~ new etsy listings...

...we've listed Sofia's perler bead art on etsy!



Come take a look ;-)

Just click the link to etsy ~myHappyBluebird~ on the right hand side of the screen.

~ zucchini muffins...

...made by Sofia :-)



These are delicious!  You can find the recipe here:  Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes

~ sunday lesson...

Today, Sofia is busy making banana muffins.  We didn't have any over-ripened bananas on hand, so we learned something new today!  To quickly ripen bananas, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Heat the oven to 300 degrees farenheit and bake for 20-30 minutes.  To test for doneness, poke with your finger -- the banana should have a soft/squishy feel.  Note:  I protected my fingertip with a paper towel to avoid a burn while testing for doneness.



To remove the skin:  let the bananas cool and then use a very sharp knife to make a single cut down the side of the banana.  The inside should easily pop out!

~ after the rain...

...droplets sparkle in the foggy morning sunlight.



~ humidity 95%, temperature 76.5 degrees farenheit, dew point 75 degrees farenheit.

Last night's thunderstorms dropped a ton of rain on us.  This morning, it feels like a steamy jungle out there. It's so humid that  I broke into a sweat just by pressing the shutter release on my camera! More thunderstorms are on the way to us today...sigh.

(click on photo for a better view :-)

~ perler bead love...

...cheery little things made by Sofia :-)



She is busy making a few more designs to list in my etsy store.  Stay tuned! :-)

~ so what should I do with this one...

...Northern Red Oak tree given to Nicholas during his high school graduation ceremony.



Can I keep it in a pot, like that little white pine tree next to it in the photo?  I have already repotted it once since the June 20th graduation, and it has since grown the 4 new red leaves at the top.

Should I plant it in the ground like we did with that (very large) white pine tree given to Nicholas in 3rd grade?



Any suggestions?