4 months can fly by fast

Just do it! Get it? Hat with Nike logo... come on do a post for pete's sake. 4 months without a word is not what I intended to do. A bit of advice when you "do it" you might want to wash your hands first not like me with dirt under your fingernails.  I hope you've all been well. I have only peaked in on you now and then. It's amazing how much you can get done when you pull yourself away from the computer. I still have my Instagram but it takes very little time and effort. Still not a big fan of facebook and I'm not a tweeter. 

I did garden more this summer which I really enjoyed. I had cleared out the home garden a lot a couple of years ago with plans of changing things around. Suddenly this year things started to come back. I thought well I'll leave it for now and see what happens and then I'll get rid of it. It was mostly different colored phlox and black eyed susan's. It was a pleasant surprise and I think I am going to keep most of it. I still have some work to do on it. As a matter of fact I have a truck load of compost to unload tomorrow morning before I head to Brimfield. I was going to go today but I woke up too late. I'm hoping to find some industrial pieces. We'll see what I come up with. I might do a post of what I see but will definitely share on Instagram. George is quite the dragonfly rustler. He loves rescuing them when they get stuck in the greenhouse. Did you know they can bite?  He calls me over every time he catches one. I think they're very cool but I'm not holding one. It's still a bug to me.  Ok off to bed .......going to dream of vintage loveliness. 

Bonne Nuit!

All photos taken with my phone 

Old Saybrook Craft Fair....well sort of

Last weekend the annual Old Saybrook Art and Craft Fair was enjoying wonderful weather......(it's usually the hottest weekend of the summer) 
I almost missed it until one of my customers mentioned they had just come back from there . They picked up a print of Knollwood Beach where they have a cottage.  Seems like he knew exactly what they went there for....must have seen it last year. His wife found a lovely jewelry piece made from a sand dollar with beveled silver.
She really wanted it but it was $450.  So hubby gave her the look and she knew that meant NO.
I told that wasn't fair....he got what he wanted.
I'm such a trouble maker:)    they laughed


I got there late around 3:45. They close at 5.
I had to move along quickly. I didn't take any photos of the vendors  or their art work this time.
Plus if you remember from my previous visits photos are not really welcome. I do get that, some think that I am stealing their designs.
I found a gorgeous silver necklace that the artist was wearing.....
but it was $520 ....she said reluctantly.
I think she wanted to keep it for herself. 
that's ok George would have killed me. Not really he never says a thing. Might have given me a look though.

I took more photos as I was walking back to my car. 


I'll share more on the next post

i promise this time.


ps I forgot to change my camera off manual so the photos were 
very over exposed...opps


but interesting I thought.

Fall ....LOVE it...even the clean up

                                                                          

                                                                            With beautiful cool temperatures mother nature brings us a riot of color.

                                                                    People come from all around to

                                                                          see the spectacle that is New England’s foliage display.

                                                                           I don’t think there are many of us that don’t like Fall.

                                                                                          It’s the season of more comfortable weather, harvesting crops,

                                                                        county Fairs, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and lets not forget

                                                                           Leaf Clean Up

                                                                              One of my favorite garden chores.

                               

                                                                               We still have a few trees that hold on to their leaves    forever it seems, so we do it in stages.

                                                                              Cutting down the perennials that have yellowed or gone by is usually my job while George

                                                                           works the blower…..

                                                                  the blade cutter, and other “MAN  machines”.

                                                                                   That’s fine with me I do the picky work trimming all the herbaceous plants and shrubs.

                                                                            This time I really was ruthless and not only trimmed but yanked out plants

                                                                        that have gotten too large and just

                                                                                 outlived their usefulness. I’ve wanted to redo our garden for some time now or at least

                                                                       tame it and I did make progress this season

                                                                             but not as much I wanted to hence why I never shared it with you like I had hoped.

                                                                   We designed this garden 15 yrs. ago and while I had changed a few things

                                                                            like the 4 separate beds to 2,  most of it has been the same for sometime.  

                                                                                    There are some plants like our dwarf Japanese maple that I would never get rid of but

                                                                                           that may have to be moved.

                                                                                                I love it even when the leaves have curled a bit after a slight brush with frost.

                                                                                            We had skirted  frost that the rest of the state received.

                                                                                         We just had 28 degrees the other night.

                                                                                               It  had to happen eventually.

                                                                                                Watching the leaves blowing in the air and the sunlight coming through the trees

                                                                                         was such a sight that I ran into the house and grabbed my camera.

                                                                        Unfortunately I missed the right moment but made the best of it.

                                                                                               Yes there were more leaves to fly up in the air but it wasn’t the same.

                                                                                                I found a garden design recently I really like. I rarely look at

                                                                                   Better Homes and Garden magazine

                                                                                         but I was looking at one at a friends house and loved this

                                                                                     colonial garden surrounded with a white picket fence. It didn’t really seem like

                                                                           a possibility since it's not at all laid out like our

                                                                        garden until I looked at it more closely.

                                                               I did want a change after all.

