It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy

18 Wednesday Jun 2014

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Saturday, June 21, 6:51 AM officially marks the beginning of summer solstice. If you visit my blog regularly, it comes as no surprise that as I’ve matured I find summer doesn’t hold as much joy for me as it did when I was in school. This is attributable to one main fact…I ~~hate~~ really don’t like the heat. But, a few years back I made up my mind to make the best of every season, to live in the now and be grateful for whatever the hour, day, month, season has to offer. As opposed to wishing for Autumn sometime around July 15th.

{Hatfield House}

So, I thought it would be helpful to reinforce my positive attitude towards summer; an exercise to remind me of the joys of each season. Try to show myself, and you, that I mean what I say. I am embracing the season of summer!

This will be a little personal, since not everyone feels the same about summer’s features/benefits, but hopefully there will be a few images that make you happy for this upcoming season. In fact, I hope you’ll share with me what you love most about summer, maybe some of your summer-joy will rub off on me.

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Summer vegetables, especially if you’re able to grow them in your own backyard. If life were perfect I’d have a vegetable plot like the above, but in reality I don’t have enough sun to grow more than herbs. If I had more sun, this planter below would be my speed. I like the simplicity of it. Function over form?!

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Outdoor living. After most of us have been trapped indoors for several months due to weather, we all long to be outdoors, right? It’s the juxtaposition of the seasons that make us appreciate the change in weather. Whether you’re enjoying the shade of a tree with a cool beverage, or sitting on a porch swing watching the world [or neighbors] go by, summer creates the ideal climate (most of the time) to slow down and smell the barbecue.

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Outdoor Dining. Ahhh, one of the best things about summer for me is dining al fresco. We are fortunate to have a minimal number of bugs, i.e. mosquitoes, so we can enjoy the cooler evenings outside on the patio. What is it about eating outdoors that feels so special? I don’t know, but I love it.

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Pools and Picnics. I don’t get the opportunity to do either of these activities often enough, but they are a strong symbol of summer’s potential for me. We’ll be hitting the pool in our community when our granddaughter visits in August, and we may pack a picnic or two during that same time. Even if it’s in the backyard, that’s the beauty of a 3 1/2 year old…they aren’t fussy about the particulars.

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Summer indoors. I’ve read many a blog post that confirms this: Most of us like to lighten things up a bit during the warmer months. I confess, there’s a part of me that wishes I had a second home by a lake or bay. I would consider using a few wicker pieces and a blue and white color palate. Stripes would play a roll and I’d probably set some of natures summer bounty around, as accessories.

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Summer plants. One of my favorite things about summer are the plants in gardens, parks and neighborhoods. Even without blossoms, trees and shrubs usually look happy and healthy. Who doesn’t love hydrangea?

{My good friend, Cayley, her courtyard garden}

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Indoor plants. I tend to buy more indoor plants during the warmer months. It seems easier to rotate them around as needed and I can give them some outdoor time on a nice day. They add so much to a room.

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Something to sip. Whether you’re sipping sweet tea, or at day’s end, something stronger, a bar set-up seems summery to me. I guess I could find a good reason to admire a well laid bar during any season, but these examples are especially summer-like.

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Read a book, or two! Summer has always seemed an ideal time to put my feet up and read. I listen to Audible books while working around the house, but I still love a book in my hands, that tactile experience takes me back, and I’m sentimental about that experience.

So tell me, what are your favorite things about Summer? I wish you a summer filled with all you wish for.

{Garden} Angels in the garden

11 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Flowers, Gardening, Gardens, House and Home, Outdoor living

≈ 16 Comments

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summer living

I’ve never wanted to go overboard with any one item in the yard. I like collections but my yard is small and I didn’t want it to become cluttered with garden art. Then, the other day while strolling through the yard I noticed I have more than a couple of angels and a few birds in the garden art department.

Hopefully, they aren’t too blatantly obvious but more a natural accent and fairly subtle.

