Traveling Pattern and some stuff

Hello!

 As you may remember, Kim from Wisdom with Needle and Thread blog sent me the traveling pattern "Count Your Blessings" by Shakespeare's Peddler.

I used 822 on the fence - 840 was too dark for my fabric

I'm ready to send this design off to a Sister Stitcher (or brother). If you'd like to be the next stitcher and agree to pass it along when you're done, please place a comment and let me know you are interested. The only guideline is you must have an active blog.I will pick the next stitcher Tuesday May 19th
There are watermelons in the stores now - they are not great for eating but they are great for Agua Fresca (fruit water) The first time I made it I did not love it because of the texture - so this time I strained it! I could drink this stuff all day but I am trying to keep it as a one glass a day treat.

unstrained

my recipe is two servings because I like to make it fresh every day and there are only two of us!

Agua Fresca
3 cups watermelon + the juice from the bottom of the bowl
3/4 cup water
3 strawberries
5 mint leaves
Blend it all together and let sit in the fridge until cold. Strain and enjoy.

I have always hated cutting watermelon - it takes forever and it's messy. A friend of mine posted this VIDEO on Facebook - OMG it really works and it's sort of fun to do. I use a bowl instead of the ridiculously small baggies he is using! I've done it twice - a smaller sharp knife works best. Remember to wash the outside of the melon and be careful not to cut off any digits.
We tried the "Kiss My Grits and shrimp" recipe out of the Skinnytaste cookbook - wow - it was so good! I was actually surprised at how delicious it was, we are having it again this week!

Look at my new toy!!!! We got it for a great price. Kohls had it on sale for $100 off plus I had a 30% coupon and a bunch of Kohls cash. I already made a loaf of bread with it - the American Sandwich Bread by the Brown Eyed Baker is even easier with a mixer!! It's burgandy and it sparkles!!

So I told you about my recent coconut obsession. Well, I started drinking almond/coconut milk as a treat. I get unsweetened and add a little honey. I love the flavor. I am not going to bore you with the details of the effects it had on me and I'm not going to get on a rant about how nasty the additive carrageenan is but I am going to post this article LINK and say if you want to know about it - read it. I will say that we will no longer be buying anything with that crap in it(which means my favorite creamer, almond/coconut milk and coconut ice cream bars are OUT of here).  The fun part of this is I bought a nut milk bag and will be making my own almond and coconut milks (the links are recipes) and combining them.I'm excited to try it - just have to wait for the mesh bag to arrive!! 
The semester has ended. I know that 3 of my 5 classes I got an A. Two of the teachers have not posted grades. They have been slow at it all semester which is super irritating. I start school again on June 8th - anatomy and physiology is the only class I'm taking for summer - I hear it's hard!!
Last weekend Scott was a super busy guy. He did several projects. I have three closets in my craft room

 Scott put shelves in the middle one - AWESOME!!!

 He also put my door up - he bought me this door for my birthday when we lived in Longmont CO. We painted it and put it on the craft room - I love it so we brought it with us

 never had a knob - I always used a spool of thread - appropriate!

 Scott put a knob on it!!! It's not the fancy glass knob he wanted but this will be perfect until we find the right glass knob!!

 The upstairs hallway has 4 closets - I don't know why  but it's good to have storage! Scott put shelves in one

Then Scott fixed this frame up and framed The Gathering Room by Little House Needleworks

I love love love this frame - he always does a great job but this one may be my favorite.  My phone camera takes pictures so slowly that I hit the button and then this fat head stuck up in the way - darn cat. Guess he needed to see what I was looking at

Look at what Scott spotted in our yard - groundhog!! It's so fat and fluffy that I want to grab it and squeeze it!! It is huge!!

 I also had a momma chipmunk and some babies in the yard this morning - so sweet. I have to watch out for that stray cat though - she likes to eat baby chipmunks and she is FAST!! I have a male cardinal that sounds the alarm when she is in the yard - he chirps non stop until she leaves - guess the chipmunks don't understand cardinal.
I'm doing 3 this time because one of them is silly. Only 7 or 8 left in the book.

Goodbye Bobby Stanton

 Dear Mary Ellen
When you get married
and live by me
Don't forget you
ow {sic} me the sea.
Your friend
Nancy

  
 Dear Mary Ellen
When you get married
and live in a barn
write me a letter as
long as your arm
yours till the kitchen
sink walks
Your friend
        Barbara Lee
             Burkland

Thanks for stopping by - have a lovely weekend!! Don't forget Mother's Day is this Sunday!!