Friday, June 1, 2012

Stop and Smell the Flowers


Good morning!  

We've been renovating our upstairs and right now we're working in Jillian's room, our 4 year old.  We're so close to being finished, but I still have some painting to do and my poor hubby still has a door to put up and some shelves to build. 

This week we took a break as we had special friends visiting our family for a few days.  So while I sometimes wish things were moving along a little more quickly, the fact is I'm a busy mommy to two little girls and sometimes there are just more important things that have to be done and times we have to stop and enjoy something special. 


 Yesterday as our friends were packing up to leave and I was doing dishes after a big breakfast, I looked out the window and noticed that one of our bushes at the perimeter of our property had something all over it.  

I looked closer...

Could those be blooms?!


Two years we have lived here and I have never seen blooms on these three bushes.  (I often wondered what they were.)  I walked outside (with scissors, just in case!) and discovered not only beautiful blooms, but hundreds of buds.  

 So today I find that I have nothing spectacular to show you.  But really that isn't why I created a blog... and renovating our upstairs isn't something that has to be finished right this minute... sometimes it's nice just to take a break and appreciate the beauty in the little things.

(By the way, do you notice the large white building in the background of the above photo?  This is our neighbor... an old white church that was established back in 1876.  Sometime I'll share some photos... it truly is beautiful.) 


 I brought in a few clippings to enjoy indoors and I also took some photos to see if I could enlist your expertise.  Do any of you have an idea of what these are?  At first I thought perhaps a primrose, but I'm just not sure...


Maybe next week I'll have a room reveal to share.  But if not, that's okay.  

Sometimes all we can do is take one day at a time.  I remind myself that finishing up a project isn't the most important thing today.  It's okay to stop and enjoy the day or a special time. 

So this morning I find I'm just thankful I had the opportunity to stop and smell the flowers...

Have a wonderful weekend friends! 

P.S.  A huge thank you to Brenda from Cozy Little House for her warm welcome.  I appreciate it so much! 

39 comments:

  1. Those flowers look so pretty! Hmmm, I wonder what they are? The sneak peek of your room looks intriguing...I love the bunting :)

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  2. It might be a Rose of Sharon....

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  3. Visiting here from Brenda's blog, it's so nice that she does Welcome Wagon Fridays...we get to meet new bloggers this way.

    Love your Hibiscus, such beautiful colors.

    Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

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  4. It's a gorgeous Rose of Sharon. Gorgeous and the blooms are beautiful. Welcome to Blogland, I found you from Brenda's. You are so right, take the time each day to enjoy all the beauty around you. Hugs, Marty P.S. I am you newest follower.

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  5. Yes, that is a Rose of Sharon, a/k/a Hardy Hibiscus.

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  6. I believe it is Rose of Sharon. They are gorgeous! I found you via Brenda @ Cozy Little House. So glad I did! Would you share -- where did you find the charming table runner featured in your tea party post? I've been looking for ages for one just like it.

    I've (quickly!) added you to my favorites list.

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    1. Thank you, Talia! The table runner was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law... it came from Pottery Barn and I think they still sell it. I love it!

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  7. Those look like Rose of Sharon to me. They don't take much care and the blooms are so showy! ~ Maureen

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  8. Hi...Those are Hibiscus bushes...Ihave two of them in my front yard under our picture windows...they are so beautiful and will bloom for over a month dropping blooms andmore will be appearing!! enjoy! Carol

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  9. Enjoyed reading your post! Your bushes are lovely! Sometimes we get so busy with life that we do forget to stop and "smell the roses". Hope you have a wonderful weekend! :-)
    Sharla

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  10. Hello...what a wonderful post! I've just come over from Brenda's Cozy Little House to say hello and welcome to the 'family'! You have a wonderful blog and I will enjoy stopping by again. Have a wonderful weekend!
    Maura :)

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  11. I too found your blog via Brenda...she is such a great lady to introduce us all to wonderful blogs, such as yours. I really enjoy reading it.
    As far as the flowers go, we have 7 bushes and I call them Rose of Sharon, just as others have suggested. But, that being said, they sure do look like Hibiscus blooms but the leaves I believe is the tell-tell clue. They look like the Rose of Sharon leaves. Google for images.
    Have a wonderful day,
    Ann

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  12. Lovely blog! I stopped over from the Cozy Little House. I have a Rose of Sharon bush also. Mine has blooms for several weeks this time of year.

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  13. I can't wait to see the room. Enjoy the weekend.

