Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation's Beautiful Wildlife Video

My mother-in-law, a true lover of wildlife, sent me this video (thanks, Mom!), and I knew right away that I'd have to share it on my blog. You'll see moose, beaver, bear, and elk, along with many more animals set against picturesque backdrops of Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and The National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. With musical accompaniment by Kenny G., this breathtakingly beautiful footage evokes a sense of pride in our beloved United States of America!

Scott McKinley Productions created this as an advertising campaign for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. It was awarded Best of Show in Missoula, Montana's International Wildlife Film Festival.

Shared with permission from Scott McKinley Productions 

and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Dad Draws on His Kids’ Lunch Bags

Graphic designer David Laferriere is one cool dad! He began doodling on his kids' sandwich bags each morning as he prepared their school lunches, figuring they'd get out a kick of the noon-time surprise. Five years later, David accumulated photos of almost every bag he drew, over 1,000 of them.

Here's a cute Youtube video to tell you more:

See lots more of David's drawings on his Flickr site.

Images used with direct permission from David Laferriere.

Fresh Peach Cake

Oh, the deliciousness of this Fresh Peach Cake recipe! 

I'll be sharing it with you, courtesy of my favorite chef, Ina Garten. 

It's from her book, How Easy Is That?, which you can purchase on Amazon.com.

First, though, we're going to savor the beauty of these peaches. 

We picked them ourselves - you can read about that here! 

Fresh Peach Cake
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp.
1 1/2 C sugar, divided
2 eggs, room temp.
1 C sour cream, room temp.
1 t vanilla extract
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
3 large peaches - peel, pit, slice
1/2 C chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9" square baking dish.

In an electric mixer, beat butter & 1 C sugar for 3-5 mins on med-high.
With mixer on low, add eggs, one at a time, then sour cream & vanilla.
Mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt.
With mixer on low, add dry ingredients to the batter just until combined.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 C sugar and cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan.
Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with 2/3 of sugar mixture.
Spread with remaining batter, arrange remaining peaches on top,
and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 mins, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Moist and oh-so-yummy!

Hand-beaded Moccasins

etsy

Native Alaskan Mabel Pike, an elder of the Tlingit clan, enjoyed doing needlework her whole life. Eventually, she specialized in beaded moccasins, with extraordinary results! She used traditional designs from her Tlingit culture, and created her own patterns as well. Happy to hand down the customs of her tribe, she even taught beadwork courses at Stanford University.

You are sure to enjoy hearing Mabel tell the story of 

her talent and passion in this fascinating video by Etsy!

Mabel passed away at age 92, a year after making this video. 

How wonderful for her to have left the legacy of these beautiful handcrafted moccassins!

Pick-Your-Own Peaches

A lovely way to spend an sunny August afternoon ~ picking peaches! 

My husband and I went to Solly's Farm in Ivyland, PA for a "Pick Your Own" adventure. 

I was charmed by the hand-painted signs and farmyard surroundings. 

We were given a basket, a wagon, & a wave down the path toward the peach orchard. Fuzzy skin in mottled hues from yellow, to orange and red. 

As each peach was plucked from its stem, I recognized that familiar, heavenly aroma.

I'll be doing some baking, that's for sure! 

Check back to see what becomes of these beauties. 

I'll share the recipe...

How about Fresh Peach Cake? Delicious & so moist!
Come have a taste - here!

(Gotta love it - spelling and all!)

Kari Herer Flora & Illustrations

Not just a terrific photographer, Kari Herer is a woman of many talents.

Her background in graphic arts comes through as she 

creatively designs these lovely flower-festooned pieces of art.

Here's where you can connect with Kari:

Website

Facebook

Etsy

Images used with direct permission from Kari Herer.

Gotta Laugh… Van Gogh

Vincent goes to Disney World...

meh.ro

Grange Fair Afternoon

A wonderful, old fashioned way to spend an afternoon! 

2013 marked the 65th Middletown Grange Fair.

Located in Wrightstown, PA, it's a favorite with the locals. 

Antique tractors, 4-H activities, & horse shows. 

Competitions in baking, handcrafted items, & photography. 

Carnival rides, farm animals, & a smorgasbord of food!

Plus...much, much more. Take a look at these photos I took~

 2 guys enjoying a mid-day snooze.

If only I could send them this photo!

I liked this little alpaca.

Fashion Illustrations by Sunny Gu

Sunny Gu is a Los Angeles-based illustrator and graphic artist. 

She describes her art as "always full of vibrant colors, rich details and delightful feelings". 

Enjoy these lively images that she creates for the fashion world!

Visit Sunny's website, 

Etsy shop, and

Facebook page.

Images used with direct permission from Sunny Gu.