It’s officially summer for another entire month, and that’s not something we take lightly here in New England. We know that after the glorious autumn days leave, the brilliant, sparkling snows of winter will descend once again.
So, while I am in the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer mode,
Nellie has agreed to guest host my blog!
Woof, pant, sniff, and hi everyone!
I’m joining the Summer Fun party at Cuisine Kathleen! She would just love to have me visit for a swim in her ocean. I could bring her some sand from the beach. My paws and tail are sand magnets!
Meddybemps Lake, in the far north of Maine, is one of the scenic, quiet spots where my family recharges while watching the bald eagles, fox, loon … and mosquitoes. I love it because I’m outside all day and because I’d rather be in the lake than almost anywhere, especially when there is a stick that needs retrieving.
This is the stick I would rather have.
Mom says it’s too big and refuses to throw it, but as you can see I can carry it just fine and did until my dad (Mr. Fun) took it away and hid it somewhere.
I’ll sniff it out next time I’m there!
Last week the rest of the family, including Mr. Fun, my boy Will, my fellow female pup Charlotte, and The Boyfriend left Mom and me at the lake house while they mountain biked in a nearby wildlife area.
That’s us at the left purple dot and the rest of them at the right purple dot. Mom loves this Find My Friends app on her phone!
So while they were off having some Summer Fun, we had a little of our own. I’m a great helper to Mom.
We knew the others would be tired and hungry when they returned, so we decided to set a pretty table for them to enjoy.
We carried all the goodies down to the lake on our huge tray. The dishes and tray are all plastic so swishing tails and nosey noses can’t do any harm.
We covered the old picnic table with a huge red and white gingham tablecloth and topped that with placemats with a tiny yellow and white gingham pattern.
And yes, they looked great together. Very summery and fresh!
Even the damselflies, which were quite abundant this year, were entranced.
Mom said something about the birds and the bees
but I only saw the damselflies.
Then we collected some wildflowers and somehow I got into trouble,
just because I was eating something yummy in the woods
that Mom said was gross and disgusting,
but it wasn’t! It was delicious.
We put the flowers in a pretty green glass.
Although I drink happily from the lake, my people need glasses,
so we decided to use these pretty jars.
Mom says she learned about using mason jars for beverages
from her southern belle friends
and that we don’t usually do that up here.
So she wants to know of she’s the only clueless New England Yankee
who thought mason jars were just good for storage and canning.
All the dishes, flatware, napkins and straws had to be placed carefully, so Mom did that while I gnawed on one of these neat and colorful paper straws. They look like the straws that are filled with flavored sugar and I was hoping I had found a treat, but they are just drinking straws.
The yellow dinner size plates looked quite nice on their own ~
and we thought of leaving the table like this.
But the pretty green salad plates were just too tempting ~
~ and after my preliminary inspection ~
we decided to add them too.
Mom was NOT happy that the light kept changing
as the sun peeked in and out of the clouds ~
and dappled the table as the rays cut through the branches of
the pine trees that grow to the edge of the lake.
~ something to do with her camera and resolutions to learn more about exposures ~
Finally the sun came out, my family returned (tired and dirty!)
and we all went for a swim.
These lazy summer days are exhausting!
I don’t know what Mom would do without me.
~~ please join me and my Mom at these wonderful parties ~~
~~ goodies found here ~~
floral melamine dishes and tray ~~ pier 1
red tablecloth ~~ pottery barn
yellow placemats/napkins ~~ villeroy & boch
mason jars ~~ amazon
flatware ~~ amazon
green and orange glasses ~~ wisteria
paper straws ~~ terrain
Wishing many happy summer days to you!
Nellie 🙂
(and Linda!! )
Your setting is so cute and colorful Linda, it adds to the vacation fun! And thank you Nellie for taking a break from stick retrieving duty to guest host:@)
Perfect Summer fun table, Miss Nellie!
You and your helper have definitely brought more fun to this table setting. It is so bright and cheerful – love all of the colors you have mixed together. Enjoy the rest of your warm summer days!
Tons of FUN! My tail is wagging!!
Jenna
Bright and Fun!! Now that is a summer table!! Love it!! Looks like all is enjoying 🙂
This is so cute! Your mom and you did a great job. I love all the colors!…Christine
Wow, Nellie is a gifted writer! I’d hang out with Nellie any time. Love this table, it made me happy to scroll down and look at the pretty photos. Enjoy the late summer, I am,even while pinning autumn things on Pinterest like crazy. lol xo
Linda, What a fun post! Not only is your table fun & beautiful, but so is your Nellie. Aw, so sweet. Visiting from Let’s Dish, but I know I follow you too. Pam
Ths was the cutest, most adorable post ever!!!!! Love how you did this. Your Mom is so lucky to have your help!!! I love the dishes, the table is so HAPPY. I wish I had been there, especially to take that swim in the lake! XO, Pinky
Kathleen is going to love this post Nellie. Your mom and you did a great job. I love the photo of you with your nose on the pretty red and white tablecloth. Next time you go to Maine, I would be happy to hang out with you while your family goes bike riding.
Nellie, I’m just a tad envious of the good time you and your family are enjoying at the lake while I’m here in TX where it is pretty hot. I’d love to be sitting at that pretty picnic spread beside your cool lake. 😉
Love your post! How were so lucky to get such a great guest blogger? Simply adorable.
