A PRODUCTIVE WEEKEND

After a week of feeling a bit 'under the weather' I tackled the weekend with a lot of zest and zeal! I enjoyed a very productive two-days.

Mondays - Fridays don't work too well for me - after working all day I come home to 3 dogs that need to be first walked and then fed, supper needs to be made and during the warmer months - gardens need to be tended. I'm pooped out at the end of the day and don't have much steam left for my 'projects'.

I yearn for these types of weekends where all of my time is spent doing the things I love - anything that falls within the home improvement category.

Hubs doesn't feel quite the same.

He fondly recalls a time in recent history, BL (Before Lisa), where weekends were spent in front of the television, watching sporting events for long periods of time; sunny mornings at the links; snapping a Bud with buddies and even sleeping in past 7 a.m.

AL (After Lisa) brings early morning jaunts with the dogs in various parks, flea markets, farmer markets, antique shows and lists ... yes, the dreaded lists.

Lists of all the things I want to accomplish. Lists that ensure our weekends are 'productive'!

As well as showing you some of my fabulous fall flowers, here is a sampling of the projects we tackled over the weekend. Full posts to come!

The weekend consisted of painting ~

and wallpapering!

Architectural salvage ~

and mirrors!

Stay Tuned! Cheers ~ Lisa

PINKS STILL BLOOMING IN MY GARDEN

Today I am once again participating in "Pink Saturday" at How Sweet the Sound. What I really appreciate about this event is that Beverly encourages all the participants to visit one another in an effort to meet new 'friends'. It can be difficult when you're new to blogging to gather a following. As a result of my first Pink Saturday, I did in fact, make some new friends and I was rather overwhelmed with the response of the other participants, taking the time to welcome me to the event. What a great bunch of gals! It was such a gratifying experience that I am here once again, ready to enjoy another Pink Saturday. Thanks to Beverly for hosting this event.

The days are now unpredictable where I live in Southern Ontario. The mornings can be quite nippy while the afternoon can still heat up with the sun shining but as it sets in the western sky, the temperature can dip quite low. Autumn is finally upon us! I thought I would share the pink flowers that are still blooming in my garden.

My Hydrangea from the Forever & Ever Series. This variety produces flowers on old and new wood so it started spouting lovely pink flowers in the spring and has continued to put on a stellar performance all season long!

Sedum "Autumn Joy" is just starting to flush with colour. The name is so appropriate because this plant does just that - it brings JOY to the Fall garden!

The pink Begonia's still doing their thing in their container on the fence. I feed my annuals each and every week to keep them blooming & healthy throughout the growing season.

Here is my Weigela 'Variegata' enjoying a rather sparse, second flush of flowers. It bloomed profusely in the spring and this is now the finale.

Ahhhh ..... 'Pink Pewter' Lamium - a proven winner! This started producing petite pink flowers in the early spring and as you can see, in mid-September, it's still going strong.

What a great little filler - even in containers.

The large fluffy blooms of my PeeGee Hydrangea, just starting to change colour. These are perfect for indoor floral displays as they dry so beautifully.

Here is my Double Pink Hydrangea, again another variety from the Forever & Ever series.

Here's a charming 'pink' in my garden that will bloom all year round ~~ the flowers in my stained glass window.

I also wanted to share a 'visitor' that we had this week.

Isn't she beautiful?

GLORIOUS!

And finally, the fading blooms of my "Fairy" Rose. Sigh ... it's almost time to put the garden to bed for another winter.

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY! ~ Lisa ~

MOVING DAY & AN AWARD

This weekend was very busy. My step-daughter, Terrilee, moved out of our house and into a new apartment. She's been with us for 3 years now while she finished her University degree.
It was a very sad day for Hubs as Terrilee is moving all the way across the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). But Terrilee is very HAPPY! (Okay, wipe that smile off your face, even just for Pop's benefit).

She is setting up residence with her boyfriend, Troy.


And here is where they'll be living.

With this view of the city (6th floor).

So needless to say, our weekend was filled with packing, moving boxes, painting, unpacking and cleaning.

When all the excitement had finally passed on Sunday, Hubs suggested we go out for breakfast. Can you imagine my excitement when we came home, pulled into the driveway, and saw this sticking up in the front garden!

Woohoo, we won an award for our front garden! I was soooooo excited!!!

Because no one was home, the Horticultural Society Judges left this tucked in our front door.

It is so fulfilling when all your hard work and efforts are recognized by someone other than yourself!

Cheers ~ Lisa ~

HUMMINGBIRD

I happen to be quite fond of birds. Now I don't own a bird nor am I one of those bird watchers who is able to identify over 100 different species. However, I like using them in decorating my home and they seem to appear quite frequently.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I came home today and spotted this in my backyard!
Now understand, I live in the middle of a bustling metropolis. Any glimpse of wildlife is a rare occurrence. I could barely keep my composure as I rushed for my camera. I didn't want to get the dogs excited and then scare away my tiny visitor.

Sorry, these are not the greatest pictures - they were the best I could do in the circumstance.

You really have to look for him in this last pic - but he is there - a sweet Hummingbird!

Hope you all enjoy the remainder of the weekend! ~Cheers - Lisa~