Dahlias

Well Hello There! It seems I have forgotten I have a blog! : ) 

 

With all this snow on the ground, I have been thinking of my garden beneath it and what I want to work on and enhance this year.  With the success of my last minute mini cutting garden, I wanted to get some more cutting flowers for next year. 

 So this year I am going to get some Dahlias. 

 

Dahlias are amazingly beautiful giant flowers that bloom in the summer and fall, and I am excited for them!  They will look great in arrangements, but I fear the plants themselves might look a bit messy, but that will be my neighbors problem since I am putting them behind the garage! : )  I need to figure out a good layout for my cutting garden plants around our (hopefully) new shed, in a way that won't look too messy.  But that is a task for another time with all the snow we have right now.

 

I had a hard time deciding on which Dahlias to get since they are all so amazing. I also wondered how many I should get, since I don't know how hard they will be to grow and tend to.  I decided on 6 different types, and we shall see how it goes!

 

These are the 6 I got, plus a 7th as my "free gift"

(free when you spend too much money!)

 

 

They are all from Swan Island Dahlias.  They should arrive in the spring, then I just need to research how and when to plant them, tend to them, and come summer it will be flower time!!! woo hoo!!!  Then I need to research how to dig them up and store them for the following year, but that is also a task for another time. : )

 

And here are just some lovely images for you to droll over on this chilly afternoon:

these are not my images, just ones from google
and clearly I have "wedding" on the brain : )

 

 

Sunflower Watercolor

My Grandma has always had a watercolor painting of a sunflower in her bathroom, which I have loved since I was little.  So last spring, when we helped them move out and down size all of there household items, I asked my Grandma, Mom and Aunt if I could have the watercolor, provided my Grandma didn't want it at their new place.  And I received a "Yes"! Woo Hoo!

I figured it would look awesome in the kitchen, but the only walls in the kitchen have my bulletin board and my bird wall, so I had to find another location for it, at least for now.

The hallway to our bedroom has nothing on the walls, so I figured it was a perfect place.  Plus there is no direct sunlight, which I figured was probably a good thing for the painting.

 

 

The watercolor had a older mat and thin gold frame, which I wanted to update, so I headed to Michaels to check out the custom framing options.  At first I couldn't find what I wanted, but then a few weeks later I went back with a open mind, and looked again.  At that time, I was able to find some good options, and with the help of the salesperson, we got a frame and a double mat picked out that really compliment the painting nicely. 

Normally I feel I can do better than the sale people at Michaels in terms of design, but despite looking like a D&D master, this sales dude had a good eye and I appreciated his help. (Design Snob Anyone???)

 

 

 

 

 

After a little back and forth, I went with a burlap inner mat, a simple cream main mat, and a distressed green frame.  And then once we picked it up, Colin got it hung for me!  So now we have art in our hallway and my beloved watercolor refreshed and ready to lighten up my home. 

 

 

 

 

Now I just need to have my Grandma over to see if she likes the new mat and frame!!!!

The little gardener that could

I wanted to plant a small cutting garden this year, but never did it...then around mid summer, when I started seeing Zinnias around, I got sad that I didn't have any of my own. :  (

 

 

So on my way home from work one Friday I stopped at a garden center and found the saddest spindly Zinnas around, but they had them and they weren't dead (or at least not totally dead).  I grabbed a few with a good old box of miracle grow bloom booster and set my sights on a late-in-the season mini cutting garden.

When I went up to pay, the zinnias were off to the right, and the miracle grow was toward the left by the cashier, he rang that up, but didn't see the zinnias, so I motioned towards them.  He looked at them, he looked at me, he looked back and them....then said "how about I only charge you for half of those" HAHAHA the owner of the garden center was surprised I bought them.  But that was good, other than the miracle grow, which I needed anyway, my cutting garden investment ended up being $4.

 

 

 

I didn't feel like cutting in any new beds (rather colin didn't feel like cutting in any new beds) so I just stuck them in the bare area next to the grill.  They are only annuals, so my commitment to that location ends with the frost.

I planted them, then cut off all the flowers, so the plant could focus on growing some leaves, and I watered everyday, and miracle growed (regular or bloom booster) once a week.

 

 

No those images are not weeds, that are my cutting garden! And pretend the photo with the flowers is to the left and one without is to the right, since I planted them, THEN cut off all the flowers.

I didn't want to re do the picture : /

AND check it out!

 

 They actually filled out and are growing.  Granted they are not a good as if I had bought and planted them early while they were more healthy, but all I wanted was some zinnias to put around the house, and I achieved my goal.  I have zinnias until the frost takes them. : )
 

 

check out that bounty!!!

 

The long term plan is cutting in a new bed along the side (back) of the garage for an better cutting garden, but next to the grill works too,  since this girl needs her flowers.

Craft Caddy

So I got an awesome vintage find!  Did you notice a blue/teal metal caddy in our Christmas Date post photos?  If not, here it is....

 

 

I knew as soon as we walked by it, that I needed it.  Colin didn't agree, but I used my charm and convinced him that it would be a good Christmas present. : )

Laundry Room Photoshoot!

