FINALLY FRIDAY

Feels funny not doing a Feature Friday today~please let me know if you would like me to feature your ETSY shop here on my blog. Even though I have FIRSTFRIDAYARTWALK this July 2, 2010 and it is Fourth of July Holiday weekend  coming up I will take someone for this next Friday! I have posted for people in my groups and so far no takers.........

I would like to share this quote with you something to think about for today~

"Self-love seems so often unrequited". Anthony Powell



YAY it is Friday finally. Christmas in July on ETSY is from the 15th to 25th so that is what I am working on and thinking about these days. I have been listing many small gifts in my shop to be ready for this event check it out http://www.gnormyle.etsy.com/ HANDMADE IN NH I like to purchase small gifts throughout the year and tuck them away for Christmas. Shopping online has sure made a big difference in many people's lives.

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT ~ Emelia Belle joined Mom, Dad and sister Lilliana yesterday to create an even more beautiful family. I wish they lived near us we are in NH and they are in FL. May God keep them safe and well! My grandson is due to join us next month~I am a very excited Nana these days with the arrival of new babies. It seems like it was just yesterday when the first two children were born. They are still my babies, only 2 years old. I think I am more excited than anything to see Brady interacting with his brother Carter in person and Lilliana interacting with Emelia in pictures. Of course I can't wait to hold Carter and tell him how much Nana loves him. I was there moments after Brady was born, holding him. I will always feel an extra special bond with him. He is my angel born on my Mother's birthday.He is quite the little man these days with a zest for living life to the fullest. Curious about everything! Where do they get all of that energy from? Pictures of Emelia aren't available yet. I saw her on my son's phone though last night. She is very healthy looking nice chubby cheeks....sweet precious beautiful Emelia Belle welcome to this world!!!!!!!!

Weather today HOT again and the humidity is back up!!!!! We have stabilized the studio so that it is cooler and no humidity.......I think I actually got better sleep last night than I have in a long time or maybe I was really that tired! I feel refreshed today, alive, awake, happy!

To be listed soon at Glenna's Garden shop!

I like to eat lightly in the summer this is a really awesome salad!!!!!

The Summer's Best Pasta Salad

This recipe was copied to share with you! I have made different versions of this salad over the years but I thought this one looks so simple. I would even add some fresh herbs from my garden like basil.
Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package rotini pasta (semolina or whole wheat, your choice)
5-7 cups assorted raw and washed vegetables
(I used broccoli florets, grape tomatoes, Vidalia onions, edamame, sliced mushrooms - you could also use cucumber, carrots, peas, or your other favorite vegies)
1 bottle (8 ounces) of your favorite *Zesty* Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup salad seasonings (I used McCormick Salad Supreme)

Basil planted in a pot from seed this Spring at Glenna's Garden

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to directions on package. Rinse under cold water; drain well.
2. While the pasta is cooking chop, dice and slice your selection of vegies.
3. Put pasta and vegies in a large bowl. Add salad dressing and salad seasonings.
4. Toss to coat. Cover.
5. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to let the entire salad get cold and marinate the flavors.
6. OPTIONAL: sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese

This takes about 15 minutes to prepare - just about 2 minutes longer than it takes to cook the pasta!

ENJOY!

HAVE A SUPER SUMMER WEEKEND!!!!!!

Muggy Monday in June 2009

Rain rain go away we want to get out and play. We have had high 60's and nothing but rain, a bit of sunshine this past weekend. Of course it is great for the gardens and plants outside of Glenna's Garden. We are closing out one month and getting into July 2009 here soon. July means the midpoint to summer up here in Manchester, NH. Our farmers market is open on Thursday afternoons from now until October. Every year I look forward to trying new varieties of fruit, veggies and herbs. Talking to the farmers and just in general enjoying the atmosphere is always a highlight. Buying goats milk soap a necessity. Listening to good music and meeting new neighbors in an otherwise large city brings a small town feel to this event. I don't have any pictures but I promise to take some when I go on Thursday to take some pictures and share them. I believe that the shop at Glenna's Garden http://www.gnormyle.etsy.com/ has done fairly well even in this really tough economy and I expect it to grow. As we phase out some of the older products and introduce new ones I expect to see our sales grow. The pink roses are done with their pressing and drying process. The petals are the softest I have ever felt. Those were the roses I blogged about in my earlier blogs that were a 5" inches across in their blooms. We made potpourri with some, have 5 beautiful dried rose buds and numerous pink petals for design now. Very pleased. This is the time of the year when a lot of flower pressing and drying is going on here at Glenna's Garden. We did orange day lilies the other day. They make for a beautiful specimen to work with and become almost transparent when pressed except for the colors and striations. I have a picture or two of the lilies I will post them today. With them it is on going process because you have to catch them just right as they bloom and die in one day thus the name. I have generally 6-8 blooms on each bunch just in what has been picked on a daily basis to assess and then they are split and ready to be pressed. Being a somewhat fleshy plant they take a fairly long time to dry possibly up to six weeks whereas some other flowers a week or so. I use all kinds of flowers in my art work and especially in custom orders check out some of my art work available in my shop at http://www.gnormyle.etsy.com/ also my art gallery is at www.putiton.com/glennanormyle and some of my art is available for purchase there too.

