Butterflies on the Wall

I have almost finished getting my daughter's room done.

Yesterday while my boys were playing and my daughter was at her baseball game.

I glued 150 butterflies on her wall.

Yep, I did!

I surprised my daughter by having these on the wall before she got home.

I think it turned out kind of neat.

It almost looks like art.

The multiple of colors works with the rug and the chair.

The first night we put up her pink chandelier she did not want us to turn the lights off.

The finished chair.

It is a favorite for reading.

She likes to curl up with her cat and a good book.

Double welt piping.

It was not as hard as I thought it would be.

I love how the color choices turned out.

I am glad I did not worry about too much color.

This is the room at night as we are trying to figure out furniture placement.

I can't hang pictures or shelves until we figure out where everything will go.

Aren't these framed prints awesome!

I found them at HomeGoods of course.

The pink and purple frames are from TJMaxx.

Two of my favorite stores.

Next week I will reveal a great steal I got for the deck from World Market.

Soon to be my favorite on line shop.

Even though it is not supposed to be as warm as it was all week, I am hoping to finish up some gardening.

Fit in a trip to an annual flea market with my sister.

Maybe a date night with Mr. M.

Due to baseball and having to work all week, we haven't seen much of each other.

I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

Crazy Socks

My daughter loves to wear crazy socks.

The brighter and funkier the better.

This is an average daily outfit.

I love her individuality!

As long as she feels comfortable in her mixed up outfits then I am all for it.

It is hard enough in life without having to worry about what others think of you.

A disclaimer, the kitchen that looks like a cyclone hit it.

Yeah, that is what it looks like when I get home from work everyday. 

She fits right in with her crazy sock wearing baseball team!

Do you let your kids wear their own style or do you choose?

I have to tell you though, I told my oldest son if I ever catch him with his pants below his butt.

I will pants you!

I hate that look!

Snowball Fight Anyone?

My youngest son can't wait to have a snowball fight with my spring snowballs.

I have to say these bushes are one of my favorites.

I have them planted all around the house.

I have been lucky to have low branches root themselves into smaller bushes.

I let them grow for a few years untouched, then they are dug out and put into a new garden.

These bushes were transplants to newer gardens when we built our addition 4 years ago.

This big bush is outside our kitchen window.

Behind the large snowball bush is the back deck.  

They provide great privacy.

Here are two large snowball bushes on the East side of the house.

This big beautiful mass of white flowers is a bridal spirea bush.

These are probably my favorite bush.

I have these bushes planted all around the house.

They are in need of a trim, I can't do it until after we enjoy the flowers.

There is some of that hot pink I am planting in my pots this year.

I am almost done planting the pots on the back deck.

These are pictures of the front yard gardens.

The arbor will soon be covered in pink and white roses.

Just look at that sky. 

I was able to get these pictures taken just before the rain and lightning came.

This is a good picture to show you how the snow ball bushes and spirea bushes are around the house.

It still amazes me when I look at pictures of the gardens.

There was nothing here but farm land 16 years ago.

We did this.

I planted these gardens and trees.

This picture is from the front yard standing next to the willow tree.

Such a long driveway, sometimes I wonder what we were thinking.

So, can I interest anyone in a spring snowball fight?

Summer Garden Plans

I am always thinking of what I can do next in my gardens.

Some I am able to follow through, others move to the next year plan or to the not gonna happen list.

Last year we were going to try to build a tree house.

I think I have given up on Mr. M. heading up this project.

So it is up to me and the kids.

We drew out the plans.

Picked the tree.

Lots of shade and surrounding trees for privacy.

It has great branches to work with.

We are thinking of at least two levels, one at the first v in the tree and a second one level at the second v.

I have to run the design by Mr. M. so he can tell me if it can be a reality or a pipe dream.

Then we can get the supplies.

I figure if we give ourselves the rest of May and all of June, that should be enough time to get it done.

Of course that would have to mean no distractions.

Like that is possible.

The next garden spot I am thinking of is in the back field.

I am thinking there is way TOO MUCH grass!

This picture is taken standing by the pool looking into the far back yard.  

Uncharted territory!

Mr. M., oh the poor man.

One day he gave away some of my rocks.

I think I may have told this story before so bare with me if so.

A small portion of MY ROCKS.

Anyway, he gave away some of the rocks I have been saving.

I just about killed the man, gently of course.

"Why on earth would you do that?"  I asked him.

"They were just sitting in the back yard, I didn't think you would mind since you have so many."

This is when I had to tell him, "look, I have future plans for my rocks."

"What plans?"

I had to ask, "are you sure you want to hear this?"

"Is it that bad?" He asked

"To you maybe.  I have many plans for our several acres of land.  Some for each year, some 5 year plans, some 10, and some for even longer."

Then he wanted to know what kinds of plans I had.

Seriously, I had to condense them because I might have given the man a heart attack.

I am a gardener.

If there is grass, we can find a better solution.

I have 6 acres to work with.

I have only just begun!

I will never forget about 12 years ago, one day my mom, Mr. M. and I were standing at the back french doors looking out into the yard.  

She very wisely said "you know there is a reason there are no plants at the back of the house.

 She has a plan."

How right she was, she knew!  She knew I was waiting for the right time.

In that very spot we were looking at, there is now a large deck and several flower gardens.

So now Mr. M. knows some of my plans.

He only rolls his eyes when I tell to walk with me so I can show him where I want to put the next garden.

