Fall Mantel

I have a hard time decorating this mantel. The brick is from floor to ceiling and it sits in the corner of my dining room with a door on either side.  I seem to lack for new ideas.

I went out on Sunday while hubby was watching the Patriots win and cut some bittersweet. I love bittersweet, but it is a highly invasive plant, so I only use it inside and then I burn it when I am done. I do love it so. It simply says fall to me.

Then I put a bit of bittersweet in the living room as a small nod to Fall.

 

My first trip to Brimfield

Ok, I live in Massachusetts and I love antiques. Why have I never been to Brimfield, you ask? Beats me. I love salt glaze stoneware, which seems to be harder and harder to find. I have a few pieces already, but not nearly enough and many with no cobalt markings. They are much less expensive. I would rather have that one nice piece then lots of others I don't love as much. So back to my trip to Brimfield...we left early in the morning and got there before it was too busy. It is huge, by the way. I didn't take pictures....but you can check some pictures  HERE.

We walked for four hours and still did not see it all. We stopped at a food truck and had Lobster rolls. They were to die for and the truck was from Maine, so no surprise here. Simply delish.

I have added this great jug to my collection. I was to tired to go back and get any others. I should have just bought them as we went, but was afraid I would see a better deal along the way. I love this one and it fits right in.

 

 This is another recent addition to my collection. I think it is a 2 gal size, handy size. It fits in lots of places.

My little crow, one I made last year is happy to have so new additions to our home.

 

 

Work~work~work~

Not to much to say these days, just lots of work, not the fun kind. You know the kind of work I HAVE to do. Not in the garden or in the kitchen or even in my craft space. For me it is Real Estate, lots of appointments and paperwork and oh gosh, I feel like I have a phone attached to my ear. So when I get a minute I will wander in the gardens. We have been reworking some beds this year, taking out some trees and bushes. Did I mention weeding, weeding and more weeding?
This is my Limelight hydrangea that I put here to hold over the winter. It loves it here, maybe I will just leave it.

 The window boxes on my potting shed have stayed like this all summer.

 My containers have thrived in the heat and sometimes just going out to water them is a bit like meditation, it soothes the soul.

 Sometimes when I am on the phone too much I just get up and wander to the windows to view the gardens from inside.

 When all else fails some flowers are cut for inside....sunflowers are like a ray of sunshine!

So tonight we went for a drive, with the top down, stopped at a small, but oh so busy, restaurant by the ocean. Trying to take in the simply wonderful dry air. It was perfect. I had worked both days this weekend and just wanted some time with hubby. The ocean, espresso martinis, fresh fish, then key lime pie and coffee. YUM. Then a slow ride home.....there is no place like home ~

 

 

Front Yard Renovation~

So the front yard renovation was taking place in the hottest days of summer...almost 100 degrees and the humidity was just awful. So they put it off as long as possible, but this almost 40 ft. spruce, started by hubby's grandmother and planted here about 39 years ago had to go. It had gotten too woody and while we loved it, it was time to say goodbye. This old tree has held our Christmas lights for many a year and has gotten too big to even do that, unless we had a bucket truck. She has served us well~smiles~

 Everything is so overgrown. It really is time.

 No turning back now. These rody's were planted in the woods, where they can grow as big as they want.

 

Now the big spruce is gone it really opens up the view in the front yard. 

 So that is it from here, the front yard looks so much better. The plants are small, but so were our others when we first planted them. Now we have had some refreshing rain and the plants all seem quite happy in their new home.

Starting to change my gardens...

Let me just say it has been years since we did the flower beds or foundation plantings in front of our home. We are working on a complete re do. The plant delivery is scheduled for July 11th. Now I know I should have taken more pictures this morning before we started to clean out the old....Hubby removed four scruffy old shrubs that had seen better days. It looks so much better like this. To all my peeps who helped answer shutters or no shutters? Notice they are not back on! Thanks for helping me. I like it better without too.

 I pulled so many plants from here. Potted about twenty large pots and threw so, so many out. Garden slugs that just fill up space, although pretty at times.

 What a clear view.

The shrubs we had before. Bye bye.

 and I can always fill a space quickly. It won't stay like this, but for now.

Now this is one thing that won't change. My son built this arbor and I have his great grandmother's roses climbing over it. It smells heavenly.
So, stay tuned for more changes over the month of July.




 

Shutters or no shutters?

I know I have been missing in action....my camera is giving me troubles and I need to shop for a new one. I have no desire to do so. Anyway I squeaked out a couple new shots of the front of the house. We just had it painted and while the painters had the shutters down I asked them leave them off.  So now I look to you my peeps. Keep in mind we are tearing out the shrubs in front and putting in new lower plantings. What do you think Shutters?

                                                                           or no shutters

Seeing they were the same color as the trim it is not a huge difference, but I think the house will show more once the overgrown shrubs are gone. The lawn will be reseeded too. We need an overall face lift
I will post some pictures when the shrubs are gone and then when it is finished. It has rained since the painting has been done and my work has been busy, love the work, but love my social life too.

So if I can get opinions please.....shutters or no shutters?

Some touches of Spring

This is where you enter my home. The windows change out to screens, but this time of year with the windows still in the porch warms up nicely. ~Then I can leave the kitchen door open~

Here are a couple of projects that I have been working on. This little old table was made by my grandfather. Aren't the square pegs neat? I brought it home from my Mom's about 10yrs. ago. It has been sitting up in the attic of my garage. I love the Reclaim paint I have used before. So I painted it up. The pegs show quite well now that it is painted. The I found this candle holder at Pier 1. Love it outside for summer.

 

 

Here is my next little project I have three of these lanterns. The green never really looked well, so I found this multicolor textured paint by Rust-oleum. First I primer them, then I sprayed them with the brown paint.

I love how they came out.

 

 

 

So the gardens are just starting to pop up. It is still early here and the trees have not opened yet, but they are close. Time to bring out the fairy house and get it nestled in.

 

Time to put the pansys in the window boxes. 

I also got a couple of beautiful red geraniums. I always get so anxious for the season to start. Winter felt so long.......