A Garden Tour with a Surprise

My aunt's, sister's, daughter's, neighbors cottage...

no one was home...

we snuck a peek...

It was so adorable...I wanted to take you on a tour 

Do you see the window in the upper right corner of the picture above? I love how they open out...

it looks so cottage-y

and what would a cottage be...
without a potting bench...and this one is adorable

an old vintage rusty stroller turned planter...

Do you see what's out beyond the fountain?

WE INTERRUPT THIS 
REGULAR SCHEDULED GARDEN 
TOUR FOR A PRISON BREAK



I happened to glance back at my sister's

Isn't her Clematis beautiful?

But let me crop the picture, cause I've got to see that little face up close...

"Grandma...I wanta come too"
He isn't saying to many audible words yet...
but I just know that's what he's yacking about!

The kido's should be included for the rest 
of the tour anyway...

WE NOW RETURN TO OUR 
REGULAR SCHEDULED 
GARDEN TOUR

back to the view beyond the fountain...
I'll take ya in a little closer...

A MUST SEE!

 Quaint and Cozy 1 room Playhouse...

 exterior has many upgrades...
  
custom windows...

fancy front porch
made for easy cleanup
(of drippy ice cream cones)

Easy access to transportation...

Beautiful yard with 
well maintained country gardens...

Nature abounds....

spacious, immaculate interior
fully furnished, with vintage furniture...

all window coverings included...

comes with extra seating for quests...

beautiful cathedral ceilings...

Better hurry...


This one won't stay vacant long!

Thanks for stopping by today!
I really appreciate ever single one of you...and so enjoy reading every single comment I get!

Oh...and by the way...we did confess our trespass to the homeowner...
and was given her blessing to post these pictures!

Sharon

Still counting my blessings...

Making decisions, and not looking back

My sister, who is battling cancer, looking to, and depending on God to see her through. 

A safe trip to and from Michigan, 

listening to my grandkids laugh and have fun together as they play

a beautiful day and a barbecue at my sister’s

watching my mom and dad...Enjoying my grandchildren

Don't know who that is next to my mom...
but she was enjoying my grandson too!

Linking to:
2805 / potpourri-friday
redoux interiors
at the picket fence/inspiration-friday

ROCKIN and rollin in the Motor City...

Yard sales have been few and far between this year.

Saturdays have been so busy,

 I have just not had the time to go.

Saturday...while in Michigan...they were EVERYWHERE!!
I was able to stop at just 2 of them!

one of them proved to be fruitless

however the other one

had amazing stuff!!!

I would have like to have purchased several things...

the first being the house!

The front yard was beautifully landscaped

 and the backyard...
was Lake St. Clair!

or the 4 piece set of parson's chairs...I've been looking for some for my dining room

one of several very large wooden bird cages...she had several...for sale...and many more scattered throughout her gardens

a large area rug that would have looked great 

on my new hardwood floors

(still waiting for arrival and installation, by the way)

and a small vintage wooden rocker...

the rocker was a larger child rocker

the lady at the sale (probably in her 50's maybe even 60's) said it had belonged to her mother

I wanted it bad...

but unfortunately we would not be able to get 

any of this home with me...since our vehicle 

was full of pack-n-plays and other such 

grandchild paraphernalia,

I left a wee bit disappointed...

but quickly turned around...

I just had to have that little vintage rocker...

even if I had to leave it at my mom's 

until the next visit.

I'm glad I went back...

we were able to get it home...even if we might 

have looked like the Clampett's doing so.

And here is it...

look at the perfect cane seat

original? 

I don't know...and don't really care

It is the perfect addition to my recently 

refreshed front porch!
Just 15.00

And I didn't even have to bring out the spray paint!

don't ya love finding a treasure like that!

ok...so in my rush to show you...
I see that I forgot to even wipe it down...
I'm heading straight out to do that now!

 It is absolutely gorgeous outside today!!

I have been enjoying it.

I know the heat and humidity is headed 

up to record highs around here...

Stay cool!

until next time...

Sharon

linking to:
the thrifty home penny-pinching-party

ivy and elephants

redoux interiors

Buddy Boo Recovered Pictures 1

Spending the morning at the park with Buddy Boo

Simple Pleasures!

we crawled through the mouth's of animals

and we were swinging...

we played music...

we played dress up...

We went on the slides

Grandpa got into the action too!

We rode dinosaurs...

We drove a choo choo train...

We looked through a porthole

We threw rocks off the bridge into the water...

"I very love the bridge Grandma!"

(said with the total excitement of a 2 year old)

Ok...so whilst at the park...I decided to go on the slide with Buddy Boo, when suddenly my big booty seemed to get lodged...

not that BIG yellow slide...

NO...

the one I was on was red...and it was a 

TEENY TINY, ITTY BITTY slide! 

Geeze you'd think they made these slides for 2 year olds or something! 

Now Buddy Boo and I were holding hands...

and I was trying to keep up with him 

as he was moving at a much faster pass then I...

due to some neighborhood prankster oiling his side of the slide, 

while putting glue on mine!

That had to be it!

you little hooligan

but I was booty walking running down the slide...trying to keep up...when suddenly my rubber soled flip flopped foot, stopped...and my booty kept going, until slamming into the back of my flip flopped foot...now the back of my foot...has not been able to reach this booty of mine for about 32 years...and it should have not done so this day either! Thank goodness, I am the one usually taking the pictures, and this sight was not captured  on camera!

I limped for several days afterward...

It was worth it...

Besides...I work for an orthopedic surgeon...

 

What a beautiful day...

at a beautiful park...

beautiful memories...

simple pleasures!

We love you "sooooooo" much Buddy Boo!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Sharon 

Still counting my Blessings

Recovered pictures, lasting memories

My 2 year old grandson, going on 5

A beautiful day to enjoy the park

Simple pleasures, like a swing and a slide

Last but certainly not least!

God is blessing us all with a new baby…

Buddy Boo will soon be a big brother!!!

 

Linking to:

farmhouse porch -cowgirl-up

refreshing the porch...

Hi There

Remember me?

I've not been posting like I'd like...

I've been busy attending weddings, agonizing over hardwood floors...graduations...work...out of town company for 3 days...1st birthday parties, running out for samples of hardwood floors... painting my shutters... work...visits with grand babies, meeting up with good Michigan friends in Illinois...pulling my hair out over hardwood floors...painting...giving the front of my porch a facelift...working my day job...a couple of plays...work...father's day activities...loosing sleep over hardwood floors and then again...work!

lots to blog about...but no time to blog...and NO pictures to post even if I had the time. I lost All the pictures that I had taken through that entire list!

I was sick...the memory card said empty!!!

don't know why...

don't know how...

fine one minute...

gone the next...

However as of Saturday, I have them back!!!

It's nice to have a son-in-law who is an IT guy!!

He was able to recover all of the pictures!!!

so you may be getting a lot of "old news" posts here in the next week or so...

then again...

maybe not...just depends on the mood.

Anyway...thanks to all of you for the comments and opinions on the hardwood floor project!

ding ding ding....we have a winner!!

We've decided to go with the oak.

It's wasn't my original choice...but with our house, lighting, cabinets...etc...I think it's the best choice...PLUS...all of you that have it, love it, and are not sorry...so Oak it is! Plus my handsome assistant really wanted that one!

Now that I have hem-hawed around for so long...looks like it will be about a month or so before the installer will be able to get them laid...so pictures won't be coming anytime real soon, but I will be posting pictures eventually.

On to a new subject...
porches
I love big porches, wrap around porches, with rockers, swings, and just that whole 
feeling they evoke.
Memories of hot summer nights...
visiting with the neighbors...
sipping ice tea or lemonade...
 catching fireflies in a fruit jar...

Do I have one of these porches?
yes..
 and
 no...
I have a porch...
I have a wrap around porch...
but I have it better yet! 

My porch is special...

My porch has a dual function...

What's so special about my porch you might ask??


Well my porch can be used as a bowling alley!


awesome right???

take a look for yourself

 yes...about 2000 feet long

and barely wide enough for a chair

and yes it's a wrap around...

woo hoo!

