Blue Sky Confections

5 for 5 Handmade Gift Challenge

2012-01-25T08:23:00.000-08:00

"I'll make five handmade gifts for the first five to comment on this post if you in turn re-post this in your status and make five handmade gifts for the first five to comment on your status. You have all year to complete these."

You can take this challenge in 2012. Go ahead and post it as your Facebook status. I bet you'll get several takers right away. The stipulation was it had to be handmade and it had to be done before the turn of the year. I didn't meet that deadline. I finished up in the first few weeks of 2012 but I kept my word.

So here's my handmade 5 for 5 lineup.

I saw this idea on the Martha Stewart show. An Etsy Shop owner had been invited on the show and gave a tutorial on how to make your own. Well I fell in love and knew I had to recreate this for my sister-in-law, Melissa. Doesn't she look adorable. Only a few more weeks to go! The Etsy Shop is called Culpeper General. If you don't have the tools or the time to create your own you can order one of these fabulous shirts directly from Shannon. She's got lots and lots of wonderful gifts for expectant moms and babies.

I gifted my friend Cindy with a cozy, flannel, infinity scarf. I also made a little flower pin with a fabric covered button. She can embellish her scarf or her handbag with it. These are really simple to make. Maybe I'll put together a tutorial in the future and post it here on my blog.

Okay, let me just say Facebook is amazing. I've been able to reconnect with so many people that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to keep up with. This crocheted hat went to a neighbor friend of mine, Jessi. She lived just up the road a field or two. Oh how I miss that country road.

This hat went to a college friend of mine, Holli. She was in the same visual communication program with me. She's a graphic designer as well. She told me she likes greys, blacks, olive green and chartreuse. I hope she likes the hat.

Last but not least, Lisa received this neutral, chunky hat. At least I hope she did. I haven't heard from her as of yet. Lisa was a childhood friend and part of my graduating class. This yarn is a wool blend and very warm. She resides in my hometown and lets just say the weather is much colder there than where I currently live.

I hope all 5 ladies were able to complete their challenge.

Are you willing to take the handmade challenge in 2012?

Linking up to Tatertots & Jello and The 36th Avenue.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Posh & Colorful

2012-01-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

...handmade pillowcases and afghan for my wee one who just so happened to turn THREE yesterday!

I made these lovely pillowcases using a designer cotton fabric. If you remember and have been following me you know I used this fabric to create some bike basket liners for a couple of my Etsy Shop customers. I absolutely love the colors and the floral pattern. It lent itself perfectly to this scalloped, crocheted edging in bright pink. This combines two things I enjoy, sewing and crocheting. If time serves me well in the coming weeks and I have small windows of creative time you will definitely be seeing more of this from me.

Over the coming months I will be decorating bedrooms piece by piece. They are sorely lacking in style right now and the pillowcases are a start for one of the 4 rooms. My sons room has been repainted and it's a perfectly blank canvas. I think I'm going to go nautical for him.

I'm also working on an afghan for my wee three year old. It started out as a baby afghan but because I did not finish it in time I'm having to enlarge it for a twin bed. I work on this a row or two at a time and the colors just so happen to pair wonderfully with the pillowcases. I'll be adding the same scalloped edging to the afghan that's on the pillowcases. Crossing my fingers that this is done sooner than later. I don't want it to turn into a wedding gift.

I was just watching Martha this morning and she had some style experts on saying that this year is a year of color. Lots and lots of bright colors and color blocking so my wee one will be on trend this year at least.

So these are a couple of gifts for my strong willed, independent baby girl. I also have one more in mind that I did not get to due to a lack of time. Now of course she's to young to get excited about this kind of stuff so she also got a new storybook, "Heaven is for Real".

Here she stands with her shirtless brother and her new book. For whatever reason he will not keep his shirts on while he's at home. I don't know why. It's frustrating! Anyways, they love when they're daddy reads to them each night so this book is a welcomed addition to their library.

Of course there had to be a new baby doll. That's all she ever asks for. She's got quite the collection and loves each one of them.

I hope to be sharing some more handmade love tomorrow.

Linking up to Freckled Laundry, Tatertots & Jello & The 36th Avenue.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Some Things I Discovered This Week

2012-01-14T13:10:00.000-08:00

...that I love.

Create your own handwritten font at MyScriptFont.com.

Krystina and Lollipops Cards gives a great tutorial.

I named my font Just Kidding. I'm not a big fan of my own handwriting. It's the tool I love and I plan to play with it a bit more and create some fun little doodles.

I'm also going to share this with my oldest daughter. I think she would enjoy creating her own font.

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Then there's this little thing called Instagram. I've seen it a lot in the blog world and finally checked it out for myself. A free App for iPhone or iPad making it easy to snap, snap, snap and share. I took a photo of my wee one using my iPad. The quality isn't fantastic but I love the fact that it encourages you to just take pictures and not get hung up on the quality.

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On a musical note there's this group, Edens Edge. I stumbled upon them via a blog that I visited because of a color palette I liked on Pinterest.

Social Marketing is a pretty amazing thing. Don't ya think?

I just so happen to be a farmer's daughter (hobby farm) married to the preachers son.

I'm a country girl through-and-through right down to the music.

Photo by my friend.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Belief in Yourself

2012-01-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

...will propel you forward

Sometimes this can be the toughest thing to do.

If you're like me, you look around at the vast talent and the wonderful ideas and sometimes slump over with a feeling of failure. But I'm tired of that feeling. It is debilitating and only brings failure. There comes a point when we as women need to recognize that what we do, our gifts, talents and strengths are unique and valuable as well. To cast a shadow of doubt on ourselves is a slap in the face to the one who created us.

I leave you with this challenge today:

Appreciate and love your own gifts. This belief in your God given talents will begin to propel you forward rather than leave you with a feeling of failure.

Now go create something fabulous.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Family Photo Session

2012-01-02T09:16:00.000-08:00

This past fall my family and I had a photo session with my good friend, photographer and blogger. We traded services. I designed her business logo and she took our photos. If you're in the VA area you really need to give her a ring. You won't be disappointed.

We hadn't had family photo's done in a long, long time. I'm so thankful and grateful for this business trade because now I have some really fantastic photo's to document this time in our lives. I wanted to share the photo's earlier but the busyness of the holidays happened and I didn't blog for a long time.

I'm happy to be sharing a couple of canvases that I had printed up for our photo hall. I ordered them from Easy Canvas. Another friend of mine shared her photo canvas a while back and when I was checking prices before Christmas, Easy Canvas had the best price + free shipping. I also ordered canvases for my parent's and my mother-in-law as gifts. I usually try to do photo books but I was short on time this year.

You see the "K" above the door. I hand painted that. Now I want to change the wall color sometime in 2012 so it will be painted over and I'm sure I will paint another "K" in its place.

This is the other side of the photo hall. I've still got space to add additional photo's over the years.

I also used several family pics for our 2011 Christmas card which I ordered from Tiny Prints.

I hope to share another custom sized canvas I recently ordered for our master bedroom. It hasn't been delivered yet.

Thank you Stephanie McFarland for capturing our family!

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

It's 2012

2012-01-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR

From our family to yours!

Photo's taken by my friend, Stephanie McFarland.

Do you have any 2012 resolutions? A word that will be your personal mantra? Any great places you plan on visiting?

2012 came so fast I'm still thinking on it all.

I know I want to be more aware of what really matters. I want substance in my life not just fluff. Don't get me wrong frills and fluff are really nice but at the end of the day I want to be able to say that I made a difference. A difference in my children's lives, a difference in my husbands life, my parents, siblings and extended family.

I would like to be better at documenting lives milestones whether it be with a camera or a journal. I would like to hand write letters and notes to loved ones so they know I'm thinking of them and that they matter. I would like to speak more kindness into peoples lives to build them up and to see their strengths, talents and dreams manifest.

Have you ever noticed that when you begin to build someone up with words letting them know that you recognize their God given strengths, gifts and talents that it helps propel them into their destiny? It really does.

I'd like to spend a bit of time taking care of myself in 2012. Making exercise and healthy eating part of that plan. I'm usually the last one on my list and sometimes I don't even make the list.

I'd like to grow this blog into something really amazing and meet some of my fellow bloggers in person. I'd like to learn some new skill sets in photography, fiber art & sewing. I'd like to pick up calligraphy because it's absolutely beautiful. I'd like to learn some new software, mainly online magazine software and maybe even app creation.

I'd like to do some horseback riding and if I allow myself to dream really, really big I'd like to add a horse to our family in 2012. A larger family vehicle will trump a horse but I did say, "if I allow myself to dream REALLY BIG".

Oh... and I'd like some adventure in my life this year. I don't know what that entails yet but it needs to be something that makes my heart leap.

Well now that I took some time to sit down and type it out it seems I have a pretty good idea of what I want 2012 to look like.

May all your plans and dreams come to fruition and I hope and pray mine do too!

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

A Handmade Christmas

2011-12-31T08:27:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of 2011 a college friend posted this on Facebook...

"I'll make five handmade gifts for the first five to comment on this post if you in turn repost this in your status and make five handmade gifts for the first five to comment on your status."

Well of course I jumped at the chance because Jennifer was sewing even in college. I knew whatever she made would be beautiful. I also thought it would be a nice gesture for Facebook friends of mine. I had all of 2011 to complete these items.

I tossed and turned over what to make these women. I wanted it to be something useful and pretty. I wanted it to be something that would fit their aesthetics etc... etc... etc...

Time came and went and before I knew it, it was the end of the year and I had to hurry up and complete these handmade gifts.

So I started making these infinity scarves out of a soft flannel that I found at the local fabric store.

My beautiful daughter is modeling them for me.

I made a dozen of them. Two from each cutting of fabric.

Why so many you ask? Well once I started making gifts for Facebook friends I started feeling guilty that I wasn't making something handmade for each of my family members. I'm happy to say that each scarf has a new home as of Christmas with my husband being the recipient of one of them. However, with the 60° winter that we're having here in VA he probably won't need it. My father, brothers, sister, and the older niece and nephews unwrapped one this year. One of my FB friends will be getting this infinity scarf as a gift. "Part of the make 5 for 5 challenge of 2011".

I made this crocheted infinity scarf for my mom this Christmas. I used Lion Brand, WoolEase, Thick & Quick and I have to say I'm addicted. She's asked for a matching hat so she's obviously addicted too.

I crocheted this little tasseled hat for my youngest nephew using the same yarn. I made hats for my two youngest as well. I'll share those in another post.

My wee one is modeling it for the photo.

I also crocheted these pretty little hair pieces (headbands and hair clips) for my brothers daughters using the Stitch Nation wool fibers and bamboo fibers. I love the colors the collection has to offer. My oldest daughter also received a collection of crocheted flowers for her hair. I'll share those in another post.

The handmade 5 for 5 challenge got me into a gift making frenzy this holiday season and I still need to complete four more gifts. They are in the works and I will complete these gifts and mail them even in the beginning of 2012. My word is good!

I'll be sharing here on this blog as I finish.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

A Few Highlights from Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

Hello, hello.... I've missed everyone. I hope you've missed me too!

B-U-S-Y would be the understatement of the year but who isn't busy during the holidays? The first thing to get cut from my list of to-do's happens to be this blog. I hope to be a better blogger in 2012. That can be one of my resolutions. I thought I'd share a few highlights from this past month.

We lit up our house for the annual community decorating contest.

We took home the grand prize last year but there was some stiff competition this go round. Sigh...... maybe next year. We still enjoyed all the twinkle brights!

The dining room was adorned with a few flourishes.

My favorite addition this year is the chalkboard. That says it all!

This room was filled with girls & my son for our annual mother-daughter Christmas cookie decorating party. I made dozens and dozens of sugar cookies and bottles and bottles of frosting and then set everything up for my oldest daughter and her friends to decorate to their hearts content. While they're busy, we moms chit-chat and eat.

Here are a couple photo's of some Christmas decor in my office.

I love this tree. This year I made linen stars top-stitched with gold metallic thread and then attached a gold ribbon to each one for hanging. You can see a couple of them in this photo.

I also added a few gold glittered twigs to the vase of dried hydrangeas.

On to neighborhood gifts.... I made an assortment of pretty little treats and boxed them up to give to neighbors and friends. If our neighbors didn't receive this box of goodies...

... they were given homemade, light wheat, french bread with a jar of strawberry freezer jam or a loaf of brown sugar, cinnamon, raisin swirl bread. I sure hope everyone enjoyed. I won't be baking in mass for a while now.

My good friend and photographer, Stephanie McFarland, hosted a Santa party at her house and took pictures of each of the children with this jolly, old soul. My son was the only one that would participate. He asked for a sword and shield and by golly he got a sword and shield on Christmas morning.

My little guy also lost his first tooth in the midst of all this holiday merriment. He popped it under his pillow that night and was awarded monetarily when he awoke from his slumber. Milestones!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all of you!!!

I hope to be back very soon to share some of the gifts that I made in the past month.

Thank you so much for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!!!

Jenny K.

Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder

2011-11-22T17:43:00.001-08:00

A Thanksgiving Dessert

I don't know about you but I can never find Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. None of the grocery stores I frequent carry it and all of Martha's recipes that contain chocolate usually call for the Dutch Processed variety.

I stopped in at my local Target Superstore this evening to get a prescription filled and checked the baking aisle. I didn't see anything labeled Dutch Processed. I asked an associate nearby and they of course told me it was a brand name that they didn't carry anymore and cocoa powder is all the same. I had a hard time believing that. If it was all the same why oh why do they take the time to type out Dutch Processed in a recipe.

I went back to the cocoa powder section and decided to read the backs of the labels and I found one that said the chocolate is alkalized in the Dutch way. Hmmmm..... I bet that means Dutch Processed.

This is it...

(photo via)

So if any of you are like I am and have no idea where to find Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder I believe I have finally found some. I'll let you know how my cake turns out.

I'm making this for Thanksgiving...

A Salted-Caramel Six-Layer Chocolate Cake (photo via)

Doesn't it look delightful? I'm supposed to use a candy thermometer for the caramel but the one I ordered from Pampered Chef, through my sons preschool fundraiser, has not come in yet. I guess I'm going to have to wing it. My layered cakes usually never stay upright. They're always sliding around. Say a little prayer for me. I'll need it with everything else I'll be cooking and baking.

UPDATE: This cocoa powdered was sweetened and the recipe called for unsweetened so I had to reduce the amount of sugar. I also did not attempt the caramel without the candy thermometer. I may give it another try when my thermometer arrives.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

2011-11-21T11:04:00.001-08:00

And A Holiday Card Design

I've been pretty busy prepping for the upcoming holidays and sewing slipcovers for my family room furniture but I thought I'd drop in and share a little design project I recently did for a new client.

These professionals have a fun, custom card designed for them each holiday season and when they contacted me to assist them with this years greeting I jumped at the chance. They decided to highlight the fundraising bike ride that they participated in. Requesting a "Santa and Reindeer" theme and then sent me head shots of each of the employees to get me started. I decided to illustrate merrymaking, patterned, paper-doll clothing and a plaid sleigh then string it all together with cheery lights.

Such a fanciful little project and much different than the corporate work I've become accustomed to.

