favorite pins

So many wonderful and creative ideas...

I haven't checked out the source yet, but this looks like chalkboard paint.  Cool idea for a calendar.

I like the creative way to use old dishes.  When many cake plates are needed for serving, what an inexpensive way to create a charming look!

 I just love the details in the ceiling and the beautiful lines.

Great office space...

What is it about photos and cards displayed on wire that I love? Maybe it's the way it looks like a collection...

A couple of cookie sheets and 3M adhesive with velcro and you've got really cute magnet boards.  I think the original metal form would look great.

Great idea for a garden screen.  we've got this propane tank on the East side of our house...this might do the trick:)

I just love it.

...all sources of pins found on my Pinterest boards.

sunlight and perennials

The other morning, I was out walking in our yard and noticed the way the light glowed in the flower beds.  I ran into the house to grab my camera.  I do this a lot.

I should read my camera manual.  The morning light was gorgeous but this photo just does not capture the way the light moved through this corner of our yard. 

A peony bloom is exquisite.  But look at the buds!  I love the way peony buds look in a vase. 

Hosta.  Enough said.

What a pretty combination of plants.  I think you can add potato vine and coleus to anything and it would be beautiful!   I only have 2 pots of annuals this year.  They add a splash of color and are so fresh looking.

My new passion is containers filled with perennials and shrubs.  The big pot is filled with an Astilbe that I dig out of the ground in the Spring and then I replant it in the Fall.  This is the 4th year that I have dug this same plant up and stuck it in a container. It think it likes this arrangement!

When I describe this system to others, it really can be summed up very simply..."you pull it out of the ground in the Spring and plop it in a pot.  In the Fall, you pull it out of the pot and plop it in the ground."  I'm finding that I use the words "pull" and "plop" a lot.  My gardening style is revealed, I think, with those simple words.  They reflect my simple gardening style and technique.  Nothing fussy survives in our yard.  I do have a hydrangea that will not grow unless I baby it and water it a lot.  It's a beauty and I have wanted for this plant for years.  Now that I can grow one, I have found out that while it is a beauty, it is no longer my favorite.  Something that fussy is tiresome.  Give me a hearty, scrappy shrub or perennial anyday!

I splurged on 3 new shrubs this Spring which will go into the ground in the Fall.  This is my grand plan...instead of spending money on annuals, I will buy shrubs each Spring which will then find new homes each Fall in our yard.  They are enjoyed all summer on our patio and then eventually become part of our landscape. 

State Tennis Tournament 2012

The State Tournament started on Tuesday.  The boys left early Monday morning and we left that afternoon. We stayed in Bloomington and the tournament was held at the Reed Sweat Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis.

The boys gather before their match to listen to rules and greet their opponents.

TRF vs. Duluth-Marshall

Introduction of #3 doubles and high-fives

My dad and Jo joined us at the tournament.  It was fun having them with us!

devoted fans...

Sam and Cullen played in one of the middle courts.  That did not make it easy to take photos.

Prowlers are Consolation Champs!  

My dad, Jo, and the boys...

Way to go Prowlers!

off to state

Prowler boys tennis went to State for the ninth year in a row!  Isaac got to go with the team as an exhibition player.  The boys were up early preparing to leave.

Dad always makes sure they have a hearty breakfast before they leave!

The boys are lucky that their dad not only prepares breakfast on important days but everyday before school!  wow.

We gathered at LHS to send these boys off bright and early Monday morning.  It was the beginning of a very full week.  They wouldn't come home until Friday night!

Prowler team 2012.

Steve's mom gave us a gift before we left for the cities.  She found an old truck of Steve's from when he was a kid and embellished it with our photos!

There was a special gift from her tucked in the bed of the truck.  It was a 'gift certificate' to the Outback restaurant for us to enjoy in Minneapolis.

Our front door...

The police escorted the boys out of town with parents honking wildly behind them!  

Good Luck Prowlers!  Woo-hoo!

my boy in the middle

Sam turned 17 on May 25.  That was the last day of school, graduation day, and the beginning of a holiday weekend.  It was end-of-the month for dad at the store and mom's last day of work with students.  It was a busy day.

I love birthdays.  It is one of my favorite days to celebrate...birthdays and Christmas.  Despite the business, we did our best to celebrate this amazing boy.

I went through some old pictures of Sam.  I was looking for a couple of cute baby pictures to post and ended up browsing through folder after folder.  It was hard to stop.  So many good memories, funny stories, and strong feelings were stirred.  My years with my babies are so precious to me.  Memories with them are tucked away deep but are easily recalled and their surfacing moves through me with a warmth like sunshine.

Happy Birthday my sweet, sweet boy in the middle.

being busy and piano recitals

I think know I complain too much about being busy.  I also use strikethroughs too much.  I think they are cool and reveal a little about our thinking process. :)  I also think too much about strikethroughs.

This past month has been so so busy.  It's Sunday morning...just said goodbye to Sam who is off to Boys State and the French Open just got postponed because of rain. We FINALLY got rain this morning and now the sun is shining.  A snapping turtle is laying eggs in our driveway and our rain-drenched dog finally gave up barking at it.  Life may be settling down just a bit.  This momma needs life to settle down just a bit.

I'm going to continue and finish a post that I started on May 19...

...Sam had his piano recital on Sunday (May 7). The day after confirmation. Which was a week after prom. goodness. Sam's world has gotten a lot bigger lately. That means that he is very busy and so are mom and dad. But we managed to get through an extremely busy week and nobody starved, nobody had to wear dirty stinky clothing, nobody broke their neck tripping over bags/shoes/you-name-it, and nobody said words to each other that they regret can't live with. We made it.


The piano recital was fantastic. Do you know how happy I am that 2 out of 3 of my boys play the piano? I tried my best to get Isaac to try it but ever since he was little the answer was "no". That's all. just "no". I even made him meet with Kristi LaSalle just to talk to her about it. When he came home from school, his answer was still "no". And that's when I finally gave up.


My boys love Kristi and have never ONCE talked about quitting! How can that be? It can be SO difficult to work in practice time. I've even brought up the 'Q' word a few times because I thought they just had too much on their plates. But they kept on.


And that makes me so happy!


The recital was great. So many talented kids and a wonderful teacher. Sam and his cousins gave super performances. Sam had one 'hiccup' (or maybe a burp) during his performance but recovered like a trooper.

I tried to upload the video of his performance but no luck.  I'll try again later.


It's June.  A little less running and structure.  Just what we all need.

House of Fifty

I am going to work on uploading photos today as I prepare for my rummage sale (and do 50 million other things). We just got back from the State Tennis Tournament and I have a bunch of photos and stories to share. And my baby boy in the middle turned 17!! Important photos and stories to share later today.

In the meantime, this super cool online magazine is just beautiful.  I found it on Isabella & Max Rooms blog. So fun to look at...