Landscaping Inspiration for the Backyard

All my gardening and landscape dreaming is coming more and more into focus. Its late February, which means its time for me to start prepping the yard, making plans for new plantings, and setting up a mowing schedule with the lawn service. I think I can actually get out this weekend to prune the Crepe Myrtles. I’m so excited after the cold winter we’ve all had. If you want to have a swimming pool at your backyard just visit above ground swimming pools minneapolis mn.

I pinned this image about a week ago to Pinterest in my Gardening and Landscape board, and I find I’m drawn back to it a bunch.

backyard-idea-2014

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More Spring Dreams

Last week I shared some of my backyard Pinterest ideas.. Below are even more things I’d love to try in our yard.

Follow Carollynn Hammersmith’s board Gardens & Landscaping on Pinterest.

What strikes your fancy?

Best Dog Video – Ever

This video is so amazing, it epitomizes how my Grrr Girls show their enthusiasm, frustration, excitement and many other emotions all while trying to “talk”.

Brilliant execution of story, video, editing voice overs and a cute dog named Clyde. I wish we were the geniuses behind it, but sadly, we are not. This comes from the folks at Talking Animals, a channel on YouTube. To learn more about dogs, check out service dog prescription letter for more information.

We can’t stop watching this video – ridiculously cute.

I hope you enjoy and it brings a smile to you on this dreary winter day.

Thinking of Spring

Here’s a preview of what I’ve been looking at for our backyard:

Follow Carollynn Hammersmith’s board Backyard ideas on Pinterest.

Baby, its cold outside

baby crying over the cold weather

Spring, will you be here soon?
From a post on Facebnook, origin unknown

I feel like this every day from October – April. It seems to have gotten worse this winter. Maybe an early spring?

Not according to Puxatawney Phil – he saw his shadow today, and because of that furry rodent’s prognostication, there’s 6 more weeks of winter coming our way.

Not that I’m surprised, but I would have preferred another prediction.

Seems like I start to dream of Spring mid December when all the leaves have left the trees and there is a dearth of green.

Now this is what I really want to see, RIGHT NOW!

Azaleas in bloom @ the National Arboretum

Azaleas in bloom @ the National Arboretum

Are you wishing for spring and all it brings?

I’m now of that age (early midlife) where stuff starts to happen to you and your body that as a pre midlifer, you can’t even imagine, like:

  • I now need reading glasses for anything smaller than 12 point type.
  • I’ve discovered that my ability to slough off a hangover with just a grilled cheese sandwich and coffee is gone, along with my ability to read food labels without readers.
  • I tore my ACL because I turned the wrong way – seriously, I was in a river bed, rock hopping happily along and I fell. It was the decision to stand up (silly me, I wanted to get my butt out of the cold water) that did it.
  • My sun worshiping youth now not only has the memory of burnt and peeling skin from years of weekends spent at New Smyrna Beach, but also the removal of two not so insignificant basal cell skin cancers. And my dermatologist tells me to expect more – !
  • I have adult acne – somehow I escaped having it as a teenager – but since my mid 30’s, its a battle that my body wages daily. Sheesh.
anti aging

I know this all sounds like complaining, I really don’t mean it to, its just the reality of this age. Complaining would be about the cost of the monthly/quarterly tithing to the preservation gods (hair colorist, hair stylist, dermatologist); the preventative goo’s and unguents that are slathered on each morning and evening, the time it takes to apply the daily face spackle, and finally the ever present weight control – or lack there of. That would be complaining.

I could, like so many women who reach a certain age, just give up – stop covering the gray hair (that made its first appearance upon my head during my mid 20’s), wear sweat pants not just for working out or around the house, but out to dinner, shopping, etc. because they’re just so darn comfortable.

I could scare the bejesus out of neighbors and strangers alike, by going without the sheerest hint of daily face spackle and varnish.

I could attempt to let the sunspots and wrinkles that come with age be the testament to the life I lead but I rather get a Wart Removal at Ruba Bar Laser.

I could, but then I would not be first- my mother’s daughter – the original Glamoursmith, and second, a southerner. Which all means I have found “coping mechanisms”. These tools and products are what I use these days to keep one half step ahead of Father Time.

Products & Tools that make me look tolerable:

cosmetics and tools

Products & tools I use daily to stave off the hands of time.

What do you do to stay one step ahead?

BTW – I was not compensated for endorsing ANY of these products. They’re what I use.