Speaking of Christmas cards. I'm trying to decide which design I like best for our family greeting this year. An even tougher decision is trying to pick a family photo out of the bunch of wonderful photo's my friend and photographer took of us a couple weeks back. Stay tuned, I'll be sharing that soon.

Do you have a favorite photo card company?

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Using What I Have

2011-11-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I did a lot of yard clean up. The weather was perfect for being outdoors. Sunny and around 70° and I figured I better get to it now before the cold sets in. I had a phone conversation with my mom this morning and they're getting a snow storm right now and expecting 5 - 10 inches. Of course that is way up in the U.P. of Michigan but with weather patterns the way they've been nothing would surprise me at this point. Even a snow storm in VA in the middle of November.

Back to the yard work... I had to cut back all the vines that grew around the columns of our front porch and then some. The frost had killed them and they were looking pretty rough. I did my yearly seed saving from the hyacinth first and then the rest got stuffed into lawn & leaf bags.

I ended up with four large bags. That's a lot for a small yard. My back is sore today and I overslept this morning. A sure sign of hard outdoor work. Oh and not to mention I had to wash my hardwood floors on my hands and knees afterwards because my oldest tracked dog droppings through the house yesterday afternoon. So my knees are sore too!

The good that came of all the clean up yesterday are these lovely gladiolus reeds.

Last year I used them indoors to do this.

This fall I decided to use them on the front porch to fill in where the vines once grew. I wound them tightly using jute, tied them off and then attached them to the columns with another piece of twine so they won't get blown over.

I think they're the perfect addition to our porch right now until Christmas decorating begins. I had enough reeds to adorn both sides of the steps.

Have you used anything unusual or unexpected from your yard or from nature to decorate lately?

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Pumpin Scones & A Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest. It was for knock-off Starbucks Pumpkin Scones. I repinned, checked out the blog where it originated, printed the recipe and made them. I am skeptical at times with recipes I get off the internet. I've tried some that aren't so great.

Let me just say they are well worth the effort. When my four year old son said, "Mom, I love scones." I knew I'd found a good recipe. The only thing I did differently was the icing. Instead of making a second batch with the spices I used what I had left after brushing the plain icing and just added the yummy spices to the leftover icing and then drizzled that over the top. They were moist and divine! Next time I'll divide the dough into 12 scones rather than 6. They're pretty large.

Now I need to find a Starbucks Gingerbread knock-off recipe.

I thought I'd share a few photo's from our pumpkin patch outings this year. It's a bit late but better late than never. We went to two different farms. The second farm had the best hayride through the woods and it was cool that day so it really felt like Fall.

Isn't this a great pumpkin patch?

They had fun finding the perfect pumpkins. My oldest was with a friend when we went to this farm. She's getting to the age now where things like this are boring. One day she'll appreciate these outings again.

Time to sit for a spell.

He takes his pumpkin carrying job seriously.

Lovely autumn shades. Even in the grasses.

This photo was from the first pumpkin patch we went to. It was warm and sunny that day. We were at the farm midday so it made for lots of shadows in my photo's. This was one of the few that turned out. Daddy was blocking the sun.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections.

Jenny K.

Apple-Blackberry Pie

2011-11-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

...with a white cheddar, lattice crust.

I'm doing some recipe testing for Thanksgiving. I want to make some amazing desserts this year. I love really beautifully presented pies and cakes when I see them in all the home & lifestyle magazines. This recipe came from the November issue of Southern Living.

Preparing the apples was much different than a typical apple pie. The recipe called for large wedges and I always slice my apples as thinly as possible. It also called for sauteing them in butter before adding them into the crust.

The white cheddar in the crust recipe made it so easy to roll out and cut the strips for the lattice pattern for the top crust. I usually find myself struggling with the crust because it's all butter and it sticks to everything and if you don't work quickly begins melting. So I roll it in cling wrap or parchment paper.

I really loved the apple filling with the 2 cups of blackberries. It adds a wonderfully unexpected twist. The white cheddar crust is an acquired taste and if I make the crust again it will be pared with something savory rather than sweet. This apple-blackberry pie is definitely worth making again but with the simple pate brisee crust.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Easily Distracted

2011-11-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

Today I should be working on slipcovers for my sofa and loveseat. Why? They look like they've been attacked by a rabid dog and no dog was involved it was my kids.

I've got the cording cut and I've even gotten some of it sewn up with the contrasting fabric. Ahhh... yes! I said contrasting fabric. I'm working on my first ever attempt at slipcovers and I chose to do a contrasting cording. I've got a picture in my head of what these slipcovers are supposed to look like. That's how it all starts with me. An image in my mind and then I must deliver. Let's hope I can pull it off. Is this wishful thinking or attainable glory?

But I am easily distracted when facing a daunting task.

This is what has distracted me:

Photoshop Actions—to be more descript The Pioneer Woman's Free Photoshop Actions. Oh... and some Lens Flare that I added on my own to get rid of the playground equipment in the background. I love the way her hair is flowing.

...and this version:

This is the before shot:

My beautiful baby girl on a swing. I've got a few more photo's I want to work with just to see what I come up with but I thought this was fun and all with a point-and-shoot camera. Some day I'll get a big girl camera but for now my little point and shoot is capturing our lives one click at a time.

Rest assured when these slipcovers are complete they will be front and center on this blog and it should be before Thanksgiving sometime. We've got company coming.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

A Visit to Carter Mountain

2011-11-04T04:11:00.000-07:00

Apple Picking at It's Finest

You may have noticed if you've been reading this blog for a while now that our family likes to pick our own fruit beginning with strawberries in the spring, followed by blueberries beginning of summer, blackberries mid-summer and apples in the fall. Oh, can't forget the pumpkins and if I could find a pick-your-own raspberry farm we'd be there in a heartbeat.

This year we took a trip back to Carter Mountain, just outside of Charlottesville, VA. It is a really beautiful orchard with lots and lots of variety. My favorite is Granny Smith because it's such a great baking apple with it's wonderful tartness and dense texture. It doesn't get all mushy at high temperatures.

Here are a few photo's from our adventure.

Some people got the luxury of using one of those basket on a stick thingies to snatch their apples, we used our kids. Or I should say, my handsome hubby, used our kids. Needless to say he was worn out by the end of the day.

They were able to reach a few on there own once we got to the Fugi Apple section. We had to go way back into the orchard to find trees still loaded with apples on their lower branches.

A hillside provided some entertainment for the kids after all of our hard work. We ended up picking over 40 lbs. of apples that day.

First thing I made was homemade applesauce in the crockpot. Mmmmmmm..... yummy! No sugar needed. Peel, core, slice and fill the crockpot up to the top. I sprinkle cinnamon on the apples and let the crock do the rest. About 14 hrs. later it's saucy goodness. Make sure to give it a stir occasionally.

Then I made this:

Mmmm Hmmmmm..... a deep dish apple pie. Have you heard, pies are the new cupcakes. Yeah... they're all the rage. Big ones, little ones, medium ones, pies on a stick, hand pies. The skies the limit with a great crust. Then fill it with what you love. I haven't met a pie I didn't like. Raspberry is my absolute favorite!

I just made an apple, blackberry pie last night with a white cheddar crust. It's got a lattice top and everything. Photo's coming soon. I'll share the recipe & source if it's as yummy as I hope it is.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

p.s. Sorry it's been so long since I last posted. I'll try not to go so long without dropping a line next time. We've just been so busy trying to enjoy EVERYTHING fall has to offer while the weather cooperates. I've also been really busy with graphic design jobs but I've completed a lot of projects so hopefully I'll be back for a spell.

Hoo, Hoo, Hoo's Looking At You?

2011-10-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

The final layer to our front porch decor for this trick-or-treat season.

Every year I have lots of mums and lots of pumpkins and my lovely vines that grow up the porch columns. The last 3 years I've had the black trees lit up with orange twinkle lights. This year I've added the family of owls and they're

looking at you!

Once again I'm used the ever-versatile burlap. It's inexpensive and really lent itself well to owls. When stitching them up I left an opening on each side for the head so the fray would give the appearance of feathers. I cut circles of felt for the eyes and gave them candy corn beaks. I also used a round, foam stencil and only dipped half of it in the acrylic paint and then I daubed it on each owl belly for the ruffly feather effect. Finally I embellished the girlie owls with bows and a flower.

I found the big stick on the ground at the playground a few weeks back and it's hung using twine. The owls are hot-glued on and I sure hope they stay.

Linking up at TT&J & The 36th Avenue, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Freckled Laundry.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections.

Jenny K.

Galations 5:22-23

2011-10-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Fruits of The Spirit

I posted a graphic a few weeks back and decided I would add the scriptures behind the graphic and colorize it a bit. This is not a downloadable file. I may post that in the future dependent on interest.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

The Virginia State Fair

2011-10-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

We've been incredibly busy this past month. I'm sure everyone has. The weather has been wonderful and we've tried to pack in as much autumn fun possible. A visit to the Virginia State Fair was in order and because we purchased passes in advance we were able to attend whenever we wanted — so we went twice! The first time our oldest met a friend and enjoyed the carnival rides while we took our youngest two to check out the agricultural exhibits. That's my favorite part. Every exhibitor is so proud of the animals they've brought to the fair. I remember that feeling.

When I was a kid I had a pony named Nancy that I brought to the fair with my 4-H group. She wasn't a fancy pony but she was mine and that alone made me so happy. She was a black and white, Welsh. She was stubborn but I was still thrilled to be able to stand beside her in the barn while passers-by asked to pet her. I would tell them her name and then let them know I'd be riding her in the 4-H shows while grinning ear-to-ear. I would have slept in that barn if they would have let me.

So when my oldest had the opportunity to participate in the Hunt Fun Show with the farm that she takes lessons at I jumped at the chance to allow her. This is memory-making at it's finest!

Here she is riding Christmas Belle in the pole-bending course. No. English riding does not typically have pole-bending but this was strictly a FUN show! She took second place and there were 7 or 9 girls. I don't remember. She also took home a first in the "Lucky Buck Ride". That's where you put a dollar bill under each thigh and then ride in the ring doing what the instructors tell you, all the while trying your best not to lose your money. Whoever keeps their "Lucky Bucks" the entire course wins all the money. She didn't lose her bucks and because of that won all the bucks. I was a proud momma!

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Burlap & Polka Dots Round 2

2011-10-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

Front Porch Layering

I'm another step closer to my porch being finished for this autumn season. When decorating it's all about layering and I'm no expert but I've figured this much out.

Burlap is inexpensive and versatile. I measured the pots and cut burlap squares so they would cover the entire pot. I painted polka-dots on and wrapped the base of each mum. I secured them with adhesive dots and added ribbon to most of them but they actually look cute without ribbon. I wrap my mums in burlap every year but this is my first time painting the burlap. This is much easier than re-potting each flower and by far—less expensive.

Here's the other side of the porch. I really love the color mums provide in the fall.

Cute and so simple.

I added some polka-dot ribbon to a couple pots.

Mixing the mums with existing potted plants, an old watering can and small lanterns.

Welcome to our home!

Stayed tuned for a couple more "layers" to our front porch.

Linked up to The 36th Avenue Sticker Party & Thrifty Decor Chick.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Burlap & Polka Dots

2011-10-02T07:44:00.000-07:00

Seasonal outdoor pillow covers for our front porch.

Burlap can be so versatile and it definitely makes the perfect outdoor pillow cover for this time of year. I purchased a couple bottles of craft paint and some round, foam stencil brushes to make polka-dots.

First I cut all my burlap to size and then I set up a little assembly line in my basement to stamp the dots. Each time one was completed I pinned it to a clothesline in my basement that the handsome hubby installed the last time our dryer quit on us. (Sigh..... our basement is unfinished and I would love for it to be a more useful, useable space but that won't happen for a while. For now it's storage and laundry.) The paint was dry by morning and I was able to start the sewing. Don't you just love the orange, ball fringe and the polka dot grosgrain ribbon? I do!

Here is the second set with a ruffle. I love envelope style pillows. They are so simple to make without having to install zippers, snaps or buttons and I take advantage of the envelope by embellishing it rather than hiding it in the back.

I always sew in ribbon ties at the tops of the pillows. That way the wind can't blow them around the neighborhood and it's cute! I've got a couple more burlap projects on deck. I can't promise they'll be done quickly. It will all depend on my workload this week but the ideas reside in my mind.

Linking up at Freckled Laundry, Beneath My Heart, Sugar & Dots, Centsational Girl, Thrifty Decor Chick & Tatertots & Jello.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Fruits of The Spirit

2011-09-29T03:29:00.000-07:00

Love, Joy, Peace, Self Control, Patience, Goodness, Faithfulness, Kindness, Gentleness & A Partridge in a Pear Tree!

How did the partridge ever get in the pear tree? I know the song but what's the story behind the song?

I recently repinned a rendering on pinterest that featured the "fruits of the spirit" and I was inspired to create my very own. I've read this particular scripture plenty of times but for whatever reason it really spoke to me through a sketch. I knew that I needed to work on myself in these areas. Sometimes I allow the ones closest to me see the most unrefined places in my heart. Seeing Galations 5:22-23 (Amplified Bible) —brought to life—in a rendering made me realize how weak I really am in the area of patience and self-control. I'm still a work-in-progress but now I'm quickly reminded when I lose my patience or self-control that I'm not pleasing my Heavenly Father and I'm sure not giving my family the very best.

I guess it's because I took the time to sit down and draw this out for myself. It's like memorization. Maybe even like this scripture: Habakkuk 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Why do you think God had them write out the vision? I bet it was so it would be engrained in their hearts. It made it clear, concise and others could easily follow. Do you ever draw or write things out to help you memorize them? Me striving for patience might not be THE vision for my life but it certainly plays a part.

I'm going to supply a free printable file for anyone who would like one of their own. I just ask that you DO NOT sell these. This graphic is the property of Jenny K. & my blog, Blue Sky Confections.

You can find it here for your personal use but before you do please read the disclaimer below.

This image belongs to Jenny Kolenda of Blue Sky Confections. You are downloading this digital rendering for personal use only.

Use of any designs, in any form, on any tangible or electronic form for business promotion or professional use is strictly prohibited.

You may not use this rendering for a blog without special permission.

You may not recolor or add other graphics to the digital downloadable products for personal or professional use.

PLEASE DO NOT reproduce, distribute or manipulate copyrighted digital rendering products in any way. This includes any re-sale items on e-Bay, Etsy, blog, your own site/store. Any business use is strictly prohibited.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Autumns Blush

2011-09-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

I posted a couple weeks back about my Limelight Hydrangeas and how they blush in the fall. This morning I went outside with my camera before the wee ones were up and snapped a few photos.

They are blushing and beautiful!

For those of you that adore pink. The Limelight Hydrangeas would be a perfect planting in your yard. You can enjoy then in all their blushing glory each fall.

I also snapped a shot of the coleus I potted from cuttings. Remember this post? I wanted to make sure the coleus took root and the key to rooting is lots of moisture. This is a great way to preserve certain plants from year to year. When the temps drop I'll bring the coleus indoors and it will provide a splash of living color in my home. The trick is to find a place that the kids won't disturb them. Hmmm....