Super Sunday

This is the long holiday weekend. I had a big purchase at my shop Glenna's Garden http://www.gnormyle.etsy.com/ and sales have been steady. That means that today I have been busy making tags, cards, boxes, bookmarks and more. I am going to be having a Big Summer Tag Sale in the next week or so if you are interested let me know by email at gnormyle@yahoo.com and I will notify you when it it starts. Today our indoor pomegranate plant put forth her first beautiful very bright orange blossom. I just had to take a couple of pictures to celebrate the event. The cute child's handprint in dark green glaze is my Father's hand print from back in 1938. For Father's Day I usually bring this nicely preserved antique child's handprint in and display it on one of the sidetables here in the studio at Glenna's Garden. It is getting muggy again today at Glenna's Garden and the plants are loving it. Finally it is a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon on Memorial Day Weekend! City life in Manchester, NH at its' best!

Fresh Friday

Sunny this morning up here in Manchester, NH.....this is a good morning blog. Today I will be adding bits and pieces of fresh new looks and ideas. My very nice friend Heather has a blog. So we will start with her today. She is a crafter. On her blog she shows us some great inexpensive ways to craft. Plus her blog shows all of the beautiful projects she has made. I love the latest a Victorian inspired pincushion she made, very nice. Here is Heather's Haven just click on this link below and don't forget to return back here and leave a comment for me

http://www.nightdreamer_371.bravejournal.com/ I made two graduation cards yesterday evening. They are made using vintage papers from old cards. They will be available for purchase in Glenna's Garden at http://www.gnormyle.etsy.com/ . Today is posting , PIF's and picture taking day at Glenna's Garden. Time to refill the shop with new items for Father's Day, there are going to be many cute quilters bookmarks, tags, stickers and books, cards for graduates, more repurposed containers and a few more boxes should be completed very soon. Later on today after picture taking there will be more pictures posted here too. This is the Christmas poinsetta blooming red in May, poor thing, she is very confused. Everybody at Glenna's Garden is getting a kick out of her late bloom. She completely skipped Christmas by the way and didn't bloom for Christmas 2008. Miss Poinsetta is about 4 maybe 5 years old at best. She loves her spot next to the big window facing southeasterly. Plenty of good morning sunshine!

Wishful Wednesdays

Made a custom order for a customer and it just took me two days to complete. There are other initials available in my shop. Plus three of the tins are ready to go check it out. This was the only personalized I for Iris, that I have ever had. My favorite flower is the Iris especially the purple ones as that is my favorite color too. Next comes blues and then greens. I am positive my customer is going to love this beautiful repurposed tin I have made. Go to my shop at http://www.gnormyle.etsy.com/ to see others I have made already some like the letter V. But this is truly OOAK (one of a kind) and lovely. Certain plants are blooming at Glenna's Garden like this dainty African Violet. She has been with us for several years now she happily blooms every Spring just like clock work. Her flowers unfortunately are too lush and fleshy. They are ruffled. She does not press well. She can not be pressed for use in any projects here at Glenna's Garden so I decided offer you a glimpse of one of many different plants in Glenna's Garden. Have a Wonderful Wednesday I did. I got a surprise visit from my son who brought along my grandson who is now almost 15 months hold. He kissed me for the first time. I love my grandson so dearly. He was a blessing from above as he was born on my Mother's Birthday. My angel baby. I wish for some more wonderful Wednesdays like today.