Friday Fotos....

I've been known to take on projects the moment the Englishman's suitcases are loaded in his truck and he's headed to the airport. My most recent DIY was to tackle the pantry closet in our kitchen. 

We've added hanging racks and baskets over the past few years, but it still felt dark and dismal to me. 

So, off came the hardware and out came the white paint.  You can see the difference the first few coats made above.

I  put down some Susan Branch contact paper on the floor.  Not at all practical, I know, but it immediately brightened the space and felt cleaner. 

After returning the items, better organized in assorted baskets, I clearly labeled each so we would know instantly what went where.  

It's a pleasure now to open the pantry door and easily find what I need.

Wishing everyone a peaceful summer's weekend! 

Mind the puddles!!

Thursday's Thought for the Day....

"The surest cure for loneliness, 
the quickest way to happiness, 

is found in this, a simple creed: 

Go serve someone in greater need." 
-W Ward

Source: Motivational Quotes via Facebook

Wednesday's Wisdom....

 Keeping a gratitude journal, has enriched my life beyond measure. As I've mentioned before, I make daily entries in my journal after dinner, noting five things for which I am grateful that day.

Here are a list of suggested prompts which can get you started or enhance your journaling experience. 

(Source: Pinterest)

Tip for a Tuesday....

Got stainless steel appliances?

Got fingerprints all over them?

Apply baby oil and wipe them away!

I would like to give credit to the source of this "tip" but I honestly can't remember where I recently read it. But I am happy to report it works like a charm!!

When we purchased our current house, all the appliances were stainless steel. 

Much to my dismay.

They seem to attract smudges and dust the way food attracts ants.

I've used stainless steel aerosol cleaners but inevitably some of the spray ends up on the floor and is extremely slippery.  I applied small amounts of baby oil using a dry rag and wiping in the direction of the grain. I let it dry a few minutes, then rubbed off any excess. There is a reminiscent, comforting smell as you work with it too.

It's been over a week and the surfaces are still smudge free and shiny!

(Even the Englishman noticed!)

Easy peasy! 

Monday Morning Musings....

"We're back," states Charlie Brown as he and Linus enter the auditorium with their tiny Christmas tree on "A Charlie Brown Christmas" special.  And so am I. Back to my blog.

The absence was not intentional.  Life has been a bit busier of late and I simply put my daily blogging aside. Having realized it has been some time since my last post, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to change things up a bit.  Nothing dramatic, just subtle changes.  Did you notice?

I've been spending as much time as I can in our garden, literally digging in the dirt planting, transplanting, and weeding. I've been following a well known gardener in England, Monty Don, on twitter in addition to watching him on the popular "Gardeners' World" program on the BBC. He has had some wonderful suggestions which I've incorporated. He recently shared that he has often battled depression and that being in the garden has been incredibly helpful to him.Upon reading that, I made a conscious decision to go outdoors as often as possible and find that time spent in our yard brings me relief from the edge of the dark cloud of depression as it tries to creep in. 

He also encourages viewers not to despair when certain plants fail, but to simply take them out and replace them. Trial and error.  If Monty, an experienced gardener, has failures in his garden, surely I shouldn't feel totally inept when say, my sunflowers fail to thrive.  Which is what happened in the rail planter, in the photo above. So yesterday I replaced the spindly, curling sunflower stems with these beautiful petunias. 

Another favorite British gardener I follow is Alan Titchmarsh. He has pointed out that it takes at least five years for a garden with new plantings to settle in. Ah, I thought, that explains why suddenly most of the bushes, trees and perennials seem to have finally started to fully come to life. We are at year four for most of the plantings. I must say, it's been well worth the wait!

Having a "cottage garden" has been a dream of mine since I first married.  I knew in my heart that while raising my daughters, running a home, a rental property and then returning to the classroom, I simply could not pursue that dream. Thankfully, I now have the time and space to do so. There is much to learn, but I am enjoying every part of the process as well as the results.  

Feeling truly blessed today!!