What spring means to me...

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to see daffodils poking up, smell peonies, wear little dresses with flowers, open my windows to a good breeze, clean-up my house and my yard, and go on long walks where I sigh multiple times announcing how perfect the temperature outside is. To throw cocoa shell mulch on the ground, watch baby plants be born, and well...don't forget March Madness...I'm ready to bring on the spring...a little pre-mature...well a girl can dream!


Moving a bit backwards in explanation...Spring means so many things, and for us this year--a few big projects...
When the weather is warm and the materials are collected--Bobby and Julian are set to building a tree fort. We've already gotten permission from the landlord and have the perfect tree. It will be a couple years before we are ready to move, maybe a few before we're ready to purchase a home and making this one a home for the boys is important to us. My parents rented until I was 6 and that was certainly as much my home as was the house they bought. So...looking forward to the sky raising up and a boy over head...or two...eventually three :) (that includes Oliver, Julian, and Bobby---not another boy baby, just to clarify...although a nephew could certainly be thrown into the mix :)) A tree house/fort will be resurrected this year. Recycled lumber and a lot of love...even some left-over paint and per Julian's request, a pirate flag :)
Creating raised beds...this is all me. Bobby will have to help and of course my Mother has promised to come help. I have old bookshelves that are rotting a bit and we're going to use those. The first step will be to pick-out the space for a garden, second to lie the shelving units down and kill the grass, third to dig out some of the dirt to recess the units a bit...paint, drop in the wholes, fill with dirt, and plant. The planting involves my Mom because I'm a novice. Vegetables, herbs, Hosstas, Yarrow, Peonies, Columbine and maybe a few special varieties. Also my Dad is giving us the love bench from the side of his house. He made it a few years back and I'll be able to climb a rose over it's trellis or even Clematis...hm.
Potted plants. I have plenty of empty pots and need plants to fill them. The weekend of my wedding last spring, an unexpected freeze paired with the neglect caused from planning a wedding took all my succulents. i am still so sad about the event. I loved my succulents and had nurtured them for so long...to suddenly lose them. Well, I'm home more now and there is no reason why a little paint, new house numbers, and some potted plants couldn't brighten up our porch and make it our own!
Finally...a project I've already begun. This will lead me into spring. I've attempted to create stations throughout the house...one for art, one for bills, etc etc, but in the house--they either look messy mid-project or other things get dumped on them and I don't get to do anything unless I clean first. Don't even ask about the piles of old bills that need filed. I'm moving it all to the basement. An empty back room will provide the perfect studio/escape. Not to mention help at emptying and baby-proofing the house upstairs. It is so hard to maintain right now--but with less stuff lying around the load will be lifted significantly. To the basement it goes...all my favorite stuff. If any ladies want to come over for a glass of wine and a craft party down there let me know...right now I'm looking for a rug, a couple chairs and some elbow grease. I think it will be cool.

All projects welcome help and guests to visit with (you don't even have to work--just offer ideas) Come join me at clearing my senses to bring us into spring! Tell me your not ready?!