The Colorful Summer Garden

When last we met in the garden it was late April, after the spring bulbs and shrubs had brought delight to the front gardens.

May arrived with Japanese, bearded and Siberian irises in shades of purple and white.

Summer Tables: Dreaming of Paris

Like most of you, we canceled our vacation plans this summer. While we are spending the summer at home, it's not really a "staycation", since most of our time is literally spent at home: indoors, in the backyard or walking the dogs in the neighborhood.

But one can dream of vacations, of traveling to new destinations, of experiencing life in a different way! Because I had such fun designing a table dreaming of going on safari, I thought I'd set a table to capture the (imagined) feel of dinner in an exquisite hotel in Paris.

This table would have the casual elegance that I think of when I think of Paris.

Summer Tables: Dreaming of Travel

Summer has settled in, with daily temperatures in the 90's and almost equally high humidity. Afternoon showers bring only temporary relief. So we have retreated inside for most of the day, venturing outside reluctantly, preferably as the sun goes down.

It appears that we will be sheltering at home for the foreseeable future. I have grown tired of reading, watching DVDs and Netflix, and solving puzzles. What to do? Dream of the travel that we will surely do someday soon! 

Since I love to create tablescapes, I designed one that combines a travel dream of mine with a hearty dose of one of Greg's.

Celebrating the Fourth of July

While I set breakfast things on the bistro table, I thought about what celebrating the Fourth of July means in times such as these.

Lunch on the New Bistro Table

Join me on the deck for lunch at our bistro table! While we have been sheltering at home (since the end of February) we came to the unavoidable conclusion that our 23-year-old deck had to be replaced. We took the opportunity to expand it by two feet, creating enough space to add a bistro set roomy enough for two.