Summer Mantel

I had not changed my mantel since Spring.

 I guess it was in need of a little change.

A simple mantel.

More beach shells.

I am not quite done, I am thinking maybe some hydrangeas instead of the orchid. 

Oh my, a little more blue.

I found three of these frames and I just love the look of the faded worn blue edge.

A picture of my daughter and youngest son playing together on Long Beach in Canada.

Don't you just love the vintage blue mason jar filled to the top with buttons.

Buttons, buttons, you can never have too many.

A little ironstone pitcher.

To me they are the perfect accessory, they look great anywhere.

Here is the urn that matches the one in the previous post.

I will eventually fill it with sea shells also, but for now.

Baseball is life.

Thanks for visiting.

I am joining The Lettered Cottage for a Summer Mantel Party.

Beachy White

Last week I took the sea shells out of storage to bring summer into the house.

I would love to say that I was able to collect the shells while walking on the beach.

Afraid not.

Sea shells on the kitchen island.

Great details on one of a pair of vintage iron urns. 

I love the look of the white candle and sea shells.

I am sharing this with Kathleen from Faded Charm for White Wednesday.

A Loved Father

Father's Day

We took my husband to a neighboring fire company for father's day breakfast.

Then the rest of the day was his to do as he pleased.

We did some swimming and per his choice, he did some yard work.

A dad's job is never done.

He did get to relax and watch some movies with the kids too.

Mr. M. really is the #1 dad.

I set the table for Dad's dinner.

I have been collecting baseballs and gloves whenever I see them cheap at a garage sale or thrift shop.

The baseball theme.

Mr. M is coach for my oldest son's team and he is assistant coach for my youngest son's team.

He also helps out with my daughter's baseball team.

Yep, lots of baseball in this family.

I found some cheap ties at Sally for decoration.

During dinner we were all given a demonstration on how to tie a tie.

Did you notice the black chairs?

This is what they look like under the slipcovers.

The just love their dad so!

I hope everyone had a wonderful father's day too.

BLUE.....Yes I Said Blue

I actually bought blue.

Yes BLUE!

Even I can't believe it.
I thought that blue was just not my color.
Especially after I tried using it so many times.
I guess I can take it in little doses.

I went shopping at TJMaxx looking for some color to bring into our 1/2 bathroom.
I found blue and lots of it that day.



Come in and look at the changes I have made.

A beautiful BLUE transferware plate found at a local thrift shop.

I replaced a picture with a vintage white mirror from my bedroom.

 Blue and green hydrangeas and some sea shells with a little blue.

A beautiful beach oil reproduction.

I just kept coming back to this picture.

It was the final decision to go with the blue.

The rest just fell into place.

A new blue pot. 

A partial view from the mirror above the sink.

Surprisingly I think the blue is here to stay, at least for the summer.

The good thing about all of my choices,

 I can take them down and change them out for a different color.

Yesterday I found some beautiful towels with brown rosettes, the dinning room perhaps.

So have you been brave and tried a color outside your comfort zone?

Did you watch the WALK?

We just finished watching Nik Wallenda walk across Niagara Falls.

Although we live close enough to see it in person, we watched from the comfort of our living room.

Amazing what a person can do if they set there mind to it.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

I am joining Show and Tell Friday, Vintage Inspiration Friday and Feathered Nest Friday.

Laying in the Sun

Today is just a perfect day.

The sun is shining.

A breeze is blowing.

I got the hammock all ready for an afternoon nap in the sun.

How about you? 

Do you have a great spot in the sun perfect for an afternoon nap?

A Little Visitor

Last night I was working on mulching one of my flower beds, I had forgotten to wear my gloves,

 so I asked my oldest son to get them for me.

Gloves were forgotten.

Instead my son walked back with a large bucket and inside was a little baby bunny.

 On the way to get my gloves he came across the cat and per my son's words.

"the cat and the baby bunny were snuggling together."

He wanted to keep it.

NO!

Please, just till dad gets home so we can show him.

NO!

We did keep it in the bucket long enough for all my kids to get a chance to give it a little love.

So, with one final hug from each of the kids we let it go in the back hedge row.

Far from the cat.

The kids were supposed to be getting ready for bed and I was walking back up the driveway to finish my last load of mulch.

AND WHAT DO I SEE?

The cat with a baby bunny AGAIN!

Naughty kitty.

I showed the kids the second little bunny.

This time while I was letting the bunny go where we put his sibling, the kids were looking for the burrow.

It did not take too long, my oldest found it under one of my lavender plants.

We did not find any more babies though.

They either got away or it was a small litter.

I hope they were old enough to be on their own.

Such is the life of living in the country.

Never a dull moment it seems.

And you, how was your weekend?

Did you have any visitors?

A Seat in the Roses

I just can't get over how beautiful my roses are.

I had to share.

These are the large roses on part of the fence in front of the house and along the driveway.

They smell wonderful too.

The night was getting darker.

I tried to show the vibrant color of the blooms.

Let's Play Ball

I thought I would share some photos of the kids from their baseball games today.

Mr. M. always enjoys a post while he is out of town working.

I caught the little guy in the act of dancing while standing on 2nd base.

At least he wasn't one of the three sitting on the ground playing in the dirt,

or running around trying to catch each other in the outfield.

I know there were a few testing Coach's patience for sure.

