Even though we are not of Irish decent, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, because it is the birthday of my daughter, Julianna and my mother, Julia. That, in itself, is a good reason to set a St. Patrick’s Day Table. However, who is St. Patrick and why is this holiday celebrated around the world?

A Little History

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish observe this day as a religious holiday and have so for over 1,000 years.

St. Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. 

Mixing Old and New

For this year’s St. Patrick’s Day table, I am using this fun piece of contemporary fabric from my friend, Anne. I couple it with my antique English china, Fondeville Ambassador Ware 6762. The rich shades of green, gold, pink, blue and yellow make these gold-rim plates one of my favorites.

To me, this is the essence of collected chic~mixing bold patterns with elegant tableware.

Stacking the antique china on the simple brushed gold chargers enhances the gold in the pattern. Adding the crackled gold rim clear salad plate from Leslie Roy does not diminish the platter floral design. Similar chargers can be found here. These chargers are so affordable and I use them frequently.

Of course, I love my Wallace silver/gold bee patterned flatware (see link here) which seems to go with just about any place setting I create.

Made in Waterford, Ireland, the Waterford crystal Marquis water goblets and Lismore wine glasses are in keeping with the Irish theme. Gold trim napkins softly fold and find a home inside the wine glass. See similar napkins here.

Making it Festive

With a fun and festive holiday like St. Patrick’s Day, it is easy for the table decor to become kitschy or juvenile. Trying to keep the table elegant, but fun, I add gold shamrocks to the tablecloth. Since I bought these several years ago, you could use gold coins instead.

Each place settings get a light up shamrock necklace for a little whimsy. See similar necklace here.

The Centerpiece

Brass candlesticks from West Elm brighten up the table. Set up in our family and surrounded by windows, the table changes color as the day progresses.

The centerpiece is a vintage Westmoreland oval footed milk glass bowl with hydrangeas, peonies and green glitter shamrocks. It is the perfect size for this round table.

Will you be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? My daughter will be 24 years old and my mother, if alive, would be celebrating her 91st. Time marches on, doesn’t it?

Wishing you all a happy Tuesday. We are having unusually warm weather (in the high 80s), but the temperatures are to drop back down into the low 60s this week. My poor garden is so confused.

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This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday #650

Currently, if you don’t make your own bread, you are probably thinking that making your own bread requires too much time and hard work. Not true! There are ways of making your own bread that suit every schedule and lifestyle.

During the pandemic and being sequestered at home, more people are learning about making bread. You can too.

No-Knead Version

It doesn’t get any easier than this. Revolutionized in 2008 by the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (here), you can make artisan bread with minimal effort.

It is as simple as tossing flour, yeast, salt and water into a bowl. Mix to create a shaggy mess and leave alone for 12-16 hours. Form into a ball and bake. See my detailed blog on Making and Baking a Simple Bread post here.

With this toss it and leave it recipe, you can add other ingredients too if you’d like. Another book recommendation is from my friend, Rick. He loves the best-selling book, Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish (link here).

Sourdough Starter

Using sourdough starter is how I make my bread. The process is much longer but I enjoy scheduling this into my week. The evening before I make the leaven (sourdough starter, flour and water) and let it sit overnight or at least 12 hours.

The next morning I create the dough, which consists of leaven, flour, water and salt. During the rise, I add other ingredients. The rising process begins and generally by late afternoon I am baking bread.

The ONLY recipe book I currently use is Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson (link here), mostly because I love the very detailed tutorial photos. I’m not confident enough yet to branch out to other styles of bread baking.

The benefits of sourdough bread far outweigh the work. I typically make Lemon, Rosemary and Gruyere or with a dried fruit (cherries, cranberries) and a nut (pistachio or walnuts). Plus I love one with black/green olives, lemon zest and walnuts! Sometimes I make one loaf and use the rest for fresh pizza dough.

Since we don’t eat a LOT of bread, the loaves get sliced and put into the freezer. Perfect for morning toast.

Sourdough bread is a great alternative to conventional bread. Its lower phytate levels make it more nutritious and easier to digest. Sourdough bread also seems less likely to spike your blood sugar levels, which makes it an option for those monitoring their blood sugar. As a result, I rarely use commercial yeast anymore.

