Happy Birthday Pink Saturday!

How can it be? Another birthday for Pink Saturday. Bev's party was the first one I joined when I first started blogging in 2009. I don't participate as often as I used to but wanted to be sure to be in on this event.

So, I went around the house and peeked at some pictures from the past and made yet another Picasa Album to share.

A quilt for my granddaughter is on her bed

A zinnias bouquet from the Sherman's Farm

A bouquet from the market for a special dinner

China for a special dinner

Zinnia variety I would love to find

Gram Potter's handiwork

Kaffe Fasset's fabric at work 

Playing with pictures

Happy Birthday Pink Saturday!

The storm before the calm.....

We head back up north in a few days. We fly instead of driving so what needs to go with us is shipped. It is a job.

All projects are on the back burner. The coffee mug says it all.

I have set up the den as a staging area.

Boxes like this are packed and sealed.

The studio is almost back in order.

The sewing/craft closet is boxed and labeled. I knew where everything was before but just couldn't move in there.

Projects are lined up in order.

I even cleaned the top of the desk.

So, how about some coffee and my knitting!

What's been going on in my kitchen....

We have taken a new direction in our food preparation and consumption. We are both concerned about what is in our food and where it comes from. Processed foods are slowly disappearing from out diets. Vegetables and fruits are abundant. And we are having fun!

An electric wok made by Breville (I have no affiliation just appreciation of their products) has joined the kitchen staff.

Jack has become the prep chef extraordinaire.

All of this done a little ahead of time quickly becomes a healthy dinner with some left for lunch the next day.

The grill has been put to use all winter.

We par-boiled the sweet potatoes and then grilled them. They were almost better than steak fries!

Fresh salads with homemade vinaigrette are our favorites. I like to garnish the salad with Parmesan crisps. These are easily prepared. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spoon about a tablespoon of cheese onto the paper. Leave some space as they will spread. I use just a little bit more and use the back of the spoon to press the cheese down. Bake for about 6 minutes. Watch carefully! They can be made in various sizes and the time adjusted.

So, that's what been going on in the kitchen around here.

Then there is the knitting. I finished Charlotte's Web.

Have a wonderful day and week.

Busy time of year.....

Once again the blog took a back seat and I feel badly about it. However, I have not been idle. My knitting fingers need a break as I think the wool is rubbing the skin off! Or perhaps it is the dye in the wool. But I am making progress and hope to have this project to my friend Nancy for finishing before I go back to Maine. That date is approaching quickly.

I have a new toy.

Now another gadget needs my participation in the learning curve. Yes, I am giggling....The return of a Polaroid type camera.

And I have been cleaning and moving furniture. Why just last week I moved a grand piano and a sofa.

And as usual I left the vacuum in the middle of the room!

I shall continue to look for "stuff" for the house.

And in my house, I have been cleaning and organizing - closets and cupboards and drawers. I invested in plastic ArtBins and with my trusty Brother PT labeler, I have sorted and put together what needs to be together.

In the process of going through all of this, I found 3 projects that could be completed. They were and went to my friend Lynn at A Quilter's Journey for some long arm quilting. You can read about Lynn's shop on Facebook.

I think I made these miniature Log Cabin quilts 25 years ago. My eyesight was much better then. I found a quilt that was a challenge from my blogging friend Rett at Gazebo House. The challenge was to only use fabric from our stash. I worked on it eagerly and then put it away. I found it while cleaning and two hours later it was done. Now it will grace the dining room table.

And I finished Jack's table runner which will live in Maine.

And the back of it.....

While at the quilt store I bought some placemats. Yes, I could make them but the reality is that I wouldn't. I love the "modern" quilting look. The background fabric and the quilting is as important as the actual "block" which is sort of freeform and cattywampus.

So now back to the knitting!

But first I shall set the table! Have a wonderful rest of the week.