Five on Friday....

A happy Friday to everyone today!  I would like to thank Amy from Love Made My Home for setting up this fun Friday event for us all!

One.....

My apologies for not being around much this week.  These beans are keeping me busy with Christmas activities and runny noses!  Every year I try to capture photos of them taking in the magic of the season!

Two...

A weekend away to celebrate our anniversary in the city.  The hotel we stayed at was built in the 1920's and the city was so stunning all dressed for Christmas!

Three....

Been looking and dreaming about land lately and what we could do if we had some!

via~AshleyAnnPhotography

Four...

I am done with Christmas shopping for the most part.  The wrapping will be finished up this weekend.  And this vintage garden sign will be tied with a bow for my mom and pop!

Five...

My love of the garden in photos from December....

Happy Making, Baking, and Growing Friends!  

A wonderful weekend to you all!  Thanks for popping by!

I am joining in Five on Friday, taking five minutes from our day to enjoy five things.  Please go and visit the other people who are also blogging about Five on Friday this week.

Amy from Love Made My Home
CJ from Above The River
Jill from Emerald Cottage
Beth from The Whimsical Dowager
Alison from Life at Sylvan House

bits of happy...the start of the 2014 garden

This time of year my art is no longer created on canvas with paints, it's created in the garden.  Looking for color combinations, textures, and forms.  

foam flowers and goat's beard

{white spots are organic smelly critter repellent}

the start of our new patio with my corky red chairs

This kitchen garden makes me happy!  Stepping out our kitchen door to get some herbs and greens for meals makes everything good.

a fun place at our local nursery...thought this was a great place to get lost!

and the beans....playing away!

Happy Making, Baking, and Growing everyone!

Here is to a great weekend!

Partying at....

Fishtail Cottage

winter planters

I try to find any little excuse to get out in the garden this time of year even if nothing is growing.  So when I heard that the greens were in at my local nursery, I zipped on over.

Typically I just cut from my own garden but I like going to see all the inspiration...again anything to get me around plants!!! This year I did walk out with a bundle of Blue Coned Cedar branches to add to my boxwood pots by the front door.  I just stuck them in around the boxwood and I cut some branches from my red twig dogwood out back and I'm done! 

(Would you believe they wanted 13 bucks for branches!!!!)

 (Please excuse the porch...I haven't gotten around to sweeping with my second bean down with pneumonia!)

A little winter planting!  

I hope all is well where you are. 

  

My thoughts and prayers are with all the families impacted by the tornadoes on Sunday.

taking it slow

I have been taking things a bit slower these last couple of weeks as I have been getting over being sick.  Making myself go to bed early and taking things slow have helped me get my energy back for the most part.  I want to apologize if I have missed any of your posts...I'm finally getting my groove back!  

Every summer I host a party for my girlfriends.  We laugh, eat, and laugh some more!  We are all over the place in life.  Some are in the city and others of us are in the burbs.  Working, stay-at-home moms, and the list goes on.  It feels really good to reconnect with my friends. And I always try to make it special when they come here because they are so important to me.  This year I used jars to decorate and stayed with white flowers for the table.  Lilies, snapdragons and bottles wrapped with twine.

 For some extra lighting I hung mason jars with clear stones and placed one round LED light inside for a soft glow. 

 I visited a new nursery today that I read about in the local Chicagoland Gardening Magazine. In keeping with the "taking it slow" theme, here are some pretty plants on my stroll through

 The Hidden Gardens.

Partying with...Fishtail Cottage

Happy Weekend Everyone!