Get a load of them berries. . .

I love living near all of this good fruit. It is absolutely delicious.

I mean, seriously. Get a load of these berries!

Have you ever seen such a luscious layout of juicy, big heart-pumping strawberries?

I purchased the strawberries for a Gold Canyon Candle party I hosted at our home. I am slowly getting over the fear of hosting people at our house. At first our house was never clean enough or not put together, then-or always-it came down to "what on earth would I cook!?" Well I didn't cook anything, not even the brownies I served. Right-I know, I can make a batch of brownies, but listen to be quite frank I had spent all day cleaning, mopping, dusting, etc. So the last thing I wanted to do was do a bunch of baking and then hand wash all of the dishes in my tiny little sink and re-wipe down the counters before guests arrived. No thanks, I'll buy the plastic little box from the bakery and cut them into tiny squares. And then I'll let people assume I did a nice little bake number in the kitchen. I should have bought one of those baking candles ahead of time so my house smelled like the freshly baked goods I had just opened-uh, I mean baked, of course.

And what would I do without my agile husband to jump up on the counter & retrieve the items needed that are out of my reach?

Well... I'd climb up there myself and get them. Even in my pregnant state I have done so... but I ask myself, "Why? For what reason when I have THIS at home who can do it for me?"

Step 1: Sneak up on the dish

Step 2: Grab it by the neck.

Step 3: Pose in triumph.

My final display of the goods I "assembled" for the little candle party I hosted

On the menu:

Pita chips and roasted red pepper hummus (so good)

Chocolate brownies

Strawberries and Cream Cheese Dip

(Cream cheese + brown sugar + vanilla extract = 20 strawberries eaten by myself)

And then... just to ruin the delicious images you just saw, (including the ones of my husband), I'd like to show you this:

The next morning I found that our dog Duke had placed his squeaky toy in the empty dog bowl.

Is he trying to send me a message here?