A Little Piece of Sunshine

Dear Sisters,

Can you believe it’s the middle of August already? Where has summer gone? I feel like I say that every year come this time. If August was named after a color I reckon she’d be called yellow, don’t you? The rays of the August sun bring a brightness equivalent to the most brilliant yellow and a mellowness of the palest golden yellow of fresh churned butter. No, I haven’t taken up churning butter but I did go on a hunt for a little piece of sunshine to share with you! I think you’ll like what I found!

If you’ve been with me for a while it’s probably become pretty obvious that I don’t stray too far from home that often.  I LOVE being at home ( in my garden and at the beach ) those are my happy places, my little pieces of sunshine. Right now my dahlias and zinnias are putting on a show and I’ve been working on a couple of pieces of furniture for when I restock at Burlap and Bling ( my booth at Main Street Antiques in Plymouth, MA.) Nothing too hurried as I’m still soaking in the lazy days of summer but, I’m beginning to smell a change in the air and my ole E.S.P. is telling me we are going to have an early fall this year. I’m not quite in nesting mode yet, but it’s a comin’! In the meantime there’s still some summer sun ( and fun ) to be had!

Out in the cut flower garden my zinnias are standing tall reaching for every ray of sun they can get. I grew a mixed variety of Rene’s Garden Seed Zinnias this year and I love them all.

Cactus Flowered Zinnia

The cactus flowered zinnias come in a rainbow of bright colors and are fabulous for cutting. Growing 3-4 feet tall on sturdy stems they make a delicious colorful splash in the garden come mid August and will continue to flower until frost.

Check out the pollen sacks on this busy bee below. I don’t know that I’ve got the time or the inclination to become a bee keeper along with everything else I do but it makes me feel good that the bees come to fill up at Dandelion House. Just look at those saddle bags on that honey bee!

” Benarya” Giant Zinnias are just as lively and colorful and the petals are somewhat wider than the cactus variety. They come in 12 bold colors and fill a vase just beautifully.

This gorgeous hot pink blossom is from the Raggedy Anne Collection.

Cut and Come Again Zinnias are an old fashioned favorite in many gardens. The more you cut them the more they bloom! Isn’t this one the prettiest shade of peachy-pink you’ve ever seen?

I don’t know what the name is for this cute candy striped zinnia. Just look how similar the colors are to this dahlia!

See that patch of red  petals at the bottom of the flower? This is a color mutation that can happen with flowers. When the conditions are right, just a slight change in the DNA structure can result in an unusual bloom like this one! I think it’s purty!

And here’s another blossom from the same plant but the petal pattern is in reverse. Isn’t it amazing? Here’s a few more of my mid August garden stars! Forgive, me I don’t have my dahlia plant list together. I just get so excited come planting time that I haven’t gotten around to writing them all down yet!

I’m just mesmerized by the dahlia. Did you know they are native to Mexico and began as a single petal flower? Much like the one below I imagine.

My garden brings me a lot of little pieces of sunshine each and every time I go out to work, weed and wonder in it! My little luv bug Max brings his own brand of canine sunshine to my world. He’s always by my side, inside and out ready to play, nap, and so full of love.

My girls and I cluck back and forth when I’m outside too! I wish I could let them free range, but they are much safer inside their roomy run. This corner of the run is where I toss in chicken treats for them.

Before I go, I have to share my latest furniture find with you! This night stand was given to me by a friend a few years back. I just needed some inspiration for moving forward on her makeover! All it took was one look at the soft, buttery yellow of the color Arles from Annie Sloan’s decorative Paint line and I knew what she needed! Ya ready?

BEFORE~

AFTER!

This little piece of sunshine is headed to my booth ( Burlap and Bling ) today!

I don’t think a farmgirl needs a BIG HUGE LIFE to be happy, content, and satisfied. Give us someone to love, ( two legged and four legged ) wholesome food, a cozy home, some good dirt to grow in and a place to strut our stuff now and then and that’s some good livin’ in our book. As long as our hearts are full, our loved ones cared for and our hands are busy life is GOOD! Right sisters?

Until our next shoreline visit, I’m wishing you time to enjoy your little pieces of sunshine too!

BEACH BLESSINGS and SUNSHINE!

Much Love,

Sister Deb # 1199