Such beautiful days. Running through the rain, planting more seeds, having picnics in the garden, pink sunsets, savoring the moment…
I looked up dates for summer's beginning and end.
Summer began on June 21st (here it has been warm since the end of March, with a cool snap in April, and then hotness ever since).
Summer doesn't end until September 23rd.
This means that we are just about, right smack, in the middle of summer.
(not really, but almost)
Sooooooo…
That means, summer fun treats continue.
Isn't that grand?
Something I like to do is taste edible flowers.
So, this weekend, I tried an experiment…
I collected flowers and herbs directly from my garden…
Roses, carnations, mint, lavender, basil flowers and basil leaves…
If you want to know more about edible flowers, click here, not all flowers are edible. Just remember, experts warn that flowers from a florist are not edible. And, I am not responsible for any flowers or herbs you might eat.
I took my flowers and herbs, and placed them in an ice cube tray, filled them with water, and froze them.
Now, I must confess, there is a proper way to do this.
I just don't really follow rules.
(actually, I didn't know there were proper rules when I did this, I just jumped in and tried an idea, not even knowing it had been perfected already)
What you should do is, fill the tray halfway with cooled boiled water and your flowers, and freeze. Once your half ice cubes are frozen, fill the rest of the way with your cooled boiled water and freeze again.
Then your flowers will be in the center of the cubes.
I don't much care about that though. So, I just tossed them in, filled with filtered water, and froze.
And voila!
Beautiful little specimens.
I have to tell you, I delivered Mister Lovee some cold water with flower herb ice cubes, and can I just say, he loved it. Thought it was the best thing ever.
I can't convey in the photos how pretty these really are. Especially floating in your glass, as the ice melts and the petals and herbs float around. Loveliness!
You can make ice flower bowls and all manner of things too. I am certain you have seen those before?
I looooooved the flavor of the icy water, herby and delicate…
So fresh.
A real summertime treat, I'd say…
Just so so pretty in person…
Cheeeeers!
From our tiny house, to you!
Look at these pretty frozen flower treats…
I am inspired to try more, how about you?
Love, V
Important Note: Not to repeat myself but, if you want to know more about edible flowers, click here, not all flowers are edible. Just remember, experts warn that flowers from a florist are not edible. I am not responsible for any flowers or herbs you might eat, okiedokie. Consume flowers at your own risk. Also, if you are allergy prone, you should be very careful. Read more about edible flowers here.
ps: Let me be an over-bearing furrybabymama for a sec…
Soft, funny, playful, happy, nutty, adorable soft soft soft fur love.
Beyond cuddle-able.
Miles.
His brother Matty took off as soon as I brought out the camera.
Matty is always on high alert.
But sleepy Miles, the King, will sleep even if you jump on the bed next to him.
Although, if food is involved, why, he can hear someone eating a corn chip down the road.
He is getting huge…
But, he thinks he is still a baby.
Which he is.
However, he has no clue how huge he is, and jumps in between me and Lovee onto a loveseat.
Squeeze.
When he was a tiny baby puppy, sometimes I couldn't find him, and eventually, we would realize that he had taken himself to his bed.
Oh. My. Heart.
It's mini Miles.
Sniffle.
At then end of August, he will be 8 months old.
And, he is now, as big as my bed 🙂
Well, not really, but almost.
He is more playful than ever. If you wake him, he puts his paws over his eyes and goes, rrrr, rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, rrrrrrrrr.
And then goes back to sleep.
He spends a huge amount of time on his back, looking at the world upside-down, and silly growling.
So, there is a little Miles update.
I often call him Mimer-Mimer (my-mer). I don't know why, ever since he was little, I would say, Hi there Mimer-Mimer.
pss:
Protector, who majorly attacks me with love in the morning.
My little soldier.
(He knows how to hug, if I ask for a hug. I ask for about 50 hugs a day)
Matty-cakes.
Very pretty flower cubes. I once tried to make an ice bowl outside to put a candle in but the weather warmed up all of a sudden. Maybe next year!
