Yesterday I celebrated my birthday. Well… actually there wasn’t much celebrating because I took 3 naps during the day. I’m not sure if it’s because I crashed after a tough six weeks at “work” or if it’s because I turned 45 and that’s just what “old” people do… they nap. It may be a little of both… and for the record if naps are what come with getting older then I totally approve!
The past 6 weeks have been intense for me and I’m starting to come through it. The fundraiser is over and my schedule is finally going to get back to some sort of “normal”. I couldn’t be happier because I feel such guilt and anxiety when I cannot work on the house, be creative, and post on my blog. Those things have always brought me more joy than I ever thought possible. But what do you do when there’s no time to be creative and you cannot get a project started….. much less finished? I try to find ways to make little changes in my home that only take a few minutes. So after my much needed birthday naps I felt the need to make the house feel fresh. I turned to mother nature, of course. She provides the best way to freshen up a space and make it feel “new”. And it’s usually something you can get out of your own yard.
It started with some flowers that were on clearance at the market. I HATE GROCERY SHOPPING! Especially on my birthday!!!!!!! (do you hear that, husband!) But unless we were going to eat mustard sandwiches for dinner I knew I needed to go. The flowers made me happy and the trip worth while. Every girl deserves flowers on her birthday, right? Just some simple hydrangeas and snapdragons in a vase and it’s amazing how pretty a room can look. Instant happiness.
I like to arrange things so they look “off”. I love how the snaps are jutting out the side.
Then the madness began. I know, I know. I take everything to extremes. But it made me happy. I always have a huge pot of Diamond Frost and it pretty much lasts year after year and blooms all year long. I constantly trim it and it just bushes out and grows bacK faster and healthier. Kinda like a hair cut, I guess. And they look so pretty and feminine wherever you put them. Even the bathroom. (I mean the “ladies” room) I don’t think Richie even notices but I’d like to think he does.
One of my favorite things in the yard in the fall is the pink muhly grass I planted in front of the house. Every fall it produces these GORGEOUS pink plumes that just make me squeal every time I drive up to the house! I always cut a few to enjoy inside the house. It won’t be long before they’re gone.
They’re so fragile and sweet looking.
And of course my hearty, healthy, always blooming plumbago. This flower bush never disappoints me and blooms non-stop from March through December. It also loves to be cut and looks so pretty inside the house.
The flowers are so blue they reflected a blue shadow on the white wall. Love that! They’ll only last about a week or so, but that’s just how long I need to get back in the groove around her.
Next time you need a little “something-something” to make your home feel different, happier, or prettier, just grab some scissors and get to cuttin’! There’s so many lovely ways to use what’s growing right in your own yard.
As for the house projects. I had started on the hallway in the back studio before my life exploded at the station, so hopefully I can wrap up some of that this week/weekend.
More to come. Thanks for visiting!
Oh, how lovely!!! There’s nothing like flowers and plants to bring a room to life, right? Yours look absolutely gorgeous! I was giggling when I read that first part, I’m so totally there too. I turned 45 last year and find myself falling asleep on the couch every evening… It’s so annoying!
Hi Tove! Thank you so much. I love to have fresh flowers in the house. They just make everything seem a little more special.
Oh that’s great… I’m not the only one dozing off. I feel much better, girl! I’ve never been much of a nap person but I can’t lie, I’m kind of enjoying it!
YAY FOR OUR 40s. I love this time of my life. My vision sucks, my hearing is selective but growing older ROCKS! :-)
That’s funny – I actually find that grocery store flowers are my favorite kind of flowers. I love picking up a few stems at the entrance. They seem to make the rest of the task that much better. Forget flower deliveries and overthought arrangements.
I had to buy some flowers for an event this morning and Whole Foods had kale stems, in purple and white. They look like fall harvest roses to me. I got some yellow filler flowers (tiny) and purple thistle. Best grocery visit I’ve had in ages.
Happy birthday. Hooray for naps.
Hi Kristin. Thanks for the birthday wishes and more naps for me in the coming year. YAY! HA HA!
I have to say that I’m so happy that the grocery stores have flowers because we don’t have a SINGLE flower stand/market left in our town.
I mean we have “florists” but no fresh markets for cut flowers. And I’m like you. I enjoy putting it together myself. The creative process is what floats my boat!
OH – MY – GOODNESS!!! You just made me squeak with delight. I hadn’t thought about all the pretty greens in the produce section. I’m totally going to incorporate some gorgeous kale in my next arrangement. THANK YOU for that. I bet your flowers turned out so pretty. You inspired me. Thank you for visiting!
Happy Birthday! I think naps are perfect way to celebrate- they’re definitely a luxury. Sounds dreamy!
I love the flowers- I feel the same when I’m too busy to work on creative projects, flowers freshen things up. There’s nothing better than filling a vase with flowers out of your own yard.
And while soliciting support is a noble pursuit, I’m glad that you can resume your normal schedule (and not just for selfish reasons); I know how it feels when you don’t have time for more creative activities. 6 weeks is a long time.
Glad to see you back at it.
