It's Cherry Blossom Time

The cherry trees are in full bloom in northern Wisconsin. What a beautiful sight!

Finally...

The long awaited first day of Spring is finally here. The snow on the ground is almost all melted. 

All I can say is, ITS ABOUT TIME!

xo

jeanne

Starting to Decorate for Spring

Today is March 1st and it's the first day of "Meterolgical Spring." The more common first day of spring is March 20th, which is referred to as "Astronomical Spring." But since everyone around here is so sick and tired of winter's snow and ice, I decided to recognize the earlier date this year.

Other than bunches of fresh flowers which I purchased at the grocery store, this St. Patrick's Day vignette is all I have put out so far. I painted the leprechaun couple many, many years ago.

And the same for this St. Patty's Day bird nest.

The white tulips are in memory of my Aunt Helen, who recently passed away. She told me she had white tulips at her wedding and my Uncle gave them to her on their anniversary in February every year since.

Have you started to decorate for Spring yet?

xo

jeanne

Freshly Picked Lilacs

One of my favorite flowers are lilacs. These are from one of the lilac bushes in my backyard. I love the gorgeous color, the heavenly scent and the delicate flower-clusters on every branch. Spring is my favorite time in the garden. It's when all the surprises that my DH planted over the years burst forth and show themselves. It's funny how every year the same plants bloom and yet I get so excited by them as if I were seeing them for the first time. I consider these as little gifts from my husband that keep on giving year after year. 

xoxo

jeanne

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go! 

1. I use very little salt when I cook.

2. "Titanic" is one of my favorite movies.

3. It's supposed to rain a little tomorrow.

4. Spring time is finally here!

5. I said "You are such agood friend to me," and then she said, "That's what friends are for."

6. Deep dish cheese pizza is what I'm craving right now!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going out to dinner with friends, tomorrow my plans include working on my taxes and Sunday, I want to...hmmm....I haven't quite decided yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something!

Play along here.

Happy Spring!

Today is the First Day of Spring and no one can be happier about that than me! This has been a long winter here in the midwest, for me anyway. It wasn't that we had an unusually large amount of snow this winter. Rather it was the fact that every time the snow would finally melt, it would start to snow again. I no longer have little ones at home who always delight at the sight of fresh snow with visions of snowmen, snowball fights, snow angels, sledding, ice skating, etc dancing through their heads. Instead I am an empty-nester who looks at snow as the drudgery of shoveling, driving on slippery roads, bundling up with layers of clothing, gray skies, scraping ice off car windows, higher heating bills, etc.  And being a person who took several falls on the ice in my very own driveway this year, perhaps you can understand why I have had it with snow, ice and winter in general.

Punxsutawney, the famous ground hog from Pennsylvania, did not see his shadow on February 2nd predicting an early spring. But I have lost all faith in weather forecasting underground mammals since we still have snow on the ground here on this first day of spring.

So I decided to look through my old photos to reminisce about more warmer and colorful times, knowing that those days are coming....eventually. 

 That is one of the few things about life that is constant . . . after the winter comes the spring - the season of renewal, rebirth, and hope. 

So as I sit here sipping my morning coffee on the first day of spring, pouring over floral photographs, while the thermometer says it is 14 degrees outside, I cling to the hope that spring is right around the corner. 

Happy First Day of Spring to everyone!

Instagram Wednesday

I'm back with more flowers from my garden! I've never been more excited to see all these colorful blooms. Everything is at least a month early because of all the warm weather we've been having. I can't remember when the last time we've had all these flowers in full bloom during the first day of Spring. It's just such a lovely sight I couldn't help snapping a few more photos!

Wildflower Update

Remember the picture (2nd one down) from this post? Well, things have progressed in the wildflower garden up at the cottage and it's looking a lot nicer these days than it did back then.

Bunches of Daisies. . .

Lupines (I think). . .

and several colors of Phlox.

Even more varieties have popped up since I took these photos. Enough so, that I picked some to

put into a vase and enjoy inside!

Where I've Been

I went on a little trip to Atlanta last week, thanks to a friend of mine.

It felt good to get away.

A change of scenery is always good medicine for the mind.

I saw beautiful things like this.

And I came home to the likes of this!!!

Quite a difference, huh?

I'll have more photos of the colorful type to share soon.

Vintage Hat Boxes

I was so inspired by Jessica Enig's pretty little hat box project featured in the March 2011 issue of Romantic Homes Magazine, that I decided to make a few myself to give to some special friends I was seeing for lunch yesterday.

I used this lavender, aqua and green floral vintage wallpaper that I bought ages ago to cover the paper mache boxes.

The girls just loved them and now I have to find some time to make one for myself!

A Little Springtime!

I just couldn't wait any longer. I had to get my Easter decor out and start decorating. Spring is my favorite season of the year, with all the wonderful colors and the miracle of new plants sprouting up from the earth. It's especially appreciated here in the midwest after all the ice, snow and dreariness that we have during winter. So I set up this little Easter vignette on my dining room table to brighten things up around here. Hopefully my African violets in the basket will start to bloom again soon. Have you started decorating for Easter yet?

Happy Springtime!

Sunny Side Up

"Rain, rain, go away ~ Come again some other day." If it's not snow, it's rain. I can't tell you how gloomy it looks outside. I guess I should look on the bright side and be happy that it's warm enough (41-degrees) to be rain and not sleet or snow. I wish it were warmer though and more importantly, sunny. It's interesting how much sunshine can effect my mood. It can be freezing cold outside, but if the sun is out it makes everything seem SO much better. My Norwegian grandmother used to sing "You Are My Sunshine" to me when I was little and it always put a smile on my face. Maybe there's some sort of connection.

Exciting News!

I just wanted to share some exciting news I found out about a couple weeks ago. Two of my spring projects are featured in the 2010 issue of Holidays & Celebrations which is on news stands right now. There's lots of great projects in this issue so be sure to check it out!

Spring Break

Happy Easter!

We no longer have children in school that are on Spring Break, but with everything that is going on here I decided to take my own spring break for a little bit just to recharge and regroup. Thanks to all of you who have been sending prayers our way (see previous post).

I am hoping that the tide will change soon and things will be bright again.

Joli Paquet Kit Sales Day!

Well here they are. . . .fresh new springtime kits have just been listed in my Etsy Shop. Pictured above is my Spring Collage Kit that is featured on the Joli Paquet blog. But I couldn't stop at just one. . . .I put together this Easter Basket Kit based on my tutorial which I posted on Joli Paquet last week. I switched it up a little and used different papers and colors.
Last, but certainly not least, is this adorable Purse Collage Kit which I put together just in time for Mother's Day. You'll have lots of fun putting this one together. All the kits are now available in my Etsy Shop right here.