outside my window
Spring is evident all around me. Last night the air smelled just like summer...freshly cut grass, fresh dirt in pots, and honeysuckle swirling in circles around. The leaves are finally fully grown for the season, which I love because it means that we have our "canopy of green" providing beauty and shade for our garden and home. When I look out my window upstairs, I see only green and I love that. An introvert's haven...can't even tell there are neighbors next door. There are pops of color here and there, though most of the springtime blooms have gone already. It's pretty much just the lushness of summer here now...though we did have our first rose this week. A huge, full, bright pink perfect rose. (I'll have to share a photo in my next post.)
musical treasures
My background music whilst writing this post is an Ed Sheeran playlist on YouTube. I've been loving his music again lately...I hadn't listened to it in a while and it all feels new again. So many of his songs have that fun feeling that reminds me of summer so it feels extra perfect for this time of year.
bookish ramblings
Last week I set sail to England via the Queen Mary 2 with Susan Branch in her travel memoir, A Fine Romance. I am soaking up every bit of magical enchantment this book holds because it all just feels so special. I am absolutely loving it and really will hate it when it ends. She writes beautifully and so many of her descriptions remind me of my time in Ireland...and her photographs and artwork just make it extraordinarily gorgeous and personal. I'm also in the middle of two middle grade novels that are most suitable for springtime and gardening and admiring the blossoms...but I'll share more on those later.
Oh, and I've been pondering what books I want to fill the summer months with. I love choosing a handful or so of seasonally appropriate reads during different times of the year, so I've been having fun choosing my summer companions. I want to share more about this, too...soon.
in the world of TV & movies
Oh, I rewatched a true favorite last week...Miss Potter. Goodness me! How perfect and wondrous is this movie? If you haven't seen it yet, you seriously must. I just love everything about it...the whimsical watercolor paintings that come to life, Beatrix's spunkiness, the stunning English countryside and the power of stories. Each time I watch it, I fall in love all over again...and the soundtrack is so beyond dreamy. I listen to it all. the. time.
a grateful heart
Rainy days...my favorite; homemade strawberry frozen sorbet; springtime tea party with my mom and sister; really good books; laughter and lots of it; the scent of honeysuckle in the evenings; bright pink roses; comfy t-shirts and shorts and sandals; coziness and home comforts.
from my kitchen
For Mother's Day, my sister and I put together a springtime tea party for our mom. We made three savouries, three sweets and one scone with strawberry jam, and we enjoyed it all with freshly brewed iced raspberry leaf tea. (It's just too hot for warm drinks.) We used all new recipes, except for one standby teatime favorite and everything was completely vegan. The food was delicious and we had tons of fun preparing it all...but, best of all, we had the most delightful teatime on a lovely May early evening.
fashionable fun
One of my typical hot weather outfits...leggings with a spaghetti strap tank top and sandals. Hair half up.
home & hearth
My sister and I completely removed everything from our fridge last night and organized everything. We used bins we had from previous projects. And now our fridge looks so dang good...it makes us smile just looking at everything in its new place. And it will make cooking so much easier knowing where things are. We also hung some pictures in our living room...and I hung a few new finds in my room last week. Just small things, but every bit makes our home feel even cozier and more like a haven.
a few of my favorite things
♥ homemade frozen strawberry sorbet (I'll share the recipe later)
♥ tidying up and reorganizing my recipe notebook collection
♥ rewatching old episodes of The Amazing Race
for the love of words
Just feel the magic in the air and the power in the breeze.
Feel the energy of the plants, the bushes, and the trees.
Let yourself be surrounded by nature at its best.
Calm yourself, focus and let magic do the rest.
(Sally Walker)
crafting & creating
My projects as of late have consisted of lots of tidying up and organizing...my room, recipe notebooks, bookshelves, and the like. I haven't really done much crafting recently, but I do have some ideas whirling around in my mind. Hopefully soon I'll get the crafting bug and start a new project.
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Do share what you've been delighting in, dear ones! I love hearing from you!
Until next time, may your day be filled with smiles, sweetness and sunshine!
♥