Feeling Celebrated!

So, as usual in this family, we found a way to stretch out our Mother's Day celebration. And, since it was all about us ladies, it was definitely a good thing!-Lol

We started our celebration on Friday morning with pedicures. The salon we go to always makes for a long and relaxing experience and I always leave feeling so refreshed. Then, we were off to one of our favorite little downtown restaurants for lunch.

This was hubby's first time at Stellas. He is not necessarily a fan of small places but this gourmet/kitchen shop/restaurant is so delicious and serves such unique food that we knew he would love it-and he did! Our meals were delicious and filling but when Jen surprised us with a dessert sampler, we found room for it all! Yum!!

We finished gorging eating just in time to pick up the kids from school and then we headed back to their house. We visited for awhile and then played a "spirited" game of Yahtzee. While we were playing, Har was telling me about a project he had due on Monday and wondered if Nana could help. Having more craft supplies than HL, I was excited to lend a hand.

And so, on Saturday morning, Har and Hud came over to begin the project. Har had to make a parade float depicting the book he was reporting on, Moby Dick. He knew exactly how he wanted it to look just not sure how he would execute it. What fun we had pulling out almost every tool and trick I had. We literally used wood, the sewing machine, paints, skewers, chop sticks, twine and LOTS of hot glue. He was very happy with the result and proud of himself for getting it done actually over a day before it was due!-Ha-ha

When Jen and the kids left on Saturday afternoon, they invited us for a Mother's Day brunch the next day. As I was just about ready to get dressed, I happened to look out of our front windows and see a car drive up. Couldn't imagine who it might be as I wasn't expecting company so I was super surprised when daughter #2 got out. Can't imagine a better gift for Mother's Day than to spend it with the very reason I get to celebrate the day. Just sorry we were missing daughter #1 but with all of the graduation and testing activities going on in St. Pete, they couldn't make it-but, we did have a very long phone visit later in the day.

Our newest "grand" is growing so fast. She is just sooo cute!

My son-in-law made our breakfast of veggie quiche, oven roasted potatoes, sliced ham and fruit. I was so hungry that I failed to snap a picture but it was delicious. And, dessert was super yummy!

We all had a wonderful visit. Our weather is still springtime picture perfect so it was beautiful sitting outdoors and just having a chance to catch up on all of everyone's' spring activities-just a super busy, crazy time of the year with all of the school and sport activities coming to an end!

Today is the first day we will have an uninterrupted full day at home in a very long time. I have so many things I want to address but since the weather is still gorgeous, I suspect whatever I decide on will definitely be outdoors. Stay tuned.

I've Created a MONSTER!

O.K. So I have told you how hard we have been working to get the outside of the house and yard really looking clean and neat. It was a chore way over due but, once again, when those new eyes saw the clutter, there was no stopping us.

Unfortunately, in this case, neat and clean bred more neat and clean...and more neat and clean-well, you get the idea!

Suddenly I found myself looking around for things to re-do. I may have posted that one of the things my brother and sister-in-law helped us with was the removal of the wooden deck that was right off of our sun room. It housed the bar-b-que- grill and my potting bench. It was the perfect solution as the water just ran right through the wooden slates so there was no build-up against the foundation of the house. But, alas, time and Florida took their toll on the wood and it was time to come out. If these wooden pallets were still available, I would simply have bought more because they just fit together like a puzzle and made the most perfect wooden deck without any of the usual "deck building" stuff. But, they are not.

So, on to plan B. I was thinking of buying pretty landscaping stones and laying them but then I realized that unless we really knew how to slope them correctly for water run-off, we might have water sitting up against the foundation and we actually had a problem of similar proportion years ago from the irrigation system and it was a costly repair. And so, I had to fall back on one of my least favorite solutions-rock. I am just not a big fan of rocks and stones in gardens but I think this will be perfect for this area as the rain can just run right through the rocks.

Of course, it isn't my favorite to walk on either but I had three stepping stones left from the side patio construction so they are helping.

And, of course again, I soooo under estimated how many bags of these things it would take. We started with 6 and looks like we are going to need about 18-20 more...oh my aching back-lol.

So here we are after 3 bags and it is VERY obvious we needed lots more...so, when the rain started to come down, we hopped in the car and headed back to Lowes-our current home away from home these days! We bought 15 more bags of stone-and we got it right on the money-it took every last one!

I am not the world's biggest fan of border grass because of how intrusive it can get. But, in this case, I have been pulling up wayward grass and planting it along the border of this patio. I am trying to have a softer edge-one less tripping hazard for us these days is a good thing! I am just hoping that this time it actually grows fast enough to hold all of those rocks right where they are!

Since I "cleaned" up the other side of the yard, all of my potting stuff is now on this bench or around the corner in a cupboard. As I am looking at this picture, I am already envisioning some hooks on the wall of the house to hold tools and maybe a pot of flowers or so. I also think it might be time to buy hubby a new grill cover. His old grill was so much larger and the cover was still OK when we down-sized...but, it may be time.

Of course, now that I will be over in this area a lot more these days, I have realized that I never got back to do the pressure cleaning on this side of the yard...I see another project in my future-yay! Stay tuned.

