Cottage A B C's

One of the projects on my March list was to clean and organize my attic.

Among the items I purged, were 39 books I have filled over the last 17 years with ideas for decorating my home.

It was a difficult decision to throw all of the books in the recycle bin, but I have many of the ideas in the books on my Pinterest boards and I never go up to the attic to look at the books.

One article I had saved years ago was Cottage ABC's and I used it as my inspiration for this post to highlight the ABC's that are present in my own little cottage.

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I am joining these fun parties

Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

Green Willow Pond - What We Accomplished Wednesdays

Lavender Garden Cottage - Cottage Style Party

Cedar Hill Ranch - The Scoop

Coastal Charm - Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Kathy With an E - You're Gonna Love It Tuesday

Cozy Little House - Tweak It Tuesday

Where does the time go?

I have been catching up with everyday life after a long weekend away.

Our garden room has been crying out for love lately so I spent all day Monday and Wednesday outdoors.

The garden is now a welcoming spot for relaxing

and eating lunch.

A few flowers were cut for the living room

and the dining room.

The last of my daisies were made into a bouquet for my next door neighbor.

In search of teacups and teapots for an Alice in Wonderland baby shower my daughter is hosting, I came across these polka dot plates and could not pass them up.

Windows thrown open on a gorgeous spring evening, Easter flowers and the polka dot plates made a simple dinner of salad and scallops a little bit festive.

And that is all I have to show for the entire week.

Where does the time go?

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Elizabeth & Co. - May Garden Party

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson - Share Your Cup Thursday

Rooted in Thyme - Simple & Sweet Fridays

My Romantic Home - Show and Tell Friday

French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday

Easter in Cool

Steve and I took a road trip for the Easter holiday to visit Steve's brother and his wife who moved to Cool, California last fall.

We also got to see both of Steve's sisters and their families along with our nephew, his wife and darling little boy.

After a drive along a narrow winding road we arrived to this view of the back yard.

Next time I will be prepared to take a dip in the pool or be loaded with Skin So Soft so I can sit and read on the bench without being eaten alive by the No See Ums.

The incessant buzzing of the bees in this patch of purple could be heard from the deck.

Oddly enough, in this small town, we actually have friends who live in the same gated community so we walked over for a visit.

I love the variety of trees dotting the landscape

and of course there must be a few palm trees.

We passed gardens carefully planted by the homeowners

and fields of poppies planted by the wind.

Homes are distributed sparsely across the land

and many have stables for horses.

Our friends Joel and Suzette have created a beautiful garden surrounding their house.

But, Steve's brother has planted nothing in the time they have lived in Cool.

Geoff and Joanne have counted on Mother Nature to create a welcoming spot for viewing or relaxing.

We are back at home, behind in gardening, cleaning and blogging, but the short weekend escape to the country was wonderful.