Wednesday, June 19, 2013
POTTING SHED IDEAS
As a child, I spent many happy hours at the florist and greenhouses that my grandfather started in the early 1900s.
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My mother grew up in the house next door, which you can see a glimpse of to the left.
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These days I diligently pin garden shed inspiration in hopes of one day having my own.
A rustic garden house with climbing roses. Yes, please.
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Love the tiny old church feel of this one.
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A sweet little hideaway shed would work for me.
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I could spend hours in here on a wet day listening to the rain on the tin roof.
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I definitely envision lots of clay pots in my shed.
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More Garden Shed Inspiration:
Greenhouses & Garden Sheds: Inspiration, Information & Step-by-Step Projects
Friday, April 2, 2021
FAVORITE FRIDAY FINDS
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If Covid has taught me one thing it is you can buy anything you want online.
Fashion (sort of)
The term fashion is being used loosely here, because after a year spent mainly at home I am not sure what fashion is anymore. One thing I do know is that comfortable pajama pants with pockets are a must. These seem to fit my criteria and the polka dots are pretty sweet. (HERE)
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
GARDEN UPDATE
You never really know how what you plant will turn out. Will it thrive or will it die?
I have been fairly lucky with my attempts at a small container garden this year.
I wasn't really sure how the impatiens would do. I knew the area got morning sun, but it turned out to be a bit hotter than I would have liked.
Even so, the impatiens in the larger pots have done fairly well. The ones in the smaller pots however, haven't done as well. I have tossed a couple of them and may lose a couple more.
The impatiens that I mixed in with the herbs are growing nicely, and the herbs seem to love where they are placed.
I moved the petunias over onto the garden stand. They love the hot sun they are getting.
I have also had mixed results with the tomato plants and the one green pepper plant. The green pepper gave up the ghost. It has been tossed also. It produced two small peppers, but it was just in too small of a pot.
The tomato plants on the other hand are producing in abundance.
This next winter I am going to be on the lookout for some larger inexpensive pots. I would like to try growing some squash next year and maybe try another green pepper.
I'm really enjoying having a little garden again, although I wish it was a little closer to my apartment. I would sit out there more if it was.
I'm not giving up on having my own outdoor space again some day, and in the meantime I'm going to enjoy the fruits of my summer labor.
Saturday, March 13, 2021
BROWSING THE GARDEN CENTER
The weather has been beautiful here in Atlanta this week, so I have resumed my almost daily walking.
I wasn't able to do my normal walking route because they were filming a movie or TV show in my neighborhood and they were parked across the street from me.
Seeing so many wonderful things for the garden makes me wish I had a small yard. Since I don't, I just added to my indoor garden with a couple of new houseplants, and I will just have to be envious of those that have a space for these unique and fun things.
Friday, April 9, 2021
FAVORITE FRIDAY FINDS WEEK TWO
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Garden
I am all about being outside these days, and even though I don't have a huge garden I love looking at all the wonderful things that are available for today's garden.
One of my favorite things growing up was watching the birds in my grandmother's bird bath. This reminds me of that bird bath, but with a little bit of a modern look. The birds can find it (HERE). Well. you might have to actually purchase it for them.
Thursday, April 30, 2020
GARDENING AND ETSY
Ordering my vegetables online was a new experience, but as we all know we are having a lot of new experiences these days.
When I looked at what I had ordered, I realized that my eggplant plants were Japanese eggplants rather than the eggplants I am normally used to. Apparently these are sweeter than regular eggplants so I will be interested in sampling them in hopefully a couple of months.
I just hope they do as well as the eggplants I planted last year, as those were really prolific.
I also got crooked neck summer summer squash, slicing cucumbers, two types of bell peppers, and a chive plant. The garden center was out of the other herbs I wanted so I will probably check back with them at the end of the week to see if they have gotten more in. No tomato plants this year as I didn't want to feed the squirrels again.
I allotted half of the garden space to the veggies and planted wildflower and zinnia seeds in the other half. The flowers are definitely an experiment as I am not sure they will get enough hours of full sun.
The other thing I did this week was partially open my Etsy shop back up. I need to be working, but I am still not comfortable with going to the post office to drop off packages. So, I am going to limit myself primarily to vintage jewelry, lingerie, and linens. These are thing I can drop through the mail slot where I live.
Making this decision gave me the impetus to start sorting through my vintage linens, where I found 21 vintage cloth napkins that I now plan to use instead of paper ones. I also now have a stack of items that I will be photographing and adding to the shop in the days to come.
