fewer...finer

 

Hello sweet friends.  The other day I posted this photo and IG and it got a lot of attention.  Lots of people private messaged me as well as left comments so I thought I'd post it here too.  It pretty much sums up the way I've been living the last couple of years.  I call it fewer/finer.  I've slowly been decluttering and somehow making this place mine without erasing Larry.  It's a delicate balance.  I know some widows that don't touch anything after their loved one has passed away and I know widows who have sold the house and moved for a fresh start.  I say whatever works for you and brings you any amount of peace is the way to go. 

For me that has meant a slow but deliberate clean out and upgrades here and there.  Btw, July's budget was blown to bits bc of a few upgrades.  But to me overdue and well worth it.  I upgraded my window hardware using Pottery Barn Teen rods.  Their regular range of hardware was a little too big and overwhelming for my room and I love it.  I also purchased their Belgium linen drapes.  I'll leave links below.  These have an ethereal feel allowing light in but giving lots of privacy.  You eagle eyed readers will also notice a new landscape which I adore too.  So small shifts here and there feel good to me.  My home is feeling a little fresher, feminine and above all serene.  xo

PB Teen drapery rods

PB Belgium linen drape White

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how i'm trying to save money in july

 

Hi dear friends.  I thought I'd talk a little about saving money in July.  As our summer temps go up so do the utility bills.  The garden demands more water and I demand more interior coolness.  

In my last post I told you about the thick triple lined Ethan Allen drapes I purchased and they have helped so much.  I pretty much keep them closed once the sun moves around to that part of the house.  But luckily my entry and living room get early morning sun so I can keep the drapes opened here for most of the day which I love bc I like bright interiors.  They make me happy.

I was able to get these gorgeous pink hydrangeas from a friends garden.  Gosh they are beautiful.

I've been trying many different methods of saving water in the garden,watering in the morning vs the evening.  I've been hand washing my dishes and saving the rinse water and can use that in all my pots outside.  I have no idea if this will make much of a dent in the water bill but I feel good trying.  I also have cut way back on cooking anything.  I don't know what is happening to me but I dread cooking these days.  So overnight oats and various salads are what I've been eating.  Also lots of cold water with lemon and orange slices.  I notice overall I'm driving less and just doing less.  I think it's leftover covid isolation.  I'm not hating it.  I'd love to hear how you are saving this month.  Any tips in the comments would be wonderful! x

ps - and what are you guys eating?

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keeping my cool

 

One of the many things I've always complained about over the years is how having no insulation in this house has been a challenge in the cold and heat.  Well hopefully I will complain no more (not likely) thanks to these drapes I stumbled upon at a flea market not long ago.  

 

A dear reader in the comments once suggested I tell you more about my finds so consider your suggestion taken dear.  Here's the story...

I was at a small flea market looking for things for Mary's house when off in the distance I saw a pile of what appeared to be toile fabric.  So naturally I proceeded directly to it.  As I picked up the heavy fabric I could see they were drapery panels.  The woman selling them said they were Ethan Allen and she was selling them because she had recently moved.  I counted them quickly and there were 9 in total.  I asked her what she was selling them for and she said five.  I thought $500 is not bad for 9 double lined/insulated Ethan Allen in perfect condition drapery panels.  I told her I'd have to zip to the bank to get more cash.  I looked around at the rest of her items for sale and before leaving double checked the price.  She said yes $5 per panel. Oh my goodness...she did not!  But yes that was the price, $45 for all 9 panels.  Guys these drapes are gorgeous. They block out the cold and heat in my home.  I put them in my bedroom, in the little study room and use one as a blanket.  I used a pair at Mary's house too.  Anyway that is the story of the Ethan Allen toile drapes. x

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summer of love

 

Let's have a summer of love, shall we?

Let's love what we have right now...not when this or that is just right.  Right now.

I'm including everything in my summer of love.  Even if things are falling apart or nothing is going the way I thought it'd go...I'm gonna love it exactly as is.  Life is always easier when I accept it exactly how it is in this v. moment.  x

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en plein air

 

Outdoors.  My favorite place to be but with my allergies it is getting harder and harder to be outdoors.  This is why Francisco has been a godsend.  This garden was in pretty bad shape when he arrived.  It had been neglected for a solid 2 years so his work was cut out for him.  Slowly but surely every week he tended it and while it still has a way to go it's a miracle to me that it is coming back.

One of my favorite things he has done is install sprinklers in the front.  What a relief!  Watering this garden was a full time job in the summer so now everything is watered consistently and efficiently.  He is also creating a boxwood garden along that side fence.  It will be about 3 years before it will look really good but it is so exciting to me.  He has sprinkled in some white iceberg roses because they are pretty tough too.

I have a sweet story about Francisco I'd like to share.  So on one of my daily walks I pass a gorgeous old Mediterranean home.  The garden is just so spectacular.  Each time I pass I would try to figure out a way to get Francisco up here to show him this garden.  Well one day as I'm walking by Francisco pulls up and sure enough begins working in the garden.  Turns out he is the gardener at this house!  How random is that?  I think it's kismet.  x

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fresh starts

 

Hello dear friends.  I may have an idea of how to keep my blog going.  I'm going to give it a shot for sure.  I take photos here and there and so I'll post them and just talk about them or anything else that comes to mind.  One thing I'm excited about is that there will be no ads.  I've given up reading most blogs bc the ads are so distracting I don't know if I'm reading the post or an ad.  Nothing against those that have them...in fact I admire them bc there is a lot of work that goes into ads.  Or sponsorship.  It is a lot of hard work and why shouldn't they get compensated?  It was v motivating for me I'll admit.  But now I just don't have the energy.  There is a chance I will add some of my favorite products to the sidebar but that is mostly bc I get asked often about certain things.  There is also the small issue that I cannot reply directly to your comments.  That is so annoying but I can live with it.

The weather has been lovely here.  The garden looks so good and it isn't bc of me.  I've hired a garden man to help me.  His name is Francisco and I adore him.  He does so much for this garden I can't believe it.  What a lifesaver.  

I'm in love with this dried baby's breath.  It looks so ethereal and sculptural at the same time.  I've been trying to declutter more and more and trying to do little projects inside.  I hope to report on some of them soon.  So that's pretty much that.  We'll see how this fresh start goes...x

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good grief

 Well here I am.  Once again trying to write something interesting.  We'll see how that goes...

I know I've worried some of you and for that I apologize.  I have tried so many times to write here and I keep coming up blank.  It's hard to describe where I am right now.  In many ways the shock of losing Larry is wearing off and so now I am feeling more and then some days I'm still pretty numb.  

To me it feels like I need to find a new direction for this blog.  I'm not the same person who used to write here.  That lady is long gone.  I've been thinking that with enough time an idea would come but so far nothing.  I also feel quite vulnerable writing anything personal bc one never knows who is reading right?!  

So what to do, what to do?  I need a fresh start and don't know how to do that.  Any ideas are welcome.  Your love comes across in your most generous comments and some days I come by and just read them.  They are like a warm hug.  

I am currently working on another home but won't be posting photos of that bc the owners are quite private.  I can say it is a large Victorian with 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms and 4 fireplaces.  

How about you guys tell me what you have been up to.  Yes that sounds good.  Love to you all. x

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