For another post on Sourdough Starter Basics, click here.

Other Methods

Even though I do own a bread machine, it is collecting dust in my basement. I love personally interacting with the dough and watching it transform over time. However, I did use the bread machine when the children were younger as they loved coming home from school to the smells of freshly baked bread.

Apparently you can also make bread in your crock pot. Again, this is something I have never done. But if you try it please let me know. Here is a link to Kitchn’s recipe.

Mental Health Benefits of Baking Bread

According to the Huffington Post, in 2017, five people who were mental health residents at Bethlem Royal Hospital in London spent six two-hour sessions baking bread by hand and answered weekly questions about how they felt. They reported feeling happier, creative, and having a sense of achievement. They also revealed that baking bread made them feel more relaxed and less anxious, and that they had a sense of purpose.

I know when I feel out of sorts or stressed, I put on my apron and start baking or cooking. It truly is better than snapping at someone.

Tips for Successful

Since I have been making bread from scratch for a few years now, I have experienced both success and failure.

One loaf was rather flat after baking. I reviewed all my steps and knew I made it correctly. And then I looked at the bag of flour which was in the freezer. It was dated 2013! How gross is that, especially since it was 2019.

Make sure all ingredients are fresh

Make sure ALL your ingredients are fresh, especially if you are using either fresh or dried commercial yeast. Check the expiration date. Since yeast is a living organism, it loses its potency and ability to rise over time.

One way to find out if your yeast is stale is to sprinkle a small spoonful over very warm water (not boiling or hot), then sprinkle sugar over the yeast. Do not stir. Cover, and wait ten minutes for the yeast to rise and become frothy/bubbly over the water and sugar. If it does, the yeast is active.

Flour has a long shelf life but generally goes bad after 3–8 months. I always freeze my flour. Freezing flour doesn’t affect its qualities if you let it ‘come back to life’ before using. If you use cold flour to bake, your baked good won’t rise. They may also turn out heavy and rubbery.

Why Temperature is Important

Check the temperature of your water before you add it to the yeast. Too cold and the yeast will not activate. Too hot and you will kill the yeast.

Room temperature is equally important. Too cold and your dough will not rise. Double check your recipe for room temperature suggestions. During the winter our kitchen is always cool; but we have the opposite problem in the summer. Drafts and changes in temperature will affect your rise.

Salt and Yeast

After watching too many episodes of The Great British Bake Off, I noticed Paul Hollywood always recommends putting your salt on the opposite side of the bowl from the yeast. Salt can retard yeast growth.

Makes Great Gifts

My neighbor recently had a large flood in her home, resulting in significant damage. Feeling rather helpless, I baked a loaf of my sourdough bread. Coupled with a jar of homemade apricot marmalade, I dropped it off to share my sympathies for their crisis. What better gift than comfort food?

I love getting homemade gifts. Not only do you receive something lovely, but knowing someone spent the time, energy and effort to make it, is priceless.

It’s Never Too Late to Start

Last year I shared my sourdough starter with Ursula. Ursula is the same age as my sweet Elisabeth, and they attended grammar school together. From what I hear, Ursula is an avid bread baker. Such a wonderful lifelong skill. Just think about it: with four simple ingredients you can feed others. Amazing!

I hope this post is encouraging you at least try making bread at home. Here is why: it is satisfying and rewarding. In this crazy world where few things feel good right now, I feel pure joy when I pull a loaf out of the oven.

Please share any bread making experience you have! I would love to hear your stories.

I often get asked if gardening takes a lot of my time. Overall, the answer is no. Yet there are times during the year where crops need changing, soil needs amending, trees require pruning, and flowerbeds need thinning and weeding. Now is the time to do the Spring Gardening here in Phoenix.

Fortunately, we have someone to help us maintain our 2+acres. However, he has been out sick for the last 6 weeks. My husband and I are enjoying the extensive yard work in the interim as it is giving us a chance to evaluate and improve our outdoor area.

The Orchard

Our orchard has primarily citrus trees, planted long before we purchased the home. From oranges to kumquats, we love being able to pick fresh fruit many months of the year.

Timing is everything when you fertilize your citrus trees. Generally, you should fertilize your citrus tree at least once every two to three months during your tree’s dormant periods of fall and winter. Then once every one to two months during the tree’s active growth of spring and summer. 