I want to do a few more cuttings before the growing season is over.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

A Painted Chest of Drawers

2011-09-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

And a lifestyle photoshoot....

Having my daughter in the background of this first shot reminds me of the Ethan Allen ad campaigns minus the outlet on the wall.

This piece has been waiting, even begging, for it's makeover from our garage. Several months back I spotted "Curvacious" on the side of the road at an auction house. I quickly turned the car around, got the dimensions, called the handsome hubby and then sealed the deal. $95.00 for a solid piece of furniture with character. Just look at the beautiful silhouette. You sure can't find that anymore without paying a high ticket price.

This is what she looked like before:

I used the paint that we used on our bedroom walls. Idyllic and StoneCastle by Valspar. The StoneCastle is on our ceiling and on the drawers and the Idyllic is on the walls and the body of the dresser. I wanted it to blend with the space perfectly because it's in a really tight spot and it needed to be absorbed into the wall. I left the pulls the way they came. I like the high contrast that that offers.

Before painting it I put down a couple coats of an oil based primer, then a couple coats of the paint and then a clear wax.

I absolutely love the results and I'm one step closer to creating the master that I really want. It's a slow go but at least it's a go. Right? Right!

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

One of My Favorite Things

2011-09-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

in the fall
...and there are many...
is heading out to the barn where my oldest daughter takes riding lessons. The weather is finally cooperating and it is so enjoyable to be out in the country with horses. This becomes a Friday night outing each week for our family September - November.

It all started with my son insisting on bringing a treat for the horses. When he couldn't find an apple he pulled the celery out of the refrigerator. Then Big Sis said she didn't eat her apple from lunch. Hmmm... She's supposed to eat the good stuff first. That's the rule anyways. So the handsome hubby cut up the apple and put it in a baggy and we headed out to the farm.

My son is feeding Gigi a piece of apple before the lesson begins.

Then Mona Lisa and then Phillip & Aiden & Mike & Candy and the dogs got in on it too. Every time a piece of apple fell to the ground the dogs did not hesitate to gobble it up.

And now on to the first lesson of the fall season.

She rode Aiden last night. He was a well trained machine and a complete joy to watch her ride.

The smile says it all.

Here he is at a slow canter.

And she's still smiling.

Positioning to go over a jump...

and another jump.

While she was riding the wee ones were busy too.

Climbing trees and running through the field. (One shoe on and one shoe off)

There isn't anyplace I'd rather be on a Friday night.

How did you spend your Friday evening?

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Linen & Lace

2011-09-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Bicycle Basket Liner Just Added To My Etsy Shop

Are you a romantic at heart?

I designed and made this liner specifically for the woman that likes all things feminine, soft and romantic. Constructed using a natural 100% linen and embellished with antique white, doilies and a detachable linen, rosette. In keeping with the design the pocket on the interior is made from a round doily.

This is a one-of-a-kind liner and can be purchased here.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Pretty In Pink

2011-09-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

Bicycle Basket Liner

I recently had an Etsy shopper purchase this basket liner design from my shop but requested something with the color pink. I was happy to oblige and stitched this version up. Check out the cute little pocket. Perfect for a cell phone or keys. It will ship priority mail tomorrow and I can't wait for her to get the package. I hope she's as happy with the final product as I am. I have enough fabric to make one or two more of these in this color scheme if anyone is interested. I hope to get a couple more designs in my shop in the near future.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Sharing this at TT&J Weekend Wrap-up Party & Freckled Laundry.

Jenny K.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

2011-09-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

How Do You Say "Thank You"?

This past week has been incredibly hectic for our family. Over the weekend our main family vehicle got a pretty bad flat on our way home from doing a little shopping. It was dark and the tire lost all the air in a very short amount of time. So we found ourselves sitting on the side of the road in the dark at the end of someone's driveway. There were a lot of people coming and going from this place of residence but not one offered to lend a hand. My husband called AAA and while he was on hold with them and the kids were jumping all over the car like rabid monkeys I decided to give one of my neighbor friends a call. No answer. Then I called some family friends that lived about 8 miles from where we were stuck and asked if they could help Barak get the spare loose. It was dark and he couldn't figure out how to loosen the thing. No flashlight, no additional tools and totally unprepared for any kind of emergency. That's how we roll. Hopefully that will change after this incident. I then asked my husband to try our neighbor friends once more at another number and he got through. Our request was, "if possible could you please come and pick myself and the kids up"? We had no idea how long it would take to change the tire and to be stuck on the side of the road, in the dark, with over-excited children would not be good.

Both friends left the comfort of their homes immediately and came to our aid. I can't say thank you enough!!! So because one of these families lives right across the street from us I whipped up some pumpkin cream cheese muffins using this recipe, boxed them and had my handsome hubby walk them over. He's home today to help watch the kids so I could go to the Dr. and get x-rays. Turns out I broke my foot yesterday but that's another story entirely. I told you our week has been hectic.

So to take my mind off of myself and my circumstances I thought I'd bake. These muffins are delicious and so worth your time! Plus, aren't you ready for fall weather? With fall comes apple harvest festivals, pumpkin patches, crunchy leaves, pies, breads, and stews.

I can't wait. I'm looking forward to everything this season has to offer. I've just got to figure out how to do it all with a foot that won't cooperate.

Back to saying thank you. I never want to come across as unthankful to someone who took time from their busy schedule to lend a hand. As for our other friends. Your thank you is on it's way soon. I'm still thinking about that one. Your kindness has not gone unnoticed!

Has someone done something for you or your family without expecting anything in return? How did you say thank you?

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Paper Plates & Cookie Sprinkles Wreath Tutorial

2011-09-06T05:59:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in making this wreath?

Yeah! I'm flattered that you like my idea! Follow the step by step tutorial below.

Supply List:

50 white paper plates (give or take a few, it's going to depend on how tight you make your flowers)

grapevine wreath form (I used a JoAnns 50% off coupon I paid $2.50 +tax)

2-3 cups of coffee (plus a bit extra for yourself)

craft glue

small bowl

small inexpensive paint brush

cookie sprinkles

hot glue gun & glue sticks

ribbon of your choosing

large dish for coffee

cookie sheet

candle

Step 1:

This is going to give the paper plate flowers an antiqued or aged look. Soak each plate in coffee, ball it up so it gets lots of wrinkles and then flatten it out on your newspaper surface and let it dry so it's not dripping. Then transfer the plates to some sort of drying rack. I used my mini greenhouse and it worked perfectly. Now you wait until they dry completely.

Step 2:

Cut each plate into spirals. These do not have to be perfect. It's actually nicer to have each spiral a bit different. It helps create a nice variation in each flower.

Once all the spirals have been cut you can proceed to the burning step. Please use extreme caution when doing this. I set up a little work station using a large cookie sheet where I put the candle and the water dish. That way any melting wax or burnt paper fell on the cookie sheet rather than my counter. Start with the outside of your spiral and work your way to the center making sure to keep on the section of the paper that you're burning near the flame.The plates burn really fast so it's best to have a dish of water right next to the candle to extinguish the flame quickly. I actually found that dipping it in the water once I saw the edge that I wanted was better than trying to blow the flame out. Blowing it out created a very smokey environment. Dipping the paper in the water extinguished the flame immediately with very little smoke.

Step 3:

Now you've got all these gorgeous spirals with burnt edges and it's time to assemble the flowers. I found that the easiest way for me was to pour the craft glue into a small dish and then use a paint brush to spread the glue. I started with the center and added some of the sticky stuff and then proceeded to work outward. You can roll these as tightly or as loosely as you like. It's really nice to have a variety and it makes it easier once you start building the wreath. You will have areas that need a small flower and areas that need a large flower.

Just keep on working until all 50 flowers are assembled. I will warn you that this is a messy process and the burnt edges do crumble a bit and fall to the floor. If you're like me and you've got kidlets running through your mess, keep a vacuum nearby and suck up the burnt pieces periodically. ;) That will keep them from being tracked through the house.

Step 4:

Adding the cookie sprinkles and building the wreath. Add your ribbon to the wreath form and hang it somewhere that you can easily attach your flowers. It's so much quicker to build and get proportionally correct when it's at eye level. I used the same paint brush and the same craft glue to dab a little design in the center of each flower and then pour in the cookie sprinkles. I used last years Wilton, halloween, variety container. This is optional. You can leave the flowers as is and build the wreath. I think they are just as pretty without the added color. Once you've got all the flowers ready you can begin gluing them on to the wreath form using hot glue. Make sure you mix up the flower sizes. That keeps it more interesting.

Voila! The ready to hang wreath.

But wait... you can embellish it however you like. I added a spider charm and formed the word "eek" out a couple silver pipe cleaners to hang in the center of the wreath. I also added the verbiage "Welcome To Our Web" using some scrapbook paper and sticker letters on the bottom right. The top left I used the same scrapbook paper with cardboard letters that I painted black. I wish I would have used the word "boo" instead of "eek" twice. I also attached some black trim to the paper using my sewing machine. Embellish yours however you like and make it your own! Make a Christmas wreath or next spring you can create some gorgeous flowers using pink, green and yellow cookie sprinkles. Paper plates can be quite versatile and lets face it, you can't eat off of those things. They're way to flimsy for that.

All the scrapbook paper and the charm I won from a favorite blog of mine last October. I wanted to make these. April did an amazing job with the paper collection and I was so inspired but when I received the collection I only had a couple days and decided I'd save the paper and trimmings for this year. I want to do the "You've Been Boo'd" neighborhood thing. That's when you leave treats at your neighbors door with a little memo, ring the doorbell and run as fast as you can. They'll never know it was me! :~) I hope to share that project with all of you in the coming months. For now you can gather inspiration from "Sauviloquy". Her creativity is boundless!

Linking up at: The 36th Avenue, Sugar & Dots, The Shabby Nest, Decor to Adore, Craftberry Bush, and Tatertots and Jello.

So thrilled to be featured at "The 36th Avenue" on 09/09/11!!! I found her blog a couple months ago and have admired her ever since. Fabulous creativity! If I could figure out how to add her button I would but I'm having trouble.

Shout out at "Tatertots and Jello". Woo Hoo!

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Paper Plates & Cookie Sprinkles

2011-09-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Nester issued a wreath challenge. I looked at it as a challenge anyways. Make a wreath out of something out of the ordinary. At first I wasn't going to participate because this time of year is REALLY busy. But one day I had a "Flash of Genius" (just rented that movie) and in my minds eye I saw how beautiful paper plates could be with a little time and attention to detail.

There are several steps involved and I will share those in my next post. I'm linking up to the "You Made A Wreath Out Of What". Check it out. There are lots of GREAT creations!

I wasn't sure how much I wanted to embellish the wreath and I decided to photograph it before I added the Halloween references.

Which do you prefer? With embellishments or without?

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Interval Training...

2011-09-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

sounds so much better than "Couch to 5k". Doesn't it?

When I say couch I may as well be saying "lazy & fat" to 5k. I don't want to hear that I'm lazy and fat even though that's what I may be thinking. I never sit on the couch. Well at least during the day. At night I like to catch a program or two on the teli. Picker Sisters is one of my new favorites. Have you seen it? Tuesday nights at 10 PM EST. That's neither here nor there so back to the running thing. Interval training sounds like I'm truly serious and know what I'm doing. Shhh... I don't. However, I do like to relive my glory days. My "thin" glory days. I ran cross country in high school. I was never one of the top runners but I finished the race every time and I had so much fun doing it!!!

So I started this "Couch to 5k" program once again with a couple neighborhood girlfriends in an attempt to get healthy, maybe lose a few pounds and prepare for an upcoming 5k in my area. I tried this last fall and didn't run the race because I had only gotten to the 2 mile mark. I'm an all or nothing girl. Either I'm going to run the entire thing or not do it at all. Anybody else like that?

I did the graphics for last years race and then revised them for this years race. The 5k got the feature, front page article in a local community newsletter that I also designed. I've got an invested interest in this race.

Will I run it this year? I'm working on it. My body is sore and tonight will be the third night I'm out doing my interval training. (sounds better doesn't it?) Will I lose some weight? That would be a bonus. Will I feel stronger if I accomplish this goal? Most likely! Will my brain release valuable serotonin and make me a happier person? That's what I hear. This should be a win, win situation!

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Beautiful Blooming Limelight Hydrangeas

2011-08-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

They provide long lasting, summer color in my yard.

I recently had someone come into my yard and cut some of my hydrangeas without asking. I have to say it really angered me. How bold of someone to step right onto our lawn and take something that my husband and I worked hard to grow and maintain. After all, I don't even cut them because I want my shrubs to be full of blooms so the yard looks as beautiful as possible.

This morning the air was so cool and fresh and I was pulling a few weeds around one of the planting beds and I kept looking at the hydrangea bushes. After being inspired by this post and this post. I decided that if I clip from the back and thin the blooms where there are several in one spot I could bring a bouquet into my own home to enjoy. That's exactly what I did.

I recently purchased this galvanized metal container and I thought it would really pair well with the hydrangeas. I wasn't sure how it would hold water though. So I filled a tall glass vase with water and set that right inside the metal container and then arranged the flowers.

I had some fun playing with the photo's and also creating a color palette from them. What is your favorite variety of hydrangeas? I love them all. I think I might plant some of the giant, strawberry colored, variety next.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Rustic Blackberry Cobbler

2011-08-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

This is the easiest cobbler you will ever make. I promise.

Rustic Blackberry Cobbler

Preheat oven to 375°.

Fill a 13x9 baking dish with at least 6 cups of blackberries (you can use any berry you have on hand).

Then in a separate bowl mix 2 c. flour, 2 c. sugar and 2 eggs until you get a nice crumby texture.

Cover the berries with the mixture.

Melt 1 1/2 c butter and pour over the top of the entire mixture.

Bake at 375° for about 40 minutes. Make sure to check it because you may need to leave it in a bit longer. You want the berry mixture to be bubbling and the topping to have browned slightly.

Fresh Whipped Cream

1 pint of heavy whipping cream

1/3 c sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Whip all ingredients with a hand mixer or a stand mixer using the whisk attachment until peaks form.

You don't want to over whip because it will break down and be a runny mess.

Top the warm cobbler with a dollop of fresh creaminess and savor your efforts.

This really is a great recipe to serve up when you have unexpected company. Keep some frozen* berries on hand and who doesn't have flour, sugar, eggs and butter on hand?

*If using frozen berries you may need to bake for a little longer.

Enjoy!

This is based on a Southern Living recipe.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Coleus Clippings Taking Root

2011-08-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

After this past weeks hurricane my window boxes need replanting. The wind really tore the plants up. Some of you may have a similar problem. If you've got Coleus or sweet potato vines take the best clippings and put them in a dish or cup half full of tap water. Make sure they've got plenty of sunshine and in a matter of a few days you'll begin to see roots.

Once all my clippings have a sufficient root system I will put them into a larger pot with moist soil and keep them in my little greenhouse over the winter months. By next spring I am sure to have several flourishing plants.

I like to have my window boxes full at least three seasons out of the four. I had planned to grow ornamental kale and cabbage but have not started the seeds. I'm going to do that in the next few days and hope that they're fast growers. Boxes filled with lots of the same type of plant always make a big impact. Are you planning on planting anything for fall?

