Busy Holiday

The 4th of July was very busy for us. I have my family picnic at my house and I am very particular about how everything looks and is set up.

 

I did get the wall painted in my screen porch, but I've decided that it will be an all summer project to get the whole thing done. So, unlike how I usually would, I am taking it a little at a time so I don't get stressed out.

So here is a partial look at the result of phase one.

The wall looks great. Since I didn't have much luck with growing flowers in it, I took one of my wicker planters and used it to hold things we may need out at the table, because the kitchen is not right inside the door. The porch is actually off the living room.

I made a muslin liner for the zinc insert since it was sort of corroded and rusty. Then I brought out plates and wine glasses, napkins and silverware.

The bottom was just the right dimensions to hold a French wine crate from one of my husband's previous trips.

I put in some of our favorite games to play out on the porch in the summer months.

 

It felt like I worked non-stop for five days to get ready for the party.

Then it came.

We cooked...

...swam and played...

...and tried to get the best action picture of Brian jumping in the pool. Lol.

We dropped into town and saw the fireworks, walked home and I went to bed. It sure is tough gettin' up for work in the morning after a party. Lol.

Hope you celebrated independence in the best way possible!

Ah, July

Today is the first day of July and I can't believe how fast June went.

When I got up this morning, it was so nice outside, the sun was shining, no one was cutting the grass yet, the pool filter was off. It was so peaceful. A nice time to take a walk through the garden.

Some newly opened lilies.

Cosmos.

Verbena, one of my favorites.

A really cool petunia, dark purple, almost black.

I don't know what this plant is. A girl that I work with gave it to me out of her mother's garden. The Cape is loaded with them and so that's why I like them. If anyone knows what this is called, please let me know!

My purple coneflowers, already being attacked by Japanese beetles. Arrgggh!

This year I also have a white coneflower. Can't wait until more of them open.

It was such a perfect morning, we ate breakfast outside. The pool was crystal clear and Big V went swimming right after she ate.

It felt like I was on vacation. I thought, "How did I get so lucky?" I am truly blessed.

Girls Day Out

I went out today with my friends Nicole and Tracy. We went to the farmers market and an antique and art festival in a town nearby.

The farmer's market was not too crowded. We got there earrrrrrly.

I love red. Especially when it tastes good.

There were so many beautiful plants...

...and vegetables.

We then moved on to the antique fair.

So many things to buy, so little time and money.

This event was held at a place called the Roycroft Campus. It is a very historical area of Western New York. In the late 1800's/early 1900's, a man named Elbert Hubbard started a guild of craftsmen who were artisans and wanted to live together and work on their crafts together. They started the "Arts and Craft" style of decorative arts. You can read more about the history of the campus here.

Some photos of the original campus buildings.

This particular building is being rebuilt. It was the original power house and generated heat and electricity for all the buildings on the campus. It suffered a fire in 1997 and some weather damage so it needed to be rebuilt. The project is nearly done.

Another part of the campus is the Roycroft Inn.

We usually come here for our anniversary to have dinner. It is so astoundingly beautiful inside, you can barely stand it.

We have never eaten outside. I guess we always go at a busy time of day and they put us inside. I also remember rain one year. 

The gardens are something else.

There also was a craft show, made up mostly of people who are Roycroft artisans.

I absolutely love all the Arts and Craft style furniture and home decor.

The town this campus is located in is one of the most beautiful and unique towns around here. So many residents embrace the Roycroft history and have reflected this in their homes and gardens. If  money were no object, I would buy an old bungalow there and fill it with Roycroft furniture. After spending a day there, I want to take my little Cape Cod home and remodel the whole thing into an Arts and Crafts home. Lol. (I think my husband would move out). I love the oak wood and how these artisans can make new wood look old.

So, in the long run today, I spent $47.50. I got...

Strawberries and cherries.

Shelling peas.

A new perennial called a Centranthus.

A really cool, milky type glass juicer (you know, the fetish).

A footed salt cellar for THAT collection.

A few prisms. I wish I would have gotten more of them but I couldn't because my arms were full of...

...THIS! I have wanted a cute old typewriter for so long. This was calling out my name.

I also spent $3 for a cheeseburger.

So, a day of fun with my friends for $50.50. But the fun with friends part, priceless.

I leave you with some of my crazy firework photos from last night. It was pouring so my dad and I sat in the car while the rest of the family stood out in the park in the rain.

I thought this one looked like a string of Christmas bulbs.

My girl thinks this one looks like a flower.

This looks like flying stick men to me. Lol.

The smoke couldn't rise because the clouds and rain were in the way.

I thought we had a great view from the car. Nothing was blocking our view. Every year we end up sitting behind the same tree and not being able to see. Now I know where to sit. Lol.

Now we are off to a graduation party! Enjoy the rest of your Saturday!

Summer Work

This summer, I have several projects that I need to work on.

The first is a re-do in the screened porch.

We have vinyl siding on our house. It's pale yellow. I did not pick it out. The house was like that when we bought it. I have been dying for years to take the siding off in the screened porch to see what was underneath it.

This is it. Light yellow clapboards. I was hoping for barn red. Plain or varnished wood. Anything different. But its exactly the same. So I started sanding and filling nail holes. I'm planning on painting it all white.

Need to get the ceiling done.

When we moved in, there was a fiber board ceiling in here that we pulled down. I always wanted to have it sprayed white. But I am now looking for quick fix so I think I'm going to put bead board up.

The floor is in not-so-good shape.

It's "remnants of brown" brown. I'm leaning towards gray or bluish gray for the color. Only thing is, it's been raining again lately so it may not be dry enough to paint it. I'm hoping next Wednesday will be nice because I'm off work.

I also have this table and chair set that used to be in my kitchen.

 I didn't like it when it was in the house and I don't really like it much more outside. I'm hoping to paint this as well, though I'm not sure I'll get to it since there is so much to be done. It has to stay since we eat out there everyday in the summer. It also serves as the game table when we play Dominoes or Scrabble.

One more thing is this glider I garbage picked a long time ago.

We have a big futon mattress we put on it every year, but it's really large and takes up so much space. I should probably buy or make cushions for it, but I have the feeling the family will be against that since the futon makes it really comfy and we like to take naps and read there. Maybe next year for that. I always debate painting it, but its such a cool old green and I really like it.

Wish me luck to get it all done before my 4th of July party!

Last night I went to the grand opening of the new Anthropologie store in our area. I am so excited to get a new retailer in our part of New York. The store was quite beautiful visually and all the clothing and home goods were wonderful. It will be nice to have a new store in our area to shop in. We never seem to get the really special stores that I would love to go to. It will be very hard to come away from the mall without picking up something there.

I loved this juicer I saw there. I have a fetish for them.

 

Photos from Anthropologie.com

This skirt I saw in the store was gorgeous. One of the sales ladies was wearing it and it looked great on her. Might just have to get it before the trip to the Cape this year.

Since we had some hot weather before the rain, my daughter was making cool drinks for us this week. I pulled out one of my old Martha magazines and we found three pages of cool summer drinks.

The first one she made was this blueberry smoothie.

All it takes is:

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup low fat vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup skim milk

2 tablespoons honey

5 small ice cubes

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately in tall glasses.

 It was delicious!

The next day she made a sweet frozen drink called "Latin Lover", but I didn't get any pics of it.

Tomorrow I am off to an antique fair and artisan show with some friends. I will make sure to take my camera so I can show you!

Have a great Friday! Fireworks in my hometown tonight! Can't wait, it always signals the start of summer for me.