Therefore it is time to fertilize citrus trees now. President’s Day is my cue to remember, then Mother’s Day and Labor Day.

What Kind of Fertilizer

NPK is the abbreviation you find on any fertilizer bag. It stands for nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (K is the chemical symbol for potassium). Nitrogen encourages green growth, phosphorus encourages strong roots for flowers and fruit, and potassium encourages healthy fruit size, shape, color and flavor. Fruit trees need a balanced ratio of all three to support the growth of sturdy roots, strong branches and large, juicy fruits. Consider slow-release fertilizer as too much nitrogen at once isn’t recommended.

Fertilizer works best when applied to a mulch circle around the tree. Mulch circles keep grass from competing with the tree for water and food. They also prevent damage from lawn mowing, and help keep the root zone cool and moist.

Slowly we are working our way through each tree to create a large clean mulch circle around every one. In addition, all dead branches are being trimmed from the citrus trees. Soon we’ll have gleaned all the fruit, leaving room for fragrant blossoms to appear in next year’s crop.

To give you an idea of how many fruit trees we have: 4 Grapefruit, 8 Oranges 2 Lime, 1 Lemon, 1 Kumquat, 1 Limequat, 2 Tangerine, 1 Apple, 2 Apricot, 1 Peach, 1 Fig. That’s a lot of mulch circles!!

The Garden

As returning visitors to my Spring Gardening updates may know, there are 5 raised bed planters in my vegetable garden within a white picket fence: 1 raised flower planter and numerous surrounding beds at ground level.

With the winter garden reaching its prime, it is time for me to plant our Spring selection. First, I clean out all the dead/dying plants.

Next I add fresh compost. I am a huge fan of composting because it is easy, reduces your waste by 30%, and the plants love it.

To see a previous post on Composting 101, click here.

For my garden, I prefer compost that is basically clean; no small sticks or other dry debris. I sift the soil loosely over a wheel barrow before I transport it to the garden.

Here I let it sit in the beds for a few days or several weeks, depending on what I am planting. Currently I am awaiting a shipment of strawberry plants so the bed is ready to go!

Since I buy so many flowers, I decide to have a cutting garden this year. I ordered seeds willy nilly from Floret Farm, not taking the time to determine if they work for our planting zone (9B for USDA charts). What was I thinking?

For some reason I make the assumption that all flower seeds are planted in the Spring, which, is not the case here in Phoenix. With 10 packets of flowers seeds, only 5 are able to be planted now. The balance will have to wait until fall.

Using jumbo craft sticks, I mark the location with the name of the flower, planting date and # of gestation days. Since the sun patterns will change in the next few months, I will be interesting to see how they do in this location.

Some of the winter vegetables are looking so good and healthy, there is no need to remove them just yet. It is very rewarding to head to the garden just before dinner and pick ingredients for a fresh salad. Most of my tomato plants survived the winter so I will keep those too.

If you live in this area, my go-to bible for gardening is the Planting Guide for the Valley of the Sun by Kevin E. Erdmann (2004). I finally found the link online for the Bedding Planting Guide and here it is. However, if you are interested in the Vegetable and Herb Planting guide, contact me at marycrz@cox.net and I can scan it and email it to you.

What I love about this planting guide is that it tells you when to plant by month, whether to plant seeds or starters, if they are annuals or perennials and when they bloom. For a complete list of what you can plant this Spring, see last year’s post here.

The gardening activity will continue as I make my plant selection so more to come on that! Keeping my fingers crossed that the frost is over, as it was 37 degrees yesterday.

Being out in the fresh air and sunshine is just heavenly. The only drawback to gardening is that I am so sore! Time to use those muscle relaxing bath salts I made over the holidays. See recipe here.

Happy Wednesday!

What a week of strange weather all around our country! Sometimes I feel a bit guilty sharing beautiful sunny photos of Phoenix. However, when others are under snow and in cold temperatures, I am hoping my photos are uplifting and a reminder that Spring will eventually arrive. Another Saturday Meanderings is here where we talk about new and exciting things this week.