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Changing Things Up...

2011-08-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

In The Dining Room

I have yet to finish decorating all the rooms in my current home and it's been six years. Because I'm decorating on a slim budget and I have to purchase things in onsies and twosies it seems to take forever and then just when I think I'm done with a room I decide I want to start all over again. Will I ever complete what I see in my minds eye before I want to change it? At this pace - probably not.

Anyhow, I finally found a set of white dishes that were reasonably priced. Now I've got another option for food photography as well as another set for entertaining other than the red set. Yeah! White is so much more versatile. I spotted a great set on clearance at Ballard Design several months back and I kept checking online undecided on whether to buy or not. I waited to long and they were gone. Do you ever do that and then regret not jumping right on the deal? I do it ALL the time. So that's why when I spotted these dishes at Marshall's I did not hesitate to load them in my cart instantly. Eight bowls, eight dinner plates and eight salad plates. They had mugs but I didn't buy those. This set was a great price and it has just enough decorative detail.

I'm also adding the word "DINE" somewhere in the space. I'll most likely wrap these letters in twine. I've seen the moss covered letters and considered that but I don't want to chance bits of moss falling off in my kids food. God forbid moss fall onto a guests plate.

This room is currently an apple green. with red accents. I really loved it when I first painted it and for a couple years after that but now I've grown tired of the green walls. I'm trying to decide what color to paint them. It has to be something that works with my color scheme throughout the entire house. There needs to be a flow and a sense of thought and purpose behind the choice. The problem is I don't want the red anymore either. However, that means replacing the red rugs and the red drapes and repainting the red ceiling. Yes, I said "red ceiling". Chaching, Chaching! Did I mention the red kitchen?

I can see my husband twitch and cringe every time I mention wanting to change things. He truly believes that when I do something in a room it will remain that way forever. So he mentally checks it off the list never having to revisit that project again. I on the other hand know full well that in a couple of years I will grow weary of whatever it is I've been looking at. Styles change, there are always new trends and color combinations to try. I've considered a shade of blue grey, maybe a honey wheat or even a really pale taupe. I want to brighten my space up a bit.

While we were visiting the Outer Banks last week I went into one of my favorite little home decor shops. It's called "The French Door". I got to talking with the sales clerk about the current economy and housing and I told her a little about my situation. I'm a girl that grew up on a small farm with a great family and a great upbringing. Large open spaces, beautiful views and privacy. I let her know that my husband and I bought a house in a cute little development at the height of the market. It wasn't our plan to stay more than three years. It's been six years now and we find ourselves in a position where we can't sell unless we want to take half of what we paid. Ouch! We also don't feel comfortable leaving the area and renting our house out because jobs are scarce and to uproot your family when you've got a good paying job isn't the smartest thing to do. My husband tells me that over and over again. But my heart tells me something quite the contrary. Our oldest daughter has 5 years left of school. I didn't want to put my roots down here. I wanted her to finish school where we planned to officially settle, close to our families. So we could share holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and on and on. So all the kids would know their grandparent's better and enjoy their aunts, uncles and cousins.

There's more to be said but I won't bore you with the details. To bring this story to a close the shop clerk said, "Isn't it funny how things come full circle? We end up wanting what we had growing up." If only I'd have know that 15 years ago. But I didn't. Now I do. Maybe some of lives decisions would have been different. I always looked at Virginia as a building block or a training ground of sorts and then we'd move on to our true purpose.

To give me a little pep talk she said, "it might be something as simple as a paint color on your walls to make you feel like it's more like home and maybe you can bring in pieces or accents that remind you of where you grew up."

I've got a lot of work to do. I don't think any amount of paint or accent pieces will fill this void in my heart. But I'll give it a try.

Now to get back to decorating and entertaining. I picked up those great drink dispensers in the photo above at Pottery Barn and they're resting on some white cake stands that I purchased at Marshall's. They had bright colored ribbon woven around the edges but I swapped it out with a jute ribbon. Much better for the final look I'm going for.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

The Storm Before The Storm

2011-08-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

Last night and shortly before hurricane Irene reaches us and right after our region was shaken by a 5.8 earthquake this storm front moved through. I captured this turbulent sky with my point and shoot from the front porch.

This is what I saw out my back window at the exact same time. A rainbow - a reminder of God's promise to never allow the entire earth to flood again.

Isn't that amazing?

From the Amplified Bible:

Genesis 9:13 I set My bow [rainbow] in the cloud, and it shall be a token or sign of a covenant or solemn pledge between Me and the earth.

Genesis 9:14 And it shall be that when I bring clouds over the earth and the bow [rainbow] is seen in the clouds,

Genesis 9:16 When the bow [rainbow] is in the clouds and I look upon it, I will [earnestly] remember the everlasting covenant or pledge between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

Genesis 9:17 And God said to Noah, This [rainbow] is the token or sign of the covenant or solemn pledge which I have established between Me and all flesh upon the earth.

I wonder what Irene will look like.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

The Outer Banks

2011-08-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

A few photo's from our last hoorah of the season.

Our timing was impeccable. Hurricane Irene is barreling up the coastline headed for OBX. Pray that another weather system pushes Irene off the coast or that it greatly decreases in strength.

A morning walk on the beach.

A ghost crab.

Feeding the seagulls.

Family photo op. I need to start training for an upcoming 5k. Seeing myself in photo's isn't always fun.

Fun in the waves and on the sand.

We were privileged to see dolphins heading up the coastline each morning, watch pelicans dive into the sea for their sustenance, people horseback riding along the beach, and crabs scurrying from sand hole to sand hole.

A few restaurants that I can recommend in the area would be "Tale of A Whale", "La Cabana", & "Stack 'Em High". All three of them had great food and great service.

We can't wait to go back. It's becoming a favorite family vacation spot.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Sundried Tomatoes

2011-08-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

I made my very own! Yes I did. If you've read any of my past posts this summer you know I bought a Tommacio plant from a local nursery. This is a hybrid that was developed specifically for producing a raisin tomato. The idea was that if you leave them on the vine they'll dry all by themselves. However, Virginia humidity would have nothing of the sort. These sweet things need to be harvested at their peak ripeness. Just like the photo below shows. No waiting for vine drying.

1. Rinse them and then pat dry.

2. Cover a cookie sheet in aluminum foil and sprinkle a couple tablespoons of salt evenly.

3. Spread the tomatoes out over the salted surface and put into a 300° oven for 3-4 hrs.

4. Check periodically because some will dehydrate quicker than others and you don't want burnt raisin tomatoes.

This is what they look like about half way through the process.

You can see some of them are just about ready to remove from the oven.

Here are the Tommacios when they're all finished up.

Perfectly dried and ready to use in homemade breads and pastas. Yummy!

You can store them in a zip lock bag but I'm storing mine in a mason jar.

If you love sundried tomatoes as much as I do definitely look for these at your local nursery next growing season.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Testing The Waters

2011-08-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

So I did it! My very first market and I sold everything except a handful of sugar cookies. I've made some mental notes for next months market and I think I've decided I will do it up bigger & better. Did I make money? No. I may have broken even. However, I've learned what sells the fastest and I also don't have to purchase table covers, banners and business cards the next go around.

The "Freshly Baked" banner is something anyone can do on their own using a home computer and printer. I chose twine to string it up with and I also used twine to tie the cookie bags. It's quite versatile.

I sold flower and beach ball sugar cookies on a stick and not on a stick. I chose to display them in little tin buckets and also hanging from my cookie tree. Who wouldn't want a cookie tree in their backyard? However, this tree was very sensitive to the wind and had to be held in place most of the time.

Brightly decorated sugar cookies.

I made a half dozen pans of cinnamon buns and every one of them sold.

The french baguettes and light wheat french loaves all sold.

... and I handed out a few calling cards promoting my Etsy Shop & blog.

So while I didn't make buckets of money, after expenses, this first go 'round. I met some really great people and had a lot of fun conversing with the market goers.

Thank you to all the shoppers that purchased my treats! I hope to see you in September.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Family Road Trip 2011 Wrap-Up

2011-08-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Farm, Some Fun & A Wedding

Grandma & Grandpa O's horses. The one in the back is a horse I grew up riding. Her name is Pepper and she is really up there in age but still looking so spry. She happens to be blind but she manages quite well with her baby, "Tawny", taking care of her. It's amazing how keen an animals senses are. Tawny watches over her Momma and guides her threw the field. The kids enjoyed spending time with these gorgeous animals.

I felt sorry for my niece Avery's, little dog, Finny. Because of her small size the kids were all over her. My wee one took her dress off AGAIN. I have no idea where it was when I was taking these pictures.

Let me just say that I think my favorite time to take pictures is when the sun is going down. You have to be careful with shadows but if you get your direction correct you can achieve some of the most beautifully lit pictures in your collection.

One of my favorite pictures is the one at the top. My daughters walking through the field with the horse just behind them. I just might have to enlarge this one and get it framed.

My son had been talking about Grandpa's heavy equipment for weeks before we made this trip. Because we live in a development that is still under construction my little guy sees a lot of bulldozers and backhoes that he cannot touch. One day while walking to the garden we were passing some equipment and he said, "Boy I sure do love Grandpa!" It must have triggered his memory of all the talk that Grandpa had all of this stuff. So shortly before we left Michigan Grandpa O took him for a ride on the bulldozer. What little boy wouldn't be enamored by this. Grandpa is his hero!

We took the kids to a Go-Kart park one of the days we were on vacation. Down the road a little was a riding stable. What is not pictured here is myself and my two daughters taking a trail ride. My wee one insisted on riding a big horse. She didn't want to go in circles on the little pony. The stable allowed double riders on the trail if the child was under five so I took her with me and she was as good as gold the entire 50 minutes. I think I've got another rider on my hands. When the handsome hubby is in charge of picture taking there are usually very few photo's. I really wish I had a few for my photo collection. It's not often that a two year old rides.

We also visited a little ice cream shop and at the end of the night when we were dog tired I had my mom take a pic of my sister-in-law and I. I should have had her take a photo of us at my mom's kitchen table putting our makeup on before we left for the day. LOL!

Then there was this beautiful wedding. My husbands oldest brothers, oldest daughter was married in May with a big ceremony in Minneapolis and then did it all over again in Michigan. I really thought it was going to be a small reception only but it was a full blown wedding with a horse and carriage followed by a big reception. The bride was stunning, the groom was a hoot, the wedding was beautiful, the reception had wonderful comfort food and we got to visit with family. What more could you ask for?

We stayed with my husbands family at the end of the trip. I was able to get a few photo's of my husband with his Momma and his brother Tim. I also grabbed a shot of my oldest daughter with Grandma K. They had the exact colors on that day. A pale yellow with black accents. Perfect! Uncle Tim showed the kids his newest additions to the farm. A miniature stallion and a couple goats. What is not pictured are the two cockatiels and the rooster. The kids would not leave those poor birds alone.

Thanks to everyone for making our Family Road Trip a success! We miss all of you and look forward to our next visit. Much Love!

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Blackberry Breakfast Bars

2011-07-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

First of all I have to say that blackberries are one of the most beautiful berries. Their color alone is scrumptious! Just look at how the light dances and glistens on each plump, juicy delight. Yummy!

I want to share three of my favorite blackberry recipes with you. The first one I'll be featuring is a breakfast bar that makes you feel like you're being healthy when baking. wink wink~

We made a trip to our local pick-your-own farm. The sky was sublime that day and I managed to get a quick shot of my kids running towards the blackberry patch.

It was a cooler day than usual here in VA, only reaching the high 80s. So to me it was a perfect day to pick berries and my son was in agreement. He had his eye set on the prize thinking about all the desserts I would make using these pretty black beauties. We picked all the ripe berries we found. I believe the following weekend was going to be a blackberry lovers dream. I think all those unripe berries in the photo would be just perfect in about a week.

And without further ado here is the Blackberry Breakfast Bar recipe:

For the base and topping you will need:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter melted

In a mixing bowl stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir in melted butter till thoroughly combined. Set aside 1 cup of the oat mixture for topping. Press remaining oat mixture into an ungreased 9x9x2-inch pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

You see I had a fabulous little baking assistant. I hope you have an assistant of your own while making these bars. My "Wee One" really enjoyed packing down the oat mixture.

Now mix up the following in a saucepan for the filling:
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium saucepan combine berries, sugar, water, lemon juice and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for about 8-10 minutes or till slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Carefully spread filling on top of baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Lightly press oat mixture into filling. Bake in the 350-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes more or till topping is set. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

For the finale...

A yummy bar, with low sugar content, that tastes way better than any granola bar you can buy in the grocery store.

Give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed.
(To give credit where credit is due you can find the original recipe here.)

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

p.s. I'll try to share my other two favorites in the next couple weeks.

Market Materials & A Bit of Branding

2011-07-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

You can see I also freshened up my blog header.

I recently bit the bullet and designed a "Market Banner" and some calling cards for my new handmade business & Etsy Shop. I decided that I would participate in a local farmers market that takes place the 2nd Saturday of each month through September. If you know me I'm an all or nothing kinda girl. I wish it wasn't so but it is what it is or I should say, "I am what I am so I embrace it".

The banner will have pole pockets and I hope to string some jute rope through the top and hang it at the front of my tent. The white triangle at the bottom of the banner & card are still an option for me at this point. I may cut that portion out to give them a bit more pizazz. I'll make that decision when I get my package. I'm hoping this vertical banner will create some visual interest for me. I've also got several other presentation ideas up my sleeve. Now I just need to find the time to pull it all off.

If you, or someone you know, are in need of a great banner or calling cards let me know. I've got a fab vendor that I use and if I do the design work for you I'll pass along the print savings. If you've got questions about my graphic design abilities visit my design site and check out the kinds of things I've done throughout the years. Lots of experience under my belt.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Back To My Regularly Scheduled Lineup

2011-07-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

Family Roadtrip 2011 Campfire, Fireworks & Boating

My son could not wait for this very occasion. A campfire that Grandpa built. We told him that we would roast marshmallows around a campfire. We did... but on a different night. On the 4th of July we had a campfire without smores. We had ice cream bars that my sister & brother-in-law purchased as a sweet treat for the kids. However, the adults enjoyed them just as much, maybe even more.

Then there were the fireworks that Grandma bought and Grandpa set off. Can you see my dad and brother-in-law walking briskly away from the sparks? I would have been running. What am I talking about? I'd never light those things.

Boating the Chain of Lakes in Eagle River, Wisconsin was a lot of fun despite the fact that our pontoon boat rental kept dieing out. (we ended up getting it for free because of all the headache) We watched my sister and her husband buzz circles around us in the speed boat. The older kids got to go tubing while the little ones hung out on the pontoon snacking away. I did manage to get a great photo of my parents in the captain's seat. Great looking couple, don't ya' think? My mom bought herself and my sister and I hats for this very occasion. Mine is a salmon pink. Sorry no photo's. I'm always the one behind the camera. Doesn't my sister look adorable in her little hat with her nautical striped shirt?

