Friday Finds

I hope you all had a wonderful week!

I know many of you are busy with back to school preparations. I loved shopping with my now grown up daughters for back to school outfits and supplies. We always took a first day of school photo, and I remember their first days of kindergarten as if they were yesterday. I miss all of that! It's fun to read about the new school year preparations going on at other blogger's homes.

   

Meanwhile, here at my empty nest I have some wonderful blog posts and projects to share today.  

Cozy Little House

Over at Cozy Little House Brenda shares some ideas for how she learned to live frugally. Brenda has survived some hard knocks the past few years and gives us all some very good advice for living a simpler life.

Postcards From the Ridge

Absolutely gorgeous with all its intricate woodwork, this antique desk was refinished to perfection by Angie at Postcards From the Ridge. I'm excited to try her techniques.

Common Ground

Debra at Common Ground has such a way with styling, and I'm always excited to see how she's changing things around. This week she shared her late summer sideboard.

A Sort Of Fairytale

Stacy at A Sort Of Fairytale shows us her amazing craft room. Need I say more?

Our Home Away From Home

I loved this post from Maria Elena of Our Home Away From Home. Maria Elena takes us room by room through her beautiful home while following her cleaning routine and a day in her life. You'll love the funny clip-art images, too.

Our Prairie Home

I think the ties on this no-sew duvet cover by Our Prairie Home's Laura are so cute, and you won't believe where she got the fabric!

Jennifer Rizzo

Kristen of Ella Claire used treasured vintage linens and buttons to sew this pretty pillow and shares the tutorial in a guest post at Jennifer Rizzo. 

Glass Slipper Restorations

I love the bent horseshoe handles Cindy at Glass Slipper Restorations added to this tray her husband made for her. I'm even more in love with the rusty old industrial floor drain grate beneath it. Wait till you see what Cindy's sweet hubby made with it. He's a keeper!

Rooted In Thyme

 

 

Jody from Rooted In Thyme used some chipped and mismatched china her mother left her to create this unique garden plant marker with help from husband, Stan. Jody says her mother would have loved this idea, and I do too. So sweet!

 

Nellie Bellie

Summer is all about fruit, and I can't think of a better way to enjoy it than in one of Nellie's pretty summer berry galettes. Find the easy recipe over at Nellie Bellie. (And how cute is that name?)

I'm off to pack for my 35th wedding anniversary trip to beautiful Payette Lake up in the mountains. I hope to have a few photos of my weekend there to share with you next week.

Have a great weekend and a

HAPPY FRIDAY!

{If you were featured today on The North End Loft Friday Finds, please feel free to grab a button from my sidebar.}

My Summer Potting Bench

Elizabeth & Co.

Each month this summer I've been inspired by The Garden Party over at Elizabeth & Co. to go outside and photograph something in my yard to share.  

This month I've chosen my potting bench.

 My raised vegetable beds (just visible in the bottom corner of this picture) are on one side of our yard, and the garden shed is around the corner on the other side. I asked my husband to build me a potting bench for the veggie side where I could store my garden tools closer at hand during the summer.

 He modeled it after ones I found on Pinterest made out of pallet wood and added some old fence pickets, a couple of 2 x 4's from the lumber store, and some chicken wire we already had.  It's been really handy (and fun to decorate, too.)

 On one side I put my old faux-painted milk can and my cute rustic flowerpot man that I made following Debbie's tutorial over at Confessions of a Plate Addict.

 On the other side my bulb planter hangs on some cast iron frog hooks.

These tin containers are stacked below waiting to hold succulents. I'll get around to drilling holes in the funnels for hanging up one of these days.

 Up on top are a few chrysanthemums waiting to go into my big front porch pots for fall, along with a birdhouse and some bunting.

 I bought the bright blue birdhouse at the craft store last summer for 75% off.

 The bunting is made from vintage seed packet art I found online and printed onto card stock. I glued them onto rectangles of fringed burlap using spray adhesive, punched holes, and strung them onto some twine. I love seed packet art and seed catalog covers.

  I use the middle work surface for potting flowers.

 I can't believe it's almost time to plant my fall flowers! Where did the summer go?

 I found these pretty clay pots at thrift stores for less than a dollar each. I can't decide whether to gesso them.

 My favorite garden tools are hanging from a rusty old rake head, easy to find.

 The bottom shelf is for storage.

 I keep garden stakes in a galvanized bucket that held a hydrangea on my front porch last year. (My French label tutorial can be found here.) 

 And new perennials waiting to go in the ground. 

 I fell in love with this delicate lacy one.

 Next year I'll be adding a small perennial cutting garden to part of my vegetable beds.

 Tucker had to wait on the other side of the garden gate today while I took photos of the potting bench. He wanted to be in every picture.

He doesn't like to be away from my side for even a moment, but he's been waiting here and patiently watching me.

I hope you'll join Tucker and me over at Sharon's for the Elizabeth & Co. August Garden Party now. I'm so honored my new yard was  featured from last month's party. While you're over there, be sure to check out Sharon's incredible garden, gorgeous painted furniture, and the wonderful Be Inspired link party and features, too. Seriously, this girl does it all! 

Elizabeth & Co.

See you there!

This week I'm also having a ton of fun at these fabulous parties:

Savvy Southern Style 

City Farmhouse 

Our Home Away From Home
Clean & Scentsible 
Ella Claire 
Yellow Bliss Road
Coastal Charm 
Cozy Little House  
 Mod Vintage Life
Stone Gable
From My Front Porch To Yours
Elizabeth & Co.
The Shabby Creek Cottage 
Rooted In Thyme 
Common Ground 
French Country Cottage
Jennifer Rizzo 
My Repurposed Life 
Craftberry Bush 
My Romantic Home
Shabby Art Boutique 
The Charm of Home  
The Cottage Market 
The Shabby Nest 
Green Willow Pond
Funky Junk Interiors  
DIY Showoff
Craftberry Bush 
Knick Of Time
 
 

My Wedding Anniversary

Today is my wedding anniversary! 

35 years ago, this girl

and this guy

had a date at her mother's house high on the hill

under this gazebo

to become husband and wife.

After some celebrating

 and cutting the cake

they went on a honeymoon

that never ended! 

Happy Anniversary, Honey!

I love you!

 

Friday Finds

I had the most wonderful busy week working in my studio. I have five projects all going at once and soon to be completed. 

My craft room is a very happy disaster!

Today on Friday Finds I'm sharing some beautiful summer flowers from some of my favorite blogs. These blogs regularly feature gorgeous flowers and creative ways to arrange them. Just visit the links beneath each photo to see lots more inspiration!

Rooted in Thyme

Faded Charm

Stone Gable

It All Started With Paint

Town and Country Living

Faded Plains

 My own lavender is too new this year to bloom, but I'm dreaming about having flowers like this from my own garden one day. Until then, I've been inspired by all these beautiful photos to pick up a bunch of some fresh summer flowers at the Farmer's Market tomorrow morning and hunt around my house for some creative ways to display them. 

Fun!

Thanks so much for coming by today.  Whatever you're up to this weekend, I hope it's wonderful!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

{Were your beautiful flowers featured today? Please feel free to grab my button over on my sidebar, and thanks so much for sharing!}