My book club meets once a month with each of us taking turns as host. Tonight was my turn, and the first time in a few years that it landed on a warm, August night. Awesome! I couldn’t wait to play host in the garden.
I spent part of the morning shopping for food, sweeping and washing the patio and then I went really crazy and took out the iron! I don’t know what came over me. Probably that ironing post on Boomdeeada. I ironed the cloth napkins, a fabric remnant for the sideboard, and the tablecloth.
Tie-dyed tablecloth compliments the garden flowers
The tablecloth wasn’t a tablecloth at all before today, but a piece of muslin, recently tie-dyed purple and originally intended to re-cover a folding screen. That’s a long story for another post, but now it’s a tablecloth. As my head filled with details of candles, flowers and other little niceties that make hosting fun, it occurred to me that I might have enough fabric left over from recovering my swing in early May to repair the screen. The remnants were for making swing cushion covers, but covering the screen would be more interesting. Would I have enough?
Amazingly, I had exactly what I needed with just a small square of fabric left over. I used fabric trim to cover the side board, a splashy pink against the subtle green. Really, I should have my head examined for tackling this project today. What was the rush?
Leftover pink trim makes the perfect sideboard cover
Three smashed bottles of tacky-glue later, the screen was 90% complete. I’ll post pictures tomorrow.
I rolled up the used newspaper, put away my tools, vacuumed the rug and jumped into the shower with 40 minutes to spare.
The evening came together nicely. It’s great seeing friends and discussing books. Our pick this month was The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, described as
“a story about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in apparently empty places.”
Thumbs up for the book! Thumbs up for the Bookettes, too. Thumbs down for the crazy gardener who still thinks she can do it all.
The Bookettes
Gardening Nirvana 
Books, flowers and friendship .. a perfect combination. Our bookclub recently read ‘Small Wonder’ by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a collection of short stories written in the wake of September 11, 20 1. Hope you get an much enjoyment out of your bookclub as I certainly do from the lovely people I share with each month! 🙂
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Thanks for commenting! It is a wonderful combination, isn’t it? I’ll have to add ‘Small Wonder’ to my list. I’ve really enjoyed her writing (this was my second book Kingsolver book).
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O, I guess I left a message on the photo. How did that happen? Well I was just going to say “thanks for the Pingback” not the “Pinkback” ha, I guess I was dazzled by your side table.
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Hee! I like that better “Pinkback.”
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Hee! I like that better “Pinkback.”
Thank you for your lovely compliments.
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🙂 Welcome! You would have known by now and I’m the first to admit it, “I’m a terrible speller”. Jim’s my Post Production Editor, meaning I’ve already put it out there, (HA) then I do all these little corrections, sneaky.
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I was a good speller till 6th grade when it all fell apart. I live by my spell checker, but still make grammar mistakes like using it’s and its interchangeably even though I know better. There and their also trip me up. Disgraceful, I know.
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I’ve never seen anything spelt incorrectly on your posts, granted I’d be the last to point any fingers. My gf Deb sometimes threatens to call the spelling police on me, LOL, I’d be arrested for sure.
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You have the write to remayne silnt. Any missssplellings can and wll be used agnst u in a court of low.
Hee!
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Books, friends and cheese… what’s no to love? Your cosmos look so pretty in the arrangement x
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Thank you, PJ. I had enough anemones to add to the mix last night. They added a nice bit of greenery to the bunch.
Happy Friday!
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I could just picture you rushing around creating things with the clock ticking away! It sounds like you went to lots of effort and I’m sure the Bookettes appreciated it!
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Ah…thanks for saying that. We’re a fun group, of kind women so my efforts were definitely well appreciated.
Sometimes the added pressure of a party or event, spurs you on to get things done that you might otherwise put off. Do you also find that to be true?
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I do, I am definitely more productive with a deadline. It is a pleasurable thing to do to make food and make the place look nice for friends. You have reminded me about book groups too so I will have to think abut how to start one…
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Here’s an article on starting a book club. You might find a few helpful pointers. http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/start-book-club-checklist-00000000001100/index.html
It is a pleasure, as you say, “playing house” for friends. It elevates the art of food and service to an art form.
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Thank you so much for the link, I will have a read and I’ll keep you posted if I make the leap to start a club!
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You’re welcome.
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