Summer Daydreaming

I'd love to spend an afternoon lazing around in one of these summer houses playing house or reading with my little one. Maybe a picnic lunch in tow and some cold ice tea. It's wonderful how structures like these can create a get away in your own back yard.

I'm working on a plan to create our own little backyard retreat and looking forward to the day I can post pictures here.

These amazing summer houses are by HSP Garden Buildings in Dublin Ireland if any one has the means to import one.

Slowing Down: Form Follows Breakfast

Probably the last thing I need is a toast holder but I find the idea of one very appealing and civil. How nice to sit down to breakfast and have one's toast standing at attention. When I have toast, it goes directly from toaster to plate, is buttered and eaten. Too often standing right at the counter.

Maybe that's why a toast holder seems like such a lovely item, it's about taking the time to sit down and really enjoy a meal. These tow wire pieces from plus minus zero are such a lovely example of form following function and great reasons to fore go counter top eating and take a seat at the table.

Savoring a Long Weekend

I've really been looking forward to this long weekend. We are not hanging out in any exotic locales just taking on the wilds of our backyard and venturing out to the local garden shops.

The weekend has filled up quickly as a big prep session for the summer ahead. Lots of yard work, planting and Spring cleaning. It is officially still Spring and while I rather be kicking back, I know all the digging and mulching and fencing will be well worth when summer is in full swing and our garden is blooming.

We did take a break for "a big adventure" and "some exploring like Dora". That's how my daughter described our walk along the Columbia Trail yesterday. We walked about 1/2 mile in to look at the Gnome homes that has popped up along the path.

It was a lovely walk with coming down on the path but cool from the woods around us. It was quiet and peaceful with the occasional greeting from bike riders and fellow hikers.

100 Sunflowers

My daughter told me she wants 100 sunflowers in our garden this year so we have been sowing away. We are off to a late start. All the rain has made working in the garden difficult but we are determined to get our garden up to speed.

We have been planting in green house trays a little at a time. We have planted Mammoth Organic, Sunny, Florenza and Lemon Queen varieties so far. We still have Teddy Bear, Citrus, and American Giants to go.

We are already well past 100 seeds. I'm hedging our bets, between the chipmunks and cutworms, I want to make sure my daughter has a hundred sunflowers this year.

Maybe by mid summer we will have an arrangement as beautiful as Van Gogh's painting above.

Calgon Take Me Aweay

Does anyone else remember the amazing Calgon commercial where a woman gets into a limousine, closes the privacy window and takes a bath before meeting her date? I'm in a "Calgon Take Me Away" place this week.

So the very cool, very bath centric site "to the bath" has proven a great diversion. Above are a few of my favorite images. I would be happy to take a soak in any of these locales.

Spring Cheer

It's Monday and I didn't get to spend time in the garden this weekend as planned. I did manage to make it to Home Depot and purchase a bunch of gardening supplies. I'm looking forward to the chance to really dig in and "rebuild our garden". That's how my little one referred to it when she asked " Are we going to rebuild our garden?" Yes indeed.

We will post plenty of pictures this summer and record our progress. In the mean time, here are some photos above and a link to a nice DIY way to share Spring cheer with friends from Dos Family.

Return of the Chipmunk

Last Sunday saw the first sighting of our local chipmunk or "chickamunk" as my daughter calls him. When I say local, I mean very local. He lives in a hole left by a missing brick in our back stoop. We put out some seeds in a tiny shell plate we have provided for him and look forward t more sightings.

The deer were busy grazing on the dandelions in the lawn and some are visibly pregnant. Hopefully we will be spotting fawns in the yard soon. Dandelions it turns out are a favorite Spring snack for pigs too. We fed handfuls of them to Joanie and Winston the resident pigs at our favorite farm before heading home with fresh asparagus to cook and baby spinach to plant.

We picked up two bunches of lilacs at the super market since our little lilac bushes are just sticks with leaves. Luckily they survived the cold winter and we have high hopes for them in years to come.

All in all a lovely Spring weekend. Hope this one is equally full of good things.

The Royal Kiss

It's a little hard to believe these two kisses are separated by thirty years. Time flies but the British are consistent.

All the best to the newest royal couple.

Nevermind the Bullocks it's Another Royal Wedding

It's a little hard not to think of England this past week as the gossip shows plaster the royal couple-to-be across the airways. I'm actually disappointed that the wedding is on a work day here in the states. I think I would have enjoyed watching the wedding or what will be shown of it. It's always amusing to hear commentators cover these types of events. Gather some royals and celebrities, throw in a few facts, fill lots of air time with pure speculation and your have hours of entertainment. I hope some network is brilliant enough to rebroadcast the whole thing at a time when one can glue oneself to the tellie for a few hours.

The Sex Pistols' God Save the Queen poster is available at AllPosters.com

Easter Goodies

I've already tucked away a bunch of goodies to stuff in my little ones Easter basket but here are a few things I wished I had found and may even snatch up for next year.


Jellycat Slackajack Bunny via Smallable
Egmont Rabbit Lamp via Smallable
Areaware Pico Fawn Pillow via Areaware