve got socks and a sweater packed for cool nights by the fire.
lots of tomatoes for blts.
our favorite card games including milles bornes.
a knitting project.
a new book from the library.
cast iron skillets for dutch babies and bacon.
and a guitar, a uke and this book for lots of sing alongs.

i think this year i will post a few photos each day of our trip.
have a great week.
ta-ta
xoxo

https://secondandedgemont.com/2012/07/28/2509/

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