In celebration…

… of my favorite Mom’s 80th birthday this Sunday…

okay, okay ONLY Mom...but still favorite

My brother completely surprised us by flying down from NYC, and we all

headed further south to the Sundy house and Taru Gardens

in Delray Beach.

We had an amazing brunch among the tropical flora and fauna

Cool Mimosas and bloody Mary's flowed freely

Never left to get below half of a glass

After several courses of lovely delectables like smoked salmon and curried pasta...

florentine eggs benedict and Crepes bananas foster…

Mahi mahi and wood smoked pork

Oh....it just went on and on and on...

We took a break to stroll through the secret gardens

Where we stopped at the natural rock bottomed pool,

and dipped our toes in amongst the colorful small fish

dancing in the crisp water…

With Mimosas in hand we continued to wander through the acre garden…

...Back at our table for another round of tropical smogasboard...

Oy...I’m still full.

The food was spread out through many different parts of the historic Inn

Can’t think of a better place to celebrate 80 amazing years…

To many, many more….

and we’ll keep the mimosas flying!

okey dokey?

Summer project…Operation curb appeal…

So…You have had a peek at parts of our back yard

Here you can see the little casita (guesthouse) in the background…

…Just threw these in ‘cause they are blooming now…and knock my socks off!

Anyways... I am pretty darn positive you have not seen the front of our humble Casa

For good reason…mind you.

It is not lovely in the least.

Oh…it has potential, and yes I have planted a lot of donated and traded plants in it.

But

curb appeal particularly at the door… it lacks.

See the walkway…it was chatahootchie…that son #3 spent a summer scraping off... to get to the concrete.

I'm told it wasn't fun. I'm told some wouldn't come off.

Now we plan on covering it with homemade concrete pavers.

Yep.

Let me just say, it is GRUELING work to make these pavers. Sift the cement, add the sand, add cobinations of tint…mix with trowel…pour into molds…

Lather. Rinse.Repeat.

A friend who is truly an artisan is doing it…and I helped…well, with eight of the pavers

we need over 40.

gulp.

I was ready to pack it in, man. I was filthy, hot, stained in shades of umber and rust brown…Both skin and clothes...

But Ole’ artisan man kept on truckin’.

The plan started innocently enough

with my love of Rio De Janeiro’s sidewalks…

But...knew that may be too much of a stretch.

I think I saw the husband wipe a brow on that one!

So then I moved to this idea…ish

Then to here…cause I loved the use of the small rocks on the risers…and the color

Then I got realistic… and said to self~

“self... if we even get close to a color like this I don’t need much else”

But….I kept seeing this

…Probably because I am using it as a screen saver…

So…half of the infamous back killing pavers are made Thank you Dale! and we need to make some steps, and add rock to the risers...

and mud in the pavers….and ...

That…among 100 other things…is the summer project.

phew.

What are you dreaming about/working on/ planning and scheming?

hmmmmm?

Ok...so big deal...It's hot here...

I'm really not complaining...

Because there are some truly benevolent souls

on the other side of the world...Alaska... who are running
a marathon
to support leukemia research....
where it is really, really, really cold.
did I say really enough?

Check out my guest post on DECOROLOGY....
warm your soul with her work...
Cool your heels at an amazing South American piece of paradise.

I dare ya!

and leave her a note of thanks if you would...for me.
We need more Ashley's in our world...

Run, girl, Run!

It’s hot….

Nothing more.

Nothing less. Just dripping hot.

Enjoy some inside outside living

and imagine an oasis from the hot sun…

I am.

Towel, please.

These doors slide open…

…From here.

cool to the touch

stone floor.

Source: Florida Design

A King among men…

Happiest Fathers Day to the father of our four teens!

It has been an amazing ride!!

Breakfast in bed…handed over by a quite adorable 18 year old guy with severe bed head hair

click on pic for recipe...yum

A groggy 19 year old pulling himself up to wish you a happy day

Others still sleeping….and will…until 11:00. Teens!

You are loved.

And hey….I weeded the dog path for ya...my back still hurts!

although...I know you would rather see the car washed...

I can only exert so much energy, ya know...maybe next year...

A man's children and his garden both reflect the amount of weeding done during the growing season.

~Anonymous

And, maybe more appropriately, at this slice in our life…

When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.
~ Mark Twain

Happy, Happy Day to all of the Daddies out there!

And my Dad?...He never did believe in Hookypook Hallmark holidays his exact words...

So a wink and a nod to him...because it's Sunday

He's fixing something way up there.

You’ll find me here…In my dreams…

Beautifully perched amongst the rocks that plunge down to the blue Aegean Sea

sits a beautiful simple home made of dry rock and warm cement.

It is stunning in it’s simplicity…

A HUGE earthenware oil jar claims it’s rightful spot…

Italian designer Paola Navone lives in this wonder of a place…

on one of the islands of Cyclades.

Ahhhhh. In through the nose…out through the mouth.

She furnishes it with many of her simple, modern designs.

Hand painted rugs outside…

and in.

The palate is the soft white and grey of a summer rain cloud

tranquil…the color of calm.

Nothing affected…everything used…needed.

The flavor of simplicity.

…an aura of ...

PEACE .

Don't wake me...just step over me.

Photos: Marie Clair

Check out Hooked on Fridays for more summer Hookies.

Hee.

Words of the day…

Lived in.

Like a comfy faded linen shirt

Yep.

photos: Richard Leo Johnson

I am a pot/head….

…Collector.

My Mother is a pot/head

collector

too.

It is a family problem.

We’re working on it.

These pictures are only a small sampling of pots…and assorted heads

sigh.

I told you…it’s a problem.

we’re working on it.

This green pot itself is over 3 feet high not including plants.

We have three of these suckers below they are close to 4 feet high each.

BIG pot/heads. yep.

One of the many heads on our property…

I have a feeling we are representing

practically every religion known to man....and probably offending them too. Sigh.

…This guy? Don’t even ask.

Join the delightful Artie with other gorgeous gardens in his

Share a Garden Sunday.

Pot/heads Unite!