FWF: Spring Projects + Link Party

By Kate Riley March 27, 2011

Yo Yo, Spring is in the hizouse, are you ready?  I am, but I have a little bone to pick with you Spring, now that you’ve arrived on my doorstep.  You’ve been playing a little game with me, tormenting me actually, and I’m quite upset with you.  You see, January and February are the toughest months for me, really.  There’s just nada going on, and I’m alone, just me and those leftover five pounds from the holidays.  Then March shows up and the sunshine peeks through and Spring, it’s then you become such a tease.

You start flirting with your budding blossoms, your tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. It’s then that I’m suckered outside, and lured to the garden department.  I start planting flowers on the porch.  I get excited for warmer weather, and even make plans to go picnicking.  What a fool I am.  It’s only after I wander outside, lured by your game, that you send me running indoors with another rain shower.  It’s a seductive game you play, Spring, and it must end!!  *shaking fist in air*

Like today.  Today, I packed a picnic and announced (and tweeted!) we were on our way to Sonoma, only to have my plans ruined yet again by another gust of wind and patch of rain.  Ack!  I can’t take it anymore.  Especially when I spent hours this weekend sewing the cah-uuuutest patchwork picnic blanket.

cg picnic blanket

 

And baking my favorite orange cake and cupcakes too.

cg pink and orange cake stands

 

Not five minutes after I took these pics, the rain returned.  Do not be deceived by the apparent sunshine.  They may have constant rays down in Southern Cali, but up here in the northern part of the state, it’s rain, rain, and more rain.  Yay.

The ‘how to’ on both the picnic blanket and those dessert plates coming later this week, meanwhile, let’s see what you’ve been up to lately.  Welcome to the first Fair Weather Forum, today’s topic, all things related to Spring!

fwf spring label

Ready to be inspired?  Link up your latest project (please only ‘spring’ related topics).  Have you been doing some decorating?  Got some tips for spring cleaning?  Got a great project you’d love to share?  Link party closes on Wednesday March 30th at 8 p.m. PST.

Link up friends, let the partay begin !

 

64 comments

  1. I TOTALLY hear ya! I’m in the same region and have been DYING to get out and enjoy “Spring” by doing some outdoor project, but alas… the weekends have been filled with torrential rain and wind. Hopefully we will be “springing” soon!!!

    PS- the orange cake and cupcakes are totally gorgeous and look to die for! Also, where did you get the adorable cake stands and table cloth???

  2. Great linky party Kate! And I’m totally with you on being a little ticked off at Mother Nature. She does this to me every year, and yet I still get my hopes up that maybe, (just maybe), Spring will arrive and STAY. After the winter we’ve had, is it too much to ask that Mother Nature and Old Man Winter just call a truce?

  3. Thanks so much Kate for hosting this party. I rarely rarely get the chance to do a tablescape and with flowers.

    Since my family, was in town I was glad to link up.

    Mr. Goodwill Hunting

  4. Your picnic blanket is adorable!

    I linked up our Supper Club Spring Menu (perfect timing, we just met up last night)! I didn’t see a button for your blog…am I missing it? Would gladly post one on mine if you could just direct me!

    Thanks for much for hosting!

  5. Kate, I totally feel your pain! We’ve had lots of storms here the last couple of days. Yuck! I hope spring comes back and brings her sunshine with her! Your quilt is wonderful…I love it! Those cakes look insanely good! Hope you get to head to Sonoma soon…maybe next weekend? :)

  6. Thanks for hosting the party, and I totally agree with you that Spring is being a bit of a tease down here in So Cal too!

  7. LOVE the picnic blanket! For the past 2 summers I’ve been telling my husband I MUST make a quilt for picnics that my girl(s) would remember when they get older. (He just rolls his eyes at me) :)

  8. I don’t have any spring decorating to link up just yet, because it snowed again today. The wind brought the temp down to about -20C, which makes it kinda hard for me to have any sympathy on your rainy day. ;) I’m *dying* to get started on spring decorating, but it seems so wrong when the temperature is still sub-zero, you know? I’ll catch up in May.

  9. So sorry you’ve had bad weather. Yesterday it snowed, today we got marble sized hail. Sooo ready for warm weather that sticks around! Love your picnic blanket by the way. Totally cute!!

  10. I love your blanket and picnic!!! So cute! Too bad the weather didn’t cooperate. But now you are READY for the next sunny day!!

    I’m dying for spring!! We had a GORGEOUS day here last week and spent the day walking around Seattle. It was AMAZING.

    PS. Sorry I linked more than one post, I got a wee bit excited about spring. :-)

    Thank you for hosting a partay!!!!!

  11. I have the fabric that you can see in the second photo. Love it to bits. A bit of a coincidence considering I live in Australia!

  12. I’d like to present you with One Lovely Blog award.

    The requirements of accepting this award are as follows:

    1. Link back to the blogger who gave you the award.
    2. You have to tell seven facts about yourself that others might not know.
    3. Pass the awards along to as many as fifteen blogs you have found recently.
    4. Notify the bloggers of their awards.

    You can find the award on my blog.

