The B Farm

Have you ever walked through a room in your house and all of the sudden get hit with the knowledge it's well, awful? That happened to me this past week. I usually come into the city house through the laundry room as it is the pass through from the garage to the house. Just a warning - these aren't pretty staged photos...they're real life.

Here's some before pics:

I see it so often (going out to my car, doing laundry), I've become "blind" to its flaws.

That is until last week. Something finally clicked and I saw how shabby it had become. Yikes. Time to make a plan and give this space a makeover.

First thing I did was take a look on how the space was used. Here's the list I came up with:
1. My major way in and out of the house - it would be nice to utilize the space with that in mind.
2. Obviously laundry
3. It's where the cat litter box is kept
4. Storage shelves

Here's a diagram of the space:

The niche where the freezer is supposed to go (we h…

Welcome to Creative Friday #4! Today my project is inspired from a trip to England.

Once upon a time, I tagged along with my husband to England. I fell in love with the beautiful landscape and the history of the places we went.

I adored Bath,

and London.



Stonehenge was something to see,

and the little villages with their picturesque buildings...oh my. I loved it all!

But my favorite thing there? Tea time. The thought of a scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam makes me long to go back.


Of course, I've tried to recreate it here but clotted cream isn't something I can find, but tea? That I have in droves. :o) Now if I just had a pretty way to display all my different kinds of teas.

Then on my last trip to Canton, I found this cute little box on clearance at one of my favorite shops - Simplicity.
Loved the size but the Lost & Found on the front would need to go.

But its little compartments were perfect for a tea box and the price was right! Of course it came home with me…

I've been hard at work on the flowerbeds - along the driveway, around the house.

Leaves had to be raked and briars dug up. Good grief. Those things have huge tubers...no wonder you can't kill them!
I kept finding more and more until I had a huge pile of potato looking tubers.  The plant is Smilax. It grows all over the place.

They fought me leaving me scratched up but I won! The bed is cleaned out. 

 There were several creeping lantanas in front of the garage. They take over the sidewalk every Summer so I dug them up - all sixteen of them. I transplanted them to the driveway bed which should be the perfect spot for them. They can spread out and bloom away. A big bonus - butterflies love them!
I know it doesn't look like much now, but soon the slope will be covered in yellow blooms.

My oldest sister gave me 4 native lantana bushes. They got planted along the driveway too in the back of the bed.

Oh! While digging the briars out, I kept finding these concrete edger pieces b…