Shh....it's a surprise!

My son's best childhood friend is going to be a father! We are all so excited and we are starting to make things for the little one. He is due to arrive in August so my machine has been smoking today. I made him a few burpcloths and a pair of baby boxers. Can't wait to give them to his mommy.

Muy Bueno

Homemade salsa! My family loves it and will eat a jar in no time. It's fun to make your own salsa. Yes, it takes a little time but it is worth the effort. This recipe has a "secret" ingredient.....Texas Gunpowder. It is dried ground jalapeno peppers. I order mine from a company in Texas since I can't find it locally. With an abundance of fresh tomatoes this summer...give it a try! Email me for recipe.
Adios

Summer Pasta Recipes

I have been making light summer pasta and summer salad recipes the last couple of days. Last week I made Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad with Sweet and Tangy Balsamic Dressing.........yummy. This weekend I tried Baked Lemon Pasta.....lots of fresh lemon flavor. Tonight I am trying Spinach Pesto and Pasta. Summer is the time when I enjoy cooking with fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. The local farmers markets and roadside vendors are everywhere so I try to take advantage of the fresh produce. They contain more flavor and more nutrients. So enjoy the best of the local farms and gardens and try a new recipe. Email me if you want to try a new recipe!

Pray for Luke

I do not personally know this little boy or his family but his story caught my attention from another blog. You can follow his blog and treatment with this website.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lukejensen

If You Insist

Here are a couple more photos of my "new" to me bathroom. My daughter advised me to use black and white since the newly painted walls are "trusty tan." Black and white goes with tan walls? I asked. She assured me it would be ok. So I must agree black and white does go with tan walls. She also picked out my shower curtain which I really love. I picked out the new black mirrors which replaced an old plain mirror across the wall. Much better! Now I want black and white accessories and tan walls in every room!

Why PolkaDot Giraffe?

I rarely embroider things for myself but I did these towels for my newly remodeled guest bathroom. It is so pretty now.


You may wonder why I chose the name The PolkaDot Giraffe for my blog. I have wanted to start a business for my handmade and machine embroidered items but my husband does not want me to get so busy that I can't travel or go when he is ready so I haven't really taken on any business. I named my "would-be" business the The PolkaDot Giraffe and thus the name for my blog. I think I will try to do a few things for anyone that wants to "hire" me. I have been perfecting my "skill" for about a year now and even though I'm not a pro at it, I think I can please most people. I have found everyone loves monogrammed gifts. I have made many baby items and wedding gifts. My children call on me all the time for shower gifts so I might as well kinda start my business. I actually made my first $$$ this week doing a graduation gift. Who knows maybe I'll get so busy.....no I can't do that for my husband wouldn't forgive me. HaHa!

Graywood

I am visiting Graywood Plantation in Lake Charles. It is a golf community just outside the city limits in south Lake Charles. It is the most peaceful area to visit and I'm sure to live especially if you are a golfer. This is the club house where we ate dinner tonight. The banquet area was set up for a wedding reception tonight. The wedding cake was a three layer chocolate cake that smelled heavenly. Each table was set with fresh flowers immersed in water. There were candles everywhere. I'm sure it was going to be a lovely reception. I want to have "an event" here.....maybe a wedding anniversary party or a birthday or anything really would be nice.

Roses Galore

A friend brought over a huge armfull of roses for me to enjoy. So I want to share them with you.

Babies, Babies, Babies!

Lots of new babies on the way! This couple like the colors lavender and butter yellow for their little baby girl due in August. I hear they are big LSU fans (may be why they like lavender and butter yellow).

WooHoo! It is finished and I get to deliver it tomorrow! Added a bag tag and put in a cute bag. Hope the mother-to-be and grandmother-to-be like it!

The Weekend

What is Love?

Love is patient

Love is kind

Love does not envy

Love does not boast

Love is not rude

Love is not proud

Love always protects

Love always trusts

Love always hopes

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Have a great weekend!

Luncheon for Friends

Linda brought Flowers

CenterPiece

TableScape

I found these pots of flowers at a discount store for a great price. I did not know what I would use them for but I knew that I could use them for something. I put them on glass pedestals of varying heights and added a couple of matching candles. It was a colorful, happy, summery feeling which is just what I wanted.

I had a group of good friends over for lunch today. We laughed, cried, enjoyed a meal and caught up on news. It was a wonderful afternoon with the girls. I will share the menu I used. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food and asked for recipes....that is always a good sign. It was a day for poppy seeds for some reason!

Menu

Poppy Seed Chicken

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Fresh Fruit with Sweet Dressing

Poppy Seed Bread

Southern Iced Tea

Tropical CupCakes

Sweet Treats for Friends and Family

Made a few things for a friend's grandbaby that is to be born in August....burp cloths and bag tags. Also made cupcakes for a luncheon tomorrow.

New Furniture for Kitchen

I found a great addition for my kitchen! I can fill it with cookbooks and things that need a place to be stored. I think I will enjoy having it. Isn't the kitchen the heart of the home anyway? No matter what kind of gathering you have everyone wants to hang out in the kitchen.....so make it special.

Gotta Start Somewhere

My daughter encouraged me to start a blog so here I am. I have been avoiding getting started but today is as good a time to start as any. What will I blog about you ask? I will share with you the things that are important to me in my life.....faith, family, friends and my love of creating. I will share recipes, ideas, thoughts and photos. I look forward to perhaps inspiring someone else to discover their creative side. Decorating my home or constantly changing things around and adding new touches give me one area to be creative. I also love to machine embroider and make just about anything else with my hands. As women, God has called us to be the hearts and the keepers of our homes. It is a position of responsibility and influence, as well as honor and great reward. As we all know, mothers set the tone in the home ...... so I want my home to be a place of comfort and joy for my family and friends to enjoy. So I'm off to starting my blog! I want to dedicate it to my daughter who has experienced more in her young life than most people ever will. She is a loving daughter to me and an awesome mother to my precious grandson. She also encourages me to create and gives me advice and inspiration.