Sweet & Simple

This is the mood I am in right now - trying to simplify and keep life sweeter!  My window boxes this year reflect this pursuit.  When I went shopping for flowers with my mom at our favorite nursery she was wondering "are you really sure you don't want to add in at least one pop of color?"  She is the queen of container gardening & she really knows how to put together the wow factor (as seen above) but working with my minimalist color palette is a new one for her.  Last year I at least let her add in blue with the greens, whites & yellows!  This year I wanted to streamline even further!  My daughter wonders if next year I'll opt for even less color - white & green and leave out the yellow!  Who knows?
We finally found the yellow and brown pansies in the middle to give the contrast that makes it "pop".  Isn't it funny we were able to find a non-color for my craving and still complete the look!  Anyway,
this is what is going on around our house - decluttering, giving away, striving for simplicity!
What is going on around your house?
Olivia

Old House Love

On nooks and crannies... I think the English have got this right.  In our old country cottage which was built in 1927 we have many interesting features.  Some may say they are drawbacks or quirks one deals with and tries to remedy.  While I happily feel they make our little house a home.  A list of my favorite old house quirks...

* an old brick chimney in our kitchen

* a miniature linen closet built into the hallway with a small cabinet door
* a tall thin built-in bookcase on the landing on the upper floor
* a pixie sized attic door leading from the girls room into the south attic disguised with little shelving for special little girl displays
* another door in the boys room leading to the north attic (note: large attics with easy accessibility is definately another old house charm)
* a vanity in the master bedrooms closet (okay this one isn't my favorite, for one the vanity isn't pretty and for two even I would prefer a seperate bathroom from my closet)  or we could just pretend it's a dreamy "ladies dressing room" and then maybe it will seem more desirable
* a secret reading nook in the basement under the stairs

These are just a few of the little details that offer up the charm that drew me in the first place.  It's funny though sometimes I see new houses with all their gleaming shiny and convenient features and think I must be crazy.  It just takes a little while to settle back in at home and then I remember it's the imperfections that enable me to relax, cozy up with my family and not sweat all the living we do here. I don't worry about wear and tear because use and age is what makes it more beautiful!

What about you?  Old house love or all new?
Blessings,
Olivia

Solitude, Puttering & a few of my favorite things

Monday, the children back to school and momma's tired.  I've hardly spoken any words today and it's so nice.  Calm and quiet and good for my soul.  I've been spending these moments of solitude doing my favorite thing ~ puttering and enjoying the house in it's hushed state. 

I feel like it's really mine for a few worthwhile hours and then happily welcome THEM in once again.  It doesn't really feel like a home without THEM anyway. 

Puttering is fun isn't it?  Handling your favorite things and taking a good look at them!  Realizing a few things that aren't a favorite anymore and setting them aside to find a new home.  The pile of donations is growing and needs to be taken out. 

I love the process of editing.  Thoreau said "simplify, simplify, simplify."  This speaks to my soul!  Have a blessed Monday.

Olivia

The Caterers Wife

In preparing for the in~house caterer to arrive home from a rather large event with tons of produce to overflow the fridge ~ the caterers wife (you can guess who that is) got to work in the kitchen today to make room.  This is a fabulous recipe I found when my older kiddos were tiny like below miss mouse!

I have made it enough times that I use whatever ingredients I like together and only follow basic proportions these days. 

Here it is:

