A Little Gardening Therapy

I love nature and the quiet escape it provides.  Goodness knows I require a little escape after a tough day of being yelled at  ensuring a pleasant experience for people I come in contact with during my work day. 

Buds on a newly planted delphinium hold the promise of something beautiful and gentle.  When blooms burst open, they surpass what I had imagined they might be.     

 

Sometimes I just sit quietly, watching the cat mint gently sway in the breeze.  Bees go along for the ride as they work away, collecting pollen and nectar for their sweet honey.  A good example perhaps, for those of us who toil away at whatever our task might be.  Sometimes we just need to go with the flow, work hard and look forward to the fruits of our labor. 

Small Spaces

Here's a picture from a house on the Parade of Homes tour.  I really like how the decorator made use of the vertical space in this very small room.  The shelf is simple enough and anyone could duplicate it.  The blue on the lower half of the wall, broken by the white shelf and tan up above really draw the eye to the wall, allowing the small space to hold few pieces without being boring.

Speaking of vertical space, one of my favorite space savers is hanging a shoe organizer inside the closet.  Designed to hang on the back of a door, these organizers go overlooked by many who have bi fold closet doors.  However, it is pretty easy to screw them directly to the wall. 

It would be really easy to sew an organizer as small or as large as you'd like, with pockets to accommodate everything from toys to socks or even office supplies.  Wall mounted organizers can be a useful tool in tight spaces!

Blue & White

Not too much to share today.  Just some pretty dishes collected from thrift shops and antique stores. 

Have a lovely day.

Cottage Touch

A sunny afternoon, spent biking in a quaint neighborhood is one of my favorite things to do.  I can't help but notice special details added to these otherwise modest homes.  I hope you find them inspiring! 
I adore the moon & star cut into the shutters above.

This home would be rather boring without the shutters and window boxes.  They elevate it to a cottage look quite easily.

I've always considered myself a handy girl and am tempted to try a simple stone column as seen above.  The bulk of the stone, coupled with the delicate fencing make for a unique look. 

OK, not the best picture by any means but I do want one of these added to the top of my garage door!  Not exactly sure if there is a name for these but it's a simple wooden structure that adds some visual interest to that boring garage front.  I bet these come in kits...hmm 

LOL! No, I don't want goats for my roof!  I came across these guys on the roof of a metal barn.  They were extremely sure footed and cute as can be.  Farm girl at heart, I couldn't resist stopping to watch and take some pics.

I built up an appetite after hours of biking so I stopped to enjoy a picnic on the lake shore.  The sun was shining and waves gently rolling over the rocks.  Nothing is more lovely or glorious than nature.  The best things in life really are free!

What is your favorite way to spend a sunny afternoon?

Cat keeper & feather collector

Now that it's nice out, Lester begs (very loudly I might add) to be let outside.  We live on a busy street and can't bear the thought of him getting hit by a car should he venture from the yard.  So I take him out for supervised visits to the garden and pond.

Like a flash, he's out and rounding the corner to where all the interesting stuff is.

He's a good mouser and would make an excellent farm cat. Too bad for him, we make him come back into the house after five minutes or so.  He will voice his displeasure most of the time but will accept a piece of fresh cat mint from the garden as a consolation prize.

Anyhow, I love finding feathers and decided to display some of my natural treasures in these cute little bud vases.   They add a perfect touch to my living room window.  The times that I do find feathers are few and far between so I get pretty excited when I come across one!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone!

This morning initially found me thinking of all the things I need to accomplish this spring and summer.  Odd jobs like like organizing closets, washing nick knacks, painting old pieces of furniture and dreaming of custom fit, cotton slip covers for my furniture.  It's funny how I can happily ignore these things all winter but once spring hits, I'm chomping at the bit to fluff and freshen my nest. 

For today anyhow, I will relax and reflect on something that is much more important than stuff for a house.  Something that money can't buy...It's love.  It is my hope that regardless of our religion (or lack thereof) we strive to ensure that all our actions and words are rooted in love. 

 Blessings

Daffodils

The daffodils are starting to bloom in my garden!  I find that even on gloomy days, their yellow color is cheerful.  They are after all, a start to all the flowers that will follow.  Lets take a peak at what we have to look forward, shall we? 

Annabelle Hydrangea

Hosta Bloom

Sorry I don't remember names for two of these varieties.  I am happy to find out and respond back if you require these additions to your garden.
Enjoy your day everyone!