First Peony and Some Random Goodness


Hello Lovelies!  I hope you are having a great weekend.  We have been busy coming up with stuff for the booth.  We visited the booth this weekend and took measurements and photos to help me plan it out. I am planning on being in the booth the 1st Friday in June. Mr. Hughes took the picture of our 1st peony this season on Friday and I decided to go out and take some photos of our front porch and other little things that I have accomplished in the past couple of weeks.  I planted these peonies 3 years ago and this is the first year that this bright pink one came up.  I don't like where they are anymore, so I would love to move them... anyone have any tips for doing this?  We planted a peony bed in the back and I want these to go up there.  And, naturally, since it was so pretty, I clipped a few today and brought them in.


Nothing like them!  I clipped the lighter pink one too and added it to a tiny vintage mercury glass vase.


I really like this little vignette... I made a little burlap "est. 2006" and framed it and hung it above our wedding cake topper.  I had this kind of peony in my bouquet, so it is *perfect*
And, speaking of perfect, look what I found in a store that I hardly ever go in...


That's right... a wool hooked owl pillow for my owl crazy baby hughes!  I love it!  Now, I probably would have passed this up a few years ago, but I think it adds the perfect bit of quirk to our entry.


Moving on to other flowers... Mr. Hughes brought me home a gardenia to kill!  He actually suggested that I start a new blog called "The Dead Plant Diaries."  I actually just registered it...  It really isn't that bad... gardenias are suicidal. I will enjoy the heavenly scent and then move it outside where we will all be much happier.


I have heard that this is a blogger no-no, but here is our front door.  (Bad guys, we have an alarm system, guns, sharp knives and we are a little unstable, so don't bother.)  Do you see that hydrangea to the left?  Take that, Mr. Hughes... I haven't killed it!  In fact, it is thriving and is going to explode in a week.


This is one of my gardenia topiaries... the non-sick one... the other one has mealy bugs... I am open to suggestions to get rid of them!  I can't wait for it to bloom... it will smell so good every time we open the door.


Here is a little rusty mailbox that we found a few years ago.  These flowers seem to be doing well... but I think they are confused... they are supposed to grow down...


Now, this is a before of some chairs that I decided to ruin last year... they used to be medium oak.  I decided to paint them and just leave them outside.  Well, they are shabby now.  I wanted to give them a little pick me up.


So the pair got painted black... they are still quite worn.  I almost wish I would have painted them black originally and left them inside. 


Then, I added these great numbers that I had specially made.  I have listed them in my etsy shop along with some really neat write on labels.  I saved back a 1 and 2 for these chairs and a 3 for a small baby hughes size chair.


Some of you may remember me talking about buying a table at the Bloomin' Garden Show...  and how that table almost didn't fit in our car and how we had to take the carseat out of the middle and move it to the side...well, here it is.  It was perfect for our front porch and totally worth the trouble.
Well, that is all the trouble I got into this weekend.  There is still time to enter my *giveaway*
Bye for now!


23 comments:

  1. Your peonies look beautiful.I'm waiting for mine to bloom but still have a few months in Ontario. If you decide to transplant them, do it the fall or in the spring before they bloom. Just remember that they usually don't bloom for at least 1 year after they have been moved. Good luck.

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  2. I wish I could get something to grow. Your front looks so inviting. I've cleared out my living room storage, and had to use my front porch for a short term staging area. I know uur letter-carrier is wondering what is going on.

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  3. This post is full of so much coolness!

    Those black numbered chairs....well, since I now know what your front porch looks like, you'll know where to look when they come up missing. ;-)

    I wonder what it is about owls that Baby Hughes loves so much? Cuteness!!!

    XO,
    Anne

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  4. How I wish I had a front porch(SIGH)....

    xoxo,
    Carol

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  5. I love your front door with its square wreath and monogram!

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  6. I love these glimpses of your home, thanks for sharing! Everything looks so charming. Peonies are so great!

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  7. The front of your house is adorable. I love peonies. Good Luck with your gardenia plant.

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  8. Love your blog...this is my first visit and I am IN LOVE! I adore your style...so filled with charm and character...I have a feeling I will learn alot from my visits here!

