I'm mashing a lot of crap in this one post cuz I am lazy

#sorrynotsorry

First up: happenings in the gardens in and around the Cottage. It'll take us a few years, but we've started work to transform the yards into what we want them to be. That mainly means removing and transplanting a lot of stuff. We haven't yet bought anything new to put in, but John is finalizing his plans for vegetables. Have to get those going soon!

Here's what we inherited in the backyard:

 

My man! < 3

Not much has happened, but things look immensely better barren than filled with ugly shrubs. I took advantage of some container gardening. They have all filled out since I took these initial photos, and the pansies in particular are flourishing!

In other outdoor news, we have a new addition on the deck: a comfortable and lovely 6-seat dining set! We got it just in the nick of time to host a Mother's Day brunch with John's parents and grandparents and my parents. Thankfully, the weather cooperated, and it was a beautiful day in the backyard.

All we're currently missing is a grill, and it's John's homework to start researching what he'd like so we can hopefully catch a Memorial Day/Father's Day sale. I realize I'll need one or two nice and large serving trays to get things from the kitchen to the grill/table!

Here are a few choice pics from Mother's Day Brunch, which thankfully everything thought was perfect. I bought 2 quiches to serve, and baked cinnamon buns and macarons. John's family brought fruit salad, and my parents brought cheese and crackers. I  made a bowl of mimosa punch, and filled the glass beverage dispenser with water and slices of lemon and lime. Perfect light refreshments for a warm and sunny Sunday.

Lastly, this afternoon I addressed a few more blank walls (I'm slowly conquering them all!). My mom brought me some plate racks to use for my china tea/dessert plates. I installed them this afternoon with help from John. An extra set of hands definitely came in handy.There was a lot of eyeballing, a lot of measuring, and a lot of using my level. But using a level when there are no straight lines seems a bit defeatist. Our dear house is 100 years old, and it has no square corners, so what shows as level in the little bubbles often winds up looking crooked when compared to the lines of the ceiling, walls, and window frames. Ah, well. I just chalk it up to the charm--can't have things rolling off shelves now! haha

Expanses of blank wall...

Thanks to an auto-timer, we held the shelves in place to get a feel for how they'd look.

Thankfully we liked the look so I went for it!

 And by the way, I know the credenza is terribly off-center. The AC vent is in the floor in line with the left corner of the windowsill. So we can't center the credenza without covering it. Wah wah.

And here's my current favorite view, as seen from the couch in the living room.

The wood of the shelves is actually a serendipitous match to the wood trim throughout the lower level. They were destined for these walls. Thanks, Mom!

And with that, I am ending this ridiculously disjointed and long post.