A Glance back at summer.....it ends tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be the last day of summer for me, since we start school next Monday. As I look back on this past summer I can honestly say it was one of the best summers I've had in awhile. So I thought I would reflect a little on just that. I love to go camping with my family and we were able to get the whole family together in May and go to the lake. We enjoyed a week of fun, food, friends, and family. Haley and I took our first trip to Europe and had a wonderful trip touring Italy. Being a history teacher for many years, this was truly a dream come true for me. On our way home, we got news that the sawmill had burned. Needless to say this was quite upsetting and after leaving the airport we both cried as we left the airport and headed home. I think we were so exhausted from plane delays and the trip that we didn't know if we were crying because the mill had burned or that we were just so tired from the long day. But I believe God always has a plan for our lives and he knows what is ahead and we can only put our trust in him and move forward.

Our Europe trip was great but there is no place like the good old USA.

I made several trips to Dallas and enjoyed shopping and visiting with my kids this summer. On July 4th, we went to the lake with the family and had a wonderful day of fun in the sun.

Looking ahead to the new school year, this will be Haley's final year in college. So this will be an exciting fun year for her. And yesterday Jimmy and I celebrated 31 years of marriage. My how time flies!

I am going to post a few pictures of my summer time fun!
God Bless You and have a wonderful week!

A busy Monday!

This was a busy and productive Monday for me! I made several monogrammed Kleenex holders this morning for my booth in Buna and I cooked a delicious lunch for me and my husband. The seviche was wonderful and we had fresh black-eyed peas and fresh corn. I love all of the fresh vegetables in the summer time. Afterwards I went for a swim with my lab, Finn. I plan to get freshened up and go to Buna to visit my parents and take the Kleenex holders to my booth.
I have a few pictures of those cute Kleenex holders. I gave the instructions on how to make these simple holders last year. You can scroll through my blog to get the instructions for those if you would like to make them. I added a monogram on these this time.
Have a great day!

Seviche Recipe

I don't how many of you like to eat Seviche but my sister gave me this recipe and I will have fresh Seviche in 12 hours from now! This is my first attempt at making this but it was very simple and it turned out to be very pretty!




Shrimp 'Cooked' in Citrus Juice
Seviche de Camarones

All over South America, people "cook" fish by soaking it in citrus juice. After marinating several hours, the seafood turns opaque and firm, with a texture half-way between sushi and traditionally cooked fish. Seviche goes fast at a party -- especially in the summer when the citrusy, fresh bite feels especially right. There's a lot of room for improvisation here: buy whichever type of sweet peppers look good; play with the proportion of citrus juices and control the heat with your choice of hot peppers.


Makes 6 servings



1 ½ pounds large (about 20 per pound) shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips about 2 inches long
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips about 2 inches long
Half a small red onion, cut into thin slivers
1 small bunch cilantro, thick stems removed, the rest chopped coarsely
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt
1 Scotch bonnet, jalapeno or hot chili pepper of your choice, stemmed and minced
12 lemons, or as needed
8 limes, or as needed
4 oranges, or as needed

Like sofrito, there are a million variations on this theme. Use this very simple recipe as the base for your own.

1. Toss the shrimp, yellow and red pepper, onion, cilantro, salt and chili pepper together in a bowl to mix them evenly. Pack into a non-reactive container (a 2-quart glass jar works well). Squeeze the citrus, strain out any seeds and pour over the shrimp and vegetables. There should be enough juice to cover the shrimp and vegetables, if not add more. Seal the container and refrigerate until the shrimp is opaque, 12 hours to one day.


2. To serve: Drain, discard most of the liquid and pile the shrimp and vegetables in a serving bowl.

Early Christmas Projects

I am trying to start early on my Christmas projects so I have done a few appliqued onesies and a 3 piece gift set. I also got my Etsy Shop up and running today. It took me awhile to get the pictures the right size and posted but I now have two items for sale. If you are curious and want to take a peek at my shop it's called "nwalkercreations".

I had a visit from my sister and my parents today and we had a great lunch and visit.

My sister, Lisa purchased a Bernina similar to mine and I gave her a quick demonstration on how to use the embroidery and how to do applique with the machine. Lisa loves anything with birds so I embroidered her a dishcloth with a cute little bird. I also did Mom one for her kitchen. Afterwards we went out by the pool with Finn and watched him retrieve and swim. I hope your day was as fulfilling as mine.

Take care and God Bless You.

A Little Peek into "MiMi's Cottage"

Here are few pictures that I took at "MiMi's Cottage" in Buna, Texas. She has a cute business in my grandmothers house. I hope you enjoy the pictures.