Tuesday, June 28, 2016

A Busy Weekend, a Daughter's Cottage, and The Garden


Hello, Friends, we finally had some sunshine
over the weekend and Monday, 


but this is the view this morning.  

They call it a 'marine layer'- low, misty clouds
that have come in from the Pacific ocean. 

They say it will burn off......

I had a busy weekend.
 Friday evening, Ramblin' Man and I attended 
a charming wedding of a friend's daughter. 

No photos, because, well, brides generally don't
take kindly to someone posting photos 
before they do! 

Farmland near wedding 
The setting was pure country bliss - a beautiful 
and rustic hall (think 'Fixer Upper' - prairie style)
in the middle of farmland. 



The bride and groom were such a sweet couple. 
They did something I have not seen before - 
each had a jar of different colored sand and they 
poured a little at a time, taking turns, into
a glass sided frame, forming a lovely pattern 
of their spoken hopes and dreams, 
through the sands of time. 

Love that. 


The ceremony was outside and skies were threatening

but there was no rain and it all turned out lovely. 


On Saturday I traveled to my daughter Jennie's little cottage
to plan a very special party. It is a surprise - so I can't tell 
you more, but I will be explaining soon......

On the way, I traveled this back road alongside 
the railroad tracks, where thousands of poppies 
were blooming the whole length of the road. 

The skies had cleared and we had a lovely day for party planning. 


Arriving at her sweet little cottage, 
you can see her hydrangeas are blooming. 

It has been a year since she bought her 
little 'doll house'- all on her own. 





Some front porch scenes :) 

Two pretty chairs on either side of the front door. 

Let's go inside, shall we? 


Her living room. 


She has a soft, beachy theme. 


She loves white, soft blues and greens, with silver accents. 




Some cute vignettes.


Setting the table for lunch....
There were four of us, 
daughter Jennie, daughter's in law, 
Erica and Jen, and me. 


Fettuccine, salad and mimosas. 
Yum!


After our delicious lunch, we retreated to the patio
for some serious party planning. 

Erica looks on. 


A sweet sitting area.

The Burlap and Ticking Pillow
I made for her birthday is on the right. 


Erica has discovered the most wonderful bakery
and has treated us to some delicious desserts
lately. This was the cake she brought for Father's Day.


She brought miniature ones for our brunch. 


Weenie Baby patrols the back yard. 

Peanut stays by the food - in case of crumbs.....:)


If you have followed my blog for a while, 
you know that Peanut and Weenie Baby 
are frequent house-guests for sleep-overs 
when Jennie travels. 

Here they are all being 'good' while waiting for a treat. 



With party-planning over for now, I head for home
under blue skies. 

The daisies are blooming and Mt. Rainier 
emerges from the clouds as I leave the valley
and travel back to my foothills home. 


Sunday was a beautiful, sunny day, so Ramblin' Man
and I spent the day tidying up the gardens. 

He took a photo of me tending to the tool-shed garden. 


Sweet William is blooming, with Tansy starting to set buds. 


A few stray buttercup are involved, and some yellow
birds-foot trefoil. 



And the hydrangeas are blooming, too.....

The recent rains have caused them to flop, 
so Ramblin' Man cut arched fence sections to 
prop them up. You can see them if you look 
closely. I still need to set them in place. 


They really like where they are planted. There is a 
picket fence in behind that has been smothered by them. 


The blossoms emerge greenish blue, then turn pure blue
as time goes on.
These are mop-head hydrangeas - Nikko Blue


I will cut some for bouquets on the next sunny day.


The St. John's Wort is blooming, too. 
This is 'out back' along the edge of the woodlands.
You can see the end of the deck with the canopy peeking above. 


I like large drifts of singular species.

Individual flowers get lost in a large landscape. 


The bumblebees love these. 


On Sunday evening we watched these two crows 
snuggling as the sun set on the mountain. 


They eventually flew away to roost for the night
in the quiet hills. 

After all that, Monday was house-cleaning day. 
I washed linens, rugs, the floors, caught up with laundry, 
and scrubbed bathrooms. 

I also did some fairy gardening, which I will show you
later in the week, but today is reserved for visiting
all of you, Dear Friends. 

What did you do over the weekend? 

xoxo




39 comments:

  1. Another lovely post and such wonderful photo's. Your weekend looked and sounded just brilliant.

    Looking forward to seeing and reading about the Fairy Garden ...

