Summer Days and Kitchen Shelves

 August is here - we're starting school on Monday and I'm wondering where the summer went.  I had a huge list of things I wanted to accomplish (refinishing the kitchen countertops being one of them) and I'm not sure I checked one item off.  At the same time, we've enjoyed every single day, spending as much time as possible outdoors and enjoying the time off.  Now I don't regret not doing anything this summer, as I know winter will be here before we know it and there will be plenty of time for indoor projects then!  I'm glad we soaked in such a fun summer. 

 When we planted our flower garden, we thought we'd enjoy endless summer bouquets in the house, but our flowers have been selling out almost every day at the stand (a wonderful problem to have), and so we only take home the flowers we can't possibly use (in other words, HUGE sunflowers).  But these were the first dahlias to bloom and since the stems were so tiny, I got to bring them home to enjoy (in a tiny little jar!).  I think these heirloom dahlias are the prettiest flower I have ever seen and I can't wait until they are all blooming in the garden and gain a little height. 

Summertime always brings about simplifying for me, and I moved some items around in our kitchen a couple months ago.  I reserved the shelves for my most favorite bowls that I also use frequently.  I've found that keeping pretty dishes on the shelves only seems to hinder me from using them, since they collect dust quickly, so mixing bowls are just perfect.  These handmade pottery bowls are a recent addition (a gift from my mother-in-law) and I absolutely adore everything about them, especially their pretty handles. 

 I hope you're enjoying a wonderful summer weekend!