The handsome hubby looks happy chilling on the boat deck and the little ones are really enjoying the sights. My son got in the water for a split second then decided that the lake was much to cold. He then had his cousins & sister hand him clams that they were grabbing from the bottom of the lake with their toes.

We stopped the boat in a shallow area and everyone that wanted to swim could. My wee one fell asleep so she didn't get a chance. The little girls sure liked the hats Grandma bought.

If you happen to visit Northern Wisconsin, a day on the Chain of Lakes is well worth your time.

Still more vacation photo's to come.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Tomato Harvest

2011-07-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

I interrupt the previously scheduled vacation photo lineup to bring to you...
Caprese Salad

Using some lovely heirloom tomatoes I recently harvested from my garden, coupled with sweet basil I started from seed, I made this mouth watering Caprese Salad. The basil is so fragrant and sweet I could have eaten the entire platter myself. A gourmet meal, perfect in every way. (at least for a girl)

This is so easy to make, simply layer sliced tomato, large leaf sweet basil and fresh mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper and serve at room temperature.

Pictured above: Purple Cherokee, Brandypink, Giant Oxheart, Roma & Tomaccio.

So far I've made two large batches of salsa which the kids devoured without hesitation. I need to decide what to do with this batch of tomatoes. I wanted to can but I'm nervous I'll ruin an entire batch of tomatoes and that would be so wasteful. A fellow gardener suggested freezing them. That makes me nervous as well. Homemade sauce may make it to the top of the list and then freeze that. Anyone out there with experience canning have any great tips?

Pictured Above: Tomaccio & Chocolate Cherry.

The Tomaccio are supposed to be a specialty tomato best when sun dried. They're wonderfully sweet and I think work well in a salad. I may try my hand at sun drying. That was my original plan but I'm hesitant to try something new right now. My plate is really full. No pun intended.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Photo Session

2011-07-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Family Road Trip 2011 - Part 2

Aren't these some of the cutest kids you've ever seen? I have to say they were pretty good sports considering the mosquitoes were out in FULL FORCE! My oldest daughter wore a store bought outfit. I ran out of time and didn't get a chance to make her anything. She's growing up fast and she is so beautiful. My littlest nephew looks adorable in his over sized outfit. An absolute doll with that red hair and those chubby cheeks!

This is a small snippet of our trip but I took a lot of photo's trying my best to get the PERFECT shot and I never quite succeeded. However, I will cherish these photo's of the cousin's together. (one was missing)

I managed to photograph all seven on the swing under the apple tree. Of course my wee one was not clothed. She refused to wear her dress. All that work and no dress.

My oldest nephew is quite a handsome young man. Gotta love the Justin Beiber 'do.

My baby brothers three kids side by side. I love their expressions. The oldest is looking at me like, "you've got to be kidding, more pictures?" The younger two must be watching my daughter throw her pull up at me and then run around to the other side of the house to show daddy.

This is why I could never be a photographer. Who wants pull-ups thrown at them? LOL

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Family Road Trip 2011

2011-07-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

Part 1

The Great Lakes are such a treasure and the Mackinac Bridge is an amazing architectural fete. A must see if you get the chance to travel to this part of the country. The summer weather is perfect and the natural resources are abundant. We made sure to stop at the lookout on the Upper Peninsula side of the bridge after crossing. The kids had a great time playing in the cold, cold water. They got soaked and we had to do a clothing change before hitting the road on our way to Grandpa and Grandma's house.

Don't ya just love a Small Town USA 4th of July Parade?!? I do! My camera battery went dead half way through so I missed a lot of good stuff. Our oldest daughter was with my brother and his family but our two youngest stocked up on their candy supply. We must have been standing in the perfect spot because sissy didn't get any candy.

After the parade and before our cookout and fireworks the kids had fun with a frog they found in Grandma's garden. They had a blast on the slip-n-slide set up on the backyard hillside and my son got a ride on Grandpa's six wheeler. Definitely can't have one of those where we live right now.

I grew up in a kids paradise and I'm glad my children got to experience a little bit of the country life.

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for being so hospitable.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!!!

Jenny K.

A Collection of Sorts

2011-07-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

I'm back! I went missing for a while. My family and I took a trip to the Northwoods to visit parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and to deliver some handmade gifts. We had a great time over the July 4th holiday with campfires, fireworks, boating and eating. Lots of eating. I think I gained about 10 lbs. Yikes!

A few weeks ago I blogged about a dress that I made for my youngest daughter. I also stated that I had challenged myself to make a small collection. Now this collection wouldn't pass Heidi Klum's test but I happen to be pleased with my first time efforts.

I used the same fabrics to create each ensemble. This is a sz 3-4 pant set made for one of my nieces using the chambray denim for the pants with a floral, linen, ruffle at the base.

This is the set that I made for my son. I love these shorts with the cargo pockets and the cuffed, button-up leg. I found a great white and black pinstripe linen to coordinate with the floral pattern. I purchased a simple white "t-shirt" for each of the boys and embellished them with their first initials using a zig-zag stitch. The key to getting a nice sharp cut letter is fusible bonding. It makes the fabric nice and stiff and easy to cut and sew. I used Pellon Craft Fuse.

I made this sz. 3-4 short set for another one of my nieces, trimming out the top with the linen stripe and trying my hand at smocking. Smocking, while a simple concept will take me a few more sewing projects using the technique to master the skill.

I created this paper bag skirt for my youngest brothers, oldest daughter. That's a moutful! I didn't use elastic so the belt loops and the tie around the waste are the only thing to hold this little number up. I also made use of the salvage edge on the denim. I love the fray. To pull a style like this off I believe you have to be rail thin and my niece wore it well!

This little outfit was made for the youngest of the nieces and nephews on my families side. Same concept as the first boys ensemble in this post but the button-up tab is striped linen rather than denim and it is of course a smaller size.

Here are some of the children in their outfits. My youngest daughter refused to wear her dress and be photographed and one of my nieces was not at the gathering.

I had visions of splendor with children frolicking in the hay field wearing their handmade clothing and letting me photograph them with great big smiles. The sleep deprived children had other ideas and between being viciously attacked by mosquitoes and dogs running in and out of the picture this is the best that I was able to capture.

Despite my failure to get the creme de la creme photo my nieces, nephews and my own children are B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L and they wore their outfits well!!! Don't ya think?

I'll have to do a post on our Northwoods trip very soon until then...

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections. I'm glad to be back!!!

Jenny K.

How Many Squash Does One Family Need?

2011-06-26T06:22:00.000-07:00

We have it in abundance! Yellow Squash that is and a few zucchini. This is one of many pickings to date. We bought a chest freezer for the sole purpose of storing veggies & fruits. Someone told me to slice the squash and put it into freezer bags. I sure hope it works and it doesn't ruin them.

Squash bugs have infested our zucchini so the handsome hubby pulled them out of the raised bed, cleaned up that area and we're going to put in some bean seeds. We've already got beans planted in one section and had a nice, big helping of them last night with dinner but if you've ever planted beans you know you need quite a few to harvest enough at one time for a meal.

Next year I want to plant one yellow squash and one zucchini then a variety of other squash and/or melons. I'll chalk this up as a learning experience. No one family needs hundreds of yellow squash.

I've mentioned in prior posts that we planted

"Lemon Yellow Heirloom Cucumbers".

We've harvested seven of them thus far and they are tasty!

Aren't they the cutest little cucumbers you ever did see? They're not as big as a traditional cucumber but their mild flavor and lemon yellow peel make up for that. I've read that you can pickle these. If I am able to harvest a bunch at once I just may give it a whirl.

I will definitely plant these again next year.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Summer Dressing

2011-06-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Sewing Project Challenge

I've challenged myself to make eight different items for eight different children and they must all coordinate. I've got a tight deadline and I'm not sure I'll be able to meet my own deadline. I've put it out into blog land so follow along to see what I come up with.

This is going to be a mini collection of sorts and without further ado I present to you

Item No. 1

A toddler dress made with a light, chambray denim

and an airy, gray and white floral, linen print.

Are you challenging yourself this summer? Are you going to learn something new? Are you building a business, launching a blog or setting out to read an entire library of novels? Whatever your goals I sure hope you attain them and enjoy your summer.

Linked up here & at TT&J.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

p.s. I also plan to amp up my blog and my new Etsy shop and demo some of my handmade fare at the local farmer's market. Oh and throw in a couple family vacations. My list is definitely big. Can I do it all along with everything else I do? Probably not but I'm sure going to try.

Beach Cruisers & Handmade Basket Liners

2011-06-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

If my family lived near Cape Cod I would move there in a heartbeat. We visited for a short time the early part of last summer for a beautiful wedding. I fell in love with the cottage style homes and landscaping with an abundance of hydrangeas growing in every yard. The foliage and trees reminded me of the place I grew up but still right on the ocean where you get the waves and the breeze. In my mind the Cape set a tone for a simpler way of life, a slower pace if you will. Maybe it's because I equate the beach with vacation and not having to rush, rush, rush. To top it off I've been swooning over the homes that Erin from House of Turquoise has been featuring and they all have the color scheme and decor I've been licking my lips over.

I said all of that to introduce you to one of my latest projects and I sure hope it makes you smile. My husband and I recently acquired a couple of beach cruisers. L-O-V-E them!!! They're a lot of fun to ride around our little development. I ride mine down to the garden and I wanted a basket so I could carry my fresh pickings back with me. Now I think I just might need a crate for the back of the bike. I'm getting so many squash and zucchini and this is just the beginning of harvest season. Anyways, back to the subject at hand. I picked up this great basket at Tarjay but it wasn't complete. I had to put my own stamp on this lovely little find. I developed my own pattern, picked out the fabrics I wanted to use from my existing stash and then embellished it with pennants strung along a thin red ribbon. There's even a strip of pockets along the inside of the liner for my cellphone and keys. The fabric patterns and colors are so fun and when I'm riding my bike I feel much younger than I am and it conjures up fond childhood memories. You should try it.

So I've been agonizing over whether or not to start up an Etsy Shop and start selling these lovely little liners. Then in true form I over think E-V-E-R-Y detail because that's how I am. What if I invest the time in this start-up and nothing comes of the venture? Is there a big enough market for my designs? What if no one likes them? How will I handle fabric choices? Will I even have the time to make these for others? Is this really what I am supposed to do? Is it the right decision? Should I focus purely on graphic design? Oh my word it's like a broken record that plays in my head and haunts me with every idea I have and instead of launching forward, I freeze. Then frustration comes. Frustration with myself for not proceeding forward and missing a possible opportunity.

"A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." This scripture applies to following Christ and being on the fence, not following wholeheartedly. It can also apply to every decision you have in life. If there is constant indecision it leaves you in a state of paralysis. Is there anything in your life that you haven't moved on because of fear or indecision?

What's stopping me? I've got a wonderfully supportive, handsome, husband. I had to throw the handsome part in there. After all, it's true! There won't be huge start up fees with an Etsy Shop.

I'm pretty sure you will be seeing an online store with my name on it in the very near future. So if you want a basket liner for your very own beach cruiser let me know.

Good news... as of this morning (06-15) I opened my very own Etsy Shop. I've only got one item listed and it's the basket liner but if you love her as much as I do maybe you'll want one too!

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Linked up at TT&J.

Jenny K.

p.s. While I typed up this post my wee one covered herself in Desitin. I cleaned her up. Then she went on to emptying the end table packed full of blankets all over the living room. If that wasn't enough she sat in the kitchen sink and emptied dish soap all over herself

I need a vacation. What are the chances that I would get whisked away to Cape Cod for a long weekend without children?

Fiesta Stuffed Zucchini Boats

2011-06-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my blog as of late you know that I've got a raised bed garden as part of the community garden in our development. You also know that I've got zucchini, squash, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers and more planted. The zucchini and squash are quick to produce a wielding amount of fruit and so I've been cooking and baking with them. We've done grilled squash and zucchini, zucchini bread and the latest is a creation of my own using what I had on hand. After all isn't that the beauty of a summer garden? Prepping healthy, simple, fresh meals using what you've got on hand. I've also got a secret ingredient. Well, it won't be much of a secret after I post this to the internet.

What recipes have you created using freshly picked produce and what you've got on hand in your pantry?

6, 6-8" zucchini cut lengthwise and hollowed out so they look like little boats
1 medium size onion finely chopped
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 c. prepared rice (I like jasmine rice)
1 tbsp. Bangarang Seasoning Blend from Greenhearts Farm
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
2 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 c. cheddar cheese
1/4 c. Panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp. olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400°

2. Prep your zucchini boats and line them up in a large baking dish

3. Saute onion in olive oil in large pan for about 5 minutes

4. Add diced tomatoes and allow to cook down for an additional 5 minutes

5. Add in the rice, then the black beans and the Bangarang Seasoning and simmer for a couple minutes

6. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a bit then mix in cilantro and lime juice

7. Fill zucchini boats with mixture, top with cheddar cheese followed by a sprinkle of bread crumbs

8. Bake at 400° for 35 minutes

Now go visit my friends Greenhearts Farm website and buy some Bangarang seasoning. YUMMY!

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

The Luck of The Irish

2011-06-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

I'm sharing a logo design that I just finished up for a good friend of mine. She's Irish in case you hadn't guessed. Stephanie is superbly funny and dazzling in every way. Making jokes about her Irish heritage and a good bottle of wine all the time. A fantastic photographer with an amazing eye, she will make you and your family feel comfortable and at ease. Those of you with rambunctious children know how important it is to have a photographer with great patience and so does Stephanie. She's got five children of her own and knows how to capture the moment.

In the beginning I asked my photographer friend to send me a couple logo's that she was particularly fond of for any reason at all. She sent things that definitely had a feminine edge to them and they were also robin egg blue and chocolate brown.

When I sat down to create I was thinking about chocolate, so I ate some. Then the kids saw me eating the chocolate and they ate some. It was good and creamy, enough said.

Back to the subject at hand - the logo - and the things that set Stephanie apart. There's a lot, but the one that resonated with me was her Irish heritage, and her witty humor. That thought led to the "Luck 'o The Irish" saying, which then led me to think about items that are deemed lucky. The lightbulb went on - the four leaf clover and if rendered just right could appear as the aperture in the lens of a camera. Hence the four leaf clover/aperture icon. Green would have been much to expected and I don't think she's particularly fond of the shade. The font choice is fanciful and friendly just like her. Check out Stephanie McFarland Photography and set up a session. You will not be disappointed. Then treat yourself to some chocolate. My guess is you'll want some now. Then bring Stephanie some chocolate the day of your photo session. She's going to want some too.

I had a lot of fun working on this logo and she was so appreciative of my efforts. Next up, I will be designing her business card.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Why Not?

2011-06-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Make a Garden Flag out of your leftover fabric.

This was quite simple to make. I used the leftover fabric from my pillow cover project. I backed the flag with the floral pattern and the front is the solid quilted fabric. I then used some scraps to cut out the letter "K" and the flowers. I also had some leftover apple green ric-rac that looks like a small wave of grass running along the bottom. Do you have any leftover fabric in your stash that could be put to use making a custom garden flag? I bet you do.

