Hydrangeas and used books

You know that I love my hydrangeas, and they are starting to bloom this week. Here are two bunches that I cut for the cottage. So pretty. They make me happy.



Last week the Strathmere Library had their book sale. I didn't get there until the last day of the sale,  so everything was kinda picked over, but they were clearing out what was left for $2.00 a bag. I only got 5 books to buy including Eve Arden's autobiography (love her) an Ellery Queen mystery book from the 1940s, a collection of mysteries, 'A Play of Lords' is also a mystery. Plus one of the ladies knows that I love Jane Austen, so she set aside a Jane Austen related book for me 'The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen', plus I checked out 'Mr. Darcy's Daughters' which one of the other ladies pulled for me too.
I just finished Darcy's Daughters, it was a good read, predictable, 'borrowed' story lines from real Jane Austen books - except they didn't mention 'sodomites' and foot fetishes in real Austen books! It was a good  casual Summer read though.

It's Harlow's 2nd birthday! This photo was taken when she was just 2 days old!

Some decorative vintage refurbs

I bought this 1980s lamp at the Cowtown flea market, about 10 years ago. I got a pair of them actually, this is just 2 photos of one of them. Got both for $10. They were super shiny tacky 1980s brass, but I love calla lillies, so I couldn't pass them up. I went to the craft store and bought a little bottle of paint that can be used on metal. Then I painted over that tacky brass with a light sage green. It's one of those touch on and off lights and it still works even with a coat of paint on it. Pretty.

I bought this small old wicker couch along with two chairs at a local antique shop for $80.00. I gave them all a fresh coat of white paint and covered the cushion on the couch with a sheet.
I used a chaise lounge cushion and kind of wrapped and folded it around the back of the couch for padding. Then I threw a Bates blanket over both of the cushions, tucking it in here and there - topped the couch with some pretty pillows. Voila - Pretty.

 

Next, I've shown this table in the blog before, but I think it's worth showing off again. I got a set of 3 wrought iron nesting tables with glass tops for free from a friend who was cleaning out a house that she just bought. This one got some fresh paint. Then I cut a piece of cardboard the size of the top, and wrapped a vintage Vogart embroidery around the cardboard. Then I put the embroidery under the glass top - and now I have a pretty table top.

Memorial Day weekend

Such a nice weekend. Usually the weather is crappy on Memorial Day but the weather this year was very nice. I went to the Shore Friday afternoon with Boris and Harlow. They stayed with me until Sunday morning. They love their walks! Then Sunday and Monday were all to myself! 

Here are a few photos that I snapped this weekend -

The cottage at night.

The porch on the big house. I bought new cushions this year - what a pain. Kmart was out of stock, so I ordered them online, then two of the styles that I ordered online were out of stock, but they charged me anyway and I'm still waiting for a credit. Then I had to reorder the cushions in a different thickness. Anyway, they finally all arrived, all matching and they look great.

Harlow in the cottage, moondog eyes and then barely able to stay awake.





Some pretty flowers in my windowbox -




And I can't wait for my hydrangeas to bloom, the bushes are huge this year, and full of alot of blooms -