Pizza from Italy

Italy is one of our favorite places to visit and there is nothing better than eating pizza there. Often we found a cobblestone alley restaurant serving wine and food, loving the ambiance of this country.

Did you know you can actually order pizza from Napoli, Italy? From the website of Talia di Napoli, “We’re bringing authentic neapolitan pizza straight to your door. Each one is all-natural and completely handmade in the heart of Southern Italy.”

The pizzas currently come in an 8 pack and you can select the type you like. My order consists of 4 Margherita and 4 Primavera pizzas. They are very well packed and frozen when they arrive. And you get 10% off on your first order. Price-wise they are less than our local pizza shop.

We tried one for lunch this week and you can definitely taste the wood-fired flavor. I believe I over-cooked mine a bit and next time, I would add additional toppings. But all in all, it is so fun to get a pizza directly from Italy, where we have so many fond travel memories.

For more information on Talia di Napoli, click here.

Local Farmer’s Market Find

Since COVID, I have not been going to the Farmers Market as often. Right down the street, the Uptown Farmers Market is really one of the best. And it is so well run, especially during COVID.

Since I am in an apron many hours a day, I did treat myself to a new one. One of the market’s vendors, Aprons by Lee, has a wonderful selection. Lee loves fabrics and hand makes each apron. The pockets are lined and she will make custom aprons too.

Aren’t these cute? One for me and one for my dog-loving daughter.

Dreaming about a Vacation

Has anyone taken a river cruise? Highly recommended by my friends, Sam and Melody, I am investigating a potential Christmas Markets river cruise at the end of this year. It is a cruise down the Danube and stops in places like Vienna and Budapest. Prices seem fairly reasonable right now. Hopeful that travel will open up later this year, I may just take the leap!

Tablescape Photos

My neighbor’s granddaughter is in town for a few months and she is helping me with some aspects of the blog. We did spend a few hours one afternoon, playing with different table settings. I cannot wait to show all of them to you, but here is a preview.

The soft blue Indian block tablecloth is again, from my friend, Darviny from @dayswithdarviny. Red Swiss polka dot paper placemat is from Hester & Cook. I am trying to step out of my comfort zone and do something other than a white tablecloth. The dishes are vintage Brown Westhead and Moore Cauldon bowls from England and a gift from my friend, Sandy.

Computer Glasses

Lately I notice my eyes seem to get tired, especially after a long day on the computer. This week and a visit to my eye doctor, we discussed getting computer glasses to relieve eye strain.

Since I do wear one contact lens in my left eye for seeing up close and one lens in my right eye for seeing far away, I did order new computer glasses. The prescription will change in only one eye so I can do up close work on the computer, and be tinted for blue light protection.

Not inexpensive, but we only have two eyes and it is important to care for them. Once I receive the new glasses I will let you know if they improve my eye strain.

Spring Will Come

No matter what is happening in our crazy world, nature is a constant reminder that life goes on. Here are some photos of things that are reminders that Spring will come~it does every year.

A Big Heart

My middle child, our daughter, Julianna is an animal lover. Even as a little girl, she rescued birds that fell out of their nests and I remember finding a a pigeon residing in her room. Sigh.

As an adult, in addition to working full time, she fosters rescue dogs. This young woman has a gift. She will get a dog who is scared, unwanted, or abandoned, and then provide them structure, shelter, food and love. Within a short period of time, it is amazing how these dogs transform.

Her latest foster, Peaches, is one of a kind. We are hoping our neighbors adopt her as I am growing rather attached to this sweetie.

Blog Updates

I have been working on a re-design to the blog website, but naturally having technical difficulties. In order to fix them, I may be down for a few days some time in the future. But hopefully I will be able to give you a heads up beforehand.

Again, I cannot thank you enough for all the support, kind words, recommendations, recipes and thoughtfulness you have shared with me. It always warms my heart to hear your stories of something that inspired you from my blog.

With that, I wish you the best of weekends. It will be a gardening one for me as it is time to plant the Spring beds.

Be safe, be warm and most of all, be healthy!

So happy you are here with me today to see the Valentine Dinner Party Ideas, Part 2 blog post. If you missed Part 1 yesterday, you can view it here. There is so much that goes into this party, it would be overwhelming to do it in one post, so I hope you enjoy the rest of it today.

