~I am not complaining ....~

Happy Tuesday bloggy friends!

I've been a bit MIA as of late....

.....trying to garden.... in between orders and

"terrible weather" shall we say??

(downpours, hail, wind,

 and more downpours....

basically your typical

run-of-the mill 

freezing cold winter weather)

{.....but I'm not complaining... }

and since I'm not one to give up easily....

so in the midst of all the weather

 I transplanted 20ish

boxwoods, planted 24 new boxwoods,

divided and transplanted 20ish

blackeyed susan's, planted lavender, catmint,

hostas, bellflowers, astilbe, mock orange and clematis.

phew....but there's more.....

transplanted daisies, coneflowers,

 poppies, asters, 3 shrubs

 a fern, and an evergreen!

  I think that's it.

nope, forgot the veggies....planted bell peppers, watermelon, zucchini, tomatoes, peas and transplanted

chives....(which did surprisingly well considering

they were in bloom when I did it!!)

Everything did well with the exception of the transplanted poppies.....they still are upset with me,

but are surviving....sorry poppies.....wrong color, wrong size, and wrong place...it couldn't be helped! ;)

I'd LOVE to say these pictures are from my

garden but since it's raining

 no, pouring....

and I really don't have too much blooming

quite yet ~ I thought I'd share with you again

a garden I went through last summer.....

you see this gorgeous climbing vine below?

it almost looks like a climbing sweet pea, or some

kind of honeysuckle, but it's not....

it's a beautiful clematis and

I just got one at costco!

it's going to climb my new arbor that I told

you about a post or 2 ago!

yay! :)

it's a "Betty Corning" clematis

and it is beautiful and so fragrant!

this beautiful garden was such a treat to tour!

I am   r  e  a  l  l  y  hoping she has another

open house this year.....I'd love to see it again.

every little inch of her garden is so breathtaking

and surprising too....little surprises in nooks and

crannies....

they have a cute little workshop where

they build all their own garden structures....

I tell ya ~  there is nothing this gal won't tackle!!

they build everything themselves, and

do all the gardening as well....

I just love her little potting shed....

chandelier & all

lovely huh??

one or 2 more then off to the fabric store for me!

have a wonderful week my friends!!

xoxo,

Shellagh

~waiting on peonies and roses.....~

Good morning everyone!

The sun is shining in the NW today!

woo-hoo!!

After a very rainy Sunday.....

but a very sunny 1/2 of Saturday....;) 

I was browsing my pictures looking

for   a  n  y  t  h  i  n  g

interesting....or inspiring.....

or lovely......

I think I found it.

Can I just say I'm dying for summer??

and cannot wait for roses???

these are all, of course, from last

year......and I'm just now barely getting

buds on my rose bushes!

it really seems to me that we're getting

quite the late start this year....

maybe it's been the 11 straight months

of rain?  hmmmm.....?

possibly.....;)

I have noticed, however,

that the aphids are out in full force....

attacking every rose bud that has started....

~not for long~

they did meet their untimely demise

even in the rain....sorry guys.....

this is a little vignette from last year....

love the little vase I won in a giveaway from

Morning T!  Trish is the sweetest!

I also love this shabby little tray....

chippy & white...

nothin' left to say...:)

so moving on to peonies...

only the worlds most fabulous flower

E  V  E  R  !!!

I can't say enough how much I am

in love

with peonies.....

can someone please tell me

why

I only have one measly bush????

oh good grief!  I need to remedy that

today!!

they had them on sale at Bi-mart

last week.....

better run back & see what I can find.

found a white plant but just ONE,

and it was all bent & distorted....

so I didn't get it. :(

but I think I'll run back & see what I can find!

other garden happenings....

it's been so wet that we haven't even started on

the Mother's Day/birthday arbor!

it was literally ~ freezing~ that weekend!

a bit on the depressing side....

I must admit!

but it's supposed to be dry later this week so

that's the plan.

Mr T & T  tilled the whole side garden

on one end of our little lot so it's ready for stuff!

the plan is the little arbor will be in front and lead

to the back side garden (which was just tilled)

right now it's got 4-5 hydrangeas along the fence

and under a couple pear trees, but it's going

to get a cobblestone-ish path and a whole bunch

of transplants from the rest of my garden!!

It was the home of a little playhouse for a few years

but now that the girls are getting a little too old

for that......{boo-hoo}

it's a big old blank slate! yahoo!!

who doesn't LOVE a blank slate??

can't wait to get it done!

Hope you all have a fantastic week

of sunshine!

xoxo,

Shellagh



~garden traditions~

Happy Friday!

&

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's

and all the women who mother & nurture!

Has anyone read or heard of the

"5 Love Languages?"

it's a wonderful book & really

answers a lot of questions......

Like, why I am way more excited to

have Mr. T & T build me something,

or dig a ginormous whole for me

to plant something....than to

receive a pretty wrapped gift......

My love language is "acts of service"

and due to this love language of mine~
it has become a bit of a tradition around

here for him to do something so sweet

for me for Mother's Day & my

birthday (which falls right around

Mother's Day each year....)