I added the flag to the landscape right between two hydrangea bushes to the right of the porch. They're beginning to bloom and the colors go so well with the flag and the pillow covers. I love hydrangeas. I have three of the limelight variety on the side of the house. I would like to add a couple of the pink blush hydrangeas somewhere in the yard but I'm running out of space. I can't ever bring myself to cut the blooms and bring them indoors. They add so much beauty to the yard.

Here are a couple photo's of the pillows in use. I love having a bistro set on the porch. It's shaded in the morning so it's a nice spot for a simple breakfast and a cup of coffee.

The narrow pillows are being used on my rocking chairs.

I'd love to find two small indoor/outdoor area rugs in a neutral shade to use underneath the rockers and the bistro set. I think it would give the space a more polished appearance.

Four window boxes reside on the ground level. Two rest on the porch rails and two are mounted to the outside windows. If I had a little more foresight when I purchased these boxes. I would have purchased 5 more for the upper-floor windows. That would be really pricey but would also make a huge impact.

These are the petunia's and the coleus-versa that I grew. I added Calibrochoa (sp?) and Verbena to the mix. Next year I'm definitely looking for these seeds to start in my little green house. I love how beautiful they are combined with the petunia's and coleus.

The corsican mint looks fantastic spilling over the edge of this once painted terra cotta pot. I actually prefer the worn paint look so I'm going to keep it this way.

I've got a few of these orange lilies planted to the left of the porch and they give a great pop of color while in bloom. They also multiply each year with a few additional stalks. Definitely worth adding to the landscape.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Linking up here on this beautiful Monday.

Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Ground Cherries & More

2011-06-03T05:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick little garden update before I head out the door to register my son for preschool in the fall, pick up my daughter's glasses, exchange some flowers that died on me, buy some finishing wax, purchase some pinking shears and a 10" tube pan, pick up a prescription and go to a doctor appointment. (there's probably more that I'm forgetting) What does your Friday look like?

So this is what a ground cherry looks like - a little paper lantern. Isn't it adorable? I guess you know they're ready to pick when the husk turns brown and papery. Can't wait!

Even though my eggplant is being chewed alive by bugs it's still beginning to flower. Yummy. I wonder if those little black spikes on the stock around the blossom protect the fruit? - or at the very least send out a warning notice.

Yellow Goldbar Squash soon to be harvested.

Zucchini soon to be harvested. I think we're going to have squash and zucchini coming out of our ears.

The tomatoes are flowering but no fruit yet. They are heirlooms and they typically take longer.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Summer Is Here

2011-06-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

...and it has me dreaming of a slower pace. I'm missing my family, my roots, my heritage. Summer has me longing for days by the lake and nights by a campfire listening to the wolves howl in the distance. Not many people would put wolves and dreaming of summer in the same sentence but I grew up in the U.P. of Michigan and wolves howling in the back field, not far from the campfire is a reality. With summers arrival I'm also dreaming of my childhood and riding horses through acres and acres of woods with no one in sight for miles. What memories does summer evoke for you?

I won't tell you how old I am. A lady never tells her age. Right? Right! You'd think that by my age I would have "My Style" nailed down. Having this blog is really showing me who I am through patterns in my photography and writing. Looking at my posts, the things I enjoy, the things I do well and the women I'm connecting with. Now there's this thing called Pinterest and it is helping me tweak it all. It's fabulous! It's an invite only site. I sent all 5 of my invites out to creative friends of mine. I sure hope they take advantage.

There are so many gorgeous, inspirational ideas and my mind is in a state of overload. Just look at this gorgeous way to display sweet treats for a celebration.

Now I just need to acquire an antique truck. Well, I can at least add it to my Pinterest account.

Photo via Pinterest but originally a Heather Bullard image.

How about this ethereal, arbor entryway to get you into the swing of summer entertaining.

Photo via Pinterest

Okay so once you've set the mood what will you serve? I'll tell you what you can serve it in, mason jars. Check out these ideas.

Cake Jars photo and the how-to found here.

Look at this great idea for sipping lemonade.

or a simple, yet beautiful way to display your summer cuttings. I adore the limes in the bottom of the jars.

I've got my own "Summer Project" that I'll be sharing with all of you very soon. It's complete I just need to take some photo's so stay tuned.

I hope you enjoy all of these Pinterest finds as much as I have.

Happy Summer to you!!!

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Raised Bed Garden Progress

2011-05-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

Thyme Spent In The Garden

Let's just say that this garden is exceeding my expectations. I had no idea how quickly everything would grow and I haven't added a single drop of fertilizer. I did purchase some organic fish protein but have not had to use it to date and I might not have to. I do have some bugs making some of my plants look spotted and that doesn't make me happy. So I made a trip to the local farm store and they suggested an insecticidal soap. The leaves of some of the plants got a spritzing. Now to wait and see if it works. Our family garden is the one with the green, metal fence posts, nine to be exact. We'll be stringing plastic-coated clothesline along those posts to tie the tomatoes up as they grow. I think it might just work.

Remember this photo taken the weekend my plants were put into the raised bed? I can't believe what four weeks has done. One of the most gratifying things about this entire process is that I started all of these plants from seed except for four zucchini plants and three eggplants. I still can't believe how well my little seedlings are doing. I could sit in the garden all day and watch everything grow. Very therapeutic!

Zucchini Blossoms. Beautiful, don't you think?

I met a new neighbor today and we got to talking about all sorts of things. Mostly her Beagle, Maxine, but we got on the topic of the garden and she had said she would have liked to have participated but had a lot going on at the time everything was getting underway. Long story short, I mentioned the zucchini & squash plants were already blossoming. Sandy, my new neighbor, told me to save the blossoms and to stuff them with a cheese mixture & then bake them. YUM! Doesn't that sound delicious? She said, "Don't waste a thing." I love meeting new people that share an affinity for gardening.

Goldbar Squash Blossoms. I'll have to stuff these too. Mmmm.... Mmmm... GOOD!

Ground Cherry Blossom. This is one of the plants that is looking spotted because of those darn bugs. I took a photo of the pretty part and spared you the ghastly holes in the leaves.

Radishes. These are at full maturity 25 days after seed sowing. Everyone should plant radishes. It's almost instant gratification and makes you feel like you've got a green thumb and you know a little bit about what you're doing. I enjoy the taste of a radish. Not everyone does. However, they were planted around each of the squash plants to keep bugs away and I must say it's working. I planted several more last night so I can harvest these bad boys.

Pepper Plant. My peppers have really leafed out and are beginning to bud. Peppers are a slow go. At least they have been in the past.

Well there you have it. An update on the raised bed garden. I can't wait to show you some actual fruit from all of this labor.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Farmers Markets, Baked Goods & Pretties

2011-05-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

Sweet & Savory

I baked some sweet rolls a few days back but instead of doing the typical butter, cinnamon, sugar combination which is always yummy. I filled them with mascarpone cheese & freshly made strawberry freezer jam. Don't they look delicious? Well they are. I can assure you of that.

I am sharing this with you because I am considering a booth at my local community farmers market. I love farmer's markets. When we lived in North Carolina there was a very large market not to far from us and it was so much fun to walk through all the open-air buildings to see what everyone had brought to sell. I purchased one of the most amazing wooden cutting boards from that very spot. There were always fresh cut flowers, pottery, baked goods and of course lots and lots of produce.

The market I am considering being a part of will be on a much smaller scale. There is a small fee to set up and I would of course need a tent and tables. If I do this I would sell home baked goods and maybe some original creations made by "Blue Sky Confections".

How do I decide what to make? 7 am is the start time and the breakfast hour. Would english muffins sell? These are much simpler to make than I thought and market goers could slather on some homemade strawberry jam and grab a cup of coffee.

What about chocolate chip cookies with finely chopped pecans?

This wouldn't be a money making venture. I don't think there's loads of money to be made in small batch baked goods one Saturday morning each month. It would be more of a "get my name and blog" out into the community in hopes that my local readership would increase and maybe even open up some new doors of opportunity. What doors of opportunity? I don't know. I'll be waiting to see.

To participate or not is the question I'm asking myself. I definitely don't want to waste my time and resources.

Any thoughts from those of you that may have done markets in the past.

I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Flowers Started From Seed

2011-05-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

Thyme Spent In The Garden

I usually have all my window boxes and hanging baskets fully planted and up in mid-April. This year is different because I decided to try my hand at starting my own flowers from seed so I've been patiently waiting on them or maybe not so patiently. Next year I will start all my flowers in January to ensure that I will meet my own deadline. Below are the Coleus-Versa. Aren't they luscious? Here they are just peaking through the soil. Here they are the last time I posted about their progress and now just look at them.

I planted the hanging baskets just about 2 weeks ago and I've had them on my deck soaking up some additional sun and gaining some size before I hang them on the front porch. Here's a shot of one of the baskets. The white petunia's are wonderfully hardy, early blooming varieties. I also planted a pink petunia, white bacopa combo. The petunia's have started blooming but the bacopa has yet to show me a flower. I added a coleus in the center of each basket with petunia's around the parameter. I also bought a sweet potato vine for each basket. I couldn't find seeds to start my own. The salmon petunia that I planted has a beautiful color but it is not a profuse bloomer as of yet. I've only seen a couple flowers. When they get into full bloom I will take a photo. The color is just lovely!

Here's a shot of the pink petunia in a basket. I can't wait for them to start cascading and really filling out.

Here's a shot of the combo that will go into my window boxes. I purchased the lovely verbana in shades of pink and white to combine with my white, pink and salmon petunia's. I will also add some coleus into the mix. I thought the watermelon coleus was perfect with the flowers. However, I only had one watermelon coleus in the mix. I may go buy 3 more from a local nursery.

I love, love, love starting my own flowers. Next year I will try to find verbana seeds and purple heart seeds and maybe a few more flower varieties. I will plant less vegetables because honestly I planted 2 gardens of my own, added several plants to the community section in our development, gave plants away to two different families and I STILL have more vegetable plants. I'll post an updated photo of my gardens soon. They are growing by leaps and bounds.

I've got Chocolate Mint and Corsican Mint growing in pots. I adore the scent that wafts up from these plants when I brush up against them. The Corsican Mint can be a great ground cover but I really love to watch it mound over the edges of my pots. Tip: Add a few snips of chocolate mint to your coffee grounds in the morning for a wonderful, natural chocolate mint flavoring.

Check out this dill that reseeded itself from last year. I'm so impressed. Now I need some cucumbers or green beans so I can try my hand at canning with this wonderful herb.

I planted some more arugula. It's just starting off but it will grow fast. This is my favorite green for salads and sandwich toppings. YUM! YUM!

I don't want to leave my blueberries out. I've got two large pots on the deck that hold blueberry bushes. Once these pretty little berries ripen it will be a stand-off between my son and the birds to see who gets these anti-oxidant wonders. Last summer the first thing my son did was run to the patio door to see if there were any fully ripened berries for the day.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Strawberry Fields

2011-05-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

and Freezer Jam...

and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, and Strawberry Upside Down Cake, and Strawberry Shortcake Cookies and Sliced Strawberries over Warm Fudge Brownies and Strawberry Salad... should I continue? I think you get the picture.

I used the recipe from the Fruit Pectin box. I quadrupled the ingredients and it made 12 of the smaller jars pictured above and 6 of the larger jars. I absolutely adore the smaller jars Ball has put on the market. They make my homemade creations appear gourmet. Now I need to buy a chest freezer for the basement. I won't have room in my main freezer for all these jars. I will of course give some of these away to friends and neighbors but for the most part it's a great way to have sweet, strawberry, deliciousness all year round.

and it all began with an afternoon in the strawberry fields...

The kids really enjoy themselves. It's good family fun and clean, fresh air on a great big beautiful farm where there are field after field of living, flourishing, edible plants.

The kids get along very well. It's amazing what being on a farm in the countryside will do for everyone's moods.

Just look at that heartfelt hug. That fills my heart with so much joy.

My wee one was just eating up the attention that her big brother was showing her.

The kids behaving and getting along makes the Handsome Hubby happy! Say that three times fast.

We filled three flats full of these gorgeous red berries.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Raspberry Bars

2011-05-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

Better Homes & Gardens Recipe

Raspberries are my absolute favorite berry and bring back fond memories of childhood, so I was a bit partial when I saw this recipe in the latest issue of BH&G. You can of course make this sweet delight using any berry of your choice and get the same delicious results. The recipe can be found here.

Growing up in a very rural area and having acres and acres of land gave my siblings and I the chance to discover wild raspberry patches along the edges of the fields and roadsides. I could pick for hours because I knew if I got enough berries my mom would make a raspberry pie and that folks is my absolute favorite dessert! Later in life I would be the one to make the raspberry pie and never begrudgingly.

To this day I miss where I grew up. I wish my children had the same opportunities to play outdoors without fear of being hit by a car or snatched by a stranger. We'd head out the door in the morning and we weren't back inside until it was dark. There were forts to build, trees to climb, flowers to be picked, songs to be sung at the top of my lungs because only myself, God & nature could hear. I'm trying to get back there, I really am. Now only if the economy would cooperate.

Here I am in an effort to style a shot. I need to purchase another set of dishes. I've got this red set and they're okay but for photographing food it can get a little tough. Not everything works with red. Am I right? My kitchen is red and I want to change that too! So many projects, so little time.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Plants - 10th Week

2011-05-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

Raised Bed Garden

I know I haven't posted in a while. I haven't even posted my plant photo updates the past couple Tuesdays. I've had a lot going on and now hopefully I'm back to a regular schedule for a bit anyways.

I planted my raised bed in the community garden last Saturday and it took me 5 hours. A lot of my own plants that I grew from seed went into this garden. I sure hope they produce a harvest. I've got Brandypink, Pineapple, Aunt Rubies German Green, Chocolate Cherry & Giant Oxheart heirloom tomatoes. The Mortgage Lifter tomatoes that I started from seed were not a very strong plant so they didn't make it into the raised bed.

I also purchased Cherokee from a local nursery and a Tomaccio which is supposed to be a gourmet tomato that is referred to as a raisin tomato and best used for sun-drying. I really hope that one produces well. I'm excited to dry some of my own for breads and pasta dishes. Doesn't that sound good?

I had an overabundance of tomato plants that did well so I gave six to a fellow community gardener, planted sixteen in the community section of which a portion will be donated to the Food Bank and I still have more plants.

Planted amongst the tomatoes are three different pepper varieties. Jalapeno, Yummy & Gourmet Rainbow. I'll be using those jalapeno's in my fresh pico de gallo and salsa this summer. The Yummy's are the smaller, mild peppers best used for snacking and stuffing for fancy h'ordeuvres. Finally the Gourmet I'm hoping will be great for grilling and stuffing.

I also put ten bitty Basil plants amongst the tomatoes and the peppers and then dropped a lot of marigold seeds around the parameter of the bed. This is referred to as companion planting. Certain plant varieties do better planted amongst other plants and this is a good combination I'm told.

Zucchini and Squash have a better chance of succeeding when encircled by radishes. So I surrounded each zucchini and squash plant with radish seeds. I also dropped in some sunflower seeds which are said to be good planted amongst the zucchini. It's a smaller variety of course. I don't want a 10ft sunflower springing up out of my raised bed.

