August is a big month around here. After all, it's summer's last hurrah. It's filled with big events like back to school sales, our annual Fireman's Fair, outdoor summer concerts and events on the beach before the big chill returns. Of course, there's also a lot of lovely little things in August. A little morning view of my zinnia garden. And this week was filled with them. It began with an itch to go thrifting. Unfortunately, most shops around here aren't open from Sunday to Wednesday. It's a total bummer for this second hand fan, but as luck would have it, while running an out of the way errand, I found a small TJMaxx, so my daughter and I popped in for a tiny trip. Inside, the clearance section was loaded with little treasures. First, I found this charming mini floral lamp and fell in love. It didn't have a shade, but that's ok, I have many. It was originally $16.99, then $13, but I paid 8 bucks for the win. Knowing what thrifted lamps go for th...

If it seems like I've been spending a lot of time in the garden lately, well, you wouldn't be wrong. While we've always had a pretty yard, in recent years... or should I say decades ...we've been so focused on the kids, that when we had a few free hours, we weren't using them to garden. But now that we literally have time to stop and smell the roses, that's exactly what we've been doing. We've been more intentional about what we plant and where - like the new zinnia bed under the kitchen window . We've focused a little more on the area surrounding the pond , creating a colorful haven for our fish. And we've really enjoyed adding artful treasures to the beds , to create more interest. Like our most recent additions, including:   a few more galvanized tubs a yard sale milkcan planter   a darling standing birdcage , that now holds a pot filled with bright pink blooms and an old stool we turned into a trellis All of which got me thinking, that if I c...

I absolutely adore a colorful garden. Unfortunately, I don't have the greenest thumb. Oh sure, I know what I'm supposed to do to fill my yard with really big blooms. I just don't have the follow through.

Lately, the word charming seems to be everywhere. That cottage style, skirted furniture, mixed patterned, colorful, old world, grandmotherly decor is back in full force. And I'm here for all of it. Of course, I've been here for it , for a very long time. I was decorating that way while the rest of the world was painting their walls greige. Removing pattern, adding white sofas and banishing lace to the back of the closet.

I've been thrifting and shopping for second hand items for decades. And I was doing it long before it was trendy to scour the shelves for bargains and sift through yard sales bins. My husband and I picked up everything from small accessories to large pieces of furniture to decorate our first apartment. Some items were bought and displayed straight away, while others needed...well...a little love. One such purchase, a $5 milk can we found at a local moving sale decades ago, fell somewhere in between.

Several years ago, I wandered into my favorite fabric warehouse, stumbled upon the most gorgeous red checked fabric and decided I needed to have it. At first, I just made panels for my kitchen . Then a year or two later, I decided it was so pretty, it was exactly the style and color the living room needed. Unfortunately, by the time I went back to buy more, that gorgeous pattern was discontinued. So I grabbed the last of what was on the roll...barely enough for the living room curtains, but I made it work.

Oftentimes, when my husband goes out riding on his ebike, a bike he built himself, by the way, he brings back treasure. You may remember that on his last trip, he brought back a slew of curbside finds . Among them was this old metal birdcage. He thought it would look perfect in our cottage style garden and he wasn't wrong. Now, I'm a huge fan of rustic decor, unfortunately, this piece was just a little too rustic - or should I say, rusty - for my taste.