July has been more About than Out except we did go visit our grand- daughter a couple times to babysit. . . .
We had extended family visit. I made scones and strawberries with whipped cream. . . .
After visiting Tasha Tudor's garden last month I came home wanting to cozy-up my front garden and came up with the idea to put these used-brick walkways in the gravel. . . .
Then when I found a composite bowl container at a yard sale (Ken drilled a hole in the bottom) along with a small square of pebbles glued to a mesh backing I got the idea to make this fairy garden with plants and moss from my yard. . . .
The oregano and gardenia "tree" finally bloomed. I love, love the fragrance of gardenias and the oregano has such a pretty blossom. . . .
We were off to visit Olivia June again. Granddaddy gave her the bottle this time, and her mommy showed us how she can roll over if she's up on her arms. Gabriel was very interested in the duck that quacked and Olivia June was very interested in Gabriel. . . .
We went blueberry picking. I wrote a post about it with a recipe for blueberry muffins here. . . .
We got to see Olivia June again. She's discovered her thumb. . . .
More extended family came later in the month. My greatniece was playing with the mechanical cat so Gabriel had to come over and get his petting, too. . . .
We babysat again at the end of the month. Olivia June is over 15 pounds now! I love baby feet and thought I should get some photos while they're still small. . . .
I spent the month trying to stay off the computer as much as possible. I used the time to immerse myself in Monet's life and painting, hoping that it would help me feel freer to paint if my paintings didn't have to look so real. In the meantime, through the computer and my post about visiting Tasha Tudor's house and garden, I've made some new acquaintances on-line. This has spurred me to get off the fence about starting a Maryland Chapter of the Tasha Tudor Museum Society. I thought this was a good fit with my desire to learn to draw and paint. Tasha Tudor's art will become my inspiration. I hope she will share some of her magical life force with me! I will post more about this later in August.
My goodness Cathy ~ you have been busy! First of all, Olivia June is just so adorable! She is such a happy and contented looking little person and I bet you are more than happy to visit!
ReplyDeleteYour new path looks amazing and I love the little fairy garden a lot. I let oregano seed wherever it will, for the bloom is pretty, the leaves fragrant and useful too ~ I have pink and white, and also variegated leaf ones. Okay, get the kettle on ~ those scones should not be kept waiting ~ I'm on my way ~~~
Waving from Across The Pond ~ Debs in Wales :)
We think Olivia June is adorable, too! ☺ I did not plant that oregano there. I had it in a bed about 20 feet away next to the picket fence. It just showed up one Spring in the flower bed next to the walkway! Then it jumped across and seeded the other side. Now you have to wade through it to get to the front door!
DeleteHi Cathy,
ReplyDeleteI read the post and then rushed out for a quick bite to eat and had to post when I got back...what a month of July it has been! So glad to have connected with you, my new online friend, through our mutual visit to Tasha Tudor's house and garden tours in June---missed you by a day! :D
I like your garden paths in the garden ---do I see your own bay tree as a feature in your garden?
I also enjoyed sharing our similar trips to New England a month apart in 2012 and your recent Monet blog reminded me of my daughter's cherished childhood Linnea books and my trip to Paris in 2009....*sigh*
Sorry I didn't help with your wish to have "more away from the computer time". I've enjoyed catching up on past posts of yours as get the chance....we also share the admiration of everything Susan Branch--so I enjoyed reading about your Vineyard Haven trip!
I recently visited a local beautiful garden store/nursery in PA and I stepped one foot inside the store part and I was met with all the makings for a fairy garden---so darling---I took lots of photos on that visit--I'll have to share them with you....
Little Olivia June is adorable---love those piggy toes!
Your visitors must have loved your scones with strawberries and whipped cream--YUM!
Enjoy your day!
Mary
That is my attempt to pay homage to Tasha's Bay tree. Mine is a gardenia tree. I was going to make a round brick patio like hers but because my area is so much smaller I was unable to make a circle with bricks so I went with the slabs of stone and used the brick for the walkways instead.