                                                                 It may take us a few years to get it completed but it

                                                                 gives me a goal.

                                                                       

                         

                       

                                                                                                One of the changes will inevitable be to remove all this Liriope or Lily turf or Monkey Grass

                                                                          like they call it down south. I also have some that doesn’t spread like this one “Big Blue”.

                                                                                When I planted this it didn’t have a tag anymore. I figured it out later but

                                                                           throughout it’s life here I’ve loved it, then hated it, then loved it again.

                                                                      Loving it now but it will have to get moved anyways…..

                                                           It never flowered this year which was disappointing but that happened because

                                                         it got a buzz cut with the hedge trimmers during the summer.

                                                         But look how green and glossy it looks now. It’s a mass of flowing green wave of lusciousness

                                                              that sparkles on a beautiful Fall day .

                                                             If you want to see the garden design that we’re going to do….. with of course some modifications

                                               you can take a look

                                        HERE
                                        Hope you're all enjoying the season!

                                        A note about not being around as much.
                                     Still working of the shop. I'm one of those that
                                       gets very easily distracted so though not cold turkey
                                              as this post attests to...... I have dwindled my blogging time to only a few
                                           moments here and there.
                                          Miss you.

The Garden at Paula's

Last Monday we finally got together with Paula and Bill

. We went out for Paula's birthday but first I had to visit the garden.

One of my favorite features is her chicken coop.

When they have guests the two of them come out here and sleep.

I think I'd have sweet dreams sleeping in a bed like this.

Having coffee and oj on this hand painted table would be heaven.

At every corner is something special and nature inspired.

This is the mini version of the main house and is just as charming.

It was a lot darker outside then it looks here so it's a little blurry.

I hardly ever use my flash though I should rethink that.

I was intrigued by this bug.

It was huge!!!!

Paula knew the name of it but I can't remember:)

Fluffing the coleus

A relaxing place to have lunch or dinner. It's a little tucked away under the trees so

the breezes come across the expansive lawn and give some relief in the heat of the day.

which we seem to all be experiencing a lot lately.

When are we getting cooler temps?

You might remember this purchase Paula made when we went to the Madison Bouckeville

Antique Show last year.

We all thought it was cool but we were scratching our heads as to what she'd do with it.

....we had no doubt she'd think of something.

Bill rigged it up with a metal pipe up the center and now it's

 great for hanging votives candles.

We share the love of hydrangeas and Paula must have over 50 of them. This year with all the rain we had in March they are really spectacular.

After our walk thru the garden we waited for George to arrive.

The four of us 

walked over to Gabrielles for dinner.

                          

I'd been wanting to go there forever.

It's been there for over 30yrs...having changed hands and names a few times.

It was one of the BEST meals I'd had in a long time.

I can't  believe I waited this long to go.

I wanted to take pictures inside but I knew I'd get the look from George.

Do you get that look?

The food was not only delicious but presented so pretty.

Just like I make dinner every night:))

yeah right!

The only thing I took a pic of was the sign on the way out.

If you're ever in the Centerbrook area outside of Essex stop in.

Check out their menu HERE

Next time I'll  share what I made Paula.

Hope your having a great weekend!

Carole

White Wednesday~ Remembering Summer

Lately I've been feeling a bit nostalgic. I guess that's what this time of year makes me feel like. Maybe it's only because we're approaching the holidays.

Maybe it's because I now have more time to myself,

to think,

to reflect on what has happened in the last months.

During our growing season and then proceeding with our " selling" season there isn't often time to think of anything but work! Staying focused on the task at hand and multi tasking all the same time. Maybe why I like blogging so much. [Not good for my work schedule but a nice diversion!] This Summer we had record breaking rain but there was still plenty of sunshine to let the flowers bloom!

I often find myself saying....

"It rains a lot in England

so it must be ok for us here too!"

Flowers love the rain.

I realized that I had never shown you all of my friend Paula's house.

Perfect for a "White" post!

Some of these I had posted last Spring but remember this is my "Nostalgic" post. So indulge me just a little more.

Paula pointing out the lace around the coffee table to hide the cat scratches.

Clever idea.....Table socks!!!!

too bad Nigella only likes to claw up our upholstery!

There's the little culprit right there...Midnight! Little cutie! To be fair we can't just blame him.... Paula has 2 other cats..... they're very shy. I never see them except as they're scooting by to get away from company.

Paula's a big doll collector.....some are made by Evi's, Cathy and Nicol.

She decorates with white but brings in warm tones that envelopes you like your favorite blanket.

a page from Jeanne d'Arc Living. We were commenting at how much of Paula's house resembled what is in this book.

An old Irish pine sideboard...

The prints are antique botanicals from a booth in an antique mall that she and Laura once sold at years ago.

And we end with a delicate airy flower display in her dining room.

Hope you've enjoyed revisiting Paula's house.

I know I did!

For more White go on over to Kathleen's

@ Faded Charm and visit the wonderful participants.

Happy Wednesday!

Carole