Everyday Living

Revealing The {Not So} Secret Garden

June 11, 2015~ Outdoors

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands”
Isaiah 55:12

It’s finally here! We are so excited to reveal our new landscaping and garden project in our back yard space! We have been talking about it on the blog forever it seems! We’ve talked about endless possibilities, and many of you chimed in! If you haven’t already, you can read the posts about it here:
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Patio Possibilities?
Backyard Beginnings
On our property of 15 acres, you will find hay fields, woods, and lovely views of the Appalachian foothills! We have always loved the wide open space in our back yard, and it has been everything from a baseball field to a track for a battery operated jeep to a home for an above ground pool for 19 years! When Butch removed the pool in 2013, we decided we would wait before landscaping! But now, the wait is over! The work began this spring, and now we hope to enjoy it for many years to come! I plan on adding lots of perennials this fall and yes, there will be many dinners for the two of us al fresco style! So, welcome to our not so secret garden!!! Come on…let’s take a walk around…

As we enter from the side, you will notice our picket fence! Butch worked tirelessly installing it!
Getting closer, you can see a little more… As you can see, a lot of stone was involved! Can you tell much about it so far? How about now? As we approach the focal point… …the bronze statue The landscapers did such a great job. We are very pleased! Do you all remember what it looked like before? Lets take a look… I would say they definitely transformed our backyard into a brand new place! One of my priorities was to have a space for eating al fresco! The bronze statue is actually a fountain, but Butch said emphatically, “No!!!” to the upkeep of a fountain! I love it as an architectural piece. Surrounding the statue is white thrift that will fill in to make a nice ground cover. The bottom tier is planted with soft touch holly and lantana for color! I will replace the lantana in late fall with pansies! Bloodgood Japanese maples were placed in each rear corner. The lime green plants are sunshine ligustrums! I really like the vivid burst of color that it adds to the garden! Limelight hydrangeas are beginning to bloom! A view from the back corner! Herbs were another priority!
The texture of lamb’s ear, the bright red salvia blooms, along with variegated liriope fills in the base surrounding the crape myrtle! The low growing plants in front of the garden ornament are daisy gardenias-already anticipating their heavenly scent! Blush nandinas line the front! Coral bark Japanese maple

Late afternoon light Zoysia sod is really looking good! Can’t wait for the sunflowers (behind the fence) to bloom! Butch planted okra seed on the far left side on Saturday morning…it is already up! I see fried okra on our plates for summer! My sweetheart has always wanted a picket fence…and he made it happen! Early morning light on the garden! Apricot drift roses will provide summer color! We moved a smaller ginkgo tree from another spot and planted it at the front corner to be a garden feature. Its colorful leaves in autumn will be a great addition! I am excited about the vanilla strawberry hydrangeas that are just showing signs of blooms! I have never seen one in bloom! A pair of Sioux crape myrtles border a side entrance!
Butch loves ornamental grasses…a trio of adagio maiden grasses are planted behind the dining area! Behind the picket fence is pasture with acres of wooded area that borders the river! The cloud formations on Tuesday evening were awesome! The landscaping has been Oreo approved! Thank you all for taking a stroll through our garden! We love each of your comments and sharing our everyday living with you!Linking with Pieced Pastimes , Silver Pennies , Life on Lakeshore Drive , Thoughts From Alice , Mod Vintage Life , Coastal Charm , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia , The Dedicated House , Dwellings-Heart of Your Home , Savvy Southern Style , Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage , From My Front Porch To Yours , Stone Gable , Confessions of a Plate Addict , Worthing Court , Between Naps on the Porch , Cedar Hill Farmhouse , A Stroll Thru Life , The Style Sisters , The Charm of Home , Cornerstone Confessions , A Delightsome Life , Imparting Grace , Posed Perfection , Katherines Corner , My Romantic Home , Chic On A Shoestring Decorating , Rooted In Thyme , Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Women Bloggers, 21 Rosemary Lane, Northern Nesting, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Cozy Little House, Rattlebridge Farm, The Turquoise Home

Tablescape Tuesday: English Country

June 9, 2015~ Food & Entertaining, Tablescape Tuesday

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him”
James‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬

Welcome back to our dining table where we love having family, friends, and you…our readers! English country has long been a style that I have embraced and often replicated through my years as a decorator. The look emphasizes coziness and function while exuding warmth and comfort! Furniture is usually traditional and rooms are full of color, pulling hues from nature. The color palette usually features three or four colors with plenty of patterns, especially floral! I admire that the English are more interested in a room showing its age, rather than the latest fad! Nancy Lancaster, the doyenne of English country, said it this way:
“If every piece is perfect the room becomes a museum and lifeless.”
I would definitely describe today’s tablescape as English country…with its floral tablecloth, abundance of color, and warmth! The vintage style floral tablecloth was the inspiration for setting this vibrant table! As you all know…I love mixing patterns…paisley salad plate juxtaposed with a floral cloth! I gathered Queen Anne’s Lace from our pasture before it was cut for hay – and snipped lilies to add cheerful color to the trio of vintage mason jars!! How simple and easy is this little floral arrangement! The water hyacinth placemats are a new purchase. I couldn’t resist a bargain! The placemats add texture…napkins bring out the yellow in the floral cloth! The stemware, mason jars, and votives are the same color and are perfect for the vintage-look tablescape! The pair of English porcelain figures complement the cream dinner plates!
A cheerful setting on a very cloudy day! “There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.”
Jane Austen This tablescape could move outdoors to my garden! “It’s the sense of what family is at the dinner table. It was the joy of knowing mother was in the kitchen making our favorite dish. I wish more people would do this and recall the joy of life.”
Paul Prudhomme Some of life’s greatest pleasures are shared around the table!

