Sarah Josephine, Sarah, Alex and I (me, only a bit ;D )worked on invitations on Saturday afternoon. Thanks to Sarah Jo we have a picture of them.
Oops, I'll need to keep the camera ready at all times! Preparation-my new focus word. AKA WORK~I need to get busy and stay focused.
These pretty pinks are THE LAST of my tulips-some sort of double delight. The two bags of bulbs I purchased last fall were the same, but the others were a darker pink and bloomed earlier.
I must have planted these much deeper.
The wind is blowing again so it was difficult to get a clear picture of these happy faces.
More gardening to do and mowing pasture grass and lawn before they grow more. The rain sure makes everything happy. Now, if the wind would go away!
If you need some of these for your tender ears, click on the picture for the ebay link.
We toured the tables before we were seated.
This one with the spring colors was ours! Cute cupcakes in baskets too pretty to eat. I saved mine for my mom, but will enjoy the cute favors in the bag that all had a cupcake theme, too. Even on our place cards.
Real sand for this beach.
I love this stemware and the china with the pretty roses.
A teacher that once taught with us did this table. The other picture I loaded was supposed to be with it, but it popped up somewhere else and I'm not sure why!?
A rack of hats that were worn by the ladies at this table.
African Violets for guests to take home.
Apples.
Pastels--one of my personal favorites.
Sunny yellow.
Strawberries. YUM.
Soft greens.
French bistro.
Swedish blue and yellow.
All in all there were more than 21 decorated tables with eight ladies and young women at each table. Our hostess had her DIL and two granddaughters, a friend and the three of us. After eating and visiting we assembled in the Worship Center for our speaker, Juli Hobin and her story of Journey to Joy.
Inside the box was a vase and bouquet of 100 flowers for Mother's Day from Sarah and Alex!! I didn't actually count them, but Sarah told me there were supposed to be that many!
For pictures it is sitting on a kitchen chair with no room to spare.
Budgets are very limiting so instead of buying cotton linter to make pressed paper ornaments, we tear egg cartons into small pieces and soak them in water. Put several scoops into a blender with LOTS of water so you won't burn up the motor. Especially when you have to borrow a friend's blender because you can only find 3 lids, 2 jars, 1 base, but no blades that do the real work~grr... still don't know where that piece is hiding!!
Blend for several minutes until the pieces look like moosh. Most everyone said, "Yuck!"
Drain as much excess water out and plop into the molds. Use a sponge to soak up excess water. Wring it out and repeat. Then use old towels to finger press the pulp into the nooks and crannies so you get a good impression. Repeat with a dry section of the towel. Again and again.
Let the molds dry overnight or in an oven at a very low temperature, 200-225 degrees for several hours. I helped these dry by putting them in the microwave for 1 minute. The molds will get very hot, so be careful.
When they are dry, remove the shape from the mold and paint or decorate. The teapot is just out of the mold and the heart has been painted with a lavender metallic paint. We aren't very fancy because we don't have a lot of time. Ribbons, lace, and little flowers make them even sweeter. Most students wanted to make one for Father's Day, too! I encouraged them to try to things on their own with simple materials found at home--like egg cartons.
Time to say farewell to the happy daffodils. I have at least eight different "pockets" in the front. If there is an empty spot in the fall, I start digging a hole and put a bag of bulbs in and wait for spring.
Each group is a different color.
With trumpets from small to large. With all the wind, they are wearing some tattered and torn petals. Farewell.
My tulips are planted deep in the soil so they won't bloom so early and get knocked down by the gusty, almost constant, winds of spring.
Today was a wonderful, warm, and calm afternoon when I got home.
My violets! ♥
Basket of Gold.
Also known as Gold Alyssum.
Flowering quince blooms on old wood.
Bright red flowers.
It gets better every year, but I do have some dead wood to trim out.
Pink flowering almond. Not many buds are open yet, so I'm hoping we won't have a really cold night again. Last year only half of the bush blossomed.
Being outside helped me relax after school. May is always crazy busy with so much to do! Cookbook project is finished but must make more copies. More people came to our Literacy Night and I promised the kids they would have a cookbook soon. I even get to go on the Fourth Grade field trip to Centennial Village in Greeley. I love that place!
