all the pretty flowers..

“We are like roses that have never bothered to bloom when we should have bloomed and it is as if the sun has become disgusted with waiting”

    ―  Bukowski

August already?

This spring and summer has seriously flown by, and produced some of the prettiest flowers I've seen in a long time! I'm thinking it's the milder heat, last summer was such a scorcher they even canceled fireworks because all of the grass was so dry.
 Here is a collection of some favorites this season, most are from my yard!

Luke's grandfather recently left him this old butcher block table that he made himself, along with some pretty gnarly antique butcher knives. The cleaver is horror movie material.

 Ferdinand, my vintage bull cookie jar, made his home amongst the flowers for a while.

We have rows of red orange tulips(pecan/maple syrup scented) in the front of our house, one of my favorite flowers. They always remind me of my grandpa O'Malley's old stone farm cottage. The smell is the most memorable part. I love things that can take me back to a moment in time. I think photographs and sensory memory are the closest to time travel I can get.

I can't believe how old Z's getting, we think she's around 10!

Another favorite, peonies!
The first time I saw a real life peony was in Portland, Oregon a few years ago. We visited the Chinese gardens at the very best time, peony fest! I was surrounded by so many different varieties and perfect specimens, heavenly. I took a million photos to remember but I knew I had to grow some for myself.
 (I'll never forget the pale purple roses at the international rose test garden either)
After being re rooted for a move and spending a few years reestablishing itself this is the very first year my plant's had more than one bloom.
 They were amazing!

Lumen is the most curious cat! 

Pretty purslane, it's edible too!

The multiple never ending blooms of irises and gladiolus amaze me.

I've been concentrating on the kitchen reno mostly, doing the things I've been putting off. There were a few days that I stayed up all night knocking four inches of unsalvageable masonry off one of the walls, exposing some pretty perfect old brick! These walls are triple brick, it's pretty interesting to see the inner workings..how does all of this stay together?!
It's a collection over 10 years in the making, finally getting a proper display! These are progress photos, I'm working out what I want where. I still need to finish and seal the exposed brick. And a million other little things, but it's coming together!

  I always slow down a bit when it gets really hot and it puts me a little behind in general. I can't complain though because my favorite season is just around the corner. I love when the weather cools down. We live in a 150+ yr old historic home with no central heat or air! In the Midwest. Only a few window units to get us through while we're renovating. It actually hasn't been unbearably hot this year, no 100 degree days lasting all week this time around! Yet. I'm working in the studio now trying to fix my broken fan..this old house.

Happy Wednesday!

air plants & antiques

My thumb's a nice seafoam shade. Luke's the expert gardener around here, he's out there every day weeding and watering. That's dedication man. I'm the lazier one in this duo and I love anything that's easy to care for, succulents and air plants are at the top of my list!

These little alien creatures only require a light misting and a bit of sunlight to thrive. No soil needed. That's my kind of plant. I'm a low maintenance girl. I can completely forget about them for a week and find that they're still alive, bonus.
The "ashy/frosty" look is actually the tiny scales they use to gather energy and humidity from the air. 

A quick dip in rainwater once a week revives them.

Air plants are so much cooler than candles, don't you think?

(a tiny old women with a studio in her sunroom gave me a few ballet lessons as a kid..as soon as I had to put my lil leg up on the barre I was like nah haha)

I'm a sucker for all things antique and gold, especially if it's paired with cream..or grey. Growing up I'd admire the decor on my grandparent's walls and I even inherited a few favorite pieces.
Antiques paired with modern elements have my heart.
I like to think of my style as victorian meets mod, it's probably all of the period films I watch.

I like what I like.

It's taken me forever to really start the decorating phase. These walls needed a lot of initial tlc to restore them and I have zero experience hanging anything on triple brick/masonry..ah the days of just a nail and hammer are long gone. It requires drilling and using an anchor/strong screw to hang anything. And you have to be exactly sure where you want something, I'm fickle..that's a tough one. The living room still has a way to go, but it's getting there. It's the little accomplishments.

I've finally started to put up my gallery wall! We had a small version of this at our previous place and I've missed seeing them all together. They look so much happier than in the corner gathering dust. But not really, because they're still dusty and everyone has a mean mug.

Succulents/cactus just need a nice amount of light, and no over watering. Leave them alone until the soil dries out. Be a little lazy.

Another favorite thing to find thrifting,vintage vessels. Anything that could make a happy plant home. I actually filled every one of them up this spring!

The latest addition was found at the flea market a while back and I added a donkey tail, appropriately.

My other antique..Zizi's getting old.

  Growing things really is therapeutic, whether it's the satisfaction of starting something from a seed or nurturing a little plant into a glowing specimen. Or having a house full of happy pets.

