Summer in the studio and garden.

This Summer has allowed me more time to spend in the studio than I usually get, 

 and I have been able to get projects 

completed and new ones started.

Early, early this season, I was able to make another peony wreath. 

I used peonies and hydrangeas that I had dried

last Summer. 

I wasn't able to get as many cut this year as I had cut last

year and so I wanted to save this season's for using around the house this Winter.

This new wreath is hanging in the reading room.

One day last week I had the 4 year old twins,
and so while they were doing this...

I was doing this...

And then I sewed these up while I was on a roll.

The pillow below I sewed up in June.

As you can see I still have plenty of fabric for a lot more sewing projects.

A friend of mine put together a lovely quilt top for me from some of my stash,
and now I want to put together a couple more quilt tops from most of
this fabric on the second shelf.

Here's a few shots around the studio this week.

Jars of vintage lace and other bits for fabric collages.
(and this is just a fraction of it)
I'll be the 90 year lady old they find buried in her own stash of vintage laces.

Hey undertaker...I'm definitely takin' them with me!!!

And something to make me smile as I look up from the sewing machine.
A little music box I bought when I worked at the garden center from a Christmas past.

The studio loft is full of extra supplies and my decorating books and magazines.
The peonies in the bucket are still peonies left over from last Summer too.

Since I will be going to my favorite little shop 'Rebecca's' this Labor Day
weekend, I thought I would show you what I bought the last time I was there on the
Fourth of July.

I seemed to have been drawn to mostly the trims and millinery bits.
Oh yes, and buttons. Always buttons.

I loved these green velvet grapes (berries ?).

A little booklet of pretty illustrations and more millinery.

I loved this little floral hair piece.

I also loved the crocheted buttons and lace collar.

 


I have been wanting a comfortable sewing chair for some time, but knew I wanted something
cute as well as functional. I was so happy to see this pretty little matelasse slip covered
chair that now sits here in my studio.
Love it!!!

I also came home with this cool aqua architectural piece.
Funny that the iron piece behind it also came from Rebecca's about two or
so years ago.

I am looking forward to seeing Rebecca and Laura again this coming weekend,
and see what more I can add to my to my ever growing 'Rebecca stuff' stuff!


Outside the studio I have some little iron baskets hanging from the front wall that
are planted with pansies. I have been surprised that they have done so well
against this wall all Summer, even in the past two weeks of hot, hot, hot.

A little story about this siding on the studio...

When we owned a small farm and dairy in our early marriage,
on it was a little henhouse where the farmer's before us had raised
hens and where I then raised about 25 hens while our children were growing up.
Actually, by today's standards of our backyard coops now it was huge at 10'X 14'.

Anyway, as I was saying,
I couldn't bear to leave it behind when we left the dairy, so Dale moved it to the place
that we were moving to. Our children then promptly cleaned it up (ha)
and made a playhouse for themselves.
 (yes they had had all their shots) and we knew nothing of bird flu then))

Then when we moved here, I couldn't leave it behind again,
so Dale moved it again and used it as a tack shed
since our children were all grown up by then.
It had seen better days, but had many memories wrapped up in it,
so when we redid the shed in the back for the studio,
we ( we, meaning Dale) dissembled
the henhouse and sided the studio.

Now,
I think this just may give you a clue into my personality
and why I hold on to
so many unnecessary 'things'.
I hoard memories...and stuff that hold them!

Stargazer lilies in front of the studio.

And finally a few pictures of the garden blooms.

Even though the Shasta daisies are done blooming I wanted to show a photo of how
pretty they were this year for those who don't see my garden blog.

Then there's the beebalm.

I love, love, love echinacea (or coneflower).

SO easy to grow...a caveman could do it!!!

Here is a variety I bought and planted last year called 'Double Decker'.

I'm guessing it was a caveman who came up with such a clever name too!

This was a couple of weeks ago.

and this is today.

Double Decker indeed!

Should be Party On!!!!

and some pretty roses that I can't keep from photographing.

Gosh, I was long winded today!
If I would post more, I wouldn't have to talk so much.
Well---maybe.
Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead!

