Hungry? Like some coffee cake just out of the oven? A picture is worth a thousand words. xoxo
One of my favorite parts of blog world is the beautiful photography everyone is doing. I’ve taken pictures all my life but things changed last year when I got a digital camera (a Canon EOS Rebel T2i). I don’t know how it rates with other cameras, but I love it!
I haven’t had time to “learn” how to use it in the proper scientific way, but once I quit being afraid of words like aperture and point of view, and just started playing with the buttons, I found 2 or 3 that seem to be very handy in producing good photos. The other day I learned that the word “photography” comes from the Greek; it literally means “drawing with light.” Isn’t that beautiful? Kind of like watercolors. ♥
My main problem these days is figuring out how a camera survives being owned by a cook…I forget my fingers have cranberry coffee cake on them and grab for the camera! One of these days I’m afraid I’m going to try and push a button and it’s going to be glued closed! Does anyone know how long a camera lasts when it’s dipped in butter daily?
Now, instead of mere words to tell you about the things I love, I can take a photo and show you! Because inspiration comes from the simplest of everyday places, even this glass — which is inspiring a dinner party here in the garden tomorrow night. I think it’s the perfect thing to fill with pink Skip-and-Go-Nakeds — will love to see this pink perfection in the hands of my friends under the twinkle lights in the garden. ♥
I know many of you have made this drink out of my Summer Book; I’d love (now that we have a blog and can do it!) to hear your reviews and any possible “skipping” stories you might have (keep the “go-naked” ones for when we’re all grown up :-)). And for those who’ve never tasted it . . . here’s the recipe for two perfect summer drinks: You need 2/3 c. cold beer … 2/3 c. frozen pink lemonade concentrate …. and 1/4 c. vodka. Fill your blender half-full of ice, pour in all ingredients; blend well and serve.
♣ ♣ ♣
They are not long, the days of wine and roses; these lazy hazy crazy days of summer…don’t forget to put your feet up this weekend, take lots of pictures, and toast the daddies in your life! xoxo ♥ (Do I talk too much?)
You definitely do not talk too much. You talk just the right amount.
You could never talk too much! So wonderful…this all is. I sound like Yoda! Goodnight sweetie xoxo
Oh how I know the horrors of picking up the camera to find that my fingers are all gooey,, I’m a newbie blogger and I’m just learning to document things for my blog,, (usually forget) but my husband bought me a new camera,, fool proof ( said fool being,,, ME!) and I’m getting the hang of it, still just press buttons waiting to see what happens but its getting easier so in answer to your question,, butter,, no,, batter, paint, yes.happy fathers day from canada!!
No, you don’t talk too much! I agree that the blog world draws with light in a way nothing else does. LOVE! Pop over to my blog and see the gazpacho my son made. The pictures are incredible. We take pictures of food, flowers, yarn, fabric . . . everything around here! Have a lovely party!
I love how creative you are, plus the fact that you are an extraordinary writer/photographer. You weave all that talent together into a nice package, and trust me, we all listen to what you have to say! 🙂
I’m a big fan of your work, and I am thrilled that you are writing a blog!!!!!!!
Marilyn (in Dallas)
My camera’s life will no doubt be shorter due to its time spent with me in the kitchen as I take photos for my other blog, wheatlessfoodie.blogspot.com.
Love your photos!
Yes, I think it’s doomed. My only hope is that they will expand on the notion of “underwater” camera … to “under assault by butterfinger camera.”
I love that you have a blog now, and love listening to everything you have to say. You really help to make us stop and see, hear, smell etc, the simple things of life and how good life really can be if we just slow down and appreciate what we have around us.
Thank you!
I so agree–my own photography has improved 1000 times since I started reading blogs. Knitting blogs, mostly, but also tons of food blogs. Enough of them with really fabulous photography that it makes me completely unhappy with my old style of quick, lousy snapshots. (And thank heaven for digital cameras which let you really experiment without worrying about wasting film!)
It took me a while learning to master the art of taking food photos while dealing with ingredients. It took me a while but I am getting there. But I have to agree with you, that people are getting crazy good at taking food photos. Makes me feel like such an under achiever, especially because I love taking beautiful food photos but I still hang on to my point-and-shoot camera, and I love it! By the way, that coffee cake looks delicious.
With photos like yours, I wouldn’t change a thing!
