Friday Potpourri

Well hello there.....

it's Friday ~ I am on vacation and thought it was high time 

to get my butt in gear and do a little update.

When I last posted it was my birthday eve

and I was looking forward to my party which was held at our place

I did not have to do a thing

I was taken out to dinner and came home to a decorated house

I was surrounded by family and friends that are near and dear to my heart

my girlfriend made my cake and I absolutely loved it

it was so me and all around the sides were musical notes

she knows me so well

I was spoiled rotten with flowers and gifts

it was a great night and as stressed out as Trev was planning it all

it was a huge success.

Trev's birthday was 2 weeks later and was more low key

as he only hits the "big one" next year

we celebrated with dinner out then back to the house for game night

with the best neighbours ever

I made a cake and we had some munchies

we always have a good time when we are together ~ even the dogs.

The weekends are starting to get busier as the warm weather arrives

we have been down to the cottage to hook up the rain barrel

and take the shutters off the windows 

I hope to get down there to clean on Saturday

since I will now have water and we finally are getting some

warmer temps

the sun feels good.

Last post I talked about a couple of my painting projects

and thought I would share some pics

the bathroom was originally a raspberry colour

remember back in the days of Trading Spaces

it used to be a Saturday night ritual

it made me bolder with my colour choices

but after 12 years it was time 

I primed it and then did 3 coats of paint

it has lightened up things so much

it is a soft yellow ~ buttery and so hard to get a picture of!

While I had the paintbrush out I decided to paint the closet doors 

in the bedroom

when I redid the bedroom 3 years ago

I wasn't sure if I wanted to paint the closet doors, 

stain them to match the flooring or get new ones

so one day while out running errands I made a snap decision

and went into the store where I buy all my paint

knowing that they would have the colour on file

honestly it took no time to do and I have no idea what took 

me so long!  The doors basically disappear and I am very pleased

why is painting such a dreaded task when the results are so rewarding?

so this week has been full of sunshine and warm weather

planting flowers ~ getting some sun

Trev found this nest out back ~ the babies were still in it

but they were dead

not sure what happened to the Mama

so he buried the babies and saved the nest for me

he is such a good boy!

It feels good to be back ~ I have been here for 6 years now

hard to believe  but there it is ~ hope to post 

on a more regular basis going forward ~ we shall see

Happy weekend!

Friday Potpourri

Friday morning

and it looks like it is going to be a fabulous day

this vacation week was picked back in the fall

with hopes of jetting off somewhere warm

but since that was not in the cards for us

it was a working at home week ~ well mostly

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I put a post out there on Instagram on Sunday
my brother was having some health problems
and I was looking for prayers ~ thank you for those
and your kind words

he was released from the hospital on Wednesday
and although he has a new road to travel
he is here and feeling a lot better

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painting was high on the to do list this week

I finally got the closet doors done in our bedroom

along with installing new nobs

then I tackled the bathroom

one coat of primer and 3 coats of paint

can you say complete ~ done ~ finis

I do love it ~ so much brighter

I will share pictures soon

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massage and a mani-pedi was in the cards as well

don't you love gift cards

and the weather has been so nice ~ warm temps

the snow is melting.......slow but sure

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oh yeah ~ by the way ~ this is one of my favourite cakes ever

old fashion yellow cake with chocolate frosting

I am a simple girl really

it is my birthday eve and I have mixed feelings this year

this is a milestone event in my life

lighting 50 candles on the cake

reflecting on my life ~ what to keep ~ what to change

like cleaning out a closet

I think there will be more on that as well

so tomorrow night we will gather ~ I am so looking forward to seeing

people that mean the world

Trev has been in planning mode with help from a couple of my girlfriends

I know we will have a good time

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Cheers to the weekend

hope it's a good one!

Friday Potpourri

Hello there

how was your Easter?  

was it full of family and food

and special blessings

unedited iPhone photos ~ sorry!

we spent Friday with Trevor's family

27 people gathered ~ I joked with his cousin when we walked in

it looked like a mess hall ~ but what a time we had

catching up and sharing 

it truly was a Good Friday

Saturday we got stuff done 

errands ran and I bought paint!

Fat Paint!

I am going to attempt to paint my coffee table and end tables

this is one of my favourite little shops

Wendy knows her stuff and is more than willing to help out

let's just say that I could leave a lot of money there

you can check it out for yourself here.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So I have to talk a leeetle bit about winter

and how I am yearning to open the windows

feel a warm breeze on my face

hear the birds sing

yeah ~ all that

I am doing a little something on Instagram

that every Monday I am taking a photo

and hash tagging it #viewfrommyporch

so this is the last 3 Mondays

March 23rd - we had an igloo like effect 

March 30th - oh look - a roof line and some treetops

April 6th - woohoo - it's a real neighbour!

honestly we have to laugh about it now because we are so over winter here

I am not even joking

front walkway ~ handsome husband is 6 ft tall

as of March 17th we had already received 450 cm of snow

that's 177 inches or almost 15 feet

and up until Jan 27th we had NO snow

so all this arrived in 6 weeks or so

the kids have had 14 snow days

crazy crazy

so now you know why I want to see green grass

and buds on the trees

rant done!

