Late Summer Scene & Thank You

One of my favorite scenes in late summer... tomatoes picked fresh from the garden sitting on the windowsill.

Every now and then I feel the need to take a moment to post a thank you for reading and this is one of those times.  Thank you so much for following along, for reading, for your encouragement and friendship.  This year I've found myself having a difficult time blogging.  Every time I think about writing a post, I seem to draw a huge blank.  I've had the hardest time thinking of anything to share!  I think somewhere along the way I forgot the reasons I blog. Forgetting that while my postings may not be very personal, they record little moments in time, things that I value or take simple pleasure in, adventures that are fun and crazy and not always easy (like our ongoing home renovations)... it's like a special journal, one I think I'll treasure as I look back on. So I'm going to keep plodding on ahead, but I wanted to thank you for being here too.  Because it just wouldn't be the same without you.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend! 

A Rug's Best Friend

 Isn't it funny how sometimes it's the things in your home you can't see that actually make such a huge difference?  (I've been telling my husband this frequently during the past week as we've gone through a major overhaul in our bathroom tub.)

 I absolutely love having a rug in our living room.  It's one of those purchases I wonder how I did without for so long.  But what I didn't love is how much the rug slipped around.  I had bought an inexpensive rug pad in the beginning, which began to disintegrate on the floor, and I promptly removed it and went without. 

 There he is... the major rug moving culprit.  He and the girls would go running through the dining room into the living room, over the rug, which would then end up pushed all over the floor.  I really don't even want to think about how many times I had to position it back in place and the furniture that slid with it. 

It was definitely time to try something else.  This rug pad came from Rug Pad USA and I was very curious to see how it would work in comparison and how it would look and feel after a little time had passed.  Well, now I'm wondering how I ever went without this rug pad as it has made the biggest difference.  Not only does the rug not slip, even when Huck thinks he's a little kid that has to run after the girls, but it has so much more cushion and is a great place to relax.  I've always loved sitting on the floor with the girls, whether it's reading or watching them play or working on a project of my own.  This has definitely become our favorite place... just as a living room should be.

 The rug pad is the Eco-Cushion, which is eco-friendly, safe for all floors, and will stay soft without breaking down.  

You may have noticed we have a new coffee table in the living room.  I've been working on a few updates in the room and the coffee table is my favorite new addition (built courtesy of my handy husband)... I'll be sure to share all the details soon!

Time for Snapping

 

 Over the weekend our beans were ready all at once...

Green, yellow and purple!

"Date night!  Meet me on the front porch!"

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!