MSU's Hidden Gardens

If a picture is worth a thousand words, than this picture was definitely worth the $3 admission to get into Michigan State University's Hidden Gardens in the Irish Hills of Michigan.

The hosta garden was by far my favorite part. My mom lends a hand to the pictures just to demonstrate the variety of sizes. My favorite was a tiny little hosta called the Teeny Weeny Bikini!

A nice way to spend a day.

Thank you Craig and your list.

I just love me an old locker basket filled with flowers!

This flower garden, make that hosta garden... will look much better next year, once these divided hostas have a chance to grow in place, but it's already looking better thanks to Craig's List, where I was able to line the garden with rocks... for free!

That's right, for free. A family had ripped out a front porch that had a stone foundation and were giving the rocks away!

I know I shouldn't put so much stock in material things, but a home is really more than that. Mine makes me so happy when I drive up to it and my smile has gotten even wider with the addition of some free rocks!

The hardwork is beginning to pay off

Okay, it doesn't look like much now, but I'm hoping soon my hard work will pay off, this garage was once lined with nothing but day lilys, which are lovely, but I like a little variety. Last year I grew lovely sunflowers along side our house, but I decided to stick with vegetables and herbs in that location, so I decided to make this my sunflower location. They are already starting to sprout.
This corner was a mass of tree saplings and an old tree stump. I managed to hack some of the old stump away and then decided to just roll with the punches and make it a bit of a focal point, note the birdhouse.


again, this was nothing but day lillys. Now there is a peony bush, a variegated willow bush, some bugle weed, yarrow, Russian sage and a lilac bush. I filled this flower garden with items donated to me by my neighbor and from items that I planted last year that I decided to move.
I donated the day lillys to people through freecyle.com.
Nothing is bloom but I think it is already a big improvement, now if we can get the grass to grow and the darn dogs out of it, we'll be set.

The buildings pictured belong to my neighbors and the adjoining property is theirs. It runs the entire length of our driveway and it's what we see when we look out the dining room window.

Last year, I asked the neighbor belonging to the far garage if she would mind if I made it a flower garden... since she doesn't even see the area, she was very obliging.

This year, my other neighbor said I was welcome to plant the area along her garage. It only took me about three days to rip out all the sod, but I think the effort was well worth it.

I really wish I could put a window box underneath that window, but asking someone to let you attach something to their building is probably a little much. (:

A thrift store $1 tool box packed with flowers and Jack's little shovel, which he calls "baby shovel."

This and that...

I recently went to the Michigan Antique Festival in Midland and it was a big success.

I looked for an old high chair I could pull up to our table for Jack, but it wasn't until late in the day that I realized I could cut one down, instead trying to find one in the right height. I didn't find one in Midland but I found this very cute when at my local St. Vincent DePaul's. It even matches my table and Jack likes sitting at the table with the rest of us and I like not having to worry about him tumbling off the edge of an adult chair.

I've also been wanting a wine rack, but could never find one I liked that wouldn't take up too much room or wasn't too expensive. I found this one in Midland and I couldn't be happier. (I guess if I actually drank the wine, I could be happier.)

A while back, I got an old school desk for Jack and painted the top with chalkboard paint. I loved the look of it, but the thing was very tipsy and Jack was always knocking it over. So, I've had an eye out for a sturdy little desk for him and Midland had just the right one for me. It even came with the chair.

I made the little cork board to hang above it from a garage sale find, some vintage "Sunday School Art" and some paint I already had. I love the combination and if Jack tips this desk over... that boy's in trouble, because it will mean he's been up to no good!!!!!

Patience pays off

I've always wanted an old crock large enough to put my newspapers (something one of my BFF's does.) But it's always been cost prohibitive until I found this slightly cracked (you can't even tell) crock for $12. The man I bought it from was quick to say, "Now, you can't make pickles in it or anything, but it's still nice to look at." So honest.

My Pink Bathroom

I live in a house of boys. My husband, obviously, is a man. I have a 2-year-old son. I have two dogs, both males. Our orange tabby-cat, you guessed it, a guy. And as for the Beta fish, I can't confirm its sex, but don't they normally sell males?

So, I decided I needed at least one truly "girly space" though my husband probably would argue that much of the house is "girly." I decided our upstairs bathroom was a good candidate. I painted it a color called "dress pink."
I think it was a good compromise. As you can see in the pictures, it is fairly pale, though in person it is a bit brighter.
The shower curtain is an old, linen bedspread that I got from freecylce.com and I dyed it gray to avoid the room being to sickening sweet. Our bathroom has original black and white, basket weave tile, which looks smashing with the pink.

With a son named Jack, I have a thing for "Jack and Jill" items and decided that the bathroom was a good spot for them.

Here's a cute little card I found on etsy.com. I framed it and added it a wall that displays "Jack and Jill" sheet music. A favorite purse. Jack's handprint and a vintage textile block.

My husband said, "It looks nice." He may just be grinning and bearing it, but I like to think he doesn't hate it.

Me and my man!

Bob hardly got the words, "Maybe we should stay at a Bed and Breakfast for our anniversary," out of his mouth before I was on the Internet searching for just the right one. We thought about going to Toronto or someplace out of state, but decided instead to give our state whatever economic boost we could.

The website http://www.michigan.org/ was really helpful with my research. I soon discovered there was a plethora of B&B options, but unfortunately a lot of them are covered from floor to ceiling in rose wallpaper. Now, I love flowers, but I'd rather have some in a vase than on wallpaper... I wanted to find something romantic without making Bob feel like he was having the testosterone sucked out of him.

Well, the Belvedere Inn in Saugatuck was just perfect. The room was lovely and cozy with a window seat big enough for two.

Here's the view from our room, which was beautiful even if the spring color had not yet begun to work it's magic. I'd love to see that view in all seasons.

What a grand entrance, eh? This little mansion was the summer home for a Chicago family. It was built in 1913 by a colleague of Frank Loyd Wright.

A summer home, can you imagine?

Of course, a trip to Saugatuck would not be complete without a trip to the beach, even if things are a little on the dreary side... do we look disappointed?

And here we are on the grounds of the Belvedere again. It was the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary, which is coming up on Thursday.

Besides offering a great room, the Inn has delicious food. Because we visited in the spring we got a discount on a four course dinner on Saturday night. It was easily the best meal I have ever had and one I won't soon forget. Most of all I just loved the company. I really felt like I was on my honeymoon all over again.

I wouldn't mind trying a different Bed and Breakfast every year, I think it would be a neat way to experience different communities. There is even one I'm very interested in in Detroit called the Inn on Ferry St. The only problem---it's difficult to follow-up on perfection.

Give their website a visit at http://www.boutiqueinnsofsaugatuck.com/