Today is one of those days I wish would never end. The sky is blue with fluffy white clouds. There is a gentle breeze. The air is dry. The grass is green. The perennials are filling in once again. The landscape is full of soft greens. Just the kind of day where doing chores seems easier. We have had a few of those days lately so I have been busy crossing projects off my list. A big project on the list was more painting outside. We tackled the garage doors Monday. Last week I started painting the light post and a few other small thing but I was not happy with the color I used. That was a new experience for me. I am pretty good at knowing what I like and getting it right the first time. What surprised me was that I had done a test board with that color but when a larger surface was painted it just didn't work as well as the test board did. Luckily, the second color was just what I pictured in my mind. As I have said time and again, this style of house is far from my dream home. And the siding on it really isn't anything like the side of my dream house either. So as with the inside, I do what I can to make it warm and inviting outside as well. When we first replaced the garage doors several years ago, DH wanted to leave the factory white finish alone until they HAD to be painted. And this spring they HAD to be painted. I wanted something warm that would work with the siding and my newly painted darker red door. The siding was gold when the first owners of the house had it installed in the late 70's but now it has faded to a soft ivory. I included both pictures of the same view because the top one shows what a pretty day it is but this one below is a better representation of the red front door and new garage door color - which is New Chestnut from Benjamin Moore. 
I am looking forward to getting the shutters on the windows painted the same warm color and then the outside of the house will reflect the same warm colors as the inside of the house. And then when Momma Duck's ELEVEN eggs finally hatch and they move from their spot to the left of the front steps, we will have the drive way seal coated black. We could have done it this week, but we didn't want to risk injuring Momma Duck if she or any ducklings walked in the coating. I can just envision how much nicer the front of the house will look. 
Can you see my gorgeous Azalea? It isn't called a Mother's Day azalea for nothing!~~~~~~~~~~
Last week as I was getting ready for Angela's baby shower, one of the gifts I had for her was a large Swarovski crystal that my MIL gave to me for the nursery when Jay was born 30 years ago. It looks much like the one below but it only had one hole at the top and it ours is a bit banged up now. When Jay was a baby, we hung it on fishing line in the window and when the sun shone through it, it refracted the light and made dancing rainbows around the room. I want Liliana to have rainbows in her life as well so I passed it on to her.
Another gift I gave her was this book, Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown. It is my all time favorite book to read to little ones. I spent many hours with Jay or Jen in my lap reciting this book over and over. "in the great green room there was telephone and a red balloon and a picture of..." can you finish this part? " a cow jumping over the moon". I can hear many of you reciting it along with me. Oh I can't wait to read it to Liliana! To read more of this fun book, click on the book.
Angela got so many wonderful gifts at the baby shower. Lots and lots of adorable outfits and this gorgeous white rocker from her mom and dad, Jim and Lori. This is where I can sit and read to Liliana. 
This is the actual Cabbage patch doll Angela had when she was a baby. Lori got Liliana the little rocking chair. Isn't it sweet?
Here are the colors and theme I used for the shower. Angela wanted the same color as Liliana's room so these napkins decided the them for me! I made over 50 of the lollipops for favors.
This is the cake Lori got from the same Italian bakery that made Angela and Jay's wedding cake. Their frosting is the lightest fluffiest frosting I have ever had! YUMMO!
A guest signing one of the scrapbook pages that Angela will add to her pregnancy scrapbook.
This is the Baby Trend Expedition Travel System Grampy and I got for sweet Liliana. 
One of the guests made this sweet diaper cake. 
and of course the mommy to be gets to be the first one in line to eat!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last week as I was getting ready for Angela's baby shower, one of the gifts I had for her was a large Swarovski crystal that my MIL gave to me for the nursery when Jay was born 30 years ago. It looks much like the one below but it only had one hole at the top and it ours is a bit banged up now. When Jay was a baby, we hung it on fishing line in the window and when the sun shone through it, it refracted the light and made dancing rainbows around the room. I want Liliana to have rainbows in her life as well so I passed it on to her.
