On the breezeway

Isn’t it great to see flowers in bloom. Even though there is word of a frost still I filled some containers.
I think this is lantana. It’s actually bluer than pictured here. The lupine is in bloom..isn’t it gorgeous?

The theme of the breezeway is french pink, white and blue.

PEGGY’S PORTAGER

Just outside my kitchen door I have a little herb garden. The chives are in their full purple flower and mint returned this year and I planted basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. It is bordered by lavender and allysum.

THE BEFORE PICTURES

Can you use your imagination? This is what my backyard bank by the courtyard looks like now. We finished the pond at the end of the season last fall but didn’t have a chance to landscape. That was our project for this spring until God had other plans for us. As you know, my knee surgery and Don’s prostate surgery have kept us under the weather for awhile. I’ve been watching out back and planning in my mind just exactly how I’d like it to look by the end of this summer. I imagine perennials, bushes, and lots of colorful flowers…a fenced in area for Sadie, and plantings all around the courtyard. Thursday I bought lots of plants that will do just that. Here are the before pictures.
  

Cynthia’s Giveaway

One of the greatest things about the web is being able to visit other blogs. There are so many talented, creative women who are blogging everyday about their life and sharing their great decorating, gardening, and life strategies. There are so many that I have a hard time making up my mind which ones I like best. Cynthia has a great and clever blog and is having a giveaway.

Just look at the goodies that she is giving away…I love that plate! You can go over and enter to win these prizes. Her blog is cynthiacottagedesign.blogspot.com  But, please don’t win…I want that distinction myself. LOL

MEMORIAL DAY 2009

What a fantastic holiday we had. Chris and the boys, Dan and Scott came up from Boiling springs to visit. Chris also brought his new girlfriend, Alexandra.                                             It was a beautiful warm night on Friday when they arrived and we sat out in the courtyard. We started a fire in the firepit and cooked hot dogs and sausages. Then of course we followed up with s’mores. On Saturday I packed a picnic lunch for Chris and Alex and they went up to the Kinzua Dam and Rimrock for a picnic. When they got home we went to Beefeaters for dinners and then to Olean to see Angels and Demons followed by a trip to Friendly’s for ice cream sundaes.
    On Sunday we took a picnic up to Letchworth Park where we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the launching of twenty hot air balloons. It was a complete surprise and spectacular.  

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY

It’s Thursday again and Susan’s lovely party where all the bloggers in blogland get to show off their pretties. Stop over to Between Naps on the Porch to visit everyone.
   Remember these items sent to me by my sister Diane in Virginia?

They were the inspiration for today’s table. Since I love French things it was easy to set the table today with things I have around the house. The beautiful placemats were a gift from my other sister, Linda. The silverware was also a gift from my friend and were made by Cutco, a knife company in a nearby town. The black tableware is a giveaway from my friend, Yrsa. I did buy the napkins and rings. Aren’t I just the luckiest girl? 
 
     


I put some other French things on the top shelf of my baker’s rack.



Thank you for visiting and letting me share my tablescape with you.

     

MY LIVING ROOM

Boy, it feels good to feel good! This is the best I have felt in many months so I took advantage of having so much energy by cleaning up my living room. In the spirit of “eclairezze” (which means lightening up in French) I decided that the room was too crowded with furniture. There was a wicker chair from Don’s mother’s that always seemed to be in the way. I relegated that to the basement for now. (Yes, I know what you are thinking. It goes to the basement and never comes out. Yes, you are right and I’ll tackle that issue on another day.) I also took out an old (and when I say old I mean we’ve had it for 30 years) round table made from a large crock with a custom made top. Don and I agreed to sell the crock and just get rid of the top. (It went to the garage). I changed the room around..well, I had Don move the heavy stuff after I tried and realized there was a reason why I don’t lift heavy things anymore.  Here are some after shots.

