Round Top is Coming!

In just a little over two weeks, the tents and other venues will

be opening up at Round Top!  Last year at the fall show, I told 

myself that I would skip the next fall, and go to the spring show

because the weather was still so very hot in September.  But

sadly, I missed the show this past spring because I was too sick to

go.  So even though I am still recovering from yet another relapse,

and the weather is still hot, one way or another I will be there!

Unless you have actually been to one of the shows, it is hard to

fully express the excitement it generates.  Miles of tents and 

thousands of visitors.  Music, food, libations and antiques all

join together to make the event spectacular.   I have lived here

for six years now, and it just seems to get bigger and better

each year!  I am going throught my photos of years past just 

to prime the pump.  The days have extended a bit, no longer

just a one week event.  This year's dates are September 19 to

October 6th.  

Treasures tucked away everywhere!  I hope you enjoyed these bits

of inspiration.  If I can make it to the this fall show, I will be happily

taking photos of all the things I love!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Rethinking My Patio and Veranda

This has been a long, hot summer, and it's been a tough one for me too.

Last year I battled a virus that kept me housebound for weeks at a time.  I 

finally turned the corner this past May and started to feel like myself once

again.  Then we went on vacation up in Austin for the 4th of July, and by

the time I returned home, I had relapsed.  Today, thankfully, I finally feel

like I am back on the road to recovery.

One thing I learned during this relapse, is that I need to keep things simple.

I had worked so hard on the garden around the potting shed, and for a while

it was really lovely and I was so happy.  Once the South Texas heat blew in,

the garden began to suffer.  No matter how much water I gave it, everything

eventually started to look ragged and tired.

At some point durning my garden glory days, and prior to my garden fatigue,

I found a woman named Linda Vater on YouTube.  She is an Oklahoma City

gardener with a great love of potager gardens, and topiaries.  She understands

the battle with relentless heat and was getting frustrated at the same time as I

was.

Her suggestion is not to allow annuals to dominate, but to work with more

perennials.  When I look at what is still working in the garden around my

She Shed, it's the perennials that still look fairly good.  

She also suggests filling more big pots.  This idea has been perfect at the 

edge of my veranda.  I can move them as needed, and care is not a hardship.

So, more big pots filled with plants will be on the patio.  I can even grow 

little cherry tomatoes in a pot. 

I am also very excited about trying my hand at creating boxwood topiaries.

Linda has many in her garden rooms, and they are so attractive.  I also 

learned about Southern Living Plants.  I have a lovely big rosemary from 

Southern Living which I purchased locally, but did not know that I could

order online for home delivery too!  I am in zone 9a, so it's helpful to have

a resource that has may heat resistant options.

The link for these plants is Southern Living Plants

Here is a tour of Linda's backyard.  There are many great videos on this

channel.

Here is a link to her Instagram account:

Potager Blog

So there you have it.  I am feeling better and more enthusiastic about 

my garden.  I'm itching to get going, so stay tuned!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Playing House With My Stash

It's way, way, too hot to go anywhere, so we are hanging around the 

house this weekend.  The pantry is full, and we have no plans.  David 

will be glued to the golf channel as he always is when we don't need to

be anywhere on a Saturday of Sunday.  I doubt very much that he will

play at the club on Sunday afternoon.  He did that a couple of weeks ago

and came home feeling very poorly.  Heat stroke is real and it can be

dangerous.  

I will be doing what I have been doing all day today.  A few light chores 

here and there, but mostly just fluffing the pillows and moving things 

around ever so slightly.  I find the whole experience so gratifying.  Since

I am not in the midst of redecorating, I don't look at things very closely.

I just walk through one room and on to the next one without much

thought.  Fluffing a room brings everything into perspective.

It's a good thing that I am a homebody because if I wasn't I would be

miserable.  I keep looking out the windows and wishing I could be outside

working, but what's the point.  It's miserable.  All we can do right now

is to keep everything watered.

Of course, there is always something to dust around here, lol.

David just came home.  I am thinking we will have pizza for dinner tonight

and just settle in and watch TV or read.  In my straightening up efforts today,

I found two pool tile books.  The idea for a pool is being tossed around again.

Hope the weather is kinder where you are and that your weekend is

enjoyable!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Personalized Touches for Your Home

Those of you who have read my blog for a long time know that I march to

my own drum beat and don't follow trends.  If I like something, if it

resonates with me, that's what I gravitate to, and that is what I do.

My home reflects my personality.  You won't find any signs that say

"Gather", etc.  There is nothing wrong with them, but they just don't 

appeal to me.  When I see something I truly love, I have a little chat

with myself.  Do I need it (most likely no).  Does it have a practical

function (probably not).  Is everyone in the "hood" doing this or using 

this?  Well the answer to that one is NO!  I don't do anything that others

are doing just to fit in.  

Here is a little stool I recently purchased from Nancy and her fabuous

transferware shop.   Here is a link if you would like to browse:

LINK

When I saw it I ran through my usual check list.  The one overriding

response was "I love it!"  The needlepoint top is so attractive and in 

excellent condition.  The wicker base really adds to it's charm.  In

other words it was screaming "Order Me Please!"

So, here it is in our family room and of course I loved it right away.

The final affirmation came from my hubby who liked it and thought

it was a perfect addition.  I didn't really need his approval, but it sure

was great to receive!

Here we have another expression of my personality.  At the far end of our

family area, rests a cozy seating area we lovingly refer to as our "library".

You will often find me in the evening lounging in one of the leather 

chairs, reading a book, and seeing Bentley cuddled up next to me.  Well one

day I decided it would be magical to have a miniature "library" within the 

big one.  I wanted it to have the same look as the big one, and I wanted it

to look like a "little person" could be enjoying the space.  I already had the

globe and the lamp and phone.  Now I just needed to find the perfect chair.

This is a Reutter "leather" wing back chair.  It's detailing is perfect.  I ordered

 three vintage looking books from a woman in Lithuania, and the whole

spot just came alive. 

My style suits me and reflects the little girl soul who lives within the adult

I have become.  I believe our homes can be far more than just for shelter and

efficiency.  They can remind us of who we are and shows others just

how unique and special we can be.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley