Spring Garden in Oregon

I love living in Oregon. The weather is just perfect here for growing so many things.

We do have our sunny days but we have many rainy Spring days. To me rain equals green...and I like green.

I went outside today...with a raincoat and umbrella...to take some pictures of how the gardens are doing. Fez seemed quite worried about me as he stared out the window at me. I think he was quite sure I had lost my mind going out in the rain.

The Wisteria is the star of the shows these days at our house.

I am amazed and delighted by how many blooms it has this year.

Other things are just getting ready to be the next star of the garden...

My climbing Eden rosebush looks like it is going to be awesome this year and the buds are making me excited for roses in the house!

 

 Remembering my beautiful Eden roses from last year...

Our Lilac bush in the back is once again not doing so well. A lot of dead branches and not as many blooms as I would like. I am guessing the bush is as old as the house--something like 30 years old. Anyone have any suggestions for bringing new life to an old Lilac bush? I know it is not liking all the rain we have been having recently.  The blossoms are so gorgeous--I don't want to lose it.

The Lilac bush in the front is having an okay year but not as many blooms as it usually has...the blooms on that one are a very deep purple.

It looks so pretty near my snowball tree which should be beautiful soon too.

The Peonies are all budded too--the burgandy should bloom any day and then comes my favorite...pink!

 

 

 My husband has been busy with some outdoor projects.

I love this Petunia tower he built me and I cannot wait for it to be covered in blooms.

He also built himslef a stepped strawberry planter and a new water feature.

I really enjoy water features because I love the sound of running water and also it brings the frogs! I love the sound of frogs when I sit on my back patio in the evening.

Jerry uses our old fence boards to build so many things!

All this rain is causing puddles behind my dry back patio.

 

 

Even with the rain--I so love spending time in the gardens.

To end this post I thought I would share this sweet angel I found at Goodwill.

I actually kind of like the finish she has...but I always think angels look more heavenly in white. She will be getting her makeover soon :)

Thanks for visiting!

Wisteria and a Lovely Easter Weekend

The Wisteria is just starting to bloom...I love this time of year in the garden.

The blooms are still only about half bloomed but they look amazing already. Purple being one of my favorite colors I love Wisteria.

The below photo is taken out of our living room window. So pretty!

I have been so busy being the Easter Bunny this week. The Easter Bunny who sews.

Instead of a Easter basket I made this tote bag for Janae with all her fur babies on it.

I put candy in it too. She loved it.

I made Easter dresses for Chantel's guinea pigs and she posted this photo on Instagram.

They look so cute!

Chantel Babysat Jaxon on Saturday and as always it was so fun to have a 2 year old around the house!

His Mama has lost her hair now and my brother in law shaved his head too. Thank you to all praying for Kirsten.

Please continue your prayers. She has a hard battle going on right now but I have faith she is going to come through it.

The kids were happy with their Easter baskets...

Jerry and I were pretty happy Janae brought us Easter baskets too :)

We had our second annual dog Easter egg hunt. We put lunch meat into eggs and the dogs find them and eat the lunch meat.

A tradition that is fun for all of us!

I told the kids it looks like a pet faire or something at our house! As we were eating dinner outside I looked around to see all the dogs and the guinea pigs and Janae's bunnies hanging out in the backyard too.

Oh...and I can't forget to show the pretty deviled eggs Chantel made for dinner!

It was a lovely Easter weekend at our home...and I hope it was at yours as well!

Thanks for visiting!

Experimenting with Chalk Paint

I have had the painting bug for many years. I love to paint things. I love how things look painted.

I found this frame at Goodwill for .99 cents. I always pick up frames like this--mostly to use on my Christmas tree but sometimes to sit around the house.

I wanted to do a 2 tone look and it didn't come out exactly like I wanted it too. But I still like it and I am looking for advice on the next one.

First I painted it in Provence.

Then I painted it in Old white (24 hours later). Then the day after that I oh so lightly sanded it with a fine grit sanding block.

The blue didn't show thru as much as I wanted it too and so I cheated and dry brushed a little blue on. I like it but I wish there was more blue.

I am thinking I should have waxed over the blue areas I was going to sand before painting the white. Anybody know? Maybe the dry brushing is the way to do it.