It's hard to use or decorate a dual purpose, 
bowling alley/porch! 
It's not really successful at either of these functions! Bowling is a bit rough, as the ball hits the slats on the porch and just won't go straight, so you can't ever get a strike... plus the siding gets all dented from the ball, because for some reason they put the gutters near the ceiling instead of along the edges of the alley. Go Figure...

All corny joking aside...this porch has been neglected lately, and was sporting chippy wicker with faded red cushions and a blotchy floor

faded barn red shutters, 

(dirty faded barn red shutters!) 

dog scratched/dirty front door,

pillars in need of some repair (from our previous railing we had replaced last fall) and a fresh coat of paint

 and old...to small for the house...tarnished gold porch lights and coach lights...

I think it's deserving of a fresh new look...

don't you?

First...my handsome assistant sprayed it all down

for me...

next, the shutters were given a fresh coat of black paint...

The floor, the pillars, and the front door will have to wait until next week at least...but I wanted to post the changes thus far.

this little table...

I had picked up at a garage sale for 5.00, but had not done anything with it...so I spay painted it black...

I put a fresh coat of white on all of the wicker...
which can only help so much...this wicker was purchased several years ago at a garage sale for 30.00...and probably should have been replaced by now. I'm keeping my eye out for some rockers. We had rockers out there when we first moved in...we purchased them at Cracker Barrel, but the cat we had at the time, completely destroyed them...
this time I'm looking for some thrift-ed rockers...

and that will rock my world! 


the flower pots got a coat of black paint
(they've been white, bronze and now black...
gotta love spray paint!)


I picked up that little rocker at a yard sale last year for just 2.00. The only thing it needed, was one screw...which held the arm to the back of the chair... and my handsome assistant was able to 
produce the perfect screw. 

 He's handy like that!


(don't take that out of context, he! he!)

Now this little rocker is adorable...and sits awaiting a cute little Tattor Tot to come rock awhile

Some of the outdoor lights still need to be changed out, this is the style I chose...from Menards

I was going to paint the old tarnished brass ones...but decided they were a bit to small for the house...but I still have plans to paint them and then use them to replace the ones at my back doors, which are even more pitiful!


So here is a taste of the progress so far...

I have just discovered Garden Ridge...I was shopping in a town about 45 min. from here...and saw that they had replaced the old Flower Factory with the Garden Ridge...I was excited to check it out...since I've heard bloggers talk about it...and glad I did! I could spend a few hours in there, no problem! That is where I found the black and white  cushions for the wicker...
Thank goodness I knew what I wanted when I went in...because their selection was huge, and the prices very good...
I would have had a hard time choosing I'm sure!

The birdcage came from Garden Ridge as well. I saw it...and had to have it...that's it!

The rocks, are space rocks...a memento  from   Sweet Tator's 1st (outer space) birthday party
we painted rocks with silver spray paint
they were part of the table decor

The lantern's were purchased at walmart...
I love them...and they came with the 
battery operated candles...on clearance!!

The table under the window, was purchased a couple of years ago from a yard sale. It fits perfectly under the window, and since it has a nice big drop down side, it would be a great place to eat, play some play dough...or blog. 

Yes, it's still about 2000 feet long...
 still barely wide enough for a chair...
Still has several steps to reach completion...
But at least it has been beautified a bit...
with more to come...
I'll post as I go...


Plus, I have ideas cookin for the side porch...I'll keep you posted.


So...tell me...what is your porch like...is it big or small...do you use it? Does it have a dual purpose too? Is it difficult to decorate? I would love love love to hear from you!

Sorry this has been such a long post!

Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon



linking to:
savvy southern style


the shabby creek cottage transformation-thursday



french country cottage/feathered-nest-friday

thrifty decorating/thrifty-thursday

stacey embracing change /creative-inspirations

fingerprints on the fridge /feature-yourself-friday 

farmhouse porch-cowgirl-up
ivy and elephants
2805/potpourri-friday
redoux interiors
commonground-inspiration-95-porches