The Saddest Post Ever

You know, I usually try and keep this bloggy hobby of mine an upbeat and happy place for you to visit.  But today I would like to share what eight and a half inches of rain over three days has done to our garden.  Brace yourself.  This ain't pretty.  I would seriously like to cry but I have hope inside for the life of some of our plants.  I am so afraid that there won't be any salsa made or green beans canned.  It's like on A Christmas Story when the dogs ran through kitchen and ate the Christmas turkey... "no turkey ala king, no turkey hash!"

 

 

I feel like Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes... "Look at my Stove Top"

 

Poor eggplant

Rocks appearing everywhere.  Haven't found any arrowheads yet but I'm looking.

 

Cleome apparently loved it.

As well as the zinnias.

Parsley..not so much.

Hang in there rosemary.

 

Ugh... the heat has returned to cook the plants at their roots inside the soggy mud.  So sad.

Sorry if I brought you down.  I swear from now on I will provide more positive affirmations and post-ations.  And.. even though it's sad... I love the eggplant picture... deranged I know.



Weekend Finds: Sharing the Love

If you live anywhere near Tennessee, you are well aware of how much rain we had over the weekend.  Between Thursday and Sunday morning we gathered a whopping eight and a half inches of rain.  Crazy weather for July and not so good weather for the garden.  Needless to say, there was no yard sailing this past weekend.  I did however get a "clean out" bug and cleaned out my cabinet that houses all my old vases and pitchers that I use to hold flowers on my table and where ever.  I had to make some tough decisions on which ones to get rid of.  I made a garage sale box and decided to list some on my etsy site Peppysis to pass along some love to anyone who's interested. 

 

If you find something you really like and are local, we can do away with the shipping and you can come get it or whatever.  I hope you enjoy!

 

 

As an avid collector of junk, I have a hard time letting go of things sometimes.  Thinking "I'm going to wish I still had that one day."  But one can't possible keep everything... can they?  I guess if you want more room to walk in your house besides down pathways through junk!  It's not that bad really.



Checked Out: Found Style

My fantastic book this week is:

 

Found Style

Vintage Ideas for Modern Living

 

By: David and Amy Butler

 

Checked Out Rating: 10

 

I seriously do not want to take this book back to the library.  I have had it in my possession for about five weeks and it is due back yet again this Saturday.  I will probably wind up buying it for my own library.  I have here a wonderful home decorating book where they use vintage and old items displayed in tons of pictures throughout the book.  I have been from inspired to drooling by something every time I have opened it.  I even let my sister borrow it for a day or two. 

 

 

I will say that these are not the best pictures from the book.  Sometimes I will take pictures of pictures in books that I like for ideas.  And these are examples of that as well as looks in the book.

 

Scary but this page has me all over it, with the feathers, bones, nests and antlers.



Checked Out

My "Checked Out" book for today is...

 

 

The Secret Garden

 

By: Frances Hodges Burnett

 

This was, for me, a library check out from the juvenile fiction section that I loved.  I had never seen this book although lots of people say they had to read it in school sometime or another.  I probably did too ... I just didn't.  I ran across it while searching books on Goodreads.com. 

I really enjoyed diving into the lives of these three kids and envisioning where each of them lived and the castle and condition of each of the kids, one good, two not so good at first.  Being a lover of the green thumb I liked hearing about the gardens and what was growing and could well picture it all. 

I would recommend this book, which was written in 1910 might I add, to anyone who is old enough to read good.  It is the perfect Spring and Summer read.  I read it this Spring and love it when I happen to check out a book that is based during the same season.  It really makes for a magical read.

 

Checked Out Rating: 9

 

 

I want to hang out with Dickon!

 Of all the characters.. he is my fave.

 



Checked Out

My checked out book today is

 

Design Sponge at Home

 

By Grace Bonney

 

 

I admit, I have poured over this book!  I have read and looked and gawked for a week y'all.  There are pictures galore, fabulous how to's and before and after pics of furniture redos!  All sorts of fun to be seen.  I also noticed the use of fun wallpaper throughout. 