– Alma, The Tablescaper
Nellie, This is pretty dog-gone wonderful! I’m wondering if you could teach Chloe & Gracie to guest post and also to fetch. They’re a little ADD when it comes to retrieving. I I had to chuckle at you biting off more than you could chew with that stick! Your mom did a beautiful job with her table! Please tell her that the changing light was pretty and that I love the yellow checks paired with the red tablecloth! Such fun blooming dishes and we love drinking from anniversary Ball Jars too. Happy end of summer days to you!
Love, love, love…every element of this table is gorgeous. I especially love the pic with the lake in the background.
Such a cute guest blogger…. Love it! I also love your table..especially the yellow gingham over the red gingham..beautiful..Your whole table is so fresh and summery and just right for a lakeside picnic..
Love, Mona
Bright and colorful and so cute. I so love the blue Ball jars.
I love love the look of that beautiful summer table, we have many more summer days here in Ca., we are sure not ready for the fall yet…Your table is so inspirational to keep summer alive for a few more weeks anyway…
Enjoy your last days of summer great weather! Your summer table is gorgeous, so full of color and bright! I love the dishes, so fun too. Thank you for your sweet and kind visit.
FABBY
Nellie, you are a great guest blogger! Tell your mommy she did a great job at helping you set this very happy table! I loved all the colors you chose. The Ball jars added to the summery feel! Glad you all got to go for a swim…that’s what summer is all about!
Blessings My Friend,
Miss Nellie, you can guest post at my blog any time. I’m not sure how much help you were, but your mommy sure knows how to set a table. All of these wonderful colors combined on this summer table are perfect for a fun table by the lake. I know the family was surprised when they returned to this beautiful table. Very well done, Miss Nellie (you too, Linda). laurie
So cute! Love the guest poster.
Very cute Linda!
And the table is just as fresh and fun as can be, charming too!
We visited Maine once. We went up to Bar Harbor and then to Nova Scotia too.
Loved it all.
Hugs friend and enjoy your time with family.
Cindy
And thanks to Miss Nellie too,.
You know I love this post! I’m glad Miss Nellie so enjoyed her time in Maine. It is a good place to restore heart, mind and body. I was in Reny’s the other day to get some canning jars, and the clerk was very quick to point out the blue ones which she thought to be brand new! I guess blue has not been a big favorite here. If you make it to Camden, do let me know as I would love to meet you there. I’m a hop and a skip away.
What a cute post! I love your guest host…she is precious with so much personality! (I loved her big stick too!)
Your table was perfect for these last days of summer. The colors and pattern were so cheerful, what a fun and colorful feast for our eyes! I know you must have had a wonderful time here, it’s just beautiful!
Thanks for sharing!
Sharlotte
This is adorable! Love the way you had Nellie tell the story, so cute! Those dishes are so pretty and colorful! Nice job!
Katherine
Your table is so bright and fun! Great job!
Nellie, your mom will obviously depend on you more often when designing her tablescapes. You have a wonderful eye for color and design. I love your choices! Thanks for inviting us for a peak. Cherry Kay
Wow! So many bright colors on this table, and yet they work together beautifully! This is the perfect table for a fun summer day! I don’t think I had ever seen blue mason jars before; the color is perfect with your dishes. I haven’t worked up the courage yet to use mason jars as glasses . . . I think my parents, especially my father, will roll in their graves when I do. What an exhausting day for Nellie. I’m glad she gave you the day off.
What a beautiful post!! I found your blog through Mary’s (Chloe and Gracie). You have captured New England perfectly and I love all of the bright and beautiful colors!!
xo
Jeanne
Meddybemps…a name I’ve heard, but a place I’ve never visited. It looks like life the way it should be! Beautiful lakeside tablescape, too…practical and pretty. I know what you mean about squeezing every drop out of summer, especially when it just showed up about a week and a half ago.
Nellie! Great post ~ very creative and awesome photos ~ love the ‘bigger the stick, the better’ ~ Beautiful blues every where ~ carol ^_^
How nice of Nellie to sit in for you!
I love these water shots.
It’s good to have you play with us; I remember you from my beginning blogging days.
Happy Blue Monday, Linda.
What a delightful post! I love all your summer relaxation photos.
What a FUN tablescape & post, Linda! I loved that shot of Nellie, trying to retrieve that branch that was 4x her size…LOL
Very pretty plates…I know you will get lots of summer time use out of them.
Just as soon as our grandkidlets returned to school, the temps have soared into the high 80’s. Happens every year. :/
Very pretty table. I am a new england girl also so I know how to appreciate summer. I’m a bit further south than northern maine though.
That was adorable! What a great mix of colors and florals with checks. The flowers are perfect for this scape. I so agree about appreciating this last month of summer, something those in warmer climates just don’t get! Plenty of time for Fall.
About the dog…uh no. The farther away the better, not a fan! But I won’t sic my gkids on you either, 🙂 !
oh how i loved this in a multitude of ways! the pics are gorgeous, scenery killer fun, colors vibrant and fab and my very fav pic is nellie leaning on the table, SO SWEET! she reminds me of my first dog jessica, she was a stick hound, relentless, she used to run down the beach with 20′ long kelp pieces tripping everyone in sight. of how i love your maine pics, fantastic!