Around Here

My favorite dahlia farm stand opened last week.  I went before it opened and they graciously let me cut my own.  But now it's officially open.  Five blooms for a buck, that's more fun than anyone should have for a dollar.

 Friday evening Chris, Shelly and I went to the Vintage Market pre-show at the Lavender House.  We found some treasures and then toured the vintage trailers.  Chris is a tad tall for some vintage RVs.

 I am looking for ideas while going through the trailers and focusing more on the details than the over all trailer.  I love seeing all of the great ideas the owners have to decorate and to make their trailer more efficient.

 I think I'd like a bigger awning but I did love the polka dots on this awning and the idea of making your awning from a shower curtain.  Hello? Instawaterproof awning material.

 An outdoor kitchen is a great idea if your trailer is small and cooking outside will keep your trailer cooler in the summer.  A skirt and bunting makes a Cabella's kitchen vintage trailer cute.  I've always used picnic baskets as my kitchen cabinets when we tent camped.  It keeps everything clean and organized.  She had a cute stack in her kitchen.  Her oven is from Costco.

 A cozy bed with a pretty quilt makes for a good night's rest while camping.

 While I was out getting ideas and gathering a few treasures Hubby was over on the East side gettin'er done. He went to visit his family and while there he found a vintage ice box, a stove and hood and a light fixture.  Aqua! 

Our lumber package should arrive this week for the '57 Aloha and then it's forward instead of backwards.  That makes me happy!

Everyday Living

It's been a busy year for Hubby and I, with home tour, funerals, a wedding.  We are purposefully taking some time to relax.  Granted it's not an everyday accomplishment but we are trying to step back a bit.

Some days I'm an overachiever in the relaxing department, laying on my patio bed with ice cream after Hubby chases down the Sugar Shack, our local ice cream truck.  Works for me.

We are not entirely idle though...  Well, Hubby isn't idle.

 The metal got stripped off of the '57 Aloha.

 I am so anxious to decorate our little trailer that I sometimes add pizazz to photos of the Aloha in its current state.  Bunting helps!

 On Thursday afternoon Hubby sent me a text while I was at work, "don't be too shocked when you get home."  Okay then.  At that point I  couldn't decide if I was anxious to get home or if I should just stay away.  I guess we have gone as far backwards as possible.  The good news is that now we get to move forward.

 I asked Hubby if this meant that the Aloha wouldn't be ready for us to take to church camp this weekend. Hah!

Next year, we really hope to be ready to go.  Optimistically, we think it can happen.

Hubby got a text from friends that they needed to take their motor home for spin since it had just been in the shop.  Destination was Wander Brewery.  I had made crock pot of mac and cheese for dinner so we grabbed it and jumped in with them.  Felt like the Beverly Hillbillies heading out for an adventure.

 After a lovely evening we walked back to the Midas and noticed a belt hanging under the motor.  Well, that's not good.  The guys pulled it off, drove it home and will fix it next week.  It was a good thing that we had a trial trip before they head over the pass.

 I picked up Shelly and Karen on Friday morning to go to an estate sale in Skagit County.  On our travels we saw the sweetest little blueberry farm.  The chair cushions and bunting were oil cloth, so sweet.
Obviously, I thought it was sweet.  How many times can I use the word sweet...

 We ended up at Tweets in Edison for hibiscus infused iced tea and pastries after the sale.

 We had show and tell.  I'm not sharing what they bought because they may be doing the ol'  Oh hon, I've had that forEvah...

After I got home I cleaned up my treasures and then hit the couch for a long nap.  After all, we are trying to relax here at the Stone House.  Hubby and I had a wonderful evening on the patio last night.  It's cooler and it felt good.

 In between the fun and the naps I am going through the upstairs closets and dressers.  And starting to think about cleaning the attic.  The thought of cleaning the attic makes me want and need a nap.  

Maybe I wait until next year...  No overachiever here.

Flower Power

 Oooh!  The blooms, blossoms and budding flowers that we saw on Saturday's Whatcom Horticulture Society Garden Tour were overwhelmingly beautiful.

 We named this driveway border, Sunset Strip.  Those lilies were stunning!

 And oh my, did Shelly and I have fun, laughing, talking and getting a good dose of inspiration!

 The gardeners had staked and caged many of their plants, something that I am not good about doing.  I thought that the stakes and cages  would take away from the garden.  Not so, unless you are really looking for them them are lost in healthy, happy plants.  All of the gardens had drip lines, and I need those too.

 These roses need a bride.

 Astilbe as tall as me, lush too.

 Leave the seed pods because they add some groovy interest later on in the season.

 Black foliage mixed in with the flowers creates a stunning show.

 Clematis in abundance.

 Hardy fuchsias were in every garden and next year they will be in my garden too.  Bellingham is a different zone than Lynden so they may not work out as well for me, but I'm going to try.

Phlox that were taller than Shelly and so healthy and happy in a border.

 Squirrel!  We weren't going to Franny's sale this week but we couldn't just drive by and not see if there was anything we needed.  Yes, just a few things!  Back to touring...

Precision pruning, the gardener told us that it took three years.  Gardening teaches patience.

I referred to this shrub as the wedding cake.  Stunning pruning!

 The pictures don't really do justice, the gardens were beautiful, inspiring and took many hours of hard work.

 At my house everything is fading, drooping and dying.  It hasn't been a gardening kind of year for me.  But I do have many ideas for next year.  Thank you for a fun day, Shelly!  Garden tours, estate sale, frozen yogurt for lunch all make for a fantastic day with a good friend.

Tiptoe Through the Garden

On Saturday Shelly invited me to the Whatcom Horticultural Society Garden Event.  We toured some beautiful gardens.  Today I'm going to share the hard scape highlights of the gardens.

There were pretty paths leading to structures to create "rooms" in the gardens.

 Ponds, including a trout pond with huge trout that when the gardener fed them it looked like boiling water.

 We saw some pretty ornaments too.

 Many trellises covered with flowers soften the paths and entrances to garden rooms.

 Little ponds were everywhere.

 An unexpected Japanese garden at a home where it was least expected fit right in.  Though I wouldn't have been so bold to try it, it was a beautiful touch and just the right thing to do in the courtyard.

I need to take more chances in the garden.

 Living on the lake makes everything better.

 Rock walls!  I need more of those at my house.

 Under the stairs would've been an ugly spot but was made pretty with unexpected art in the form of shells and floats.

 Yep, I definitely need more rocks.

 Big rocks and little rocks really add to the garden.

 Big rocks, little rocks and the best rock curb, oh  my!  I loved this curb.

 Shelly took one look at the metal garden art declared that she needs a welder.  Great!  Because I need a friend that welds!  Works for me.

 A hell strip used as a vegetable garden is brilliant.  It is always a dead looking, useless space.  This one was great because the neighborhood embraced the idea and it went on and on.

 Take out the lawn, lay a deck and create an oasis.  Now  instead of mowing the lawn the homeowner is lounging.

 Trellis time, again.

 My fairies need more housing.  We saw some sweet fairy homes.

 We saw many fire pits which lend themselves to some fun evenings for the homeowners.

 Gates.  I love gates and actually have a pinterest board just for gates.  I've always wanted a driveway gate but I saw on the tour that a random pretty gate can add so much to a garden.  They're inviting, beckoning you on to see what is beyond the gate.  I used to think gates were to create a boundary, but really, they can be inviting you farther down the garden path.

 The curb, the plantings between the stones, I need to get going and make it happen under the grape arbor at  the Stone House.  So pretty!

Next, I'll share the flowers.