Happy Friday! I hope spring is definitely starting to show up for you in your little corner of the world. If it is, I hope you’ll have the chance to get out and enjoy it this weekend. Things have been busy around here, so let’s get caught up!
I’m starting to plan out a few garden goals for this spring, and it’s really getting me excited. I think I’m always a little lost without my garden during the colder months and I always forget just how much joy and meaning I get out of watching things grow and learning the little personalities of all the plants I tuck into various spots around the property. Plans always change and grow throughout the season, of course, but this year I have a few very clear goals that I want to start out with. The first one is that I’m absolutely going to find seeds for white sunflowers. I realized last year that white sunflowers, as opposed to the usual yellow, orange, or red tones that I usually plant would be so beautiful in our garden, but it was a bit late in the season when that finally dawned on me. So a big row of white sunflowers is a priority this year. I’m also determined to find the perfect birdbath to go on our back deck. It’s such a granny move, but we had an overturned trash can lid there at one point last year for a few weeks during a project and it was delightful to see all the birds that were enjoying the rainwater that would catch it in. So I’m a birdbath person now. 🙂
We had a bit of a different Easter weekend this year, but it was lovely. Kennedy’s last week of university for the semester happened to be the week after Easter this year, so it didn’t really make sense for her to travel all the way home and waste precious time that she could be using to finish up final projects. We decided that not seeing her at all for Easter wasn’t a good option, so we went to her instead and had a nice day-and-a-bit in Toronto with her before heading back home in time for the Easter Bunny. Luckily, I called ahead and got the Easter Bunny to drop her basket off for her a few days early before we left, so she was still able to have all her treats. We did our usual egg hunt on Sunday morning with Jack and then just spent the day visiting with local family, and a good time was had by all. We missed Kennedy for Easter breakfast, but we were glad not to give her any unnecessary stress at the end of her first year of university.
Speaking of Kennedy, I’d say the little refresh I’ve been doing on her room is nearly complete-ish. I still have a few special finds that I’d like to come across to add in, but those might take a bit of time. As of right now, everything is painted and I’m quite happy with how the built-in desk/shelf wall has turned out, thanks to the amazing Bergère chair I found at Habitat for Humanity that I think really helped to pull it all together. You can see that wall of the room in this post here: Bookshelf Wealth is the Trend That Needs to Not Be Just a Trend.
I’ll go through the room in a bit more detail and share the sources for everything non-vintage, but I wanted to mention the curtains right now because they were such a great deal and they’ve ended up being quite beautiful. I had a lot of people ask about them when I first shared them on Instagram, and now that they’re hung with rings and steamed, I’m even happier with them. I’m hoping to find some kind of antique wood tray to top off the dresser, a few more vintage wicker baskets for under the bed, and if I can find some kind of beautiful antique mirror to hang on the wall instead of the basic black one that we have in there now, I’ll be just thrilled. 🙂
I came across the find of the century a few weeks ago at our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore and it has been just the jolt of inspiration we needed to start thinking about starting on a few kitchen updates we’ve been meaning to do. I have the best luck with my thrifting and antiquing finds. It seems like as soon as I get an idea in my mind about a certain piece I’d like to come across, it’s there waiting for me the next time I go, sometimes the very next day. I decided that what I would really like along the big open wall in the kitchen isn’t more cabinetry but another beautiful antique piece to add a bit of storage and a bit of personality to that side of the room. I popped into the ReStore, and there waiting for me was the most amazing 18th century Hepplewhite sideboard. I took a picture of it on my phone, but I assumed it was way too big for our little wall and didn’t think anything more of it. That night, I was looking up information on these sideboards and trying to figure out what the brass piece on top was for and I came across quite a few for sale – priced anywhere between $4000USD and $14000USD! This one was $252, so I thought maybe it needed a second look. I brought Chris and Jack back with me the next day to see it, armed with the actual measurements for the wall, and it turned out to be a perfect fit. Getting it home in the back of the truck was a little dicey, and I swear I held my breath the whole way, but we made it and it’s just perfect. Up next for the room: new flooring, paint, a bit of trim, and some decor to help everything finally come together a little more nicely.
It’s my birthday this weekend! I’m so bad at knowing what to do for my birthday each year, but this year I have some fun plans that I’m quite excited about. Usually I feel like any of the ideas I come up with are too fancy and impractical, especially since we live in such a rural area and things are often just too far to drive to comfortably in an afternoon or evening. This year, though, I thought it would be fun to take myself for another treasure hunt to Cobbletog. I might even force Chris and Jack to come with me in case I find something heavy that I absolutely can’t leave behind. Rather than try to find a restaurant for dinner that suits everyone, which is honestly a fairly difficult task, I thought I’d make life easy on myself and just come back home for easy appetizers, snacks, and cupcakes for dinner. And then I can get to work organizing all my finds from the day, which is always the best part.
NEWS AND FINDS
-All of our local garden centers are getting ready to open for the year, and spring gardening season is so close! Here’s a little inspiration for the season ahead:
–How to Keep Bunnies From Eating Tulips
–How to Grow Beautiful Solomon’s Seal
–Growing Catmint: Delightful and Well-Behaved
–How to Actually Keep a Fern Alive
-One thing I was determined to find for the warmer months this year was a good, practical, plain black one-piece swimsuit. I decided to try one with great reviews from Amazon before I went investing in any $200 suits that I’d only really wear a handful of times and I got really lucky with this one! Flattering, non-frumpy, but appropriate for a day by the beach or the pool with family. This style comes in a whole bunch of colors, so give it a try if you’re looking for a suit like this. I got the XS size.
-Amazon home finds: I saw this super affordable neutral floral quilt and just had to try it for Kennedy’s room. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up keeping it because the whites in the pattern were just a little too bright and crisp for the room, but I was sad to let it go! If you’re in the market for a quilt, this one was surprisingly thick, with beautiful stitching and a soft, cottony feel. I also decided to try some of these rechargeable LED bulbs for a lamp that doesn’t have a plug nearby, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well they work. Sometimes, technology is just so great.
-Are you familiar with the work of architect Gil Schafer? I recently ordered one of his books, The Great American House, and I’ve just been poring over every word and photo. So much expertise and inspiration when it comes to classic and traditional homes. I’m forcing myself to finish this first book before I order any of the others so I don’t miss a single thing.
-Pinterest comment of the week: “OMG!!! So simple and so good! I don’t have to buy syrup ever again. The best thing, I can control how much is made. Sometime the store bought syrup expires before I finish it.” Try the Homemade Pancake Syrup recipe for yourself!
RECENT POSTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
- What to Buy From the Habitat for Humanity ReStore
- Orange Marmalade Thumbprint Cookies With Spicy Ginger Glaze
- The Vodka Vase Trick to Prevent Drooping Tulips
- Modern Thrift Store Decorating: What I Always Look For
- Five Things on a Friday – 2/23/24
This post contains affiliate links.
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.