glory of the garden

created these pieces @ a Helen Olivia workshop...

hydrangea, rosemary & mint

now, where to hang you...?

one lucky bee

This is random.
The other morning when I was giving my thirsty plants a drink, I came across a little bee exhausted from the heat and clinging to our candle holder. Poor little guy. Luckily I had just read a recent post from the winnebago diaries that described a similar situation. There was a good chance all this little guy needed was a sugar boost, so I heated a spoonful of honey (slightly watered down,) and convinced the little bee to trust me. Very similar to the photo, he got a taste of the sweet drink, and then proceeded to refuel. Within a minute he took off ready to go back to work, collecting pollen like any normal day...
With bees on the decline, it warmed my heart to know I had helped this worker bee out. Keep up the good work little bee.

photo by The Winnebago Diaries

keep your cool

what better way to stay cool than mint chocolate chip ice cream with a cake cone

so refreshing!

salty & sweet

Some friends of ours introduced us to dark chocolate covered almonds with sea salt from Trader Joes. Woah! The perfect chocolatey blend of salty and sweet. Soo dangerously good. What these almonds lack in aesthetics, they make up for in taste. You can't have just one....

photo by Shutterbean.com

meet Lilly

My sweet & feisty helper @ Mid-Atlantic Wholesale Flowers...

She might pop up anywhere :)

berry pickin & pie

On Sunday I journeyed to Butler's Orchard in Germantown, MD with my friend Helaina to scout out some ripe blackberries, and blueberries. Oh, and delicious berries we found! This Farm was delightful- from the country store, berry and flower picking, games and hayrides to the great prices! Yep, I went home with half a bucket of blackberries for around $6- not counting the ones we devoured while picking hehe. Can't wait to go back next month for the raspberries.

This experience reminded me of how easily I take grocery shopping for granted. I've got a weekly Farmers Market, Harris Teeter, Giant, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Shoppers, and several other markets to chose from within 10 minutes of my house, and I feel like many Americans, such as myself, too often forget how easily accessible food is. After one day of berry picking in the heat with stubborn gnats swarming my face, I had a new appreciation for the grueling work farmers do to provide us with these edible luxuries. With busy lives, it's easy to get distracted from how lucky we are to have daily access to fresh foods. I encourage you to go picking- it's a great experience for all ages, and chew longer- take the time to enjoy and give thanks for the food you eat, and where it comes from! 

Almost time for pie...

stained fingers- worth it!

time for blueberries

berries + a paring knife + a caramel- to hold me over

= time for pies

peach & blueberry

very berry- blueberry & blackberry

Time to head to John & Liz's for Pool, Pie & (meet the new) Puppy time! 

the boys walking Wyatt- the most adorable puppy!

Silly puppy, hold still...

Ok, that works :)

It was a Great weekend, and now to have some more pie!

Yum

the perks

I look forward to a restaurant doggy bag, and I have no shame looking through that bag of unwanted trinkets, clothes, and clutter you were planning on taking to GoodWill. My favorite of all fab-freebies are F.L.O.W.E.R.S. I absolutely love brightening up the house with leftover flowers. take a look at some of the latest...

fried okra goes great with..

We fried okra for the first time- it was a yummy success! See for yourself...

chop

dip

(mix egg & hot sauce for batter, 

then dip in corn meal mixture- with s&p and seasoning)

fry

have a beer

and tadaaaa!

this would be great with...

BBQ! pulled pork sammiches, local corn, homemade coleslaw

+ fried okra = 2 hungry Fabers!

PS we mixed a little ketchup & mayo together for dipping sauce- have no shame, it's a simple and savory solution. yes?

ode to mimosa

Sparkling strawberry lemonade was our wedding-signature-drink. On a warm summer weekend, there's nothing better than a pink mimosa! With a mint leaf of course!

photo by Cramer Photo

photo by Cramer Photo
Evidence that Michael likes them too, tehe.

On a walk this week Michael picked me a little pink poof from a tree we love... My curiosity finally drove me to google "tree with pink poofs," and low and behold, it's called a Mimosa tree (aka Persian Silk..) 

photo by nice tree world