Wednesday, July 15, 2015

happy hump day

 What a treat today to turn off the AC and open up all the windows and doors. It was one of those perfect days in the 70's with sunshine and a cool breeze. More thunderstorms are moving in tomorrow and then a sizzling weekend.


Me and my mom hit up a little antique shop recently and I found this wooden pocket letter box which I hung on my kitchen wall. All I need is a rotary dial phone next to it, right?


 I also found this red and white tea tin which is now filled with tea bags.


Puttering around the house today, I stacked suitcases in front of the fireplace box. After all, I'm not using the fireplace this summer.

I hope.  


Played with hues of blue on the buffet. Right now, the wall above the buffet is blank. I'm starting to look for a large metal or wooden decorative piece to go on this wall. I think I'll hit up Kirklands.
 

Made a lentil-veggie salad for mine and hubby's lunch.

LENTIL-VEGGIE SALAD
1 lb. cooked lentils
1/2 English cucumber, quartered
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup multi-colored bell peppers, diced
1/4 pkg. broccoli slaw
3 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing:
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup vinegar*
(*I used chive; white wine, rice or any other "light" vinegar would work)
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour over lentil-veggie salad and stir well to mix.
 

 Welcome to my neighbor's weed garden. :-o Seriously, this is what he calls it. He keeps his lawn mowed, but that's where it ends. There's another smaller patch like this by his front door. And the hostas by his driveway that another neighbor planted for him one year, are also overtaken by four foot high weeds. He jokes about his weed gardens and is a nice neighbor, so we try to overlook this jungle, although it doesn't make for a pleasant view out my kitchen window. You don't think he minds that I snipped a few of his Queen Anne's Lace today, do you?


I think his weeds look much prettier in my bathroom.
 

As this beautiful day winds to a close and the pussy cats are now all napping ~

Monkey in my son's bed...


Clementine on a kitchen chair...
 

And Zippo in my office, expressing his sentiments...
 

 I thank you all for visiting and leaving your gracious comments. 
I read and treasure each one!



19 comments:

  1. Everything flows so gently throughout your home, I enjoyed this journey of the snippets of your day. Absolutely yes to the weeds looking very nice in your bath-in fact they don't even look like weeds!
    These sweet kitty cats are too cute.
    Happy Wednesday!
    Jemma

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  2. A rotary phone would be just right with it! And I really like the blues you put on the buffet, Melanie. I am finding myself so in love with colored glass lately. What a ferocious yawn Zippo has! I bet you felt energized today with the windows open to cool temperatures. I imagine it will be at least mid-September before we're able to do that again.

    Maybe the Queen Anne's Lace at your neighbors will flourish enough for many bouquets for you. I do love it and cut it in our hillside pasture to go with the old orange day lilies.

    Blessings to you in your comfy house,
    Dewena

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  3. Lol at the last cat picture. Looks like he was telling you off. Too funny.

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  4. Hoping for some cool weather here tomorrow...before it heats up again! Love your new little wall rack and tea tin...and your kitties are beautiful!

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  5. The temps were definitely great today and I must have spent at least 5 hours in the backyard, We have rain predicted for the next few days, Ugh!

    You find the best 2nd hand pieces, I like the little box and the suitcases.

    I would mow down the neighbor's weeds and say "Oops"!!! Ha Ha!

    Love your kitty-is that Monkey?

    Jane x

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  6. Melanie, thank you for your very sweet comment on my blog! You found some wonderful treasures at the antique store. I especially like the tea tin. I don't think your neighbor should mind at all, and good for you for taking an eyesore and turning it into something lovely in your home.

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  7. Cats are always good examples of how to nap anywhere, anytime, and your beautiful cats are demonstrating this truth.

    I bet your neighbor never noticed you'd snipped a few of his weeds and to think, he could be putting vases of flowers / weeds in HIS home if he cared. If he's a nice neighbor I'd appreciate him, weeds and all too.

    Love your finds and how you've used them.

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  8. That is a treat! How cute is your kitters? Love to see stacks of books. Don't they just make a house a home? I always love to check and see if there is a new title that I need to check out.

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  9. Please, please, please, be careful about your neighbour's weeds. What you call Queen Anne's Lace looks very much like Giant Hogweed, which is very dangerous. It causes enormous blisters and burns, and it can take up to 6 years, before a victim can go out in sunlight. There have been horrendous stories in the UK press just this last week...(children playing in a park etc.) The pics were heartbreaking, so please take care. Blessings, and I really hope my fears are unfounded.

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  10. Lovely little snapshots of your home.

    I saved that lentil salad recipe, it looks and sounds delicious!

    Have a great weekend ~ FlowerLady

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  11. I love every picture in this post. Beautiful flowers, decorating with books with titles to match the themes, the tea tin, letter box, and the old luggage in front of the fireplace. Wish I had thought about something like that when I lived in a house with a fireplace. I have none here. The salad looks good so will save that recipe. But the highlight was the picture of your neighbor's weed beds. I had exactly the same thing next door and outside my kitchen window! I even took pictures of it the day before he finally sprayed weed killer on them. Now I just see dead, dried up weeds. :( There are some beautiful bushes and hostas in there, too but can hardly tell. I do love Queen Anne's Lace flowers and like the way you displayed them. You either need to come and decorate my house, or I want to move in with you.

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  12. I hope you received my private e-mail with pics attached. I just hope you can rule out Giant Hogweed. Blessings

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  13. Hi Melanie,
    I love the vintage mail holder that you are using for note taking. Not only is it as cute as a bug's ear, but it is useful. I have three in my kitchen. Though I am letting a couple of Queen Ann's Lace grow up in the garden because they are so pretty, the rest of your neighbors garden out your window would drive me nuts. I know I would weed it, turn over the soil, plant some no hassle perennials there and scatter a couple of handfuls of Preen. That means no seeds germinate (no weeds) for three months. I don't think Preen is toxic to bees or insects and no weeding for three months is a JOY! I like your blog!

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  14. What a great post...kitties, flowers, vintage goodies and a recipe I must try.

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  15. Sounds like a great day! A delicious salad too! xx

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  16. The letter wall pocket and tea tin are right up my alley, Melanie! It's a good thing we don't shop together.

    I definitely think the flowers look better in your bathroom than in your neighbor's weed bed! I've got a neighbor who has killed all the shrubs between our yards. They technically belong to her, but since she left the dead shrubs for over 2 years, I didn't feel at all like I was trespassing when I dug them out. And the police haven't come to take me away either.

    Lovely kitty pics! I got a lot of kitty snuggle time with our country daughter's 2 new kitties yesterday. meow

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  17. Such a nice post, Melanie. Your home is so tastefully decorated and the picture of the stacked suitcases especially caught my eye. I love to see suitcases and trunks, decorative boxes and baskets stacked as storage and decor and created a Pinterest board for collecting pictures of them. Your kitties are so cute and appear to be enjoying the mild weather you are having, sleeping all curled up and comfy. Your lentil salad looks very tasty! Have a great week ahead!

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  18. Maybe you could think of it as a native plant garden, instead of a weed garden, and then maybe it would look better to you. Is it full of bees and butterflies? See, native! LOL

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  19. We also enjoyed a couple of glorious days until the heat and humidity moved in! Cute, cute vintage finds, Melanie! And we have one of those neighbors too who doesn't seem to notice the weeds that are higher than his shrubs. I guess it makes our yard look that much better. :-))
    Mary Alice

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Thank you for taking the time to leave a kind comment - I read and appreciate each one!