 

Since I can’t figure out how to write under each picture I’ll describe the pictures down here. The first shot is the couch that I had to look and search for and finally had custom built. I made the lavender pillows on the couch and the ones behind those too, to match the table runner. I also made the window curtains. I wanted them just so…so I made them myself!
   The second picture is of the wing chair that Don and I upholstered ourselves. (and will never, ever, do again). It was a tremendous job and we could only do about an hour’s worth of work each night because we had not a clue of what we were doing. It turned out really fine, considering.
  The picture on the stand I watercolored of a scene in France. I loved my trips to France and like to incorporate personal things into my decorating.
    Here is the mantle. We have a huge stone fireplace in the living room and I made the large arrangement above the mantle.
  The table by the window is one of the few things that I got that belonged to my mother. On the table is a framed article from the Victoria magazine that I had published this year. I also made the flower arrangement..these are my favorite flowers.
  On the shelf that my father built for me is my collection of milk glass and small vases and a Danish Christmas plate that my friend Yrsa gave me.
     This is the entertainment center which was our first large purchase of furniture after the boys completed college. All my family photos are on the left and on the right (out of sight) is our collection of cut glass.
  This is a shot of the French doors leading out to the Jacuzzi room.
  And the last is of the living room again. I hope you liked the tour.     
      
  

This and that

What a relaxing day. Don went fishing and I just loafed. Well, not loafed exactly…I did sweep and clean the kitchen. But had a great day. Here are some pictures of the bracelet Linda sent me and the tablescape items that Diane sent up. Sisters sure have a way of cheering you up! Love you girls!  Look for the new tablescape on THursday.

Well, that didn’t happen!

What an ambitious Saturday I had planned. Unfortunately not much of that got done. Don did mow the grass and fix Kay’s riding lawnmower, but it rained almost all day and we were stuck inside. We didn’t even go to the movies since we just didn’t feel like it. Don went fishing today and I think I will clean the computer room then go to Walmart. I rented Brideshead Revisited so I will watch that later.

SATURDAY TO DO LIST

It’s Saturday…and time for the spring clean-up. Like little ants coming out of the anthill we Bradfordians come out of our houses after a long winter and start to do all the projects that have to wait for good weather. The last few years we have done major renovations so this year we need to have a summer of fun. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have things to do, but I don’t want to spend the whole summer working like the last two years. THe major project is getting the landscaping done around the courtyard and putting up a new fence for Sadie. I can’t wait to pick out plants, bushes, and trees to make the area around the pond spectacular. But first the area must be cleaned up, the grass taken away, and new dirt put in. We are working on that. Today I’m going to try to get all the summer chairs and tables out of the basement and get ready for some major picniking. Today we work, but tonight we want to go to the movies to see Angels and Demons, the follow up to the DaVinci code.

Tablescape Thursday While many of you southerners are enjoying planting your summer flowers I am enjoying the forsythia now. Welcome to Tablescape Thursday hosted by our good friend Susan from Between naps on the Porch. Stop by her blog and see all those beautiful tables. My table today is a combination of old and new. The little leaf napkin rings are new from Target, but the birds are an old Christmas decoration. It’s fun to see how you can combine things you already own with the newest additions.

   

A quick update

Just an update. I had knee surgery yesterday and it went very well. It feels good to be able to walk without a limp. Yeah!

happy mother’s day

It’s Mother’s Day Sunday. This Mother’s Day my sons didn’t get a chance to be home because they had just come up to help dad through his recovery. But they sent their best wishes. I am lucky to have such sons who are so grounded and have such good values. I am proud of both of them.                                                                                                             It’s been nine years since I lost my mother and I still miss her every day. My mom was a sweet person and I can still hear her voice in my head. I was so lucky to have the family that I had.  Now I have another mom, just when I needed her. Rose has been such a loving influence in my life. She is a darling lady and I think of her like a mom. Here are some pictures from our celebration last night. Charlotte, whom I love like a sister, went all out and made a fantastic celebratory meal….turkey dinner with all the trimmings. She is the most thoughtful person on the planet even to thinking about the mothers present and giving each of us a gift bag. Thanks Charlotte for all you do to make everything so special for us. IT was such a surprise that brother Jim from Georgia came to vis   it.