Lavender Lantana Run Amok

Lavender lantana has run amok in the front yard. It has climbed over the White Indian Hawthorne shrubs. I am liking it this way, kind of casual and wild. If you have't noticed I am not a formal landscaped yard type.

Joe hauled these large rocks in here and the lantana wants them too. If you are looking for it at a nursery it is called lavender trailing lantana. I saw it at Lowe's last weekend. I recommend pruning it in late winter which I failed to do this year. Do as I say not as I do y'all.

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Happy Friday

Olive

Tired Always Follows Sick

I am sick and tired this month. Tired always follows sick as the brilliant Bill Cosby reminded us. April has been tough and nearly overwhelming for me. The Boston Marathon Bombing Terrorist attacks followed by the tragedy in the town of West, Texas. I despair every time I hear another parent claim their grown child is as innocent as a white dove. I had parents of convicted murderers tell me that all the time when I was a Director of Nursing for the Georgia Department of Corrections. 

We all are in potential what every criminal is in actuality. I learned that there is a thin fine line between criminals and us. I hear you shouting in protest "But I have the sweetest child." I am sure you do. Please, please, parents never claim your children can do no wrong. Hold them accountable for their mistakes. It may be the greatest gift you give to them.

If you think this blog shallow or too focused on all things pretty just know that I have spent far too much time, working as an RN in challenging locations, and need this pretty refuge. I seek the solitude of gardening and making our home comfortable for a reason. If you have not read my Hold Everything Lightly Series at the top of the page you might want to consider it.

Our daughter, CC, has a dear friend whose mother died, last night, at age 52, of breast cancer. She was surrounded by her husband and children. We know she is no longer suffering and is with Her Lord. CC is hurting and is away at college and unable to comfort her friend. Here again April has been a difficult road to travel.

Hug Someone You Love Today

Olive

~found nests~

These tiny nests were  found on our property at the yellow house. The first one is made out of a single natural fiber. The second one is a hummingbird nest and is made of pine needles, feathers, and spider webs. It saddened me no end to discover the hummingbird nest after a recent storm. Our hummingbirds arrived on March 30th and are busy, busy, feeding, and zipping around.

Joe recently bought me the antique petite rocking chair at an estate sale. At first we walked away from it {I regretted it too} but Joe went back later in the day and got it for a lower price. It is solid maple and beautifully made. Thank you my love.

Yellow pottery post here.

linking@Wow Us Wednesday's

joy and peace

Olive

Yellow Pottery

Yellow pottery makes me happy. Sometimes I have to work hard for this pottery by buying incredibly dirty objects. That yellow bowl is a McCoy planter which was one dollar. Hang on y'all there is an overload of yellow in this vignette but I am loving it.

This urn, in the cloche, was filthy and covered in grease but pristine when I washed it. I paid six dollars for it. Had it been clean it would have been twenty dollars. The little planters are vintage as well. The bottom one is a McCoy.

The vintage 1970's ginger jar lamp had not been dusted since 1980 at least {really people}. The shade was horrid but I paid two dollars and fifty cents for it. I checked that it had no cracks or chips on it and placed my own shade and finial. I have seen these sell for an enormous amount of money on One Kings Lane. I like this lamp so much it has replaced my beloved pineapple lamp.

If you have not checked out my Poise product review and sweepstakes please do here. The sweepstakes ends the end of the month.

Linking@Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Amaze Me Monday
Wow Us Wednesday's

happy thrifting

Olive

Wisteria

   Fading wisteria on a trellis at our local nursery. 

This a rather special wisteria because it is a cutting from The Augusta National Golf course. I meant to get back here last Saturday to photograph it, before it stormed, but could not.

 You must vigorously prune this vine. It is in the kudzu family after all.

I could spend a whole lot of money here but I used restraint and purchased a succulent and bee balm. We know the owners of this nursery and believe strongly in buying at local family owned businesses.

Wisteria I photographed in 2011 at an abandoned home site.

happy gardening

Olive

Platters

Good Morning Friends.

 I am taking a gardening break and hanging out at the old house, 

with Joe and Shelley, the rest of the week. 

Time slows down here and that is good.

Speaking of hanging out...look back there on the wall of the yellow house kitchen. 

I hung three thrifted platters on the wall. 

 Two are ironstone and one is a Wedgewood piece.

The kitchen is getting a definite cottage look.

I used English invisible disc plate hangers to hang the platters  

and they worked beautifully.

 I am off to the consignment store to drop off items. 

See y'all in a little while.

Linking@Be Inspired

joy and peace

Olive

My View Is Just As Important As Curb Appeal

Our yellow house has many windows and I plant flowers with that in mind.  

My view is always a consideration.

