Fall Colors + Front Porches

I mentioned last week that I wanted to spend some time cleaning and updating our outdoor spaces to bring a bit of fall, and this weekend I was able to do just that! My dear mama came over on Friday to lend me a hand (I'd be lost without that woman. #thankGodformoms, can I get an amen?) and we set to work arranging mums, scavenging for branches and doing some good old fashion piddling. (That's Southern for rearranging/decorating if you're stumped.) I am beyond pleased with the simple, rustic result and the red, orange and purple hues of the coming season. Elliot and I spent the majority of Saturday on the porch swing enjoying the breeze.

A quick tip about the mums that my wise mama passed down to me: leave them in their plastic containers instead of actually planting them in pots! You can surround them with dirt (see the pot to the right of the front door) or just place in a larger container. They will be fine for the month or so that they are out on the porch, then I will plant them in a flower bed beneath Elliot's window. The ones from the past two years have come back and are flourishing!

Happy porch weather!

xoxo

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Surviving Winter: Little Flowers

Sometimes one of the best ways to combat winter blues is by bringing the outdoors inside. For me, flowers on my desk and on the breakfast table are key. I love seeing life and color in places where I spend some of my most mundane winter hours {read: studying for pharmacy boards}. Dreaming of spring isn't always the best means of coping with dreary days, but when coupled with a mug of hot tea {or cocoa chai} and a good book, a few fresh flowers are an easy yet effective means of lightening one's spirits.

xoxo

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green thumb

when i was little i used to spend hours on end in the garden with my mother. she would show me the correct way to pot flowers and plant vegetables, always with steadfast patience and a smile. i never once saw her go back and redo something that i had more than likely messed up.

my favorite part of the day was picking the vegetables, especially the radishes and beets. it was so fun to pull the green, leafy tops and watch the red bulbs fly out of the dirt. there wasn't a radish within ten feet of me that was safe. and although i am certain that in my childlike eagerness i plucked most of them before they were ready, my mother never became irritated with me.

these are some of my favorite memories... the days we would spend gardening together.


living in the city it is often hard to connect with my inner outdoorsy girl. it's great to go to the park for a trail run and plan weekends in the mountains camping and hiking, but i often miss the small indulgences of growing up surrounded by nature.

one of the ways that i try to regain this is with my little back porch garden. there is something so soothing about being surrounded by living plants. i love the feeling of seeing something grow, of nurturing little seedlings into beautiful flowers or useful fruits and herbs.

{sweet basil is perfect for summer pizzas, caprese salads, and homemade pesto.}


i look forward to having a "real" backyard garden one day, full of vegetables and fruit. squash, zucchini, broccoli, cucumbers, spinach, strawberries, watermelon, and tomatoes galore.

do you have a garden? if so, what are you growing these days?
xoxo


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happy mother's day

Mixed Daffodil, Camelia Spring Bouquet, originally uploaded by candy_rose.

to the one person in this world who has always supported me, encouraged me, and pushed me to succeed. all of my gains and accomplishments are a result of your love and teaching.

i would always choose you to be mine.


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wisteria lane

spring peeks out to say hello

happy first day of spring!
xoxo


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today i stopped on the side of the road...

... to pick some lovely daffodils.

they were hiding in a shallow ditch where no one could really see or enjoy them,
so i decided it was my duty to bring them home and place them on the kitchen table.
they have made my day brighter and serve as a constant reminder that spring is finally here!

so hooray for daffodils on the side of the road, hooray for their delicious flowery scent, and hooray for spring!


oh, and happy st patrick's day!
xoxo


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weekend plans

i am looking forward to a quiet weekend spent at home,

just being with my sweet husband.

items on our agenda include:

planting some pretty little flowers to accompany these guys on our front porch:

and maybe finding a bench to place out there as well.

i'd really love a place to cuddle up with a good book

and enjoy the cooler weather that's just around the corner.

baking some delicious goodies,

including mini pumpkin whoopie pies

zucchini cupcakes w/ cream cheese frosting

attending rei's scratch and dent sale,

a three-year-old birthday party,

and a joe purdy concert in the park.

{i may take him a zucchini cupcake. what do you think?}

image credit

what are your plans for the weekend, my lovelies?

xoxo

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{a walk} in the park

i simply adore this floral skirt.

the bright pattern brings a smile to my face, and
i look forward to pairing it with tights and peep toes in the fall.
{it also looks great with the pink cardigan}

this bag was an incredible find
on a random jewelry store date with my bestie
the raspberry color is perfect!

tee, belt, & necklaces, F21; skirt, Twelve by Twelve; cardigan, Ann Taylor Loft;
shoes, old Nine West; bag, Charming Charlies



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{friday} frivoloities and {weekend} wishes

All men have a sweetness in their life. It is towards this that they turn when they feel too worn out.
Albert Camus

this was on the kitchen table when i arrived home yesterday

wishing you a beautiful weekend
filled with all the things you love
happy friday mes amis



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{local} celebrity

Congratulations are in order for K, who won a local photography contest!

This picture was chosen as the feature in our monthly town circular. It's a small step, but I am ecstatic! Now he knows that I don't simply encourage his hobby because we'll soon share a last name. :)

There is another contest next month, so stay tuned to see if he'll win a second time!

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