{Lily} Preschool Graduation

This past Friday, Lily and her friends "graduated" from preschool. She is one of 5 kids (and the only girl) that graduated and will move on to kindergarten. Her best friend celebrated with them but she is younger, so she'll stay at preschool for another year. We aren't sure what we'll do when they won't see each other every day, all day. They are so close! 

I didn't get that many shots because there were always other kids... but there are some more on Facebook for friends and family. 

{Lily's Garden} New Bed #2

I'm almost done in Lily's Garden! After having new sidewalks installed, we fenced in the yard to match up to the corner of our front porch. The fence broke up the front portion of the garden into 4 possible beds. I created one last fall while pregnant with Nate. One was created last week for my new butterfly bush (and others, of course). And now, bed 3 is done.

As with the rest, I lined it with bricks because the grass will eventually be replaced with rocks and I needed a divider between the mulch and the grass/rocks. This one was one of the hardest to make because of the insane amount of rocks about 1" under the soil. It's where the original rock path once was before we started renovating. We gave up removing every single rock and so they are still there. I started putting a lot in the one bed, as you can see, but they are everywhere.

I hope to get the next one done soon. I don't have flowers for it so there's no rush. However, we have plans to work on the yard on Monday. Tomorrow is Lily's birthday party so it won't happen then.

Doesn't mulch make everything look great!?!? 

{You Are What You Keep} May Update

As 2014 continues to fly by, I am working on one of my main goals for this year - purge and clean! Organizing too, but that'll come after. So awhile back, I wrote a post and started listing what I've gotten rid of. I am back to say I've added to that list!

Here's what I had...

1-40 - my clothing
41 - Lily's old carseat
42-100 - trash items from my desk (I'm counting papers too, just so my house is clean!)
101-150 - trash items from bathroom - old products, etc. that were either out of date or never used
151 - 160 - old shirts taken to school for paint shirts

And now my additions:

160-170 - boards off of front deck from Lily's bedroom remodel - these are getting cut up for a classroom project for my 6th graders

171-180 - old aluminum window pieces, frames, screens, etc that had been junking out our back porch (recycled)

181 - old door from the house, no idea what it was used for - finally thrown away (or taken from curb, who knows)

182 - broken computer chair - it was broken for years, sat on our back porch the entire time - it was picked up from our curb

183 - 190 - random junk from back porch

191 - 200 - other random boards from Lily's bedroom remodel - thrown away and/or recycled
201 - box of wires to go to school (yes this counts because it's out of MY house, my classroom doesn't count in this)
202 - box of magazines
203 - box of crap for school. This should really count as about 50 items, but I'll just do one because it's now out of my house and I'm not picky. 
204 - 220 - old binders and folders, taken to school
221 - 240 - school supplies, taken to school
241 - 245 - box of random knick knacks given to me, taken to school for future still life drawings
246 - painting given to me, taken to school
247 - broken doll stroller, trash 

I am planning a garage sale for all of Lily's and Nate's clothes, plus a few random furniture pieces and other stuff. I'd love to tackle our basement this summer and go through all the boxes, bags, and whatnot. It's a mess down there and many things have not been touched in years.... meaning, it can go! 

 

So, I'm about 10% done with my goal! Not too shabby! 

{Garden} Inspiration and Plans

It's *almost* that time of year. Today was 80 degrees... Monday has a chance of snow and lows in the upper 20's at night. So, with that, I will not be using this wonderful weather to plant anything.

Yet.

However, I am definitely in the mood to start planting. I left off the yard last summer with some areas that needed more flowers. I was pregnant and and running of time before the crazy, cold winter came in. Today, while enjoying the weather and having an extra set of eyes, or two, on the kids, I ripped up some dead plants and made room for the new stuff. I have our front bed, which desperately needs help as nothing had made it other than a few succulents. I also have our newest front bed between our new sidewalk and house, plus between the sidewalk and Lily's Garden, and one more bed to make in Lily's Garden. Then there's the back yard but that's a different story!

So... my plan will be somewhat simple...

1 - create areas that repeat the same flowers and/or color combos to create a cohesive look to our house and flower gardens

2 - plant perennials so I don't always feel the need every year to spend big bucks on new flowers

3 - add some color with annuals in my empty pots (this is where I like to get Lily's help so she feels involved)

4 - mulch everything

5 - finally add the rocks to Lily's Garden to get rid of all of the remaining grass, some stepping stones will be added too

As for the plants.... 

More coneflowers and daisies, as I love them. Plus some lilies of course, especially if I can find the variety that grow really tall because I don't have them! I'm looking to add flowers that will help butterflies and bees, plus add color and variety to all of the beds. 

Some of these... because I've already had a few bites (yes, they love me!).

via

And more succulents, as long as they can survive the Missouri winters. 

I definitely have a lot to do once the weather stays warm enough (which I thought was already here but obviously not!). My favorite local nursery is open and they always get some business from me. I really don't want to go crazy with the spending this summer but enough to make it look good too, so part of it doesn't look horrible compared to what we've already done. The back yard will be different but there's a 6' privacy fence that separates them, so no one can see how ugly and empty it is (except kid stuff!). I have a few flowers that are back there but not many! There are some plans for the back yard in that are in the making, so it'll happen some day.