Happy Saturday to You!

I'm enjoying my Saturday and I hope you are, too. Sheets drying in the unseasonably warm breeze...

almonds soaking for home made almond milk, freshly ground flax and frozen buttermilk defrosting, waiting to be made into salad dressing...

freshly made yogurt to be eaten tonight for dessert over frozen berries...

and looking forward to putting in my daily two rows on my Summer in the Country Blanket
and then...

anticipating putting in a few stitches on Linda's Ort Bag by The Victoria Sampler. Happy Saturday to You!

Making Dinnertime Special

Sometimes it's the little things that make the everyday special, don'tchya think? This afternoon I put together a rather humble supper but made the evening meal inviting by dimming the lights, lighting a few candles and putting on some soft music. We had a small gathering around the table; just the three youngest girls, Gary and myself. The girls commented on how pretty the table looked and how nice of a meal it was. Really, I think it was the ambiance. Whatever it was, we all enjoyed it. My humble salad recipe is below:

Layered Salad
One head Romaine lettuce, chopped
Spinach leaves - a few handfuls
chopped celery
chopped onion
chopped red pepper
4 sliced hard boiled eggs
4 strips cooked crisp bacon
shredded cheddar cheese
dressing (recipe follows)

Layer salad in order listed in a 13 x 9 baking dish except pour dressing over veggies, then add eggs, etc. over dressing. Refrigerate 2-3 hours before serving.

Dressing (revised from Joanna Lund recipe)
1/2 cup mayo
2 TBS yogurt
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried onion flakes
1 TBS vinegar
Whisk and pour over greens

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, my friends! Kaleigh brought me home this pretty little rose bush last night with an endearing sentiment she wrote on the card. It was a nice surprise! As you can see, Oliver loves sniffing it!

These pictures are not in sequence; sorry... The weekend was a busy one, getting ready to help Corey's fiance pull together a surprise graduation party for him over my mom's house.

Everyone was hiding in the dining room, and when he came in we all yelled "SURPRISE"! Do you see my beautiful mom looking on? She was happy for him, too!

Corey had a wonderful turnout for his party. Some of his friends and co-workers were there, Lisa's mom and dad and all of us. It's rare now that we can all be together. Kyle (far left) looks pretty disheveled; he just got out of work and was quite tired...goodness, even his hair is wonky. I have to say, though, they're all my sweet Valentines and I love every one of 'em! Hope you are spending your day with those you love!

BBD Stocking Finish

I'm still plugging along on The Marriage of Minds but decided to keep things interesting and shake things up a bit. I thought I'd do a small project here and there and the result is the little finish you see above, Sweetheart Sampler by Blackbird Designs. The pattern is in the leaflet, Love Is In The Air, the February Stocking Series. I have now completed all three designs in that leaflet! I changed the thread to GAST Summer Shower. I just love the soft blue instead of the GA Cherry Bark called for in the instructions.
This weekend was quite busy with a family party. I'll share some photos, tomorrow.