~a new pillow collection~

I am so excited about his new pillow collection I have created!

I am calling these my fatigued pillows because they are full of patches and visible seams.

They are made out of a heavy canvas to resemble old grain sack material.

The linen colored material is very textural

and the faded grey lettering adds to their vintage look. Over the course of the day I will be adding these to my etsy shop.

{link at the top of this page}

Some are inspired from French grain sacks,
while others just have cute little sayings on them.

I have also made some holiday ones,
if you want to get a jump on your holiday shopping!

I hope you will find something you like!

Wishing you a day filled with fun and loved ones!

xoxo

~home made dog treat recipe~

Did you know that store bought dog treats

are full of preservatives and artificial additives?

Yuck!

So, the kids and I decided to make a really simple dog treat recipe here at home.

Here is the recipe if you'd like to try it:

~Peanut Butter Goodness Dog Treats~
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1 1/2 cups white flour 1/2 cup peanut butter (all-natural or organic) 1 cup water 2 tablespoons oil
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine oil, peanut butter and water. Add flour, one cup at a time, forming a dough. Knead dough into firm ball and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut into 3 to 4 inch pieces. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Once you have it all rolled out and your kitchen is covered in flour,

cut out cute shapes.

Any shapes will do but we decided to use a dog bone shaped cookie cutter.

Once they have baked you need to let them

cool completely before feeding them to your dog.
I guess that's a given but the short people

in our house didn't quite understand this concept.

At any rate, the doggie loved them and I think

they look pretty cute in this jar with the chalkboard label.
Bone appetit!
xoxo

~I've died & gone to kitchen heaven~

Howdy folks!

When I stumbled upon this kitchen reno here,

my jaw hit the floor. Can you believe this kitchen

used to be this kitchen?

Check out the beaded board ceiling and the subway tile back splash!

I heart that lighting and the attention to detail.

Even her store bought pasta looks good sitting on the counter!

Here is the adjoining breakfast area.

I suppose it does help that the owner of this home was the

assistant decorating editor at cottage living magazine.

Want to read more about it?

click here.

Also, I want to share with you a great giveaway.

Head over here to see it!

xoxo

~looking back~

Every month when the latest issue of House Beautiful

comes in the mail, I immediately flip to the kitchen of the month.

Each one is so different, yet so beautiful in their own way.

I have picked out a handful of my favorites to share with you today.

This hood is HUGE~and it is amazing. One side of the island is a cook top and the other a little office area.

Totally genius if you ask me.
Where I probably wouldn't do blue cabinetry,
I love the distressing and the rustic hardware they have chosen for these cabinets.

And of course, I am a sucker for a farmhouse sink.

Look at all the different shapes and textures in this one small photo.

And in that same kitchen, check out the sofa and chairs!

~me oh my~

I have always wanted a glass front fridge.....

maybe someday.

I fell in love with the detailed plank wood painted the same white as the walls.

I also love that they have used framed prints that you wouldn't normally find in a kitchen, with those huge white mattes.

I know I am not the only one loving this huge completely organized pantry!

Even though I live in a very neutral home, there is something very inviting and cozy about the use of greens and reds in this kitchen dining area.

Check out those windows!!!

{and the table, lighting, cabinets, floor, etc. etc. etc.}

Antiqued mirrors paired with barn wood on the cabinet doors~gorgeous.

And the ever so famous kitchen of the year featuring Ina Gartens kitchen.

Just a few little details showing that a mostly white palette still makes a striking impact.

Hope you have enjoyed the little kitchen tour!

I am planning on whipping something up in my kitchen soon.

Can't wait to share it with all of you!

xoxo

~would you like to advertise on my sweet savannah?~

Are you interested in advertising on my sweet savannah?

Please contact me via email~

{link on right hand side of this page} I will get back to you promptly with rates, including

discounted rates for a period of 3 months or longer.

Thanks for your interest!

xoxo

~picking apples in the orchard~

Yesterday I watched my sisters kids so she could have a day to herself.

It was very hot so we went swimming in the lake and then we picked apples.

