Thursday, June 25, 2026

I LIke Thursday # 511 beach stories, skies, pink flowers, and a poodle

 

welcome to this week's list of likes.... starting with Pink roses and a poodle!

we walked a lot this week, which I like very much despite the temps being 99 F. at 8 AM

this was the sky on our evening walk this week

flowers in community garden like some I used to grow in Maryland

such a cute pink tricycle being used as a lawn ornament in a neighbor's yard

what is this flower? a ball of flowers seen in another neighbor's yard this week

another sky shot mid day... we live in the high prairie foothills of Colorado

my precious puppy turned 2 last Wednesday  
Alfie: I had some tummy upset this week... I suspect it is emotions.... I know I get to stay with the pawrents now, no going back, but I panic when the Mama leaves for a walk without me.... like she did last week. The Daddy was here but..... no mama, would she return? 

Of course she did, and I kept a VERY close watch of her after she got home, but it scares me. This is the best home, and best pawrents a poodle could have so I worry about losing them, know what I mean? 

Mama: oh my baby.... rest assured as long as I am here, you will have a home with me. I was proud of you this week when you were brave and went right up to people I like here. The man even kissed the top of your little head! And we walked next to a doodle, you overcame your fears,  while his mama and I talked a bit. 

there was a bit of upset when I gave him one of your treats. Have no fear of going without... I will always give you treats.... thank you for sharing with the dog that could become a friend... 

I love Alfie so much....

Fine Dining recipe trial this week

I love fruit and we got so much this week.... bananas peaches, cherries, black seedless grapes, a tiny watermelon, and fresh blueberries... 

I tried scones again this time using the food processor. Well. The processor didn't mix the dough so DH had to roll up his sleeves and hand mix the butter into smaller bits... I made a glaze out of cream/almond extract, and powdered sugar


they are SO good, and now that we know how to do it all, we'll make these again

recipe online

at sprinkles & Sea Salt blog
also tried a banana smoothie in said processor.... bananas go bad quickly in this heat, so in the processor you put banana, yogurt, extract, honey, and a bit of milk.... 
O.M G it was very good

not so much on TV but I am catching up on Love Island, and Murdoch Mysteries is back on ACORN

Painting and sewing a lot, see Sat posts for that
discovered this lovely peach wine... 



our conversation starter this week :


did you go to the beach as a child? did you like to collect shells?
build a sand castle? have a favorite swimsuit or toy?

I grew up in Florida so vacations were often at the beach, with plastic rings to float on the warm gulf water at Clearwater beach. 

This was when my family noticed I tanned very fast, I was adopted and my birth father was Italian. I still got drenched in Coppertone, and still love it's fragrance. 

As a teen I stayed with my friend's family, or drove myself to find the peace feeling the sun, breezes, and hear the surf ruffle cochina shells and palm trees. I wore bikinis then. I always left with shells. 

I fondly remember visiting a work associate friend at her Anna Maria Island house...



"If no beach, did you go to a lake or river?"

as an adult I entered the floating competition on the Hillsborough river, so full of tannins that colored our skin. My sister lived on a lake, and I did try to learn to water ski but that lake had many gators which are a bit scary! 


Videos and tshirts

I always have a large dog, this is a cute song celebrating them



I love a musician who feels music and I LOVE this song



love this ETSY t shirt


please visit these fine folk to read about their weeks, and let me know if you want to join us, I'll add in your link! 


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Saturday, June 20, 2026

creativity this week... watching paint dry and fabric grow

 

Every day is an opportunity to create, right?  Right now I am drawing/painting each morning and when my puppy was being funny one morning I painted him

I am using the ICAD prompts this time, but not on individual index cards, in my watercolor notebook... same size image but neatly in a spiral bound format. 

plus I don't need any pressure right now, so like Joy I am using the prompts as I like, skipping around

some pages using (on the top) "trace" and windsor newton watercolor pens with a stamp, "trace of blue"

on the bottom half, "coastline" or "serene" using inktense pan color, brush, a stamp with the watercolor pens , and scratching the end of a pencil to create phantom lines
I love it! For the next two paintings I used "lucky" and painted a 4 leaf clover with inktense color, then did a pentangle of drawings in each petal with pen
the bottom image is crossroads
as to fabric, I pulled out the basket of random scraps and put together some pieces to
 "start my engine" 
I limited these works to just what was in that accumulated scrap pile of all colors
and 
I do not know what these will become but they were fun to make. Can't ask a lot more from fabric
While listening to my audio book, my mind wandered and I thought how am I using the RSC prompt this month to use pastel color? 

I generally use light/pastel in the one color of the month to set off saturated color...

I thought, what if I focused on green, purple, pink, and yellow?

I got out my box of 2" squares, and found pastels to use for a background  
arranged them into colors
My "plan" was to applique spring flowers over this background...

so I started putting them up on the wall... it will change since I move squares each time I enter the studio, LOL

I see tulips in pink and purples, yellow pansies or little white flowers dotted over it. 
then I thought about neighborhood photos I took, and how to include them? 
I printed 4 of them onto fabric (in my home printer) 
but since I have so many little squares left, maybe they will become a second art work. I love the photos (click on an image to enlarge) 
I could see them surrounded with squares from my "watercolor" box... there are always more scraps aren't there? 
for this one, I will be adding a sort of border, then stitching them together this week, I hope... then applique some pastel flowers, some thread work, maybe a bead or two? 

