{simple summer days}

Well hello there:)
Have I mentioned just how much I love summer?!!? Just kidding:) I know you know that already!!!
The other night I coaxed my husband into having "date night" with just the two of us!! Do you ever do that with your other???
It's not always easy for us because we are people people!! We love to have our friends around us but every once in awhile it's nice to re-connect and just do something together!
Guess what I wanted to do.....
you got it.....go to the beach:)

I love this beach.
It's secluded a little challenging to get to and usually there aren't too many other people there:)
Let me tell you....there were almost no people there because it was HOT & HUMID...just the way I like it!

We weren't there too long....just long enough to have a little vino for me & a margarita for him!

But it was absolutely beautiful & even better since there were hardly any people there!

I love the huge dunes at this beach.....

We didn't climb them this time....it was just too hot!

All I know....is that this was the perfect summer evening too me:)
tinkering on the beach...taking photos...drinking wine & spending time with my honey:)

These are all the photos that I go back to time and time again during the long midwestern winters. They help me remember just how pretty it is here int he summer & that happy times will happen again:)

I do feel happy that if I must live in Indiana at least I am only a half an hour from the beautiful Lake Michigan:)
And I do feel super lucky to have such a wonderful husband! He is so easy going and is "mostly" willing to put up with my antics.

Hey...let's do this....can you do that....don't mind me I just tore out the "you name it".....I have a project in mind...can you drop everything you're doing and help me:)

Like...let's go to the beach when it's a million degrees out and look for beach rocks....{I have a project in mind}

But see....he's always willing to do it!! There is nothing like being married to your best friend and most proud supporter:)
and every once in awhile....I compromise too:)

I wish we had pelican's ....we don't....but we do have seagulls!! And they are pretty happy too:)

Too me there is just nothing like having a little sand on your toes:)

And for goodness sakes....why didn't anyone ever prepare me to have to shave my toes when I got older....

I am learning that as I get older...hair just grows everywhere:)

Owell....at least I am getting pretty handy with the razor:)

PS...I know a couple of you asked about a close up of the flip flops...here it is:)

I am going to try and whip up a similar pair of these soon:) Along with all the other things I have rolling! But really....I think it would be pretty simple to do! I'll let you know:)

And our evening ended at the happiest place that we just ended up finding:)

A cute little bar on the water!!

We will be back....oh and they are dog friendly....so we could bring the girls:)

couldn't resist a Summer Shandy....love it:)

And on a side note....

even the frogs are "happy" in the summertime!!!

Now those are some happy frogs....and the tiny flower in the photo makes it look even happier! Who knew moss bloomed:)

Hope you have a really fabulous weekend!! I know I am soaking up every bit of summer that I can!!!!!

Take care~

The trouble with simple living is that, though it can be joyful, rich, and creative, it isn't simple. ~Doris Janzen Longacre

{living wreath & healthy recipe}

Hello & Happy Friday to you:)
Hope your week has been going well!!!

Yes...Yes...live brightly:)
I have always wanted to make a living wreath since I saw it in a Martha Stewart book many years ago. This week I finally got around to it!!!
You can make one with herbs too but I chose to use little succulent plants....that way I wouldn't have to worry about watering it as often.
I also used a grapevine wreath, floral wire and some green mossy stuff.
Stick your plants in any way you can and just wire them to the wreath form. I am hoping they will just grow into the form and that the moss will eventually serve as a growing medium for the plants. I did leave as much soil on the little plants as I could. I will keep you posted on how it does:)



I hung it on my back gate.......

But I thought it needed something more.....so I just painted "Live Brightly" on an old piece of wood and added a little starfish.

So what do you think cute or not?! Have you ever made one????

OK now on to a healthy super simple recipe!!

I have told you about these noodles before....

Mung Bean Noodles.....they are the only kind of noodles i'll eat now:) They have 20 grams of protein and only 17 grams of carbs per serving!! I LOVE them and they taste great:)

Anywho...I was in a rush to make something quick to eat and this fit the bill just perfectly:)

~Mung Bean Pasta with Pesto & Tomatoes~

Cook the noodles according to the package

mix in some jarred pesto

chop some fresh tomatoes and add those in

I also put crushed red pepper and fresh basil in it!!!!

