Our Secret Garden

Our "Secret Garden".......

I think you will appreciate Our Secret Garden when you see the before pictures below......on the side of our home was a catch all ...from old swing sets to stuff we just didn't use waiting to be thrown our...not to mention the Pet Cemetery...we had many funerals with various pets back here.....I think that is why all the plants do so well back here in Our Secret Garden.....

when the kids were grown we just had more time to do things...so a few years ago this was one of our many projects......Hubby and I work well together.....he always thinks this will be the last project...but I always come up with something else.....I am now on a gazebo kick....but that is another story.....
on the left side that is Hubby's...he plants anything he wants there...he loves reds and yellows and I am a pink person....so I have the right side and I love ferns and anything with Pink.....we do have just a little work to do here for summer in this part of our garden.....but for the most part it stays a secret...Hubby and I have our coffee during the summer back here....and here are the Before pictures.....a real mess......

I put a old door on the back of the storage shed and an arbor.....
and the windy brick path......

was a lot of work but so worth it.....
all I need now is a sign that says "SECRET GARDEN"
...I am on the hunt for one...
Have a wonderful day,
Hugs,
Mo ;-)

Flowers, Tub & A Gate

Every year we get this Fabulous gift from Heaven.....this rhododendron was here before we bought our home...and we have been here for over 35 years...and every year is just gets prettier...I LOVE the color....it always bloomed in May.... but now it blooms in mid April....too bad it only lasts a few weeks....

now remember this is still a work in progress....

I have to re stencil the tub....

this part of our garden looked so pretty last summer....

and add a little more color......

this get a lot of shade....

and this gate will get a fresh coat of paint....
Hubby and I made this gate about 3 years ago....we taught ourselves as we went along....gates are not as easy to build as it looks....but it was fun....we made the pickets to match the vintage bench....as a matter of fact we made two gates....this gate hides the trash and recycle bins....I hated to see them from our patio....so up the gate went.....heard it might rain this weekend.....that figures...just when we are on a roll.....
Hugs,
Mo :-)

TLC & Paint

A little paint........

a little T L C .........

chipping paint......
this is what I get for not storing the bench
and Victorian lattice away for winter......


it will be good as new after a fresh coat of paint........
I love this OLD vintage bench after the re-do....
click "here" to see the before picture.....
our weather has been very cold since last Saturday....
last week it was 85 & in the 90's...this week...
it is just plain COLD and windy...
Hugs,
Mo :-)

Inspiration

Whenever I want a little inspiration I pull up my pictures of Martha's Vineyard....Hubby and I went there 2 summers ago....and what's not to love....it is charming and what cottage is all about to me....I also love Nantucket....I will share those pictures another time.....but now it is all about Martha's Vineyard......

the soft colors and the porches with hanging baskets......

picket fences and flower boxes.....

a cozy front porch.......
this is where I first saw a headboard bench....
see it on the front porch......

the big White House.......

the charm.......

the rocking chairs...the front doors that invite you in......

just what I needed.... a little inspiration.....

we did work in our garden....not as much as I wanted to...but it's a start....

I will give you a few little peeks this week of our garden in progress......

Hugs,

Mo :-)

Still Moving Things Around

Been moving things around....why is it when Spring comes we start changing things around ?????

lamp from guest room...now in living room.....I just love that saying "OUR NEST"

I can not seem to go to another room with out something in my hand.....

I do have a funny story...my girlfriend loves to change her furniture around almost weekly....one night while her husband was at work she changed around her living room...when Hubby came home late from work he fell over a table that wasn't there when he left home...he woke up the whole family...and they had 4 little boys at the time....he was not happy !!!!!

little bird bath moved from my bedroom....now in living room......

are you wondering what those little Pink things are in the bird bath........

there is a booth that has the cutest drawer pulls at the "Country Folk Art Show" that comes twice a year....I always buy several...I use them every where.......these are the ones I used on top of my lace screen re-do......so instead of putting them away where I will for sure forget where I put them....I keep them where I can enjoy them and where I can find them when needed.....
still working in the yard......
Have a wonderful Friday and Weekend.....
Hugs,
Mo :-)

Cleaning Up The Garden

This was our patio swing last summer....I don't think I every posted my patio last summer....I hope to get my patio together on my days off this week.....the weather has been so nice.......It takes Hubby and I at least two weekends to clean up the yard for summer......I have some new pillows I have been collecting for this swing......

I spent a lot of time reading on this swing last summer.......

Romantic Country of course.....

a very dear friend of mine cross stitched the Precious Moments Pillow for me....
it is very dear to me...she passed away several years ago but the good memories will last forever.....

the flowers are from our garden last year....

we had so many flowers I even put them on

my patio to enjoy as well as the kitchen and living room.....

hope to have some good garden pictures to share next week.....

Have a wonderful day....

Hugs,

Mo :-)

Spring Cleaning Surprise

You just never know what you will find when you do a little spring cleaning.....

