Books and Blooms

My cold is so much better, but I can tell you I have been a bit lazy and have a very messy house to show for it. I am thinking Airborne fizzy drinks helped a bunch.

I thought I would pop in this morning and do a books and blooms post before I get busy.

Books

I finished up Come Rain or Come Shine this past week. I give Kelly @Talk of the House credit for sending me back to read the series after I had ditched them. She did a whole post on this particular book when it first came out. She got an early copy and did a little version of the wedding theme.

Source

This was the picture she posted.

I so understand the picture now that I read the book. I must say I enjoyed this one very much. The wedding was precious and perfect.

If you are a Jan Karon fan, this one you will like.

I haven't mentioned many of the books I have read lately, because ..... I am pretty sure most of my readers are ladies like me and you would not choose this one.
My January read was The Footprints of God by Greg Iles.

Source

This is not my typical read. My son and I shared a Kindle account for many years. I was at an appointment with Mother and finished my book, so I browsed my Kindle and started this book. It was enough to hold my attention and I actually wanted to know what happened. I guess you would say it was a suspense thriller about a top secret government computer called Project Trinity.

The men in your lives might like it. I thought the ending was a bit outlandish after I spent all that time sticking with it. Well actually, it was a typical man ending...blow up stuff.

That is my reading for this year sprinkled with a good bit of short stories and non fiction because I am always reading.

I am going to throw in a bit of what I watch out of the corner of my eye while I stitch.

My husband controls the remote when he comes in and I honestly put up no fuss because I don't care for TV much.  I watch news, weather, and Hallmark occasionally.

February is a tough month for him since sports is limited, so before the Olympics came on this past month, he conned me into a Netflix special.

Stranger Things.

Netflix Stranger Things site

Yep, this old girl settled in for the two seasons of this show. If you go look it up, it is going to look strange.

Here is what I like about it...
great characters
set in 1984 ---the setting and backgrounds, clothes, everything was so 1984.
the filming even looked like 1984
crazy story line that I think would even have come out in 1984.

I actually got kind of hooked on it. I know Jeff was completely surprised that I liked it. I had to watch with my hands over my eyes a couple of times, but the story got me as "strange" as it was.

The way I get through TV is with a hoop in hand.

Summer Schoolhouse Lesson 1 progress

Blooms

The weather has definitely been spring like. I haven't really done much in the yard other than walk around and watch everything start greening.

I am babying my roses. I will share it more when it gets growing a bit bigger, but I have everything planted now. They are beginning to sprout and hopefully this next month I will start having lots of blooms. 

This one was a new addition and had a ton of blooms on it when I planted. The goodness on this plant is overflowing.

They start out a yellow with red tip buds then open up yellow and then turn a glorious shade of pink before they are spent. There is so much good going in this one that it may become a new favorite.

Rio Samba (hybrid tea)

Well, that is it in my world. Headed off to clean house! AND hopefully, read and watch girlie things.

Sandy

A Little Easter Planning and a Final Cross Stitch Finish

I have had a little head cold the past few days. I am feeling a tad bit better today, so I thought I would take it easy and do some fun things this morning.

I am planning for my Easter dinner whatever day my kids can do it. You can read about my thoughts from last year on holiday dinner times here.

One thing that is tradition for me and that I have held on tight to is using the good dishes for holidays. I was toying with the real china for Easter this year, but I have so fallen in love with my linens that I put out for Valentine's Day.  I love them so so so much, I simply can't put them away. The linens are from Jenny's Everyday Occasions online shop. I think she has sold out of the pink linens, but she has new stuff with every season.

I first put out the good china.

Slightly boring.

Then I put out my not necessarily good china, but one I only use on special days. I fell in love with this blue pattern from Southern Living at Dillards a couple of years ago. I just had to have it. It is so versatile. The bunny plates are from Pottery Barn.

Anyway, I think the blue will win out for Easter this year. I will share the final look closer to Easter.

Then, I decided to finish up my spring pillow that I stitched a couple of weeks ago. I want to get it out for spring which is not quite here, but my mind is definitely on it.

I used the thread that came with the pattern. It was Classic Color Works Weathered Vine.  It is definitely a muted green with an olive undertone. I simply had n-o-t-h-i-n-g in my very l-a-r-g-e stash that matched it. I decided it wouldn't have to be something that contrasted rather than matched, but I still had nothing in my stash. 

I headed down the road to the expensive quilting store and found the perfect piece by Moda. I just love the little bees. The leaves are a perfect match and the muted and soft blue is perfect. 

Such a perfect match that I plan to finish the "Summer" pillow in the same fabric.

See it will be perfect for it too.

This is also a great match for foyer which houses my new church pew.

I am in love with it.

It all pairs well with my foyer decor that stays out from January to late September and fall arrives.

The table is opposite the pew.

A better opposite view.

In search for the perfect rug...until then this small one will have to do.

I would so add a small book ...Bible or prayer book to the pew, but sweet Gus, the puppy Springer, likes books as much as me!!! Just not to read, but to chew on.