Hello - I'm still here!

Good Morning!  Yes, I am still here.  I haven't written in a few days because the outdoors have been calling my name.  It was so beautiful yesterday that I was outside for at least four hours working on the yard.  After mowing both the front and back lawn, weeding, trimming, and pulling out some of the old foliage from the side flower bed, I can honestly say I was a bit 'creaky' last night.  But oh, the rewards of looking out at a newly mowed lawn...well worth any ache to me.

We don't have one of those beautifully manicured lawns.  In fact, I think in the 13 years we have lived here, we've had several lawn care companies come through here just dying to help us out with those dandelions and crabgrass.  When we politely decline their offers of spraying lovely chemicals all over the lawn where our children like to run and play, they seem so disappointed.  I even had one guy get irritable with me! (Not the way to garner respect and business from a potential customer, but then what do I know, 'eh?)  Ah well, it's ok.  It's just grass, right?  Growing up in the country, I was surrounded with beautiful green lawns and gorgeous wildflowers that my parents cultivated and allowed to grow naturally, so I come by this attitude about the lawn honestly. 

To top it off, I have what I am told are 'ditch lillies' in our front flower bed.  They are a junk flower I am told, but hey, the plants were all free and at the time we accepted them, we couldn't afford to deck out the front flower bed with shrubs and perennials as we would have liked.  So, the lilys provide foliage and blooms - voila - done!  In between mowing and weeding, I spray painted some great things for the flowerbeds and even some letter trays for my office.  My friend Tammy was purging her garden shed, so we struck a deal and I returned home on Monday with some great things for the outdoor patio.  I spray painted a pretty 'lil metal house that will hang on a shepherd's hook in the garden.  I also painted a planter and a metal plant stand.  I am quickly seeing the benefits of spray paint on projects, but I still love to sit down with a paintbrush and do it by hand too.  There are still several projects I want to tackle, but all in due time.

The office is a work in progress (more on that later) because I have never liked that closet!  And, I was pulling out stuff for the girls' homeschool portfolios and pulling things for the curriculum sale coming up in May, so as a result, the office is completely and utterly trashed.  Ugh.  But, it will get better!  I now have lovely paper trays to put in there once things are organized again.  These .25 each trays (love garage sales!) were black when I bought them.  Now, they are a snazzy light satiny caramel color.  They're not perfect, as I am still learning the art of spray painting, but I am very pleased with the way they turned out anyway.

See this planter and blue pot?  I am thinking I am going to "plant" an artificial plant in there for the summer months.  Yes, I know, you're cringing, aren't you?  I know, I know...I would have never thought I would resort to fake foliage, but in the summer when it is 95+ degrees and the brick is radiating the heat, making it even hotter, any plant I have ever tried to have next to the house croaks in a very short period of time.  I still want something at my entrance though, you know?  Something that says, "welcome!".

Any ideas?  Thoughts?  Would love to hear what you think!

All my best to you today,