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Thursday, June 18, 2026

I Like Thursday # 509 birthdays, hanging flower baskets, fun videos


welcome to this weeks list of likes.... how about the blue of our skies in Colorado? 

I'll start with our beautiful pup Alfie... who... turned age 2 years old on Wednesday. Here he is in 
"lazy puppy sit"  


Oh my heart is so full of love for him! 
we had a tummy upset the day after he had a "sprinkler spree" 
we had to give him yogurt and rice for a day and now he is better 
here he is chewing on a dental toy in the shade of his toy box. 
yep every time we throw a toy, he fetches it immediately to drop it with his collection 
he keeps them all together under this tree

Heyyyyy who's that across the street? 

better get ready to guard our yard
He has also been with us for 4 months now and it's like he's always been here! 

 now a few pics fron our walk this week 
These three birds sitting in a row made me think of how much I like plays  


there was some kind of golf competition, look at these guys all in blue shirts... pretty drab compared to the usual golf attire we see walking by, LOL!  

a song for you....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUNqsfFUwhY&list=PLzb1XSMnhyHhxoiTw1_h5nIfX7cyB06oD


The weather is horribly hot here for June, but I still planted some cucumber seeds to see if they can handle it... they are still hiding from the sun. I put more seeds in a wet paper towel to see if they germinate there before planting them. 

whew! it's so hot I was glad my pawrents did a grooming on me and cut some hair shorter



we played a quiet game new to me. The mama rolls one of my play toy balls under the table at me, I grab it, and run put it under the "tree toy box" HAHA safe and sound! None of those yard bunnies better take a toy...BOL 

Haha this post is about me me me! I love it here, and love sprinklers, and following mama around, and taking walks. 
I don't get it, my name is Alfie but mama keeps calling me " COME ON STOP SNIFFING" 

listening to the next book in the series... 

reading on E-books this next in Her Royal Spyness mysteries


can't wait to read (or listen to) them each day


We finally changed out our winter clothes for our stored summer duds.... just in nick of time 

I like the closet to be spacious, and only see clothes for that season, are you like that? 


conversation starter this week, what are your favorite flowers for hanging baskets??? 

For me. Fuchias in any colors... back east you saw these in every little village downtown....  

Fantastic Fuchsias the Ballerina Flower 

 I have not had real success with them, got tips for lush growth for me? Now in Colorado it seems too hot and dry for nearly any hanging baskets... wah!!! 

In Maryland, I had window boxes for porch railings and built lovely displays yearly... love sweet potato vine, tall flowers, hanging down flowers, mixed. 

I am considering fake flower baskets now... neighbors have them and they have color without the failures

 

dogs and their beds.... Alfie will collect toys, bones. etc but needs help unloading the bed or he squeezes into the available space...



like watermelon in summer? wow! 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xl8KDQ_rNN8


don't like broccoli?  this is how to just say no

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5-RB2AZg73M


that's it for this week, did you make note of the small things that you liked this week? Let me know if you wrote a post to include here! Please tell me what flowers you like in hanging baskets too! 
visit these folk to see their answers too

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Thursday, June 11, 2026

i Like Thursday #508 skies, summer flowers, gardening or hammocks, and a poodle

 

welcome to this week's list of likes....starting with our magnificent skies! We had about 25 drops of rain this week! 


and 

little white wild flowers all over the hood.



tiny egg shells also all over, means baby birds will be joining the world


5  fresh lemons,  juiced (and in the fridge) zested and in the freezer, lead to wonderful 
Lemon Blondies... 


we sowed colorado wildflower seeds in big patio pots again this year, they are just peeping over the brown soil, while we give them a bit of water daily... I love watching things grow. 

I read growing cukes is not difficult, so maybe I'll order some seeds... love fresh cukes. Never had success with any other vege here tho...

Mama, let's play in the sprinklers! 

we are allowed to water the yard 2 times a week and this one told us his hobby is 
Water sports! jumping on the drops, biting them mid air, getting totally wet 

we just dropped the hose after watering the wildflower seeds... 
Alfie will cough sometimes drinking the drops.... I promise we have fresh water in his bowl all the time.... but water drops from rain or hose are snapped up in the air, for fun
https://youtube.com/shorts/KLTKc2Ogkr4?is=Nk5YrQV1rMRKADPM

listening on audio books this series about a woman able to see her deceased ancestors in Mass. 

fun series, light hearted, historical, 6 books

joy reminded me ICAD is back, an art prompt a day for index cards  no pressure
this is my first one, just a close up, whole line up on Saturday's post



Our conversation starter this week is:

would you rather be swinging in a hammock outside or digging in your garden

I'd like a hammock in a lush garden.... but.... growing things here is hard 
Intense sun at this altitude, temps over 100F dry conditions with water restrictions 
I miss my flowers and vege back in Maryland 
the only thing that kind of grew here was potatoes 
I guess before my injuries piled up on my poor body, I would have said, GARDEN and even now it's my choice?! 




found in our community garden

remember.... 


unbelievable! spiral eggs

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/74NpkZDAZp8


Hope, joy, connections....  for my fellow horse lover friend Sonja but it warmed my heart!


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/h1tbxZx3sZY

please visit these folk and let me know to add in your link if you posted your daily likes too


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