Snow day

Hi strangers!  Just a little update about what’s been going on around here.  Today we are having a snow day, so no school!  While it’s fun and easy for us in south Georgia (well so far), I am really hating it for all that Atlanta is going through – long commutes yesterday, people stuck in cars, kids stuck at school…it’s just a mess!  I do hope they can work it all out today and be safe and warm in their homes tonight.

This is what we woke up to bright and early.

 

If you think it looks too early to be awake in these pictures, you are right

While they played outside…I worked on some Valentines for the girls’ classes.

Remember, last year when I said, next year I am doing something easy.  

 

Well, I couldn’t resist – these will turn into pins the kids can wear, I will show the finished product soon (hopefully).  But I have very strict instructions to not put “xoxo” or “love” or anything that may suggest that there is a possibility that whomever they are giving the Valentine to will remotely think they have any positive thoughts about them.  So I am thinking - “happy Valentine’s Day, from MJ (molly or mills).”  I think that’s safe.

Little Wilson, I promise I let him in after this..and yes, that’s our Christmas tree on the back porch

 

I am working on some more professional looking photos for Sweet Em – In doing so, I have to make lots and lots of earrings.

 

Yesterday was a black day..

 

Hopefully, today I will move on to turquoise.  Which reminds me, I have been slow to update you on new styles and colors.  That’s coming soon too!  While so many of you have shopped at Ginkgo, please continue to do so!  I try to keep them well stocked and if you don’t see something there you like, please contact me: shopsweetem at gmail dot com

I will hook you up :)

Stay warm!

we love fall

Mark's Melon Patch

 

a fun trip with cousin Jack to Mark's Melon Patch this year.

check out 2 years ago here

the beach

While our normal stopping grounds (beach wise) are 30A – we headed to Hilton Head Island for our family beach trip this year.  As I have mentioned before my sisters have had babies this year and my older sister’s baby was only 6 weeks old so we headed their direction to try to make her trip a little easier.  The cousins had a blast (7 of them now!). 

 

attempted group photo

missing jane & ralston

missing william, jack, ralston

missing over half.  we give up!

milkshake sale on the beach

 

but in the future don’t leave jane & mills alone at the milkshake table

 

while you are out trying to make a sale

 

because they will stick their hands in each milkshake causing the shop to be shut down (you are welcome potential hilton head customers)

oh well you live and you learn.  have a fun summer!

cucumber soup

It’s summer!  we are free!

And it’s HOT.  So what better than a cold cucumber soup inspired by your garden.  I say inspired because I only had one cucumber ready to use but it definitely inspired me!  This recipe comes from Susan Mason’s cookbook.  Here are your ingredients (plus all purpose flour not shown)

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 cucumbers seeded, peeled, chopped
• 1 leek sliced, white part only
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken stock
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

peel, remove seeds and chop:

 

melt butter (2T)

 

add leeks (sliced, white part only), bay leaf and chopped cucumbers

 

saute for 20 minutes while you change diapers, wipe tears, break up fights, sit for a performance of a circus, wash your hands, go back to your stove…

remove bay leaf and add 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour and stir to form paste

 

Add 1 teaspoon salt, 3 cups chicken stock

 

simmer for 30 minutes

go take pictures of container garden

   cucumbers                                  jalapenos                            okra

   

tomatoes                                                     basil & rosemary

 

come back to your simmering cucumbers (assuming it has been 30 minutes..)

puree in food processor

put it in the fridge to cool and wait

 

When chilled, add 1 cup heavy cream, plus juice from 1/2 lemon, salt , pepper.  Mine was a bit lemony so maybe add lemon juice a little a time until it’s just right!

serve with fresh dill

November?

really?!



so far, it's only been cool enough for my trench (which i have been wearing probably a little too much. my sister hums the inspector gadget theme song when she sees me in it.)


but hopefully now that it's november mother nature will give southwest georgia some cool weather.



maybe even cool enough weather for boots (for the whole day) some day soon? (right now my daily ensembles go like this: 6:30 a.m. : jeans or cords, top, jacket, boots, scarf; 11:00 a.m. lose the jacket; 2:00 p.m. lose the scarf, too; 4:15 p.m. change into flats (when you essentially live in your car this is quite simple.)



oooh, and maybe a fire, too. that would be nice.



and November-ish.



images via the sartorialist, a cup of jo, hither and tither, habitually chic, a pretty fine mess