Cindy,
So happy to hear from you! Hope you’re doing well and still being creative yourself. Here in Texas we can pretty much get stuff from the yard year round. It gets cold but not cold enough to wipe everything out. So that makes it really easy to always have something green and pretty around. I’m super happy to be done with the stressful stuff at work. The stressful stuff at home is way more fun! And I love to share things, big and small, on the blog. YOU MAKE IT FUN! Thanks for being here. :-)
Your flowers are so beautiful and make everything look so cheerful. Happy belated birthday, Stacey. I think your naps are work-related. You have to be my age to experience age-related napping. You know you’re there when you also stay up till 3 a.m. and then get up every hour or two for the rest of the night to go to the bathroom. Too much information? :)
Blahhhh ha ha ha ha! You’re made me burst out in laughter, Dana! That was great. It probably was work-related but I certainly don’t have the energy I had 5 years ago. Richie is like that. He’s up 3 or 4 times at night wondering the house like a ghost and scares the hell out of me at least twice a night. He has to be up at 5:30. I have no idea how he does it. Not too much info, AT ALL! Good to know info. When it starts happening to me I’ll be your late night email buddy! :-) Love ya.
P.S. I actually LOVE getting older. There’s so many wonderful things that come from it. Like “who gives a FU@k”. I love that part. (laughing)
What beautiful pictures. Flowers are so wonderful both inside and outside. I am a little jealous that you have all these gorgeous things blooming right now, but I console myself with the knowledge that I am surrounded by fall foliage on all sides and get to drive to work through a wonderland of riotous colors.
Thanks Jessica! Well, I was jealous when you had those gorgeous sunflowers. Too bad we can’t share. :-)
That is one thing you DO get to enjoy that I don’t. The change of seasons and all that beautiful foliage. In Texas everything turns a weird brownish color and then just falls off. That sounded more like a medical condition than a season, didn’t it. HA HA! Enjoy your pretty fall. LUCKY! And thanks for the birthday wishes.
Oh, and Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!
HAPPY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY, STACEY!!! does this mean you’re a scorpio, too or do you just miss the cutoff date??
i LOVE all of your flowers and i absolutely must get me some of those pink muhly. can they flourish in socal?
and then one little question: there seems to be an awesome-ish picture frame globe (?) in one of your photos. what is it exaclty? i love the way it looks.
your photos are always so dreamy and magazine worthy. i hope you had the best birthday yet (i’m right behind ya!). xxoo
Thank you Tamara! No, I’m right on the cusp. I’m a LIBRA! The scales. So you can imagine when things aren’t in balance in my life how crazy it makes me. OMG, THE DRAMA! Poor Richie. (laughing)
Yes, yes, I think the muhly grass would definitely do well in your area. They LOVE full sun and as the light changes in fall the plumes come out and turn that amazing pink color.
I actually have one in the backyard that is still getting lots of sun and all the plumes are white. Weird but still pretty.
I think what you see in that picture is an orrery. We love collecting space related “stuff”. This was a really cool vintage piece he bought on ebay about 12 years ago. It was mis-marked by the seller and we got it for $32.00.
Talk about a happy man. Richie loves that piece. Thanks for asking. :-) When is your special day? Please share. (hugs)
ARGH!!! Happy Birthday to you! Damnit woman I need to write these things down. And mail you a card. You know me and cards. Seriously that bird is so cute!
Thanks, Alex! OMG, a handmade card from you would be better than eating an entire cake!!! Not that I would ever do that… but I often dream of doing it. HA HA HA!
I love that little bird, too. I keep thinking I should paint or stain it but I love it in the raw. It’s so “tweet”.
Hey hey and happy birthday to you. My fundraiser won’t be done for another 3 weeks. And we got a puppy. And I have been traveling for work. Then it will be Christmas. Boo. But slog along we do! The flowers are great… we have a market near here on Saturdays so I go down and buy a few bunches and play around. To me the flowers say, “It’s the weekend! Yay!”
Hey Rebecca. Are you fundraising to raise money for Christmas? (joke!) HA HA! I guess we are all “Fundraising” and super busy in life. It’s always something isn’t it. HOWEVER… a puppy is something really fun!
I try to buy some fresh flowers once every week to two weeks so I should post more about the ones I pick. It’s always enjoyable and makes the week a little more fabulous and colorful.
Happy Birthday, Dear One! Naps are the best way to celebrate… lots of pampering and dinner OUT. That solves the grocery shopping and the mustard sandwiches. :)
I love all the nature that you brought indoors. It’s no secret that I admire your way around a garden, but bringing all the different colors and textures inside is really striking. Love it!
Thanks, Danielle! I do love all the pretty things in our yard, so it’s fun to cut a little color and bring it in. Don’t they call that “A Woman’s Touch”. (wow, that sounded really old fashioned)
You always inspire me with your pretty decor!
Happy Late Birthday!!!!!!
I saw your test blank post on my reader this morning – fyi!
Thanks Brittney! I’m so sorry about that. I was doing maintenance on the blog and something happened and all my subscribers got a “please confirm your subscription” email. AHHHHHHHHHH!
Then I had to do a post test to make sure it as all working properly. What a pain. Nothing like getting a blank post in your reader. Don’t hate me. (laughing)
Have a good weekend!
What a fantastic idea. I know the feeling….we have been doing up our house too over this last year and I’ve been blogging about it and I feel overwhelmed at times that there is do much still left to do and hate those days when there’s no progress. But I need a life too and in it is a gorgeous two year old and a very patient husband, both of whom need a bit of me too. Next time I feel like that I’m going to do exactly this…..cut flowers. Thank you.
Melanie. X
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Hi Melanie! Oh how I know exactly what you’re saying. It’s crazy and sometimes I think “we’re not normal people”! Ha Ha! Happy to know you are out there doing the same thing, feeling the same way. It’s so comforting. It’s a HUGE commitment and some days you just need to chill out and pretty the house with flowers.
Thanks so much for visiting! I’m off to visit you and see what kind of crazy stuff you are up to. (I mean, we must be crazy, right?) :-)