This is a Ground Cherry. I don't know much about them. I don't know what they grow best amongst so time will tell. I'm told they're similar to a cherry tomato but sweet like a strawberry.

My Lemon Heirloom Cucumber plants are flowering but not doing so well. I planted them much to early inside and I think they're stressed. I may drop some seeds right into the soil and see how they do. I really was excited to try this little, round, lemon colored, cuke.

I've planted a small garden in my side yard full of tomatoes & peppers. The tomatoes here are roma and large beefsteak hybrids. I also put in some basil seeds and some marigold seeds because of the companion planting tip.

Not highlighted in this post but planted in my raised bed are yellow squash, eggplant & beans. I had some sweet pea seeds but after a discussion with a master gardener found out it was a little late in the year to plant them. She said they are a cool weather crop and to plant them in early fall for a late fall harvest.

I've got a cedar box full of dill, another full of arugula and a large pot full of gourmet vite lettuce. I'm saving the spinach seeds for a fall planting. Again it's much to warm to plant them and I should have put the seeds in the soil the end of March beginning of April.

There is so much to learn but it's also a lot of fun.

I want to say a huge THANK YOU to my followers. I really do appreciate each and every reader. I sure hope my upcoming posts have something to offer each of you.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

A Visit To The National Aquarium

2011-04-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

What a great place to visit and the weather was absolutely perfect. We wanted to rent a paddle boat after our visit to the aquarium but the line was way to long and I was afraid one of my kids would jump in the water while waiting.

Getting photos of all the kids is tough. No one ever listens.

Inside a sharks mouth. I wonder what Jonah must have felt like inside the belly of a whale for 3 days?

Posing with a lizard. Only a tween would strike a pose with a scaly lizard.

That lollipop in my little guys hand is homemade by a friend of mine. She makes these all natural treats and dropped three off on my porch one day last week. A sweet treat that I tucked into my purse for later. They proved to come in handy when my youngest who hadn't had a nap started having a melt down in the overly crowded aquarium. Thanks Greenhearts Farm! The kids LOVED them!

Oh.... is that an alligator?

No it's not it's a Caiman Crocodile.

A visit to the Immersion Theater. There was blowing snow, bubbles, spraying water and air. If you visit the aquarium make sure you buy tickets for the total experience which includes a theater show and the dolphin show.

Cubby in a trance. It was during this movie that a shark leaped out of the water to capture a seal on the run and caught it. My son says, "That's one happy shark." Everyone seated by us got a good laugh out of that comment. He also asked, "Why does everyone keep squirting us?"

Where's Reagan? She's in there. I love those glasses. They are quite the fashion statement.

Posing with sting rays. They're in there somewhere. I promise.

She got sticky sucker in her hair courtesy of her little brother. Not happy.

Dolphin Show. These are such amazing creatures.

I love how they can swim on there backs and hold a ball none-the-less.

Daddy and his girls on the pier.

Daddy and his baby on the pier.

There are some great looking buildings on the harbor. We stopped at the Cheesecake Factory and picked up a couple of slices of cheesecake to share while overlooking the water.

The kids enjoyed running around outside after exiting the aquarium. It was so packed because it was spring break week.

I wish I would have had the camera turned to capture all three. It would have been such a cute shot.

I'm always trying to get a photo where everyone is looking at the camera. Almost but not quite. I'll continue to work on that. Always the photographer never the subject.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Good Friday, Lilacs & A Sick Kitty

2011-04-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Good Friday is here and the skies are dark and gloomy and it's much cooler than the last few days have been. Rain is in the forecast but it always seems to go to the North and to the South of us leaving this area in a state of drought. I sure hope this summer isn't like 2010. I'll be praying for rain.

We spent a night in Baltimore near the Inner Harbor and took the kids to the National Aquarium this past week. (pictures to come) The weather was perfect and everyone really enjoyed themselves so that's a happy note. However, I took our kitty to the vet on Monday because he just has not been himself for the last couple of weeks. The vet did some blood work and we found out he is in a state of kidney failure and since that time has been quickly deteriorating. The mood in our house for those of us acutely aware of what is going on is one of great sadness. He has been a wonderful pet. Always good with the kids and friendly with anyone that extended a hand toward him. Our oldest is cherishing each moment she has with L.B., holding him for hours at a time and stroking his head and back. He was her 5th Birthday present.

Even with the cloud over our house I've been keeping everything moving forward with spring being so busy this year and trying to get so much done before the hot, summer, sun starts blazing. My lists keep getting longer and the yard work keeps expanding. There are invites to all kinds of events, and holidays to celebrate. There's a garden to be planted, landscaping to tend to, client projects that need to be finished up and now Easter is here. That means Easter Sunday outfits, Easter Baskets, our annual egg hunt, Easter egg coloring and a big Sunday dinner. But wait... I'm aware that this is not what Easter Sunday is all about. I realize that we're celebrating our Risen Savior and that it's a glorious day with or without all the trimmings. The traditions are always fun but time is limited so we'll see if I'm able to go good on all of this.

This morning I went out and cut some blooms for the house. We planted four lilac bushes four years ago and I thought by now I'd have large billowing shrubs full of beautifully scented blossoms each spring. The nursery said they were easy growers but I've had a lot of trouble with them. Each year only a few of the branches leaf and bud out and the remainder appear dead. So I've had to cut a lot of the wood back leaving me with one or two branches. Definitely not the shrubs I dreamed of when planting them. We transplanted two of the four last year hoping that less sun would make the difference. They survived the winter and produced some flowers but the other two that seemed to be doing well last year have lots of dead wood this spring with only a branch or two full of purple and green.

I usually don't like to cut flowers from my shrubs because I like my yard to look as pretty as possible but since the shrubs themselves were not spectacular I thought cutting the flowers that I did have and bringing them inside so I could smell their wonderful perfume would make me happy. I snapped a few pictures of them in an old pitcher my mom gave me years and years ago.

Happy Easter and thank you for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Planting - Seventh Week

2011-04-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Thyme Spent in The Garden

I think I might just be getting some tiny flower buds on some of my Petunia's. That is so great to see especially considering the week I've had and it's only Tuesday.

The Coleus-Versa continue to make me smile with their beautiful, variegated leaves and lovely colors.

So far it looks like I've got four color varieties. Over time I'll see how much they change and if my hunch proves to be accurate.

The Petunia-Bacopa blend also looks like it might start budding. I think my heart might just go pitter patter when I see the first little flowers.

I planted some Hyacinth Bean Vine and some Moonflower a couple weeks ago. The Hyacinth is doing well but the Moonflower hasn't even shown itself. I'm starting to wonder if the seeds are any good.

The variety of pepper plants is coming along nicely. I have some in a couple different stages. I can't wait to see how they do.

Lots and lots of tomatoes getting ready to stretch their legs in the raised garden bed that you see below. I'm going to plant some in my side yard and some in our raised bed at the community garden and then sell some to raise funds for the community garden and plant the remainder in the community section and the Food Bank section.

I need to add some more soil to the bed, churn it a bit more and I think I'll be in business. The square raised bed that you see in the center is the herb garden. All the herbs were graciously donated by CFC Farm & Home Center. Isn't that awesome?!?!? Several of my garden neighbors have already planted their gardens. I start getting anxious like I'm being left in the dirt. (pun intended) BUT when I've been in the nurseries and garden centers and I've talked to formidable gardeners and people more mature in years than I, they all say they don't plant until the end of April, first of May because of the chance of frost. So I will continue to be patient. Until then my handsome hubby and I need to devise a plan to stake all the tomato plants. I've seen a couple different options. The cages just don't seem to do that well. Any suggestions from fellow gardeners?

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

2011-04-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

Strawberry season is right around the corner for those of us that live in Virginia. The stores are chock-full of well-priced beautiful, plump, juicy berries from other regions of this great nation but if you live in VA you'll soon be able to pick your own. Check your local listing for a farm near by and their hours of operation.

Each year our family heads to our local berry farm the first part of May to fill up 3 or more flats with strawberries. Our children manage to eat a few as we pick. How can you resist? Then I make chocolate dipped strawberries, freezer jam, strawberry shortcake and last year I happened upon this recipe in LIVING by Martha Stewart and I was sold.

I made a batch today using store bought strawberries and they are every bit as good as they were last year. The recipe calls for sprinkling sanding sugar over the tops of each before baking. I did not do that this go-around and last year I drizzled white chocolate over the top of each cookie and I would recommend that to anyone giving this recipe a try.

The dough is almost pie crust like and calls for the use of a pastry cutter, or your hands, when mixing the butter into the flour/sugar mixture. I don't own a pastry cutter so I used my hands and it was actually very therapeutic to blend each cube of butter until I got the course crumb mixture the recipe calls for before adding the heavy cream and diced berries.

Add this recipe to your stash if you want a portable dessert that's not overly sweet and closely resembles strawberry shortcake.

We'll be heading out to pick in a few weeks so maybe we'll see you at the farm.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

A Four Year Old - Where Does The Time Go?

2011-04-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

I meant to get this post up at the beginning of the week but again I ask the question... Where does the time go?

My little guy turned FOUR last weekend. I love him so much! He's the happiest, friendliest little guy you'd ever meet. He's never met a stranger and he's oh so kissable. Here are a few photo's from his Birthday Party!

A friend of mine had him hold up four fingers and snapped a pic and my oldest daughter came running over to tell me I needed to do the same. So I did.

Here he is with Big Sis not sure what to make of all the attention. He's thinking, "She's never this nice".

He was so excited to get that cupcake with the giant "4" cookie and those striped candles.

The bubble party at the close of the party was everyone's favorite. Just look at the joy on his face.

When they turned the bubble machine off my son was the first to ask that it be turned back on.

I made lemon cupcakes with lemon, buttercream frosting, topped with a brightly decorated sugar cookie. I made several stars and several number "4's". I topped all the cupcakes with the stars except the one for the Birthday Boy. He got the big "4" on his cupcake.

These almond flavored cupcakes with chocolate frosting and toasted coconut were made specially for the parents that attended. YUM! These are a favorite in our household.

Now he's got his very own car. He's thrilled to be able to drive to the playground, then drive himself to the swing, sit on the swing for a while, hop off and drive himself to the slide, make a trip down the slide and then drive himself over to his sister and say, "get in Rea, do you want a ride to the slide". I look at my children in amazement each day. They glean every bit of happiness and joy out of each moment in life. I LOVE IT! I wish I could be more like them.

Happy Birthday Cub!!! I LOVE YOU MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF AND I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER!

Plants And Seedlings - Week 6

2011-04-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

Tuesdays are fast becoming my favorite day of the week. I look forward to photographing the progress of my plant starting ventures and sharing them with my readers.

The Coleus-Versa are moving right along. I love seeing the variegation in the leaves and the color varieties. So pretty!

Just look at the rich color in these leaves. The only thing I will do differently is order my seeds the second week of January and start my flowers and landscaping plants the first of February. I will also need another greenhouse or a larger greenhouse. Once the plants start maturing they need to be transplanted into larger pots and I'm out of space.

My petunias made great strides this past week and are starting to encroach on their neighbors in a big way.

A handful of the peppers are starting to get some decent height but I don't think they'll be ready to put in the ground in two weeks. Maybe they'll surprise me.

The eggplant is also beginning to show signs of maturity but I don't believe these will be ready for planting in two weeks either.

However the cucumbers are ready to take over my house. They were ready to be planted a couple weeks ago. Yikes! They've already got the little feelers popping out looking for something to climb. I went ahead and planted another five last week and this is probably the time I should have started all of them. I got a little seed sowing happy I suppose.

The squash are another fast grower. They're only a week old and already the roots are popping out of the seed starter pucks. They definitely need to be started in bigger pots next year.

The tomatoes have already outgrown their tray as well. They need to be transplanted but again I have no space. I believe I've been over-watering them. I'm one of those nervous plant moms, wanting to make sure they have everything they need and I'm smothering them. They need to breathe a bit so I'm going to let them dry out for a few days. In the front, right tray I've got 10 ground cherries planted. They are slow growers. I'm interested to see how well they do.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Outdoor Pillow Covers

2011-04-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

To Freshen Up The Front Porch

Remember this post? I held true to my word and used the fabric I purchased in short order. One more thing I can cross of this list.

These are the fourth set of pillow covers that I've made for my front porch. It's a quick, simple and inexpensive way to add a little eye candy to the space guests see first when stopping by for a visit. I put together a simple tutorial back in the fall if you're interested. You can find it here. Then you can add whatever embellishments you like. I enjoy switching up the way I incorporate the grosgrain ribbon each time. I also stitched a little ric-rac on this go around for added whimsy. The selection of outdoor canvas fabric keeps getting better and better and I'm in love with this embossed, diamond patterned, cream fabric and I love how well it pairs with the bright blue floral.

Here's a detail shot to show you the way I looped the ribbon for a ruffle effect. I really love it!

Another up-close and personal shot. The ribbon I attached to the tops of each pillow will be used to tie them to the chair they will be resting on. That way I don't have to worry about them ending up in my neighbors yard when the spring storms come rolling through.

The ribbon and ric-rac also tie the two fabrics together on each set of differently sized pillows giving my front porch cohesiveness and I'm all about that. Neat and orderly is never a bad thing. Right?

I'll be putting these on display on my porch as soon as I get a fresh coat of paint on my rocking chairs. My handsome hubby fixed the wooden slats that were coming loose so now I have no excuse. I better get painting soon. Spring is upon us.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

p.s. I'm sharing this project here at Freckled Laundry and here at Centsational Girl.

Week 5 - Maturing Plants

2011-04-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

Thyme Spent in the Garden

Just look at these heirloom cucumber plants. They definitely don't need this much time in a greenhouse and next year I will start them 3-4 weeks before planting starts rather than 8 weeks before. I already had to transplant them in larger pots and stake them because they want to climb all over the place and I'm afraid they will smother the other plants.

The tomato plants are also growing by leaps and bounds and I had to stake most of them. I purchased a package of bamboo skewers used for grilling. They're the perfect size for my little greenhouse and probably less expensive than the garden variety stake purchased from a home improvement store.

My Petunias are also starting to fill in quite nicely. Some are larger than others but that's okay. I'm sure they'll eventually catch up. I will definitely start these from seed in February of next year and give myself an extra month to ensure a good size plant by the time I get the itch to fill my window boxes and hanging baskets.

Look at these glorious Coleus-Versa. I'm already picturing an entire planting bed lined with this rich foliage. I love mass plantings of things. It creates such a visual impact especially when you are in a car and you only have a few seconds to make an impression.

Winter Thyme just peaking threw the soil. I ordered more Jiffy 7 planting material and it took a couple weeks for delivery so I started my herb seeds this past weekend - Winter Thyme, Basil, Lavendar, & Cilantro. I think I need another greenhouse. I started a few more cucumbers, squash, eggplant and some more peppers and tomatoes as well as some Moonflowers and Purple Hyacinth Bean Vine.

