Friday, March 30, 2012

Welcome

Not quite done painting, but putting the front hall entry back together.  Yes, that bench used to be in the dining room, and the pillows in the living room....nothing stays put very long in this house!!


My apple green walls gave way to, you guessed it, White Dove, and the leopard bench found a seat at the dining room table.




I'm using lots of white.







Wishful thinking, on the hat's part!








That's my new rug.  It's actually three little ones duct taped together (don't tell) and each was only three-fifty.




The forced forsythia seems to have forgiven me for smacking it with a hammer,








and now flanks the front door.






Coral, yellow, red and white certainly says spring to me.  


Have you changed anything in your home to welcome spring?

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

For Real

A while back I showed you some photos of faux orchids in my dining room. Soon after, on Valentine's Day, my husband presented me with the real thing.  His orchid traveled all the way from California and landed at my front door!   Guess he wasn't too keen on all the fake ones, he probably has a point.


Well, I must admit, I am a convert.  Now six weeks later, his orchid and one we found at Lowes are both alive and thriving.  I can now add orchid grower to my ever increasing list of talents!




I am so intrigued by these once feared plants. 








I kept the tag so I could tell you that these are Phalaenopsis Orchids.


It says the care level is "resilient" no wonder they are doing so well!


Now that I am an orchid grower,  I'm on the look out for some unique and attractive low containers that will hold three plants or five (I have this thing about using odd numbers in groupings). I may even try a different type......... as long as the care level meets my standards!



Friday, March 23, 2012

The Poor Forsythia

I know it's not nice to play tricks on someone or force somebody to do something, but come on......it's forsythia!


From the the time I was very young, my mother would clip some forsythia in the very beginning of spring, plunk it in a container of water and wait for it to bloom.  That was about the extent of her gardening endeavors.


I've branched out a bit (hahaha) but still fall back on her ritual of "forcing" forsythia most every year!  It's about that time.




Loppers in hand, just a few snips, then rid the part that goes in the water of buds or anything else.




And then, this is new to me, smack the end of the branch with a hammer.




 Now simply add water and wait.  




In four days to a week a bevy of bright yellow flowers will appear.  That is, if the poor forsythia forgives me for being forced inside and beaten with a hammer.  I'll keep you posted!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

March Madness

It's March 21 and over 80 degrees here in Maine, my kind of March Madness!
Of course that means trying to get everything you possible can done outside before, dare I say, winter returns.  


They say it's getting colder next week, I can handle that and perhaps one more very light snow, but that's it.


Took a break from working outside to go shopping.  A girls gotta shop you know.




Nails, clapboards, primer and spray paint, what else could I possibly ask for?


Primed and almost ready to go.




No matter how hard I tried, couldn't get the clapboard to stay where it was supposed to (on the house) I need another pair of hands.........Douglas?????
He's never here when I need him, always at work.  Well, someone has to work around here.


I'm great with a spray can.






Oops, haven't sprayed that one yet.  Everything is going black this year, with black and white striped cushions, white cushions and Boston ferns.  That is the picture I have in my head today, but it could change at any minute! Who knows what might catch my fancy on Pinterest?!?!?!


Our new fountain made it's premature debut and we love it.  Course everything is ugly and brown around it with just a few specks of green.




Pretty sure those are antique irises that need dividing.  


I'm sure the fountain will have to go back inside before it's formal unveiling, when there's no threat of frost and the perennials are thriving.  


But we couldn't wait, we had to see it in action.




Wait, let me plug it in.




We added the river rocks (they sell them at the dollar store) do you like them?




So now we have the sound of a babbling brook to add to the sound of a popping cork, right in our own backyard.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I hope everyone enjoys today, Happy St. Patrick's day!

Amy in Dublin.


And a word from Guinness.


My kind of humor!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

A Little History

What makes your home unique?  I'd say a little bit of history.  Just think there are so many things from your past or your family's past that are yours and yours alone.


Above my mantle in the living room,  I have vases from Goodwill, a mirror from my salvage store and two cartoons that my mother gave her father for Father's Day when she was in college about 1936.




Below the mantle are four framed pieces from my husband's side of the family. There is a grammar lesson in each little frame.  Not sure which of Doug's grandparents first had these, but Doug remembers them hanging in a powder room off the entry hall where he grew up in New Canaan.




Oh, and that brass fender most likely stopped Doug from getting too close to the fire as a toddler, now I just trip over it.




I'm  glad my Goodwill finds and T.J's treasures don't mind sharing space with a little bit of history.


What makes your home unique?  Something from your past, or something brand spanking new?

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The Find

With spring around the corner, I, like many of you, am thinking of ways to spruce up my porch and garden area.  I was looking online at rockers and Adirondack chairs when, of course, an Adirondack rocker popped up on my ipad.




