A little hint of green on my thumb

It has been a successful April vacation week here at the house.  I finished the week with a trip to some local nurseries to pick out some perennials and annuals to add color to the front yard.  After finding the perfect spot for each flower, I think the yard is on its way to looking beautiful all summer.  I also spent a little time taking out my frustrations on a few well-rooted plants that were growing in the bushes.  When it was all said and done, I enjoyed some of the grilled yummies that I cooked the other day.  Perfect ending to the week!  I am not looking forward to heading back to the 9-5 (or should I say 6-3), but at least I have accomplished quite a bit during my time at home.

A big thanks to Tracy for making the shopping trip with me and helping me in the garden!

Don't ask me how I got in there or how I got out - I am still not 100% sure.

A few of the shade plants - including a native columbine

Echinacea and bee balm - hoping to attract some hummingbirds

The plant on the far left is a japonica - it is a really cool color!

Even my weeds have weeds

I have been gifted with exceptional weather during this April vacation week - and I have taken full advantage!  While I love my visits to TN, PA or FL that I usually take this time of year, I decided to save the money and use this time to work on the house.  Relaxation and fun have occupied some of my time (including a beautiful day in Boston to get inspiration from the marathon runners and a 90 minute massage yesterday afternoon), but a majority of my time has been spent outside working on the yard and other fun surprises.  My biggest task this week was weeding the front yard (I can't even think about the side or back yards yet - give me a break here!).  Strange grasses, clovers and other unknown weeds lined the front beds under, behind and even inside of all of the bushes and shrubs.  I managed to remove as many as possible and create a nice clean edge for the beds.  I am going to local nurseries on Saturday with a friend who is a gardening genius to find a few plants that will add a little color to the beds and then I hope to get some mulch to finish it off.  I am not planning too much this year, but I am happy that I am making some progress.

In the back yard I put out a bird feeder.  Within a day, I have seen blue jays, cardinals, robins and a number of other small birds taking their fair share of feed.  So far, the giant (and I mean giant) squirrels have not tried to steal any feed.  I adjusted the height and placement of the feeder so that I am able to watch from my table that is out on the porch.  Every morning this week, I have eaten breakfast on the porch with the windows open and the birds singing.  I am looking forward to breakfast on the porch every day this summer.  If you are in the neighborhood - there will always be a spot at the table.

The last "goodie" of the week was a bit unexpected (and a bit of a splurge).  I decided that I would buy myself a grill for my upcoming birthday.  After searching many stores and being as indecisive as possible (which is usually the case when I have to spend money), I made my decision.  While it is probably a bit much for just one person, I hope that my friends and family will be around as much as possible to help me season the grill.  I created a little home for the grill using some extra pavers from the yard.  It is a perfect place for the grill.  I am looking forward to the 80 degree weather tomorrow so that I can christen those clean grates.

This is the weed that was EVERYWHERE in the yard

The front yard beds and walkway - BEFORE (including a cameo appearance from my friend Mr. Turkey)

The front yard beds - AFTER

Another AFTER shot

AFTER -  I am standing where the turkey was in the earlier photo

The bird feeder in the lower part of the back yard

The shiny new grill - complete with a mini patio to call home

Decorator's Dilemma

Recently I have been preoccupied with work, marathon training, reading The Hunger Games trilogy and complete exhaustion.  I have finished the books, so I thought I would fill the empty slot on the To-Do list with some decorating.  In March, I carried picture frames and other items upstairs to start decorating the empty walls.  As of yesterday, they were still sitting on the floor collecting dust.  Today, however, some of them found a new home.  While I have only just begun, I am finding the process to be easier than expected.  I constantly second guess my choices, but with the help and my sister's eye for decorating (and my phone for communicating with said sister), I think it is all going well.  Soon I'll be spending less time indoors - the yard it calling.  My first goal is to figure out what is actually planted in the yard & then to figure out what I am going to do with all of the bushes/shrubs.  I am hoping to introduce native plants and grasses along with a few vegetables, but it certainly is not all going to happen this year. Thank goodness I don't have any plans to leave :)

Still working on the mantle - I think it could be a revolving door of decorations.

Bought this print at a craft fair from a local artist - the colors are perfect for the room.

New mirrors for the wall.  Now I just need to figure out a window treatment that adds color, but doesn't block the natural light.

Side view of mirrors - they are repurposed wooden mixing bowls.