Aren't they pretty?
Cody found some good ones.
Half went in the basket,

and the other half

in his mouth!

My nephew Blake showing me his prize apple!


My niece Lyla just hung out in the grass

picking dandelions, she's such an easy baby.

Here is Savannah showing all the apples we picked.

Then the kids turned into little

monkeys and climbed the trees.

~so pretty~

I just love this time of year!

I found a recipe I want to try from Country living.

It's called

Apple-Cardamom Cakes with Apple Cider Icing

{say that 5 times fast!}

Here is the recipe:

Applesauce keeps these miniature apple cakes moist and flavorful without adding fat. Drizzled with apple glaze, they are picnic-perfect.INGREDIENTS 2 1/4 cup(s) flour1 teaspoon(s) baking soda1/2 teaspoon(s) salt1 teaspoon(s) ground cardamom2 eggs1 1/2 cup(s) sugar1 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract1 cup(s) applesauce1/2 cup(s) butter, melted2 tablespoon(s) butter, melted1/2 cup(s) sour cream1 1/2 teaspoon(s) lemon zest1 1/2 cup(s) peeled and chopped Granny Smith apple1 1/4 cup(s) confectioners' sugar3 tablespoon(s) apple cider DIRECTIONS. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter and flour 24 3 1/2-ounce cake molds or 2 12-cup cupcake tins and set aside.Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cardamom together and set aside.Beat the eggs and sugar together, using a mixer set on medium-high speed, until the mixture forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted from the bowl. Reduce speed to low and mix in the vanilla and applesauce. Add 1/2 cup of the melted butter, sour cream, and zest and beat until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until smooth.Fold in the apples and divide the batter among the prepared molds (about 1/4 cup per mold). Bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake tests clean -- 20 to 25 minutes.Cool for 5 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Unmold the cakes and cool completely on the rack.Stir the remaining melted butter, confectioners' sugar, and apple cider together in a medium bowl until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cakes and let the icing set before serving.TIPS & TECHNIQUES Tip: Cardamom is a fragrant spice that pairs well with apples, but this cake batter will also work well with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or a combination of all four spices. Experiment and customize this cake to suit your own tastes.

But for today we are making homemade applesauce.

I like this recipe, it's so easy to make!

Applesauce Recipe
Preparation time: 45 minutes. The sugar amounts are just guidelines, depending your taste, and on the sweetness of your apples, use less or more. If you use less sugar, you'll likely want to use less lemon juice. The lemon juice brightens the flavor of the apples and balances the sweetness.
Ingredients
3 to 4 lbs of peeled, cored, and quartered apples. (Make sure you use a good cooking apple like Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, Mcintosh, or Gravenstein.)
4 strips of lemon peel - use a vegetable peeler to strip 4 lengths
Juice of one lemon, about 3-4 Tbsp
3 inches of cinnamon stick
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
up to 1/4 cup of white sugar
1 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Method
1 Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
2 Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon sticks and lemon peels. Mash with potato masher.
Ready to serve, either hot or refrigerated.

Delicious with vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt.
Freezes easily, lasts up to one year in a cold freezer.

There is nothing better than homemade applesauce with hand-picked apples, and it is so easy to do! If you want chunky applesauce, use a potato masher to mash the cooked apples. If you prefer smooth apple sauce, run the cooked apples through a food mill. The key is adding a few strips of lemon peel to the apples while cooking. The lemon heightens the apple flavor.

Do you have any spectacular apple recipes worth sharing?

xoxo

~a lake cabin~

Tell me you wouldn't want to relax here?

It looks like the perfect vacation spot to me!

Yep, I pretty much love everything about it!

xoxo

source found: here

Thanks Heather for the link love!

love you too!

~no. 123 Rue des Park Lane flea~

Mark your calendars, this is going to be a good one!

I will have a spot along with some other fabulous vendors!

I hope you can make it! And can I just say that when I got on my computer today and saw this,

I was reminded how much all my blogging friends mean to me.

Made my day.

Thanks Maria, you are such a good friend!

xoxo

~etsy update~

Head on over to my etsy shop

for some fabulous new pillow designs!

xoxo