Blueberry Gingered Granola Bars

1 1/4 c. toasted walnut halves

1 1/2 c. puffed rice cereal

1 1/4 c. oats

1 c. dried fruit

1/2 c. oat bran or wheat germ

3 T. crystalized ginger, fine

1/4 c. (or desired amount) semi sweet chocolate chips

~~~~~~~

1 c. brown rice syrup

1/4 c. natural cane sugar

1/2 t. salt

1 t. vanilla extract

Oil a glass baking dish and set aside.

In a large bowl:  Combine first 6 ingrediants & toss well.

In a small saucepan combine the next 3 ingrediants & boil for 4 minutes gently stirring until thickened.  Remove from heat & stir in the vanilla.  Pour the sauce into the dry mixture and toss.  Pour into the prepared dish and let set up for 45 minutes before cutting into bars.  

Delicious & nutritious, right in time for the first day of school!

Whilst playing in the kitchen (I mean working very hard) I also got to changing around the countertops a bit and added in this little shelf to display some of my favorite little kitcheny things. 

If you know me very well at all you would know that the only way I really get inspired to do a clean is by moving things!  My friends always tease that they have to look around every time their here to see what has changed! 

Anyway, that is much of how I spent this Sunday afternoon!  How did you spend yours?

Blessings,

Olivia

The Farmers Market

We spent the morning at a local Farmers Market, just the four kiddos and I.  Before you go thinking "Oh how lovely for a Saturday morning..." let me just say it didn't last long.  I think I forgot to give the "if you aren't listening and having good attitudes we wont stay" chat!  Anyway before we made it out of there I managed to grab a delicious farm fresh breakfast burrito, a lovely bouqet of dahlias and a handmade soap to try.  And the best part of course ~ the inspiration!

I came back wanting to get to work making over the front porch ~ the window boxes and general arrangement of everything!  Here is the finished look until the pumpkins start coming out and then those will have to be worked in also!

Chrysanthemum's and Kale, Chickens and Pumpkins and little violets!  Delight!

Welcome friends, welcome fall!

Love is in the air

For the first time ever I'm loving this holiday all about love!  It all started with a heart shaped wreath on my front door, the first Valentine's Day decor I have ever put out.  Then it moved on to some felt stitched hearts my mom gave the kids 2 years ago...

We made a heart craft as a fun weekend project inspired by Flower Patch Farmgirl!

And then, all the sudden red and pink bloomed all over my home!  I even found myself picking out Valentine Chocolates for my sweet with a darling little tin!  What is going on around here?  It's usually so country french in blue & yellow! 

It seems as though my style is edging toward english country lately, a little of my Country Living British addition magazine subscription rubbing off on me!  Well, change is good right?!

How do you let your sweet ones know their loved?!  Wishing you a love filled holiday!  Au revoir, Olivia

He came like the winter snow...

It's all about Him.

Our simple nativity sits at the center of our dining table, we see it at every meal.

Our Christmas tree this year is fragrent & green!  A woodland delight with snow & birds and blue & white.

Our Mantle, no stockings yet though, not settled on them yet.

This is a special little tree on the table in our office.  It has all the silver ornaments from our babies first Christmas's, their spoon, fork & cup.  Even one of our puppy Hunter when he was small! 

And above my computer desk, where I spend many hours...

Our card, Jesus is the Prince of Peace, He is the only way to experience peace on earth. 

We wish you a Christmas with the kind of Peace only He can bring!

Is it too early?

For this:

And this:

And this:

I'm sure it is it but it's so much fun ~ I cannot wait!

I'm sorry, I know you're not quite ready but I feel the Holiday season is fair game about the first day of November!  The thing is much as I value giving thanks I feel it is more of a daily choice instead of an annual holiday!  It is really a side road detour on the way to my favorite Holiday of all, the birth of Christ, Christmas!
The really ironic part is its so warm and sunny today not winter-ish at all!  Oh well!
Blessings, & thank you for putting up with me!
Olivia

October, I can't believe you're here so soon!

welcome!

this is my new chicken scraps bucket, cute huh!  just had to share! 

my husband just completed our porch makeover and we've almost completed our trim painting & house paint touching up!  

here is the before:

this is when we bought our house 5 years ago ~ I always envisioned white trim!  Can you believe they hid our beautiful leaded glass windows behind all the trees!  Major improvements we've made ~ ideas mine of course, workmanship mostly my husbands!  thank you, thank you hun!

 i never could have orange pumpkins with that other combo so i went all out and opted for fallish mums too - it's A LOT of color for me - i'm warning you it's not likely to last long in my faded blue & grey world!  (but it's fun for once!) 

blessings!