Sewing Obsession: toddler dress sneak peek

Come back on Monday to see the tutorial of this toddler dress I created (using a tank top). It's really easy. Trust me. So get out there and shop those clearance aisles for cheap tank tops (or even better . . . maybe you have a few at home you've been wanting to get rid of - now's the time to use it).

"What I'm Loving" Wednesday

{B&H photography}

I'm obviously not a professional photographer but I love capturing those special moments of my daughter. After having our DSLR for about a year, this lense was recommended and I couldn't be more happy with it. It's the 50mm f/1.8. I love the crisp, clean images it produces. It's great in low light situations and I love the depth of field. It makes everything look so much more professional, without the professional price. I bought mine off of amazon.com for about $90. Can't beat that. Someday I do want the f/1.4, but this will do for now.

Food Obsession: refrigerator garlic dill pickles

We planted a few cucumber plants this year and were amazed that the cucumbers keep on coming. So, we decided to make pickles out of them. I am pregnant, you know. What could be better. We were recommended this recipe here at dlynz.blogspot.com and decided to try it out.

And they're delicious!!! They taste like the real thing (although we didn't have the right kind of salt and so ours turned out way too salty - but if you wash them off before, they aren't terrible).

Happy pickling!

Photography Obsession: Embrace the Camera - Sept. 9

Ava asked if I'd come sit down with her and play with the blocks. I said yes and you should've seen her face, . . . like I'd given her a huge bowl of ice cream with sprinkles all over. It's moments like this, that I hope I never forget. In less than 3 months another little one will be joining our family and I hope that I'll continue to seize the moment and embrace the camera!
(she's always in awe of the self-timer.)

"What I'm Loving" Wednesday

I always love a good book. And these three books definitely fit under that category. If you haven't heard of these books . . . where have you been? It's called The Hunger Games Trilogy. They are so good and definitely keep you wanting to read more. The third book came out at the end of August and I finished it a week ago.

At first, I thought it was going to be sci-fi (which I'm not into), but after hearing great reviews, I decided to read it. There's action, suspense, and a little bit of love. All that makes a book perfect! So, go to your nearest library or bookstore and pick it up!

Dessert Obsession: Frozen Peach Pie Filling

Hope you're all having a wonderful Labor Day! We'll be going to a BBQ soon, but before we go, just wanted to post about this easy recipe.

Through my church, I was able to get 25 lbs of peaches for only $7.50. Talk about a great deal. They're very yummy. I love peaches and so does this little girl below.

What to do with 25lbs of sweet, yummy goodness. I decided to use half of them and make them into frozen peach pie filling. I checked out the internet for recipes and this one caught my eye. I mean, really. Who doesn't love Paula Dean's recipes?

So I was able to whip out 4 pie fillings while the little one was taking a nap. Not hard at all. Haven't tasted it yet, but can't wait! They'll be perfect in the upcoming cooler months (summer has ended way too soon, don't you agree?).

"What I'm Loving" Wednesday

I decided that every Wednesday I'm going to be writing about one thing I absolutely love. It could be a cleaning product, a book, an ingredient, a store, and the list could go on and on. So check back every Wednesday to find out what I'm loving!

For those of you who've been following my blog for awhile, you know that practically our whole house now has hardwood floors. We love them! But having to sweep and then mop an entire house was driving me a little crazy (our regular vacuum would scratch the hardwood floors). Maybe not just a little crazy. A lot crazy!

That's where the "things I'm loving" comes in. I decided to do a little researching on hardwood floor vacuums online and came to the conclusion that the Bissell Versus Bare-Floor Vacuum with Brushless V-Shape Technology was for us. And guess what? We absolutely love it. My hubby will even vacuum the floor without complaining (not that he did that before). It's made our lives so much easier. And so much easier on my pregnant belly

found at: amazon.com

price: $55 (which included free shipping)

The only thing I wish they'd improve was to make a longer cord. But other than that, it's definitely saving our sanity!

If you have a hardwood floor vacuum, what do you use?
*****By the way, no one from Bissell is paying me to write this, although, I wish they would!