{country bumpkin to fabulous}

Generally I think my decorating style is fairly classic at least with larger pieces of furniture, but the accessories & tchochkes change like the wind. And I still had a couple pieces left over from my country-chic {if that's possible} days and with a quick sanding, matte black paint, glossy white & new hardware they are reborn.

{it's hard to tell but the candle holders & coasters are rockin' a 1995 crackle finish and are a dingy cream color. they were spray painted glossy white & once dry lightly sanded.}

{blueberry muffins}

At the farmers market {see post below} earlier this week I picked up these gorgeous blueberries. They are huge, plump, juicy & the perfect shade of purple-blue. I've been trying to think of something to make with them, wanting to stretch my culinary skills and try something new but finally settled on a classic, blueberry muffins. I cheated a little and used a box mix. I was going to make them from scratch with a wonderful crumb topping but I don't have any baking powder. It's basically the same thing anyway so this morning I grabbed the box of blueberry lemon muffin mix & got to baking. I added some of the blueberries from the market {the berries in box mixes are always so small & not very flavorful} and a delicious crumb topping {cubed butter, flour, brown sugar & white sugar mixed together with a fork & sprinkled on top}. The butter melts down into the muffins making them moist & buttery, so yummy.

{there's nothing like a homemade muffin. i love how uneven & non-uniform they are}

{bursting with berries}

{good down to the last crumb!}

{hello july}

My friend Nicole {morgan's boutique} and I took a couple of hours yesterday and spent it in lovely downtown Milford. We went specifically for their wonderful Farmer's Market and ended up strolling the streets & grabbing a bite to eat. I may have bought my 7th pair of sunglasses. They're gold aviators with a bit of red trim, I'm a bit of a sunglass whore. Anyway, thought I'd show you some shots of our little trip.

Some of you may be shocked to hear me promote another community, I'm such a die hard Holly-ite{?} But small communities can support each other, it doesn't need to be a competition. The same folks that enjoy supporting and participating in other communities are the exact same individuals that will support Holly. Ok, enough ranting on with the photos....

{i love the plantings around their trees and the wrought iron fencing. the cast leaf is large enough to be a small table top. the genius behind it is Chris's niece. Chris makes WONDERFUL all natural hand made soap -pics below- and is one of the nicest happiest people I've ever met! if you can't make it to the market her soap is available for sale at morgan's boutique in downtown holly!} {some of the gorgeous flowers for sale at the market} {chris's soap. it is so moisturizing when you get out of the shower your skin will feel like you already put lotion on! they smell marvelous and are so gentle, i could go on & on.} {they had these little bench areas downtown and i couldn't get enough of the hanging baskets. each lamp post had two baskets of wave petunias in the same lovely shade of magenta with some trailing vines. the continuity it created was gorgeous.} {radishes and snap peas. love the color}

{blueberries and raspberries as far as the eye could see. other farmers had michigan cherries as well but some how i didn't get a shot of those. there was so much to see and take in. a lot of plants, herbs and produce even though it's early in the season. i think i'll need to go back, the milford rub company -meat rubs- was there too and i think that will make a great gift for my brother-in-law's birthday that's coming up in a couple weeks.}

{the soap i bought. lavendar & lilac}

-LOVE-

{chris is so sweet she threw in a bag of dried roses. they smell heavenly and will find a home at the studio. i can only imagine the mess the goons -aka cats- would make of it it.}

{one of the cast leafs i bought. now to find a tree to hang it from. won't it make a perfect little bird bath?}

{and the other leaf. the detail is incredible. i think this one may find a home in the graden perched on a small stump. now to find a small stump}

{summer reading}

Just a few of the books I hope to read this summer. I've added about 6 others since taking this photo, I am such a sucker for the bargain section at book stores. I just cannot pass up a book that's marked at only a few dollars, even if the book isn't that good, a cheap book is a great deal!

I've finished the David Sedaris book and am now reading a book my sister recommended, 'The Glass House' by Jeannette Walls.

Summers were made for reading, laying on a blanket under the shade of a tree, maybe with a nice adult beverage......happy summer reading all.

{cookies}

I don't have much of a sweet tooth but I do really enjoying baking. {give me a nice french baguette, good cheese and a fabulous bottle of wine & I'm all set} This weekend I whipped up a couple batches of peanut butter cookies. And for a twist I melted some chocolate chips, mixed the chocolate into some of the cookie batter for some chocolate-peanut butter cookies.

