Happy Friday! It’s the long weekend here in Canada (Victoria Day weekend, or “May 2-4” as it’s often called) so we’re hoping for some decent weather and maybe even a few relaxing moments here and there. No promises though on that last one because we’ve been busy!
I scheduled myself in a little “gardening week” this week and it’s been the most luxurious thing ever. Our schedule has been so non-stop this year and when I saw things starting to really fill up for 2023 already in December and January, I decided that if I was going to have any decent amount of time in the garden at all this spring, I’d have to block some time off officially. Most people go away on vacation, I go to the garden centre. 🙂 Of course, whenever you give yourself time off to get all the things done, you always end up setting unrealistic expectations about how much ground you can actually cover, so I’ve gotten nowhere near checking off my whole list, but it’s still been just lovely. I’ve planted some more lavender in a spot that I’ve been meaning to fill for the last two years at least, added a new hydrangea, a white rosebush, filled some planters, and done a bit of cleanup here and there. There’s still lots of do out there, but it was so nice to get a few things that I’ve been thinking about for months checked off all in one go. Looking forward to watching everything fill in over the summer!
Jack was in his school’s talent show a couple of weeks ago and it was amazing. Some of you may remember me mentioning last summer that Jack had been working on learning all of the flags of the world. Well, he did that, along with a lot of the historical flags of different countries, state and provincial flags, city flags… basically all the flags. When the announcement about the talent show came in, Jack had to be a part of it. He made himself a little slideshow of all the flags of Africa and Asia (because the whole world would go on for too long) and made a little act for himself complete with a little extra banter. He went through a few different rounds of tryouts and then a bunch of after-school practices to get ready for the big event. When the day came, it was so neat to see him up there on that stage in front of all those people, speaking so clearly and confidently with his act. Anyway, naturally I was bursting with pride. It just makes me so happy to see my kids trying new things and gaining new experiences like that. A school talent show is a silly little thing, but in a lot of ways, it’s a big deal too.
Our dining room project is so close to being done! The last thing that needs to go in is the new chandelier, which I needed to send back because it was just a bit damaged, but once we get the replacement in, everything will be just right in there. 🙂 The changes I’ve made in there have been small, but they’ve gone a long way towards making the room feel truly timeless to me and there are so many little things that I’ve added that just bring me so much joy when I walk through the space, which is constantly because it’s right in the middle of our home.
We did a little Mother’s Day brunch again this year and it was so fun for me. At this point in time, I think these things are mostly kind of annoying for the rest of my family, but they humoured me because it was Mother’s Day and they had to. 🙂 I tell myself that one day they’ll appreciate these little traditions that I force on them. Anyway, I thought it turned out to be really cute in the dining room for that morning. I went out first thing in the morning and clipped a few branches from the giant lilac tree to decorate the room and I set up little stations for “mom”-osas, yogurt parfaits and baked goods. Of course I made my Sunday Morning Cinnamon Rolls and I’ll be sharing the recipes for the homemade granola I made as well as the gluten-free chocolate chip muffin loaf soon!
I don’t have a next “mini project” in mind right now and it’s so strange. In the last few months I’ve done little refreshes for the desk nook area, the main mudroom, the back hall mudroom, and the dining room (still not quite done as I mentioned). I always have a little project on the go, just as a fun little thing for me to think about and play around with, but all the other projects that I really want to do around the house are big things that will really need Chris and his expertise, so I kind of have this sense that I’m “done” for now. With Chris shooting and editing for Art & Spaces non-stop these days, there probably won’t be a lot of free time for those bigger projects anytime soon, so I think it’s going to be a really solid summer of me working in the garden for my projects and of course I’m very fine with that. 🙂
NEWS AND FINDS
-Lilac season is here in many areas with cooler climates so I just wanted to re-share this tip for how to keep cut lilacs from wilting. Lilac season is so fleeting and if you want to cut some branches and bring them inside, it’s nice to have them last as long as possible.
-I’ve had this little campaign style table in my cart for about three years now and I finally ordered it when I found the perfect spot in the corner of the dining room a couple of weeks ago! Why did I wait so long? The photos on the site really don’t do it justice. It’s not expensive, but so sturdy and the finish is beautiful. Definitely a timeless piece that I’ll have forever and works in my old house so perfectly.
-A couple of useful Amazon fashion finds: I saw someone mention these belts last year, and I had saved them in my cart just in case I ever needed such a thing. I just ordered them and they’re just great. I love that they come in a set with both a black and a tan belt. So polished looking for the price. I’ve also felt like I needed some kind of simple clutch style handbag for quite awhile. It’s something that I have a use for only very rarely, but there have been times I really wished I had one and my regular purse felt awkward. This one is soft and quite roomy and seems to work with just about everything so far. It actually has several pockets, not just one big one like I assumed it did.
-So, before I ordered my Le Creuset, I had been searching for the one with the gold knob because I have so many gold and aged brass finishes in my home. It took me awhile, but I finally realized that you can actually order the knobs separately! There are quite a few different options and you can switch them out whenever you like. They’re also really not expensive at all. I haven’t ordered mine yet, but I just thought I’d let you know about the interchangeable knob situation in case you were in the dark bout how that worked as well. Just another reason to love your Le Creuset. 🙂
-I really love my Instagram feed right now. It’s so springy and full of blooms. It’s funny how satisfying it is to see all those pretty pictures come together and how they kind of tell a little story about what’s going on in life right now. Seeing how the seasons are reflected through my photos and how they change with the seasons as I scroll down in my Instagram feed is just such a simple little joy for me.
-Pinterest comment of the week: “This is a great recipe! Love the pudding/cake mix combo!” – Stacie on Pinterest. Get the recipe here: Chocolate Cake Mix Pudding Cookies.
MORE RECENT POSTS
- Ideas for a Non-Boring White Kitchen
- How to Grow Tulips
- Recent Room Updates Around Our Old House
- How to Keep Bunnies From Eating Tulips
- Le Creuset Overnight Artisan Bread Recipe
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.