Canada Day Long Weekend

Hello friend. How was your weekend? Mine was very full, very busy, very fun. Here are a few of the things we did.

Saturday was the Canada Day Parade with the Cohen and the Beckster

Followed by a picnic in a quiet park.
 

 Then some bouncy-house fun!

On Sunday, Robin made blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and hung a fresh new flag on our flag pole. Happy 145th birthday, Canada!

I was recently bit by a sewing bug,

(don't go here, if you don't want to catch it....

http://teawagontales.blogspot.co.uk/

or here either!

http://sillyoldsuitcase.blogspot.ca/ )

and had to put together a pennant banner.

As I was carrying it to the garden shed to hang, Robin inquired (rather wistfully, I think) if I was making Polk-a-dot bikinis. Later, Handsome Nephew came over to discuss the finishing of the exterior of garden shed. I am to order the supplies, this week.

After a the gaiety of frivolousness of the banner, I set down to weed in the garden . We are well on the way to making a boulevard which will border the future lawn. This is a bit of a "before" picture.

 Over seven hours of weeding in the past 24 hours and it is looking much better. Next week we will install the landscape fabric and timbers.

And today, after assembling our shiny, new charcoal barbeque,

 











Robin made hamburgers for lunch.

 Yum....

 And I get to end a lovely long weekend with a visit with you. Now tell me, what did you do on your weekend?

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.