I don't know about you
but I used to collect
magazines like some
people collect
dust on their shelves.
If a new magazine
was published I was right
there to pick it up.
There were some wonderful
ones that have fallen by
the wayside
as the internet has
become our go-to source
for ideas and inspiration.
Remember when
Country Home
was published bi-monthly?
And how about
Home Companion?
I had my own little system
before the internet craze.
I had (still have)
binders and binders
full of ideas.
They are all labeled and
organized.
I probably have 30 of them.
I have been poring through them
to figure out what to do
with our front gardens.
I took a drive on the west
side of the bay yesterday.
I came across this sweet
little spot.
It won't work for our
landscaping problem
but it would work for
my son's house.
Isn't this cute?
I think they did such
a nice job...rustic
and so sweet.
I wanted to drive right up
this drive
and introduce myself.
Looking at that red barn
just makes me smile.
Somehow, I just felt there
was a piece of apple pie
and a cuppa hot coffee
waiting there for a visitor.
So...still no answers for
me about what to do with
THIS mess....
I know it doesn't look
bad here but,
trust me,
another month and it will be
AWFUL.
So, until I figure out what to
do I guess I will just have to
dream a bit.
And, while I am dreaming,
I am going to dream
that
MY GARDENS
MY GARDENS
look just like
Laurie's gardens
over at
This is a side yard shot.
And another...
That is at her OLD HOUSE..
now for sale.
Do you suppose if I
begged hard enough
she would cross
Lake Michigan on her
rowboat and help
her poor Wisconsin friend
figure out what to do here?
The pay isn't much
but I will keep you laughing,
Laurie....
while I sit and watch and
direct things....
Okay- back to my
notebooks to see if
I can find some inspiration.
I hope you all have a
wonderful Wednesday!
52 comments:
i always smile while visiting your blog. :o)
p.s. i want that red barn.
I do the same thing with magazines! I don't get many now as I have broken the habit since the interent, but I do still have 100's that I've saved.
I have been going through some of them and ripping out just a page or two to save--in binders of course!
With all those magazines, you've got to be able to come up with something. (Do I dare say I keep binders too?) I'm sure it'll look beautiful when its done though.
I have a 'Digger Dog' that I can send to dig some holes for you. Some of them are deep enough to bury the bodies, err plants really deep. He's only about 6 inches tall, and prefers chichen for his treats.
Diana, you are going to figure it out and when you do, it is going to look gorgeous! Don't give up!
I also have a million magazines. Would you believe I still have Better homes & Gardens for the early 90's? Now, that's scary! LOL
Diana, I used to keep the magazines Victoria, Romantic Bedrooms, and Romantic Homes... I would tear out the very best and save in a folder. So I know what you mean. I love beautiful gardens...for me it's mostly trial and error, to get it nice. I have a major ton of work to do this year. When you get finished with laurie send her over here,please. :):)Smiles, xo, Susie
Thanks for the smiles this morning. I like the way you think. LOL! Those garden of Lauries old house are beautiful. I am sure you will come up with something beautiful yourself soon. I also clipped and saved pictures from Magazines in binders but not nearly as organized and pretty as yours. LOL! Mine are old flimsy vinyl binders/folders the kids used in school, with their names written on them that I crossed out and added words like, garden ideas, home decor, recipes...all written in black sharpies. Very attractive huh? LOL!
I think you're right about the pie waiting over there for a friend to drop in. So charming! Your friend's home is just as wonderful! I'm kinda with you...not the best with landscaping ideas.
I have binders too! I edited some of them last Summer and switch to linen covers. Sounds classy,huh? They are on the floor in my crafty studio waiting for me to clear a shelf for them. LOL.
Your son's home is darling!
I have complete faith in your green thumb, Sweet D!
~Lynne
w/L.
Lots of inspirational pics. My husband is the green thumb in our family. He spends his entire summer outside with a shovel in his hand. He's constantly rearranging his shade gardens and flower beds. I smiled when I saw your stash of Home Companion magazines. I still have every issue that Mary E. published in my bookshelf in my craft room. I really hope she brings it back.
Happy Wednesday!
I dream of beautiful gardens, too. But I just don't have the time or space for much more than I already have - so maybe the garden of my dreams will have to be one provided in eternity?
I have stopped buy magazines right now because I can not afford them! But I feel that reading blogs are like looking at magazines everyday!
OMGosh, I did exactly the same thing. Binders and binders full of inspiration. A few months back, I went through all the magazines I was hoarding and then tossed them all. I almost felt guilty. But I still have my binders...hee hee.
