Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Spring has sprung...

 Finally! Spring has arrived in New England and the yard is rejoicing after a long, hard winter.

 This is our lone daffodil among an iris patch. I've posted photos of it in past years, usually blooming in the early part of April as opposed to now! (Everything is running late this year.) As you can see, the Adirondack chairs have have also been unearthed and set outside.

The maple tree leaves are bursting forth...

...and the hoppa crab trees are COVERED with blossoms this year.

We never know, from year to year, how bountiful the apple blossoms will be. This year looks like it will be spectacular.

The hostas around the mailbox are just starting to poke their little heads through the soil.

And the rhododendron bush is covered with buds.

The clematis on the light post is coming back to life...

...and pretty soon these buds will be gorgeous blue flowers.

And speaking of blue flowers, these little guys are the first to bloom every spring. I planted them so long ago I have no recollection of what they are.

But there is no mistaking the bleeding heart bush. Once its stems start poking through...

...it blooms in record speed.

On the wildlife front, I was very excited to see the first chipmunk in our yard today. They're such a huge part of our summer enjoyment out on the patio.

I hope you are all enjoying beautiful spring weather wherever you are...

Donna 

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Climbing the stairway to heaven...

Lovely, sweet, luscious blue clematis...

..is now winding its way up the light post.

... climbing toward the heavens.

Oh, how I wish these beauties bloomed all summer long...

 ... But I suppose the fact that they are here for such a short period of time makes them all the more special!

 I'm linking to Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home.

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!

Donna

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Spring + Sunlight = Happy!

The warm spring sun was shining through the window the other morning and I had to grab my camera!

This time of year is so exciting when you live in a region known for harsh winters 
 (although I have to admit that here in New England, we had a pretty easy time of it this year!)

I set up this spring vignette on a little table that sits in the dining area of our small split entry, using things from other areas of the house.

The birds flanking the nest were 'borrowed' from the mantel.

They're such a pretty 'mottled' shade of robins egg blue (a favorite of mine).

I know they're not robins, but they are guarding the three pale blue eggs in the nest until Mrs. Robin returns.
The nest was originally purchased as an ornament several years ago 
(nests in Christmas trees are considered good luck).
I like to keep it in the house year-round.

I love the quote on this frame, "Humor is mankind's greatest blessing," by Mark Twain. The girls were hamming it up one Christmas morning, trying on their new cloche hats, complete with tags hanging down and stuffing still inside the hats to helped keep their shape.
(It seemed an appropriate photo for this particular frame!)

One of my favorite lampshades with a very spring-like pattern.

The sun was shining through the "faux" plant in this cherub planter.

And now the sun has gone behind some clouds, but that doesn't change the fact that
SPRING has arrived here in New England!

Pop over to Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home to visit everyone else participating this week.

Have a beautiful Easter weekend, everyone!

Donna

Friday, March 23, 2012

Spring vignettes...

Spring has really arrived here in New England! Not only outside, but inside as well!

A little spring vignette in the Family Room featuring a vintage paint-by-number and bird figurines.

I think Mama Bluebird is squawking to Mr. Blue Jay that he'd better stay away from her nest and eggs!

As you can see, I use most of my old chair pads on tables rather than chairs. This plant is enjoying soaking up the sun through the slider.

Now this plant is an artificial boxwood, so technically it doesn't need the sun's rays, but I think it likes this spot in the window anyhow!

Baby is enjoying lounging in the family room today, laying against one of my favorite pillows made out of an old chenille bedspread. It is definitely a spring pillow with a big pink rose against a blue and white background.

This floral swan was a bedroom decoration in one of my girls' bedrooms when they were little. They're now in their 20's, so it's been around for quite some time.

It sits above the family room sliders.

This is my Christmas/Easter cactus. I call it that because it blooms at both Christmastime and in the spring around Easter. It sits on a robin's egg blue floral place mat in the living room bay window.

And last, but certainly not least, is the bird bowl I shared with you in yesterday's post. This little fellow definitely brings a touch of spring to the fireplace mantel.

(photo editing courtesy of PicMonkey)

I hope you enjoyed some of our spring vignettes. I'm linking up to Beverly's Pink (Spring) Saturday at How Sweet the Sound, so stop on over!!

Happy spring, everyone!

Donna

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Hooray for open doors!

It's hard to believe that in mid-March we are throwing open all our windows and doors here in New England...

But as you can see in our "wavy mirror" reflection, it's true!!!

But since this is New England, I know better than to expect these warm temps to last long.

After all, this is what we woke to on April 1st of last year!

I guess it was Mother Nature's April Fool's Day joke on us.

And as BEAUTIFUL as it was, I do not want a repeat performance this year!

Wishing you gentle spring weather wherever you are!

Donna

Friday, April 15, 2011

A palette of green and peachy-pink...

It was time to give the top of our little recycling center a little pizzazzzzz...

...for the spring.

It's a nice change from winter's white-on-white cat and battenburg lace runner.

The white cat hasn't gone far though. He now sits on the floor next to the recycling center.


I love the cover of this old 1913 Bobbsey Twins book. When I was a young, I could always count on a new BT book being under the tree each Christmas.

Although this one is titled The Bobbsey Twins at Snow Lodge, the illustration on the front cover is very spring-like.

I also added a few bells from my small collection. My favorite is the Carmel Junipero Serra Mission bell with the cross handle.

Once upon a time, little vases filled with creamy white buttons sat on the recycling center. That was BB (before Baby). I shudder to think of the mess she could make with  hundreds upon hundreds of buttons scattered all over the floor...

I hope you are all enjoying Spring wherever you are. I'm loving the warmer temperatures we've been having! (Although this evening's weather forecast just predicted FROST for overnight and cold temperatures tomorrow... hardly spring-like, but at least it's not snow!!)

I'm linking to Show & Tell Friday at Cindy's My Romantic Home. Cindy posted a touching tribute to her mom this week, so be sure to stop by and visit her and all the other bloggers sharing something this week.

Donna