Thankfully OK Thursday!

It's OK & Thankful Mashup!

It's OK ...

...to love hot weather, but I would rather enjoy it lake, beach, or poolside!

...to be obsessed with egg & cheese sammies for breakfast

...to have paid $8 for a quart of cherries and enjoy every succulent bite!

...that my hubs finally has a day of tomorrow (the first since 6/3) and I couldn't be happier for him!

...that I try to like cheap makeup, but I can't help myself around the good stuff (BE)

via google images

Colors: Page Six & Most Requested {yes I bought this}

...my girlfriend Alison & I got our craft on at Hobby Lobby yesterday...

...now that I made jam I will never want store bought crap again...

...that I can't find the energy to make another batch of said yummy jam!

...to walk around my gardens/plants in awe and amazement of my accomplishments...

...that we may be buying water/squirt guns to get Holly to stop barking at every thing! {water is the only thing that works at her misbehavior, and I don't want to do shock collar treatments!}

...that husband and I will probably  need two squirt guns so we can wage a water war against one another!

Thankful

I am most thankful for:

...patience

...faith

...hope

...optimism
...for our new deck and being able to grill out on it with my love!

...finding the good in everything

...tonight is our first real DATE NIGHT in forever

...that tomorrow is finally Friday; I have been waiting so long for you!

...for true friends who love & support me always

...family who truly cares

...this gorgeous August-like weather...

...my flowers beginning to bloom...
 

...life.

Link up with the fabulous 

Neely & Amber

and the lovely Tracy

Remember to have a beautifully blissful day!! 

xox

Mulch Madness

TGIF!

Two more days of the Tent Sale & then I have my hubby again!!
I have been a serious gardener these last few weeks.

I am so proud to show off my latest accomplishments!
{With the help of hub's cousin who offered to help a girl out}

So it started like this:

I began pulling weeds, then decided I ought to capture what the jungle looked like.

Before

 After many tedious hours, it started to look better...
Have you heard of Creeping Myrtle?
I think the bish is dead and I hope she doesn't return.
Ever.

During

 Finally, we ended up with this beautiful garden:

After

Now I just need some annuals to add a few pops of color here and there!

I ordered 4 yards of mulch and worried I wouldn't have enough.

 Turns out, we had plenty!

We even had enough to do all around the new deck in the backyard!

We are feelin all fancy pants up in herrrr.

 Front left of house.

Dining room windows.

Now, I know this may bore some of you.

Heck, I could have cared less a few years ago.
But now I feel such a sense of accomplishment 

and truly enjoy the beauty of our new landscaping.

I even love love love our front porch.

 A little patriotic bow.

Wreath: CVS

Garden Flag: Lowes

Patriotic Bow: $1 store

Welcome mat: Bed Bath & Beyond

Planter: From my mother

Garden stones: Wegmans & garden stores

So that concludes my mini garden tour.

Pictures don't do it justice;

or maybe I am just partial since my blood, sweat, and tears went into its making.

Kidding on the tears...I think.

Have a beautiful Friday lovies!!

Are you a Dirty Girl?

And by that I mean, ahem, gardening, ladies. 

My mother-in-law refers to a club in which her friends and her shared gardening tips,

and they call themselves Dirty Girls.

Love it.

I have faint memories of helping my mother and grandmothers in their gardens when I was little.

I also have many memories of me killing plants throughout my life.

I do not have a green thumb.

However, like most things I'm not great at, I try not to give up.

My ability to bake and cook did not develop on the first batch of cookies, or the first time I made pasta.

Practice makes perfect, and small victories build confidence.

It also helps to have really good gardeners in my life!
My friend Jill helped me pick out flowers that would work best in part sun/shade,

since we don't get a lot of sun on the back deck, which is where I wanted to put the pots.

I also had her come over and give me some tips on how to keep the front gardens looking better.

My mother-in-law is the greenest person I know {in more ways that one!}

She has huge gardens with all fresh veggies and lots of pretty flowers and plants.

She's very good at it.

So this was me yesterday...

I am still working on the front gardens and they are not ready for viewing;

once I pull all the creeping Myrtle out and finish weeding, we're mulching, and then I can share.

My six pots came out pretty darn nice if I may say so!
As I put them together, I think of it as styling an outfit.

Which colors look best together?

You don't want too much filler, but you need enough to look put together well.

Don't pair all big fluffy plants all together, but rather  mix and match.

It really is like clothing/jewelry, but they're flowers!

Here are the looks--errr--potted flowers, I came up with!

[Note: You're getting a sneak peak of our deck, since we don't have patio furniture yet,

I haven't unveiled what it looks like. Also, the spindles are in the process of being painted]

This one is my favorite!

 Joe said this is his favorite;

it reminds him of fireworks shooting out.?

So it probably took me two hours, to plant/figure out how I wanted it to look.

I am so, so happy with them!
So, if you're still not plant savvy, just get a pot, some dirt and pick out some flowers/fillers

and play around!
The worst that can happen?

They die.

The best?
Beautiful flowers to smile at over a cup of tea, and a sense of accomplishment.

If you use Miracle Grow potting soil, water them, give them sunlight, and love them, 

you'll make a fabulous dirty girl.

My neon mani may be a bit ruined, but that's OK.

My pretty new flowers are worth it!

My other new mini project:
Decorating the Mantle

I love changing up the looks of things around here.

So, with the help of photos, I put away/pull out from storage

and a quick trip to the Dollar Tree,

a fun & festive mantle to last up through early July!

Bird: Gift from my MIL

Star: $1 store

Garland: $1 store

 Sun: $1 store

Flip Flop photo frames: My sister's bridal shower favors I bought

 Frame: a gift from my step-mom

Photo: Vegas--summer 2008

So there's my Suzie Homemaker update for the week!
What are some fun things you're doing around your home?
I love inspiration.

Happy Digging!!