I am leaving on Friday for an “All Girls Road Trip” up the coast from FL to New England. I am planning to make a travel blog with pictures to document the fun. “All Girls” includes my 74 year old Mom, almost-21 daughter and my niece, age 11. Travel blogs with pictures are such a nice way of remembering precious times with family! Missing CT…been down in South Florida for 10 years now.
in Texas, those are called “Pink Panty Pull-downs”..same concept, lol! Deelish for summer entertaining in the garden. Your glass for serving these is perfect….
Wonderful photos, Susan, of that cranberry coffee cake! I thought I would just be able to reach in and have a taste.:-) I am the “photographer” who takes along the camera and never gets it out of the case, so a simple “point and shoot” is all that I need at this point. Your party in the garden sounds delightful. And – in my opinion – you could never “talk too much!” Enjoy what remains of the week-end!
Susan. You always have such fun comments and pictures. But, I have to disagre on the skip and go naked…Why ruin good vodka and lemonade with beer!! Sorry you were ill and not able to speak to SLO Quilters this spring.
Me too! Be brave on the beer thing…I’ve never liked it much either, but it does enhance both the lemonade and the vodka! I wouldn’t steer you wrong.
Sue, I agree. I, too, was skeptical (not being a beer drinker), but the beer does add another dimension. My friends and I served these along with cosmopolitans at our “PMS (our initials) Martini Lounge Party.” Everyone had to wear pink and black. LOTS of skipping! Love your blog. Enjoy your party!
That’s why you write books! And they sell so well because you talk so much!
I might have to try this drinky. Have you had red beer? Half glass cheap beer and half glass clamato juice. Tangy!!!
I love that you “talk” to us a lot. Never tire of hearing what you have to say. Think your drinks will be so pretty in those glasses. I’m a glass junkie, always seeing ones I would like at thrift stores. Having a drink out of a beautiful glass makes it so special. I LOVE THIS BLOG! xoxo
Love the pictures AND the recipes–is the recipe for the cranberry coffee cake coming soon or is it going to be in the new book? A piece of that this morning with a cup of coffee would be wonderful!!! I’m having a hard time giving up my 35 mm camera which I dearly love but even I will have to be pulled into the current century by all of the gorgeous photos on the blog sites I look at. Though how many schnauzer photos will people want to look at? LOL, just kidding… 🙂
MMM that coffee cake looks yummy. I love all the pretty pictures on blogs too. Plus I love the day-to-day life-ness of them. I love knowing what other people do everyday.. the little things, you know? I’m just nosey I guess. xo
Pam, I choose to think that it is just showing an interest in others, not being nosey! 🙂
Oh, Susan! You NEVER talk too much! I can’t get enough of all you have to share, and am so very thankful for your blog and all the photos. (Have you ever thought of writing an autobiography? I’d be first in line to buy one!) Love the little vignette with your Dad’s picture! I have *lots* of S&GN stories, but my favorite (and my kids’ fave – they like to laugh at us!) is when their Dad and I had a yard sale… when we lived in the boonies… and very few people came. So we unfolded lawn chairs, set them up in the shade, and I kept slipping inside the house to refill our glasses. We didn’t sell much, but it was one of the best yard sales we ever had! 😉 Thrilled to see a pic of your Rose Chintz, too… I’d forgotten you had that! I just inherited about 30 pieces of it and love it SO! (Especially now that I realize you collect it too!)
xoxo ~Diane
Amazing isn’t it??!! I had no idea there was a “photo-geek” lurking inside me until I began to blog…or that I’d take 100 shots of something just to make sure the light was just how I wanted it…or that sparkle just perfect on one shard of glitter! It’s a whole new world!
{PS—You can never talk too much! ;}
m ^..^
I want someone to make this coffee cake for me for Father’s Day! Yum!
Love your photos, and keep the recipes coming!
Jake
http://www.dapperdreamy.blogspot.com
Getting to know you & you seem like the kind of guy someone would do this for!
Pure Yumminess Sweet Sue That Slice of Cranberry Coffee Cake needs a Tall Ice Cold Glass of Milk! & Please Keep On Talking & Sharing & Taking Your Fabulous Photos….You Truly Inspire All of Us! Yay! Twirling into The Joy & Magic of You Sweet Sue! xoxo Poof!
🙂 🙂 🙂 Huge Smile On My Face! xoxo Poof!