Four of my pepper plants fell victim to my two year old. While I was patiently staking my tomatoes last night she was sitting on the floor in front of the greenhouse quietly petting my plants and in the process ripped four of them out. That really upset me. Peppers take the longest to germinate and don't produce as much fruit as a cucumber or tomato plant so I hope the last few seeds that I planted germinate quickly.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

New Spring Project On The Horizon

2011-03-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

I've been buying fabric. I buy it with projects in mind and then never get around to making what I intended EXCEPT for this fabric. I fully intend to make new spring pillow covers for my front porch chairs sooner than later so be on the lookout. This happens to be a really inexpensive way for me to freshen up my outdoor space on the front porch each season. $25 for four new covers with embellishments and all. I can't beat the savings even if I were to find some really great sales at an outlet store somewhere.

I've also got some exciting news. My workspace was featured today on Tatertots & Jello so I must say that made my day and brought a smile to my face and I definitely needed that so thank you Jen at TT&J.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Seedlings - 4 Weeks Old

2011-03-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

Thyme Spent in The Garden

Hello, I wanted to pop in to let you see my "grow-my-own" progress. I love seeing the subtle changes in each plant variety each day as they mature but you can really see major changes when you look at them from week-to-week.

The Coleus-Versa is starting to show it's color variations in a big way. I've got 15 of these little beauties all doing quite well.

Here's the Petunia-Bacopa blend. I love how both of these plants grow so well nestled together.

The Wave Petunias in White and Salmon are getting some size to them.

These wee sprouts are Ground Cherries. I've read that they produce small yellow/orange fruit that look like tomatoes but taste like strawberries. I'll let you know once I see the fruit first-hand and taste them.

The Gourmet Rainbow Peppers, Yummy Peppers and Jalapeno Peppers are starting to show some size. They take a bit longer to germinate than a tomato seed does. I hope they produce a lot of beautiful, fruit for me this summer.

There are probably at least 70-80 tomato plants growing in my little greenhouse. Eight different varieties that I can't wait to harvest. They are getting pretty big and I think I may have to transplant them into larger containers soon. Maybe I need another greenhouse. This planting stuff is so much fun!

Are you going to grow anything this year from seed?

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

New Small Business Website Snapshot

2011-03-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a snapshot of my, latest and greatest, graphic design project. Still a few tweaks to come but for the most part it is complete. You can visit the site by clicking here. Watkins has been a wonderful company to work with and based on what their clients say they're a fabulous company to have working for you. If you have a corporate space, business or residential area that needs to be pristine don't hesitate to give them a call or shoot them an email.

If you're in need of a small business or organization website, blog or etsy banner or my absolute favorite print work visit my site here. I'd love to put an estimate together for you.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Seedlings - 3 Weeks Old

2011-03-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

Thyme Spent In The Garden

Today at The Nester she is hosting a link party about taking risks. This greenhouse and seed starting supply purchase was a risk for me. My thoughts were, "If this doesn't work out, I've just wasted a sum of money and I'll have to buy the plants from the nursery anyways." So far so good my seeds have sprouted and they're on there third week. If things keep going as planned I will save money. Have you taken any risks lately?

It seems as though the only things I'm able to post about lately are my graphics projects or my plant starting venture. Once I get my graphic design projects crossed off, making my clients happy, I will be back posting at full capacity. (smile) Until then, here are a few photo's from my little green house.

Look at all of my tomatoes. They are coming along quite nicely. What are those pieces of newspaper doing amongst the plants you ask? Well, a few seeds haven't germinated so I went ahead and popped a few more in. Tomatoes do not need light to germinate and I read in a tomato growing guide to cover them with newspaper. So there you have it.

Here's a close-up of a couple tomato plants.

... and an heirloom cucumber plant. These grew really fast.
Note to self: Plant a little later in the spring for growing season 2012.

These are the Coleus Versa. If you look closely you can see some of the leaves already showing color.

And last but not least my sweet little Baby Petunia, Bacopa mix. They are tiny right now but when they reach full maturity they will be cascading, waves of fancy color. That is my hope anyway. I've got a few more plant varieties in the green house. Maybe I'll share those next week.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Package Design and Worship

2011-03-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

I'm going to give you a sneak peak at one of the graphic design projects I've been working on.

Tyrone Powell, Worship Leader Extraordinaire contracted me to design the packaging for his newest project, "Present Day Thirst". You will be able to purchase his CD from his website, www.tyronepowell.net in the very near future.

Here is a snapshot of the cover as it stands now.

I have had the privilege of knowing Tyrone for about 8 years now and being part of an amazing worship team for roughly five of those eight years. I truly miss every minute and I truly miss my fellow worshipers from that praise team. One of them has gone on to heaven to be with our Heavenly Father. When you sing and worship with people there is a connection that takes place and I believe you are forever joined to those people. I guess it's because you share common experiences. Whatever the reason I am truly blessed to know each one of them.

The following YouTube video was posted by Tyrone and I'm passing it along to my readers. The sound isn't fab but it's a small snippet of my time on that team and I will forever be grateful. You can see more of Tyrone on YouTube just by typing in his name on the YouTube site.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Spring Is Upon Us - Seedlings

2011-03-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

Thyme Spent In The Garden

I took this photo this past weekend because I loved the way the sky looked. The spring and fall sky share similar characteristics and I always love the contrast of a dark sky against the wood line.

I'm going to update you on my little greenhouse venture and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised.

The really tall seedlings are lemon, heirloom cucumber. They will produce round, yellow fruit that are supposed to be great fresh or for pickling. Time will tell. I'll keep you informed.

Here is my sea of tomato seedlings. I planted the following heirloom variety: Giant Oxheart, Brandywine, Pineapple, Mortgage Lifter & Aunt Ruby's German Green. I also tried these hybrids: Viva Italia Hybrid, Chocolate Cherry & Burbee Supersteak. I love tomatoes. We eat a lot in this household between homemade salsa and a variety of salads and pasta dishes. I plan to learn how to can this year so I can have an entire winters worth of my own homegrown tomatoes for my family.

I also purchased arugula, spinach, eggplant, squash, beans, yummy peppers, jalapeno peppers, gourmet rainbow peppers and sweet pea seeds. I'm considering trying to grow broccoli as well.

Now onto my flower starters. I spend lots of money each spring filling hanging baskets and window boxes with my local nursery purchases. While that's good for the local nurseries it's not great for our pocketbook. However I believe that it's well worth the money spent but I thought I'd try my hand at starting a few flower varieties myself.

Here's the start of my outdoor flowers. I really hope I have success with growing my own. My husband will be thrilled at the cost savings if this works out. I always add sweet potato vine to my hanging baskets but was unable to find seeds for them so I may still have to purchase those. I started three varieties of petunia's a white, a salmon and a fuschia. The fuschia is combined with bacopa which is a small, white, trailing, flower.

I also started 15 Coleus Versa (which means they should be good in the sun and in the shade). Coleus are the beautiful, variegated, multi-colored foliage that you see in landscapes and pots. They can get up to 2 feet tall and really full and lush. I'll probably add these to my porch pots and landscape. The colors are a mixed bag so we'll see what I get.

I also saved seeds from my vines last year.

These seeds are from the purple hyacinth bean vine. The seeds remind me of little chickadees. I'll be planting several of these. Some for my yard and some for the Ashland Strawberry Faire. Our Community Garden is taking root this year and we are raising money for things like compost and wood to build raised beds. A portion of the garden will be used to grow fresh produce for our area's Food Bank. We will be selling plants and baked goods so come out and see us on June 4th.

I also harvested Moonflower seeds. Don't they look like little kernels of corn? I will do the same with these, plant some for my yard and plant for our booth at the Ashland Strawberry Faire.

I love working with plants. I'm still learning but what better way to learn than hands-on. If you're considering starting some of your own plants go for it! It is very gratifying to watch them sprout.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

My Workspace & A Sweet Way to Display

2011-03-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

Winsome Wednesday

I'm sharing a few pictures of my workspace as it is currently. This room happens to be my favorite room in the house as far as the decor goes. It's even higher up on the list since my new office chair arrived. I've got bare walls but not without a plan. There are some gorgeous, original prints from an artist friend of mine that I have to get framed and they will fill the wall space on each side of my office cabinet quite nicely. I also want to install a chandelier and build some white shelving for the wall to the left of my desk. I keep thinking that maybe purchasing some larger bookshelves might be a better option because I can take the shelves with if we move. I also read that built-ins don't really add much to the value of a home when considering resale. However, with built-ins I can add shelving across the top of the doorway and I can't achieve that with bookshelves. Decisions, decisions, decisions....

Here's a close-up of the beautiful chair I spotted in Ballard Design at the turn of the year. It works so well in my space with its whitewash finish and soft, buttery, camel colored leather with nail head trim. It makes me happy to have my tush resting in it each day. Don't you just love my lifestyle models. I couldn't have found any better from a modeling agency.

I thought I'd share a sweet little project with my readers. I purchased this simple wooden tray at a craft store. It happened to be on clearance. I then re-sized and cropped a photo of my two oldest children and had it printed at a local print shop on a heavy, white stock. The "Making Memories" verbiage is a copper colored vinyl that I ordered from Uppercase Living®. I made sure to order it with the adhesive on the top of the letters. Then I headed to my home improvement store and had them cut a piece of plexi to fit the tray. Tip: Bring your tray in and have the person doing the cutting, measure the tray too. That way the measurements are correct and it may save you extra trips to correct a mistake. I put the vinyl lettering on the underside of the plexi so I could easily clean the top of the tray and not worry about the letters peeling up. Voila... an instant keepsake and a way to display family photo's a little differently.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

p.s. I'm excited to report that my "Front Door Decor" is featured at Sugar and Dots today! Check it out!

Starting Plants From Seed - Just Add Water

2011-03-08T11:19:00.000-08:00

Thyme Spent In The Garden

My garden order from Jung Seeds was delivered Saturday morning. I was thrilled to see those boxes sitting in my entryway when I returned from a day of outlet shopping with a few of my friends.

This is my first year starting plants from seed aside from herbs, lettuce and vines. I'm really anxious and nervous because it's all trial and error and if it doesn't work out then I just wasted moola and I don't like waste, especially in this economy.

This is what I'm starting my seeds with. They are Jiffy 7 seed starters. Just add water and they expand. The little pucks of seed starting mixture are self contained in netting that will dissolve when planted in the earth. I've learned that when starting seeds you need a sterile potting mix. The other options for starting your own seeds are to purchase plastic pots along with a bag mix. The upside to that option is that you have the pots forever but you need to sterilize them each planting season. If you're going to start very few seeds that's probably the best, cost saving option. If you want to start a lot of seeds there is the option I'm showing or you can also purchase peat pots. With peat pots you need to buy a sterile potting mix as well. I opted for these Jiffy 7 seed starters. The nutrient rich, sterile, potting mix is already in place and that saved me some time.

Then I had the dilemma of where to start the seeds. I purchased this little greenhouse that was originally going to be placed on our deck but after reading about seed starting I quickly realized I needed lots of warmth.

So the greenhouse sits right in front of our back door where it can get as much direct sunlight as possible. Some seeds don't need direct sunlight to germinate and some do. It's really important to read each seed packet carefully. I made the mistake of planting all my seeds the exact same way and then I read one of my flower seed packets. It read, "sow seed on top of soil" it needs direct sunlight to germinate. They happened to be $5 for 8-15 seeds and I had 4 of those. I got a little "sowing happy" thinking they all needed the same thing. Not so! Hard lesson learned. Here's where the anxiety comes in. I hate waste! Now, do I take a chance and hope they germinate anyways or do I hurry up and order some more so they sprout and grow in time for my front porch containers this spring? That is the question of the hour. I think I'll be ordering some more. Timing is of utmost importance when growing your own. The plants need to go in the ground by a certain time in order to harvest by a certain time. What must farmers go through every year?

I ordered a wide variety of seeds. I didn't want to go easy on myself with this being the first year of truly gardening and starting my own plants from seed. Why would I do that? I needed to do this in true "Jenny fashion", all or nothing! That's how I roll! It's who I am, it's in my genetic makeup. Just ask my handsome hubby! He'll tell it to you straight!

I ordered seven varieties of tomatoes, five of which are heirloom. Three different types of peppers, yellow squash, heirloom cucumber, eggplant, arugula, corn salad (it said gourmet, and sweet and buttery, I hope it is), spinach, a variety of flowers and then with this order I received a free packet of ground cherry seeds. They say they grow like a tomato but are sweet like a strawberry. I look forward to giving that a whirl.

I pray this is a gratifying experience and that I don't give myself an anxiety attack worrying about each little seed. Stay tuned. I'll be sharing my failures and successes with this gardening endeavor.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

front door decor

2011-03-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I last posted. I've been busy with a handful of graphic design projects and when I try to blog and take care of client work I get really stressed. I've still got some print jobs and a web project I'm working to complete but in the meantime I thought I'd pop in and share my new door decor with my lovely readers.

Remember this post? I shared with you some of the elements used to create my piece de resistance.

To make this twist on a wreath I purchased a large, three dimensional letter and wrapped the entire thing in 3-ply jute using hot glue, making sure to pull tightly. I didn't want any loose jute. Loose jute wouldn't be good. I'm sure you would agree.

I fashioned some little birds out of fimo clay. There needed to be two little birds, one to represent my handsome hubby and one to represent the lady of the house and that would be me. The small nest was created using jute, twigs and green moss and I stitched it onto the lovely branch that I found on one of the walks I take with my kidlet's on nice, sunny days. The three, little, wooden eggs and the barn wood frame were purchased at a local craft store and then painted pale blue. I don't think I need to explain why there are three little eggs but just in case, each one is a stand-in for my GREGARIOUS children.

I was lucky to find wide ribbon that matched the paint exactly and it is attached to the back of the frame using hot glue and staples. I used the bright, apple green, grosgrain ribbon in the piece because it coordinates with the bistro set on the front porch but it also provides a nice pop of color and an additional touch of whimsy.

The welcome sign is actually three pieces of textured, card stock layered one on top of the other and then stitched together using my sewing machine. The three layers will provide stability when the wind starts to blow. I attached safety pins to each corner and then to that some more jute so it could hang nicely from the little tree branch. The letters are actually black vinyl leftover from my days as an Uppercase Living® representative. That was short lived. I don't do well with home show sales. I hate pressuring people to buy stuff and home business sales require aggressive measures in order to be successful.

The letters are actually cut out of a plethora of individual words. Patience I tell you, patience but doesn't it look like the birds could have actually put the sign together themselves using individual letters from the local newspaper. LOL They also stand out much better than an ink jet print would have. All in all I'm happy with the final product. I wanted a fun twist on a traditional wreath and I think I succeeded in delivering just that.

On a side note: There's Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day and then Girl Scout Cookie Season. Just to list a few stumbling blocks to weight loss. I know you can relate. I'm just saying my New Year's resolutions don't begin until after Girl Scout Cookie Season.

Thanks for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.

Thyme Spent In The Garden - Winsome Wednesday

2011-02-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

I was busy working on the community garden newsletter/informative flier for a good portion of yesterday. The above is the masthead that I designed for that very newsletter. I suppose this graphic could pass for both of my daily blog themes. Today will be a short post I've got some more design projects to tend to.

Awww..... I decided to go ahead and share the whole flier with all of you.

Thank you for stopping by Blue Sky Confections!

Jenny K.