Sweet, sweet peas!

The sweet pea.

I always think of little girls when I see the sweet pea bloom.

Don't know why.

Just do.

It is everything sugar and spice,
And all things nice.

What would a cottage garden be without them?

Every Spring I buy a couple of seed packets and plant them anywhere and everywhere.

They do not self seed well here in my climate and I never remember to collect the seed.

So I buy.

Seems like such a small price to pay for 'pretty'.

Don't you agree?

And the 'pretty' will continue all the way through Fall.

They are just SO Cath Kidston-ie too.

The mudroom is getting a shake up and I thought some bright colors

were in order out here. 

It will be a treat to walk in the back door and see this.

At least until the frost gets them.

Have you got your copy of this?

It's Jo-Anne Coletti's latest issue of
The Feminine Home- Where The Heart Is.

Well I know how you can!
It's been all over blogland.

Last year I was lucky enough to have been included in the first issue she did.
She featured my studio and garden in it. It was such an honor.

I am sure this issue is just as lovely as the last one was.
In fact, I KNOW it will be.
Every thing Jo-Anne does is beautiful!!!

To order your own copy click on the link below.
Vintage Rose Collection

I know some of you are included in this beautiful magazine and I will
be looking forward to seeing you in there.

Big hugs from here everyone!

The little valley I live in!

In Idaho, we tend to refer to many of our areas as valleys.
We have many mountain ranges here in Idaho which makes for a lot of valleys.

There is Magic Valley (Twin Falls area), Treasure Valley (Boise and surrounding areas),
Mini Cassia Valley (Burley), and etc.

I live in what is called the Little Wood River Valley.

In the photo below,the mountain range you see beyond the foothills
is called the Pioneers.
This is where the water for this entire valley flows from.
It is collected into the Little Wood reservoir for storage.
It is the life blood of our area.

The photo below is facing north of town.

The Pioneers run to the east of us and end at the Craters of the Moon Natl. monument.

They run to the north and east of us and meet the Boulder mountains to the north,
which then creates the Big Wood River valley and that is where the
 Sun Valley Ski resort and the towns of Ketchum, Hailey and Bellevue are located.
All of them are little mountain towns.

Sun Valley is definitely a resort town, filled with many awesome and very expensive shops.
Many of the rich and famous have homes there.

Here in my little town, we call that area the upper valley.

Many of the people in our town work there at various jobs

and it is where I worked for a few years as well.

If you squint and look real hard at the photo above I have put a little white 'here' to show

where our dairy farm was and where we lived for many years

before we crossed the highway and bought part of my grandfather's place
which is where we live now.

The photo below is facing east...
and there in the back ground is my little home town.

 If you put the last three photos end to end

you see most of the valley on the north side of the highway that divides it.

This picture below is me descending what we call Picabo Hill and coming down into town.

 If I stand and face southeast, this is the rest of the valley.

The little black 'here' shows where I live now.

The Craters of the Moon is to the east of us and so on the south and east

 of us are lava flows for miles.

  

With the mountains to the north and west of us and the lava flows to the south and east,

when people ask where I live I always say that I live on the edge

of Heaven and Hell.

The two extremes make for a beautiful valley.

And below is a photo of what we call Queen's Crown. It is a peak at the top of Picabo Hill.

The photo below is descending the other side of the hill into the little town of Picabo.

The gold medal skier Picabo Street was named after it.

My mother was raised in this teeny little Picabo.

 Picabo has a population of about 75.

Cattle grazing on the Queen's Crown Ranch.

Queen's Crown is an awesome landmark from any direction.

It can be seen for miles in two different directions.

In the photo below, it can be seen in the distance.

This was taken on my way home from my doctor appointment in Hailey.

I love, love, love this view!

It means I'm almost home!

I wanted to share this post with you so you can get an idea of the Idaho that I call home.

Idaho is a rural state with very few cities, and the cities we have are small cities.

Mostly, Idaho is made up of a lot of charming small towns set in little valleys like

the one I live in.

 I was born and raised all of my young life in Boise and love the city,

but this Little Wood River Valley is my home.