Its been a long week - source: istockphoto.com

This past week wore me out.  I was in a contracting class that started an hour earlier than my normal work hours in a different location than my office.  Neither of these things are significant by themselves, but my schedule shifted 2 hours to accommodate the change, and being rather stubborn, did not adjust my bedtime.  So that means some sleep deprivation went on.

Last night, I barely made it through a celebratory family dinner before succumbing to the sandman.  Somehow, Tim and the Grrr Girls allowed me to sleep until 10:30am and then enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the back patio/terrace and reading until noon.

It is a gorgeous sunny day- 74 currently with a high of 80 expected. The Rose of Sharon treelings and the water oak nicely shading the patio table, while my favorite radio station plays on an app from my phone. I’m feeling very relaxed and almost all is right with the world.

It was very much appreciated a mini-retreat. What do you do to recharge after a long week?

source: TripAdvisor

Earlier this month, my yard produced some beautiful purple and yellow Fleur de Lis (Lilies to those who don’t speak French) and now the Peony bush has burst forth with its firework like floral display. Their scent is smooth and sweet, their petals decadent in the sheer voluminous numbers.

Each year I live in the DC area, I pine for warmer climes in a more southern section of the United States. As sure as these flowers bloom each year, when I leave, I will miss their scent, their color, their symbiotic dance with ants.

Peonys, 2011

Peonys, 2011

We’ve owned our house for almost 5 years, and in that time, we made incredible progress in updating, changing, modernizing and decorating our humble cape cod. And because we care what our neighbors see when they look out their windows, or even folks just driving by, we’ve spent time and money re-landscaping the front yard: ripping out old trees, bushes and shrubs, not to mention reseeding, putting in new trees, shrubs and perennials. I’m not even mentioning the lawn service and what they’ve helped us accomplish.

But the backyard has been mostly a dumping ground, or at least that’s what it seemed like to me.  Tim’s non functioning motorcycle was permanently parked on the back terrace, along with the trash bins, recycle bin, wood planks and crown molding left over from other projects, empty planters, our fabulous grill and a vintage cast iron round outdoor dining table, 12 stack-able outdoor Grosfillex resin chairs (2 different styles!), a potted Confederate Jasmine plant, an archery target, and oh so much more…  (see image)

The before shot

When we’ve entertained, we had to do it in the actual yard, and I’m embarrassed to admit that while we cleaned up some of the more junky junk when folks came over,  the motorcycle, recycling bin and trash cans remained in their anointed places.  I cringe now when I think about it.

This past Sunday, we spent most of the day throwing out the junk, moving the motorcycle to the driveway (where it should have lived for the last almost 5 years…), moving the trash cans, and general clean up with the stick vacuum.  There’s significantly more to do to turn the terrace and backyard in to a well functioning attractive outdoor room, but the clean up is a significant start.  I’d like to say thanks to Valorie at Visual Vamp for the inspiration,  as she recently completed a years in the making revamp of her outdoor spaces for the the Shotgun Homes Tour.

This is where we started. I’ll share where the transformation along the way. Thanks for following along!

Fleur de Lis from my yard, 2011

We’ve lived in our house for almost five years, and yet each spring I am surprised anew when the most surprising gifts of flowers spring from the nooks and crannies of our yard. Its iris time in the DC area, the yards in my neighborhood are producing some of the most amazing showcases of irises, bearded, pink, purple, orange, yellow, cream, green and hybrid colors such as orange and purple. My own hidden offering, is deep purple with yellow accents. Not showy for the multiple layers, but striking in its color contrast – see how the yellow pops against the purple.
 

The original owner of the house was genius in hiding plantings of perennial flowers, a lovely surprise as you come upon them. My iris, for example, are planted in one spot on the driveway side of house, and if I did not park in the driveway, I would surely miss them. I’m thankful for her whimsy, each year, as spring and nature conspire to show just how magical and magnificent they are.
 

Soon (perhaps next week?) it will be peony time. I only have one plant, but the buds are close to bursting and the ants have begun to congregate on them. I’ll share my bouquet with you when they arrive. Until then, please help yourself to my Fleur de Lis.

Easter weekend we were in New Orleans.  We stayed the Quarter, like always, listened to a great deal of fabulous music, shopped on Magazine Street, ate delicious meals and met up with the Visual Vamp and her husband Alberto for Easter brunch at Coquette.  It was a full and satisfying  trip and on Monday, with several hours to kill before heading home, we wandered through the CBD (Central Business District) into the Arts District and stumbled upon the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.

The museum is five stories with many different types of southern art displayed. The 5th Floor, and top of the museum features a rooftop terrace with the best ceilings installed by an expert roofing company you can get More Info online, this terrace is overlooking the bridges and inside the floor was curating an outsider art exhibition.  This was certainly interesting content, but a floor or two down, I fell in love.  Not lust, a crush or infatuation, but really and truly and completely love at first sight.  Who is my new love, you ask? It is the artist John Alexander, and he’s part of a new exhibition at the Ogden called: One World, Two Artists: John Alexander and Walter Anderson,  showing 21 April – mid July 2011.

“The work of Southern artists is often infused with a deep sense of place and time. Whether inspired by the small-town of the artist’s birth, the land, the waters, be it river, lake or sea, the music, the people or even the animals, that sense of place shows up in subtle, surprising or literal ways, unique to each artist. One World, Two Artists will attempt to show how the Gulf Coast was a shared source of inspiration to two native artists: John Alexander and Walter Anderson.” — One World, Two Artists: John Alexander and Walter Anderson exhibit, Ogden Museum of Southern Art

I liked Walter Anderson’s work, and the pairing of the two artists in the exhibit was inspired, but it was John Alexander’s work that really made my eyes bulge in a way that they hadn’t since discovering C. Ford Riley’s body of work.  Here’s my first glimpse of John Alexander, it was of The Beast, Arnhem Land, 2001.  He had me at the gator…

The Beast, Arnhem Land, 2001, copyright John Alexander

My second views were of his amazing charcoals and water colors, which inspired me to get back to my own drawing.  I’m not one for sea creatures, and most folks know that I’m not a big fan of sushi, but this fella is simply beautiful.

Octopus by John Alexander, charcoal and water color, copyright 2010

And finally, a different style that is filled with tension, and crowns and a skull.  This one speaks to the macabre in me.  I’m sure Mr. Alexander would love that, but I am who I am.

Crowned Birds and Crowned Skull, copyright John Alexander, date unknown by me

If you’re any where New Orleans between now and mid July 2011, go see the exhibit.