I have a few of those notebooks of ideas from magazines, too. I still like to buy one from time to time but then I think....I can see that many good ideas in one hour on my favorite blogs! We had beautiful landscaped gardens at our last house, too. My husband says he doesn't miss them! heehee! He was the one that did all the work!
I've still got my decorating ideas binder, Diana. I used to do the same with the magazines. I started a separate book for garden pictures and I did actually try a few of my inspiration pics at my old house. Not much to do here at the condo, but I still have that one, too.
Hi Diana... I love all of the old magazines too and have kept mine as well, though not as organized as yours are!... I miss those old ones... some of the newer ones leave much to be desired... I know you will find the perfect ideas for your garden... my garden is like me... a free spirit, growing in wild abandon... and full of all of my old~fashioned favorites... wishing you beautiful daydreams of your gardens to come... xoxo Julie Marie
I used to have alot of Country Living from the 80's, 90's but the pile of them got so bad that I sold them at our annual yard sale we have every August! Never kept binders either but now I have the internet and it is alot tider than magazines:)
I was SO SAD when Country Home was discontinued.:( I just thought it would ALWAYS be around.:)
While the vegetable garden is in great shape, the flowers are another story. I need to give some good time to weeding along the sidewalk, and set out the annuals for the year. It would be good to have a landscape architect in the family.:)
Have a great Wednesday, Diana. xoxo
Those two magazines were my favorites over all others. Dang it.....why did they have to stop. Actually one of my first posts were about missing them. I finally had to pitch most of mine.....I had Country Living magazines for 20 plus years.
I am looking for help for my outdoors. Wait til I post the mess we have. If you get some good ideas show us.
I still have my binders with tear outs from magazines too Diana! There is just nothing quite like being able to flip through pages for getting ideas. I can't wait to see what you come up with! :-)
Vanessa
I have magazines in folders too!
So many pretties to see!
I used to tear off the pages with the stuff I liked the most! Now days I keep the magazines for only one year! The good thing about your garden is not that big! You sure are going to transform it into something fab!
I have piles of tear outs and every issue of Victoria Magazine. It's not like the stuff in there can ever be 'dated' and it's nice eye candy for a tea break. Good luck with the garden! ~ Maureen
I love that little cottage on the west side of the bay, Diana. And the red house in back of it. It reminds me of grandma's house that we stayed at when we went to Iowa. She was always baking some special treat for us. I wanted to tell you how amazing I think it is that you made a wedding doll for your daughters. I've never heard of anyone doing that besides my mom. I would love to make the girls one, but I don't sew good at all. Happy Wednesday, my friend.
~Sheri at Red Rose Alley
OH how I miss Home Companion!! I still have alot of the old issues.
What about planting masses of Hydrangeas??
I love Laurie's blog...her home is beautiful!
Pamela xo
I hope you find your dream landscape for your little bit boring yard. It is so hard to find the perfect solution. I have the same problem with my front yard. It never is just quite done. Have a good day.
I think I'd be rich if I had all the money back that I spend on magazines. I am an addict, but I have tried to break the habit a little bit. I pay for a few subscriptions, but mostly these days I try to "buy" them with points I earn or subscriptions I find for free. I still end up with stacks and stacks. If I get in a real bookstore...I always come out with an armload. I did finally accept the fact that I couldn't keep them. I so rarely went back and looked at old issues, so now about every 8 weeks...I purge.
Hey girl you give me a drink and a chair and I'll help you watch ha ha!!
Hope you have a GREAT day my friend..and your right we would have a blast if we got together just laughing..Hugs and smiles Gloria
I love magazines too. The minute they show up in my mailbox, I pour over the beautiful photography. It's just too bad they are full of so much advertising. I loved Mary Engelbriet and I can't believe Home Companion went under.
I love the binders Diana! You are a woman after my own heart!!!
As for your landscaping? I'm no help. But I agree, if you drink enough wine, you will think it looks awesome!!
xxDaniella
You are so organized, Diana! Has Pinning taken the place of your binders~~~I haven't gotten into that, YET!
I've seen pictures of Laurie's home and her gardens, I bet it is breathtaking in person. I think we all have some barren or overgrown spots in our yards, I know I do. I just chip away at it a little each summer. I have two big projects here and another at the lake. It never ends!
XO,
Jane
BBAP! I love it, Diana! Things WERE different back then, weren't they?
