Every Weekend Should Be Long

Monday evening. This Victoria Day weekend has passed by in a satisfying melange of family, friends, garden, reading and puttering.

Radishes are ready for eating: crunchy, with a mild peppery bite. Delicious just rinsed and eaten whole, but yummy added to salads, too.

The pink peonies are at their peak and the fat buds on the white bush will burst any day. I picked a bunch for the house, along with silvery soft lamb's ears and perky lemon balm. They make me smile when I catch glimpses of them on the dining room table. Another vase full sits on the mantel. 

Saturday was spent in the garden - the pots on the porch and deck are filled with gerbera daisies, lobelia, heliotrope and something silvery whose name escapes me. I weeded and trimmed, planted a new rose bush (Winchester Cathedral - a David Austin rose), and didn't really want to come indoors. But tummies growled and I wondered what to make for dinner. A vegetable souffle tickled my fancy so that's what I made.

I forgot how many dishes it takes to make a souffle. And how many steps. However, they came together quickly and I cleaned up the kitchen while they underwent the magic of baking. The recipe made 6 - 8 oz souffles. Two went down that night and the other two were reheated and eaten for breakfast this morning with Buttermilk Biscuits.

Barbara of Small Moments organized a stationery swap not long ago. I was paired with Stephanie of The Enchanting Rose who sent me the wonderful parcel of goodies seen above. French-themed note cards (handmade!), loads of tags and labels, pretty ribbons and papers, and three pieces of beautiful fabric. Everything was tied up with strips of tulle and tucked into the box. Thank you so much, Stephanie!

One more peony photo to end with. Tomorrow it's back to school, but the countdown to exams and summer holidays is beginning! June 17 is the last day of classes.

Thank you for all the lovely comments you leave on my blog. I read them and try to visit your blogs in return. I know it's hard to click back into a conversation. Have a week filled with moments to remember.

Mug Rug Swap

Kim, from Camp and Cottage Living, organized a fun mug rug swap recently. Kim and I were partners and we both received our swap packages in the mail on the same day. Canada Post is consistent going from east to west and west to east!

Isn't that little reindeer the cutest thing? I'll enjoy using the mug rug and thinking of Kim as I drink my cocoa. But that's not all - she included a fun ornament and a jingly pin in the package....and

A tea towel trimmed to match the mug rug, personalized for my own kitchen. 

You'll notice that I didn't iron my tea towel before hanging it up. Do you ever iron tea towels? I learned to iron on tea towels, pillow cases and my father's handkerchiefs. Nice, flat things. There are a few tea towels I still iron, but not most of them. Same with pillowcases. How about you? 

And here's the mug rug that went east. After I looked at the photo on my computer, I realized that I hadn't stitched the cardinal's eye, so I did that before popping it into the mail.

Thanks, Kim, for organizing such a fun swap!

I'm sitting by the fire writing this blog, drinking my tea. As soon as I click "publish" I'll be up and running. Decorating the house (at least a beginning), cleaning, and preparing for a dinner party this evening are what's on my list. On my husband's list is settling on light fixtures and tile for the bathrooms. So I'll make room for that in my day, too.  

Winter Lemons

With all the snow in the east, I'm a little hesitant to show these photos for fear it might look like bragging. I'm not, really, but I'm amazed! For several weeks now I've noticed, from the dining room window, round yellow shapes behind the gardening fabric protecting the lemon tree. 
On Sunday afternoon, a warm, sunny day, we decided to take a peek.
 

Just look at that harvest! The lemon "farmer" looks happy, doesn't he? These lemons set their fruit in August or September and have been ripening all "winter." There is more fruit that will be picked in a few months. In May we'll remove the gardening fabric and new blooms will form and be pollinated. Lemon trees are amazing!
 

They smell wonderful and brighten up the kitchen, too. 29 lemons. Grown in Canada! Let's see, shall I make Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Loaf, Lemon Souffle or ...? What would you make with fresh lemons?

On another note, I've sent emails to those who wanted to take part in the magazine swap. If you have not received your email, please let me know.

Magazine Swap?

The photo has nothing to do with this post, but how can one put up a post without a photo or two? Anway, that was dinner on Monday night - salmon, vegetables, polenta, and a citrus avocado salad.  After returning from a trip I'm always glad to eat home-cooked meals again.
 

Several years ago I took part in a couple of transcontinental magazine swaps that were a lot of fun. Floss, who blogs infrequently these days, and Elizabeth of Cornish Cream, hosted at different times. 

The idea is to exchange a magazine (March/April issue) of the craft/lifestyle/vintage variety. Bear in mind that a magazine from "down-under" published in these months might have a different focus that one published in the northern hemisphere.

