Monday, March 9, 2009

Early Spring Delights


This morning was special for Vivi who made a small discovery in the yard . She found the very first daffodil to open. It really is beginning to feel like spring around here. Of course, having temperatures in the 70's helps quite a lot. The girls are pleading with me to pull out the short sleeve shirts and flip flops. Over last weekend, Vivi and I got in the dirt and started planting carrots, radishes, swiss chard and lettuce mix.






I also found a few sweet little crocuses peeking out of the fallen leaves. These lovely blooms got me inspired to work on some pretties for the nature table. I took the daffodil and made up a pattern by looking at the shapes of the leaves and petals. I sewed a pipe cleaner into the green stem to give it some flexibility.








I also pulled out my favorite craft book, All Year Round, and used the instructions to make a sweet little snowdrop flower fairy. I still need to make her a snowdrop on a stem to hold.







Jasper enjoyed the pretty posy that Vivienne picked for our neighbor.





And last but not least, I have to share my lovely Book Club evening. This month I had the honor of hosting these beautiful, amazing women for a potluck Cuban meal. It was inspired by our book, Hemmingway's Old Man and the Sea, a classic that most of us had not visited since high school. Yum! I am still thinking about the food. Roasted acorn squash with cilantro and ginger over a bed of greens, beer braised black bean stew with pork, fresh red snapper baked whole, plantains both sweet and fried, rice and beans, empanadas, and cuban flan for dessert. It was an incredible meal and delightful company, as always.




~with gratitude for lovely flowers, friendship and good food~






4 comments:

Tammy said...

So many fun pretties on your blog today! Crocuses and daffodils are always a true sign of spring to me, and I think they are so cheerful and hopeful.

I LOVE The Old Man and the Sea, it's one of my very favorite books ever. What a nice book to discuss with a bunch of like-minded women! :)

The Renni said...

Ah Emily -- a stroll through your blog is nearly as good as a walk in the woods for feeding my soul. Your eye captures the beauty and art of everyday life in a way that, I fear, too many of us miss in our hustle and bustle. You remind me -- beautifully, poetically, visually and seasonally -- that BEING is just as (if not more) important as BECOMING. Hugs and thanks for a most wonderful evening and a soul-feeding friendship. Jen

Nova said...

your daffodil is just perfect!

we're transitioning into autumn here, which in a land of evergreens isn't half as nice as spring!

brown robin said...

Your daffodil is wonderful! You need to make a little pattern of it! Lovely to see you and your friends... only one I recognized. What fun and great food!