It is still pretty though. I do so need a new picture of my kids all together. Sorry kids--I know it is torture but we need a new picture.

I found something else at Goodwill that I love--

This has knots and things that make me think it is handmade. I just love it I think it is so pretty...and only $2.99!

Then my new desk--so excited about it. I think the guy at Goodwill thought I had lost it though. I sometimes feel like I need to explain myself to the workers. Wyatt and I saw this desk in the morning and I thought about it all day and then went back that afternoon and got it. Thank goodness it was still there. I hate when I have "didn't buy it" regrets. This is going to be my next Annie Sloan Chalk Paint project. 

Like I told the guy at Goodwill..it will be beautiful when I am done! I already had the chair--been in my garage for years and it is perfect with it I think. The desk is super heavy and well built. My husband thinks it is really old.

My husband is in the process of fixing the broken piece on one of the drawers. The desk was only $9.99. I have great plans for it!

To end this post a little public service announcement...

I am a huge fan of Oxyclean and they now have a new detergent additive and laundry soap. I had coupons and go them and I was so impressed! Just thought I would share.

Thanks for visiting!

The Kindness of Others and a Beautiful Day

I am so blessed in so many ways. I am just surrounded with the nicest people. 

I saw these adorable Mason jar measuring cup sets on Facebook. Everyone who saw them knew I would so want them. :) They were sold out online so when my childhood friend found them at World Market near her home as a random act of kindness she set me one--and to make it even more sweet and thoughtful of her she sent me one for Janae too!

Isn't that just the cutest set of measuring cups--and so practical too!

It just makes me happy every time I see it not so much just because I think it is cute but because my dear friend gifted them to Janae and I . So sweet of her!

Another kindness shown to me this week was from a neighbor. Every year I spend a lot of time sprucing up my front deck and repainting my wicker settee which gets very weathered over the long Oregon winters. Well my settee had had it this year and I put it out in front with a free sign. The next day the neighbor came over and said she had a settee stored in a guest bedroom for the last 20 years that she would love to give me.

I love it! So nice of her. Can't wait to make some pillows and make it all cute. You can see what I have been working on---trying to get all the paint off the front deck and get it back to wood. Oregon is just not cut out for exposed painted wood. I am planning to rent a sander to get the rest off. What a job! I have been fighting this paint for the last few summers we have lived here. So much outside work to do the next month or so! I am hoping to get it done so I can just enjoy the outcome during the summer :)

What a beautiful day it was to get some of that work done today!

It was in the low 70's today--I thought it was perfect. My kids complained it was too hot and even my Mom's dog didn't want to walk. Us Oregonians are such heat wimps.

The spring flowers are blooming but the beds need weeding. So I worked on that most of the day.

When I was outside in the back I was put in charge of babysitting the Guinea pigs who came out to enjoy the beautiful day and eat some grass.

Our dog Daisy has never had puppies but she tries to Mother everything. She totally Mothers Gage and when the cats were babies she totally Mothered them. Now I think she thinks she had a litter of Guinea pigs! Chantel brings them out in this basket and she was just so worried they were going to get out.

Chantel always puts a bow in Mama Paisley's hair--she looks so cute :)

I have been working on our "outdoor room"--otherwise called the covered patio. Since we have a small house I like to use this outside area as a place to hang out. I have lots of ideas this year and I think it is going to look the best yet!

Janae gave me this wicker settee for the back patio--yet another act of kindness! The piano bench coffee table I have had for years and I love.

The table had really weathered so I primed it and painted in pink...which looks so pretty peeking through the lace tablecloth.

I have had this Cath Kidston fabric for years and I knew someday I would find the perfect use for it. I am going to make a ruffled bench pad with it.

Won't that be perfect?!

The Wisteria covers the top of the covered patio--it always looks pretty but this year it looks like it is going to bloom more than it ever has. It has never had this many buds before!

I can't wait for it to bloom!

This is such a great time of year---everything is new again--including the weeds. I made a huge dent in the front yard and parkway today. In Oregon we grow beautiful green grass and lots of healthy weeds too!

Have a wonderful day -- Thanks for visiting!