It’s creamy! It’s dreamy! It’s delightful!

The best summer memories I recall as a kid were at the family farm. The endless activities included swimming in the cow tank, learning to drive the pickup in the field, and walking (rather running) barefoot a quarter of a mile down the road to the little grocery store on the corner.

The only worthy treat in the heat of summer comes in a frozen form. At least it starts frozen. For us kids the only reason to burn our little feet on the sizzling asphalt was to get to those wonderful popsicles at Sheets Grocery. They were all of ten cents, they were made with artificial flavoring, and they started melting the minute the wrappers were stripped off. They were the cheapest, low grade treat around, but in our minds they were the best dime ever spent in the heat of summer.

I was a loyalist, I stuck to banana popsicles every time. When others would coax me to try another flavor, I would not give in. Even with the intriguing mix of ice cream and orange juice, that great combination of sweet cream and sour citrus formed into a Dreamsicle, I held my ground.

Now, years later, I wish I had given the cream and citrus blend a try. To think of all those years I missed out on such a perfectly cool combination. Even the aroma of a Dreamsicle is dreamy. And the color, it’s a beautiful almost-there orange. Not bold and in your face, but creamy and soft. No wonder it’s called a Dreamsicle.

Well, I don’t eat a lot of Dreamsicles even now. However, I have been making up for lost time with my own little treat in a cup using that same basic mix of dairy (I should say nondairy) and citrus. Mine is not one of those amazing smoothy recipes with a fancy blender and ten minutes of clean up. Nope, my is quick, and easy, and all about the flavor. It’s not exactly healthy and it’s not at all gourmet, but it makes me happy and it’s delightful!

It is the Sheri Berry Dreamy Delight and it’s made with only two ingredients. One is orange juice, either premixed or from concentrate, either will do. The other is liquid nondairy creamer by Coffee-mate. We are talking the regular french vanilla flavor, not the fat-free, not the sugar-free, not even the new natural choice.

To make this Julia only wishes she’d come up with it recipe ;) just fill a juice glass nearly full with orange juice and add a couple of tablespoons (maybe more) of creamer, mix it together with only a spoon and enjoy. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s delightfully refreshing!

Though it takes me years to willingly try new experiences, I encourage you to do as I say and not as I do and give this creamy, little treat a chance. You too might get hooked. You too might find it a dreamy delight!

These are a few of my favorite finds

When I’m not creating in the studio I’m searching for trinkets and treasures to fill the studio. The husband says I can stuff the studio to the brim, as long as it doesn’t overflow into the house. There’s a reason he says this, the house is already full to its brim with treasures I have found. This is the “is your cup half empty or half full?” question. But in this case, is the studio half empty or half full? Well, it’s not too full to bring in another delightful bit of eye candy. And so I do!

The trinkets above are bits of ephemera I have picked up over the years. The fun is in displaying these little trinkets in just the right containers. Yes, I know everybody is doing this decorative candy dish style now, but how totally fitting because it is eye candy dished up in the perfect glass containers just begging to be opened and reached into for the treasures.

Well, in the bit of thrift-roaming I allow myself each month, I recently discovered these candy dishes at a neighborhood estate sale. My eyes zeroed in on the target, my hands quickly followed and before you know it, I was the delighted owner of these containers ready to be repurposed with Sheri’s stash-o-trinkets. Now I have the eye candy just a glance away from the otherwise constant stares of the monitor.

New York City, Here We Come!

Wednesday morning we are heading to New York City for the annual Surtex Show we have been attending for five years now. It is the show of shows for artists who are looking for manufacturers and retailers to license with or sell art to directly. The show runs from May 15-17 this year, and as always we are driving across the country to exhibit in our booth #357.

Usually Tom and I take the ten day trip alone and Grandma Barbara stays with the kids. But this year we thought it would be fun to take the kids along, show them how the show works, see what NYC is all about, and see Grandpa Clyde and Sue for a few days in the city. Then we are traveling north to a tiny island in Canada, where they live, and spending a few vacation days there.

Here are the expected highlights of the NYC trip as seen through each family member’s eyes~Logan wants to go to the Apple store in the Big Apple. I don’t think he cares about any other sites in the city more than the Apple store. Shelby wants to make sure she comes home with a patch from every site and landmark she sees to add to her national parks patch collection. Tom wants to navigate through the city without any car accidents. And I want to finally find Dr. Pepper in the city. If those things happen, the trip will be a complete success and all of the tourist trappings will be the cherry on top of the Big Apple.

Once we leave the city we are looking forward to being with family on the charming island of Grand Manan. We’ve heard wonderful things about it, and we have the best tour guides for such an occasion, lucky for us, they just happen to be family. Here’s a little peek of the Grand Manan Island and it’s charm, courtesy of Clyde and Sue McCulley (my fam) owners of SeaCliff Cottage Suites.

This trip will supply great family memories and the experiences will be well worth it. But in the end, when the sites have been seen, the long, long trip is over, and we are back in Kansas, I know everyone in this family will agree~there’s no place like home!

To all the moms I’ve known before

To all the moms I’ve known before, who traveled in and out my door. I’m glad you came along, I dedicate this song, to all the moms I’ve known before. Okay, so it’s a blog-card, not a song, but you get the idea.

This lists includes but is not limited to—moms, grandmas, sisters, cousins, aunts, friends, coworkers, teachers, neighbors, acquaintances, blogger-buds, and all you women out there who are gracious about the task turned joy of being a mom. It’s the best job any resumé can ever hold. Carry the job description with pride. You’ve done much to deserve it.

Happy mother’s day and much love to all the moms. Also a bit of love goes out to songwriter Albert Hammond, and singers Willie and Julio, from whom I borrowed and adapted the lyrics.

Some things just go together

When you hear the words peanut butter you can’t help but think of jelly. Well, maybe if you’re hungry or love food, anyway. Okay, here’s another one for the romantic types: Romeo and . . . Juliet. For those of you who like to work with your hands, how about hammer and nails, or needle and thread.

Well, for those of you who connect with needle and thread, I have a great new match for you, and if I’m right, you are going to love it as much as I do. It’s Riley Blake Designs and Sheri Berry Designs. Finally, two things that go together and seem like a perfect fit!

I am so excited to announce my new partnership with the Riley Blake Designs fabric company. We have already developed a collection and it will debut next week at the International Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, just a hop and a skip away from Riley Blake’s home base in South Draper, Utah. The folks who own this family-run business are veterans of the fabric distribution industry–an important part of getting a designer's work to the buyers who want it. But during their relatively short time in fabric manufacturing, they have made a big splash and have become known worldwide. Once you see their beautiful, stylish collections and the other artists they are working with, I think you'll see why Sheri Berry and Riley Blake are a natural go-together.

The first fabric collection that we have done together is one some of you have been anticipating for a year: ModTod. And while it’s geared for toddlers, it has a lot to offer those who like graphic and colorful patterns. You can see this collection in full by going to this page on the Riley Blake website. You can also learn more about Riley Blake Designs and their other artists through their site and blog, which happens to feature an interview with me on the May 3 entry. I encourage you to frequent their site because they will be the first to update you on when and where to find Sheri Berry fabrics. I have also linked to them at the right, on my Besties category.

We are already working on the next few collections, so stay tuned and before long some of your other favorite Sheri Berry baby and holiday collections will be transformed into fabric, ready for your needle and thread. Some things just sew together!