One tiny little part of my quest to re re-organize my pantry is to better contain and store the mess of plastic picnic utensils that seem to spill everywhere. They never fit back into the box they came in, some boxes don’t have the tabs to re-close them, and sometimes, tape just isn’t the best solution.
Enter that lifesaving duo, Mod Podge & Scrapbook Paper, that I used to whip up a set of cute utensil tins.
Sooooooooooo……
Today is my birthday.
I’m 29. Twenty-nine. XXIX.
The. Last. One. Before. Thirty.
Which I find pretty crazy, insane, and hard to believe. How is it that we, as humans, never stop feeling 18? Or 22? Or some age within that glorious college, or just-post-college age? Is it intentional or subconscious? Discuss.
Anyways, I’m not begging for “Happy Birthday” comments here. I just find that every birthday that comes around, I cannot believe how many have passed since X or Y happened. And I figured you guys could relate 🙂
Any other June birthdayers out there? Gems or Cancers?
Ever since I took down our Easter decor, I’ve been completely stuck on how to decorate our mantel. And it’s been pretty vacant for the past couple months, save for the white lantern full of potpourri. I decided last week that this needed to change. I was tired of looking at nothing, plus, we were hosting a dinner party over the weekend. And I couldn’t have a naked mantel in front of our guests!
So I turned to trusty Pinterest for inspiration… and found mostly beach-inspired decor. I like the beach. I like walks on the beach and seaside-inspired beverages. But… we’re not beach decor people. I know a lot of people are, and I always admire the calm, casual feel it puts out. But, it’s just not our style.
Which begs the question… what’s a girl gotta do to get a summery mantel up in here?
Answer… go to Pier 1!
Where one will find oodles of options. Like hydrangeas and more lanterns.
And lemons. Not sure if we’re fake-fruit people, either… but we got ’em!
What does your summer mantel look like? Are you a beach decor person? Or a fake-fruit decor person? Or something else entirely?
Err, well, of our someday-to-be bed quilt.
You guys know I’m not much of a sewer, but my mom is. Without her, my pillows, placemats, and owl stuffies would still just be a pin and a dream. She’s been quilting for years, and while I have wall-hangings, holiday pillow covers, and a throw made to look like a football field, I don’t yet have a queen-sized quilt for our bed. That changes now.
After much debate, I’ve decided on a pattern (see bottom right of photo), and I think I’ve selected all of the fabrics as well. Clearly, I have a thing for batiks. Gawd, I love batiks.
Oh, is there some purple in there? I hadn’t noticed that it seems to work its way into EVERYTHING in my house. Oops 🙂
And while there are hot pinky fuschia colors, I think I’ll talk them up as “merlot” and “sort of reddish-wine colors” so Tom doesn’t freak out. The man has already said he likes jewel tones, so I think I’m in the clear.
Now that you’ve seen the front yard, let’s go round to the back!
Ta-Da!
Now, close your eyes and imagine the umbrella is up. This scene is more picturesque when the umbrella is up.
Since these photos have been taken, something has eaten several of the plants seen in these containers. I suspect deer. And this means war. So, I’ve moved most of the pots onto the deck for safekeeping. I’m hoping that once the flowers have grown a bit more, I can move them back onto the patio.
This is the view from our back door and kitchen table. It’s lovely. And now features even more loveliness since I’ve had to move most of the other containers up here to save them from the d— deer. You may recognize my herb garden and made-over plant stand.
We’ve also spruced up the space around our AC unit this year. The small bush is a Boxwood that wasn’t faring so well in our front yard. And the flowers are Torenia (shade lovers and deer resistant!).
That concludes our 2013 yard tour!
Oh wait, I think I forgot to show you the right side of our house… well… there’s not much to see here yet. I planted a few Foxgloves, but they’re not flowering, so just picture some greenery and you got it!
Thanks for touring with us 🙂