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver”
Proverbs‬ ‭25‬:‭11‬

The Details:
Indian cotton tablecloth/napkins – April Cornell from TJ Maxx (last year)
Water hyacinth place mats – Tuesday Morning (recent)
Dinner plates – American Atelier “Baroque”. Horchow.com
Salad plates – Tracy Porter “The Artesian Road” Horchow.com
Stemware – Tuesday Morning (a few years ago)
Flatware – Reed and Barton stainless

Linking with Pieced Pastimes , Silver Pennies , Life on Lakeshore Drive , Thoughts From Alice , Mod Vintage Life , Coastal Charm , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia , The Dedicated House , Dwellings-Heart of Your Home , Savvy Southern Style , Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage , From My Front Porch To Yours , Stone Gable , Confessions of a Plate Addict , Worthing Court , Between Naps on the Porch , Cedar Hill Farmhouse , A Stroll Thru Life , The Style Sisters , The Charm of Home , The Winthrop Chronicles , Cornerstone Confessions , A Delightsome Life , Imparting Grace , Posed Perfection , Katherines Corner , My Romantic Home , Chic On A Shoestring Decorating , Rooted In Thyme , Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Women Bloggers, 21 Rosemary Lane, Northern Nesting, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Cozy Little House, Rattlebridge Farm, The Turquoise Hom e

Zoom In!

June 8, 2015~ Travel

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”
‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16-18‬

We love to travel and certainly wish that we had more time to do so. We thought it would be fun to briefly visit a few of our favorite places! Hope you will grab a cup of coffee or a glass of iced sweet tea and join us behind the camera lens as we zoom in on some fascinating places around the globe! You can read more on our Travel page! Paris is a favorite city of mine! The architecture, art, culture, and cuisine is legendary. From Montmartre to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris is a feast for the eyes. The Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. We enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Seine with the illuminated Eiffel Tower as the highlight!
Arc de Triomphe in Paris is located at the center of 12 radiating avenues! Traffic scare for me! tra3 The Champs-élysées in Paris is the world’s most famous boulevard! Butch climbed the 280 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe to capture the tree-lined Champs-élysées! tra4 Gardens at the Palace of Versailles outside of Paris! I have visited the palace two times and its opulence, especially the Hall of Mirrors does not disappoint! The Tower Bridge crosses the River Thames and has become an iconic symbol of London! We will return to London this summer! tra5 One of our best trips ever was a train trip through the Canadian Rockies…breathtaking scenery! tra6 The Grand Canal in Venice, also a favorite city of mine! After our first visit I was hopeful that we might return and we did in 2013! The famous gondolas of Venice! You can read more here: La Dolce Vita! The Colosseum in Rome was completed in 80 AD. It could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators! What an amazing sight to see! Rome is a must see city for its architecture and history! Cinque Terre is a string of 5 villages on the rugged Italian Riviera! The colorful houses and ancient vineyards cling to steep hillsides! We would like to return and hike all 5 villages…we better hurry, age is creeping up! Tallinn, Estonia is a charming city on the Baltic Sea! The cathedral in the Old Town has five onion domes with gilded iron crosses. Butch and I thoroughly enjoyed the cobblestoned and walled Old Town with its cafes and shops! Ancient ruins in Ephesus, Turkey which was an important center for early Christianity. Paul lived in Ephesus and organized missionary activity into other areas! Ephesus is one of the seven churches cited in the Book of Revelation! The ruins were fascinating and it made the book of Ephesians and Acts come alive! This harbor in Rhodes, Greece is thought to be near where the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, once stood! The ancient ruins in Philippi, Greece where the Apostle Paul preached the Gospel! We spent a day touring these ruins- so much to learn! Sunset over the Mediterranean Sea from the captivating island of Crete! The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was constructed between 532 and 537 as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral! Istanbul was a fascinating city to visit with its location straddling both Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait! The grand and ornate Catherine Palace near St. Petersburg, Russia was completed in 1756 and was the summer residence of the Russian tsars! You can see more here: The Catherine Palace The winding Bay of Kotor in the Adriatic Sea was once called Europe’s southernmost fjord! Kotor is located in Montenegro. Butch and I were surprised at its beauty! Santorini, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, is one of the most photographed spots in the world! After visiting, we understand why! You can read more here: It’s All Greek To Me! Overlooking the tile roofs of the Old Town of Dubrovnik, Croatia! We walked the intact city walls and had incredible views of the Adriatic Sea! You can see more here: Discovering A Pearl A view of Jerusalem at sunset from the Mount of Olives! You can read all about our trip to The Holy Land here: Walking Where He Walked Part One and Part Two.The ruins from ancient Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea! King Herod built it into one of the largest cities in the Roman world! The iconic Golden Gate Bridge! We have seen this construction wonder several times and it is still amazing!