SUMMER is Knocking on My Door!

Okay, so those of you that are faithful followers here know that I love to change up my grapevine wreath. 

Well the summer weather is just around the corner (it was 82 degrees here today!), so I thought I'd change it out again.  I made a quick trip to the local Dollarama and picked up a few supplies.

Two gerber daisy garlands ($1.25 each)...One pink and one yellow

and 2 pairs of children's flip flops ($1 each).

Since I like to re-invent my wreath for every season, I never use hot glue or anything else to affix things to the wreath.  It makes taking it apart and making another one so much easier!

I just attached the garlands by tucking them into the wreath.  Once they both were attached I had to figure out how I was going to make the flip flops stay on the wreath.  I found some shish-ka-bob skewers in my kitchen drawer and broke them down to about 4 inches.  Then I pushed it through the hole in the flip flop where the toe is.

Then I just pushed the skewer into the wreath.

It all went together in less than 10 minutes! Now that's my kind of project - instant gratification!!

And it makes a great SUMMER statement on my front door!

Are you adding some SUMMER accessories to your home yet??  I'd love to hear about what you're doing!!

Cheryl

Linking up @:
Beyond The Picket Fence
No Minimalist Here
One More Time

What's Blooming - Week #2

I can't believe a whole week has gone by already!!  There are some of my favourites blooming in the garden this week - I can't wait to show you!

First up - the weeping crab apple tree!  This is in the garden that is directly adjacent to our patio and gazebo.

Here's a closer look at the blooms...they are a soft pink that fades to white.

Next up - the purple sandcherry trees - we have two of these - one at the back fence and another to the right of our deck.  Here's the one at the back fence.  I love the contrast with the yellow of the euyonomous and the green of the cedar.  If you look closely you can see that the hostas are up quite a bit too!

Here's a closer look of the blooms on the tree near our deck.

I have saved the best for last!!  The lilacs opened up this week too - we have a purple bush and a white one.

The white one is right outside our dining room window so they are easy to pick and bring inside.  I took this picture right out of the window.

Here's an arrangement of some of both colours I brought inside to enjoy this week!

and a closer look at these as well...

Aren't they just beautiful and don't you just wish you could smell them...they are so fragrant.  

I love this time of year and the gifts that spring brings!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY - I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

Cheryl

Linking up @:
Life on Lakeshore
The Tablescaper - Seasonal Sundays
Inspired Living

Re-vamping the Garden Swing

This past weekend we started getting our backyard ready for the summer season. 

 We are lucky that we have several areas to sit and enjoy the gardens.

In the back of our yard we have a small cement pad where we put our garden swing.  We have had it for several years and at the end of last summer the canopy fell apart when I washed it.  Here is a picture of the metal frame - we take the cushions and canopy off each winter and store them inside.

I knew I wanted to do this project on a budget, so I stopped into our local TAG store, which is going out of business, to see what deals I could find on clearance.  They had some outdoor pillows and a matching table cloth that were made from outdoor fabric. I chose a bright orange and white pattern since the seating on the swing is an off-white colour.

The tablecloth was 60x84 and was on clearance for $8 and the throw cushions were $6 each - I bought two.  The measurement of the swing canopy is 50x84 so I knew this size would be perfect.

I am lucky in that McG knows how to work a sewing machine.  His Mom was wonderful at preparing all her kids for life - even her boys learned how to cook and sew.  My Mom is a great seamstress but she never passed those talents on to my sister and I!!  

He measured out for the pockets on each side that would hold the framing of the swing canopy and then stitched them on the machine.  Once we inserted the rods it looked like this...

We then attached the canopy to the swing frame with the bolts...

and then added the seat cushions...(Here's McG - he doesn't like to have his picture on the blog/internet but agreed since you can't see his face)

And finally - here it is, all put together!

It really turned out well and was a great budget fix at only around $25 including the tax! 

 It's going to be a great place to spend some time in the garden.

Are you making over any of your backyard seating this year?? If so, I'd love to hear from you!

Cheryl

Linking up @:
Beyond the Picket Fence
No Minimalist Here
From My Front Porch to Yours
5 Days...5 Ways
Setting for Four
Rain on a Tin Roof
A Stroll Thru Life
Barns and Noodles
One More Time