Simple...Healthy.....Tastey

Oh....and add in a little Parmesean cheese and pour a glass of vino!!!

And since my cute turquoise umbrella was snapped off in yet another storm that rolled through we chose to enjoy our dinner ...in the shade...on the front porch.

Here's the view:)

I like to have options in my yard. I like little sitting areas everywhere.....sometimes I just get bored with the same view. Do you do that....move all around your yard to enjoy different views?!?!?!?

Oh and jewelry class has been going swimmingly:)

I am so excited to be using solder and torches!!!!!! I definitely love this kind of jewelry work! Here is what I made the other day!! At this point we are using copper.....much more inexpensive than sterling silver to practice on.

Anywho....it's a cute little daisy bracelet:)

I wish it were in sterling silver with a little turquoise bead in the center....cute!!!

Nevermind my hairy arms......just wanted you to see how the bracelet fits:)
What do you think for a beginner!?!?!?

Either way I just love the class.....it's super fun to learn something new:)

Hope you have a really fabulous weekend!!!! I don't think we have any storms in the forcast....whewww.....maybe I can coax my husband into starting our deck! We'll see:)

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” Ashley Smith

{beachy things}

Well hello & how are you?!?!?
Things have been a little CRAZY here! We had some major storms roll through and were without power for several days. We lost a couple big pine trees but luckily none fell on our home:)
I tell you....really makes you appreciate a little electricity when you don't have it for a few days....and it really makes you stop and think about what it would be like to really go trough a natural disaster like a hurricane.
Anywho...i'm just glad to be back to normal!!!

Recently I discovered glass floats after Kamichia of The Glass Float Junkie connected with me via my blog:) Let me tell you....these little glass floats are so cute!!!

There are just so many things you can do with them. I chose to put mine in a silver bowl with some starfish!

I just love the color of them! and can you believe she collects them off the beaches in Alaska! Amazing:)
Check out her shop if your interested!
I put this display in my dining room!
Beachy cute:)
Makes me so happy whenever I walk in my front door....that's the first thing you see in my home when you walk through the front door! Kooky..I know...it used to be the formal living room but I made it into my dining room....I think it works!

I also used another of the glass floats on my little table in my sunroom:)

I love everything about these floats....they're vintage, they're aqua blue, they came from the ocean and really sweet girl collected them from the beach!!!!!! Check her out if you're interested in getting a couple for yourself!!!!! You won't be disappointed:)

On to other things.....
At least the storm didn't tear up my garden too much!
I've got tomatoes starting and tons of lettuce to eat!!!!!!!

I am so excited about my garden this year and I can't wait to do even more with it next year!

Oh and here's a little project I had my husband do for me....
let's see what you think!


Our friend's recently put up a privacy fence in their yard and instead of letting them throw away the scraps I took them! I had my husband build some planter boxes out of them! I think they look sort of beachy and they will keep fading as time goes on!
I just adding some simple beach grass and wallaaa.....not bad for FREE:)


The only thing I want to do is add some kind of something to the tops......

I thought about rope...like this....or maybe some kind of metal something or other.
What do you think?????

Oh and here's another one with petunias in it!
I love petunias....they're just so happy:)

See....never throw anything away!!! I am sure it can be used for something!!!

What projects have you been working on!??!?

And lastly....just a little picture of starfish on my fence:)

You know how I feel about starfish.....I LOVE them:) :) :)

My husband would love to replace the old fencing....but I say NO WAY...I love how it looks weathered and worn....It's my backyard beach oasis...without the beach:) New fencing just wouldn't have the same beachy feel!!!

Hope your week is going swimmingly! I'm off to ride my bike and do my chaLEAN workout!!