Things are difficult for all of us and I know that for me I need to stay busy and focus my energy on things other than the virus. I hope the flowers flourish in my garden and bring joy to the people where I live.
Stay safe, sweet friends.
Friday, June 5, 2020
MY SUMMER GARDEN SPOT
Despite having the worst space for sun my little garden is doing its best to grow.
The wildflowers have popped up and are starting to reach to the sky. I'm hoping that by next month they will start to produce blooms that I can cut for bouquets for my apartment.
I'm noticing different things with the veggie plants.
Although both of the pepper plants have a small pepper already I have noticed that they are slow growing and the leaves are a bit yellow. They may be suffering from too much water, but unfortunately I can't control Mother Nature.
The one tomato plant is very healthy and is growing rapidly while producing flowers. Hopefully I can harvest a few tomatoes off of it this year before the squirrels get them.
I'm a bit concerned about the cucumber plant. It is behind the tomato plant and I am worried that it is being shaded, which is keeping it from growing.
I'm finding that the eggplant and summer squash that I bought most recently are doing better than the ones I bought first.
These are all photos I took earlier this week right after I weeded. Things have grown since then, including the weeds, so I will be out weeding this morning before it gets too hot and in between the rain showers.
My little garden may not be big, but it is helping to take my mind off of everything that is going on right now. Sorry for only one post this week, but like a lot of people I am a bit stressed right now and so I am taking mental health breaks as I need them.
I will be going over to visit the family this weekend. Tessa was gone when I was there last Saturday, so even though I missed seeing her it gave me a little more time with the other grandkids.
Stay safe, my friends.
P.S. Trixie has been confined to quarters after an enemy attack by two giant owls this week. Fortunately Trixie fought them off and there were no casualties, although Tessa appears to be MIA. I'll be searching around the backyard for that girl on Saturday.
Friday, August 6, 2021
BEGINNING SIMPLE PLEASURES
Welcome. Is summer really winding down? Here in Georgia we still have a lot more summer, and I for one am happy about that because I do love summer.
Did you read my post last Friday, where I decided to shake things up on my Friday Finds posts?
Well, now I have decided to really shake things up and rename these posts Simple Pleasures. After all, life is all about evolving and changing, and I have never been one to hold back from learning and making changes.
I didn't grow vegetables in my garden this year because we were told that the parking lot would be paved this summer and we would not have access to our garden spaces during that time.
Now we have found out that the work won't start at least until October. Fortunately, I had already planted some zinnia seeds and they are starting to give me some small bouquets for my home.
Such a treat to have fresh flowers picked from my own garden.
Life has been hectic lately, but I am all about slowing things down and just enjoying the simple pleasures.
Inspiration
I remember watching Walt Disney on my black and white tv as a child and feeling that it was magical, and anything was possible.
Inspiring blog posts I found this week
I love reading about good habits that other people practice.
These ideas for creating a cut flower garden give me inspiration.
Ideas to freshen up your bedroom this month.
A wonderful recipe for cherry almond scones for afternoon tea.
Cat lovers will love reading about the secret language of cats.
Favorite Gluten-Free Recipe of the week
Because I eat gluten-free I am always excited to find new gluten-free recipes, and so this little space is for all of my gluten-free friends and anyone else who loves good food.
Gluten Free Raspberry Cornmeal Cake
Catching up
Have you read these posts?
I started a new series on Healthy Habits for a Happier Life, and this week it was about my own journey.
This week's home tour was A Serene Maine Cottage and it is simply fabulous. I'm ready to move in.
New Finds From Amazon
With so many people now working from home, well-furnished and well-stocked office spaces are a must. These are also great ideas for a homework station for your back-to-schooler.
HP printer Bamboo Organizer Desk Lamp
Paper Clips Gel Pens Pink Organizer
Bookshelf Stapler Mesh Organizer
What I'm Watching
I just finished watching The Good Karma Hospital on Acorn TV. I loved it and can't wait for the next season. The colors and the scenery are beautiful.
I think Acorn may still have a free trial, but as I am a current subscriber I couldn't get it to come up. Of course, you can certainly check it out. There are so many great shows to watch.
A Potpourri of Great Finds from Target
Saturday, August 22, 2020
FINDING TRANQUILITY AMID COVID
When I was working as a counselor I worked with many people who were living with chaos in their own lives. I also knew that there was chaos out in the world that affected people, but I really never imagined a time like we are living through today.
