Anniversary Picnic...

   Family members celebrated an anniversary in style, it was a beautiful, fun day. My DIL loves Pride and Prejudice and wanted a picnic outdoors, with games, crochet, badminton, other old outside games, and it was so much fun.

She's worked months planning this out, going to thrift shops for baskets, chairs and tables. Making arrangements for the food, guest lists, buying Fall flowers, pumpkins, and where everything was going to be placed. It was all so well planned out and the weather was perfect.

                       

They bought bales of hay to use for tables with cloth on top and the blankets on the ground to sit on.

 There were some tables around the outer edges with ones in the sun having umbrellas over them. The food was put in baskets, with a printed out list of what was in the basket. She had guests choose awhile back with a choice of meat or meatless basket. There were sandwiches, little cakes, cookies, cupcakes, macaroni and potato salad. They had little rubbermaid containers with individual salads with a top on it for any who wanted a salad, condiment packets and salad dressings in little cups.

 

                         

 There was a guest sign in table with a basket of little wooden fans for guests. Tables were set up for veggie cups and fruit, lemonade, tea and a coffee table. There was a wine table and they used a canoe to fill with ice to put wine in, cool idea.

 There were two firepits and they had graham crackers, chocolate bars and marshmallows to make smores. 

 

                 

 

Minnie Mouse cupcakes...

Red and White Afghan...

I finished my red and white afghan. I crocheted picot trim around.

Strawberries...

 Strawberries are so pretty, I love them. I bought some strawberries at Costco for a good price. I've frozen the 5 cups for jam and the rest for smoothies. Now I can make jam anytime I want, just pull the bag out and use my pretty new Ball jars. :)

Ball Jars are beautiful...

I love, absolutely love old blue Ball jars, I have a few. So when they put out this new vintage jar I ran to the store and got a couple of boxes. They are so adorable, I was all tickled washing and drying them and setting them out on the table. I can't wait to use them. I think I might hit Target again for a couple more. ;D

I think for so many of us the old Ball jars remind us of our childhood. Grandmothers and Moms canning, seeing jars of vegetables, jam and fruit in pantries. I remember helping my grandmother cutting up the things she was going to can, it was exciting and very fulfilling seeing all the precious work after it was done in Ball jars.  She always had a big garden and Mom, my siblings and I would help prepare.

I don't use a pressure canner, have only canned jam, applesauce, apples and tomatoes. Mostly because the old pressure canners scared the heck out of me, but now they have ones not as dangerous, however I've never gotten one. I'll stick to the large canner with waterbaths, thank you. :) It was beautiful seeing shelves of jars, I still think the food in canning jars are beautiful and I appreciate all the work that was done to fill them.

What Herb is this?

My daughter bought a little pack of herbs last year and one of the herbs looks like Oregano, but it's growing in long long long strands with tiny leaves. It's the long strands hanging up. Is it a type of Oregano, anyone know? It doesn't look like my Oregano outside. I'm rolling it around and hanging it up like Ivy.

Striblings Orchard...

Twinkies are back and Oh yes, I did! :D

I haven't had a Twinkie for years, but when they said they weren't making them anymore, I started craving it. LOL Then when I heard they're coming back, I did a happy dance. Today I saw them in the store and, "Why Yes, I think I shall." :) I have only one in a saucer, because when I got in the car, I opened up that package and ate one. The unopened packet is my husband's, so I got my Twinkie fix and feel better. ;D

Why is it when we're told we can't have something we want it? When it's there I guess it's just easy to think we can get it anytime. I don't know, but I just hate seeing things disappear we grew up with, even though I haven't had a Twinkie since I was a kid. As a matter of fact whenever I really like something they stop selling it, so I'm going to be careful not to let a company know whatever my favorite of anything is, and maybe they'll stop discontinuing things. ;P

I need to make my own if I can find a recipe. I saw a show where this store had been abandoned, everything had went bad, but the twinkies didn't. Um...

Living room curtains...

I've been having this crazy energy for cleaning lately. Rearranged the living room and last night made door curtains. It's summer, getting ready to go to the apple orchard next month, so the curtains have little apples on them...

My favorite time of the year is coming up, the apple orchard and September is on the way with Fall decorating, flowers and such. I can't believe how fast this summer is going, my grandkids have been real busy with swimming, amusement park, and the park. I've been watching the younger ones and rearranging things in the rooms, crocheting, sewing, cleaning, doing the deck over and weeding in the flowers.
 

In September I have three birthdays and my oldest son's renewal vows wedding party. Talking to my DIL today, she's so excited and it will be a country kind of Sense and Sensability party with a Fall theme. She's been buying picnic baskets, one for each family, will have blankets, some chairs for people who don't want to sit on the ground and wooden tv tables between the chairs. She wanted a barn wedding, too expensive, she'll be putting pumpkins around, fall silk flower petals, etc. It will be very exciting, can't wait.

Apples, apples, apples, going to the orchard next month...

Reading night...

My daughter and I have reading night, I'm reading Tumtum and Nutmeg to her and she's reading Sisters Grimm to me. We read a chapter each and usually end up reading more. I crochet while she's reading to me, so peaceful. BTW, I only have two more rows to do on my checkerboard afghan and bought the ribbon to border my ripple, which I'll do after finishing this one.