Oh Susan what a handsome dad you have!! I’m like you..I have loved to take pictures all my life & am continuing to learn all the features! You do an amazing job! Love all your pictures! And by the way you never talk to much!!!
Have a blessed week!!
Xoxo Gert
I’m loving your blog. You definitely do not talk too much.
I am so glad I’m not the only one who photographs her yummies!! One of my favorite drink recipes is the Hula Girl…. and healthy too 😉
Oh! I’m so glad you like it! Yes, juices and banana = good for you!
Like the book says, “If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to want a glass of milk”, well, if you show me a picture of a yummy cranberry anything, I’m “gonna” want the recipe….
Love all your stuff.
OK now I am hungry. This coffee cake looks really good… I wonder if I have a recipe somewhere for a blackberry version?
Darlin’, you canot talk too much because your blog talk is so pretty with drawings and pictures, even a pretty pink recipe for Skip & Go Naked (are you sure that’s the original name?). Keep talking to us, we’ll continue the conversation from our end.
Hi Susan-
My husband and I love the skip and go nakeds- especially asking our guests right off the bat if they want to ‘skip and naked’ with us. It has been an unusually good ice breaker- hmmm, maybe that says something about us and our guests!
Okay, am I missing something?? I have looked and gone back to look again….is there a recipe for this wonderful, yummy-looking coffeecake??? I looked in three different SB books and not finding it… Would love love love to have a copy of the recipe!! 😀 Found a cranberry cake in the Christmas book but don’t think it is the same one??
Thank you Susan for an amazing website which is a delight to spend time browsing!! I have found that I am becoming an addict of your artwork….I even ordered SB pencils for the office!! LOL!! I work alot with numbers in spreadsheets, so I am excited to receive them to give me the “Skies are blue, clouds are white, and I think to myself what a wonderful day” feeling while I am at work! 🙂
Ahh Susan….you are my breath of fresh air and looking at your stuff is like an hour in yoga! Thank you, thankyou, thankyou!! That blue color on your paintbrush is my most favorite color in the world….periwinkle blue? Can you tell me by chance what color that is and/or what water color paints you use? Thank you once again!
What a nice thing to say! I use all kinds of paints, including children’s paint boxes. And I mix them. So there is no solid name for that blue, it’s a little of this and a little of that. Good name for a color, don’t you think? xo
By the way….I have that same Brownie uniform that you are wearing in picture@!! Cute!
I love and adore your Skip and Go Naked’s! We have had a batch every weekend since I got out of school for the summer. You know us teachers – we like to cut loose a little bit in the summer. Everybody who has one loves it and can’t believe that it’s vodka, beer, and lemonade. I’m not a beer fan so I was shocked the first time I had them and LOVED them. Thank you Susan!
Oh, and I can’t wait to see your new book – I love pancakes, especially since my husband is in charge of making them.
You absolutely, positively brighten my day and make me smile. Thank you so much. The website is gorgeous. I LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Susan! I love, love, love your blog! Maybe it is where I am in my life right now but blogs are so wonderful for me to read! I jump in on a few, but there are three that I check in on weekly- yours, The Pioneer Woman, and Kristin Armstrong for Runners World. These are three quality blogs with some of the best writing and photography! Keep on doing what you do- you do it so well!
I’m honored to be included!
Hi Susan! This is the first time I’m visiting your website. I went to the book store yesterday and saw one of your cook books. As I looked at the cover it just made me feel so cozy and warm. I said to myself…”now this, is so me!” . I had to have it. I’m so into the simple abundance of life but by being a nurse, I hardly ever get the time to slow down and enjoy it. Visiting here allows me that time and enjoyment! I look forward to buying some of your stationary, stickers, books and cookbooks. Thanks so much for making me feel like I have just made a new friend. As life goes on it’s really hard to experience that nice feeling that goes along with having a friend whom you feel close to and really relaxed and click with if you know what I mean? Thank you for sharing who you are and your travels down the journey of life we are all on together on your blog!
I’m a longtime fan (books, dish towels, etc.) but I just found your blog today… and oh, do I envy your food pictures… no matter what I try, I just can’t take a decent food photo… yours are delicious!!
Please just keep on writing and painting and cooking and gardening and traveling and creating and and clicking, taking us along with you wherever you go. I love all these things. You make me feel so warm and cozy and right at home.
You sprinkle little petals of joy in everything you do. Thank you for being so generous!
Victoria