3 years ago or so....he built this split rail

fence for me for the occasion....

I was happy as a clam!

and dug huge holes for 3 rose bushes which

he planted for me too.......

couldn't have been happier....;)

2 years ago....Mr. T & T planted

a beautiful pink & white dogwood tree for me

and 2 climbing rose bushes......

I have to say.....a rose bush or tree

has got to be one of the best gifts

one can receive......to watch them grow

each year & remember the day you

received it!...it's the best :)

so this year.......Mr. T & T wants

to build or buy an arbor gate to go right here....

you see where the climber is?

well....I took it out last year ~ it just wasn't

doing well at all....the first year or 2 it was ok but

there's not quite enough sun there and the soil

is soaking wet all the time from all the #$&#~* rain  oh excuse me.....I meant, a little damp from

our wet weather here....hee hee ;)

and this little area would

be a perfect spot for a gate to go to the back

garden........and this weekend

is the perfect time to put it in......

my sweet husband....ok gushing here....

but he is just the best.  period.

sorry girls!  ;)  He is so willing

on this special weekend to do

whatever

I am pining for ...... without

complaining, and with the best

attitude in the world.....

oh happy me!

so here's a few ideas.....

from a previous garden post

which I am probably going to repost

next week because this lady's garden

is 2die4!!

here's the old doors made into a gate idea....

really cute huh?

but her home and garden might be able

to pull it off more....?

and a little tricky due to needing old doors etc...

of course, nothing that craigslist wouldn't take

care of.....

here's another view leading up to the doors.....

that's a whole row of astilbe by the way....

so beautiful.....

ok here's another neat idea ~ love this too....

although this probably won't work because

the space available is real narrow....

but I love the curved gate.....

so it needs to be on the narrow side.....

maybe something like this but with a gate??

really wish we had a big ol' piece of property

to do all this fun stuff....but

I will bloom where I'm planted......

right??? :)

we'll see what we can come up....

Mr. T & T's been out of town all week so

we might just buy something from a big box

store & be happy or ???????

if you have a fabulous idea

you're just dying to share....

please do!!!!

Have a wonderful day & weekend!

xoxo,

Shellagh

~what came home with me~

Hello everyone!!!

I've been a little swamped lately

but managed to sneak a few pics of

what came home with me......

last week.....from the Monticello Spring Show

you know how it works when you

"all of the sudden" can't stand a certain item

in your home????

well, that struck me about 2-3 months ago

with our light fixture over the kitchen table....

.....it had to go....

so the hunt began....at Monticello....

and this is what I came home with.

I bought it from the girls at Worthy Goods

they are just the sweetest & soooo talented!

I quickly cut down my other chandy 

{if you can call it that....}

and cranked out a cover for the chain~

in cream linen.....wired it up & hung it

while Mr. T & T was out! :0

{my favorite time to get into mischief.....}

here's another shot with the lights on....

the chandy is creamy white chippy iron

whaddaya think?

well, while we're in the kitchen, I thought I'd show

you a couple other things....but don't look too close

cuz I wasn't planning on a photo shoot~ just as is

on a Wednesday morning....

I got this little sign in a shop near home.

I thought it was kinda cute, no?

it will get replaced when we install

our new hood & range but for now I like it!

my kitchen really looks so much more ORANGE in

pictures than in person.....just know it's not quite

this bright/orangey....kind of a warm faded

terra cotta.

As you know, I'm going to be painting soon ~ just

not top of the list!

we attached these corbels

 last weekend in the

doorway that goes into the dining room

& living room

there you can see my hutch w/ my cute little

birdcage I picked up at Monticello as well.

I bought it from Kathleen at Faded Charm

you know "White Wednesday's" Kathleen?

her booth is as adorable as her blog!

She's so fun & we are so lucky to get to meet

up at these fantastic sales!

I have a thing for birdcages.....

so once I got it home I was like, where am I

going to put this???  So did a little rearranging

and this is what I came up with!

remember......not to look too closely inside

the hutch!!!  no peeking!! ;)

It's not that pretty right now.....needs some serious

organizing along w/ the rest of my closets & cabinets!

and then I got this cute little ottoman....now

you would think I would just make one up for myself...............apparently not!  :)

it was just too tempting all ruffly & cute

it's a cute little guy is it not?

I thought so & a great price so worth it

to not have to go out & find an old ottoman

and make the cover!

it goes well with the rest of my whites & creams

in the living room~

well I think that's most of it.....

I did pick up the rolling cart soon to be island,

but no pics yet ~ it needs some work

AND........................

OH!         MY !          HEAVENS!..........

TRAGEDY has struck!!!

ikea is OUT of butcher block counters!!!!!!!!!!

and not just our ikea....

ALL IKEAS!

this was my major perfect plan

for the island.....a $59 butcher block

counter from ikea.....she said they're out

till AT LEAST June. :(

Plan B.

don't know what that is but I'm working on it!

Anyway,

I hope you all are having a fabulous week!

Thanks for coming by today!

xoxox,

Shellagh