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September 30, 2013

Fairyfolk Needle Felting

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I'm enamored with these wee needle-felted creations by Donni at Fairyfolk! 
Drawing her inspiration from "moss, toadstools, and other magical woodland treasures,"
she brings us these enchanting trinkets.


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Visit the Fairyfolk Etsy shop!

Donni has a terrific blog called The Magic Onions,
"where the magic of nature and the wonder of childhood 
collide to make each moment a precious gift." 


September 28, 2013

Apple Picking!

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An apple-picking afternoon at Styer's Orchard in Langhorne, PA!
We had perfect September weather to be walking out among the trees.
Steve and I found plenty of apples to bring home with us.



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Inspired to bake?
How about the Cream Cheese Apple Crisp I made?
Scrumptious!


Last month, we picked peaches!
You can see our photos here,
and a recipe for Fresh Peach Cake here!


September 27, 2013

Neuroblastoma - Daxton’s Fish is "Fishing for a Cure"




This sweet little guy is our cousin Daxton, who, at only 15 months old, lost his battle
with a rare and aggressive type of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma.

Our family's hearts are broken. Daxton's passing has left a void which can never be filled.  
How we miss that charming personality and darling smile!







With September having been designated as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, 
I'd like to draw attention to some facts about this dreadful disease.

Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer in children.
Neuroblastoma is the most common cancer in infancy.
Neuroblastoma is the most common extra-cranial solid tumor cancer in children.
Every 16 hours, a child with neuroblastoma dies.
There is no cure for neuroblastoma.






In the midst of their painful loss, Daxton's parents 
directed their efforts into creating a non-profit foundation.
Knowing how much Daxton loved fish, Heather and David came up with 
the perfect name to honor his memory, and are now committed to 
"fishing for a cure" for neuroblastoma.






The goal of Daxton's Fish is to raise both awareness and money.
 Families who have a child in treatment are identified, and help is given 
for expenses  such as travel, utility bills, or groceries.
It's a way to extend a hand of compassion and caring
 to those parents experiencing tough times when 
their efforts are totally focused on the care of their children.

In addition, large fundraising events such as golf outings and volleyball tournaments
are held annually, with donations going directly to pediatric cancer research.






If you'd like to make a donation to help
"fish for a cure" for neuroblastoma, 
visit the Daxton's Fish website.





September 22, 2013

Autumn starts to chill the air...


September 22nd is here. The first day of autumn.
How I look forward to the change of seasons!
Time to bring out the cozy sweaters!

Enjoy this sweet illustration from a vintage children's book~


moonflygirl via flickr

September 20, 2013

Bike Art by Off The Map

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South Carolinian Leslie DeRose is a mixed media artist. For her canvases, she uses old road maps that she's been collecting for years. On each one, she paints the image of a bicycle, leaving the city cleverly exposed. The result is a bold, graphic, colorful piece of art personalized to show off your favorite biker's neck of the woods. (Or asphalt.) This would be one great gift, don't you think?


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Visit Off the Map's website and Facebook page.






Images used with permission from Leslie DeRose.


September 19, 2013

Modern Quilts by Meg Callahan

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Meg Callahan lives in Rhode Island, but embraces her roots by dedicating some of her creations to towns in her home-state of Oklahoma. Quilts are her forte. They're not your Granny's quilts, however. Meg places great value on composition and craftsmanship as she designs her contemporary handmade quilts.


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Here's Meg's website.



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Images used with direct permission from Meg Callahan.


September 18, 2013

Atlantic City Seafood Festival

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We had a terrific time at the shore this past weekend! We stayed with some dear friends in Brigantine, New Jersey. It was our 4th annual couples' Penn State alumni weekend, with 8 of us in all. How positively enjoyable to catch up and to share lots of good, hearty laughter!

On Saturday, we visited the Atlantic City Seafood Festival. In addition to lots of other seafood treats, for $5, you could buy a wrist band that allowed you to sample 18 different seafood soups, including lobster or crab bisque, and of course, clam chowder. Casinos and popular local restaurants were represented.

Votes were tabulated. 
Our favorite soup? 
Hands down, The Chart House at the Golden Nugget. 


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It happened to be the weekend of the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City!

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