This week in the garden................

Lots of blooming going on.............color popping out all around the April garden.....

..................the long awaited Spanish bluebells are ringing around my garden.  I've been tucking in the tiny bulbs for several years and now they are spreading into larger clumps.  Of course the wild English bluebells I grew up with, carpeting the woods under massive oaks, are bluer. I have fond memories of tramping through bluebell woods to flop down in the middle and just inhale the deep blue perfume of Spring.  Spanish ones are best for the garden here as they don't mind warm, bright sunshine, and grow tall on strong stems.

The garden is glorious with azaleas now blooming, just in time for Easter..........

............the loose and blowzy pink George Taber being my favorite.

Snowball days are history, until next Winter, but the snowball bush is covered with blooms.

Don't look too closely at that peeling painted chair - part of a set which is going to get a new paint job soon, just a bit too shabby at present!

The always bright and beautiful clematis.  Somehow this one above is sporting two different colors this year.  Perhaps at one point I planted two, who knows in my garden, it's full of surprises! It's climbing up the birdhouse post.............the one below is slowly climbing the front porch.

Happy gardening days to those of you who like to dig in the dirt!

Friends at SuzAnna's......

Me, framed in Vanessa's beautiful mirror - note her pretty tags.

This week, on a perfect sunny, wind free (we've been having a lot of strong breezy days and are expecting very stormy high winds tomorrow) Spring day, I had fun fluffing the booth, and catching up with friends at SuzAnna's Antiques.  I even got to meet a couple of delightful young gals who 'escaped' from their little ones for an hour or so and discovered SuzAnna's for the very first time. Squeals of joy were heard as they pounced upon vintage and antique treasures, announcing they had no idea there was such a fabulous shopping venue right here in Raleigh.

More from Vanessa's lovely new booth - we now have our own space next to each other.  She painted and reupholstered two of these beautiful chairs, recovered the burlap lamp shade, stitched the pillow, and brought in lots of delightful shabby chic items.

Dealer/part time SuzAnna's employee, Laurie, moved her antique finds from Atlanta to Raleigh last year, much to our delight...........such as this gorgeous hand built primitive wooden boat.  Definitely one of a kind, she has displayed it well with antique oars and life preserver ring.......makes one want to rush to the shore and hunt for a little fisherman's cottage to fix up!  

This farm table it's resting on is amazing.  It has old distressed blue-grey paint on the legs and apron, wide plank top........and I would love to have it for my kitchen if it was just a tad smaller!

Our wonderful Sam, a real life antiques dealer who knows the history of France from his amazing finds of many years (lots of his treasures have come home with me), still wowing us with beautiful items such as this sconce..............

..................and this fabulous solid cherry chest which has industrial iron casters to move it about easily.  Sam is having a great clearance sale to enable him to unload more stuff here to tempt us...........he's hiding tons of old, but new to us, French and European treasures in his storage place.  
Bring it on in Sam, we're ready!


Off to do more garden chores now - will show you how pretty it looks next time.  Spring has definitely sprung and, as long as the coming storms aren't too severe, the blossoms and blooms will be perfect for Easter.

Too many small tables, never!

Voila, the round table I painted this week.  I loved it so much I almost kept it here in my living room, but knew DH might trip over it and groan about too much furniture in a smallish room!  I found it at a local consignment shop, in nice condition but wearing a horrid golden color stain. Of course I forgot to take a before pic, I was in such a mad dash to start on its makeover!  I primed, then sprayed two coats of Heritage White (Rustoleum's double coat gives great coverage - available at Home Depot).   I distressed lightly and it was done.............quite Swedish looking, perfect for any corner, at the end of a sofa, beside a bed, or even in a bathroom.  Don't you just love little tables?

Placed the table in my booth at SuzAnna's Antiques yesterday................I hope someone will want to take it home to brighten up a corner in their home in time for Spring.

Marisa, if you happen to read this, remember to call me if you need some painting pointers for that dining room furniture you told me about.  It was fun meeting you yesterday, I always love talking with SuzAnna's customers, especially those interested in making over their furniture.  Of course chatting about Africa was an extra treat...........so glad you too got to visit that amazing country.  Now go start painting that brown furniture girl!!!!!