All this gorgeous weather last week has put me in Summer mode and dreaming of all the fun things I want to either do again or try for the first time this Summer. 

Over the past month I have been experiencing a period I like to call my "blue period". Picasso had a blue period, so maybe I am channeling my inner artist. This might not seem noteworthy, but I am typically a girl who is drawn to coral, pinks, and reds. From what I wear to the fabrics I have chosen for my upcoming quilt, time and time again over the past month I seem to be drawn to blues. Chambray, denim, navy, pinstripe, I have been having fun with this tonal selection of hues. 

Our memories are never as good as we would like them to be. I cannot tell you how many time photographs have played an integral part in jogging my memory of years past. Just this past week, after a hard rain storm I ran out to capture our cherry blossom tree in full bloom. I wanted to capture its brilliance before the wild spring weather turned its delicate petals into confetti all over our lawn. 

I have three nieces all from the same family who have their birthdays within six weeks of one another. In order to keep the peace I have tried my best over the years to give them all similar gifts. As the eldest is becoming a teenager, this is becoming increasingly hard, so this year I decided to do something different and create Surprise Balls for them.  For those of you who have never heard of these before, they are easy to recreate and adapt to the recipients age and taste.