I was on a card making kick a few years ago and made these for presents....I love getting something home made...and I also love giving something home made...

I gave these in a set of four.....the heart, shoe, purse & hat...I forgot how cute they were.....

I am so glad I kept a set for myself....I just might frame them......

when I have more time...I would love to make more....
Have a wonderful Wednesday!!!!!
Hugs,
Mo :-)

The Bike Fairies

When I put this bike planter against the tree in my front yard...it brought back memories of my children when they were young...when they were out playing and ran home for lunch or just to check in...they would lean their bike against our old tree......

I bought this bike planter at Ross at the end of summer last year for $29 .......and just brought it home from my friends Sharon's....she bought one too...well anyway we hid them from our Hubby's since last summer....hehe....and guess what...."SURPRISE"!!!!!!!! I wonder where that came from......

the Bike Fairies maybe ?????
I have had this sign forever and thought it looked cute on the bike....
now we are the grandparents.......except they call us Pops & Mamo...

would this be Yard Art ?????
Hugs,
Mo :-)

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"Up Date"

Hubby saw my post today...."Oh My"..... he told me that he knew there were no "Bike Fairies".....he is such a good sport.....he likes the bike!!!!!

(of course I knew he would)

Lace and Plates

Why is it when you make one little change..like the new mirror....

it leads to something else......

It made me put up the lace valances that I have had in a closet for over a year.....

and when I took the wreaths off the lights sconces to put my Mom's pearls around it...that lead me to put the plates on either side of the mirror...which lead me to put the curtain panels on the wall.....

I now think I am done for the time being.....

except I do want to paint....but not now....

I have a six inch piece of of pine I attached the valance to...

so I had room to put a few little treasures....

thanks for going on my little change binge that kept changing....and changing.....

now onto something else.....

Have a Wonderful Monday....

Hugs,

Mo :-)

Mirror With a Story

I can not believe this is on my mantle......

I have been looking for this style mirror forever....my co-heart in crime Sharon and I were together when she found one very similar in an antique store a while back and of course I fell in love with it too....it is an old vanity mirror made way back.....and very hard to find......hers is Pink.....

here is the story.....I first saw this mirror on Cindy's blog last month...you can click "here" to read the story about the store and where I first saw the mirror...... so off Sharon and I went to the store yesterday....I really didn't think I would find it there but we thought it would be a fun day.....and it was.....

and the rest is history....while I was paying for my new found treasure the ladies were talking about Cindy and found out she was in the store....well, I had to find her and thank her...and I did and gave a very sweet lady big hug.....if I didn't see it on her blog it would not be sitting on my mantle....
Thank You Cindy !!!!!!

forgot to tell you...the mirror was only $20..now that made my day !!!!

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Sneak Peek!!!!!!!

a few more changes.....I am almost done....
Have a wonderful Saturday....
Hugs,
Mo ;-)

Vintage Linens & Pearls

Vintage linen....

something about the past that intrigues me....

I wonder what this beautiful table runner has hosted.......

the beautiful crochet work on the ruffle and the delicate embroidery

it must have taken HOURS to finish this.....

my Mom gave me some of her vintage pearls last week....
I couldn't put them in a drawer...so I hung them on my living room light...
now I have to change things around because I took the wreaths off ....
I am working on the change now.....

I also put this cloche on the coffee table...
it is really hard to take a picture of glass....
I put this little crown in it on top of some moss....
now back to changing things around.....
Hugs,
Mo :-)

Lace and a Crown

I added this Crown over a little bunch of white roses and clipped on a cute pearl thingy to the crown....

I also added an very old lace curtain panel I bought at the thrift store a while back....to cover the chest (just for another look) ....I love this old chest....it belonged to my Vovo (grandmother) it was given to her from her mom (my great-grandmother) when she got married....

my Vovo died at the age of 93 years young...she was an amazing lady......
every time I look at this old chest I always think of my Vovo....and that is everyday.....

I love the look at night.....you can see the before picture in the post below.....
just a little change I thought I would share with you....
Hugs,
Mo :-)

New Mirror & Living Room Tour

New Mirror and living room tour......

It's funny how something new can change the look of a whole room.....I saw this mirror at Home Goods and just knew it would be a great addition in my living room....I really didn't have the $$$$ but when do we have extra now a days.....but oh well I bought it anyway and didn't look back.....I hope you enjoy the tour.......

See my little Mika sitting in the chair on the right...
she looks so comfy....

this is the old chair I had in the living room.....

I bought a slipcover for it and love it now.....

you see the ottoman...

I am going to make a skirt for the chair out of the

curtain material I used on the ottoman...

it will really tie all together.....

I also found these great pink drawer pulls and

used them on top of my re-do screen..... before picture of re-do screen click "HERE"

it just finished it off....

Have a great day,

Hugs,

Mo ;-)