Vibrant colors & yummy flavors. A beautiful summer salad… served in a vibrant blue bowl. With just a bit of stamping along the rim of the bowl to really make it POP!!! Thanks for sharing your colorful salad creation with us Kristy!

So I had a glazed ikebana disc that had a crack through it… so I “donated” it to some kids to use as target practice with their BB guns! We put a piece of paper in the center hole so we could see if they every got a bullseye. They may not be very accurate, but the are definitely persistent. They’ve apparently hit ALL around the bullseye… but have never hit the center yet. Keep shooting guys… Sullivan, Maxwell & Franklin… and maybe aim a little better?!!! HA!!!

Celebrating another MUGSHOT MONDAY with a collection of mugs that have become homes to an adorable little succulent garden. They’ve even been drilled through the bottoms for proper drainage! Such a great idea Rosene!

Last Sunday was the Fourth of July… and I went down to celebrate with my friends Kel & Kelly in Chenoa, Illinois… the middle of nowhere in Central Illinois. Since the parade & festivities didn’t start until the afternoon, I decided to bring my bike along for a beautiful ride along Old Route 66. It was a little hot, humid & breezy… but still a great ride through a little slice of American history!

This past week of Summer Camp I was upstairs on the third floor in one of the Painting Classrooms for sculpture camp. In the room there’s a large bookshelf full of props & pieces for them to build still-lifes for painting & drawing classes. It was fun to see one of Emily Murphy’s old soda-fired pots in the mix. Sure, it may have a small chip on the rim, but it still looks pretty darn good considering Emily left Lillstreet and moved to Minneapolis several years ago!!!

Looks like Rosene is getting creative in the garden again… adding some begonias to her stamped & soda-fired teapot. A cute little planter to spruce-up the picnic table on the deck!

Ya’ gotta love when people celebrate the holidays with a bit of pottery to make it extra festive!!! Like this sweet little sipper filled with a “festive” beverage to celebrate the Fourth of July!!!

Looks like Rosene has baked up a beautiful quiche to start off their weekend. Looking extra yummy in her stamped pie plate… giving it that little extra flair for the weekend!

We had a wonderful day at the HINSDALE FINE ARTS FESTIVAL today. Incredible weather, nice shade, sweet breeze… and a great booth neighbor to play with! I’ve know Rhonda Gurgone for a couple years now from the art fair circuit… but we’ve never gotten quite this much time to hang out together. If you happen to swing by the fair tomorrow, be sure to pop in to say “Hi”, She makes great jewelry pieces out of vintage & historical buttons. You can tell that she loves what she does… and LOVES sharing the stories behind every button!!!!

Check her out at The Buttons Stop Here – @thebuttonsstophere

Two days later… and this is all that’s left of Rosene’s chocolate carrot cake! One piece, a ring of frosting and a pretty stamped platter. Looks like it was a big hit. And more importantly, looks like that last piece would fit in small box to ship off to ME!!! Just sayin’…