The Table

Setting a beautiful table is something I love to do. It sends a message to our guests that they are important to us and that this evening is special. Whether you like Valentine’s Day or not, we think this is the perfect holiday to gather with those we cherish. So why not make a spectacular table?

For the last Valentine dinner party, I did not use a tablecloth. This year, though, I am drawn to the colorful Indian block prints. One of my Instagram friends, Darviny @dayswithdarviny, sources this beautiful fabric. I sent her pictures of my china and she gave me pink options to choose.

My husband made the raised 12″ x 6′ long center shelf (see post here). This focal point is the perfect place to stage all the flowers. Using individual vessels of different heights and sizes, I made the centerpiece out of an abundant display of roses, tulips, hyacinths (which smell heavenly), hydrangeas, snapdragons, and eucalyptus.

This year I ordered the flowers from Torchio Nursery in San Francisco. Instead of going to 3 or 4 locations to find a nice array, this nursery sends out a weekly list of what is available and then ships them to me.

Adding tapers and votive candles, the centerpiece is complete.

This year, I also hung heart-shaped garlands – some purchased, some homemade (see post here) – from the ceiling using clear Command hooks. The white heart garland came from the shop at Whitfill Nursery, and the 3-dimensional heart garland came from LaMia Casa on Etsy here.

Since this is a Valentine celebration, I decide my Royal Doulton Romance Collection china is most appropriate. Napkins are pink linen, found on sale at Pottery Barn. I also opt for Wallace Napoleon Bee Gold accent flatware, which can be found here. Very affordable brushed gold chargers (link here.) The printed menu cards are at each place setting.

Typically we have rattan chairs around the table. However, in attempts to make it more elegant and comfortable, we bring out upholstered white wing and Parson chairs.

The Day of the Event

The table is set; gifts are in place at the table and the caterers arrive. Now it is time to get ready. Unfortunately I tend to leave outfit selection to the last minute. The black taffeta skirt (from Ann Taylor) I decide to wear is many years old. It seems that the zipper doesn’t quite make it to the top without a great deal of not breathing. The dreaded thickening of the waist after menopause…ugh!

Nonetheless I wear it. Fortunately, it fits beautifully beneath my dusty rose cashmere sweater (J. Crew), which covers any malfunctions. I slip on heels just before guests arrive.

Cocktail Hour

A few days before the event, I collect all the answers to the guests’ questions and create a “Who Am I” sheet printed on yes, pink card stock. During the cocktail hour on the front porch, each guest is given a drink and the Who Am I sheet.

The goal is to mingle, ask questions and write in the name of the person who provides the answer. Naturally, it is a fun way to spark conversation and get to know other guests on a different level.

We serve champagne and Ruby Red Grapefruit Greyhounds with Rosemary Simple Syrup, both a pretty pink. Recipe is here. One of our guests always brings some fun cocktail additive. This time it is Rose Gold Brew Glitter, an edible glitter that we add to the champagne flutes. Very pretty and festive! Resource it here.

The hors d’oeuvres are individually plated for couples. Our bartender and servers wear masks. After fun games, delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks, we make our way to the back terrace for dinner.

At the Table

Once we are seated at the table, the guests open their gifts. We get to share what we discover during the cocktail hour as the salad is served. This helps keep conversation flowing and stimulates lots of laughter!

The Wine

My husband carefully selects the wine pairings to go with each course. When the wine is being served, we share a thorough description of the wine region, year of harvest, maker and tasting notes.

The wine glasses are mostly vintage pink glass and add to the dinner theme.

Toasts about friendship, love, wisdom and peace are printed on paper ahead of time. Female guests read them to welcome the wine, salad, entree and dessert.

Dinner

By this time, conversation is very lively and the food is delicious. As I look down the table, I see happy faces and beautiful flowers.

After Dinner

After the last course and wine, we continue to play the game of getting to know everyone a bit better. Soon a Waterford crystal biscuit jar filled with questions makes its way around the table. It is a delight to hear stories and shared memories from each couple.

Though a great deal of planning and work go into this evening, it is one of our most favorite events.

