Finally! Spring has arrived! I thought it would never come! 

My Family definitely made fun of my chalkboard! The birds are back and my fish survived their first winter in our new pond! Family celebration over a few fish , I have to say!

We still have so much clean up to do, but we are off and running!

 Peas are in, woo hoo...

Plants are getting ready to make their debut...

Lilac Buds

The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.

Sigh... most peaceful at home,

Happy Spring!

After work I went to the gym and on the way home it occurred to me that I haven't posted in a while. I think it's a combination of being busy and that winter just doesn't seem to want to end. More snow means snow pictures? Nope... done with that!  Anyway, on my way home it also dawned on me that I spend a majority of my time with boys! The majority of my classroom is boys, I live with three boys (My husband and two sons that is) and I grew up with three brothers. Most of my childhood memories actually include Stretch Armstrong, BMX bikes, and making obstacle courses in the back yard more than Barbies. In fact, when I went away to college, I was walking to class one day and I was shocked to see my roommate wearing one of my sweaters! What was she doing? This was a strange phenomenon. Huh, yea most of my life surrounded by boys!

So, after leaving the gym ( specifically the weight room filled with men) I decided to indulge in two of my favorite things! Girl things....yes girl things...burlap and flowers.

Now the boys in my life can't quite understand my obsession with either one! They can't understand why I keep buying more burlap and they most certainly can't understand it's use. Flowers? Well, in my opinion you can never have enough. Which is why all my savings tends to go towards perennials  and plants of course.

They see "uncomfortable" fabric and I see style. Even one of my favorite male colleagues says, "What? Burlap? How do you fold that up and tuck it under your head to get comfortable on the couch?" My response: "Ah, its not really about the comfort, it's about just plain looking pretty, kind of like stilettos, they are certainly not made for comfort!"

Personally, I am more comfortable buying burlap than ANY heels for that matter. My house seems to have become burlap and I vs. the boys. Even as an adult I tend to lean towards more "Tom boy" activities and interests, but when it comes to my home, I am all girl! Which means burlap and flowers win every time!

I have to say, I kind of wish my college roommate lived closer, the clothes sharing thing wasn't a bad deal!

In the meantime, in my life surrounded by boys... we will just have to live in harmony :) 

And that is perfectly fine by me! Always grateful...sigh...

Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed.
Walt Whitman 

Flowers on the window sill is a reminder that Spring will be here soon. On this groundhog day, I am hoping that seeing the shadow will indeed bring an early Spring!

Looking forward to seeing all of the bulbs that Riley and I planted in the Fall.

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.
Luther Burbank 

This week it has been hovering around zero degrees or below! I thought it would be nice to share my indoor gardening photos. It gets me through these next few months until I can really get outside and start!

Stay warm my friends....Spring is coming :)

I gratefully did not have a blue Christmas this year by any means. However, I am feeling blue after the Holidays as I always do now that my favorite time of year has past. So this year I thought I would accept that blue, surround myself by it and look forward to my second favorite time of year! My inspiration? Cupsogue beach, West Hampton.

I have been lucky enough to live half my life on the beaches of Long Island, and half my life enjoying beautiful mountains and lakes. This life has allowed me to fall in love with all that is nautical and really all that is blue.

Beach sand surrounding candles and a touch of blue in the carpet.

My beach inspired art work that were wrapped like presents.

Blue

Blue

Blue after Christmas...

And finally since it's still below zero in Vermont, a cozy blue blanket to cuddle up next to the fire. Looking forward to coming back home this summer to the beaches of L.I. and looking forward to boating on the lake...sigh......

Do you ever wonder what to do with your art work that doesn't always go with your holiday theme? I do! I have some beautiful canvas prints that are a little beachy.  At work one day I was talking to one of our new teachers, you know the young, energetic type? Well she gave me the idea to wrap those big prints. I couldn't find wrapping paper that was less loud so I went with letting the ribbon be the star of the piece! 

Something different and holiday decorating, I'll give it a try!

The more decorating on the inside will help with the lack of snow on the outside :(    I hope!
Still dreaming of a white Christmas!

In the beginning of December it felt like Christmas! The family cut down the tree and it was snowing in Vermont, really it was! Today it was sunny and 50! While some Vermonters I talked to today said things like...

"I'll take it," "fine by me, I'm not ready." I on the other hand longed for this...

So I took action and decided to come right home after work to make ornaments with my kids.
Knowing that I had driftwood collected and saved from the warm sunny days on the lake, I decided to take those warm weather memories and use them for creating hopefully cold weather memories... Christmas Memories!

While Christmas music was playing, arose a tiny reindeer...

Red ribbon, glue guns and such a clatter....

And then creative thoughts danced in Riley's head...

Leading to all of us hoping for SNOW!!!