Another gift I gave her was this book, Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown. It is my all time favorite book to read to little ones. I spent many hours with Jay or Jen in my lap reciting this book over and over. "in the great green room there was telephone and a red balloon and a picture of..." can you finish this part? " a cow jumping over the moon". I can hear many of you reciting it along with me. Oh I can't wait to read it to Liliana! To read more of this fun book, click on the book. Angela got so many wonderful gifts at the baby shower. Lots and lots of adorable outfits and this gorgeous white rocker from her mom and dad, Jim and Lori. This is where I can sit and read to Liliana. 
This is the actual Cabbage patch doll Angela had when she was a baby. Lori got Liliana the little rocking chair. Isn't it sweet?
Here are the colors and theme I used for the shower. Angela wanted the same color as Liliana's room so these napkins decided the them for me! I made over 50 of the lollipops for favors.
This is the cake Lori got from the same Italian bakery that made Angela and Jay's wedding cake. Their frosting is the lightest fluffiest frosting I have ever had! YUMMO!
A guest signing one of the scrapbook pages that Angela will add to her pregnancy scrapbook.
This is the Baby Trend Expedition Travel System Grampy and I got for sweet Liliana. 
One of the guests made this sweet diaper cake. 
and of course the mommy to be gets to be the first one in line to eat!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My dear friend Caren from NY state, made the sweetest gift for Liliana's room. Caren has made several of these memo boards and she bought a sheet to match the bedding set and made one just for the nursery. Thank you Caren! It really means a lot to me! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When reading a recent post by my friend Terry over at Big City Prims, she mentioned her visit to Aunt Daisy's wonderful shop in Emmaus, PA. She said in her post that she thought of me and knew I would love the shop. She was sooooo right! Our very dear long time friends Pat and Joe live in PA and Pat introduced me to the shop many years ago. It is just a colonial girls dream!
In 2005 when I turned 50 and we celebrated our 30th anniversary and I retired from my preschool, we were planning a fall trip to Pat and Joe's for the daughter's wedding. I told my DH, because 05 was such a big year for me, he could give me a $5,000 gift certificate to Aunt Daisy's. That didn't happen but we did make a trip there in October of 05 and I am sure I came home with some wonderful treasures. I know some of my better pieces of redware...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~When reading a recent post by my friend Terry over at Big City Prims, she mentioned her visit to Aunt Daisy's wonderful shop in Emmaus, PA. She said in her post that she thought of me and knew I would love the shop. She was sooooo right! Our very dear long time friends Pat and Joe live in PA and Pat introduced me to the shop many years ago. It is just a colonial girls dream!
In 2005 when I turned 50 and we celebrated our 30th anniversary and I retired from my preschool, we were planning a fall trip to Pat and Joe's for the daughter's wedding. I told my DH, because 05 was such a big year for me, he could give me a $5,000 gift certificate to Aunt Daisy's. That didn't happen but we did make a trip there in October of 05 and I am sure I came home with some wonderful treasures. I know some of my better pieces of redware...the floor cloth in the hall as well as the place mats made in that style that are on this desk...
some of my better dish towels and runners...
a homespun pillow case that is on our bed...
Thanks for the trip down memory lane Terry! Now I need to plan another trip to Aunt Daisy's so we can meet up! DH had one comment on that - UGH!! Oops - not US meeting, but ME spending! He knows I have my eye on some of their bigger pieces! LOL
a homespun pillow case that is on our bed...
and this mustard bowl with the unique carving on the bottom all came home with me after one visit or another.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane Terry! Now I need to plan another trip to Aunt Daisy's so we can meet up! DH had one comment on that - UGH!! Oops - not US meeting, but ME spending! He knows I have my eye on some of their bigger pieces! LOL~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Speaking of trip down memory lane, I took another one recently when I was reading this post over at Circa Home Living. Noel and Verge had a picture of the forget me nots in their yard and it reminded me of the ones my mom grew when I was growing up. To see these pretty delicate little blue flowers, hop on over to their blog!
Well that blue sky is now turning dark and it is time for me to sign off. After working hard on a lot projects and painting and baby shower preparations, I have plans for a fun weekend with my friend Jill. She is heading down here from Maine on Friday and on Saturday, we will head on down to CT to visit some shops new to both of us. I hope to have a lot to report when I come back here next week!
Until Next Time - Hugs, Linda
Until Next Time - Hugs, Linda