I would be amiss if I said it was all bad

when you are in hibernation mode you get lots

or nothing done

projects were worked on

naps were taken

new recipes were tried

and lots of reading was happening

the hot beverage station was banished for another season

and daffodils brightened up the kitchen spaces

we have had dinners out

with special cakes made for people that mean the world.

Next week I am on vacation

and I have some appointments ~ a massage mani/pedi day planned

time with Mama

and then a milestone birthday to celebrate on the 18th

it is going to be a great week.

Hugs!

Hello June

Oh June

you smile at me in every blossom

you embrace me with the warmth of the sun

you wink at me on the wings of a butterfly

your song to me comes from the birds sweetly singing

you delight me by awakening all my senses ~ the hummingbirds hovering

the lawn mowers humming and the smell of fresh cut grass

then I watch the bees buzz amid the flowering blooms

your big blue skies and fluffy white clouds bring out the child in me

warm gentle breezes kiss my skin

then you shade me under the big willow ~ nature's canopy

the earth absorbs the raindrops that fall from the sky

making everything green and lush

I will drink you in as you tan my skin and remind myself once again

why I love you so.

Monday's Random Thoughts

It's a holiday Monday here and I am thankful for it

after being off a week on vacation where everyday brought something

it is nice to have a day for me ~ to do with what I wish 

originally they were predicting rain

but it has since cleared off and I feel like I need to get back outside

someone had a birthday on Thursday ~ yes my baby girl is 7

I can hardly believe it

these were not planned ~ while I was out shopping I happened across them

so you know I had to get them

we have had a gorgeous weekend ~ Friday I fell asleep in the lounge chair on the deck

and woke up with a little sunburn which thankfully has tanned up

scooped up Mom and went out for dinner that night

landed at a little takeout by the shore and had the best seafood

too much grease ~ too much food ~ but so so good

we made a pit stop at my girlfriend's place and got to see the whole gang

which was a treat to find everyone home

her daughter was also there visiting with this little monkey who just turned 1 last month

isn't he just the cutest!

Saturday the sun came out again ~ it was a gorgeous day

sunshine and heat are not something we have had a lot of

so everyone was enjoying it as you can see here 

I had cleaned out the flowerbeds on Thursday and could not get over

how much everything has burst up and open over the last 4 days

I am loving it all

while I was cleaning up the back beds I made the decision to pull the wood out of 

the front beds ~ some of it was just becoming one with the earth

and since they were here when we moved in ~ they were over 12 years old

I researched different edgings and decided to just trench them for now

until I figure out what I am going to use

don't mind the black wire ~ it's for our old school moon lights

and do not want to do anything drastic until I make a decision

do you have a favourite edging product?  I think I like brick

but I want them cheap or free!

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I found this one on the Better Homes & Gardens website and I think I like it

thought?  comments?

yesterday we went down to the cape ~ opened the cottage so that was 

elbow grease cleaning ~ stripping beds and making lists

it was a great day for it ~ all the windows were opened ~ music blasting

we were getting stuff done and it felt good

and of course stopped at the farm on the way home

this view never gets old

the rhubarb will be awhile yet ~ but I can wait.

It's my blogging anniversary today ~ 5 years ~ can you even believe it!!

Wishing all my Canadian friends a Happy Victoria Day!

Friday Potpourri ~ Spring is in the Air

It is the first time in awhile that I have 

had the creative urge

to look for the perfect pictures ~ group them together

and put them in a post

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I have felt adrift

not depressed but not myself

not getting a lot accomplished

but not laying around and doing nothing

I know that the weather got me down in a big way

and I know I should not let it ~ but it does sometimes

Spring was a long time coming and just when we thought it was finally here

it was snatched away again

with that being said ~ I hope it is now here to stay

we have had another taste and I want more

the lawn is green ~ plants poking out of the ground

I want to dig in the dirt 

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I am on vacation next week and I am hoping to 

get outside

work in the flowerbeds

sit on the deck with my coffee

unplug for awhile

meet with friends

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planning dinner for Mother's Day on Sunday

looking forward to that

it will be nice to have both Moms here

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long weekend plans in the works as well

open the cottage

get out with the camera

we will see

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and if there happens to be a rainy day while I am off

I will make good use of it

Happy weekend

#redballoonsforryan