Love the Miles pics. I call Lily ‘Lil Lil’ or Lily the pill’, Andy calls her ‘Monkey’. Tiger gets called ‘Boo Boo’ by both of us, and Cassie is ‘The Little Cat’ or The Monster’ when we are talking about her. Literally pet names!
I promise I won’t blame you if I eat flowers that might cause me to puff up like a blow fish 😉
I love your ice cubes!! I love the way the ice molds look when people make them for champagne or wine bottles… very cool…
Matty looks like a solider for the Queen of England … he won’t move a muscle!
Ok, now I just want to put a whole bunch of these beautiful ice cubes in my pool and jump in! Also, I am very thirsty now!
I am sssoooo warm today! Miss Vanessa by your calculations regarding summer and knowing how long until we begin our cooling trend it almost makes me crazy. I especially feel sorry for all the kiddos heading back to school this week. Yikes!
I love the picture of your house with the pink awesome sky, just beautiful! Seeing your pictures of Miles in his angelic slumber makes me want to give him such a huggg. He has grown sooo much and depicts regal royalty! Matty looks like he has too much going on to pose for any photo opps. Giggle giggle! You made my day as usual! Thanks! 😉
Oh my, but your edible flower cubes look so gorgeous in your glass! What a perfect treat for such a hot summer.
Your fur babies are so adorable. Miles sounds like my Emma, she can sleep through just about anything (except fireworks and thunder). And she too can hear you open a food bag from a mile away!
Don’t we just love our little doggies! What a blessing they are!
Hugs,
Terri
Petals on ice. Incredible pretty idea.
And your puppy tales… Sweet!
Hi sweet Vanessa~~~~
Your ice creations are so pretty~~I use to make them with mint leaves..but I love the blooms you added inside too!
I will have to try that:)) Thanks for sharing.
Ahhhh your charming little house is so cute!! Always fun to stop by and see what new things are happening on your homestead!
Puppy photos are adorable:)
Hope you are staying cool! The air conditioning went on very early at my house this morning.
Taking the afternoon off from work, hanging with my kiddos, puppies and kitty.
Take Care
xo
Kay Ellen
How gorgeous the ice cubes look! You are a very clever girl 🙂
your babies are adorable!! I wish I had a pet bed like the ones they have! hahaha it looks sooo comfy!
take care!
xo,
K
OK, let me get this straight, is that little house really yours!? As in, you live in it? Oh my dear, if so, I am so jealous…it’s my DREAM to live in tiny house like that!!! I LOVE it!!!!!!!
I love your outlook of summer, yes! nearly half of it yet left to enjoy!
Your beautiful floral ice cubes are so lovely..I am myself sipping LARGE quantities of dried hibiscus blooms…
x..x
Pretty in person…PRETTY IN PICTURES!!! Only you my Fanciful Friendling could make an ice cube tray look so bee-e-u-ti-ful!!!
Oh puppy love. I love puppy love. No matter how old or how big they are still cuddly-icious!!!
Hee hee, love me
The whisperings in the garden hall
Amongst fairy dew drops and all,
Is about the Middle of Summer Ball.
The Wee cottage of V,
Was preparing ice cube petal tea,
Which really started it all.
She was humming a tune-
Something about the flowers in bloom.
And then these shifts sublime,
Rocked her preparation in time,
Summers best alighted shine.
And what you think was in a blink,
Is no longer what you think-
Or an ordinary day-
When the fairies are out to play.
They will toast with crystal petals-
Across summer dreams, twirling, dancing
along summers seams.
So very lovely & how refreshing it sounds…I just pinned it…thank you for sharing!! Blessings ~H🖤~
Your flower cubes are so pretty.
your puppy is growing up way too fast. Just like kids do.
GG that was such cute post.
First I have to say that I LOVE fur babies!!! They are the best!! Those flower cubes are beautiful…..but I do have allergies so I will keep my distance…..but they are really beautiful!
