Ginger June turned 4 today! How is that possible? She's still such a little squishy cuddle thing to me, but then I'll look at her all stretched out on the floor sometimes and wonder where this big kid came from.

Ginger is a very friendly, talkative little girl, and didn't miss any chances to tell anyone that her birthday was this day, and that she was four. We had a great, impromptu, little party for her after dinner with some good family friends. She got just the right amount of celebrating and just in case any one came over and didn't know the correct protocol for birthdays, big sister Ruby hung this sign up on the front door:

Ruffles

It's no secret, I like ruffles. I like them alot. When I first designed this dress for a craft fair a few summers ago it didn't have this cute ruffle along the chest, just a wider ruffle at the bottom of the skirt. This time around, I altered the pattern just enough to add this new ruffle, it looks like it belongs there now, don't you think? I guess in this case, two ruffles are better than one.

Stay for a cup of tea?

If you came over to my house, and you could stay for a cup of tea, I would also serve you one of these delicious scones. We would chat, while the kids ran around in the grass out front. This is how it is at my house many afternoons. And I love it!

Ever since my good friend Toni gave me this cake stand (it even has a dome for the top), I have vowed to keep it full of yummies. These scones have sort of become a staple for this cake stand. A staple, or rut, whatever you like to call it. Oh, and see those cute salt a pepper tangerines? A gift from my sweet friend Stacy.

Well, since not everyone can come over for a cup of tea, here's the scone recipe so you can make it for when your friends come over in the afternoon.

SCONES

3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter (cold) cut into pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
1 to 1 1/4 cup heavy whip cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup of any of the following:
chopped nuts, dried fruit, finely
diced fresh or frozen fruit

Preheat oven to 350.

Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor equipped with a steel blade. With motor running, add butter pieces through the feed tube. Run until butter is completely incorporated into the flour and mix resembles coarse meal. Do not over-process.

Transfer into a mixing bowl and add cream, vanilla, and flavoring. Fold together until dough holds together into one ball.

Transfer onto floured surface and form an even 8-inch circle. Cut into 12 wedges. Place in a pie pan or on cookie sheet spayed with vegetable spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until dough springs back when indented with your finger.

Sunhats

I sure wish I was wearing one of these this weekend. I got sunburned two days in a row! You just don't expect that sort of thing on an overcast day at the end of February.

I guess I wouldn't want to be wearing one of these very hats, because they're made to fit a noggin more the size of a 1 or 2 year old. They are each made with a more modern peice of heavy weight cotton on the outside, paired with a vintage peice for the liner. Look for these in my etsy shop.

I'm also taking suggestions on wether or not you think older children, or perhaps adults, would wear a sunhat like this?

out for some fresh air

I have recently fell in love with hanging my clothes out to dry. Why have I put it off for so long? I guess my biggest excuse was that my condo's backyard is really just about patio sized. I didn't want the clutter of a clothesline cutting off any pathways for us. Then we got that amazing January heat wave and I just couldn't resist. I strung up a very temporary rope, web-like, across the patio and hung about 3 loads worth out to dry. That very day, a friend stopped by on her bike to show me her latest purchase- a retractable clothesline- I fell in love. We've had some rain since, and I haven't actually purchased the new clothesline, yet, but count me in as a converted clothes dryer.

BOOKS!

Today is library day! hip hip hurray!! My girls and I go to the library once a week, sometimes Tuesday, sometimes Thursday. The girls hop out of the car and skip, or run, down the cement path right into the library with giggles and excitement. They help unload the bag on the return counter and then are off to get lost in the stacks. Ruby is hooked on the American Girls series, and Ginger always finds a stack of good read alouds. I always put a bunch of books on hold through the library's online system, so I know there will always be a good stack of "classics" waiting for us.

Ginger's latest phase has been to engulf herself in a good, long, chapter book. She'll grab an old favorite (one she's heard before, i.e. Little House on the Prairie) and hunker down and go through page by page, letting the pictures remind her of whats happening in each particular page, or chapter. Wearing a prairie dress often helps her "get into character".

What's Your Lucky Number?

We have a winner!! April of Fresh and Fun has just won herself a hat!! April, please contact me with your address and which hat you prefer from my shop, and I'll send it right over.

I'd like to thank each and every one of you who participated in my very first giveaway. I was so tickled with all your positive comments and encouragement. I feel so welcomed into blog-land, and will definitely be staying a while. Thanks so much!!