Otherwise known as Friday Five but I just couldn’t get around to it on Friday — or Saturday!
1. First and Foremost — I hope all of you in the U.S. had a great 4th of July. We had a fun mix of people here for a cookout — our little family was scattered and we were missing one CrazyBIL (who is being Crazy in Brazil at the moment) and three of the five kids. We were joined by family friends though, and they made it extra festive by providing party hats. Lots of fun and laughs.
2. Winston (sporting his new summer haircut) was here for a visit too. Some of you have asked how Winston gets along with the resident cats. It’s a Love/Hate relationship — Winston loves the cats, they hate him LOL. Poor little Winston — since he’s still a puppy, he’s all over the place and he wants to play with anything that moves. Paulkitty is mostly terrified and runs to hide. The Scruffster is a different story though. He has a mean hiss and he’s discovered that he can scare Winston. So, he’s in charge and poor Winston does whatever he wants. I think Scruff is like a grumpy old many though — he has to be mean but really wants to be nice. Here he is, cautiously checking out that bouncing puppy who finally fell asleep. He didn’t dare go any closer — for fear he’d have to rear up on his hind legs and let out a ferocious growl to maintain control of the house if that puppy woke up.
3. I started crocheting a pink Happy Birthday pillowcase using this fabulous tutorial and this fabric. Love, Love, Love!
4. My Zinnias are looking beautiful this year. Last year I hardly had any because of a hail storm and this year … I’m a little disappointed again! I’ve ended up with some dwarfy version of a zinnia. They need spinach or something to be real zinnias!!! Apparently third time is a charm, so I’m hopeful for next year — I’ll be more careful when picking my seeds. They’re pretty and healthy this year though — even if they are microscopic LOL!
5. We’ve had the most beautiful weather the last few days — unseasonably cool. So, if you’ll excuse me, my bike is out and I’m off for a bike ride to visit MeMum and BigDaddy!
XOXO,
Anna
It sounds like your summer is off to a wonderful beginning! And yes, the flowers are perfectly gorgeous–even if in miniature!
Oh my word, watch out Winston! It looks like Scruff is all set to jump on him :)
Your weekend sounds lovely and I think your bike looks amazing with its pretty fabric basket! Makes me want to get a new bike.
xxx
love that bike basket!
I bet Scruff and Winston would make a great team! I bet they could take on the other cats easily! LOL
You’re certainly making the most of your sunny days. The fabric basket on your bike is so gorgeous!! I love those zinneas too, they are one of my most favourite flowers.
Your beautiful, positive blog sure brightens my day. I hope you show us the pillowcase when it’s done! Such pretty yarn to match the fabric.
our zinnias aren’t blooming yet – except for the cheater yellow ones that were blooming when we bought them – yours don’t look tiny in the picture!!! besides, size doesn’t matter (i know, i know – that is a myth perpetuated by men), and they are petite but powerful – love all their bright, happy colors!
i oughta get me a bike – then it could sit in the garage and gather dust because it is too doggone hot to go outside, let alone expend any energy…
i hope that you give Uncle BigDaddy and Auntie MeMum hugs from me – and tell them that i love them!
Little z’s are so cute! Nice to have cooler weather for a change!
well well… is that secondchild up there? and our cat torments our dog and then rubs her face on her face when she is lonely. today the dog stepped on her tail and then she grabbed her hind leg with two paws, clawed and bit her. the dog looked at me like “what just happened?” then the cat walked right up to her and rubbed her face all over hers. i was hoping, just a bit, that izzy would open her enormous mouth and snap the cat’s head off in one swift movement, but she just stood there and let the cat use her for a rubbing post. love your mini-zinis. wow wow wow that pillow case is going to be gorgeous!!!! i need to make a couple of those to have in my birthday stash. i hope you had fun riding your bike and at least you weren’t going to MY mom’s house!!! well i hope the good weather holds up. and i hope that you start sewing things for your blog friends like basket liners for THEIR bikes and yoga bags and most importantly…. a wedding quilt for their child’s upcoming nuptials. you have 3 months so get busy.
:waves madly
Love all five. I have wanted to make some of those pillowcases since I first saw them. Alas, my want-to has never gotten big enough to get me started. ;( Those are some handsome hat wearers, and what a great bicycle basket! I need zinnias. I have seed, just haven’t planted any. I have tomatoes, though! We have three dogs and two cats here. They all co-exist well most of the time, especially since they’ve mostly grown up.
I have made a bunch of pillowcases with that tutorial—I’m not even much of a crocheter and I can follow it. I buy seed for a variety of zinnias called “Cut and Come Again.” The flowers are big and colorful, and it does seem that the more you cut them, the more they bloom. I’m even less of a gardener than I am a crocheter, and if I can grow them, anyone can.
Fun stuff!! Oh your zinnias are beautiful.
Thank you for the nice note regarding my blog. We’re really proud of Aaron. Do you have a pattern for the bike basket liner? My pink cruiser needs one!
Happy 4th to you, Anna! We had lousy weather for Friday so no picnics for us. We hunkered down at home. Lost power towards the end of the evening too. Your zinnias are very pretty. I’ll have to remember to plant some next year.
Although your zinnias might be small, they are very pretty and colourful!! xx
Lovely!
Cats rule! Lovely series of pictures Anna, all so cheerful!
What a nice summery post Anna. I bet those two (cat and dog) are hilarious to watch. Basket {{{{love}}}}, now you have me wanting to pull out my bike and go for a ride, only I simply dislike riding the hills here, it’s so easy going down them, but a beast to get back up them ;0
oh I love that crochet pattern, the use of chocolate is brilliant throughout.
Fabulous collection of five things… Not random crap like mine!
love the american spirit!!
your cat is a total hoot. I love his bravado and girth, lol
pretty zinnias and the pillowcase will be a wonderful gift to someone lucky.
peddle on with that cute bike :)
It’s so funny to watch cats and dogs interacting isn’t it? My very first cat, a terrorist named Guiness, would hurl himself at a dog’s back and ride him like a bareback rider. The dogs were always terrified! I hope the weather is still good – we have a little heatwave here and I’m like a limp lettuce! x
“Lovely weather, unseasonably cool”. Sound so odd to me! We’ve had lovely weather too – nice and warm! It’s like our recently-visiting Australian cousins who laughed when I mentioned my summer jacket. There are no such things where they come from. If you need a jacket, it’s winter.