Finding tranquility while being surrounded by chaos and uncertainty can make it difficult to find, but we can find peace and tranquility within ourselves.
Feeling Stressed
Last week I found out there was a case of Covid in my apartment building. There was also a visitor, who had just been in someone's apartment, who got on the elevator with me while not wearing a mask.
Needless to say, I immediately felt stress from both things. I reported the person who was not wearing the mask along with a resident, who was in the community computer room and was not wearing a mask when I went in to use the computer.
It is now considered a breach of the rental agreement to not have on a mask, and visitors will be made to leave if they have removed their mask.
Take Back Your Power
So how do we find tranquility when we are bombarded with these things?
First of all, I am a big believer in taking back your power. I did that when I reported what was going on. Yes, I was possibly exposed, and no I am now staying away from my family temporarily, but I will be much less likely to be exposed, in the future, where I live.
For me, that helped to alleviate the stress I was feeling.
How To Find Tranquility
Each of us finds tranquility in ways that work best for us, but I know there are ways that we can each try.
Peaceful surroundings certainly help. I love being by the water, but living in the middle of a large city makes that somewhat difficult. The garden center is somewhere I like to wander, enjoying the plants, and focusing on nature. I did that this week.
Meditation is a known stress reliever. There are many resources to help you with meditation. Google has resources and YouTube has many guided meditations for the beginner and the more experienced meditator.
Healthy eating is important. I know that I have not been eating healthy these last few months and frankly I don't feel as well. That stresses me out and I am going to work on doing better.
Walking is a great stress reliever and is also a good way to get out and enjoy nature. All forms of exercise are good, but as I am not someone who finds tranquility in sweating I will probably stick to walking, especially as the mornings here in Georgia are now cooler.
It seems hard to find tranquility when there are so many things that we can't control, so focus on the things you can control.
Ask For Help
Don't be afraid to ask for help if you are feeling overwhelmed. Talk to someone, a family member, your doctor, a clergy person, or a trained professional. We are living through very difficult times right now and we are all feeling the strain.
It is important to know you are not alone and breathe, just breathe.
The National Alliance On Mental Health has more information on finding a mental health provider if you need professional assistance.
Read more about healthy living.
Monday, December 6, 2021
CHRISTMAS AT THE GARDEN CENTER
Saturday I was out for my usual walk around the shopping center when I walked by the garden center and smelled the Christmas trees.
The scent was intoxicating and I just had to go in and have a look around.
Inside there were beautiful poinsettias of all sizes.
I have always loved the traditional reds, but I also love seeing a mixture of colors.
This gorgeous winter white poinsettia was massive and I could picture it in a grand entryway surrounded by smaller poinsettias.
After oohing and aahing over the poinsettias I decided to see what else they had inside.
I wanted to see what they had in artificial wreaths and I immediately fell in love with this one.
It was so gorgeous and festive.
My budget didn't quite stretch to its price tag, but I did find this wreath on Amazon that I have added to my wish list.
It was time to move outdoors and smell that heavenly pine scent.
There were rows and rows of beautiful freshly cut trees.
I loved that they had labelled the different types of trees so that if you had a favorite you could go right to that type.
There were also flocked trees, and although I have never personally been a fan of flocked trees there were certainly some beautiful ones.
As I walked through the trees I was taken back to my first Christmas in Canada as a nine year old.
My father drove us to a local tree farm where we walked around in the snow and picked our tree. The farm owner cut down the tree and loaded it onto our car all for $3.
It was the most beautiful tree in the world.
Thanks for visiting today. Do you have a favorite Christmas tree memory?
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Monday, August 16, 2021
HOME TOUR: ENGLISH COACHING INN
A once busy 16th-century English coaching inn has been restored into a warm and cozy home.
Wendy and John Bunyan's home was once a bustling inn, built for weary travelers along a major highway between Hastings and Chatham on England's south coast.
The inn was built before the dawn of railroads so guests arrived by horse-drawn carriage or stagecoach. It was one of many such inns along the old Roman highway when it was built.
Kitchen
Since beginning in the mid-1990s the couple has carefully renovated the home, balancing renovations with new additions to make the home comfortable for the 21st century.
The kitchen is no exception, where clean white cabinets, a farmhouse sink, and a modern print combine old and new looks.
Living Room
Guest Bedroom
Master Bedroom
Outdoors
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