Sunday, June 25, 2017

just a few little things ...

I miss blogging and I just realized today what has kept me from writing.


I'm always taking pictures, but I kept thinking I had to have something BIG to share for a blog post.


We have been working on several big projects for a couple of months.


None are finished, but I decided it was okay to share just a few little things going on around here.


Trying to stay ahead of the weeds has me working in the garden every morning.


The red chair was sitting beneath the living room window, but the Matilija poppy plant has grown so huge that the chair was hidden.


I like its new home because it can be seen from the street.


All the gardening has me bringing greenery and flowers into the house - this is the first time I have put potato vine in a vase and I love how it climbed up the candlestick.


I made some changes to the front porch


 in anticipation of the 4th of July.


The changes I mentioned involve shrinking the amount of furniture in the house and moving things around to create an illusion of space.


The door in the guest room had a table in front of it, but that's now in our bedroom.


There was a huge armoire I used for crafting on this wall, but it is gone and our bedroom seems so much bigger.


And now that I shared a few little things,


I'm going to hit post and head over to read all my favorite blogs.

42 comments:

  1. Lovely to see your bright sunny house & garden ( as we are in the middle of winter here in Australia) .... & you have inspired me to do more with our cabin when summer comes for us ..😀

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  2. That red chair deserved to be shown off in your wonderful garden. I'll bet there are a lot of people taking photos of your home and garden. I'm so dumb, I didn't know potato vines could have flowers, but yours are so pretty!

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  3. Dear friend, hello!

    About blogging; I had a very interesting conversation last week with one of my fellow poets in our poetry group. She is not a blogger but does see my social media presence. To make a long and very inspirational story short, she made me take a second look at my blog and all the work I had put into it for 8 years. I left our conversation hopeful that I may return to blogging, however, with the amount of bloggers quitting over the years and the trend being Instagram (which I LOVE), I don't know if blogging will make any sense for me to spend time on. HOWEVER...for the sake of simply writing and composing my ideas, blogging was the best forum for me. And as you communicate here so gently, writing in general is a very delicate act. Sometimes we simply don't know where to begin and we often think we have to report great things. I am learning more and more that we can take the smaller objects of life and allow them to make the story. We transfer the power to the thing observed, rather than try to control every syllable, line, sentence and paragraph.

    Our garden flowers have much to say. Our homes' walls tell many tales. We are just required to be present at the keyboard and obey.

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  4. I always love your details. They make your home so special. A climbing vine, a draped quilt, a chair angled a particular way. Can you fly over and help :)

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  5. Hi Carol. I love all the flowers and colorful touches around your home. Happy Monday! Hope you have a good week!

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  6. Your garden is wonderful! The red chair adds so much character. You have the most cheery little cottage possible. I love how everything is surrounded by a background of crisp white. Thank you for the high compliment you paid me in my comments! Made my day!

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  7. Your garden looks so pretty! Congratulations on being featured in Cottage and Bungalow.

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  8. Glad to see your blog post Carol. I am feeling just like you. I have so much right now in my life and my blog has suffered. So I hope to get back to it soon. I love IG too but I love communicating and writing on my blog also. So hope when life settles for me I can get back to blogging and visiting blogs too. Love that red chair in your garden. Of course always love seeing your beautiful cottage by the sea rooms too. So bright and pretty.
    Hope you get some news soon on the new arrival!!!
    Hugs,
    Kris

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  9. I love the changes in your home. Less furniture makes a home feel spacious. As always your garden is a magical place. Hugs!

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  10. For the last few months, blogging has become like a chore for me. I used to love it. Apparently, I am not alone. I think that part of the change in attitude has been my focus on Instagram. It's a no pressure form of social media with a big pay off. I do long for the intimacy of blogging, yet I understand that we all put so much pressure on ourselves to come up with a lengthy topic or informative tutorial or something that we have designated as somehow blog worthy. Why do we do this to ourselves??? I enjoyed my visit today. I love your colorful and happy cottage. Puts a smile on my face!

    Love,
    Susan and Bentley

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  11. Loved what you shared! You inspired me to take a look around my home. Thank you!

    Terry

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  12. I was thrilled to travel over to Art and Sand this morning to find you had a new post up. Your posts are like a little vacation! I loved the way you captured that good summer feeling in your photos and words.today. You know that feeling when school was out for summer and you could look forward to running around in new shorts and going barefoot , swimming, playing until it got dark, learning to make a lariat at summer craft class, watching the sheer draperies flutter in the windows or maybe read a library book in the tent you made in your backyard. Even if we are adults now, we still need to grow and cherish that happy carefree summer feeling. In the summertime and all year. It is a gift.

    I was shocked to realize that I hadn't posted to my blog since April until the one I did last weekend. Like you, sometimes I feel like the task is too large. And sometimes I am having too much fun to sit down and write about it. And sometimes I am just too lazy! And I just decided that's OK!

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  13. You take the prettiest pictures....
    And...
    I love your heart shaped stones...💚
    I have been lucky enough to find a few on the beach at the cottage...
    Have a great week...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  14. What a beautiful little oasis you have created - love your use of colors and white -

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  15. Wonderful vinettes of charm abound in your home! I know what you mean about blogging. It is hard sometimes!

