As promised a picture of the table.

As promised a picture of the table.  This dinner had been scheduled since March and I was so glad that the roses obliged and bloomed on time (barely).

I started collecting this pattern of vintage Vernon Rose pottery (c. 1965-1975) years and years ago and it has become a tradition to use it when the roses are in bloom. The pink goblets and salad plate are French and also a long ago purchase... But the  ruffled hobnail bowls are a new addition to my collections.  They are from the 40s by Anchor Hocking and called "Moonstone Opalescent"  I couldn't believe I had never seen it, but I had lunch at my cousin's recently and she had a set.  I fell in love with it and was able to find some bowls and dessert dishes on Etsy for a very reasonable price.  It will go with everything which is great because almost all of my dishware are not complete sets and having something to fill in my bits and pieces is nice.

We were having a beef dish so I got out my crystal knife rests to help protect the vintage lace and embroidery tablecloth. Since I never buy tourist-type souvenirs, I always try to buy something for my table or my kitchen as reminders of a trip.  I bought these gorgeous antique crystal knife rests in Amsterdam in 1992.  They came in this beautiful leather box lined with silk... It was the best bargain I ever got and a great reminder of the trip every time I use them..

But even though I love to cook a special meal and set a pretty table, the real joy comes with sharing it all with friends.  We rarely  go out to drink or dine so having friends for dinner is a major part of our social life.

All in all the evening was a great success and DH helps with all the dishwashing......

A Good Morning

I had a great morning.... I know it will sound silly but I got to go grocery shopping all by myself.  I've always like to shop for groceries as I like to dawdle over purchases and fuss over the veggies, and make impromptu decisions about menus or add something spontaneous because I have a whim.. 

Since I don't drive anymore DH has been taking me grocery shopping for months.  He never complains and takes me whenever I need to go....but.... he has a tendency to hover or shift on his feet if I'm too slow or the very worst ...wants part of the list and makes his own decisions about brands and prices
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Today he had to get his driver license renewed which is a lengthy process here and he dropped me off at the grocery store and I had a whole hour and a half  to shop alone.  I was in heaven.  We 're having a fancy dinner party tomorrow night and I had a long list.  We always shop at the same store so I'm comfortable getting around and am not the least embarrassed to ask for help with reading labels or finding things. I had just finished and checked out when he arrived and apologized profusely for being so long... I just smiled..

I did need a LOT of special items as here is the menu... The theme is "Everything's coming up Roses!" I get to spend whole the afternoon making the duck pate and the cannoncini.  It's a rainy day and since I can't play  outside, the next best thing is playing in the kitchen.  I will post a picture of the table tomorrow.

Flowers feed my spirit.....

What a difference a year makes... This is my bed of rescued peonies that I was working on last year.  It was all overgrown with weeds and my lovely granddaughter Leigha helped me clear it out so I could put down a weed barrier and bark mulch...  Photo from the same spot as last year.  All the peonies in the foreground have already bloomed as they are very early varieties.. Added many more peonies this spring.  There are close to 50 plants now in this bed...most still small.

My garden is filled with secret places of bloom that no one but me ever sees.  This huge pink dictamus and beauty bush are a good example...

Meet Maxine and Harley!!

We picked up the new pullets a week ago and they are settling in.  This is the prettiest one and I have named her Maxine and she definitely wants to be my friend.  I try to sit with them a bit each day and talk to them so they know me but right from the first Maxine would come right by my feet and peck at my shoes while the other two have been more shy.

Then yesterday she hopped up on the feed bin within a foot of me and listened to every word I had to say...  I sit on a small stool near the feed bin and my shoulder is leaning against a bale of shavings.

Tonight she eased over to the edge of the feed bin and was trying to decide whether she was going to hop over to the bale of shavings to get closer and that is just what she did.







And once she made the leap she scooted right next to my shoulder and set herself down.  I had the camera on my shoulder when I took this picture. You can see her BF "Fancy Pants" watching all this. Maxine sat there until it was getting dark  and listened to me until I finally had to go in the house... I predict I will soon have her eating right out of my hand.

Now that the weather is turning too hot to work outside I will get some buttons painted and this pet Lhasa  Apso  is first on the list.. His owner is a motorcyclist enthusiast and named him Harley...  No pink ribbons on his head and check the haircut... and he will be wearing a bandana with the Harley Davidson logo.  I had to blow the photo up on the computer to really see where the dark side of his head started and ended.  I really like Harley!!!  Great photo to work from....lots of detail.

Great product - new kitchen

Most of my adult life I've had a yellow or cream kitchen...I cook better in a yellow or cream kitchen.  The food looks better in a yellow or cream kitchen and it even tastes better in a yellow or cream kitchen... Only twice in 60+ years have I varied.  Once I painted my kitchen pink which did not last long... It was pepto bismal pink and horrid..

And about 35 years ago I painted it a minty green thinking it would be soothing... It was at the time I was upgrading my cabinets with new doors and getting new counter tops for which I also chose a minty green formica.  I soon hated a minty green kitchen and went back to either yellow or creams... But I was stuck with those minty green counters all those years.



So I was thinking when we were on the cruise that I would try to paint the counter tops and found this product on Amazon.

I thought I would try it and if I didn't like it I would paint sunflowers all over the counter instead.  But I was definitely not looking at those minty green counters one more summer.

I corralled DH into helping to tape off all the edges which was the most time consuming part of the whole process.  The first step was painting it all with black primer and DH was really worried at that point..  Probably rightly so as over the years I have had some not-so-great ideas.





Well it turned out so much better than I even dreamed it could.  The lighting in this picture does not do it justice. There were 3 steps.  The first step was the primer which had to dry 8 hours, then the sponging of three colors which had to dry 4 hours and then the top coat and let it dry 8 hours. It will take a couple weeks to really "cure."  So in a couple days my kitchen looks brand new.

It is really this color. Granted it is not real granite! ...and not as durable but it is breathtaking.  I always use vinegar on my kitchen counters and they advise vinegar or other harsh cleaners not to be used on this surface.  I can do that! And if I do accidentally damage a spot I will paint a sunflower on it.