FLOWERS, SALADS, WREATHS...

Happy Sunday!  I don't know about you, but my camera goes everywhere with me.  I basically document my life and share it on my blog, but I guess you already know that.  When I'm ready to write a post, I usually go through my pictures and they lead the way.  This was a crazy week, however, I had a list of all these  great projects, ideas, recipes and things I wanted to do...and then they all seemed to fall to the wayside.  I put off writing a post because I left you with some of the things I wanted to show you, a little tour of daughter Emily's home, my new vintage window hung in my living room and a wreath I was making.  It didn't all get done but I did my best...  I'm definitely a "biting off more than I can chew" person!  Then I uploaded my pictures today and I realized I DID do a few things!!  So, here's a post!

Tuesday I was in the area where there is a Trader Joe's.  I have been on the hunt for bread, crackers and something crunchy to snack on that doesn't have sunflower oil in it.  Have you noticed that it seems to be in everything?  I'm allergic to sunflower seeds so I read every label.  What really kills me is when the label says:  May have sunflower and/or safflower oil.  Okay, lets see if I'm gasping for breath and turning blue to find out which it is!  Anyway, I did find some bread, but nothing else. so I bought enough to freeze, too. And I did find these pretty flowers and a couple of bottles of Two Buck Chuck.  I like to keep the Cabernet stocked for the kids.  I was reading a flower arranging tip in an old issue of Jeanne D'Arc.  Divide your flowers into three groups, randomly or by flower type.  Cut each group a different length and then arrange.  I did that in the picture above.  I have always cut my flowers the same length.  This looks much better I think.

 

If I've done too much of anything this week, it has been cooking and trying new recipes.  This is from the June 2013 Better Homes & Gardens.  Grilled Zucchini Salad with Mozzarella and Dill. 

 Very quick, easy and good.  I cooked the zucchini on a ridged grill pan I have right on the stove.  Other than the dill I had everything.  You might want to cut back a bit on it, The Husband said it tasted like seaweed (but he has an aversion to herbs that aren't carefully hidden in the food...sort of like a 4 year old).

Here's my version.  I think they may have Photoshopped their picture, their zucchini looks really yellow.  I think it was just awesome and would love to make it as a side dish for company, maybe with seafood?  Check out the magazine website for the recipe if you'd like. 

Layla has a new napping spot (yes, she gets mistaken for a cat quite a bit!)...

This is the basket next to the couch where I keep extra pillows and throws.  She just discovered what a comfy spot this is and she's in it now as I write.  Cats do this stuff all the time, so when we dog lovers see something cute like this, it's blog worthy!

The other evening I was sitting out on my patio reading and having a glass of Pinot, when something along the fence caught my eye.  Upon closer look, this is what I found.  I immediately recognized it as Chinese Lantern, even though I've never seen the real thing.  This is growing on each side of the fence that my neighbor and I share.  And there is a lot of it. 

For those of you not familiar with the plant, these little "lanterns" are paper thin.  They will dry up skeleton-like and you will be able to see the little fruit inside, a tomatillo, which is edible.  You can also cut stems of these and dry them for pretty fall arrangements (and you can bet I will!).  I don't know if my neighbor planted these, this is the first time I've seen them.  We also share Bleeding Hearts and Lily of the Valley.  I did a little research on my favorite gardening website and I found out that these can grow from seed in very poor soil and spread like crazy, so you may want to do them in pots, even one planted in the ground to contain it.  I left a question for the little virtual gardening answer man as to whether or not there are seeds in the pod (I assume so), or if you can divide them.  As usual, I want more!

As I mentioned in the beginning of my post, I had wanted to make a wreath.  This is a rather poor picture of a rather poor looking wreath.  I am SO not crafty!  That's a bird there on the left, it looks like it may have once been alive.  And I tried to follow a tutorial on bow making and I just made a mess of it.  You don't even want to see the other side.  As soon my fingers have recovered from the first degree burns of the glue gun, I'm going to try to fix it.  One thing is, I never give up!

I wanted to get pictures of Emily's house this past week but she came down with some sort of flu.  I went grocery shopping with her and then helped her put it all away.  That night I went back over as her hubby was working late and we laid in her bed watching reruns of Modern Family while I gave her hand massages.  You owe me, Emily!!!  Bright and early the next morning, I took her to a doctor for antibiotics and Friday she was well enough to drag me along to the mall to buy her a dress and jewelry for a wedding..."Mom, the gift alone is putting me in debt!".  My kids are at that age where all of their friends are getting married and they spend most weekends in the summer going to weddings.  Shower and wedding gifts are so expensive,  weddings are expensive, I definitely know that!  So, since Em was under the weather, we didn't so a photo shoot but we will next week.  And I will make those herb infused oils.  And that peach tart.  And that homemade salad dressing.  And finish organizing the linen closet.  Get my car washed.  Do my nails.

Before I go, I want to tell you about two blogger friends of mine that have started a new feature.  Kris from Junk Chic Cottage, and Susan from Must Love Junk, have started a new thing they each post on their blogs on Saturdays called Spotlight: Life Behind The Blogger.  I think they are right on target with this.  Each week a blogger does a guest post on Kris and Susan's blogs all about themselves...not so much their blog, so you really get to "meet" and better know who's writing your favorite blog.  Or maybe even learn about someone you find you really like and visit their blog.  These sweet girls invited me to do a post in a few weeks for their feature (as if you need to know more about me), but I hope to find and scan some older pictures and tell you a little more about Jane's pre-blogging days.  But check out yesterdays posts at their blogs, two every week.  In fact, Kris lives in the Chicago area and we are getting together on the 22nd of this month!  I can't wait to meet her!!

I hope all of you have a great week! :)

XO,

Jane