It is truly Summertime, Summertime here in the Lone Star State. You know, we are the state which my daughter, Samantha, kindly refers to as; "Living in Texas in the Summer is like living on the Sun." True story friends. So if you don't have a pool or a boat or you are just plain HOT! You are going to need this Summertime pasta salad to cool you off! I bet you didn't know a salad could cool you off. Well, just maybe that's a stretch, but this salad can reduce time in the kitchen. That's a good thing, right? Make this pasta salad a day ahead of serving and let all of these amazing flavors meld into a glorious infusion of tasty coolness. During the Summer months if I can limit my days over the cooktop to just a few it makes me feel so much happier. Summertime meal planning has never been so easy and so many of these gorgeous vegetables can be found in your own garden or a wonderful Farmers Market. This salad makes a good argument for eating fresh an

Good Morning Dear Friends and welcome to my world of imagining. This little spot is where I enjoy sharing the joy of creating with you! Wouldn't you agree that creating comes in all types of styles, techniques, passions and venues? Creating is one of the ultimate forms of self expression and more times than not, imagination is the catalyst for the very best of creations. So get ready to imagine, dream, create and go! Imagination is such a precious gift which must be nurtured and tended to just like this hydrangea and tomatoes from my gardens. The more I imagine and dream the more things I create. You might just remember this quote from one of my favorite people. "You can't use up creativity. The more you use the more you have." Maya Angelou I have also discovered that by stepping back from myself for moments throughout the day and breathing deeply, gives me time to imagine and dream while replenishing my soul. This is when I feel all of that gurglin

Welcome to our May Garden Party and thank you for joining us today! We loved your April gardens and we can't wait to see what you are growing in your May gardens. My goodness what a difference a month makes in nearly everyone's gardens except if you live in the tropics. In the tropics gardening is year around and 24/7. In fact it almost seems as though the plants grow overnight! Today I am sharing some highlights of the gardens I visited in Puerto Rico. With average temperatures in the mid to high 80's and plenty of sunshine, I was treated to an assortment of blooms everywhere we went. Whether I strolled among water gardens in a courtyard or enjoyed smiling grandchildren giggling among the blossoms in my daughter's gardens. The brilliant colors and massive size blooms always left me in awe of Mother Natures breathtaking handiwork. Bougainvillea's are everywhere and on this particular occasion they were cascading along a beach fence line. Wyatt con

I have never met a jar that I didn't like! So you can imagine the fun I had creating my own glazed jar recipe. I have been using jars in my décor for years. My mind is always trying to come up with a new spin on creative and thrifty ways to use what I already have in my home. Since I already had some sand leftover from a Fairy garden project and modge podge I came up with this simple DIY glaze recipe that can easily be applied to many surfaces. You can adjust the amount of sand and application to achieve the desired texture. After the glaze has dried the project can be painted or sealed. If you are a fan of recycling, modge podge, and DIY well, this neat project is for you. These jars can be used as luminaries, vases, desk accessories, and as centerpieces for Weddings, Bridal or Baby showers. Supplies For DIY Glazed Glass Jars Assorted shapes and sizes of clean jars with labels removed. Decorative ribbon, embellishment. (Any craft store or sewing store.) Deco

Hello Dear friends and thank you for the cheery welcome home wishes from Puerto Rico . I arrived home on Tuesday and traveled to another daughter's home on Saturday. Traveling to spend time with family is one of my favorite things to do. I love that one on one time with my family; it gives me and them the opportunity to really get to know one another. Amazingly enough they haven't booted me out early either...yet! I returned from both of my visits INSPIRED! My girls inspire me to be a better human being and woman, they are role models for me. Their passions and focus on living life intentionally remind me to do the same. Our seasons of life are diversified, but nevertheless similar. So with that in mind I have turned a corner in my life where my internal being is craving to collect experiences-not things. My goal is to use those experiences to recharge my mind, body and spirit and in turn use all of that to grow, create and serve. I've sort of waffled back i

Greetings family, friends and dear readers. I have been traveling a bit this past week to the island of Puerto Rico. My time was well spent with my family in this tropical paradise and it has been very precious and beautiful to me. It has been one of those trips that will help to sustain me through the decades of my life. When Amanda, Preston and the children moved to Puerto Rico in December of 2016 my heart nearly broke. They moved from their darling home in Sacramento, California (1,723 miles away) to Dorado, Puerto Rico (2,156) Even though the distance is not significantly greater, somehow it seems so. The vastness of the sea which separates us plays tricks on my mind. If I think about it all too much I get a big pit in the middle of my stomach. Colorful small towns, food trucks and various vendors dot the coastlines from shore to shore. So no matter what coastline we traveled to (Atlantic or Caribbean side) a medley of colors painted the turquoise waters and matching