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  16. Lovely post! I always enjoy seeing the beauty around you!

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  17. I enjoyed your "little things" post. I too sometimes get too bogged down and put it off.. doing a blog post that is all inclusive of what I've done since the LAST blog post! If I've done too much or gone somewhere, then I feel like I have to keep it all in chronological order! Then I get overwhelmed! You have inspired me to condense it down and just do a little thing here and there... maybe with no rhyme or reason or order to it! I enjoyed all of your sweet little flowers and rocks and vignettes.. all the lovely white and pops of color and flowers.. and oh the red chair. Awesome! Marilyn

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  18. You shared such lovely and pretty and happy photos this week, it was like a visual rest to see your flowers and garden and plants. Thank you indeed. Hugs.
    Joy

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  19. Your vignettes are always superb! Love that quilt on the bed - so stunning, did you make that? I just spent the last 8 straight days replacing two windows in my house, so you can tell how well that project went by the length of time it has taken! I still have to get up into the attic and run new wires to my ceiling lights in the living and dining rooms. I have to say, the windows and new beadboard panels look AMAZING :) Have a great week Carol!

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  20. Your frequent changes to your house and garden always make me smile. Everything looks lovely!

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  21. Oh Carol, I always enjoy your posts. Seeing your beautiful garden and lovely cottage with all your vignettes. Everything looks terrific.

    Hope your weather hasn't been as hot as it has here - it's terrible. I hardly go out.
    I take a early morning walk around my garden in front and back to see what is going on.

    Enjoy the rest of the week.

    Mary

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  22. Your "few little things" are Oh so blog-worthy! They touch little places in our hearts that make us happy.
    Hugs ~

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  23. I always think I need something big to blog about too, but it seems people really love the simple stuff too, so once in awhile I'll just snap a few pics and post. Your home is so darling I love to look at anything you put up on your blog :)

    xo,
    rue

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  24. Even though I've seen some of these pretty pics on Instagram, I never tire of seeing them up close!

    Poppy

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  25. Carol, I love seeing around your house inside and out. You have so many lovely things and gardens. I show my grands pics...cause I haven't been around much. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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  26. You definitely do not have to have something major because life is made of small moments. I love those moments and your pretty photos. :)

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  27. Love all your pictures and all I can do is smile when I stop in here. Love your use of colors and all the different ideas for projects and all. Where did you find the sign of the hand that says that life is short! I love it.

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  28. I know what you mean...sometimes I get so caught up in everyday life, which can be so darn busy, especially with errands and physical therapy and homekeeping and cooking and visiting with friends and family, etc., that I wonder what in the world I can blog about that would even be newsworthy? I love seeing pictures of your beautiful house and gardens at any time!

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  29. It's always interesting to stop by, you change your home up all the time. The main constant is the bright, airy feeling.

    We all have something to bring to the table. Keep up what you are doing, we all admire and like you!

    Jane x

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  30. I could look at your pictures all day long, Carol.

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  31. Just show your simple day to day life. That is plenty!
    Brenda

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  32. I'm so pleased I stopped by and looked at your blog post today.
    Lovely. colourful photographs you've shared.
    Thank you.

    All the best Jan

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  33. Hi Carol, Love all your beautiful changes and so wonderfully presented in your creative photos. Yes, blogging has become less for so many. I think with IG so instantly shared, it makes blogging feel as though we should invest more time sharing a larger or more in-depth story. We are all so busy, maybe it's the time spent with blogging and not the story line at all. I've noticed when I share shorter quick blog posts, I receive double the visits. No doubt social media has changed. I try and do a blog post now about 2-3 times a month but an IG photo everyday. I can't believe how much extra time it has given me to create. Each has to present what they feel comfortable sharing. Your posts big or small are always an inspiration and I love to visit here and IG. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  34. Hi Carol,
    I haven't visited for a long long time, but took the time today as a form of relaxation. Your blog is SO beautiful, calming, and SO inspirational. My heart yearns to live by the sea, but I have much to do and get rid of before I can even think about moving.
    I must make a concentrated effort to visit your blog more often as it gets me pumped up to move faster in ridding myself of "stuff" and thinking about spending my golden days by the sea where I would be so very happy.
    Your gardens are delightful and your cottage is the sweetest.

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  35. Your garden and your pictures...I just love them! I always visit your blog with a great happiness :)
    Love from Titti

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  36. Life is treating you well as is evidenced in your lovely photos. Has that grandbaby arrived yet?

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  37. Everything is so pretty. Nice changes.

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  38. Carol, I love the red chair and of course, I'm loving your heart rock collection! I really need to get a container to display mine in. You have such a charming home and I am so charmed by all the chippy things. Happy 4th of July!

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  39. Your garden and home look so pretty. I always find I can't sit tin the garden for long as I always find something to do! I expect that you can't have much sitting time even in your home as you are always coming up with wonderful ideas of how to change things. Sarah x

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  40. It's always a pleasure to see pictures of your darling pictures.

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  41. Love, love the quilt!!! Love everything really!

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  42. you have inspired me to do more with our cabin when summer comes for us ..😀


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