Looking for Spring ~ March Has Arrived with Its Doldrum Days

Good morning! It's as grey and dull a day as you could imagine here at the beach. March is a big blah, neither winter nor spring. Sure, we woke up to snow, but just a dusting on the grass, much to Mo's urinary delight. My friend L and I have been doing some recreational shopping to brighten these midwinter days. My goal is to find a few accent items in sunny yellow to go with my soon to be sewed yellow pillow covers. I'd love to find a yellow striped jug or bowl, like this but yellow?

...maybe a few yellow carpet balls? Yellow must be my least favorite color [after forest green] because I have nothing yellow here to use. I do love daffodils, forsythia and dandelions, yellow tulips too---but as for a yellow and white quilt or pot or table runner/cloth, that's a fail.

Pier One looked interesting online, but was dull and tired in real life. Instead of spring colors they have a lot of grey, white and black? Black gingham, black bunnies. [yawn]

Very modern, simplistic bunnies.

Even bejeweled Bunny was a bit subdued.

These coffee tables were interesting, with their inserted sea glass. and lovely natural wood. Far too modern for my house though, I'm hoping for a farmhouse find someday.

I bought wax melts for my Mason jar thing. They smell like deodorant so far, huh.
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Yesterday we hit Home Goods. Nothing yellow but bursting with traditional spring and coastal summer items, plus a few  some fun finds.

This was my on-sale treasure.

Should I paint this distressed chalk white or leave as is? It is another thread spool holder, my spools are multiplying like bunnies.

L had gone to get the car and as she parked I was like, "Oh look! You have to see this, it was on sale! Look at the cool china ABCs! So cool! Don't you LOVE it!" Jumping like a fangirl. And another woman walking by came over to look too, she loved it, she wanted it!  Prob I could have resold it for a profit, lol. Love the old china labels, not wild about the very modern steel screws though I suppose they'll be rusty by the end of summer anyway.

Flowers at the grocery and TJs. Eye-popping brightness. Sajou flowers.

Confetti roses.

TJs candle of the season is Lemon Cooky, nice and warm sugary but fresh lemony too. 4.oo.

Back in the kitchen I made bread this week. I used the no-knead dutch oven recipe again but I wanted seeded bread.

I love seeded or whole grain breads!

This came out so perfect [though a bit misshapen], just as I imagined.

I used TJs "Everything but The Bagel topping plus a bit of coarse raw sea salt, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, flax seeds ,pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds.

I drew on my previous breadmaking experience to get a chewy not crispy crust. I  brushed the top of the loaf with olive oil before adding the seed topping. The dutch oven is preheated at 450*: I then added a fat 1/8 C of water before I plopped  in my dough and covered it really fast, trapping the resulting steam. The steam softens the crust. Then when I did the last 10 uncovered minutes I added a bit more water, a sprinkle around the edges. And I was careful not to overcook the loaf. Slices perfectly, chewy dense texture.

My only drawback is the seeds make a terrible mess . Seeds everywhere, especially the flax seeds. I think I will make it without the topping next time, just put seeds in the dough?

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In between working on quilts I have started a bit of spring cleaning. Oh my windows need a big wash but it's too cold. The wind forces sand right thru the wooden window frames; I find little sifted piles where there's air leaks. Instead I emptied and washed the fridge, ugh. And today's chore was to empty the utensil drawer in the kitchen, sort the useless junk [old corks? three rusty can-openers, saved for the Apocalypse?] and to wash all the divider thingies. They're all air drying now.

Mo has been a very sweet boy, except he has moved on from kitchen bin rooting to attacking the laundry basket. Every time I look, all the clothes are strewn everywhere, clean or dirty, he is not a connoisseur. On one windy day---I think Monday? , hiding from the noise, first he built a nest on my bed....

then in his bed, under the computer desk. I think the hard drive is warm:

...then he got spooked and rowdy and built a fort on 'his'' sofa. He was very proud of his cushion pile/ mess.

Two  found washers this week. No coins. Paperwhites finishing week five.

Have a good weekend!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...