Buy the Roses!

This post is a combination of a Public Service Announcement (IMO)

 and my current life outlook - without getting too heavy!

I went to my local Publix this morning to pick up prescriptions for others in my family and there were roses everywhere. In the entry by the carts, on the end of the checkouts, the front aisles- everywhere. And they were BOGO - $10.99 for two dozen roses.

I am generally frugal

 (big thrifter, as you know, but willing to splurge on certain things and if the budget allows.)

I know that flowers are an extravagance and not always a good price

 or in everyone's budget..

BUT, 

(and I am not a big 'sharer' generally but this is to show you where this life view is coming from right now. And I know it could always be worse, and there were many blessings along the way, but I have not come to this lightly)

in the last 6 months my husband had a stroke on the first day of our vacation in July- in a remote area of the Keys, took 3 ambulance rides, stayed over a week in ICU, spent a month in Miami recuperating  enough to come home (thank goodness for an adult child who held down the fort and more! Thx, Mollie!!) where I received a lot of grace from my boss and worked remotely, he spent a couple of months in outpatient rehab which I chauffeured him to and then he started to work part time and I spent 3-4 hours a day driving him back and forth (it's Atlanta traffic y'all), he took a very, very expensive driving test to allow him to return to work, the dog broke his foot and had to have multiple x-rays, destroyed 2 hard casts and 1 soft bandage being "inactive" on a leash, I'm running up to VA as all of this allows because my parents are in very poor health, my mom is admitted to the hospital Thanksgiving weekend, has a second stroke, enters Hospice, we spend Christmas holidays flying back and forth to see her, my dad falls and breaks four ribs on New Years, I return to VA to bring him home and decide about care while my mom remains in Hospice, my mother passes away two days later, we are visiting Assisted Living places for my dad , I am working on arrangements for my mother's funeral and...

I called the florist (nothing against florists in any way here - please know that!) and find out that the customary spray for the top of a casket runs $200-$400 dollars and more. 

And I thought to myself in that very moment that I would much rather have a grocery store bouquet of flowers once a week, or even once a month if that's all I could swing, 

than a casket spray. 

(and yesterday, on the exact 6 month anniversary of my husband's stroke and his "official" release date, he fell off of a ladder at work and messed up his knee - back to walking with a cane!)

So, today when I walked in and saw all those roses on BOGO

I bought the roses!!

And I urge you to buy the flowers. Treat yourself to a small bouquet every so often. 

Life is short- so truly, stop and smell the flowers.

 And then, I urge you, buy them and bring them home. 

And put them where you can enjoy them!

"If you have two pennies, spend one on bread and the other on a flower.  The bread will sustain life.  The flower will give you a reason to live."  Anonymous

Chinoiserie Watering Can

April Showers Bring May Flowers...

and if not, then I'll just water my flowers using my newly painted Chinioiserie watering can.

I was inspired by a post from Ashley Brooke's Instagram

where she posted a picture of her gorgeous porch. The picture sparked a flurry of questions about her blue and white floral watering can.

It made me wonder... I had a beat up old watering can I could do a "test run" with.

Pretty cute, huh?

I washed my beat up old can off and started to spray paint it. I was so into the project that I didn't even take a "right side up" before picture!

It has a couple of holes on the side where the top handle came off years ago but it looks great glossy and white and this is a "test" anyway.

I grabbed two shades of blue and started freehand painting my design.

A few painted embellishments and a coat of clear spray paint 

and watering has just become a lot more fun!

I'm supposed to be hard at work on my One Room Challenge but I'm a bit bogged down so I am doing what I usually do during the ORC process... I'm off doing unrelated projects. :)

I do it every. single. time.

Library Refresh!

 I'm supposed to be gearing up for my EIGHTH One Room Challenge 

but I took a little time to refresh a previous ORC over the weekend. 

The Black Is Back Library got a shot of color 

and an amazing (in more than one way) new rug.

More on that in a minute - you're going to want to hear this one!

I posted these two pics on my Instagram last week saying that I was realllly thinking about painting the two comfy wicker chairs in the room. 

I chose a soft turquoise blue, Watery by Sherwin Williams, and we all love it!

Cooper approved!

  (I guess it's pretty obvious that I need to find one more globe on one of my thrifting outings!)

This large cabinet is on the wall opposite the chairs. 

I just moved it from our family room and got rid of two open bookshelves 

and a bench in front of them. You can see that library layout here.

We found the cabinet in a thrift store almost 25 years ago.

 It came from an old school library. 

It still has library information pasted on the inside of the shelves.

Now for the rug. 

I love the look of a zebra rug (faux, always faux!)

I found this Ethan Allen Rug brand new in it's original packaging at a thrift store. 

I had already bought quite a few items and was headed out of the store when I saw the stack of Ethan Allen bags and a sign that said "new Zebra Rugs $50.00."

I was hesitating... One had been partially pulled out of its wrapper. 

It looked nice but did I need a rug that was predominately white (I know us!)

 even for $50.00?

And then the salesgirl said. "It's 50% off!!" 

Sold. I'm willing to risk it for $25.00.

Then when I walked over to pay she told me a store going out of business had donated a truckload of items and brought a price sheet to help them price items if they wanted. 

She told me the rug originally retailed for $2000.00.

Seriously?? I was doubtful but guess what??

I looked it up and it was originally OVER $2000.00!! $2529.00!

It is no longer available but there are quite  few listings for it on resale sights!!

I think this may be my greatest thrifting deal so far!

(They were folded so the wrinkle is still relaxing a bit)

Be sure to follow along for the next few weeks here and on my Instagram

 as I work on my 8th One Room Challenge.

Things I love Month - Entry 3

Continuing this months look at "Things I Love" brings me to...

a good garden center.

Especially this time of year when I have Spring fever.

This year's case is quite serious 

and I'm already thinking about plant combinations for my big pots 

and small projects I want to do in the yard.

I'm so ready for Spring. 

I went to Charleston last week for a few days and managed to squeeze in a trip between family visits and beach walks to a new-to-me garden center called Hyam's.

It is the favorite nursery of my 90 year old cousin who is still planting flowers and growing beautiful ferns and such. 

She said it was worth the drive over to Folly Road so I went.

She has never led me astray on anything in all of these years 

(best place to buy shrimp, how to sail, best crabbing spots, driving a golf cart and more)

 and she was so right!!

I wanted to buy all.the.plants.

Look at these plant combos in their window boxes and containers.

And the petunia varieties were fabulous. 

We are a loooong way from being able to plant petunias in Atlanta but if we had been a bit closer I would not have been able to resist either of these!

I hope I can find the variety above here in Atlanta. 

Or maybe a road trip back to Hyam's in a couple of months to stock up!!

They had an amazing assortment of fountains.

And look at the painted decking floors in this section of the greenhouse.

Black and tan checkerboard. 

This is perfection. And inspiring.

I have considered painting a pattern on my screened porch floor 

and this makes me want to go for it!

How to keep Cooper out of a major floor painting project is a less exciting thought.

This makes me so impatient for my hydrangeas to bloom this Summer!

 I'm definitely using this idea. So simple but so clever. 

And a great way to draw the eye up in the garden.

I can't wait to do this. 

I've been looking to see where I can hang some of these

 and no one will walk into them and conk their head :)

Isn't this the greatest idea?

They've simply knotted rope and strung a variety of clay pots on them.

I think it's fantastic.

What do you think? Is this something you would try in your garden?

Do you have a favorite garden center that gives you great inspiration for plant combos and accents?

Do tell. I'm always up for a visit to a really great garden center!