I know he likes it, at least a little, because it gives him a chance to play with his tractor.

So, that brings us back to the future garden site.

He did ask, so what do you have planned for tomorrow?

Silly man.

This is the start of the next garden.

After I move my rock back into position.

Why is there one rock in the grass?

My boys.

They move them to look for toads.

Love, love, love toads.  

They are the cutest little things.

  Cuter than bunnies because they do not eat my plants.

I have threatened them with weeding if they move my pathway stepping stones any more.

I will start with at a boxwood bush or two.

At least one shrub rose bush and some of my favorite perennials, foxglove, peony, cat mint, to start with.

These rocks sit under some very old cherry and pear trees so there is shade but also plenty of sun.

I need to watch and find out exactly how much sun before I put any sun sensitive plants in.

That is my plan for today.

Tomorrow there is always another plan and if it is nice out, it will involve gardening too.

And you, do you have plans?

When I Grow Up

Do you remember when you were a kid and everyone asked

"what do you want to be when you grow up?"

I think I know.

I want to be a gardener.

A few pictures from Arbor House Lane Gardens.

I love flowers, planting, weeding, pruning.

I thought I was going to go simple this year due to a full schedule of BASEBALL.

Ah baseball.

If you are new to my blog then you might not know I have a hate love/hate hate relationship with the sport.

I do enjoy watching my children play, especially my daughter, she has an enthusiasm for the game that her brothers do not have.

I just am not enjoying being at the baseball fields 5 days a week.

I am a gardener.

I putter in my gardens.

I weed.

I plant.

I prune. 

I do not do BASEBALL!

Anyway, as I said I thought I was going to do easy this year due to lack of availability in my gardens.

NOPE!

I have already planted six pink fairy shrub rose bushes and I have about six more to plant.

I am also in the process of designing a new garden to work towards future pool privacy.

AND

I am hoping to talk Mr. M. into letting me turn our vegetable garden into a potager garden,
 otherwise known as a kitchen garden.

If you thought I have no time to garden, why on earth does Mr. M. think he has time to garden?

He is coach for one of my son's baseball teams and a coach helper for my other son's team.

So, my plan is to use this to my advantage and mix my flowers and his vegetables in one garden.

Picture found here.

Picture found here.

Both of these pictures are great gardens.

I love the second picture for all the different heights but I think there may be too formal and too much shade for a vegetable garden.  

The fun thing about gardening is that you can always be creative with colors and styles,
within your zone of course.

How about you?
Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?

Have a wonderful weekend.
It is going to be a beautiful day to garden and get our pool ready, summer is on it's way!

It's My Birthday

Today is my birthday.

Painting by Linsey from The Farmhouse Porch

This is one of my favorite of her paintings!

Even Google knew it was my birthday, such a neat surprise!

As much as I like to celebrate birthdays, mine is hard to enjoy.

No, not because I am getting old-er, I enjoy each year and always look forward to the next.

It is because my mom is not here to make it special.

and, as we just celebrated Mother's Day,

 this week is always hard for me.

So, today I am going to escape to the shops.

Antique, consignment and thrift, as many as I can fit in before lunch time.

Mr. M. called with a surprise, he took a half day for me.

As much as I love that he is WILLING to shop with me.

A- I need some alone time.

B- He hates to shop, I mean drag your feet like a 3 yr. old hate!

So I am going to try and meet him for lunch.

So, if you had to shop for your own birthday present, what would you buy?

Me, I'm looking for a dresser, some chairs to reupholster and maybe some ironstone.

But, I will be happy with whatever I find.

Even if it is only lunch with a special guy.

Oh yeah, and it is baseball season, so you know where I will be tonight!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day.

Mr. M. and I cooked for a Mother's Day brunch.

We had a wonderful time, as I always do when I spend time with family.

After everyone left, Mr. M. and the kids took me to the nursery to look at some trees.

I think I have narrowed down the search.

picture here

This is a Brandywine Crab Apple tree.

The buds look like little roses before they bloom.

I could look at this picture all day long.

A whole tree of rosebuds!

All but one of the trees was sold out at the nursery.  

Mr. M. was not as enamored with the tree as I was and he liked the Prairiefire Crab Apple better.

I may just have to buy one for me and the other tree for him.

Part of being a MOM is just letting your kids try new things.

Today we had hail on and off again throughout the day.

My little guy said he had never seen the stuff and could he run around outside in it.

I told him sure, he thought it was funny to have the hail pelting him on the back.

That is what being a MOM is about.

Experiencing the little things that make them smile.

I hope all you moms, daughters, granddaughters had a wonderful day.

Spring Has Arrived at Arbor House Lane

Spring is here at Arbor House Lane!

The little shed is just waiting to be cleaned out and made pretty for Summer.

We know Spring is officially here when the Thunder Cloud Plum trees are in bloom.

Their sweet smelling pink flowers do not last long, but they sure put on a show.

We are thinking of adding a row of pink Crab-apple trees along the driveway in the front this year.

That way when the Thunder Clouds are done flowering it will be time for the Crab-apples to bloom.

It smells wonderful when you walk outside.

All of the fruit trees in the back yard are in bloom too.

I am off to do some plant shopping.

Hot pink is the theme this year.

Maybe this chair has something to with it.

The chair is finished and it has become a favorite spot for my daughter's reading time.

I will share her room when we get finished hanging everything back on the walls.

How about you, has Spring arrived?

Have you chosen your flowers yet?

Happy Spring!