Smorgasbord of a post...

My mother-in-law, Vicki, took me aside shortly after Shawn and I got engaged and shared a very insightful tidbit on my future groom.  She said, "Shawn is very even tempered UNLESS he is tired or hungry.  Don't try to reason with him if he is either of these two things... just feed him or order him to rest!"  Time and again this has proven to be very helpful info.  BUT recently I have found another 'trigger' for some irrational behavior and ranting in my husband.  That newest trigger?  Weeks without rain.  Yep.  Especially when pouring rain is spotted just yards away, yet we only get a few drops.  Especially when we get the horrendous winds related to said thunderstorms but no rain.  Shawn's sense of reason is lost entirely when the sky goes black, the wind whips, the lightning strikes, the thunder booms... and still no rain.  It isn't pretty folks.  I think my dear hubby is so tired of dragging hoses all over our acreage fighting what I think is a losing battle mother nature and trying to keep trees and plants alive.  I have learned to go hide when he is ranting... I attempt to grab any innocent children in arms reach and save them too... good thing is these rants are quite dramatic yet short lived.  Ohhhh, do we need some rain,  BAD!!

Today I went out and gathered some maple branches that were victims of the latest storm winds.  I figure there should be at least one good thing that comes of the thunderstorms of late... so I brought them inside and plopped them in vases.  Not sure if this reminder, of our rainless state, inside our house will push dear husband over the edge, but I'm taking the risk.

 On our round family room table I put some Solomon's Seal that was flattened to the ground by the wind.  If you haven't planted any of these, and you have a shady spot... you really should, their foliage is breathtaking!

 My favorite things to put in these French Spice Jars is hostas and ferns. 

My quinces have stopped blooming but I think their branches are lovely all on their own.

 My niece, Emma, came over for a few day last week.  One of the first things she said, "You changed your dining chairs AGAIN?!"  Observant gal.  Grimace.  There have many different chairs that have served as dining chairs but these are my favorite by far.  I was wanting to add a natural element here and the woven chairs were the perfect texture.

 And these are so comfortable too.  I want to find a different seat cushion, these are the ones that came with them and they are an outside vinyl-like material... but for now they are fine.

 These are the pillow covers I got for the banquet benches for Summer.  Love.

 I fell in love with a new floral fabric at PotteryBarn called 'Vanessa'.  It has the perfect grey blues and also introduces some fantastic yellows and muted greens.  I used this fabric in some updates in our bedroom too... hopefully I can post about that finished project soon.

 I have been stalking this bench at PotteryBarn for quite some time.  Actually they first introduced a daybed in this design but it was too large for a nook upstairs that I want a daybed for.  But then they made this bench in the same design but I couldn't pay that much for it.  2 weeks ago I got a huge 'family & friends coupon' for PB and I ordered the bench immediately.  I love, LOVE the shape, and I think it looks great on the front porch... but the color is blah.

 I think its because it is right next to these chairs which are brown too.  Brown overload.  Thoughts on a good paint color for the bench?  I am leaning towards a grey blue and then heavily sand it so the brown comes through.  Not sure though?!

 I moved this huge canvas out to the front porch.  For 5 years I could not figure out something fill the huge space in this nook.  I stole this canvas off the wall in my bedroom, the size is truly gigantic.  The funny thing is that Shawn did not even notice it missing off our bedroom wall, NOR notice its new presence on the front porch.  Observant much?

 The canvas is wired to the wall so it stays put and is under the overhang of the porch enough that it is doing quite well out there.  I think I want to paint the bench a blue pulled from the sky of this canvas...

A post with no rhyme or reason... very appropriate for our lives right now ;)  Summers tend to be crazy for us... but I'll miss the crazy when all settles down in the Fall, so I am trying to roll with it!