Under a Blue Moon

Flickr Favorites (please click link to see the source of these beautiful images)

• Stately sandwiches (who knew every state even HAD a sandwich?) via A Cup of Jo
• I love this iPhone cover (watch out for knock-offs – evidently it is frequently copied but with substandard results)
• I think this is kind of an adorable banner.  
• Time for a trip to the beach:  Tote bag (Navy is nice too)
• Freakishly appealing china.  Or perhaps some ancestoral deer would work better with your decor?

We are having a house guest this weekend so I'm going to spend the day figuring out the menus for her visit.  I guess this means some housework is in order today too.  Nothing like having your mother in law come to visit to make all the cobwebs and smudgy fingerprints come out of hiding.  

I hope your weekend is splendid!

I found the cutest labels and tags at Walmart the other day.  To be honest I am not a big fan of going into Walmart.  Something about it sets my teeth on edge but I wanted to see if I could find an Anchor Hocking piggy bank (I didn't) and, as is the norm, I found a bunch of other stuff I didn't realize I needed.

I can't find the jar labels online but here are the tags.  Both were found in the canning aisle.  At my store each cost less than $2. See what I mean?  I didn't realize that I needed jar labels but it turned out I totally did.

I think they are so sweet.  

I realize apple butter and pumpkin bread are not totally seasonal but I needed props.  By the way this apple butter recipe is fabulous and it freezes really well.

I finally finished my little lap quilt made from vintage sheets.  It was a very simple project so I'm not sure what took so long to finish it up.  

When I was visiting Nicki last week she whipped up a binding for me and attached it to the front of the quilt.  All I needed to do was stitch it to the back.  I think that part is my favorite part of quilting.  I find it very relaxing and peaceful.  

There are 28 different fabrics in the quilt.  I found fat quarters on Etsy and I'm not sure if it is true of all people selling fabric on Etsy or just the kind of personality that likes to collect and sell vintage sheet remnents but each transaction was so sweet.  Fabric beautifully washed, ironed and packaged and, without fail, an extra fat quarter or two thrown in.  

The quilting was done by the very lovely Linda of The Quilted Pineapple.  You know how anxious I get about doing anything quilting related – I don't consider myself a quilter by any stretch of the imagination – but Linda was very kind and complimentary about my humble little quilt.  I told her I wanted something all over in design, very loose and vaguely florally and she did a lovely job doing just exactly that.  

The sheets are all from the late 60's and early 70's and the quilting just works perfectly with them.

I was afraid that since vintage sheets are mostly a cotton/poly blend that I wouldn't get that lovely puckering when I washed it but it puckered up quite nicely.  I did pre-wash the backing before sending it off to be quilted so there wouldn't be a big disparity in how much shrinkage happened once it was quilted and washed.  

Now I just need to hang the hammock and lay outside with a book, an iced tea and my sweet, little quilt.

Flickr Favorites (please click link to see the source of these beautiful images)

• To go with my colorful montage above (giving the muted tones a break this week) here is a fun e-tailer:  PiP Studio  I want new dishes now….
• Is this not the most delicious looking salad you have ever seen?  From the Forest Feast website (I just wanted you to see that gorgeous picture first).  I just love this website. Check out all her recipes.  Each one is beautifully photographed.  I understand she has a cookbook in the works…
• I'm all enamored with Druzy earrings these days.  Like this pair – or maybe this one
• Pretty glass teapot
• Fun print for a child's room (check out the second picture so you can see the whole thing.  I also like the Animal Kingdom print

Well this week shot by, didn't it?  Helps that it was a four day work week for those of us in the USA.  

I'm sticking close to home this weekend, working on putting the binding on a quilt (which I hope to share next week) and just relaxing. I like to have a relaxing, stay at home weekend after a busy one. Last week was all having guests, being guests and major yard work sandwiched in between.  Fun but a bit exhausting.  

Flickr Favorites (please click link to see the source of these beautiful images)

• Are bananas as bad for you as a cookies?  Easy to understand satiety scale
• Much cuter than having a roll of paper towels on your picnic table
• How common is your birthday?  Interesting how the rates drop during the holidays (via A Cup of Jo)
• I am not quite ready to embrace head to toe neon (I figure since I did it during the 60's AND the 80's that I can sit out this time) but this is lovely little touch of it (in pink of course).
• This looks like a sweet, gentle movie:  Salmon Fishing In The Yemen

We have a lovely weekend planned.  We started off with a early weekend guest last night and then we will be guests ourselves at my sister's.  In between we plan on doing some yard clean up and a dump run (seriously one of the most satisfying things you can do).  I love a weekend that is both relaxing and productive.  

I turned it into a four day weekend – taking today off and having Monday off as a holiday.  I think every weekend should be a four day weekend.  Who do I talk to about that?

(I just noticed how similar my photo montage above is to last week's.  I must be in a soft, muted color mood)

Flickr Favorites (please click link to see the source of these beautiful images)

• Now that outside eating weather is here I want these sweet heart tablecloth weights
• Everyone is familiar with Jack Vettriano's The Singing Butler painting but I like this one even more.  Anyone know the name of it?  
• I think this clock would be sweet in a kitchen
• Vintage Lombard Street
• Books I am currently coveting:  The Sugar Cube ♥ Vintage Cakes ♥ My Life From Scratch (I must have a sweet tooth….)

I have one of those delicious no plans kind of weekends planned.  Last weekend was a whirlwind of projects and cooking so I'm looking forward to just relaxing and letting the day unfold as it wishes.  

What ever you have planned for your weekend I hope it is splendid!