  13. This is a fab post and link! We have had lovely sun in the Uk making us feel like Spring (dare we say it summer) might come early this year – then the clouds swelled again : (

    But just sharing our Spring inspired pillows with y’all! Spring decor here we are : )

  14. Thanks for hosting, Kate! I linked up a Spring Cleaning project. Looks like I have some fun links to look through during naptime today. :) I LOVE your picnic blanket–can’t wait to see how you did it. The cupcakes looks delish. Fun party!!

  15. That blanket is gorgeous! And those cupcakes look SO yummy with all that icing drizzled on top. I’m sorry the rain ruined your picnic. At least it’s not snow (and yes, we’re still getting snow in Maine….grr!). Thanks for hosting this party!

  16. We have those sneaky rains here too sometimes. When I was a kid, we’d just turn those times into an indoor picnic opportunity. We’d make all the picnic food, pack the basket, lay out the blanket, etc. just like a real picnic. We’d just pretend to be outside for the duration of the picnic and pop in a Disney movie afterward (usually Dumbo) and take a post-picnic nap on the blanket.

  17. This is a wonderful party. The orange cake looks delicious (I would love the recipe) and the cake stands are fabulous.

  18. Love the blanket! At least you are getting rain and not snowstorms! Spring is nowhere near teasing us here in Saskatchewan!

  19. Your picnic blanket is beautiful … can’t wait to see more !! Such wonderful inspiration here at the party that you are so kind to host !! Thanks for letting me play. *Becca*

  20. WOW! So many WONDERFUL ideas and such great inspiration…I’m feeling springy just looking at all. Even though it’s 30 degrees here…ugh.

    Can’t wait to see how you did the blanket (even though I can sew), but maybe this will be the inspiration I need to learn how.

    Have a great week and hopefully spring will stop being such a tease…damn her. :-)

  21. Love the blanket!

    I live over the hill in northern Nevada and we are having the same peek-a-boo with spring. Last week it snowed on us, this Friday it should be in the seventies and then the weather will be cold all over again…. Sigh. BUT if the weather goes the way they say it will I am getting out my spray paint projects on Friday (three of them at the moment) and getting while the getting is good. Crossing my fingers you get some pretty weather over there too!

  22. Wonderful blanket, gorgeous cakes! Here in Moscow, Russia we have had snow and winds 20m/sec and temperatures below zero lately. All is gray and dirty and makes me jealous for your greens and blossoms and even rains))))
    Love your blog! Love your design style, your writing style and your life style!

  23. Happy Spring, Kate!

    I know, right?! Same here. Teasing weather. Warm and sunny, sitting on patio furniture wihthout cushions – considering getting everything all set up for those sunny days of lounging outside then I wake up to 18 degrees and a dusting of snow! Mother Nature is so fired. :) haha

    Thanks for hosting a wonderfully Spring-Inspired party and more beautiful inspiration as usual in your own pretty Spring ideas. :)

  24. I’m just loving that picnic blanket. I was trying to decide what to make for a wedding gift for a friend. I’m thinking this may be the ticket. A picnic blanket with a filled picnic basket? Love it.

  25. Not to burst your bubble but spring has been pretty elusive here in So Cal also. Fickle weather. We still have 8 feet of snow at our cabin for goodness sake, 2 feet of which we just got. But I love your picnic blanket. Very yummy fabrics and food I might add. Hopefully spring will be here soon for a picnic. Thanks for the fabulous linky party. I’m chair bound for now so it’s fun to see what everyone else is up to. Thanks for hosting. Made my day.

  26. Kate, I am in love with the fabric that you chose for your table cloth pictures with your cupcakes! Would you be able to share the name of the fabric/maker? Thanks for the great post!

  27. Wow, Kate, what a lot of spring projects! My spring has been awfully busy, so I haven’t gotten too many spring projects done. . . but I have done a little spring decorating using a previous project, so I linked that up! Thank you for hosting!

    I love your picnic blanket. We live just about 10 minutes from the famous Duke Gardens, so that’s our go-to spot for picnics. It’s an amazing spot. Maybe if you’re ever in North Carolina you can come visit and I’ll take you there! :)

  28. I’ve been wanting to make a blanket like that too- something to throw in the car for the beach or a picnic. so cute! thanks for hosting!

  29. Hi Darcy, thanks so much! I’m checking my Joann’s receipt now, it reads “Large Spring Floral” with the number 699919945399 after it. I don’t remember the maker, but I found it in the quilting cottons at Joann’s Fabrics! I’m going there tomorrow, I’ll take a peek and see if I can find the exact name.
    ~ Kate

  30. Hi Kate!
    Can you share your recipe for the orange cake/cupcakes?
    They look fantastic!! :)

  31. Yes Kate those cupcakes look delicious, please share the recipe….!!!!! PLS…..

  32. Kate, I love reading your blog. And love the quilt! Makes me almost want to dust off my sewing machine. Your spring link-party is my first ever link-party! So thanks for hosting :)

  33. I LOVE the idea of making it water proof. Here in Alaska we had 40 something days of rain in a row! Now if that combined with 7 months of snow isn’t enough to make you want a waterproof blanket for a picnic, I don’t know what is!

  34. Wow! So many great ideas in this link party. Thanks for hosting! And I love your picnic blanket. I just read your tutorial and you make it look so easy, I might even try it!

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