If you would like to take part, here are a couple of guidelines:

1. Please be aware that postage can cost more than you think. Let me know in your comment if you are willing to participate in a transcontinental swap or if you would prefer one from Europe, North America (US or Canada), New Zealand or Australia, or elsewhere.

2. Please say whether or not you would prefer a magazine in English, or if you are interested in French or other languages. I was so pleased to receive a couple of French-language magazines. 

3. I'll match up partners and then you can exchange addresses via email. If you have a blog, your partner get to know you a bit that way and find out what kind of things you like from that.

4. Leave a comment on this post. I'll leave it open until February 13 and send out partners the next week. We'll plan to have the magazine posted by mid-March along with a little note or post card from the sender. Easy peasy.

Interested? Leave a comment and we'll see what turns up!

  

Matchbox Inspiration Swap

Recently I took part in a matchbox inspiration swap. We used the large-size match boxes, decorated them, and filled them with all sorts of Christmas-themed delights. I sent my two boxes off to Texas and Missouri and received two in return. Isn't it amazing what can fit into a simple matchbox?

thanks Virginia and Esther (non-bloggers, so far)

Magazines français!

This week I was excited to see a package from France in my mail box. I again took part in Floss' magazine swap. This time, my partner was Elizabeth from French Village Life. She's an Englishwoman who moved to France with her husband. Reading her blog makes me want to buy a home in France and move there too. Elizabeth sent not one but TWO magazines, one a decorating/garden magazine, and the other a travel magazine featuring Brittany. I want to pack my bags and go there now! Elizabeth is a wonderful seamstress and also tucked in a lavender-filled hanging heart. So very pretty. 

The pages of the Campagne Decoration magazine are filled with all sorts of beautiful inspiration. I like the French (and other European) publications because their aesthetic seems less staged and more authentic. All the neutrals with a bit of red thrown in is very appealing.

These pages feature Gustavian design influence, another of my favourites. The combination of old and new is so beautiful and welcoming. And in the end, isn't that what making a home is all about - creating a space that provides shelter, not only from the elements, but also from the harsher realities of the world. Not just a place of retreat, but an environment that restores and renews us, enabling us to reenter the world refreshed and ready to take on new challenges. 

So thank you, Elizabeth. I'm looking forward to spending some happy moments with a cup (or many) of tea while pouring over all the lovely details of this magazine.

Magazines français!

Last week I checked my "boîte aux lettres" and there was a package from France! So exciting. But wait. The return address showed it was not from the partner I had been assigned in the magazine swap organized by Floss. No, it was from Carole, a blogger with whom I've had some cross-Atlantic exchanges. I thought I had made a terrible mistake and sent MY magazine to Floss instead of to Carole.

Opening the package relieved my anxiety. Carole had sent it as a surprise! How lovely! Here's a peek inside...

The greens are so fresh and pretty - just what I'm craving this time of year. And how brilliant to coordinate the pillar candles with the filler - coffee beans in one, red lentils in the other.

I love all the layers in this living room - the matélesse spread on the couch, the pillows, the books piled on the coffee table, architectural element on the wall, flowers and plants. And the couch is just about the same colour as my own. Doesn't this room look welcoming and cozy?

Thank you, Carole!

But wait, there's more! Yesterday, Floss' magazine arrived!

More delight! Isn't the woodpile behind the table a great background? Makes me want to go outside and take a few photos of my own woodpile. Or set a pretty table there. Or maybe not. It's sunny, but still too cold.

Isn't that row of glassware just the prettiest thing? And again, I'm admiring all the green.

I really like the grey wall in the kitchen. And since I'm going to be moving soon, and repainting will be involved at some point, I'm taking a close look at wall colours. In this spread there's so much to admire - the pots of rosemary, the single rose on the napkin, the coffee pot collection on the table. 

Thank you, Floss!

Be sure to visit both these blogs - these ladies live in France - Carole is French and Floss is British. Creative living is what they do! Their blogs are full of joie de vivre!

Valentine Swap Goodies

Today I came home from school (I'm subbing for a week) to find not just one, but TWO packages waiting for me. This first one is from Nerina. The aqua accents really pop against the red.

Trims, paper and mirror hearts, buttons - all kinds of crafty goodness! And the crocheted flowers are sweetly beaded and oh, so pretty. The picture hardly does them justice. Thank you, Nerina.

The next box is from Lynne Laura from A Romantic Nest. She also included a soft and sweet crocheted flower. It makes me want to dig out some yarn and crochet up a bunch.

Lynne Laura used a soft green to accent her goodies - the leaf and the wooden spool of thread make me think of spring. Tickets, tiny Valentines, beads and ribbon are sure to end up in a craft project soon. Thank you, Lynne Laura.


And a big thank you to Heather at Speckled Egg for hosting the swap. The matchboxes were fun to fill and easy to mail.