Potluck Party

Sunrise; 5:19 A.M. June 28, 2012

Yesterday I hosted a chicken barbeque for 18. The potluck offered a fine variety of salads and desserts. Just how ladies like it.

Potato Salad

Rice and Edemame

Taco Salad

Pasta Salad

Crudites

Broccoli, grapes and almonds. This was the first bowl to be emptied!

Creamy decadence...

..and healthy fruit choices.

Silly Napkins

Sherman on patrol

Gertrude adding some beauty to the table setting.

For the entertainment we held a "brown bag" auction. Each of us wrapped up some white elephants from around our homes in brown and sometimes colourful gift bags. The bidding can get quite heated when a couple of people take a liking to the same lot.

I was kept busy following

Beckyboo

in an effort to capture

those chubby baby knees

in her cute, little, short-shorts.







And this morning, Gertrude is  enjoying coffee with me, beneath some of the biggest, most humongus peonies ever.....

Hope your day is filled with beauty, also.

A little OCD moment.

Had to do something about my ribbon collection. Especially after looking at all the links on this blog:

http://wookiemouse.blogspot.ca/search/label/ribbon

Started like this:

Took over an hour to remove them from their restrictive packaging. Boring and tedious. I used to think that I didn't like to open new spools because they stay so neat in their packages. After this morning, I know now that it is because I don't like to waste my time trying to get the plastic wrapping off.

Then the fun part. I sorted them by colour. Made cardboard dividers for their drawers and popped them back in the desk.

Took a  trip to town for some items for tomorrow's party. Ice, a bucket to hold the ice and bottled beverages, limes. Stopping at the best little used store in the country, I snagged a basket, silver plate pie server in "my" pattern, a plaque that says "carrots", a pepper shaped salsa bowl, terracotta pot, RETRO FABRIC!

Metal tray with a lovely summer scene. Ahhhh....

More retro fabric.

Was planning on buying four hanging baskets to go in the patio holders that son-in-law gave us. Found them on sale at 33% off so went home with six baskets for the price of four. You can never have too many flowers.

Time to done my scullery maid's ensemble and ensure the threshold beckons my guests with a gleaming welcome. Wish you were coming too.

Shopping Spree and Fabric Flowers

Went to my favorite re-sale shop today. Riddle Used Store in Athabasca, Alberta. Had in mind a retro look for a barbeque I am hosting this Wednesday. Came away with dishes and doodads and magazines and cookie tins, and plant pots and the list goes on.  Baskets, fake fruit, scented wax for melting.

A charming salt shaker, I have named Sherman.

A cute cow pitcher that hence forth will be known as Gertrude.

Lots of plates in retro patterns and colours.

Delightful pasta bowls and a Morrocan inspired mirror.

A couple of pieces of barkcloth.

And much more, all for about $10. It is the best little shop in the world. Well, at least in the world, as far as I venture out into it.

On my last trip to the Farmer's Market, I purchased two packages of pre-cut fabric circles. Each bag had about 100 circles  in coordinating patterns and colours. What to do with a bunch of circles? I stacked them, sewed on a button, snipped them and put them through the wash and ended up with cheerful flowers. A little thick for a page embellishment, but I think they would be dandy on a card.

Going out to start the lawn mower. I am telling my self it is like going for a walk, and that is supposed to be a good thing to do. I am not convincing me very well. I should be having a cup of tea.

A Not So Sunny, Summer, Sunday

Woke up, way to early, to the sound of rain. Which really puts a hamper in the idea of getting the lawn mowed. Today is crop day. Darling Daughter and her best friend worked on invitations for bestie's wedding. I finished two pages. One is a pocket folder to hold a bunch of birthday cards that didn't get included on the pages about the event. A staggered accordion interior, holds the cards at different levels.

The other is a pretty, pretty page for a special Valentine's Day card.

Beckyboo was a big help in the studio. Dropping buttons into the typewriter was her favorite activity.

Later, while having cookies and milk, she was undaunted when big brother dipped his cookie into his milk. She just tipped her sippy cup over and poured a puddle on the table. Dip, dip.....it's all good.

Company has all gone home now. Toys have been marshaled back into their proper places until the next visit from wee ones. I'm having a cuppa and wondering what you have been up to?

Welcome summer! Come in and stay awhile.

Ahhhh.....June. The most wonderful time of the year. The sun beckons. Fluffy clouds cause me to stop and ponder their ever changing beauty.

  Blossoms abound.

Dandelions go to seed, and distribute said seeds in flower beds and tilled areas.

Well, it can't be all good. And I do enjoy the cheerful yellow blossoms at the beginning of spring.

We've made great strides on the garden house this week. It was delivered last summer,  but I was stalled on the interior prep for some time. Turns out I had picked the wrong colour, and that made all the difference. Florentine Plaster does not evoke the feeling of an Italian getaway. It would be more aptly named Boring Beige. While painting the girl's room at Easter, I happily found a shade called White Rock which is actually a pinky yellow. And soooooo fitting to shabby and retro decor. So three and a half gallons to the interior of the garden house and then the floor. The floor! The floor! It make the space so civilized.. Laminate from IKEA's "as is" department for $7 a box.. "Start the Car!" is right!

And then we transferred all my funky furniture and terrific treasures, from the garage to the garden house.

Time for iced tea in my big girls play house.

Pop on over,. There is plenty for sharing.