Garden remodel

I’m looking to add a little color to my garden, turquoise perhaps.

Love love old pots with a great patina or chippy paint. This image from country living caught my eye.

This little green house would be the perfect place to spend my summer. I may be a city girl but my heart is stuck between the pages of a country living magazine.

We have had so much precipitation this year that a mini flood came through my garden during the last terenchal down pour.  So now I have to rebuild. The wood chips are gone and my flowers took a beating. The little play house/potting shed is wet but still standing.  The images from country living are a great inspiration.

Enjoy your day

xo-jj

A run through the garden

Had a great weekend up-north- came home to a garden full of surprises.

 Peony flowers are my fave and this yummy shade of red fades to a soft pink in the warm sun. Love, love…

 

Love the wispy stems that end with an explosion of pink. It doesn’t get much better than this…

 

 

chive, chive and more chives, they’ve taken over my garden with a vengeance. I love the fresh green stem topped with a bulging head filled with potential,  just waiting to explode.

This is the end of our tour and the start to a Monday full of potential.

BTW speaking of potential

she’s lovely and listed

 

 

xo-jj

What’s your secret to pretty feet

this pic was borrowed from prettybychoicefiles on wordpress

Spring is whispering softly from afar which means soon very soon my feet will be bare every chance they get. I love love to run around in bare feet or nearly bare, a pair of flip-flops or strappy sandals are heaven after a long winter of wool socks and barely breathable boots. With that being said there is one minor detail to consider. I think you know what I’m going to say.

It’s this image from womenshealthmag vs. that image from about beauty

You didn’t think I was going to post a pic of my feet did you? Well not until I get them all pretty which may take a week or two.

I’ll be bare-footen through the garden in no-time, 6 weeks, tops.

So here is where I need your help. Tell me your secret to pretty feet. What do you use, how do you do it and how long does it take to work. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say…

xo-jj

Prelude to a Kiss

A short break in the rain allowed me a trip through the garden for the last cuttings of the year. A handful of roses and a small bouquet of lavender made the perfect centerpiece on my breakfast table. A little romance for breakfast never hurt anybody!

 

Prelude to a kiss

 Kind words are softly spoken

as two lips tenderly melt into one.

A look,

a feeling,

a spell is cast,

and the dance begins.

The arrangement not only made the perfect decoration for my table this romantic image made its way into my studio. I loved the look so much, I decided it was worthy of forever. The title was inspired by one of my favorite movies with the same title. Here’s a clip of Meg Ryan’s Prelude to a Kiss. 

I just had to mention a special friend and her perfect day- she so deserves it! Click on the image and take a quick trip. There is nothing more special than a loyal friend!

The artwork and award are by a very talented artist Ces, check out her amazing work.

My wish for you- an extra special weekend!

xo-jj

Little words- big message

Several years ago on a warm and sunny fall day, I came across a deserted beach along lake Superior.  As I walked along the shore with my collecting bucket (to gather smooth lake/worry stones) I noticed something very unusual; every few feet there was a word or saying painted on the rocks- things like be happy, smile, don’t judge, love, etc. I instantly smiled because some soulful spirit had left a beautiful message behind just for me. What a perfect way to connect with someone you will most likely never meet. If you think about it we connect with each other all the time by what we leave behind, sometimes it intentional, sometimes it’s not.

Since that day I have shared a little found words with strangers from time to time. The dry river bed that runs through my garden harbors a few such messages as it twists and turns between the plants. Every once in a while I pack up a rock or two and leave them along an out of the way path so someone else can experience the unexpected joy that I did on that perfect fall day along the beach.

Some day as you’re walking along life’s path you may come across a smooth stone with a positive message that was left by me for you to find. Now that would be amazing!  I love the opportunity to make a stranger smile.

“Every day your life changes just a little- make it a positive change!”

xo-jj

Lusty green and playful pink

The shelves are dusted and newly stocked items have been carefully displayed in the studio.

A faded rose just outside my window

melting into the perfect whisp of pink

a luring scent

a climbing tendril

the whisper of fall

It’s the little things that make the difference

 

The dream:

 a world without conflict

 life in a peaceful kingdom

love for all 

Feeling a lust for
Lush green
and the need for
cool waters

Wishing you a peaceful day of lusty green and whisper pink.

xo-jj

 

The Enchanted Garden

Loved this little cottage of garden treasures.

During our winding drive along hwy 101 to the sea shore in Washington State we passed a sign that said, The painted lady lavender farm. Well of course I was intrigued, to say the least, so I pulled my little car up the stone path toward a most enchanted garden. What a magical place of sweet lavender and secret recipes. A cozy fireplace welcomed us to a little sitting area hidden by lovely flowering vines.  I cut a bouquet of lavender during our tour of edible plants (daylillies, etc). This was like a secret garden of little cottages inhabited by tiny creatures (chickens and other poultry type beasts) The owners were very kind but quite eccentric. They used secret recipes to produce all kinds of jellies and jams.  Sue insisted that my son take a bite of a chanterelle mushroom before we left. She gathered them to use in her special soup the next day. He was convinced that he would experience some heavy hallucinations afterward but luckily that didn’t happen.  hee, he

This photo was borrowed from  Essences of the past on blogger

It was a very interesting and welcomed stop on our long drive that day- spontaneous moments and unexpected stops are the best. We headed back down the hillside toward the seaside town of Illwaco with a fragrant bouquet of lavender in my lap and a jar of sweet strawberry jam in his, still giggling about the interesting sights and conversations we left behind.

xo-jj

A whisper of fall crept through the window

It’s that time of year when gardens fade and a nip in the air begins to alter the earth to a rich patina of fall color.  A few flowers are still hanging in but the garden’s vibrant colors are gone for the season. I took a little drive yesterday on a quest for the peafowl farm that sells peacock feathers along the road side. I had passed it by a few weeks ago but didn’t feel the need to stop. Yesterday that need came calling, so I set out on a hunt for a little turquoise and green. No feathers to be had but I did come across a beautiful field planted several acres deep with gorgeous sunflowers. It made my trip totally worth while.

