My Blog List

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

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.




What is your gardening philosophy?
Olive

Monday, April 15, 2013

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. 

joy and peace
Olive

Sunday, April 14, 2013

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



Friday, April 12, 2013

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