Better Homes and Gardens

As I previously documented, we had a wonderful time at our Mexican themed BBQ this past weekend. But as popular as the food was, I think that the greatest attraction was the beautiful venue! My in-laws live on The Ranch...a beautiful place in the middle of nowhere! They bought the property almost 20 years ago and have literally built it from the ground up--we're talking they cleared the trees and laid the foundation and BUILT the place.

In true Evergreen State style, this place is surrounded by all kinds of tall trees and green undergrowth. And Beanball and her husband have made this wilderness into a beautiful home! Their personal touch is everywhere...


They set up many intimate conversation areas throughout the yards...most complete with fresh flowers from the garden!

I love the eclectic mix of furniture styles and finishes!

I think it gives the whole place a feeling of "home."

The fire pit and benches were built by my husband and his brother as a Father's Day gift a few years ago. They're nestled in a grove of vine maples--the perfect place to cook a smore!

The styling is great, but the plants are Beanball's signature! There are beautiful flowers and herbs spilling from every surface...

And guess what? I didn't even take pictures of the garden, hen house, or duck pond!

Thanks, Beanball and D, for sharing your beautiful place with the rest of us!

Comida Mexicana

Translation: Mexican Food

Once upon a time there were four lovely couples. They met at their local church and found that each family consisted of a mom, a dad, and a baby boy. The four families became fast friends!

About three years later, each family had a new addition--another baby boy! Which makes four families with four sets of brothers. These brothers grew up together and became known as The Boys. Among the four families there are many more siblings that are wonderful and loved, but the bond of the first eight boys is something that very few people have in their lives.

If you haven't guessed, my husband is one of The Boys. And I am what has become known as one of The Wives. And this past weekend, up at the Ranch, my husband's family threw a huge Mexican BBQ for all of the four families. It was a day of fantastic food and fabulous friendship.

We feasted on the world's most delicious tamales, previously recorded here. I'm so grateful for the amazing kids and parents I get to work with!

We made sopes, a deliciously fat corn tortilla filled with refried beans, cheese, and topped with cilantro...

Of course there was plenty of carne asada...

And an assortment of rice and beans to go with it!

The Ranch looked so amazing that I'm going to dedicate an entire blog post to the gorgeous flowers and cozy seating areas...but I'll tell you now that everyone enjoyed themselves! It's always fun to catch up with old friends, and even better when you're in a place that's worthy of its own magazine article!

There was, of course, dessert! Along with some cakes for a couple of birthday boys, we made smores and dough gobs! (What is a dough gob, you ask? It's a canned biscuit, wrapped around a stick and roasted to perfection, then filled with butter and jam...or chocolate if you're me or Beanball...)

They were delicious! And the dough gobs were called so many names...from dough bobs to dumb balls...it was cracking me up!

It's so much fun to be a part of this family...

Luckily for you, dear reader, the summer has provided me with ample opportunities to photograph and document your very favorite topic:

My cat.



He thought he was so sneaky...hiding under a kitchen towel.



I wish I could take credit for some of these pictures, but my amazing husband took most of them. Thanks Baby...you're one amazing catch!

Celebration!

To be honest, I'm totally kicking myself right now. My best friend got married on Saturday, and I have absolutely no pictures of it! Yes, I may have been a little distracted by, oh, you know, doing 4 hairdo's (not counting my own), make-up, and squeezing into the tightest bridesmaid's dress known to man. Which, unfortunately, was not an ordering mistake but just a general "oh, yum, food is delicious," type of situation.

Anyway, the wedding went off without a hitch, Krystle was absolutely gorgeous, and I personally felt that the whole event was a very fitting beginning to the rest of her life :)

Since I have no photos of the actual day, I want to at least give you a glimpse into some of the festivities surrounding the day...

Here's another shot of some flowers...these were up in front where the ceremony took place.

Fun at the rehearsal...

Rehearsing in the hot, hot sun.

And, courtesy of Sara on Facebook, a photo of the lovely, happy couple!

Crazy

Today was a day of preparation. This morning, I prepared my house for a weekend of guests. Then this afternoon, Krys, her family, and I prepared enough centerpieces, bouquets, wristlets, and boutonnieres for an entire wedding.

It was a long process, but we did it, and things look great!

The worst part of the day was when I discovered that my dog was missing. She had been accompanying me as I carried buckets of flowers from the front yard to the back...and at some point she wandered off--far enough that no amount of clapping, whistling, or calling would bring her back. She was nowhere to be seen along the neighborhood routes that we usually walk, and she wasn't anywhere in the house or our yard. I tried to reassure myself that my phone number is on her tag...and got to work on flowers, praying that she'd come back. Thankfully, about 45 minutes after she went missing, she came prancing right back into the yard, ready to play! I was thoroughly annoyed and relieved at the same time.

So, flowers are done, dog is safe, and I am exhausted!

Summer Reading List

For some reason, this summer I'm totally lacking blog inspiration. So sorry about that! But with my little sis now living in Central America, she's freaking out that I'm not blogging. Something about wanting to know what's going on in my life while she's so far away...

I'll try, Em. I'll really try! Of course, you could also follow me on Twitter...
Ha. Ha Ha. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Ahem. Aside from a personal narrative to my sister, I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite summer reads!

Garden Spells
By Sarah Addison Allen

I read this book last summer in the span of a day because I was so intrigued! It follows the reunification of two sisters from a family rumored to be almost magic--one who has embraced her family heritage and "gift," and another that learns to accept herself for who she is. Set in the beautiful south and full of lovely descriptions of flowers and food, this book had me hooked!

The School of Essential Ingredients
By Erica Bauermeister

This is another book with absolutely mouth watering descriptions of food! I've already passed the book to my mother-in-law, mother, aunt, sister, grandmother, and...who has it now? A delightful story that begins in a cooking class and follows the personal stories of all the students...I loved it!

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt
By Beth Hoffman

I read this book on recommendation from Beanball, and she read it on the recommendation of her long time friend. It's another story that is set in the south, and it follows the story of a girl that has been taking care of her mentally ill mother. When her mother dies in an accident, CeeCee is taken in by her great-aunt, and is able to reclaim some part of her lost childhood.


What are your favorite summer reads?

Summer II

So far, my summer has consisted of...

A trip to Hawaii with the little sis...

LARGE nacho parties en mi casa....

Leisurely breakfasts...

Professional gift wrapping...(I wrapped that!)


Some sewing...quilting, to be exact....

And a beautiful new phone that has changed my life. Notice my sidebar where you'll be able to see my most recent thoughts, compliments of Twitter!

What have you been up to?