Scenes from the 4th

Hoping you all had a Happy Independence Day! 

Occasionally I like to cook and get creative in the process. I found this recipe for a Patriotic Pie on Pinterest and decided to give it a try and it turned out great! You might have seen my picture before it went in the oven on Instagram or Facebook.

The recipe called for fresh blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. I couldn't find fresh raspberries at the grocery store in town (that's a whole other story in itself) and I refused to use frozen ones, so I just added more strawberries. It still turned out great - yummy, juicy, tart, not too sweet, pretty, and patriotic!

Oh, and I didn't make my crust, but Jeff said it best "but you did roll that crust right out of the box and made the stars and stripes at home", so it was Home Made! That boys a keeper! I would definitely make this pie again - if it wasn't for the 4th, I'd probably mix all the fruit together and use a lattice top. It served up kind of messy, but I was able to dish out the blueberries and strawberries on each plate. Our family has decided that messy desserts taste the best anyways!  

Jeff and his brother replace their mom's flag for her. 

It was suppose to be supper and someone said "we will be home by dark." Ha! We had no idea that they were planning to pop some fireworks. If I had known, you can bet I would have taken my better camera and tripod, but I didn't, so here's a few pictures taken from my phone.

I love that I was able to get the new flag in a few of the firework pictures! 

We had a good time and glad we got to spend some time with family on the fourth.

Fireworks!

Thanks to several of our neighbors, we were able to photograph 3 separate fireworks shows from our yard tonight! Last night, we watched two t38/f5 jet airplanes as they made several loops just west of our house, as they were stalling before their appearance at the airshow in town. We didn't leave home and still had a good 4th! 

Notice a few tree limbs? 

I was anticipating the neighbors fireworks, so earlier in the day, I got my camera battery charged, set my manual settings and found my tripod. 

We sat outside and watched the sunset this evening. This was the view from our driveway, with just a couple minor edits. (Taken with my phone.) When I heard the first firecrackers, I went inside and grabbed my camera. 

I was excited to catch a few good shots, since it wasn't a continuos show and I didn't know which direction to focus on. 

Through the pines - this was the farthest away and what was visible over the pine trees in the distance. Kind of like a Christmas tree topper!  

Hoping you all had a wonderful weekend! 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to All my Friends and Customers!

 

Thank you to ALL the friends and online acquaintances that have crossed my paths

this year and to all the customers who have trusted me to be a part of your wedding day and supported my store. I truly appreciate the support and friendship that you have shown me this year.

 

As we turn the page the calendar and start a new year, I hope that each and everyone of you have a wonderful 2013!