Corn Fest 2010 - Aug 19th thru 22nd

Join us for the 2010 Sweet Corn Fest August 19-22 at Angell Park!!

Sun Prairie, Wisconsin will host the annual Sweet Corn Festival Thursday, August 19 through Sunday, August 22, 2010 at Angell Park, near the intersection of Highway 19 and Highway N.
For the low cost of $1.00 admission on Saturday and Sunday per person for gate walk-in, attendees can enjoy free entertainment, children's activities and more. Children age 6 and under are free admission, and if you park on the grounds admission is included in the price. Buttons are $1.50 for unlimited entrance to the Festival. Parking is $5.00 per vehicle and includes admission.

Over 100,000 people from around the Midwest attend the event which serves over 70 tons of sweet corn during the weekend! Steamed sweet corn is available on Saturday and Sunday only from noon to 7 pm. A tote of corn is $6.00 and single ears are $1.50. Uncooked corn is available to purchase on Saturday and Sunday for $5.00 per bag.

This event features a carnival-midway complete with rides and games, food booths, live bands, craft show, petting zoo, kiddie korner with large inflatables, family entertainment and much more. Thursday and Friday night are carnival wristband nights with unlimited rides from 6-10pm for $20.

Thursday night kicks off the event with the parade down Main Street at 6:00 pm. Festival grounds feature the carnival, booths, and beer tent Thursday and Friday nights after 6 pm. All activities are in place on Saturday and Sunday when the park opens at 11:30 am.

403 Lance Lane, Madison, WI 53716

Check out this absolute cream puff from your huge deck with pergola overlooking almost a half acre private lot on a cul de sac, in the city of Madison! This is almost unheard of! Beautifully maintained and move in ready, this bright and sunny three bed, 2 bath home with tons of windows will be hard to beat. The home features hardwood floors, a fieldstone fireplace, a finished basement with rec room and extra storage, and a 2-car extra deep garage. Updates include invisible fencing, newer appliances, newer roof, and brand new gutters. Come take a look before it's too late!

Chilled Avocado-Cucumber Soup

It's just too warm to turn on the oven. Why not make your family a chilled soup for dinner?

Chilled Avocado-Cucumber Soup

from MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients
1 English cucumber, peeled and diced
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 scallion, white and pale-green parts only, coarsely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 cup cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions
1.Puree ingredients in a blender. Divide soup and reserved cucumber and avocado among 4 bowls. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

(Photo and recipe from http://www.marthastewart.com/)

Dane County home sales up again in June, but dip expected in July

Early reports for June home sales in Dane County are coming in positive, with sales of single-family homes up compared to last year for the 11th time in the past 12 months and condominium sales up for the 10th straight month.

But these increases -- according to a preliminary report, about 17 percent from last June and 24 percent year-to-date -- could represent very nearly the last gasp of the federal government's home buyer tax credit, which expired for new contracts on April 30.

Home buyers originally had until June 30 to close those sales, so the final June sales report should be the last monthly tally to show strong influence from the government incentive, which was worth up to $8,000 for first-time buyers and $6,500 for some repeat buyers.

(A last-minute extension of the closing deadline to Sept. 30 by the federal government means a few more incentive-related sales could dribble in before the October report, but local agents believe the majority of the last incentive-related sales here closed in June).

Out in the field, meanwhile, some local agents say they've definitely noticed a drop in buyer activity since the end of April.

"Showing activity and web activity are lower now," said Dan Miller, a Keller Williams agent who tracks sales figures from the South Central Wisconsin MLS at DaneCountyMarket.com.

"And even though interest rates are the lowest in history, many buyers are shopping at a very deliberate price," Miller added. "This is in sharp contrast to the buyers from March and April who were rushing to make their offers and close on their homes before the tax credit expired."

(Note the Campbell Communications home buyer traffic survey, released June 21, which shows how home buyer traffic across the country has clearly declined since April 30. The survey was based on responses from 3,000 real estate agents nationwide.)

Locally, preliminary figures also show the median combined home-and-condo price in Dane County was up 3 percent in June but down 1 percent year-to-date.

(Article by Karen Rivedal, http://host.madison.com/wsj/business/real-estate/ )

Upcoming Events this Weekend in Madison, WI: 6/23/10 to 6/27/10

Wednesday, 6/23

• Hilldale Farmer's Market, Hilldale Mall, 7am to 2pm
• American Red Cross Blood Drive, State Office Building GEF III at 125 S. Webster St., 8:15AM to 1:00PM
• Parade of Homes, Tour 26, 3pm to 7pm
• "Family Camping: Destinations on One Tank of Gas," Free, 7pm to 8 pm, West Towne REI Store

Thursday, 6/24

• Free T'ai Chi Class, Monona Terrace, 12pm to 1245pm
• Free Capitol City Band Concert, 7pm to 8pm, Rennebohm Park
• Blues and Rock Concert, Monona Terrace Rooftop, 7pm to 9pm
• Mallard's vs. Green Bay Bullfrogs baseball game, Warner Park, starts at 7:05pm

Friday, 6/25

• Stoughton Farmer's Market, 7am to 1pm, Stoughton Plaza Shopping Center on Main St.
• "Looking Down Town" kite aerial photography of Madison exhibit, displayed at the Alicia Ashman Branch of the Madison Public Library on High Point Rd., 9am to 9pm
• Bluegrass Jamboree, High Noon Saloon, starts at 9:30pm
• Anna Wang and the Oh Boys, the Come Back Inn, starts at 9:30pm

Saturday, 6/26

• Dane County Farmer's Market on the Capitol Square, 6am to 2pm
• Native American Artificact and Antique Show, free admission, Sauk County Fairgrounds in Baraboo, 9am to 5pm
• Quilts, Fabric, and Fibers Art Show, mustic by Moo Grass Band and the Swamp Bottom Boys, 12pm to 8pm, LA Rossing Building in Argyle, WI
• Sand Castle Building Contest, prizes for Most Original, Smallest, Roundest, and Best In Show, register at 266-6345, hosted by the Madison Public Library Central Branch
• Fish Fry, serving 4pm to 9pm, music by the Greg Anderson Band, Adam's Firehouse in Argyle, WI
• Atlas Improv Comedy Show, 8pm and 10pm, Electric Earth Cafe on West Wash
• Headliner Mike Merryfield at the Comedy Club on State, 8pm and 10:30pm

Sunday, 6/27

• Garden Tool Donation Collection Benefit, benefits the Community Action Coalition, donate tools at the Northside Farmer's Market, 8:30am to 12:30pm, Northside Town Center and Sherman and Northport
• Ice Age Trail Restoration, the prairies and Table Bluff need your help to remove invasive weeds and shrubs, 9am to 12pm, Table Bluff Rd. in Cross Plains, bring water!
• Tame Cat Adoption Fair, 2pm to 4pm, Sly's Place Shelter on Post Rd.

Want to know what else is going on around here? Visit http://calendar.madison.com/

Home Decorating Design Inspiration

Need some home decorating inspiration? Here's a Sneak Peak at the home of Hilda Grahnat, a 23 year old graphic design student from Sweden who has a fantastic eye for collage and all things vintage.

(Photos from designspongeonline.com)

Un-Pinking a '50s Kitchen - From the DIY Network