  I helped a sweet friend of mine select plants from a local nursery last Thursday. She bought me this popcorn viburnum and a catmint plant for helping her. I am excited to have both of these plants. The viburnum is in my view from the deck.

  This is a faux copper urn another sweet friend sold to me for next to nothing with the catmint planted in it. Catmint is invasive and that is why I put it in a planter. It will have purple blossoms later. This planter is in my view when I drive into the driveway or walk in the gravel road we live on.

 I seldom share the front of the yellow house because it is rather plain but the salvia has started blooming and I adore it's spiky blooms. Salvia is a winning perennial for me and blooms from now until winter. That is getting my money out of a plant. I cut back all my perennials in February and that helps them bloom in the spring. I see that view of the front steps every time I drive into the driveway. I keep pots of succulents on each step and a little birdbath.

These iris were transplanted from our old house to the yellow house last year. I planted them in the side yard.

 This is my view from the den door where I sit and blog. The curvy gravel road has our yellow house and four other houses on it but they are spaced well apart. I garden for my view. I want to see beautiful flowers when I look out the doors, windows, and deck, of our house. Curb appeal is important but so is my view. 

Gardening brings me peace and I feel close to God in my backyard flower garden and yard. There is nothing like the feel of sunshine on my face and dirt on my fingers. The satisfaction of spying a new bloom from my kitchen window is worth all the work.

Linking@Wow Us Wednesday's

What is your gardening philosophy?

Olive

Log Cabin Wedding

 All images via my iPhone and a photo heavy post 

my friends but worth the look.

Our friends Cathy and Randy were married behind a log cabin from late 1790 or there about. This is the old door they stood in front of for their vows covered in  beautiful wisteria and bridal veil spirea flower arrangements. This property belongs to Cathy's best friend who is a professional florist who has done the flowers for the Georgia Governors Ball. I cannot convey the beauty of the grounds, house, and cabin. I wrote about their love story and engagement in my Hold Everything Lightly series in Love At The Hardware Store.

More bridal veil spirea and popcorn viburnum collected from an old home place nearby.

Many of the tables were covered in toile and the china on our table was transferware. 

The inside of the cabin was brimming with primitives and guests could eat at this table.

Now I want a cabin in my side yard. 

When asked what kind of cake she wanted Cathy said no cake. She replied "I want cakes." She had eleven different cakes made by her friends and family. We sampled as many as we could. The Humming Bird Cake was my favorite.

The Caramel Cake was gone before we got to the cakes. We had a wonderful time at this log cabin wedding. The attire was casual so Joe and I wore cowboy boots which was fun.

Thank you for your sweet comments yesterday. I am sore but doing just fine today.

♣♣♣

Please visit my Poise products review Cooling Off and enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win a one hundred dollar Visa gift card.  It's my first product review and it was a challenging subject but I did it y'all. 

Linking@Wow Us Wednesday

joy and peace

Olive

One YEAR Of Puppy Love

One year ago today we brought home this roly poly part German Shepherd puppy who could not stay awake for nothing.  We love him with a shattering kind of love. He is spoiled and we do not care. Our houses will not be fully clean again and we do not mind that either.

Here he is today, with Joe, in the same swing. He was trying to play with me and the camera instead of sitting and posing. He weights about eighty pounds and that is about where he is going to level off we think (hope). He does climb into our laps frequently. He learned that from Clovis. He loves to ride in the truck and detests being left behind. He is a sight riding beside me in the Mini Cooper. CC always asks what her Shelley Boo is doing when she calls. She thinks he is the best thing going since Starbucks opened.

In other totally unrelated news I fell on the deck today while staining a frame. Shelley and Joe did come to my rescue. I am fine but sore all over and going to bed shortly. Needless to say I lack coordination because I cannot stain a frame and stand upright at the same time. We did go to a lovely country wedding (will post log cabin pics Monday) last evening but no spirits were involved. I wanted to get this post up in honor of our boy.

big puppy hugs

Olive

Rusty Motel Chair

How are y'all doing this Friday? I am super tired but pressing on anyway.  Donna and I found this rusty scalloped motel chair last Saturday at an estate sale. The rusty chair is a little wobbly therefore I am using it as a plant stand.

We had a thunderstorm last night, which I slept through, and that is why the pine trees have rained down upon the deck. I have sanded the chair and waxed it.

I went quickly to two estate sales this morning, then made chicken salad, broccoli salad, and did some gardening. I still have too much to do before Joe arrives but am taking some time to blog. I did not have time to help Fancy clean her house when the golfers left today(seven leave and seven check in-that's crazy). I enjoyed all your comments on the last post I wrote about Fancy renting her house.

Happy Friday

Olive