Share Your Cup #100 and A Giveaway Celebration

Oh my!  It’s hard to believe that we have reached #100!  Thank you, thank you my friends for making this party a success!

I remember when I first anticipated hosting my own link party.  Wondered if anyone would show up.  My party is not huge, but for me; it’s the perfect size and I love that I am still able to visit the link ups.

Something to celebrate, don’t you agree?  In honor of this occasion I have a special give away for one of my lucky readers.

If you have been linking up to SYC before then you know that it’s all about ‘sharing the things that make us happy’.

I thought I would give away a few things that make me happy:

I found this metal sign while in St. George.  Perfect for describing Share Your Cup.  And look, it even has a ‘daily cup’.

I love to sew.  The vintage covered buttons are ever ‘sew’ sweet.  And a little hankie to wipe away the tears when you come across a post that tugs at your heart strings.  Always a few of those shared at SYC.  I adore vintage Pyrex, so here’s a little dish for you to enjoy.  And last of all, my favorite place to shop is T.J. Maxx or Home Goods so the giveaway will include a $50 gift card to be used there.  The only thing missing is something to do with my love for gardening.  May need to throw in a packet of seeds.  Oh and of course my family.  Don’t think I’ll be including them. lol!

Just leave a comment and your name will be thrown into the drawing.  Link up and you’ll get a 2nd try.  Post about the give away on your blog and I’ll throw your name in again.  Be sure and tell me in your comment if you did either of these.

I will announce the winner at next weeks SYC.

Now on to last weeks features:

There were a few posts that shared the ‘little things’ that make them happy.  Had to narrow it down.  Loved this one shared by Joanne from A Pocketful of Blue.

Debra from Common Ground shared her cute seed packet wreath.

How pretty is this Spring inspired table by Simply Suzannes?

Julie from Love My Simple Home shared her newly painted grey chair.  Doesn’t this look so welcoming?  Yes, I have a bit of a chair fetish!

A Spirit of Simplicity always shares beautiful pictures with poetic words.

Reviews, Chews, and How-To's shared her unique potato salad recipe.

Thanks so much everyone and please grab my button if you were featured.

Don’t forget to hop over to my facebook page to see who was featured there.

Salad Stuffed Shells

As much as I enjoy a hearty meal, when the weather begins to warm eating light just seems right.

After spending time in the garden or attending outdoor activities often a salad seems to fit the bill.

I recently helped host a bridal shower and these Salad Stuffed Shells were such a big hit I thought I would share the recipe with you.

I think they would be great for a Mothers Day brunch.

Salad Stuffed Shells:

18 jumbo pasta shells                           4 cups chopped romaine lettuce or baby spinach

Sliced salami, about 5 slices                1 cup sliced grape tomatoes

3/4 cup chopped red onion                   Black olives, about 20

1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed                 One bunch asparagus tips, blanched

1 avocado, diced                                   1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, or feta (extra for top)

1/2 cup dressing of your choice  

Instructions:  

1.  Cook pasta according to pkg. instructions.  Drain and cool in refrigerator while preparing salad.

2.  Combine all salad ingredients including dressing and toss.

3.  Stuff the shells and arrange on platter. Top with extra cheese. Provide extra dressing to drizzle over top if desired.

Enjoy!

Jann   

I will be sharing with:

Hop over and visit Roxy for her first link party, Encouraging Homakers

Ivy and Elephants for What's it Wednesday?

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

Green Willow Pond for What We Accomplished Wednesday

Vintage Garden Finds. . .

Hello, I am home from my get away with friends and excited to share some of my new found treasures with you.

One of my favorite things to find at thrift or yard sales are vintage garden themed items.

I’m chuckling because I took these out into the garden for photos and can you see that white stuff that is covering the table?  Yup, that would be snow.  And it’s actually hailing right now.  Not hard, but still, hail!

A while ago the entire lawn was covered with that white stuff.

I paid $15 for this metal tray at a shop where a girl sold old furniture she had repainted with AS Chalk Paint.  It’s really long so I didn’t think it was a bad price.  I can see it filled with clay pots.

Even though it’s snowing I do have some pretty blossoms to share.  My Weeping Crabapple tree is just starting to put on a show.  This is my favorite time of year when all of the blossoming trees come bursting forth with such beauty!

I snagged the garden tools and the red handled drill at a yard sale for $3.  I saw the same tools marked $14 at another shop.

This girl loves aqua so I was thrilled to find this tray from an old tool box and another sprinkler.  The tray will be filled with succulents.

The pink and purple combination of my Flowering Almond bush and Lavender Twisted Redbud are perfect for Spring.

I already have an old pair of grass trimmers but these had a red handle.  I can’t pass up anything red handled. lol!  A $5 thermos to add to my collection.

