patio update

The patio is coming along nicely and we hope to be finished soon.  The yard still looks like a combo of construction site and park.  We are ready to be finished and moving on to the next project, not yet determined.

piles and piles and piles of bricks

almost to the end

lots of broken bricks I would like to figure out a way to crush them up and use them in a path

Latest update:  The above pictures were taken two weeks ago.  We have now reached the end of the patio itself and are ready to put in the edging and planting bed around the tree stump and glue the fire pit together..  Most of the piles of bricks are gone and I only need to clean a few more if needed.  I think it's about party time.

There will be a circle planting bed around the tree stump.  I need more places to put flowers.

We have a friend in a wheel chair who visits so we made an entry wheel chair friendly.  That's it in the lower right corner.

Cleanup time then I can start decorating.

re purposed garden

I love to take old things I find around the house or at sales and re purpose them into useful garden objects.  that's what I did with this lamp, I stripped it out, gave it a coat of paint and turned it into a stand to hold a bird feeder.  Less than 30 minutes and I was done.

I have had these standing picture frames from the dollar store for years and unearthed them cleaning out a closet.  I didn't have to do a thing with them.  I just put them behind the cucumber plants to use as trellises.  Easy, quick and free.

crazy neighbor

No not my neighbors, all of them are pretty sane.  That's what my neighbor told me after she helped me hang this chandy in a tree in the front yard.  It was $6 at GW and all I had to do was cut off the top mounting plate and use twine to hang it in the tree.  It will look great with candles for our next party.  While I really like my neighbors, I don't really care if they think I'm crazy.  Crazy is lots more fun than predictable.

junking finds

I have managed to hit a few rummage sales this year but I've been hitting it big at the Habitat for Humanity Restore where I volunteer lately.  Most of the prices are great and there is a high turnover on merchandise every week.

little tables $5 each just a little paint and repair on one of them and they will be great

Beautiful oak dresser mirror, AH's dresser needs one

what not shelf, paint it white and distress

this is the biggest colander I've ever seen, soon it will be a hanging planter

kitty yard art $1

More garden tour

After seeing her garden featured in a post last week my sister-in law sent me more pictures of her garden.  Beautiful!!!!

pink knockout roses

stone retaining wall

Birthday time

Although it seems all I do is work on the garden and patio this time of the year, we took the time last weekend to celebrate my friend Kathy's birthday.  I won't tell how old she is, because she would reply she's still younger than me.  Each year on our birthdays we get to pick where we want to go and how we celebrate.  That's how we've ended up at a pottery factory, the slums of Indy, Fox theater, and fish restaurants, have I mentioned I hate fish? Usually there is a tiara and boa involved but Kathy "forgot" this year. No matter what we do we have a great time.  This year the birthday girl picked the Little Theater on the Square in Sullivan, Il for the musical 42nd Street.  It was high energy, dancing and great music non-stop.  Afterwards we went to dinner at a nearby restaurant.  A wonderful day spent with good entertainment, yummy food and the best kind of  friends, who could ask for more?  No pics at the show, it's not allowed, but plenty at the restaurant later.

Patio update

Patio update  NEWS FLASH  I am so over cleaning bricks.  Most of the last 4 weeks you could find me outside pounding mortar off bricks by 7:00 AM.  I have to dress in jeans, log sleeve shirt, gloves, mask, shoes and socks and the mortar dust still gets in places it shouldn't.  About 200 bricks to go.  I'm sure the neighbors will be happy not hear the pounding of the hammer that early in the morning.

Selfie ready for mortar battle

.  With the help of our son Rich and grand daughter Katelyn, we made a lot of progress this weekend.  The ends need to be finished and two more feet added to the sides.  A round planting bed will go around the stump because of all the roots. The fire pit is ready to be built.  I want a two foot wide planting bed along the side of the patio with an outside brick edging.  That doesn't sound that hard when you read it in a few sentences but the finishing always takes the longest.  I can't wait to get the furniture out of the yard and start decorating the new space.

That big ring in the center is the base of the fire pit

The first two piles of about 3000 bricks are already in and more than half of the last pile is cleaned and ready to be set

Our wonderful assistant cleaning/breaking bricks

The brick layer himself, he's much more exacting and a perfectionist than I ever could be.  That's why I clean and he lays the bricks

succulent garden

I have been seeing a lot of succulent gardens featured on the web and in magazines lately and love the idea of almost care free plants.  I had picked up this hypertuffa bowl at a master Gardener event earlier this spring and thought it would be perfect for planting.  A couple of plants from a friend a couple from Walmart and my little garden was finished.  Now I want to do one in the stump of the tree by our new patio and maybe a few others.  Uh oh a new obsession may be starting.

wonderful surprise

I will always say I have wonderful friend.  They don't bribe me to say that either.  Last week two of my friends Kathy and Nina surprised me big time with a wonderful gift.  When they came for dinner they arrived with boxes of the most beautiful Fostoria lead crystal.  There is service for 16 of wine and water glasses, bowls, dinner plates and dessert plates. It is the pattern American in clear.   I didn't count it all but when I washed it the counter was full.  Mutual friends were down sizing and going to pitch these beautiful dishes until my girls grabbed them.  The pictures don't do these wonderful dishes justice, but even simple food tastes better on crystal.

glasses and bowls and plates oh my!!

Pretty table setting

Even a simple pasta tastes better on crrystal

My gift givers Nina and Kathy

 I am so blessed to have these two women in my life even if they never brought me a gift but I'm so glad they did.  A special thanks to Larry Williams and Steve McQueen for letting go of these beautiful dishes.

Mike and Cathy's garden

My BIL and SIL have a beautiful garden so I shot a few pics the last time we visited.  Everything is manicured, edged, mulched and spot less.  I don't think a weed would dare to invade.  This is so not my cottage, jumbled, junk filled style but I can appreciate how beautiful their garden is and how hard they have worked to make it this way.  Let's take a tour

Old tub tilted on its side and planted

beautiful flowers, brick paths and edging

Japanese iris and lilies 

dry creek bed that made a low spot in the yard into a feature instead of a problem spot

more of the creek bed I love the stacked stones in the top left corner

little foot bridge, beautiful pot of flowers and solar lights

They have put these faces on several of the trees through out the garden, an unexpected surprise and some thing to look for as you take a stroll.

Just because a garden, home design or color is not your style you can still appreciate it and get inspired to try something different in your home or garden.