Thinking "Outside the Box"-FINALLY!

I think I have posted before about my birthday present from two of my daughters. They bought me the hardware for the barn doors I have been wanting in our family room. It was a lovely surprise. But, the rest of the surprise was that it was now up to me and my son-in-law to figure out what to do with them. Apparently "designers" only "design"-lol

Since I love Pinterest so much, I was pretty ready as to the doors I wanted to make. I just knew I could not hang the heavy hardware or transport the heavy wood. And so, when my son-in-law dropped by this weekend, I ambushed him with the news and we got planning right away.

And, of course, the first thing we did was to rip open those boxes.

In those smaller boxes, there are LOTS of little pieces but luckily, the directions seem pretty detailed and he tells me we are good to go.

And then, I showed him my design for the doors. I am a pretty simple gal-and, I am not fancy at all. I don't need perfection-in fact, sometimes, I truly don't want it! I like what the world calls shabby chic. In fact, I liked that look long before it had that name. I was perfectly fine with nailing some 1X4s around a piece of plywood and calling it a day. But, him being the engineer that he is, he just couldn't justify the raw edges of the wood. I told him I would paint and distress them and no one would be the wiser but he just couldn't go with that thought. He showed me the "real" way it should be done which involves routing, dovetailing and all sorts of other big words-but, he assures me we can do it. He is off on a quest to find the best wood and then we will get going.

I am getting very excited-two of my long awaited projects seem to be getting ready to kick off soon. I LOVE projects-can't wait!!! Stay tuned.

Darn Those "New Eyes"

I have posted often about what I call looking at things with "new eyes". To me, that means living with something so long that you don't really see it any more and then one day...BAM...you see it with "new eyes"-the way a stranger to your house would probably see it. In some cases, I guess, that might be O.K. But, alas, all too often it is not. And so, I am FINALLY looking at our master bath with new eyes-and, just in the nick of time as demolition is set for May 13!

I know I have posted about our home many times before. We bought our house as it was being built for spec almost 43 years ago. We were able to make some minor changes but since it was being featured in that year's Parade of Homes, there were certain things the builder would not change as he wanted those things presented to the viewing public. I was young and was just thrilled to be buying a brand new, larger home for our growing family.

The four large bedrooms were the selling point as we had three girls by now and their age differences just did not work well with sharing rooms.

Over the years, we have literally changed EVERY SURFACE of this house-new windows, new doors, brick and stucco exterior, added a sun room and large family room with fireplace, added a large pool and many gardens, changed flooring, counter tops, faucets, door handles, appliances, colors....!!!

But, there is one thing that remains-the original blue tub and tile surround in our master bath. The guest bath was gutted many years ago and I still love its transformation but our bathroom is just horrible-at least it is now-to my "new eyes".

We did put in ceramic tile when that first became popular. I painted the FAUX BLUE MARBLE vanity ages ago and we did change the top-to white formica!!! We put in a new white commode, added a cabinet over the commode and have changed the faucet a few times.

And yet, as they say, it is like putting lipstick on a pig-lol! And so, the time has finally come to address the issue. Our decorator daughter has come up with the design and we will soon be off and running-and none too soon because I just realized how truly ugly this room has been!!!

This house was built back before the days of humongous bathrooms. I am not necessarily a fan of a bathroom the size of a ballroom, but a little bit more square footage in here might have been nice.

Please forgive those dirty prints on the towel-I had just washed my hands after doing some gardening-oops, I guess I just got caught doing a no-no but those delphiniums just HAD to get put in!

In any case, the plans are to knock down the wall between the commode and vanity. I'm not sure how I will like that after all these years but I know it will help open up the area.

Then, the blue tub is coming out and the blues tiles are coming down. They will be replaced with a walk-in shower with frameless glass door. Since I LOVE my baths, I am also not sure I will adore this change but with age comes change and since this one is probably something we will need before long any way, why not just jump the gun.

 The new vanity will be in the same place but there will be a tall cabinet on the right to house sheets and other ugly storage. There will also be some floating wood stained shelves over the commode for the "pretty" stuff.

The floors are going to be a beigey-grey along the lines of the granite vanity top and, for the first time ever, I will have an under mount sink. Sure hoping it makes it easier to clean as everyone keeps telling me!

I truly am speechless as I look at these pictures-don't know what I was thinking but sure glad it took me this long to see the real picture-at least I only have 12 more days to look at it like this.

And, as long as I have admitted to it, I might as well show you where the delphiniums are now living. I love that pop of bluish-purple. I am hoping these will still be blooming when it is time to pick some 4th of July bouquets. Stay tuned.

So Many Choices

I love this time of the year. Everything in the garden is at its "showiest" best-before the Florida sun starts to take its toll in the even hotter summer months.

And, since I am trying sooo hard not to overdo anything so my back has a chance to recover, I find myself simply perusing the gardens even more than usual. I head out with a cup of morning coffee and walk around trying hard not to notice the weeds just starting to pop back up after the "back-breaking" weeding job I just finished-but, I digress.

