A little of this and a little of that, Monday Morning Musings and 5 Finds to watch, read and wear this summer.
Monday Musings
Good morning friends. How was your Easter weekend? Did you host Easter at your place? Or did you head over to family and friends like we did?
Saturday In the garden
The weather here was beautiful so on Saturday I spent 3 hours outside planting containers. In all honesty, I have a love hate relationship with my containers; love buying the flowers but hate to plant them.
In addition, I buy what I like, not what I “know” will work and I buy way too many plants. Then I am scrambling to find places to put them before they die or I have to return them.
Easter Sunday Musings
Sunday was all about family, cooking, laughing, the kids, baskets, candy, food and so much fun. After we ate our fill of ham, au gratin potatoes, asparagus and to many other “fixings” to remember, carrot cake, cookies and candy were on the dessert menu.
Saturday on “Weekend Meanderings” with Kim and Juliet I shared the recipe for Rocky Road. A popular British and Australian chocolate treat that you can whip together anytime. It is simply melted chocolate, a little butter, and any kind of candy, cookies, marshmallows, dried fruit and nuts that you want to mix in to make your bars.
For dessert my brother made a carrot cake, no raisins or nuts and no cream cheese frosting(as requested by the children), basically a spiced carrot cake with flour frosting. It was old fashioned, simple and delicious. If you like your carrot cake with nuts and cream cheese frosting(I do) try this carrot loaf cake that I made last week.
Then we all jumped in the golf cart to go to the village for a few hours singing and laughing around the piano at the Inn.
Today I am definitely suffering from too much fun, not enough sleep and way too much sugar.
Ok, now that I caught you up on the weekend let me share a few of the things that I am loving this week.
5 Things
Created over 75 years and three generations, Les Quatre Vents stands as an enchanted place of beauty and surprise, a horticultural masterpiece of the 21st century. See how Frank Cabot gave birth to one of the greatest gardens in the world.
Gardeners and amateurs alike will love this movie, it is a feast for the eyes. I have already watched it twice becauseI could not take it all in the first time( free on Amazon Prime).
Speaking of which, I am on the hunt for a rain barrel, I like the look of this one and this one, if you have one that you love please let me know.
It is almost beach time and this cover-up is perfect from beach to table.
Add this tote filled with a “beach read”, water bottle and a towel and you are ready to spent the day in the sun.
My sister-in-law makes the best cocktails and yesterday she told me her secret, this book! Juliet of Make Mine a Spritzer also makes delicious cocktails and has a weekly series. Between the two you will have endless choices to make for parties, bbq’s and days in the summer sun.
I hope that you had a wonderful Easter/Passover. Please share your adventures, recipes or just the memories that you made with your family and friends, we would love to hear(read) all about it! Have a happy and safe weekend.
Friday Favorites from Foodess, Half Baked Harvest, Flower Magazine and More
All Things Lemon…Weekend Meanderings
Weekend Meanderings…All Things Gingham
Lavender Love Weekend Meanderings
Elizabeth,
Thank you for the movie suggestion—I’m an avid garden enthusiast. I love seeing inspiration pieces such as The Gardener.
I had such a wonderful Easter with my local family. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed your Easter as well.
Karen B.
Karen, I am happy to hear that you enjoyed a lovely Easter with family, it is always so special to be with the people that we love.
The Gardner is stunning, a labor of love and you can enjoy it from the comfort of home.
I can grow perennials and most annuals but those rotten petunias get me every time…and not in a good way. Pinch them back, they say. I diligently pinch. Don’t overwater. I do the finger test in side of pot. Lots of sun. I don’t bake them in the sun but they get alot. I still end up with long leggy tiny leaved plants. So done, you petunias! Geraniums are my new best friends! I do have friends who do midsummer purchases of new hanging baskets to avoid stringy plants. I will join them!
Deb, I am happy to hear that I am not the only one that finds this a challenge. Geraniums are a favorite of mine, they always look beautiful, you can overwinter them in the garage and they look beautiful the next year. Thank you for sharing, have a great day!
I spent the Easter weekend sick as a dog. Not fun.
William, I hope that you are feeling better. I am sorry to hear that you were sick.