{I love this old mason jar. It keeps the cookies fresh & looks pretty cool doing it too.}

{a red tomato pin cushion}

At the beginning of the year, when there seems like there's so much time to complete all of the small day to day things that you'd like, I said I would try to shoot a random photo every day. This was my attempt to reclaim my photography as more than my 'bread and butter' but as the hobby and interest that persuaded me to take classes and learn the fundamentals 10 years ago this summer. {And with one casual sentence I now feel a bit old, it doesn't help my birthday is coming up in a few weeks}......but I digress.

While I was sewing the pillows for the bedroom I took a moment from documenting my progress and got the photos below. I love the textures, the color and I love how it reminds me of my mother. Whenever I see a red tomato pin cushion I think of mom. It's ironic, she isn't a great seamstress and to this day still holds a bit of animosity from attaching endless strings of sequins & elastic straps to our dance costumes. And now in what could appear as an act of vengeance I have a pile of her clothes that need buttons replaced, waistbands taken in.........but regardless a red tomato pin cushion reminds me of my mother.

I recently misplaced mine and had to get a new one during one of my many trips to Joanns. They had a cute hot pink one and I walked around the store for awhile with a pink and a red one in my basket trying to decide. I bought the red pin cushion, pink just didn't seem right.

{lou}

My sister dropped by the studio yesterday, she said had something to show me. As she walked through the studio's front door holding one of their cats, Lou I didn't think too much about it. Both of their cats do very well in public and for a split second I thought they had gotten a third cat. But as she put Lou down the laughter began. Lou is an incredibly fluffy long hair cat with stunning green eyes. And in the summer heat his beautiful coat is quite a pain so for the second summer they had him shaved.

{a before pic from Hol}

{He is so small I took my shoe off -size 8.5- and placed it beside him. I think he's about 4 yrs old, so he's full grown. The groomer said he had never shaved a cat before -there's a sentence you don't get to type very often- especially one that purred the entire time.}

{he's so regal, i think he should wear ascots & carry a small pipe}

{hiding in the dresses..........................the groomer left fur on his feet, tail & head like a little lion}

{lno update}

I don't think we're going to catch a break on the weather tomorrow. So the alternative location to pick up the FREE bags will be at the studio. Rain or shine it's going to be a fun night, so drop by & say hello!

.....and a couple photos I took while I was out & about this past weekend.

{a quick goon post} .michigan photojournalistic photographer.

Why I call my animals goon, mush, bubbee... I'm not quite sure. I think I picked goon up from my sister & brother-in-law, the other nicknames just seem to fit. When I think about it we're a nickname-y kind of family, it's like we need to have a special name for our loved ones. Something different than what others call us & that is only used by us. They're not always corny, some are just variations on the given name, my close friends and family call me Kel - my sister is Hol {Hol Leigh is her full name}, the corny ones I'm not divulging, sorry.

Anyway... Milo, my orange goon, the other day discovered the large decorative birdcage I have some books & misc. items in. Turns out a bee crawling on the spindles had intrigued him and he figured out how to open the door and decided it was a good idea to hang out inside.

{more winter shots} .michigan photojournalistic photographer.

{the wind whips up from the lake trapping the snow in between the screens on the patio doors}

{foggy winter morning. there's a lake out there somewhere.}

{i love the way bare branches contrast against the cold winter sky}

{i love our community}

I used to love shopping at World Market, I could always find unique items & gifts. A couple years ago I found these gorgeous mercury glass pillar candle holders and have been picking up other pieces every since. I love the rough, uneven beauty in the finish & how it pops against my bright pink wall.

And what a surprise I received the other day when Lisa from the Arcade around the corner {it's an antique mall and when my sister and I were kids they had an old theater ticket box in the very back, complete with a dummy dressed in a vintage uniform. we would dare each other to see who could get the closest. we would end up running away before we got too close, the thought of it still creeps me out a bit}, anyway - Lisa came across this beautiful mercury glass bird to add to my collection. It was so thoughtful & nice, and as hard as I tried she wouldn't let me pay for it.

I am so happy & proud to belong to this community.......

{love struck} .michigan photojournalistic photographer.

.....some decorations in and around the studio for LOVE STRUCK......

{love the way the frozen hearts turned out, thanks cathy for freezing them & jenny for hanging them!} {love the way they glow in the evening light}

{the holes in the snow around the tree are from me climbing in it to get the shots of the ice hearts. nicole threatened to take a photo of me taking a photo of the hearts...i guess i looked pretty funny knee deep in snow, hunched under the tree. what i won't do to get a good shot!}

{paper lanterns lining the streets}

{nicole made very yummy cupcakes}

.....hope everyone has a very sweet valentines day.....