Just in case...

Ballard is doing a $10,000 shopping spree give away. I thought I should make my wish list, just in case I win. I'm pretty sure I exceeded the budget. And just in case you care, here it is...
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		View Gift Registry-Wish List The following items are currently on this Gift Registry-Wish List. If you change the quantity of any item(s) on the list, click Save Changes. To email this list to others, click Send List. You may view and edit your other Gift Registry-Wish List by selecting a different list from the menu below and clicking Go. List Name: GilchristMy Gift Registry Item# Product Registered Qty Purchased Qty Price Each RW172 Paisley All Over Indoor/Outdoor Rug Color First: Chocolate Size: 8' x 11' 0 $199.00 FP660 Custom Fringed Pillow - 20"Sq Center: Blue Stripe Easy Care Fringe: Blue 0 $59.00 AV753 Lapalisse Planter with Stand 0 $249.99 SO520 Northshore Outdoor Sofa Color First: Navy Cushion Finish: Mocha 0 $2,249.00 SO519 Northshore Outdoor Ottoman Color First: Navy Cushion Finish: Mocha 0 $549.00 SO518 Northshore Outdoor Lounge Chair Color First: Navy Cushion Finish: Mocha 0 $1,149.00 MV220 Sonoma Bookcase 0 $499.00 MV164 Tuscan Flush Bookcase Set - 3 Piece Finish: Tuscan Cream 0 $1,347.00 LC547 Newport Pendant Small Finish: Brushed Steel 0 $199.00 WC092 Beadboard Message Boards Color First: Rubbed White Style: Corkboard 0 $99.00 LC272 Coral Chandelier 0 $299.00 WT794 Popsicle Sticks Giclée Print 0 $199.00 MI206 Porta Baggage Rack Color First: Chocolate 0 $89.00 WD363 Set of 4 Butterfly Study Shadowboxes 0 $579.00 RR715 Eva Rug Color First: Orange Size: 6'7" x 9'6" 0 $399.00 LS328PEB Linen Chandelier Shade - PebbleEach $16; 5 or More $14 each 0 $16.00 LM037 Moravian Star Ceiling Mount/Sconce 0 $139.00 WD344 Indigo Seaweed Prints - Set of 6 0 $329.00 SC391 Macau Armchair Finish: Chocolate 0 $249.00 UB015 Hampton Upholstered 48" Bench Finish: Brass Fabric: Chenille Desert 0 $667.00
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Hot as Blazes

...it is here. Is it where you are? Les Miserables. It's too hot to even go to the pool. This too shall pass. This is the time of year when I start thinking about my Patagonia fleece and spiced lattes. Then I remember how much I LOVE summer, and I pull myself up by my flip flops and sweat my brains out while loving all the sunshine.

We recently had a spontaneous visitor:

Aunt Bird (aka 1/3 of the Three Headed Sara(h) monster) came for a nice, long visit. It was so much fun to have concentrated time together. Sadie LOVES Aunt Bird. We took her all around town- Raleigh, the Dirty D, and Chapel Thrill. There was some Front Porch Friday action...
With Megan, Brad, and Lillie. Sadie checked to see if Lillie had ear infection...
All and all we had such a wonderful time with Sarah, and we are so very thankful that she made the effort to come all the way from Kentucky!

In other news, we are still dealing with this...
The mohawk of curls.

Stephen and I are counting down the days until we head here...
Flathead Lake, Montana. We're going to get some quality time in with his fam, and we can't wait to feel that COOL mountain air!

TIMBER! And this week's obsession

This has been going on at our house:

We had a couple of trees that were dying and threatening to fall on our house. Lovely. Isn't that how you wanted to spend your tax return? Actually, we got a great deal. And it was fascinating to watch them take them down. Our yard is kind of a disaster zone due to the trucks, but it's bouncing back.

Moving on to the obsession of the week...

Let's talk about some more food. My great friend Sarah is here visiting, and all weekend I've been getting flack about a question I asked her within about 10 minutes of her arrival- Do you like Mediterranean Deli's? Random I know. I won't bore you with the rest of the dialog, but the bottom line is that, yes, I have fallen in L.O.V.E. with M.D.'s. Here are the two local ones that I've given a whirl. Neomande (thank you, Amy Free) and Mediterranean Deli (Med Deli to the loc's) in Chapel Hill. The highlights: chicken salad with golden raisins, multiple flavors of hummus, and can anyone say pita? I personally prefer Neomande's chicken salad and Med Deli's pitas (they're warm and slightly crispy on the outside). I want to eat at either of these places ALL OF THE TIME. Be sure and go. Sorry that I don't have any fun pictures. Just trust me.

Another food morsel...

This is one of my all time favorite desserts.
It's a sherbet watermelon. Here's how you do it.

Shopping list: raspberry sherbet, lime sherbet, and dark chocolate mini chips

You probably will need two medium size containers of each sherbet, and you'll probably have just a tad of each left over (depending upon the size of your bowl)

Prep work: Let the sherbet sit out and soften.

1. Line a large mixing bowl with lime sherbet.

2. In another bowl mix raspberry sherbet and mini chocolate chips (dark chocolate is best in all circumstances, this one included)

3. Spoon the raspberry mix into the center of the bowl lined with lime sherbet.

4. Spread it out and make the top flat.

5. Cover and place in the freezer, preferably over night.

To serve, let thaw for 20 or so minutes. Remove the Saran Wrap (or whatever you've used). Place a platter on top of the bowl, and flip the contents over. If properly thawed, the "watermelon" will drop out. When you slice it, it will look like watermelon slices. Cute.

This is a fun and easy recipe that kids and adults love. Enjoy.

Showing our colors

It's pretty dorky, but I like to dress for the holidays. Our family (well Sadie and I because Stephen is cooler than us) sported patriotic colors at church on the 4th. Then we came home and had a little photo shoot...

Not to toot my own horn (toot toot), but I sewed Sadie's dress. I'd never sewn clothes, but that little pattern was pretty easy. It made it a ton easier that I used gingham seersucker because it didn't have a right or wrong side or direction. It turned out okay. I need to work on sewing straighter and how to adjust the pattern to fit better. This was the smallest size I could find, and it is still too big for her. It needs to be nearly 4" shorter. Next time.

Our house is also looking a little patriotic these days. Sadie wanted to show you that she matched the house.
We finally took down our builder grade, mismatched exterior light fixtures. Hooray! We purchased these simple and inexpensive fixtures at Lowes and then spray painted them red. This was my first spray painting experience. It's a little tricky, but pretty awesome. So fast. So gratifying. So didn't have to clean any paint brushes. My technique needs improvement, so I will definitely try out some additional projects. For now, I'm loving my quirky red lights. (Insert red light district joke here)
Let's also give a shout out to all of the wonderful men and women that are serving our country! I am so thankful for your sacrifices, bravery, and perspective. We obviously couldn't be who we are without you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!