Good morning!

The table is all set for breakfast. Coffee? Juice?

We’re having Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins. Would you like scrambled eggs with those?

It’s such a lovely day; we are all set up outside.

Sit wherever you like. Which is your favourite rooster napkin? I got them years ago from Pottery Barn; they were eager for their outing. I’m having trouble deciding which I like best—two of them are primarily yellow and blue. This fellow is long and lean; been on short rations, perhaps.

While this one seems to have been tucking into the corn quite heavily, that’s quite a chest!

I love the elegant tail feathers on this blue one.

This chap’s bold red feathers are very striking.

It’s tough to choose! And then there is the flamboyant colouring of the rooster on the tablecloth by April Cornell. It’s a cheerful setting today.

Figural hen and rooster milk and sugar containers by Fitz and Floyd add to the fun.

Red rooster open salt and pepper pots from Pier 1 round out the collection.

Navy blue Savannah dinner plates from Southern Living play nicely with yellow Capri Buttercup salad plates and oversized mugs by Home Accents to complete the Provençal vibe. Cobalt Blue fine-ribbed tumblers by Hazel Atlas add the final touch.

Vibrant sunflowers are a cheery start to the day, don’t you think?

The height of summer, bold colours, and breakfast on the deck. Happy sigh.

Cock-a-Doodle-Do!!!

I’ve been in a flurry of cooking and table setting this week, with one foot in the glorious summer weather, enjoying picnics on the beach, while the other has been in fall, Halloween and Christmas table settings. This week I made a spiced ginger plum streusel-topped pie (below), brownie bowls filled with orange mousse, mini lime cheesecakes, and salted caramel-filled cupcakes decorated with homemade Poppycock, spiced pumpkin soufflés,  red pepper, mushroom and goat cheese soufflés, and simple mushroom pasta. Stay tuned!

The table settings first take shape in Evernote, where I drag and drop combinations of fabrics, plates, glasses and centrepieces. Once the basic design is set, I try out the actual pieces to see how well they play together. Adjustments are usually needed—what you think will work sometimes doesn’t. Here is the table setting I’m planning to go with the pie 🙂

All the while, I’m trying to keep some semblance of order in the small area of the house that doesn’t look like a doggy daycare centre—puppy blankets, chewy bones and small squeaky stuffed toys abound. Each night before bed, they go back into two open metal baskets. The puppies and grown-up Churchill, for that matter, like nothing better than going to their toy boxes and extracting their favoured items. Marigold has always liked sleeping on the fireplace hearth, for whatever strange reason. I can’t think it’s in any way comfortable, but it seems to suit her!

Below, you’ll note the tiny hedgehog and the spool-shaped chewy toy. Those are the real crowd-pleasers. We call all the hedgehogs “Norman” after an Ikea version much loved by Ben, previous Golden patriarch and Perfect Dog. He took that malodorous thing with him everywhere.

Churchill patiently lets the kids have the dog bed, preferring his space and independence on the floor. It’s probably cooler, too.

The puppies are exuberant, but not destructive, happily, though Marigold has shown a fondness for carpets. Two carpets now have a 2″ bare spot where she has snuffled and gnawed her way down to the backing. Sigh. We’ve had worse. When Lauren’s giant German Shepherd, Rabbit, was a pup, he silently and stealthily chewed his way through the fabric skirt on an ottoman one morning, right under our noses. Churchill still eats anything paper or fabric (the grandkids have a habit of casting off their socks and end up going home barefoot).

At the great age of 10, Churchill continues to relish the covers from coffee table books if left unattended. But he’s very patient with the pups. They both adore him, especially Marigold.

Marigold retires to the puppies’ bed in the side hall with the largest version of Norman. There are two sizes of Norman in between. They all make different sounds, so you can tell which Norman is making the rounds just by the noises it emits.

That’s a wrap, all! Have a wonderful Sunday. I hope you’re getting out and enjoying the glorious summer weather while it lasts.