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!