    I am a peony freak! I LOVE THEM! I have a big fat yummy one in my header!

    I have had the best time peaking around your site...thank you!

    Enjoy!
    Cathy

    I would love to know where you got the darling square boxwood wreath on your front door...I have been looking for one everywhere. Thanks again!

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  9. oh girl, I love your front porch so inviting, and the table perfection!! and I want some numbers, oh yes I do...please please please! oh and one other thing, I new there is a reason I liked you, we are slightly unstable too! :) u crack me up!

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  10. your front entry is so cool i can hardly stand it! i ADORE the mix you created there and think the owl pillow is rad.

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  11. This weekend I was thinking that I'd like to plant some Hydrangeas. I didn't know if they were hard to grow??

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  12. The flowers are gorgeous. Love the owl pillow and I love the wreath on your front door! And the chairs. And the table. For goodness sake, I love it all!
    And I want to know how in the world you have time to do any of this with Baby Hughes??? Although, Hudson did take a 3.5 hour nap yesterday. I guess I should've finished some projects instead of catching up on my trashy TV. :)

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  13. Ooh...I'm jealous. My peonies are at our old house and I've been wanting to transplant them. I really miss them over here. Maybe I'll have to swing by and snip some blooms. And when we sell the house, I'll just tell them that those bits of land right there? They're not part of the deal. LOL

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  14. Most gardenias get spider mites...hmmm...here is how I banish mealies: insecticidal soap, Safer's is one brand, can buy at most garden centers or Lowes etc. It is safe for us and for the environment. The trick is to spray HEAVILY. Drench the plant, under the leaves too, all along the stems - those buggers HIDE. Then, about 10 days later, do it again, and then again in another 10 days and so on until the bottle is empty. Then, be vigilant. The secret is to not let the bugs get the upper hand.

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  15. love your front - the flowers are lovely!!! and so are the chairs - not sure which I love more -

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  16. love this blog!! everything is so cute!

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  17. Dear Michelle,
    Your peonies are beautiful. I'm afraid that they don't take kindly to being moved but, when anyone tells me that, I always think that it's worth taking a chance. I mean, if the worst comes to the worst and it dies, they dont cost a fortune, and you can always buy a new one.
    Your house looks really pretty. I love the steps leading up to the front door..... and, you are doing really well with your plants. I am quite good with the plants in the garden but, give me a house plant and it isn't long before it dies !!!!....and, gardenia's are really difficult.
    I think that everything looks beautiful. XXXX

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  18. The front of your house is beautiful! Love the "H" initial, the wreath around it, the ferns, the chairs that you painted- all so welcoming and incredibly homey. Your mailbox with the flowers planted in it are sweet too!

    Have a wonderful day, sit out on that front porch and enjoy it!
    Kate

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  19. Love it all. I MUST have an owl pillow for my couch. You lucky devil, you.

    Okay, I think Mr. Hughes should make me a thingy too. My computer was down and I didn't get to enter. Boo-hoo.

    P.s. I will send you a picture of the chair tonight.

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  20. Love your blog! What fun! My peonies are blooming now (Michigan) and are just breathtaking! The aroma on the deck is heavenly! Your little numbers are way too cool! I'm going to hit your Etsy page next to check them out! Thanks for sharing and looking forward to more from you!

    Hugs ~

    laurie@heavenswalk

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  21. Lovely vignette, friend! :) And you front porch is adorable!

    Smiles,
    Rachel

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  22. I believe peonies should be transplanted in the fall only - you dig them up an separate them, if they are big enough, and then spread the weatlth thru your garden! Visit the peonies forum at GardenWeb (it is in the garden section of the site) and do a search for transplanting, their will be many posts on this topic. If you need any info you cannot find, just ask - it is a free site. I use it all the time for gardening questions!

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  23. Hi, I'm Melissa and just found you from your guest blogger spot on Blessed Little Nest. Do tell about the wreath on your front door...I absolutely H.E.A.R.T it! Did you make it, buy it, deets please! I am bound and determined to copy it, our front door is the same color and I am in love!

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