A Day of Blueberries

This post by Janna of jaC jewelry inspired me to do something I haven't done since my youth, and that was to go blueberry picking. Yesterday was the perfect day for it, so we grabbed my parents and drove to the countryside to a wonderful blueberry farm. The four of us truly enjoyed this adventure, which netted us boatloads of wonderful berries that we will enjoy for months to come (thank goodness they freeze well!). You can bet there will be many blueberry recipes on this blog in the near future, but for now take a look at some of our adventures from yesterday: On our way out of town, we stopped at the Shelby Township Farmer's Market to see my friend Kay, who is the creator of Wooly Bulle'. Take a look at her fabulous display of all natural lotions, soaps and laundry powder. They are wonderful products! If you live in the Metro Detroit area, be sure to stop by this market, which runs on Saturdays from 9-2. It is located at the historic Packard Proving Grounds, which is a wonderful setting. While not a terribly big market, it features a lovely range of items and some of the freshest, most delicious looking produce I have ever seen. There was even one vendor who would cut a fresh head of romaine lettuce for you, right off the plant, for only $2.25.

The Blueridge Berry Farm in Capac, MI is the place to go.

Look at those beautiful berries, just waiting to be picked!

These two buckets were mine and the hubby's. Between the four of us, we ended up with over 30lbs. of them!

They made for excellent pancakes this morning :)

Digging in the Dirt . . . and Lovin' it!!!

This past weekend marked the beginning of planting season for us. We kicked it off by venturing on down to Detroit’s historic Eastern Market. Sunday was their 43rd annual “Flower Day”, but we got a jump on things by going on Saturday, when the vibe is still great but there are about 100,000 fewer people in the market. After a few hours of shopping, we ended up with a vanload of annuals and perennials. Some of it went to my parent’s home ~ they came on the trip too. Lucky for us, Sunday was an absolutely perfect day for planting ~ sunny, low humidity and not too warm. Thanks to our time spent digging in the dirt, in a few months we will have a harvest of tomatoes (three varieties), hot peppers (six varieties), and nine different types of herbs. It’s amazing how much you can fit in a small, suburban, backyard garden :) Aside from those veggies and herbs, I now have beautiful scenery to gaze at from a patio lounge chair as I sip cold beverages on a warm day ~ one of my favorite summertime activities.

Here are some of our beautiful finds . . .

I love to buy my bedding plants from this flower stand, which is located roughly one mile from where I live. As you can see from the photo, there is now an office building next door, however this area used to be nothing but farmland at one time. The family still owns a farm about 20 miles away, where they grow everything that is sold at this market. In late July they have the best sweet corn in the world. My PSA for the day is to support your local farmers whenever you can! You can learn more about how to do that here.

The Monday "Blah's"

I’m not big fan of Mondays ~ who is, right?! This morning it was especially hard to get back into the “routine” after coming off an extended holiday weekend. I’m really, really not motivated today. So, rather than jump headfirst into the events of the week, I’d rather take a minute to reminisce about the past three days. It was the perfect balance of time spent with family and friends as well as time spent relaxing alone. There was a lot to do but nowhere in particular to be at any given time. Those are the best kind of days. I even managed to squeeze some time in there to create a few new pieces for my Etsy shop. Look for those soon. Yesterday my hubby and I went out to breakfast and spent the early afternoon tooling around in nearby Royal Oak. The downtown is home to an eclectic mix of shops, sidewalk cafes and the like. We especially love the Farmers Market, which turns into an Antique/Flea Market on Sundays. It’s always fun to hunt for treasures there ~ you never know what you will find!

An Historic Gem

I may be a suburban dweller, but I do frequent many places in nearby Detroit. The city that is near and dear to my heart gets many a bad rap, especially lately. I would like to showcase one of the Motor City's gems, and a place where anyone can experience the true culture and vibe of the place I call home.

Eastern Market is the largest historic public market district in the United States. At more than a century old, it is also the world's largest bedding market. In fact, this weekend the 42nd Annual Flower Day will take place, drawing record numbers of people ~ as it does every year. And you bet your bottom that I will be there with my little red wagon in tow.

A few of the market's 100+ year old sheds are undergoing a renovation that will make them better than ever. I am continually proud that this wonderful place continues to thrive in a city where many relics of the past are distant memories not shared by those born after the baby boom. I do not know of many places where you can buy Organic produce, spices, freshly ground coffee, fine wine, imported beer, meat, Seafood ~ and not to mention eat a Monster burger that has been barbecued right there on the street while watching amateurs sing Karaoke ~ all within a few blocks. It is an experience like no other!

These are a few photos that I have taken on past visits to the Market. With all of the negative press that Detroit gets, I'm hoping this portrays a more positive image.