So how did this happen, you’re asking? It started innocently enough with this plaque given to me by my friend Carla in honor of my grandmother’s passing. I’ve always liked it and it’s gotten nice and mossy on the wall in the back yard, surrounded by ivy.

Next angel to move in was this fountain, which is no longer a fountain but a planter. A friend of mine owned a great little shop on Balboa Island and she gave me this fountain for a “friendly” price. The sound of the fountain forced me to plant it instead of keeping it as a fountain. The sound of the steady stream of water wasn’t the soothing trickle I’d hoped for…more like a little boy peeing.

The fountain/planter is now planted with white impatiens and sweet potato vine, I’m thinking I need to go back to pink impatiens and fern.

This little angel caught my eye because I could see her sitting on my garden bench. My gardener broke her neck by accident one time, but we were able to give her epoxy surgery and repair her.

Above is her newest home in the formal garden, below is where she used to sit in the side yard.

This next angel is something I picked up in Rosarito Beach, Mexico…what was I thinking?…I’m really getting carried away with angels but these were all bought over a period of 25 years.

This door knocker was a gift, I’ve hung it on the patio post and looking at this photograph it’s kind of creepy looking. She looks mad and her eyes definitely frighten me.

I’m going to show you some birds next week…bet you can’t wait!

P.S. I also know that a dear friend (who shall not be named) hates angel statues. Fortunately she is still my friend.

I’m visiting Fishtail Cottage Garden Party, stop by for some great garden inspiration.

{GHP} Summer…just do it

10 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Family, Gardens, Outdoor living

≈ 7 Comments

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summer living

I’m not a summer person, most of my nearest and dearest know this fact. Not sure how they know, unless it’s my whining as the summer heat sets in and I start to feel like it will never be cool again. I haven’t had as much to whine about the past couple summers since its been pretty comfortable here in Southern California. So, with that in mind I’ve decided to embrace the season, slow down and take time to read more, spend time in the garden, dine out on the patio more, relax, sip iced tea or, if it’s 5:00 p.m., something refreshing and seasonal like a vodka tonic with lime.

To help me get in the mood…here are some images that make it feel like summer and inspires me to work on my attitude!

This image appeals to me, and I do currently have a bicycle in our garage (although it doesn’t have a cute basket attached), it makes me want to enjoy a ride around the neighborhood. However, the neighborhood is rather hilly and a bike ride like that will undoubtedly make me feel hot, so maybe I won’t. 🙂 (Am I whining again?)

There are other activities that I associate with summer. When I was growing up we had a very large “side” yard. I’m not sure if our lot was a 2-lot location or if the builder of the tract of houses felt the “side” yard wasn’t large enough to build a house on and tacked it on to our home. In any event we used to play croquet in the side yard at every family summer barbecue, birthday celebration and holiday. I loved this sport and wish my current back yard had a more level playing field for croquet.

image via Martha Stewart

via Party Resources

Joni over at Cote de Texas posted about her Pottery Barn vs. Kooboo chairs some time ago…this [below] is her outdoor use of those chairs and it was an image that inspired me to make better use of my outdoor garden space and to purchase a set of Kooboo chairs for my patio dining table HERE.

I believe this is a French Kissed image…I love the pea gravel and comfortable seating under the shade of a tree…I’m currently attempting to create the same look in our back yard. I’ll show you pics once I get the pea gravel installed.

image via Dan Marty

There are so many activities that feel like summer, dining alfresco is one of them…I must make an effort to do this more often.

via House Beautiful

via Cote de Texas

image via John Saladino

image via Elle Decor

When entertaining in summer there are a wide array of little things that can enhance the appeal of the food and beverage.

image via Country Living via Party Resource

Another of my favorite spring / summer activities is work in the garden. I understand how this isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but I find such a comfort from digging in the dirt and am always relaxed once I’ve clocked in some time in the garden.