I'm so impressed with your organized notebooks--I'm quite sure you can come up with a great idea from your yard if your brain can come up with such a system for organizing articles!
I was a HUGE fan of Country Living and moved stacks of magazines around for years! You were very smart to create binders to refer to. I so enjoyed the gardens you shared here today. Have a lovely afternoon and thank you for your visits/comments at my blog. It's so nice to meet a new blog friend.
Ahh - I love Pinterest - I'm going paperless in our office and business, as much as possible.
Years ago, I went through my piles of magazines and made cute binders, and just as I was going to start scanning and storing on my computer, Pinterest came out! Yeah!! So, out with the Mags, out with the binders!!
I love my computer, except when I don't! Yeah, I know, Sweet Cheeks and My Little Sweetheart are rubbing off on me!
Hugs,
Donna
Actually, punkin, I don't think it looks bad at all! Not at all! Just some color added through out and and maybe some a wee taller right next to the wall..but color is all that is needed and height at the back. Otherwise..I think it looks great..
Oh..and make the driveway red brick.. LOL I'm kidding! I'm kidding! :)
p.s. I'm drowning in magazine and mine are not even organized!
You are so organised with those binders. I can never remember which magazine I saw what in, so end up going through loads again!
I so missed working in my yard during our recent trip. I missed all of March and most of April, but I do plan to start something out there soon. Every year I do something different. It's never too much, but just enough to make me smile.
I know you'll find inspiration for your place.
Happy Wed Diana,
Love your blogs. I found my first penpal gal through Country magazine. We wrote for years. Then I followed all the excitement with her daughter growing up to teens to getting married and then my friend later being a Grandmother. So yes would be nice to have a piece of pie and a tea or coffee at that house. If I could fly that far from Canada. You keep me hooked in your blogging. Have a good night. God Bless!
Hugs
Things were definitely different back then but we were all younger too.
Hello Diana,
I have a bedroom full of magazines and and a rubber maid container in storage. I think next time I move my sons will "accidentally" lose my container.
Enjoy your day!!
Suzann ~xoxo~
Oh my, some wonderful inspiration pics. Can't wait to see what you do. Hugs, marty
I keep seeing you on Holly's 2911 Jeremiah posts. I'm fairly certain we've "met" at one time or another for your photo is familiar. I enjoyed reading this after having read your comments over on Holly's about e-books! I'm smilin'! Great post. Some pretty gardens and lots of great dreaming to do, huh? I have weed gardens and crop a lot in photos! :) Jenn
You didn't mention if this is a shade or sun area. That would make a big difference. I hope Laurie shocks the socks off of you and shows up at your door some weekend.
That first house is so yummy. I love it and of course Laurie's house is fabulous :)
I have my bags (and wine) packed and I'm headed over...on my row boat. You best have a room with view ready for me, girl.
lololol!
Seriously, I miss Country Home, too. It was always my fav mag. Now my favs are Romantic Home and Romantic Country. I've also got inspiration PLUS from all of my talented blog friends. Add that to Pinterest, and there's all the ideas that you need! Just find a small garden that you like, D, and copy it. If you need some reeeeal inspiration and drool-worthy photos, check out Carolyn's at Aiken's Gardens. Hers are amazing!!!
Thanks for the fun shout out and compliments today, my WI sista! ♥ You are always such a hoot!
xoxo laurie
Hi Diana, I knew you blog would give me a smile today which I so desperately needed after the doctor visit which was a waste of money. He didn't do anything. I have a collection of magazines that my kids think I should get rid of. They say I will never look at them again. I just hate to part with them. Have a great day and thanks for the smiles. Sweet Cheeks is so much fun. Hugs from Your Missouri Friend.
Loved visiting your blog. I am the same way with magazines. I have articles filed in my filing cabinet. I have one whole cabinet drawer of just recipes....I do still use those, but might not be adding many more with pinterest. :)
You're so funny! Here in the desert we have to consider water for everything, so I'm forever trying to figure out what to do with our pitiful yard. I love Pinterest for inspiration too. I've been throwing out old magazines because Pinterest is kind of like creating your own magazine :)
Blessings,
Marcia
Wow! I love that cute house! Looks like their property is about the size of my neighborhood. lol
I know what you mean about the magazines. I used to buy alot more of them before the internet, but not so much anymore.
I miss magazines, I really do, but then I'm more of a book than a kindle girl. Beautiful inspiration, I wish you good luck in planning your gardens!
Ok...after Laurie is done put her on a plane and send her to me!!
When it comes to gardening I do not have the slightest clue where to start!
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