    Enjoy these last few days of June

    All the best Jan

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  2. Your daughters house is so nice inside and outside. I love all of your pretty hydrangeas and other flowers. The mountain is gorgeous and the dogs so cute! Some of my flowers died and didn't bloom this spring and summer. :( I hope you have a wonderful week and happy 4th of July. Take care.
    Julie

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  3. Love your daughter's house. So lovely!

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  4. Your daughter's home is so lovely. Such a charming place. And your hydrangeas are breathtaking. We can't grow blue here where I live, the soil changes everything to pink. Pink is nice, but I LOVE the blue.

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  5. I always enjoy seeing bits of your daughter's cottage. It's so charming, and I didn't know the back yard was so big! Love the patio out there. We had mimosa's also this weekend for Jess' bridal shower, and it was such a busy weekend. I'm just relaxing and visiting my favorite blogs today. I love that mermaid pail. I have a thing for mermaids too. That cake looks so moist and Yummy. And this is a cute picture of you tidying up the garden.

    Let us both rest this week after a busy weekend, shall we?

    ~Sheri

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  6. Your daughter's cottage is so cute! She has really done it up nicely. And those hydrangeas - wow! So pretty.
    I had a toothache all weekend and just got into the dentist today. Had a tooth pulled. yuck!
    you've been s busy. Enjoy the rest of your week!

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  7. Your hydrangeas are absolutely beautiful! Your daughter's home is so lovely, I love how she has it decorated. :-) Looks like the pups are having a good time too ;-) Enjoy your evening!

    Blessings,
    Jill

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  8. Dear KAren, my friend, your daughters house is wonderful and so lovely decorated, and her garden looks beautiful too! Thank you for sharing all those lovely pictures, also from your lovely pets :O)
    Wishing you all a wonderful and joyful rest of the week,
    sending Love and hugs and blessings,
    Claudia xo

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  9. Your daughter is blessed with a beautiful home. The porch is a delight and so welcoming. Beautiful hydrangeas. Take care.

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  10. Your garden is looking a treat. How beautiful your Hydrangeas are. Your daughter's home is so very cute. What a blissful time she must have living there I love how she has decorated the interiors.

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  11. A lovely weekend indeed! Your daughters home is beautiful isn't it!! Your garden is wonderful too, so lovely to see all of the beautiful hydrangeas flowering!

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  12. Hello, the wedding sounds like fun. Your daughter's cottage is so cute, I love the colors and beachy theme. The hydrangeas are gorgeous, you have a beautiful garden. Love all the sweet furbabies. Happy Wednesday, enjoy your day!

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  13. It is so pretty in your neck of the woods, Karen. I could just sit and watch Mt. Rainer all day. Your daughter's cottage is gorgeous. She and I have similar colors. As a matter of fact, I have the same blue and green pillows at our little place at the beach.

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  14. That really is the most beautiful cottage and with the hydrangeas blooming it's a great time to get lots of photos! We haven't made big plans...staying cool in this heat! Sweet hugs, Diane

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  15. I WISH I could have had a weekend out. Counting the days til my surgery to help me so I won't be crippled anymore with pain. Still in love with your view.

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  16. All this inclement weather is playing havoc with all the weddings this year. My daughter's friend's family had 40 trying to clear the rainwater from their marquee the night before the wedding but fortunately the actual day was gorgeous. Nice idea about the sand. x

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  17. A lovely photo of you among the flowers Karen. Happy to hear you had a lovely wedding.

    Your daughter's house looks very sweet. Like a doll's house indeed.

    Have a good week!

    Madelief x

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  18. What a cute little 'doll house' your daughter has, Karen. She's made it so inviting. I know you must love to visit her there. Take care, dear friend.

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  19. What beautiful scenery! I'm glad those gorgeous but threatening clouds didn't spoil the wedding. I laughed at Peanut hanging around, waiting for the crumbs to fall from the Masters table. Sounds Biblical. Wonderful photos. Darling cottage!

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  20. I always enjoy your garden posts. Your hydrangeas are so full of blooms!

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  21. HI Karen! I loved reading about the sands of time...what a sweet idea! Seeing your daughter's cottage is always a delight. It's so charming and just so precious. Of course your flowers are beautiful and you know how I feel about your mountain views...ahhhhh!