 

The sky was grey and dull but this field offered the perfect pop of color to the country side. A whisper of fall crept through my window as I captured this shot. There are good things to be found in every season- remind me of that when I’m whining because the world outside my window is covered in white and temps are hovering below zero.

 

Faded roses are creeping their way into the play house window, making the love shack soft and dreamy. This rose is melting it’s way into the perfect shade of pink-love that! My favorite colors are soft pinks, creamy whites, mossy greens and chocolate browns. Mmmm 

The English Oaks are showering me with an abundance of acorns in the perfect shades of mossy green and chocolate brown. The season is changing slowly and beautifully. I’m curious to hear about the signs of change in your neck of the woods. Tell me how Mother Nature lets you know that fall is just around the corner. Do you hear a whisper?

Studio Pink is in need of a little restocking so sometime this week I will be adding a few images to the shelves- stay tuned for that.

Have a colorful Monday.

xo-jj

Rain drops on roses

Yummy pink and mossy green dripping with a few tiny rain drops are a few of my favorite things about a summer garden. I floated out of bed this morning to a hazy sky still accommodating a full beautiful moon, foggy mist slowly dissipating over the pond, stone floors that cooled my toes as soon as they met, and a toasty cup of coffee. The neighborhood is still quiet at this hour, no cars, no people just kitties waiting at my door for a free breakfast. I love quiet mornings (once I’ve had my first cup of Joe) and the promise of a beautiful day.

The morning sun shining on  the love shack in my garden  was captured through  my bedroom window. I love how the window screen makes this shot look like an old photo. 

 As I sit composing this post the moon has disappeared and the mist is gone, the sky is clearing as the sun peeks out from behind a cloud. My toes are warm and there are kittens wrestling on my porch- looks like it is going to be a perfect day!

I guess I’m feeling a little Julie Andrews this morning.

Have a perfect Friday and a wonderful weekend.

xo-jj

The secret garden of hidden truths

Follow me to the secret garden

She came to this place as though it were by instinct. The pathway to this hidden place was lush and closed in around her as she approached the hedge. The old hedge of Crepe Myrtles stretched 30 feet or more along the hillside. When she stepped past it there was a heavy wrought iron gate that was now rusted and broken away from its hinges.  It was covered in thick vines weaving their way through every hole. Everything looked so intriguing through heavy iron and leafy vines. The gate made the garden more alluring and she heard it call her name. Temptation forced her to take a peek and she was rendered breathless at the sight. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to hide this place it must be a secret worth keeping. It looked as if this garden had a mind of its own and was not willing to reveal its secret too easily. It resembled an old Gothic graveyard and a most unusual sight, like a time and place in another world. It was so close and hidden in a landscape of open beach dunes only a few feet away.  The garden was hauntingly beautiful but it was filled with a resonance of deep sorrow that radiated throughout the grounds.  Roses and honeysuckle vines grew wildly and the moon flowers were just beginning to open as the light began to fade. Night Jasmine saturated the air with a luring scent that said come closer. The graveyard garden was bordered by a rusty iron fence and each three foot section ended with a 7 foot pole. Hanging from each pole was a glowing garden lantern. The light that flickered as the lanterns swayed with the breeze dazzled her eyes. It bathed the garden with shimmering light and set it apart from the landscape that surrounded it. The plants seemed to respond to her arrival by growing taller and unleashing an intoxicating scent as she passed by.

Twilight, lovely flowers, and a lantern’s glow set this garden apart from the world. It was silent except for the sound of the breeze that whispered through the vines. The whispering silence made her feel on edge and uncomfortable standing in her own skin. Her heart raced as she felt every breath hot and damp coming from her lips. It seemed more like a dream; this place couldn’t be real. She looked to the center of the memorial garden and there was a beautiful angel standing seven feet tall with her wings gracefully opened wide. The base of the statue read, “Angel of Hope”.  Suddenly she got the feeling that she didn’t belong and was intruding on a private space but then she noticed something. The name on the little head stone at the base of the statue was familiar. It was in the middle of  tiny flowers and several other broken headstones. Rose vines had taken over and grew wildly in and out of the head stones and over the wrought iron fence. A honeysuckle vine was spewing a heavy scent into the atmosphere. If it weren’t for the stunning beauty of this place it would be almost unbearable. The emotion of this secret garden was overwhelming and she couldn’t help but be over-taken by the power of sadness that resonated. Her time in this secret garden was a walk that weaved its way through the lies of her life but she didn’t recognize the truth that was standing right before her.

It felt like a good day for story telling. This story is based on the time I went searching for my roots and found the truth in a beautiful garden/cemetery.

Enjoy this day and everyday!

xo-jj