Winners of the Soap Giveaway!

Thank you all, dear friends for entering my first giveaway! I've had so much fun hearing from each of you; and meeting new friends, too! I hope you've enjoyed the contest as much as I have!

It's been two long weeks; are you ready to see the winners?

Shall we plunge into this bowl of "bubbles"?

Oh, goodness! Someone has heard about the soap giveaway and asked if he might help! He LOVES sudsing up!

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"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation." Psalm 24:3~5

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"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51: 7~10

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"Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." John 15:3

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Patience is a virtue... =)

OK, the first winner is...

Tobitha!

And the second winner...

Roo and Wren's Mama!

And lastly, but not least...

Ivory Spring!

Thank you again, dear ones! Winners, please leave me a comment or e-mail to let me know where to send your little parcels. And enjoy a long, soothing soak!

Trail to the Mercer Slough

These are pictures from two trips that we made to the slough. It just amazes me that there are wonderful woodland "playgrounds" hidden away in the midst of the bustling city! It's so quiet and secluded here, you would never know that skyscrapers are just behind those trees.

The sun reflected in the still water. We caught glimpses through the leaves of kayakers as they mysteriously appeared, gliding by almost silently.


A fellow trekker, finding tasty shoots to nibble. He was surprisingly un-shy! Until our tiniest girl attempted to snuggle him.

The sweet local flora, including some gleaming salmon~berries.

Such quiet glades, I expect to see deer.

The lofty over~look from the visitors center. We'll come back to this at the end for a bird's~eye view.

The pathways encourage us to see what's around the bend.

At the end of the loop, we get to see walk out onto the viewing platform to see how the place looks from above.

It's really high!

School's Out!

We were busy, busy with Vacation Bible School last week, but now we're back to our normal schedule. I helped teach the 4~year old's class, so Raegan got to be with me. Pea was in her little 2's and 3's class. She seemed to like it overall, except for leaving Mama in the morning. It was a fun week at Son Rock Kid's Camp! Now to tackle the laundry, ironing, weeding, baking, cleaning...=)

First Anniversary Giveaway

I have been looking for an excuse to have a giveaway since I have so much fun entering them myself. And what better time than a first anniversary? So without further ado, I present my humble contribution to the abundance of goodies being offered:

*~*~Chocolate~Chai Soap~*~*

Homemade here at the Greenhouse using:

saponified palm, coconut, and olive oils

fragrance oils

organic cocoa powder and chai spice tea

I will choose three winners on July 19th, the Greenhouse's birthday, to receive a rustic bar each. All that is required is to leave me a comment and I will add your name to the drawing. And in keeping with tradition, if you would like to tell a friend, I'll add your name twice.

Happy entering! This is good, clean fun, don't you think?!

Prima Ballerina

Raegan's ballet troupe performed The Sleeping Beauty last night ~ I'm still bursting with pride. It's always a little nerve-wracking before the big production, getting every last detail just right, hoping you've covered all the necessary instructions. "Don't mess up your hair (it took too long to put it up in the perfect ballet bun), remember all your steps, don't pick your nose..."


Some coloring and Disney movies to keep busy bodies occupied during the long wait before they go backstage.

My little ruby in a quiet moment before her entrance.

Here we go! Looking quite patriotic in their sweet little costumes. Appropriate for Independence Day!

A beautiful bouquet from Grandpa and Grandma for our star.

We had a lovely evening, enjoying the beautiful story and talented dancers! Everything was just perfect ~ because all the little "imperfections" made it that way.

Curry Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Curry Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

6 chicken breasts

2 packages frozen broccoli

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons curry powder (I can't imagine anyone would, but less can be used if you like)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Cook sliced chicken breasts in a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Steam broccoli till tender. Meanwhile stir together the soup, mayo, curry, and lemon juice, and salt and pepper. (If you run out of cream of chicken soup like I did, just substitute another 3/4 cup mayo and 1/4 cup chicken broth.) Layer half the broccoli, half the chicken, half the curry sauce, and half the cheese in a large casserole. Repeat layers. Bake in a 350* oven for 30 minutes. Best served with fresh homemade bread and butter.

A Pretty Prospect

I opened the curtains to water the cactus on the windowsill, and thought the view of the poppies and fountain looked so cheerful.

Now to screen the not-so-lovely chain link fence in the back.

The Dryad's Bubble

"We have agreed to call the spring down by the log bridge the Dryad's Bubble. Isn't that a perfectly elegant name? I read a story once about a spring called that. A dryad is a sort of grown-up fairy, I think." Anne of Green Gables

Coffee, Anyone?

We must visit Starbucks Coffee quite often, because whenever our girls see one, they call out, "the coffee station!" (What can I say? We do live in Seattle!) So Gammy and Gampy thought we should have one of our own. I get the best caramel mocha frappuccino in the world, right here in my own backyard from the cutest little "coffee givers". Zero calories!

Strawberry Shortcake

Shortcake

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup butter

1 beaten egg

2/3 cup milk

Stir together sugar, flour, and baking powder. Cut in the butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the egg and milk; add to dry mixture. Stir just to moisten. Spread the batter into a greased 8 x 1 1/2~inch round baking pan.

Bake in a 450* oven for 15 to 18 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Top with strawberries and sugar mashed with a pastry blender. I used a pound of berries with about 1/4 cup sugar. And don't forget the fresh whipped cream! A pint of whipping cream, a couple of tablespoons of sugar, and a nip of almond extract (I use this stuff in everything now); beat with an electric mixer till fluffy. Just see if any makes it out of the bowl and onto the shortcake!

The best compliment I could receive: happy, messy babies.

Happy Father's Day!

We love you, Daddy!

The Nursery

Come through the gate that Daddy made to look like the one in Mr. McGregor's garden. A little sign says, "Shhh...Sweet Peas Sleeping". Daddy put so much love and hard work into the nursery with its pea green walls and ivory beadboard, and beautiful honey~colored bamboo floor.

Mama sewed the curtains: black and white toile and creamy muslin.

Sisters sleep side by side.

This dear little fellow, crafted by Grandma, is named Fuzzy. Do you know the rhyme?

"Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear,

Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair,

Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he?"

His rocking chair was Mama's, too.

A cozy nook for cuddling, reading bedtime stories, singing songs, and saying prayers ~ our routine every night. The picture on the wall was given to me by my great~grandma who thought the little blonde girl holding the kitten looked like me. I think it's appropriate here.

Our heirloom christening gown, created from Grandma's wedding dress.

We love Beatrix Potter! Here is a little bunny~themed vignette on the dresser.

Some vintage chalkware lamps from Great~great~great Auntie Emma. (Whew! That's a lot of greats!)

"Baby Bunting takes his hoe, And tries to help the flowers grow."

A baby slip that belonged to Great~Grandma Betty Lo ~ from the 20's.

And here are Grandma's sweet little ballet slippers. After all, a little ballerina sleeps here.