Man, the talents of some people!  So inspiring!

 

Checked Out Rating: 10

 

 

 

Checked Out: The Witch's Daughter

My book this week on Checked Out is

 

The Witch's Daughter

 

By: Paula Brackston

 

This book literally took me four days to read, which is pretty amazing that a book captured my attention and held it until I finished it.  I read every chance I got and loved it.  This book really had several intense moments.  It began in the 1600's and, towards the end of the book, wound up in the 2000's.  Wild.  I loved reading about the main character's garden and planting and herbs and concoctions that she sold.  Some of the witchy part I didn't understand nor believe in and I wasn't truly impressed with the end of the book although it left the story well. 

 

I have to admit something I did.  I was more than three fourths of the way into this book when I went on GoodReads.com to see what else this author had written and happened on reviews of the book that I was reading.  I wish I hadn't done this.  I like to pick up a book, knowing nothing about it, and read it.  I don't even like to read the outside or inside flap that gives you a little insight to what the book is about.  I don't like to form opinions about the book before I have read every word and reading a couple of reviews on this book made me think different of it by the time I got to the end.  I think I would have found it more believable or interesting if I hadn't read a negative review from another reader.  BooHoo.  I like the book anyway!  I want to go back and read the gardening parts.  They really did inspire me to work in my own herb garden.  I love making oils and extracts and such and connected with the character in that way.  Therefore I give the book a high rating.

 

Checked Out Rating: 9

 



Checked Out: Style Me Vintage

Style Me Vintage

 

By: Naomi Thompson, Belinda Hay & Katie Reynolds

 

What a fun book!  I loved flipping through the pages and discovering make up and hair tips and learning about how to care for and style vintage clothing from different eras.  You will find step by step instructions for retro and vintage looks.  I sewanee, when I came across the eye brow section I stopped reading and started plucking and felt much better. 

 

Checked Out Rating: A Fun 8

 

 

 

Checked Out: Vintage Style Cath Kidston

"Checked Out" book for this week is.... drum roll...ddddddddddddddd

 

 

Vintage Style

 

Cath Kidston

 

ca: 1999

 

 

I love Cath Kidston and her designs.  She is like the Martha of the UK and I consider myself lucky that it costs so much to order directly from her... the shipping part anyway.  Which there are products that you can get online at pretty good rates.  I purchased a sticker book from her line that I have used and used and used over the part couple of years.

 

This book is just a good as all the other books by Cath Kidston.  The vintage style and decorating in this book make me drool a little.  OK a lot.  She uses the most fantastic fabrics, most of which are in her line.  I love the cabbage roses and cowboys the best.  Great tips and reading.  I will always recommend her books.

 

Checked Out Rating: 10 as always

 

 

 

 



Checked Out: Simple Times

My "Chcked Out" book of the week is:

 

 

Simple Times

Crafts for Poor People

 

By: Amy Sedaris

 

Ca: 2010

 

I have two words for this book... cleverly hysterical.  I loved it!  It has the best crafts.  I have actually rented this book twice from the library.  The first time I kept calling Mary Evelyn to tell her funny stuff that I had read.  And the pictures are fantastic.  This book will get your creative juices flowing as well as have you rolling in the floor laughing.  My most favorite part was the stretching before and after crafting.  Good grief I haven't laughed like that in a while!  But seriously, the crafts are well thought out and most are really easy to do by yourself with kids out of what you have... if you don't mind them playing with tampons and matches that is. 

 

Checked Out Rating: 10 for sure!

 

 



Checked Out

The book in review this week is:

 

Cube Chic

 

By: Kelley L. Moore

 

I do not work in a cubical currently but have in my working lifetime and oh how I wish I had had some of the hilarious ideas from this book to take my cubical from drab to Cube Sweet Cube.  This book makes me long for work decorating contests.  Not really.  I am fine where I am and get to decorate all the time.  I love that the author includes links and stores where items were purchased and used in each highly decorated cubical.  From Garden Cube to Casino Cube this book will have you rolling! 

 

Checked Out Rating: 10