Weather means more when you have a garden. There's nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your green beans. ~Marcelene Cox

{Fresh Friday: healthy recipe}

Hello there and Happy Friday to you!!
It's been pretty fabulous around these parts....
The flowers are starting to bloom like crazy! And I don't know about you....but I LOVE flowers!
I just think it looks so happy when you have lots of flowers at your front door....makes people think it's a welcoming place:)
Plus I think it looks sort of cottagey......

The fish in the pond seem pretty happy.....even if i'm having an algae over bloom problem...

I think I need more pond plants to off set the algae blooom?!!?!? Anyone have a pond & some advice????

Now for a little healthy recipe!!!

My herbs are starting to grow like crazy....so I got to pick some for my recipe:)

In true simpledaisy style I crammed the tiny herb garden too full of plants.....so when all those tiny plants really get to growing....it will be completely overflowed with herbs!!!! Owell......

I made.......

~Blackened Mahi with Tomato Avocado Salsa~

I know I have made tons of variations on this theme....hopefully I haven't made this before:)

But really....I love blackened fish and I love salsa....so I always chop up some kind of ingrediants and make a salsa.

Blackened Mahi....grilled

I use chili powder, paprika, fennel seeds, & Cayenne pepper!

For the salsa...

avocado

cucumber

tomato

lime juice

sea salt

cilantro

I just love fresh food!! It makes me so happy:)

I also grilled some green beans and fennel with lemon juice and dill.........

then added some feta after they were done.

yum...yum...and more yum:)

Green beans are hands down one of my most favorite vegetables! I might have to try growing them in the garden next year!!!! I think they are pretty good blanched and dipped in hummus or any other dip.

We've also been pretty busy with more of my crazy projects!

My poor husband.....

Here he is trying his best to ignore me as I tell him all the ideas I have:)

Hey Honey....let's rip out all those bushes behind you and build a deck........

Good thing he loves me!

Oh and L.C. is in the full summer shedding mode....

Maybe it's the warm weather we've been having! But here's what it be like if you came over and were to pet her:)

You might even be lucky enough to have a little hair in your food if you were to eat here:)

Even Ruby is covered in L.C. hair!

L.C. says....just love me...I can't help the hair:)

Hope you have a really lovely weekend!!!

I know I'm heading up to Saugatuck, MI today. I just love that place:)

“Be happy. It's one way of being wise.” Sidonie Gabrielle

{simple summer weekends}

Hello and Happy Monday to you!!!!
What a weekend it was:)

I love summer....have I mentioned that to you!?!?!?
I just love everything little thing about summer....going to the beach....fun times with friends {and having the energy to have fun times with friends}....listening to music outside...just being able to be outside.!!!

This weekend my friend and I went to the beach and it was perfect.
The morning started off pouring buckets of rain.....but lucky for us...things cleared up into a fabulous day:)
You can tell the sand was still wet when we got there!


and it was super hot and humid....my kind of weather:) Maybe that's why the beach was pretty empty!
After the beach....we went to The Stray Dog and had a little lunch!

Then we cleaned up and went out to see one my most FAVORITE local bands.
Little Frank:)

I love...love...love music! If you were to ever stop over on a whim....you'd never catch me watching t.v. but you might find that I have music playing:)
and I love the music of Little Frank... I call it bluesy funky!


I also found a new beer I love! It's not often that I drink beer....you know I am a wine girl.
But this beer is so light and refreshing....give it a whirl ....you might like it:)

Happy....Happy:)

And them my stars aligned...

I got to meet Little Frank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I realized he is younger than me......I would have thought that he would be older...but ....nope...i'm the older one:) Thank goodness my husband was kind enough to take lots of photos for me!

He's not super famous or maybe he is!?!? Who knows....but i've really admired his music for at least 10 years!!! And that night was the night that I got to chat with him! How fun:)

and he was kind enough to let us take lots of pictures!!!!!!!!

Did I mention that I love summer!?!!? It's just such a fun season! And it's always the little things that make me the happiest:)

Sure hope you had a fabulous weekend too!!!!!!!!!!

"The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not
that we seize them, but they seize us." - Ashley Montagu