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  22. Hi Karen, so enjoyed this wonderful post. The wedding sounds lovely and the sands of time is very special. Oh your daughters home is darling. Such a precious cottage with lots of charm. Sounds like a wonderful lunch. We have that same bakery here. I know how good it is. It's got a cute name too.
    Love your gorgeous gardens and everything is growing so beautifully.
    Blessings to you. xo

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  23. Your photos are always fabulous, I enjoyed every one of them. Your daughter's home is just precious! I want to downsize to a cute cottage like that. Beautiful!

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  24. What a lovely post, Karen! Everything looks so beautiful.
    Happy gardening and party organising! xx

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  25. I love hearing about the sand ceremony at the wedding because we did something similar, It wasn't quite the same after 6 weeks at sea getting to Australia, but happy memories! Your daughter has obviously inherited her mothers talent for home making :) Can't wait to her more about the party plans!
    Wren x

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  26. Love EVERYTHING about your daughter's home!
    And the wedding story/with the sands of time...that is phenomenal. And a treasure/keepsake of their special day.

    Of course the mountain scenery is also incredible. You have such lovely blog posts...so enjoyable.

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  27. I fell in love with your daughter's beautiful cottage. And the hydrangeas are growing and blooming! Love the mountain view and the last photo is gorgeous!

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  28. OMG!!! What a beautiful and amazing post filled with so much eye candy! Truly a feast for the eyes! Your daughter's cottage is absolutely darling!! Love it!!
    If i did not already let you know...
    My former blog, Debbie-Dabble was hacked through my Face Book Debbie-Dabble Page. I created a new blog, Debbie-Dabble Blog and I invite you to please follow me on my new blog.

    www.debbie-dabbleblog.blogspot.com

    Hugs,

    Deb

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  29. Your hydrangeas are beautiful and the kind I have been trying to grow here with no luck. I just love the blues and purples of them. I may have pull mine out and start over! Gorgeous pictures as always of your beautiful area! We spent the weekend staying out of the house while the painter did our dining room, running our son to graduation parties and battling poison ivy (me). Busy!

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  30. ooooh what a cute little cottage, it's just adorable!!! it is hydrangea season in the garden, your's are gorgeous, mine are as well, i enjoy them so much.

    i love those mountains, the view is just beautiful!!!!!

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  31. Your daughter's cottage is just so gorgeous, your great taste must have rubbed off on her!
    Loving the sand picture wedding vows, what a lovely idea.
    I can see why you look so happy in your beautiful garden, your hydrangeas are stunning!!
    Looking forward to the surprise.
    Have a wonderful weekend and 4th July :))

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  32. My dear Karen,

    what a lovely post. All these beautiful pictures.
    Your daughters cottage is really a doll´s house. Those little houses are like a cocoon, which keeps you safe and warm. My little Country Lovers Cottage is such a cocoon too. I love these little houses, they are so charming and cozy.
    The Hydrangeas are in amazing full bloom. Wonderful flowers, reminds me of my grandma Gertrud. There were two large Hydrangeas at the front of her house when I was a child, taller than I.
    Your weather is similar to ours here in Western Germany at the moment.
    Since the 14th of May we had almost every day rain, with a few interruptions when we were able to get the hay for our horses in the shelter. Some regions in Germany got more than 150 Liters rain per m² in June
    Hope your weather will turn into sunny for al long, long time.
    Enjoy your garden, it´s so welcoming.
    Hugs from over here, Barbara

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  33. Forgot to mention that I just love your daughter's cottage. So sweet and the colors are calming and perfect for that cottagey feeling.

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  34. You have been very busy, how wonderful to have a little lunch with your daughter and daughter in laws, sounds like some fun planning times. Your bushes are blooming so lovely, so nice when we can bring a touch of our gardens inside to enjoy too! Hope you have a good weekend, celebrating the 4th festivities!

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  35. sweet update of all your happenings... I've been traveling a lot and out of phone service too.. today had a service...so I drop in and had to catch up... you've been busy dear friend...beautiful as always and love your garden too... Your daughter's home is indeed lovely!

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  36. I love your daugghter's cottage. She shows great taste!

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  37. Oh how I love your daughter's cottage. Also absolutely love hydrangea's!

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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