Strappingly Handsome

I completely love, love, love this new bag from Anthropologie! Check out the rich brown leather with sequin straps....it's a perfect mix of masculine & a touch of girly! I just am so blown away by how great it is. So amazing for autumn.....

On an outside note, our hydrangea bush bloomed about a month late this season but it now looks really full and pretty....lots of pretty pink flowers. It's a welcome July addition to the garden and viewable from the kitchen which is the best part.

Love how hardy the Purple Coneheads are....such happy flowers!

July Planting

I'm still adding a bit to my herbs. As I come across new offerings at nurseries I'm potting them around our patio. I found a really unique lavender today that I was fortunate enough to grab the last one of. I have rosemary, lemon basil, cilantro and thyme. And some thriving tomatoes. My favorite though is still the orange mint. Perfect for iced tea and I have completely fallen in love with this beverage server...love the galvanized metal stand! Found it here at Pottery Barn.

 

Looks perfectly refereshing & hip!

My find of the day....pretty French Lavender. Smells amazing!

Break In The Rain

It was crazy rainy here yesterday....close down roads, divert traffic rainy. But today it's in the high 60's and  sunny so I'm planting a bit. I love fresh herbs. I previously potted lemon thyme, sweet basil, rosemary and cilantro. Yesterday I found some orange mint so I just potted that now...perfect for iced tea. I love saving old tins and things to plant in...they sort give my potting area some texture and color. I'm getting a little addicted to gardening this year. Happy Weekend! xo

Exposed Brick & All...

I've always wanted a potting station. I love terracotta pots, herbs, exposed brick...the idea of always being ready to get a planting project started. The weathered look of a great area for working. A place to rest your iced tea...or to set up a chair and read by. A place like this...

The roped detailing on the edging is really pretty here.....from Seibert & Rice.

Though I love the simplicity of true aged terracotta, this vintage inspired look is great as well..... from The Virginia House on Etsy. Great finds in this charming shop.

Perfect Afternoon

I love a breezy day reading on the patio...a simple lunch outside and iced tea. I had yarn delivered today. Over the past weekend I came across Tahki Jackson yarn that had been discontinued....in both the silver that I'm currently using for a deliciously over-sized cowl... as well as a warm copper & brown color.  I purchased three skeins of the brown....so excited for a new project!

Delivered today...love this wool yarn!

It seems that there are plants blooming in the yard that have not bloomed in several summers. Next to the patio drapes the prettiest tall bush....I love these dense white flowers! A bit similar to the peonies we have...these though grow more abundantly and reach about six feet high.

Outdoor Retreats

One of my favorite things about my home is that we have three areas to sit outside and enjoy a breezy day. Our front porch is covered and I love that during a big rainstorm. Our upper porch in the back of the house is pretty to have coffee after dinner. And our back patio is my work in progress to landscape. This patio was not there when we purchased the house six years ago. So, each year I add to the perennial flower bed a bit. Hostas are my favorite for their hardy abundance but I love adding color as well. 

I am not a fan of fencing so I love that, on all sides, ours are obscured by climbing vines and greenery. It adds a bit of privacy and looks really lush and pretty. 

This wall of crawling vine is my favorite. It stays vibrant nearly all year.

Sitting Pretty

I love this time of year. Sunny, breezy and not too hot. Perfect for sitting outside. My favorite evenings are spent knitting on the porch and could sit out there for hours. I love decorating our outdoor areas and these earthenware pots from Anthropologie are beautiful for the back patio! These would be perfect clustered together with different potted herbs.

Ormand Garden Pot...perfect sunny yellow!

I've been looking at different yarns and I have found so many hand dyed in sunny colors. Aspen Moon Arts is an Etsy shop that has super soft wools blends in beautiful summer hues!

Love this yarn in "Lemon Glace".