This one is made by Captiva and at Overstock.com it is $118.38.  Always thinking I can do better I had to look further.


I find the easiest way to convince yourself that you are getting the best price is to go to a site like The Find.  Believe it or not, this exact chair,  sitting by the exact same pond, was advertised for $160.00, $143.00, and $133.00.  


Next time you are hunting online, check out The Find, Nextag, or Bizrate, you just may save yourself a dollar or two!



Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Porch Duty

It has been unseasonably warm and bright for this time of the year in Maine, just had to be outside.  My half a dozen projects in various states inside will just have to wait.


Sweep, read, sit in the sun.  Sweep, read, sit in the sun, fraid I didn't get much done.  Lots of planning though while soaking in this marvelous March sun.


Two chairs made it out of the barn and follow the sun from one end of the porch to the other.


Years ago, someone had the bright idea to enclose the section of the porch by the back door.  I am so glad they did, warmed by the sun, it's the first place you can sit, sort of outside, in the evening after months of winter.




It's tiny, about eight by twelve, and barely holds a chaise, table and chair.




Dust the cobwebs, wash the window, place the furniture, won't take long at all.  We'll be out there before you know it.  Are you a porch lover like me?

Friday, March 9, 2012

Mug, Bowl, Whatever

Sitting eating my Better Oats Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal, which I do every morning, and wondering why, why do I reach for the same mug every single day?  I have only two so I wash them by hand, God forbid one is in the dishwasher when I need it. Tea at the crack of dawn, oatmeal for breakfast, soup for lunch, they get a lot of use.


Now, years ago I was into Denby and have a collection of their Harlequin dishes.  I never, ever use the mugs, they just sit and look pretty in the pantry. 




And, as an about to be bride, I chose a lovely pattern from Wedgewood for our fine dining, Medici.  They look pretty darn good for their age, there's a reason for that. Brought the cups out of the cabinet into the pantry, no help at all.  They just sit there wondering why they have been demoted.




My china of choice that I use absolutely everyday, at least twice a day, the perfect size and the perfect weight.  The mug that is large enough to warm both my hands and fine enough to not overheat in the microwave is this wonderful, white, oversized something.  




So what wins over the Denby and the Wedgewood, my Dollar Tree favorite, $1.00.  Why did I only buy two?


Do you do anything like this, or am I  the only one getting a little bit weird??



Thursday, March 8, 2012

Feeling Like Spring

Boy, what a beautiful day, and look what is coming our way.


The ice has melted on the Kennebec.


You can get to the Rail Trail without wearing Grippers.


Store windows are blooming.


The sidewalks are dirty but not hazardous.


And soon the awning will be up, tables set and dinner served above the river.


After walking through town, Hobie and I did little else.  He basked in the sun.

And so did I.


Soon we'll get everything out of the barn and set up the porch.   It turned out like this last year.


I spend sooo much time on the porch, morning, noon and night.  Such a great place to be, smack dab in the center of town.

I've often thought of changing to those presidential rockers, but I don't know if I want to be rocking everytime I move (might spill my wine).

What do you think about a few rockers, yea or nay?

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

They Sort of Look Alike

Painting my entry and on the search for a new cheap, I mean inexpensive chandelier.  Got a discount alert in my email from Overstock today, so I checked them out first.


Just what I was looking for, I really mean it.


Overstock $149.99.


Then I decided to check out Restoration Hardware, a girl can dream can't she?


\
Restoration Hardware $ 629.00


A tad bigger, a little different and a lot more expensive!


While at Restoration Hardware, I spied this interesting piece.


Restoration Hardware $975.00


Not for my entry, but great over a harvest table, probably a very nice harvest table.


Over at Lowe's they have something similar.






Lowe's $249.00


So when I'm all done with my front hall,  and the Overstock chandelier is shining bright, and someone says "did you get that at Restoration Hardware?"  I'll be thinking, you don't know me very well do you?






Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The White House

Okay, it is rather apparent, I am going through a WHITE phase!!


First the living room and now the hall.  From Apple Green to White Dove.




It's been green for about ten years, that's quite some time for me. I figured if I didn't like the white, I'd call it primer and go on from there, but I do.  I like it very, very much!







The chandelier will find a new home in my "little room" (another one of my ongoing projects) and something a bit more substantial will replace it.




This is a big project for little ole me, I can't reach the tippy, tippy top.  Someone's going to have to come in, rig something up and do the scary high part for me. If I could only remember who finished off the green.


When I come in the back door and look through the dining room to the front hall, I like what I see...no green.




Oh no, I'm looking at the dining room and asking myself.....should that room be white?  Not for a while, Melinda, the Monroe Bisque has barely had time to dry!