Summerthyme Blog Hop Wraps Up! My day!

 Welcome to the final day of our wonderful Summerthyme Blog Hop! 

First off, I would like to thank each of the other designers for joining in and taking time out of their busy schedules to create a free design for you, work through the kinks (as we always seem to have something come up) - especially when it comes to formatting the artwork.... and share a family favorite recipe with you! 

Without you designers...

there would be no hop! 

 

I would also like to thank each of YOU readers for stopping by!  I know many of you waited with anticipation for each new day of the hop!  I am so glad you all have been enjoying it... and also enjoying getting to know each of us designers a bit more! 

Please, please, make sure and give them thanks and/or follow our blogs!  We really do appreciate your support and really need to know if this is something worth doing for you!  Without hearing from you or liking our blogs... we really have no clue!  And - a lot of work really does go into this (even though we make it look easy!!! LOL!).  So please share and help spread the word about our fantastic blog hop! 

We LOVE sharing & creating for you all!!!

 

Up today is me, Miss Buttermilk Basin! 

I, too, have been waiting patiently to share my day/project with each of you!  Each of the past 9 days felt like a mini party here in blogland!  We  enjoyed numerous mediums of handwork, shared some delicious recipes and we also learned who has a green thumb and does not!!! {LOL!}... and most importantly, we have had fun & got inspired! 

So...let's continue celebrating with my scrumptious "No Bake" Banana Split Dessert Recipe & my darling Americana wool pillow tuck I created just for you!  It will be perfect to stitch up while enjoying some porch sitting

{of course, with a nice mason jar full of Sheri's FAV summer beverage!}  I hope you enjoy my day & project... Have a wonderful summer filled with lots of memories!

 

PS:  Don't forget to follow me on Instagram (I post there a LOT!), Facebook, (I post daily & give away goods weekly each "LUCKY" Friday!) and on my website (always posting new designs & the FREE "Mystery" BOM!)... 

 

My Complimentary Pattern:

Please click the link to print off the pattern! Enjoy!

http://siterepository.s3.amazonaws.com/2457/summer_blog_hop.pdf

Here are my thoughts on summer!

Favorite Summer Memory:

Toss up between attending the Roseau County Fair (exhibiting in 4-H) & sitting on the porch with my Great Grandma Lily watching the vehicles go by.  We would take turns pretending to get one of the cars that drove by!  We sure would get some good laughs about some of "our" cars!!!  It was awesome, too, seeing the "big" fair trucks with the rides coming to town! 

Pretty big thing for a small town!

On the 4th of July we:

Start the day off with a parade... and end with fireworks in our front yard with the neighbors! 

(I love the snakes that grow & smoke!!! LOL!)

Green Thumb or Not? 

Yes!  Not half as good as my mother & grandmas though!  I am not as patient as they are.  But I am working on enjoying the growth process!  I just redid my memory garden in honor of my mother... Here is the start of it!

 

Favorite Fair Food:

Tie: Cheese Curds & Crepes!

Favorite Summer Drink & Farmer’s Market Find:

Raspberry Lemonade & rhubarb at the Farmer's Market!  Love me some rhubarb! 

Summer Designs You are Working on:

NONE!  I am skipping summer and going right to the Autumn in the Country Barn Event & the Caribbean Cruise projects for the February!!

Favorite Quote:

 

 

NOTE:  Use 1/2 cup of butter & 1/4 cup of sugar. 
We also used 4 bananas and graham cracker crumbs on the top instead of walnuts!

How does your garden grow?

This past weekend, my husband and I enjoyed two gorgeous days outside doing yard work.  Most of the time I am in such a rush to pull the weeds, dig the hole and plant the flowers... This year... I approached it differently.  I really used this time to appreciate the process.  It really turned into a great family weekend of laughter, (as my oldest daughter hates worms/bugs) getting dirty, Arne Palmer's and getting sprayed with water (accidentally, of course!!!).  Plus all the neighbors were out!  We have two neighbors who have daughters graduating so you can imagine the chaos in our neighborhood!  I have to say, our block is looking pretty spiffy right about now!!! 

Here are a few pics of my gardening so far!  I still have my flower gardens in the back to get cleaned up and planted.  But I have to say.. the front and sides are looking good!!!  I hope to get out there again this weekend but I have a designer event at Millie P's on Saturday (starting to feel like this is spring has been all work and no play!!!!) 

 

Back to gardening... Do you notice my Lily of the Valley flowers?  I swear they budded and bloomed just for me, as I gardened those two days!!! Great Grandma Lily must have been smiling down on me as I was working my magic in my flower beds!!  Those flowers are from her where I grew up.  Very near and dear to my heart!  I am sure many of you can relate and have flowers from a special member of your family!!  If you get a chance go to my facebook page- Buttermilk Basin and post pics of your "special" flowers! 

I would love to hear about their story!

 

I will leave you with this lovely little quote as we head into another weekend of more gardening... Enjoy..

 

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness. ~Dalai Lama

Baking Reminds me of Grandma!

Wow - this makes it 4 days in a row for posting... I'm impressing myself!!!  LOL!

Ok - so this morning I brought the invites to the shop and snapped a quick photo for you before I stuffed the envelopes with them.  It is rather simple this year - but simple is good every now and then.  I love the old recipe I included in the bottom left.  There is something magical about old recipes.  I love coming across an old recipe box filled with someones recipes that have been special to them or passed on from generations.  I still have a few of my great grandmother Lily's old recipes that she had written.  Seeing her hand writing warms my heart!  She was one of those who never really used a recipe - yet anything she would make or bake turned out amazing.  

Speaking of amazing... I am the only one who has her recipe for svensakaka.  It is kinda like a flatbread/soft round bread like...  It is rolled out and baked one side at a time in the oven.  It is best when it comes out of the oven hot and fresh and the butter melts on it when you put it on!!  (Heaven)!  It is also tasty with butter and homemade strawberry jam!  What I wouldn't give for one more round of baking with my great grandma Lily!!  Those were some of my best memories... 

Baking was a huge part of my life.  Every since I can remember, once or twice a week I would rush over to her house in the morning (we lived in the same yard) and we would bake cakes, cookies and breads etc...  She was so patient and we giggled all morning long!  It was just the best.  The crazy part is that you know how crazy flour can be - well, try cleaning up everything with no running water.  Yes - she never did accept our gift of plumbing.  I would carry pails of water (heavy - big pails!!) everyday!  And in the winter... I would haul them over in my sled.  Thinking back... It was a normal thing to do.  It is hard to imagine those "good olde days".  However, even though the days are but a memory, her legacy lives on through my baking... as I am blessed to have her rolling pins and sticks (hand widdled) for making lefsa and svensakaka, along with her recipes.  

I miss you & love you soo much Grandma!  XOXOXO