In fact, I know that the coach was surely missing his assistant coach.

That's my girl sporting her pink and reds.

Don't you just love the socks. 

Even in the rain they played a good game.

The coach even said he was proud of the team for not complaining about it raining during the game.

And my oldest son being a great helper.

Even though he wasn't playing, he helped his sister's coach by being back up catcher.

Dad should be proud, he is doing really good with his throwing.

I guess he has had a great coach for baseball!

I may have to eat my words because actually baseball is not too bad this year.

In small doses of course. 

Mr. M. your baseball players miss you!

ME TOO!

In Bloom

I sometimes have a hard time cutting my flowers to bring into the house.

Except my Peonies.

I know that they will drop their petals and be gone until next year.

So I cut all the remaining flowers.

One pitcher for the living room.

Love the soft pink petals.

 

And the smell is just devine.

And one for the kitchen.

I enjoy them til the very end and the petals are laying on the table.

With such a great rose season, I think they may be coming in next.

Do you cut yours to bring in, or do you just enjoy them outside?

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by.

While the Cat is Away the Mouse Will PLAY

I had one as a kid.

I think it is time my children had one too.

picture from here

A TREE HOUSE!

Mr. M. is going away this weekend.

I haven't done a surprise project in a while.

mmmmm......I wonder what my brother is up to!

How about you?

Did you have one too?

Spring Bouquet

I went out early this morning after it had rained and cut some flowers.

I had to cut some Peonies before all of the petals drop.

The shrub roses are starting to really open up and it looks so pretty.

I love Spring Bouquets!

The pink is just so vibrant.

I hope your weekend is full of color too.

Garden Stroll

Come and join me.

Let's take a stroll through my gardens.

CAUTION!
TONS OF FLOWER PICTURES TO FOLLOW.

I have to put on my rain boots.

The sky is watering my plants today.

THANK YOU!

Follow mittens, he knows the best way to all the paths.

He is my gardening companion while I work in the gardens.

This is what my gardens look like as you drive in our driveway. 

The trees on the left are the only trees on our main property when we built our home 14 years ago.

In fact, they are the reason for the curve in our driveway.

I wanted the driveway to be different, not straight on.

I love how the color of the house stands out against all of the green.

The Thunder Cloud Plum trees were a mass of pink flowers earlier in spring.

Now they are a majestic mass of deep purple leaves.

Flowers you see as you drive up the driveway.





I added some more of Mr. M.'s favorite.
Foxgloves.

Another seat and a new white rose.

I am hoping that my new white rose will get enough sunlight by the garage entrance.

I have grand hopes that it will one day grow enough to trellis over the side door.

I try to have a seat or two to stop and enjoy the view.

These little roses are of my favorite shrub rose.

Soon the bush will grace us with a plethora of tiny pink roses.

This path will leads you from the garage entrance towards the front door.

I WILL TELL YOU NOW, BEWARE OF THE BITING BUSHES!

Of all my roses, these are my favorite.

Even in the final stages they are just beautiful.

My children know, you do NOT run through my paths.

They are made for a slow stroll to enjoy the smells and sights of flowers.

AND

I do not prune my roses until the blooms have come and gone.

Flowers along the path.

Opposite view.

My fireman has to have his hydrant.

I also try to have a bird house in each of my gardens.

I don't think there are any vacancies either.

It is hard to show you how colorful the garden really is.
I am working on my photography.

Look at all the buds.

HAPPY DANCE!

This path is now going to take you to the front arbor

LOVE'EM

This is what I look at when I look out my front door.

Arbor House Lane.

This is the walkway that leads to our front door.

It is in the stages of changing from little white roses to pink ones large and small.

As you can see from this picture.

The roses are in need of a trimming.

The path is now taking us around the other side to the arbor that leads to the side brick patio.

White Peonies and a white shrub rose bush.

Mittens is waiting for you.

Baby's Breath.

This is the other side of the path.

The smaller Arbor.

White flowers in the garden.

We are almost to the brick patio.

Another birdhouse in the garden.

This patio is my father's favorite spot to sit.
You can watch the butterflies and birds flying around.
If you are really quiet you may get a glimpse of a Hummingbird in the cat mint.

The only red I have in my gardens are roses.

NOT ON PURPOSE.

I found out that many hybrid roses are grafted.

Onto red rose root bases.

So, when the top rose died off, the red rose grew up from the roots.

Yeah, I have many red rose bushes now.

I have learned, now I only buy roses that can live in my area, no more red roses.

This path leads to the back yard and the deck.

The deck.

The large tree to the left is a French Lilac.
It blooms later in Spring and smells amazing.

This path is in my rose garden.

 More biting bushes.
Did you notice the pots on the left.
Yeah, I still have a few left to plant.

Clematis growing up a birdhouse in the garden between the deck and brick patio.

This is the second brick patio.

This rose bush is kind of odd. 

Only some of the original rose died, so some of the roses are red and some are pink.

This is the path I showed in an earlier post, it leads to the fire pit.

Love, love, love my peonies.

Yep, a lot of red roses.

My new chair in the garden.

Thank you for stopping by to see more of my gardens.
As you can see, I kind of really like to garden.
Now that it is the weekend, I can't wait to go and cut some flowers to bring in the house.

I am joining Jennifer Rizzo's Garden tour.

Have a wonderful weekend.