DIY Garden Trellis

A garden trellis, a year in the making.

Last year, we bought a few free standing garden trellises in hopes of giving the corner of our yard some charm and create some additional privacy.  

Admittedly, I'm getting a bit spoiled.  My husband's competency is now raising my bar of expectations. 

So, when a year went by and the garden trellis sat so beautiful and yet so woefully neglected, hidden behind our garage.  My expectations became that said garden trellis needed to be completed asap.

Dutifully, the master got to work.

A structure was created.

Details were added.

A charming garden trellis was built...in a day!

And, then, a big gust of wind came by and this beautiful garden trellis was knocked over.  

That didn't deter the master, though.  He persevered.  He created.  He conquered.

The garden trellis is now complete.

The bar has been raised again. 

DIY Garden Hose Holder

Add some charm to your yard by making your own garden hose holder. 

I thought this idea was brilliant when I pinned it almost 2 years ago. 

Then, I continued to think this was a brilliant idea when we found a post and equestrian hook over a year ago. 

The problem, this brilliant idea, post and hook continued getting moved to the bottom of the to do list FOR OVER A YEAR. 

In the meantime, countless barnwood bunnies, whales, foxes were made.

And, things like this would show up in my trunk. 

We finally came to an understanding, it was time to mark this brilliant idea off of our to do list before we could take in or on any other projects. 

So...painting began.  A helpful tip, when painting something that is going outside, invest in a pint of good outdoor paint.  A little will go along way.

Once the post was dry, the hook was put in place.  Everything was starting to have a refine feel, except for the new screws that secured the hook.

The new screws took on a more polished look with a little Novacan Black Patina.

 Applying a little patina with a paint brush, the screws aged right before our eyes.

 

 The post was then sunk into the ground...

And, the hose was FINALLY put into place.

2 years later, it's done! 

I can't wait to add something new to the to do list. 

First Grade

First grade; another baby step in the process of 'letting go'.

First grade.  A year of new firsts.  First time going to school ALL DAY long.

In kindergarten, Grace only went to school in the morning.  And, though, at the time, it was hard to let her go, the mornings went so quickly.  That smiling face was back home with me before lunch. 

First grade also means, the first time Grace gets to experience lunch and recess.  These are parts of her day that she looks forward to the most.  These are parts of the day, I worry about the most.  Those unstructured moments of the day, you hope will greet your child with kindness and happy memories.

 

Those are the moments I worry about her falling and scraping her knee and me not being there to give her a band-aid and a little tenderness. 

But, this brave little girl is ready, ready to take on the firsts.  Ready to fearlessly face new challenges.  Ready to make new friends. 

This brave little girl is ready to go...

Though I am sure she took my heart with her, in that back pack, there's no place else I'd rather my heart go. 

As I count down the hours until she returns home, I look around, feeling a bit less brave. 

Her absence is felt.

My heart aches a bit, until she comes home, filled with delightful tales about how she LOVED her first day of school.  She smiles as she tells me about the girls she sat with at lunch and played with at recess.  She laughs as she remembers funny moments from her day.

And, I hug her a bit tighter. 

So, even though I know there will be many more moments of learning how to let her go, I'll appreciate those moments I don't have to and I'll hold on that much tighter. 

'Bear' With Me

Bear with me...

This momma bear is trying to enjoy the last 14 days of summer before sending her baby bear to school (ALL day!).

Enjoy what's left of your summer!