DeleteI look forward to seeing the fairy garden photos.
My visitor did like the strawberries and scones. He took a picture of it and posted it on his Facebook page. ☺
What a lovely month you have enjoyed! Olivia is just the cutest--I know you must love every minute with that cutie pie! Your brick walkways through the gravel are quite handsome--I'm quite fond of brick in the garden. It gives another dimension and texture. Gardenias are one of my favorites. We used to have one growing near the front porch of my childhood home-the fragrance brings back many happy memories! ♥
ReplyDeleteI remember the gardenias from my childhood in Mississippi. There you could plant them in the ground. Here I have to bring mine in every winter. Dimension and texture is what I was going for with the bricks. You can't see it in the photo but it curves to the right and enters the Arbor and on the other side it curves around to the little bench I have in front of the pond.
DeleteCathy, so much excitement this month! Olivia June is really sprouting up and taking interest. Do I even have to tell you which gardening photo captured my eye? I especially like the addition of the brick pathway, but you KNOW the fairy garden immediately drew me in. And a Maryland Chapter of the Tasha Tudor Museum Society ... I'm working very hard at not turning green with envy! Eager to hear more. Best wishes to the pending new home owners ^;^
ReplyDeleteSharon in Alabama
Every month has been exciting since Olivia June came into our lives! I'll never complain again about feeling bored. You should start an Alabama Chapter of the TTMS! I have this fear, though, that I won't get any response to my advertisement. The first meeting will be to celebrate Tasha's birthday on the 28th (August) with cookies and cake from her receipts, as she called recipes, Stillwater Tea, and her special blend of hot tea.
DeleteIt looks as if you have had a wonderful month! Olivia is getting so big now. Isn't it fun to see them do new things like being able to roll over? That's hilarious that Gabriel wanted to be petted when he saw the mechanical cat getting attention. :-)
ReplyDeleteI just read in the paper that dogs do, indeed, experience jealousy. They didn't have to do a scientific research project to prove that, did they. Just ask any dog owner and we could have told them.
DeleteOh boy, is that baby adorable or what? And what a great series of shots at the top of this post. Especially love the toothless grin in the upper left. Your garden is [as usual] dazzling. I love the bricks and the little fairy bowl. Isn't oregano is the most marvelous scent? I'm a little crazy for oregano right now. My current thing. A few years back, it was basil - I was a mad fiend. In a year or two, I'm sure it'll change again. And many congratulations to the new homeowners! Is this their first house? If so, how exciting! They must be giddy with plans. I know I would be. I send them [virtually] my traditional gift for housewarmings. Back in my 20s, I was invited to a housewarming for a good friend from college whose wedding I'd just attended. I was on an extremely-tight budget at the time but still wanted to bring a gift. Then out of nowhere one day about a week before the party, I was driving home and remembered a scene from "It's a Wonderful Life." I'm sure you know it. Where the Martini family is finally moving into the first home they're able to own [instead of rent]. On the doorstep of the new home, Mary Bailey presents them with a loaf of bread, a box of salt and a bottle of wine. So that's what I brought to the party. A very good loaf of bread from a very old Italian bakery in Rochester, a box of Morton's Salt, and the very cheapest bottle of red wine from the liquor store down the street - LOL! I've continued to bring this whenever I visit a new home for the first time [though the quality of the wine has improved considerably]. So I send Olivia and her family "BREAD, that this house may never know hunger, SALT, that Life may always have flavor and WINE, that Joy and Prosperity may reign forever! Have a great weekend, Cathy!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janet. I love your housewarming gift idea. I hope you attached a tag with the meaning of each item, especially the salt! ☺
DeleteHow sweet is Olivia. Of course your scones are like our biscuits so look very different with strawberries and cream. All my roses are David Austen and many of the multi-petalled ones are large on their first flush. A little smaller as Summer goes on.
ReplyDeleteThe Japanese Beetles have gotten to my roses this year. I cut my scones into wedges and split them in half for my strawberries and cream concoction. I make a strawberry "syrup" with some of the berries to make it moist.
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