Each morning I cut something. Today I decided on a fragrant spring bouquet in pinks and purples-and then, of course, another vase simply full of the newest gardenia blooms of the day-I can never get enough of that fragrance!!

Proof that I am trying to be good-my gated trellis in bloom on the other side of the pool. Usually a surefire way to get me over to the far side of the yard but not right now. Once I go through that gate, I will see all of the work still to be done. That will just have to wait a bit longer.

And, some perennial delphiniums that I just picked up. I have tried annual delphiniums before without much luck but this is a new variety for Florida so I am going to give it a try-but not in the ground until my back is feeling better.

We are getting ready for a little one-on-one time with grandson #2. His mom and older brother are off to Savannah for a 5th grade boy and mom trip-they tell me it is a tradition at their school but I wonder if it may not just be some moms who want a weekend in a beautiful city-lol. His younger sister has three birthday parties with an overnight so, not wanting to be left out, Hud asked for an overnight with Nana and Papa. I am keeping it pretty simple and we will see what he wants to do-should be fun. Stay tuned.

Don't Fence Me In!

Since I am pretty much relegated to walking and not lifting anything much heavier than my camera, I have spent the morning out in the yard in this beautiful spring weather. Look at the newest beauties I found just starting to put on their show:

Climbing roses on the trellis,

Jasmine over the gate,

An early hydrangea just popping out,

Sun vine blooms hanging everywhere,

First of the gardenias just starting,

Herbs beginning to take off,

 If you look very closely, the grape tomatoes are starting to flower...

And, the mock oranges are going to town. I love these bushes because they remind me of my childhood. I grew up down by the groves that ran along the Indian River in south Florida. I will NEVER forget the intoxicating smell of those trees in blossom. I loved it so much that every time my cousins and I would visit McKee Jungle Gardens-a local Florida tourist spot that we would visit often on a lazy Sunday afternoon because we always had season passes and I guess it was a good way to keep 5 kids entertained for a day-we had to leave with a small bottle of their orange blossom perfume...but, I digress. In any case, even though I know these mock orange blooms do not contain that exotic fragrance, every time they bloom I am compelled to stick my nose into them just to make sure!

Even though they always disappoint with the lack of fragrance, they never disappoint with how pretty they are in a large display simply put in a vase.

This is my nod to spring branches in a bouquet. It may not be apple blossoms or forsythia but lovely never the less...and I will take what I can get!

So I am trying hard not to do any lifting or bending but that is NOT an easy thing for me. There are still some things on the list to accomplish outside and I am having a hard time just "chilling". I brought my coffee out with me and then picked a few gardenias to stop and "smell the "roses"". As long as I don't look down at weeds popping up since I weeded here just a week ago or over to that high stack of bags of mulch, I will be O.K. And, just when I thought I had to head in and find a book or magazine, I noticed some movement on the other side of the yard.

I know this sounds crazy, but we have had a resident cardinal couple here for many years-and yes, I AM SURE it is the same two birds all these years! The male of the couple loves us so much that he wants in. If we are at the table in the sun room, he keeps coming to the nearest screen and hanging on to see what we are up to. If I am sitting in the living room, he is on the jasmine out front and, believe it or not, when we are in the family room, he literally comes to the side door and hangs on the grill to peek in.

In any case, today he was trying to get my husband's attention to let him know that his favorite feeder is empty. If you look really hard you can see him knocking on the window closest to my husband's office. This actually gave me many minutes of entertainment...and no, I haven't taken any meds-lol. No telling what I will find to do to keep me more entertained the next few days-stay tuned!

Serendipity?

So remember in my last post where I said I had been doing some poking around in my "stuff" trying to find what I might have left out of my spring decor? Well, I did happen upon two things that are usually out that I had forgotten so out they came today.

The first is this set of plates that hang in the sun room. I have hung them in the past because of their colors but never paid much more attention to them than that. But, today as I hung them, I realized how closely the pictures on them resemble vignettes I have used in my decor for years.

Pitchers and urns and cloches and nests...oh my!

Just a little aside-there are now 3 eggs in this nest!

Then I found my old, rusty terrarium. Right now it is just sitting on the hearth with a candle because my back is hurting too much to do anything else at this moment. I have once again done my "annual" back "thing". This year it at least waited until I was almost done with everything-although there are still a few heavy lifting things on the list. I have a pretty strong back and can do just about anything I put my mind to but there are some things that I just know I shouldn't try even before I start. This year it was uprooting a fair sized, deeply rooted shrub. The whole time I was doing it, I knew I should just cut it off and call it a day-but, NO, not me. I wanted to transfer it somewhere else in the yard.

In any case, this year I not only felt it go, I heard it kind if snap-and I knew I would be paying for it for a number of days. I am one of those people who doesn't like to be told "no", so I usually keep on. And so I did-until I couldn't any more. I am now walking around-if I do it "correctly" it doesn't hurt at all and playing with things of little weight or bending. If it follows course, it should be feeling much better in a day or two-and then, watch out to-do list. Here I come again! Stay tuned.

Won't this look so much better with a plant or even another nest-soon, soon.