You know how much I love plaid!  This picnic pack was complete. 

Sweet peach flowers are popping out on my Japanese Quince.

These pretty T.V. trays are going out under the pergola.  They will be great for extra tables when we eat outdoors with family or friends.

One was missing, but $10 for the set of three wasn’t bad.

Beautiful Flowering Plum.

This last item will stay indoors, but I thought that this flowered candy dish was too unusual to pass up.

I had never seen one with a lid like this, have you?

Well, it won’t be today; but I can’t wait to get out and play with a few of my vintage garden treasures!

I really don’t mind a Spring snow.  Helps bring gorgeous flowers.  We all know the saying:

“April showers bring May flowers”  Guess now I’ll say:  “April snow helps flowers grow”.

hugs,

Jann

I will be sharing with these parties:

Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

We Call it Junkin for History and Home Link Party

Knick of Time Tuesday

Share Your Cup Thursday #99

Hello and welcome to Share Your Cup (SYC for short).  The party where you share the things that make you happy.  Starting the party early because I’m heading to St. George for our annual ‘girls getaway”.

I learned a long time ago that it’s up to you to find and make your own happiness.  We shouldn’t expect others to do it for us.  After we find our own happiness then we can go on from there and help to make others happy.

Looking forward to see what makes you happy, or in other words “fills your cup”.

What a wonderful Easter Sunday we had!  The weather was perfect and although two of our children were out of town we managed to party hard.

We feasted on ‘Café Rio’ type salads.  A little unusual for Easter, but they sure were yummy!

Decorated sugar cookies. . .

And played a round of Bocce ball.  Which I might mention that hubby and I won.  Despite me hitting my bird bath and a birdhouse with my ball. lol!  Seriously, I couldn’t have hit them if I tried.

Hope you had a wonderful celebration!

Now on to some great features:

Barbara from 21 Rosemary Lane shared her gorgeous garden themed bedroom makeover.  You must go get a closer look at her stenciled ceiling!

Thoughts from Alice shared her cousins wonderful clock gallery wall.

I love these drop cloth curtains made by Deborah from Green Willow Pond.

Tea Time with Trina hosted this fabulous Peter Rabbit Spring tea.

Patti from Old Things New shared the recipes for her delicious Easter feast.

And in case you missed seeing the Easter bunny.  You won’t want to miss seeing this sweet thing that belongs to Christine’s from Little Brags son.  Yes, this is a real bunny!

Thanks for sharing and please grab my button if you were featured.

Remember when pinning please hop over and pin from their site not mine.

Don’t forget to hop over and see who was featured on my Facebook Page.

With no further adieu, let’s get this party started!

1. I would love for you to be a follower of Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson.
2. Link up a particular post and not your entire blog. Please limit your links to no more than three and please do not link up the same thing you linked up last week.
3. Please have a link back to this post. That way others will know where the party is. Feel free to grab my button on the sidebar if you’d like. Only those with a link back will be featured.
4. Please find time to visit at least two other participants. It’s a great way to find new friends.

After you link up, please come back and leave a comment.  They help to fill my cup!

Spring Trailers. . .

If you have a rock wall then you know how important trailing plants are.  They do so much to soften the rocks.

Even if you don’t have a rock wall trailing plants are lovely planted at the edge of your flower beds.

                                                  (Basket of Gold)

To keep the rock wall ‘blooming’ up until the first snow hits I have planted trailers that bloom at different times.

Today I am sharing my Spring trailers with you.

                    (Candy Tuft, Creeping Plox, Aubretia (rock cress), and Basket of Gold)

I have a lot of the same plants repeated along the wall.  When I walk out back they really catch my eye.

Notice that the Basket of Gold is not in full bloom yet.  The first picture was one taken last year.

I have been spreading mulch in the beds today.  Amazing how it makes everything look so much nicer.  These were taken before the mulch was added.

Big mounds of Candy Tuft by the entrance to the fire pit.

I have lots of little trailing plants inside the fire pit rocks. 

A lot of these are what they call ‘steppables’.  Great plants to plant in rock paths.  When tucked in walls they creep throughout the rocks.

                                                      (Kenilworth Ivy)

                                                           (Blue Star Creeper)

                                                        (Orange Flame)

                                    (Sisyrinchium ‘Devon Skies’)

                                                  (Sea Thrift)

                                                                            (Myrtle)

I also planted trailing plants along the rocks out front.  These have just started to bloom.

This mound of Plox is huge.  See my new Laceleaf Japanese Maple waiting to be planted?

These trailing plants add a pop of color for Spring and help pacify me until my perennials really take off.

Have you got Spring trailers in your garden?

hugs,

Jann

I will be sharing with these lovely parties:

Kathe with an e for You're Gonna Love it Tuesday