The Weekend....

Friday was a drive to the cottage...
As you can see...another dark dreary day out there...
It was quite warm up near the cottage...but...as you went down the beach to the water, it became very chilly...
The breeze off the water was damp and bone chilling..

I love the colours of the stones when they are wet...

Not as much sand this weekend...
Strange...every visit reveals a whole new look...
It was neat having the waves wash over my boots!!
Thinking of the summertime once again...

Water is still on!! 
If these above seasonal temps continue...we are thinking..

                         ***   NEW YEARS EVE!!   ***
 

My Perennial Sweet Peas look like they have started to grow again!
In December!!
Looks like an El Nino Winter for us!!
Yippee!! 
 

Back at home...
I was readying the dining room for Saturday night dinner guests.. 
I had no decorations up in here yet...so it was quite a tall order for me...
Why am I always surprised when the Christmas Season creeps up on me!! 
Seems like I am never ready!

This year...less is more...for sure!!

My 2 outdoor planters are done...thanks to my fresh greens that I had brought from the cottage last week...
They are lit and beautiful!!
Everything that I brought went to good use...
Even had a few GIANT pine cones for indoors too!! 

My daughter Erika...aka The Flower Lady...brought me a huge bunch of fabulous Lisianthus blooms...

Awesome colour too...minty creamy pale green...some almost an ivory colour...
In different stages of bloom...
I made 4 arrangements from the bunch...Thanks Erika♥️

Dining room table...
Kitchen table...
Powder room...
Living room...
Love these!!

For my dinner guests...I opted for no tablecloth this time...
Used my quilted plaid placemats that I made about 20 years ago...
Some Christmas S&P's...
A few pine cones and shiny things.. 
My Moms beautiful Wedgewood china...
And the Bunny vase that my late Brother Tom gave me...♥️
And of course lots of candles...my passion!! 
 

Aren't these flowers just so beautiful???
With a few boughs of White Pine...perfect!
 

The kitchen table got a bit of a spruce up as well...
A few Lisianthus...some milk glass with candles...
And...
Of course...
My white Pumpkin from Halloween!!
My SIL Jeff brought me that...and it is still looking great!!
A few of my big pine cones...
A couple of red tealight holders...
And...Miss V's window clings in the background...very festive!!
Completes the look...
 

 I had prepared a platter of Hors D'oeuvres...

Smoked Salmon and cream cheese, with capers...
Black and green olives...
Huge green grapes...
Clementine wedges...
Pickled onions...
Savoury Mushrooms...
Dates...
Jalapeno Havarti Cheese...
Pepper Cheese...
Rice crackers and crispy Triscuits.. 
Sliced Kielbasa...
A variety of choices...
Very delicious...
And...it all got eaten! I like that!! 

Dinner was roast beef...roasted potatoes, carrots,onions...
Smothered in some pretty darn delicious gravy...if I may say so!!
We had red wine with that...and a jug of lemon water...

Dessert was a bumble berry crisp with butterscotch ice cream...
My guests said this was excellent...
Oh...and the meal too...
All my hard work paid off...and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves...

       

Hope you all had a great weekend too...

Weather here is quite balmy...

With a few peeks of sunshine...

Spent the day tidying up...changed the sheets...lounged and snacked!

And the best is...

We have leftovers for dinner!!

But...this time mashed taters with sweetlet peas...

The beef is warming up in the gravy...

How wonderful is this!!??

Enjoy your evening...I plan to...

                          Cheers!   :o)
                              linda