Most of these are already in different planters, they grow up so fast.

It's exciting to have access to plants from all different origins and environments, and the ability to curate a vintage collection of my dreams from affordable thrifting. Midwest is best.

And very hot and humid. I'm enjoying this overcast 70 degree day with the windows open, while it last.

Happy Summer!

spring things..

"It's a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy."
Lucille Ball

This tree in our neighborhood..hundreds of huge blooms!

I saw an adorable photo today and thought of the movie, The Long, Long Trailer. It's a laugh out loud one that totally reminded me of our relationship, and how we never ever fight..only on road trips when we're arguing about directions! I don't know why it's so fun but it is. Because we're snapping at each other and as soon as we get to where we're going we start laughing about the fight and making fun of ourselves. That's the secret.

In the best scene he tells her she can't bring the rock specimens she's just collected onto the rv..she does it anyway. And she attempts to cook in the moving swinging trailer, it's the best.

We haven't been on vacation in a while, staying home and working on the house renovation instead. It's our five year wedding anniversary at the end of August and It's been just enough time since we last visited Chicago, we used to go a few times a year and even got engaged at the top of the Ferris wheel on Navy Pier.
I was 21, he was 23. Now it seems so young to me! But we fell in love over road trips and little adventures.

Pear blossoms are my very favorite, we had a giant pear tree in the front yard of the old farmhouse growing up..I still miss all of that open space.

If I have to be surrounded I prefer lovely old things, and bright fresh greenery.

It's been one of the prettiest spring seasons, so much beauty everywhere!

Sometimes you just have to look with different eyes. We've been enjoying the milder weather and taking walks around the neighborhood with Copper.

I've been trying to absorb it all, because just like that it's here and gone.

Mammoth acorn. The mature trees in our historic neighborhood are massive! You wouldn't believe how active and loud the birds are around here, they love them too.

Bringing a bit of nature inside, my spring mantle.

 Did some rearranging and spring cleaning,

Lu loves to lounge.

I can't believe what a hulking beast this guy has turned into..it's like holding a small fat dog. Lumen's getting his special surgery this weekend. He has no idea what's in store for him haha

We planted lots of flowers inside and out..

Blooming is the best part.

 Trying to eat a lot more vegetarian meals, avocado is always on hand.

But sometimes you just gotta make confetti cupcakes..

 

My vase and vessel collection has been getting a lot of use!

I've finally broken a lifelong habit of nail biting by taking the advice of my 1940's ad..

keep 'em pretty!

A few months ago I mentioned my health struggles and I've been trying out a new thyroid medicine..that made me gain all of the weight back that I worked so hard to take off last spring! That's 25 lbs!  I'm a petite person. And I didn't feel any positive effects, ugh.(and my hair started falling out) More depressing than depression. Nothing like when your body betrays you. I'm a bit of a control freak too, and feeling out of control of my body is getting to me. I'm working on finding a natural way to manage my Hashimoto's symptoms, I just want to feel like my normal happy self..it's tough.

Flowers and sunshine will always make me happy.

Have a lovely week!

girl

THERE is something in the autumn that is native to my blood—
Touch of manner, hint of mood;
And my heart is like a rhyme,
With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.
The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry	5
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills.
There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,	10
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name. -a vagabond song Bliss Carman. 1861 ♥ A favorite, written around the same time our house was built! The wind is rattling these old bones and whipping the forlorn leaves around..along with the first flurries of snow, a white Christmas perhaps? My girl..the first antique photo/frame I ever bought. This old girl's made it through a lot. It's the kind of eerie old photo whose eyes seem to follow your every move. Perfect colors and a Tambourine in hand. I like to pretend she's my long lost great grandma.(dad was adopted in Chicago and I always wondered about genealogy)  Her music making hangs over my old record player and stand. I've been working on my mantle, I like to change it up with the seasons. The weather outside is frightful..these make me dream of pretty places. summer sounds and beekeeper bookmarks comfy/cozy wearing my warmest over the knee sweater socks and oversized wool..so warm. This old cardigan follows me everywhere, vintage Irish wool with perfect little grandma pockets-homes of Donegal "MacGintys BallyBofey" teal is having a moment in my life right now.. I'm working on painting a few more little accents, put those alleyway saves to good use haha Hope you're staying warm! update: I finally got the chance to get a look at my ancestor's genetic makeup..because we're living in the future(nearly 2020) and this technology is almost as cool as flying cars. My dna traveled a long way on its journey to me. (these are the origins of my parents) Basque Country Cameroon/Congo/Southern Bantu Fennoscandia France India Ireland Orkney Islands (Scotland) Peru Pima(Sonora) Sardinia Siberia Tuva