Easter Party

Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays and we've had plenty of Easter parties over the years, but it's been years since we've hosted one.

We changed that this year by hosting a rustic Easter picnic. Rustic since we are in the middle of a remodel and have no kitchen.

But we have plenty of flowers, tables and chairs, ice chests, and a family full of good sports.

The gardens supplied several gorgeous bouquets with lilacs, snowball viburnum, azaleas, rhododendrons, ferns, and dogwoods.

The cousins had a great time catching up.

The men did a great job barbecuing the meat.

Everyone seemed to have a good time chatting and enjoying the perfect weather.

One table had a card game going on.

Bubbly Girl had fun with bubbles.

And I had the BEST time just watching it all happen. I didn't realize how much I had missed entertaining like this.

I even pulled out my spring bunting. The only thing missing was croquet, but I'm working on that for the next garden party.

Bathroom Ready for Company

We've owned this house for months and cleaned the bathroom up a little for our use, but we're having a big Easter Party, so we had to up our game a bit.

First we tore out a soffit and installed all new lighting and an exhaust fan. After patching all the holes, we painted the walls with white oil based enamel. We painted an old mirror and the existing hardware to match the tile. We scrubbed the toilet, sink, tub, shower, and floor.

It's not perfect, but is ready for company.

 

Here's a before and after of the tub area. The tile's not perfect, but we love the color so we're keeping it.

 

Here's a before, during, and after of the vanity area. We plan to update the vanity in the future and add a linen cabinet where the orchid is, so the mirror is not centered over the existing sink, but it will be eventually.

Imagine taking a shower in here. It might be like swimming in the Caribbean Sea.

I can hardly wait.

April Garden Report

April is blessing us with pleasant weather and an abundance of azaleas. Above them the pale green leaves of quercus lobata are unfurling under blue skies.

We have dark pink,

pale pink,

coral,

lavender,

ruffled pale pink,

and medium pink azaleas.

In several areas of our garden, the different plants have mingled together creating a tapestry of pinks. With eighty-five azaleas, nearly every day brings a new discovery.

It seems like something new is sprouting or blooming every day. Some I know, but others have me consulting my gardening books.

This dogwood tree was easy to recognize even before it bloomed.

These bridalwreath spireas had me guessing until they bloomed.

This large snowball viburnum is a real prize. My grandmother had one in her garden and I've always wanted one.

This oakleaf hydrangea looked dead, but now has healthy looking leaves and should bloom in a month or so.

I was happy to find a lilac with lovely dark purple flowers. The plant is overgrown and lopsided, but with some pruning it should be gorgeous soon.