Monday's Musings

We are 11 days into the new year.  In a way it feels like it's been a lot longer, but I won't turn around twice and we'll all be preparing for Christmas 2016.  Our first week was a busy one but a good kind of busy and Hubby and I labored some together to try and get our front and back porches lined out or at least started.

We began on the back porch.

We bought some flowering winter plants to go in the empty pots that we had.  We bought them in hanging baskets, took the hangers off and then put the entire basket down in the dirt in the pot.  Gives it such a fuller look than you can get with individual plants.

Now, the ferns you see above are left overs from the summer but we are thinking they just may pull through.  If not, then we'll replace them this spring.

We got our furniture arranged and I'm going to order an outside rug to go under the glider swing.  We are hoping to give it the look of an outside room once we are finished.  It is currently a "work in progress."  

We then moved to the front porch.........

 You remember that the pretty pots I had gotten for the front porch, well, one of them was blown over and broken during a recent storm.  

Hubby and I went to get the replacement this past week and while at the shop, we decided that what we probably needed was even bigger pots.

 So, this is what we ended up with and we are very, very pleased with the look.  In fact,we think the bigger pots look nicer.  And, they are heavy, heavy and they are filled to the brim with sand.  So, we are crossing our fingers that they will stay in their upright position regardless of the wind. ~hope, hope~ I left the lights on them from Christmas because I like the lights and think they are a nice touch year around.

It always difficult to know exactly how to decorate after Christmas.  I use to decorate for Mardi Gras but it's over by mid-Febuary and then you still have a while until Spring.  So, this year I just went with neutral pillows and neutral colored bows on the topiaries so they will carry me until it's time to decorate for Spring.  And, these pillows are wired to the benches and pinned together.~yes, they are~  Where there is a will there is a way!! ~chuckle~ I'm happy to have my porch back with a welcoming look.
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This past week book #2 of our house construction process arrived.  I started the day we bought the land this house is sitting  on documenting every phase of the building process.  These books represent a whole lot of hours and I don't know that anyone will ever enjoy them outside of Tommy and I.  But, we enjoy looking back through them.  I had hoped I could get all the pictures in one book but Shutterfly has a page limit of about 75 pages and I needed double that amount, so I had to go with two.  Thankfully I got them when there was a 40% off sale going on.
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This happy little fella went to the Dr. last week for his 4 month checkup and the first of his shots. ~poor baby~  Here he is as happy as can be with a smile as big as life and then that all changed when he got his shots.  But, guess they are necessary evils. He weighed in at an even 13 pounds.  I'd say he is a thriving baby boy for sure!
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