I love your flower ice cubes! I’ve been doing mine with blueberries and lime peel, but herbs and roses would be lovely… hmm… 🙂 thanks for the thought!
This is so gorgeous, first the flowers, then the furbabies. I love reading your blog, if just for those bits of beautiful
Oh the boys look so cute today! I can’t get over how big miles has gotten- so adorable. And we need more pics of matty- he is sooo pretty! His coloring is just to die for! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ill have to chase Matty down for a photo. He is always on high
alert, guarding the place 😉 I say, Matty sit, and I take out my camera,
and he takes off 😉 He is my love.
What dainty little white, house!! And your pretty floral-herd iceies….so lovely. I made some of these a few months ago (not so pretty and elegant as yours, however) from baby pansies. I loved seeing their sweet viola faces in the glass while I sipped my water! Your pup is SO soft and sweet!!
Ooh, so pretty! And such wonderful furriness! The pumpkin seeds I am trying to grow in big pots on my patio are starting to sprout and I was wondering if you had any tips for keeping them alive and coaxing them to make pumpkins since you are the pumpkin queen!
Hi Miss Valencia! What a sweet and beautiful idea!! I must try it!! It sounds delicious and looks beautiful too.
Miles has grown so quickly!! He is so adorably sweet! Oh how much I love dogs!
Take care!!
Kim
Lovely flower cubes…makes me thirst after seeing that sparkling goblet of floral water! I have frozen cubes with rasberries and then served them in lemonade. Not nearly as pretty as all those flowers though. All those puppy pictures make my heart jump for joy, your babies are so photogenic! The photo of your splendorific property makes me swoon with that exquisite pink hovering overhead amongst the thick cloudy sky. What a magical moment to capture. For some reason I am suddenly very thirsty….excuse me while I go pour myself a goblet of icy cold goodness….I may even throw a flower or two in there…..
Wonderful!
You could make lanterns this way as well, since you have access to flowers AND it gets dark at night where you live! I don’t know if you do this, but here we make ice lanterns in winter by filling a bucket with water and putting it outside to freeze, only once it has started to freeze at the top, you break it in the middle and pour out some of the water. You continue this way – freeze, break, pour out water – until you get a good space inside the ice block but the walls are frozen solid. Then you get the ice block out of the bucket and put candles in the space you created. Here’s a description: http://www.hemmakanalen.se/1.1398131/2009/12/17/sa_gor_du_ernsts_islyktor
you could make those with flowers and put them in crystal bowls on a table!
P.S. Did you ever get the photos I e-mailed you from Paris?
Oh Vanessa, you are so lovely! That flower ice is just beautiful, what a great idea…and those pumpkins are amazing (Hello Halloween 😉 Miles IS getting big…what a sweet fluffy ball of lovelylumpkins 😉 Our big boxer thinks he is a lap dog too, hahah….how can we tell them they aren’t without hurting feelings!? I just can’t bring myself to do it. But at least miles is fluffy, our Roscoe isn’t and has boney elbows that dig into us, tee hee. And we let him get away with it because he gives us that puppy dog look and just loves his cuddle time when he can steal it away from his 3 sisters 😉
Hugs,
Jamie 🙂
Oh, I love seeing updates on your babies. They are both so cute! Twyla
Those ice cubes are gorgeousness! Oh, and baby Miles and big Miles, too–so sweet! And big boy Matty the handsome. Oh, there’s your little cottage! Do tell us if there has been any decorating going on inside!
Wow – Miss Vanessa! I can’t believe how elegant and beautiful the flower ice looks. I can just imagine how delicately sweet it must taste! What a fun thing to try – thanks for sharing this. 🙂 Miles is such a big boy now. I love that he smiles when he sleeps. What a sweetie. Your two boys are treasures – give them big hugs from me! xoxo
I love how you did with the ice flower! Really like it! I will be trying it some time! I love your dog too! I also have one and experiencing too much happiness every day!