(best lighting the house)

 

 

 

 

I finally found some time to clean it up today..it was dirty with a capital D.  After a lot of windex, paper towels, q-tips (yes q-tips!) and some Lysol wipes I have cleaned it.  Despite my best efforts, it is still pretty grimy, but I will just need to learn to be ok with that! ha!  I do plan on giving it a generous spray down of Lysol before I fill it up!

 

 

What will I fill it with!?!  Craft supplies of course!!!  Well, at least for now, perhaps in the future I can find another use for it.  Perhaps spices in a future larger kitchen?  It seems like a shame to hide it upstairs when it is so fun, but I can take pictures and share it on the blog so people can see it! : )

Once I get it filled up, and tidy a bit upstairs, I will take some more images for you.

We were told it came from a hardware store, and I am going to guess that was a correct tid bit of information since this is what I found in it when I was cleaning it.

I think this is the tiniest nail I have even seen!

 

 

As most of you know, I am slightly obsessed with the HGTV show Fixer Upper, and the amazing Joanna Gaines has some similar ones in her shop. see 1 see 2 Colin thought mine was too many monies, but perhaps not looking at the prices of these smaller ones.  And we found out the shop owner is our neighbor's daughter...and it so important to support the businesses of our friends and neighbors....so Colin, it was clearly, money well spent! : )

Speaking of vintage finds to hold craft supplies, check out this craft area.....Amazing!  I like this picture enough to frame it!

 

from Whatever Blog

 

ok time to clean the house, or watch tv since it far too snowy out to do anything else!

Garden Love

When we went on a long weekend to the Boston area we stumbled upon a super fun shop and outside was a rusty wheel barrel of herbs, pumpkins, gourds, a garden sphere 

and all things garden and lovely.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying my Garden

Hello, I have been working way more then I usually do in the summer, leaving me little time to blog and enjoy my yard as much as I would like, but I have been taking a few minutes to cut things from the garden and bring them inside to enjoy myself and to share with family.  Check out these blooms!

 

 

For anyone who is interested, these plants are Endless Summer Hydrangea, Purple Cone Flower and a variety of Daylilies.  I LOVE the coral one with the red throat.  I almost ripped that one out last year before it bloomed since it is kind of behind other plants crammed again the rock wall. 

 Good thing I didn't!

 

 

 

 

I bought some new mason jars for gifting flowers but put my name on them so they find their way back to me. haha Not that I am cheap and don't want to gift inexpensive vases BUT if you return then, I can give them back to you over and over with flowers! : )

 

 

 

 

And I also left the metal ring on per this post I noticed....hard to tell in my pictures, but I do like the look.  They are many copy worthy things in that post, that is one of my new favorite blogs. Check it out!

ps I have been thinking about "water marking" my photos, so I played around with some options in this post, not sure why I need to watermark since no one reads this blog that I don't know, but it has been on my mind....so I played around with it

My own Peony!!!

What makes this picture of a peony different from any others I have posted...
it is from MY YARD!!!!!
YAY!!!!   Having a yard is the best!
(remind me that later when I have to weed! ha!)

 

 

I impulsively bought a small peach peony plant at Home Depot (no idea what type and the tag was generic), then I impulsively bought a 'Sarah Bernhardt' Peony when I bought some new plants for along the side of the house.  And by impulsively I mean, I didn't plan on buying them, nor do I have a place to put them....Well I am going to put them in the perennial border on the side of the house BUT some hosta need to be removed first.  So right now they are still chilling in their containers needing to get watered way too much! haha Hopefully Colin will have some time soon to help me get them a permanent home in the ground.

 

I only got one good bloom from them this year, but I'll get more next year! Peonies are up there as one of my favorites, they are just so amazing!  I always said when I have a big farmhouse and a large barn (aka shed or garage-no animals) I would line the barn with peonies and have a big peony party every year! haha!  Well not sure the farm house and barn are going to happen, so perhaps I should start lining the side of my detached garage with peonies...... : )

 

Lovely Lady Things

Back between Christmas and New Years I decided to get a few misc. lady things for myself while my credit card was still nice and hot. You know, before the post holiday spending guilt sets in. : )

 

 

On the list, a few things from Rifle Paper Company, something made of Hobnail Milk Glass, Bakers Twine and Paper Straws!

From Rifle Paper Company I got coasters and gift tags.  For the bakers twine,  I decided on Red, Orange, Blue and Purple.  Is that enough? I might need more colors.  I coordinated my paper straws with similar colors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I set my sights to Etsy for some Hobnail Milk Glass.  I wanted a vase, but the first item I ordered was more of a planter, so back to Etsy again for another try.  Nailed it the second time.  And due to my mistake, I now have a planter AND a vase! : )

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got the straws and bakers twine from Save on Crafts and Hey Yo Yo.

 

Welcome

Guess what is gone???? The ugliest door mat in the world!!!! Remember when I was really brave and shared with you the really awful door mat on our front stoop?  The door mat that someone with a design degree should have thrown out upon first laying eyes on it, yet I had it on our front stoop for a whole year????

Well it is finally in the trash where it belongs and nice new Welcome mat has taken it's place! : )

Thank you Mom and Dad!!!!

 

 

 

And the front stoop is also looking a little bit springy!  I got some pansies planted the other day.  I mixed pale yellow and pale blue/purple.  It is nice to have something growing! Winter is over!