My First Try....

at macarons. My guide to entering the world of preparing these french delicasies was, I Heart Macarons by Hisako Ogita. I learned about this how to book from Anne Marie, of the famed Na Da Farm. Anne Marie shared a post about her first batch of macarons. Since I am the queen of do it yourself, I had to get my hands on the book. And i did! :) I finally got around to making the sweet morsels for the special occasion of my son's wedding rehearsal dinner. I had heard they were quite difficult to make so if they didn't turn out well I would have to have a plan B. Hmmmm

The first pan!!!!

The most important factor that determines a successful macaron is the "pied" or foot that forms at the base of the macaron.... I did a little happy dance around the kitchen when all the macarons on the pan had their tiny feet.

Voila! Green colored macorons with a green apple marshmellow filling!

Made forty of these babies to use as favors for my son's wedding rehearsal dinner. I was so relieved that I could actually make these! Even better they were super yummy, if I do say so myself.

After eating quite a few of the miss shaped misfits....

p.s. Why so much green you may ask. The color theme for the wedding was classic white and black with a green apple accents. I just love a theme!!!!!

Goody, Goody Gumballs!

850 green apple flavored ones to be precise. What in the world would one do with sooooo many gumballs? What would you do with that many gumballs?

I actually do have plans for all these gumballs. Would you care to venture a guess on what those plans might be? In the mean time I'll be seeing green and counting gummy orbs of goodness to fall asleep instead of sheep! LOL

Gifts

"One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach---- waiting for a gift from the sea."
said Anne Morrow Lindbergh in her book, Gift From the Sea. Each year I like to read this highly, introspective book, along with taking a trip back to Florida to spend some much needed time at the beach. My gifts this year- shells! Most of these shells were collected from the beach where my husband and I honeymooned years ago.

My other gift, new memories to add to many others...

the beach baby to the right of the gentleman is me, the gentleman is my father and the other beachbaby is my older brother...this is one of my favorite pictures; taken in 1960...

" The waves echo behind me. Patience-Faith-Openess,

is what the sea has to teach"

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The Cup cake speaks....

Summer is quickly slipping by .... take time to taste its goodness!

Blueberry picking...

amounts to a whole lot of summer yum. My sweet Zoe came all the way from Indiana for a visit. One of the things we did together was pick blueberries, along with Zoe's mom and my good friend, Chrissy. Of course we sampled as we picked, but still came away with enough berries for a pie or two.
Zoe was kind enough to don an apron and give you a peek at our pickings.

What have you been picking lately?

More Wedding Pictures!

Getting ready ... Here comes the bride...

Joy carried a bouquet of twenty-five white peonies and lambs ear. Although it was a vintage inspired wedding there are touches of the modern. All the men in the wedding wore gray converse shoes, aka chucks.

Exchanging of the vows!

Joy with her brides maids and man of honor.

Matt with his groomsmen...

Lil tug o war fun....

Look out below!

The wedding was such a joyously, fun event. These pictures are courtesy of

Hope Adams Photograpy..... please like her on facebook! Hope is also the proud sister of the bride and juggled her wedding duties beautifully.

Thanks for sharing in the Posey-Lesley wedding joy!

A penny for my shoe.

Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue. So the old saying goes

My daughter Joy was married last Saturday. It was a very beautiful event with a sentimental vintage theme. Just one of these sentiments was the detail of having pennies to tuck inside her wedding shoes. It's hard to find pennies from 1956, but she did it!

the something blue is on her shoeclips... Joy ordered these from etsy, then we embellished them with some vintage hat netting and buttons from great grandma's button jar.

The something borrowed is my mother's wedding dress... she wore it June 30th 1956...thus the year of the penny.

Doesn't it look lovely on Joy... June 11th 2011!