Summer: gardens, greens, and blues.

When I left Knoxville to spend a weekend in Portland it was cool and damp.  When I returned it was hot and dry.  Although I had only been gone 4 days, it seemed as if I could have been gone an eternity, as if I had missed some massive shift in the seasons. 

I had planned on having the sprinkler system up before I left, but there had been a leak, and the new installation date is scheduled for next week.  So I seem to spend a lot of time out watering the flower beds, or moving a sprinkler, or both, although admittedly my landscape angels have messed with the sprinkler more than I have, except to unhook it.  Tikka is my garden companion, watching over me as I weed and water and plant. 

Sometimes we just sit together in the grass for a bit of a rest.  Here I am admiring my new shoes, ported home from Portland, shoes I really had no intention of buying.  I really wasn't looking, just enjoying time with friends on Sunday, and sat down while Liana and Jan perused Ross Dress for Less.  I'd been standing far more than I am used to over the weekend, and my back was sore and tired; standing is far harder than walking you know.  Alas I sat next to these cute little slip on sneakers with a bit of shimmer, and so they came home with me.  Although I didn't really need anything, they look to be a useful addition to my summer wardrobe.

But what else came home in my suitcase?  Shams and Margy mentioned a necklace, indeed you can see it on the counter just before I purchased it in one of Margy's photographs.  It is a necklace that includes all of my perfect blues and went with everything I brought to wear over the course of the weekend, often to better effect than the jewelry I had brought with me.

My new necklace is shown above on a piece of green lightweight rayon knit, that also came home in my suitcase.  I was not looking for fabric.  In fact I was happily trailing Liana around Mill End fabrics, facilitating her choices, when I ran smack-dab into this green knit.  It is a perfect shade of summer green for me.  Doesn't it remind you of the greens in the top garden photograph?   It will work well with things in my closet; in fact it goes beautifully with a cardigan I wore the very next day.  I bought what was left on the bolt, 2 1/2 yards, and I have a couple of ideas, further impetus for actually getting a sewing machine set up and running and sorting out my various notions and tools. 

And I swore I wouldn't buy fabric.  Never say Never (more about that later).