Expect the Unexpected

We were watching the weather all week. The temperature predictions kept dropping, saying it might be really chilly. Then, the day of the dinner, the wind picks up. In my mind they seemed to be gale force winds, blowing everything over on the table. The candles will not stay lighted and my beautiful heart shaped garlands become a tangled mess.

But what can you do? The addition of propane heaters are a big help. Blankets and shawls are available for guests. Try and focus on what is important: engaging with your guests and living in the moment.

I hope you enjoy all the details and ideas regarding our Valentine Dinner Party. Even though our party is much smaller this year, we cherish our friendships and time together.

This post shared with Charming Homes & Gardens Link Party 47.

Most of our entertaining is rather casual, but once a year we try to have a formal event that requires a bit more planning. Since the pandemic hit, almost all entertaining here is done outside in the fresh air with a small number of people. Today, I want to share the Valentine Dinner party we had on Saturday night. This post is long, so I am breaking up into two parts. Enjoy Part 1 today; I will continue Part 2 tomorrow. Hopefully you will glean some tips and ideas for when you host your next dinner party.

The Guest List

Even though we would like to extend invitations to a larger group of friends, we know that big gatherings are not smart right now. Since we are having the dinner outside, we reduce the number of guests to 8 (even though the table can comfortably seat 10 or 12). This allows us the chance to spread out a bit and be respectful of social distancing. A few weeks before we send a Save the Date email to make sure our guests are available to attend.

The Invitation

A few blog posts ago, I shared my homemade Valentine note card using watercolor pencils. If you missed this post, click here. The invitation is printed using my computer/printer on pink card stock (found at Michaels). The edges are decoratively cut using Fiskars decorative scissors, hole punched, affixed with ribbons and placed inside the decorative notecards. Date, time, and location are expressed for this event, as well as attire.

We hand-deliver invitations to the guests along with a box of homemade Linzer heart-shaped cookies with jam filling (recipe here from King Arthur).

Determining the Menu

This is one of the few events where I hire a caterer to do the cooking, serving and cleaning. This gives me a chance to really engage with our guests. The accomplished Julie Greder always caters our events and knows what to do…. and with excellence! Beforehand, I do ask each of the guests if they have a food dislike or allergy and design the menu accordingly.

The dinner will be plated and served, but first Julie and I discuss our options on appetizers. She suggests we individually create plates as a precaution.

Next, my husband and I determine the wines that will be paired with each course. Lots of time and research go into selecting the proper vintage and varietal.

Menus are printed on pink card stock, decorative edges cut. A pretty satin ribbon graces the top.

The Preparation

From designing the table/color theme to extensive yard work, my husband and I spend many hours the week prior to the event making sure everything is in tip-top shape. We plant new flowers, rake the leaves, mow the lawn, wash the windows. In the above photo, I hang heart-shaped garland (both purchased and homemade) over the table from small, clear Command hooks on the ceiling.

A few days before the event, we assess the weather, sun patterns. What will the temperature be? Do we need outdoor heaters? Will we need to provide shawls or blankets? What time is sunset? Will there be enough light?

We also walk the house to determine entrances and exits. Do I need more candles? More ambiance? Where will flowers go? What bathroom will be accessible?

Where will we serve cocktails? What path will our guests take to get from the front porch to the back terrace? How will it all be illuminated?

Gifts for Guests

For this event, we select a gift for each guest that will remind them of this evening. For each woman I choose a piece of jewelry. My dear friend and talented jewelry maker, Tanya Lochridge, sends bracelets that are similar but different: friendship bracelets we can all wear. You can visit her website here.

The men get novelty wine glasses with a funny inscription (source here). Utilizing pink card stock, I make a heart shape, punch a hole, add the guest name and tie the name card to the gift bag. Pretty pink-themed wrapped gifts serve as place cards which is helpful in seating arrangements.

The Homework

Prior to the event, the guests are sent a list of 5 questions to answer. We try to inquire about things that are unknown. Once I compile the answers, I create a game during the cocktail hour where each guests needs to find out whose answer is whose. More on that tomorrow.

That’s a wrap on Part 1 of planning our formal Valentine dinner party. Tomorrow we will cover the table, flowers, place setting, my outfit and the details of the actual event.

Happy Tuesday! I hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend and a Monday off.

This post shared with Charming Homes & Gardens Link Party 47