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  14. Knock, knock, Brenda sent me. I'm so happy to visit with you and your lovely family. I love your dresser with the oval mirror, and your banner..
    You have a lovely Rose of Sharon bush. That kind of bush is in the hibiscus family I believe..
    When I was growing up those bushes didn't bloom til it was time for school to start again in Sept. The ones I have in my yard, in Va. haven't started blooming yet.. They are so pretty and come in several colors..
    Enjoy your weekend.. Blessings, Charlotte

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  15. So true! I hope you enjoyed the blooms and being a mom. The stuff life is made of is right under our noses even when we aren't making strides on the latest project. Thanks for your kind words about my rain post. We did get quite a long rain and it has finally stopped. For me, it's a good thing today because our dryer broke and sooner or later the laundry has to be done and dried. I really needed just enough dry air to get the job done. Thank goodness I think the rain let up long enough. Can't wait to hear about the church you mentioned! I'll check back.
    Liz

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  16. Oh yes, I want to see that church. I have white and pink blooms on my Rose of Sharon bushes.
    Brenda

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  17. Beautiful Rose of Sharon blooms! I have white blooming Rose of Sharon bushes but love your pink ones that are just the same as my mom has. They are also known as Althea (Hibiscus syriacus). Have a blessed weekend.

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  18. Visiting from Brenda's. You have a lovely blog and I like to read your day to day doings, very much like my blog! :) Your two girls are just darling! I don't know the name of the bushes but they are definitely gorgeous! And...you get cut flowers! Can't wait to read more of your blog!

    Have a great weekend!

    XO,
    Janie

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  19. I too have things blooming that never bloomed before. I think the spring we had was perfect here in northern Illinois. Fun, isn't it...to find a new lovely in your yard! Enjoy!

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  20. It looks like Rose of Sharon to me, so beautiful. I've come over from Cozy Little House. Your blog is so pretty. I'm going to look around a bit while I'm here. Have a wonderful weekend.
    -Karen

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  21. The flowers are beautiful. What a nice treat for you.

    That photo of the dresser with the little banner is gorgeous. Girl, you are killing me with your great photos.

    Can't wait to see your home in person. So happy we live close to each other.

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  22. I'm sure glad I didn't guess what those flowered bushes are, because I would have been the only one who got it wrong! Don't you love the surprises nature has to offer if you just take the time to look? Lovely post.

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  23. i agree with the others, it looks like my rose of sharon:) congrats on your feature over at brenda's!!

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  24. Good morning, I'm here from Brenda's. You have a very lovely blog. I wont guess on the flower but I do think Rose of Sharon is correct. I'll be back for another visit. Have a blessed weekend.

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  25. You are so wise to see the importance of focusing on family and friends and flowers. I had a similar moment this week, when my to-do list was a mile long but I had to stop to admire (and capture with my camera) the lush beauty of raindrops on my blowsy, bodacious Iris and Calla Lily blooms.

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  26. Hey there. Brenda sent me to your wonderful blog and I'm glad she did. I am now a new follower :)

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  27. I was going to say Rose of Sharon and I see many of your readers concur. You are so right to take the time to enjoy the present. Your little girls won't be little for long....trust me!

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  28. Time flies as the saying goes so it's good that you recognize the importance of spending time with your family. The view from your kitchen is lovely. I also knew the name of the blooming shrubs because I had some at a previous home. The pink ones are very pretty. Have a wonderful Sunday! --------- Shannon

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  29. Your photos are so pretty and inspiring. We all need to take a little more time to slow down and enjoy the beauty around us. I think we had one of these shrubs at the house I grew up in. "Rose of Sharon" popped into my mind and it looks like a few comments had the same thought. Looking forward to pictures of the white church too.

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  30. Beautiful Rose of Sharon! I have several in the yard as well. I love sipping on my tea and checking in on your blog. Your pictures are beautiful. You have a good eye and a wonderful camera. Always look forward to your next post.

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  31. I agree...Rose of Sharon.
    We had one in our yard, blown down the first year we lived here by a straightline wind.
    I've never replanted one. I should! They are beautiful.
    That and an Azalea (not blown down...I over pruned it!) :(

    I love the pretty bunting on the mirror...and I'd love to see pictures of the church sometime.
    Pat

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  32. Hi! I came by via Brenda's Welcome Wagon Friday post at Cozy Little House. I know a great many people refer to that flower as a Rose of Sharon but I grew up with them being called Althea here in mid-Georgia and they come in a variety of single or double blossoms and colors. I think they are a beautiful old fashioned flowering shrub and I long to have one outside my bedroom window.

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  33. Hey! I think you've got yourself a Rose of Sharon. I have two in my backyard that I transplanted from my parents' yard where they have several more still. Mine never bloom until later in the summer though. What a nice surprise!

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  34. Beautiful photos! What a lovely surprise to find this blooming in your yard.

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  35. Very pretty flowers, I have them in white too. Mine spread seeds like crazy last year and they are popping up everywhere. Not sure if that is a good thing or not.

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  36. Hi, I'm karen, I'm a new follower. I just found out yesterday about your blog, and I can't stop but browse through your posts. As a matter of fact, I started reading from the very first post of yours, and now I'm in the month of June 2012. I just love you blog. Here in the Philippines, we call that flower Gumamela.

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