china shepherdess

Ikea Summer Sneak Peek

via www.ikea.com

I stumbled upon a new (at least to me) line from Ikea called HÖGSTEN. Their site says it will be released this month, but it doesn't look like they've added all of it to their main catalog quite yet.

The faux rattan screams 70s Stepford Wife garden party to me in the very best of ways. I am picturing it paired with a classic yellow patio umbrella.

The collection also includes an easy chair and foot stool. These would be perfect for lounging on my (only in my dreams at the moment) front patio.

Flowers of the Week: A carpet of peonies

 

My peonies popped and then a storm knocked off most of the petals. Walking across them made me feel like I was at a tropical resort instead of taking out the recycling. Here's to summer!

Flowers of the Week: Lawn Cares

Minnesota can't seem to make up its mind as to whether it is spring or not, but the weeds have made their vote. I pulled up all the dandelions using my weed hound a couple of weeks back, but I guess they decided I was their enemy and they came back with a vengeance. My yard is covered in them with a bit of sorry looking grass in between. If I could, I'd rip it all out and start over, but that isn't in the picture for now.

If I'm going to have a yard covered in weeds, I wish I could have more of these:

 

 

And fewer of these:

 

It was quite fun knocking them down with my lawn mower, but the poor battery gave up the ghost after I mowed less than half of my front yard. I hope it recovers soon so I can finish them off.

How is your yard coming along?

 

It never ends.

 

It was just a week or so ago that the snow was melting and it was warm enough where some [crazy] people were wearing shorts. Now this. Another 13 inches. I hope I can get my front door open so I can get to work this morning.

The long winter.

 

 

We had a blizzard here in Minnesota last weekend. In fact it snowed so much that the roof on the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome collapsed. Thankfully nothing quite as dramatic happened at my homestead. The drifts got to about waist high in my front yard, but I was able to tunnel through on Sunday.

 

 

I'm already sick of winter. How about you?

Super Hyper Micro-ish Link: Front Yard Fence Ideas for the Modern Home from The Brick House

via www.the-brick-house.com

My life has been much too busy to do much of anything inside my house, so instead I'm dreaming of future plans for the exterior. A fence is high on my list. I like my neighbors, but I'd love some privacy from the neighborhood kids who use my yard as a thoroughfare from the convenience store to get up to whatever shenanigans they get up to in a nearby park.

I'd also like to have a wee fence along one side of my front yard where my neighbors have a rickety wire fence to pen in their collection of corgis. As per usual, the standard fencing you see at the big box stores doesn't appeal to me. Morgan from The Brick House with the beautiful slat wall pictured above has some great ideas (as always) for a similarly awkward run of fence. She was inspired by Minneapolis landscape designers RO/LU, who I would hire in a second if I had the cash. Visit her post to see her ideas in their full SketchUp glory.

And to keep it all in context, here's the style of fence I'm thinking of for my eventual backyard landscaping extravaganza.

What do you think?

via www.apartmenttherapy.com

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow?

 

Definitely not ready for this.

Super Hyper Micro Link: Mid century modern lattice from Acurio Latticeworks — Retro Renovation

via retrorenovation.com

It's fall, but the warm weather we've had lately makes me think about how I'd like to finish off my yard next summer. A fence is definitely part of the plan. Retro Renovation has found a source for mid-century style outdoor decorative panels. I wouldn't use these for an entire fence, but I could see them making an interesting gate or privacy screen for the narrow area between my home and my neighbor's that seems to be a popular thoroughfare for kids heading to the convenience store.

The mower is still charging, so in the meantime...

On the other hand, you can't knit a pullover sweater from a lawn mower.

The green green grass of home.

Lawn tools aren't something I would have been excited about a year ago, but buying a home can turn you into a rather boring person.

Today I'm thrilled because my new mower has finally arrived. I'm sure my neighbors will be even happier than I am once I get my unruly yard under control again.