August Garden Happenings

At the end of each month, I've been sharing a bit of what's been happening in the gardens over the last few weeks.

 

 

In early August, we were still picking lots and lots of green beans!

 

We also had a good crop of tomatoes, carrots, onions and red beets. We definitely ate more than the recommended daily allowances for fruits and veggies this month!

 

Coneflowers are very long-lasting and still going strong.

The crape myrtle sustained a lot of winter damage and still managed to bloom after a pretty severe spring pruning.

We also had several hydrangeas with winter damage and a few of them did not bloom at all. But the Limelight didn't seem to mind a bit.

The gourds and pumpkins are pretty much going in all directions!

 

I'm still dreaming of a great big pumpkin patch, but these little guys are pretty cute!

 

 

I have several varieties of sedum that bloom in the fall, but I almost think they are prettier before they bloom. They have really great texture!

 

 And I just love this bright shade of green!

 

I have Morning Glory growing on an old iron bed and noticed my first bloom this morning - what a nice surprise!

 

 

So that's a bit of what's been happening here.

How is your garden holding up as we transition into fall?

I'm sharing with ...
An Oregon Cottage
A Delightsome Life
Fishtale Cottage

 

Back-to-School with New Furniture

Every girl heading back-to-school needs a desk.

 

And if she's a college student moving into her first apartment, she needs a dresser, a nightstand and a mirror too!

 

 

I recently completed this project for Molly. Her mom came to visit me in the spring and we went snooping through the garage together. I had just picked up this dresser and nightstand at an estate sale.

 

 

And this desk has been hiding in the dark recesses of my garage for a while now.

 

 

Molly was hoping for a chair with an upholstered seat and I was thrilled when this one popped up at a yard sale.

It's sometimes hard to find a chair narrow enough to fit the opening of an older desk and this one was perfect!

The color is Martha Stewart's Popcorn mixed in Behr's Premium Plus, then mixed with my homemade chalk paint recipe. I'm still painting the majority of my furniture in the homemade chalk paint. It mixes easily, covers great and I just really like the flatter finish. I still prep with a light sanding and a good scrubbing with TSP Substitute. And my go-to top coat on most pieces is clear Fiddes & Sons wax. It goes on smoothly and dries really fast. I had been using a wax brush for a while, but found that I really prefer a soft cloth for application and buffing.

 

I love the floral detail on the chair.

And Molly chose a fun fabric for the seat!

 

 

We updated all the hardware for a fresh look and to coordinate the pieces.

 

I thought this nightstand was especially cute!

 

 

Molly is attending a small liberal arts college in my hometown - how is that for a unexpected coincidence!

 

I hope your school year is off to a great start Molly.

It was pleasure working with you and you mom!

 

 

I'm sharing with ...

My Repurposed Life

Finding Silver Pennies

 

Be Inspired Features and Link Party #132

Happy Tuesday! Welcome back for features and party day!
 

Seeing the school buses rolling through the neighborhood yesterday was a sure sign that summer is winding down and cool, crisp fall weather is right around the corner! I'm ready, how about you?
Now let's check out this week's awesome features .....

This beautiful and now totally functional kitchen makeover comes to us from Julie at Lilacs & Longhorns!

This amazing family office from Dixie Delights is absolutely gorgeous and also totally functional. It's chock full of surprises!

How cool is this coral geometric headboard from Reeves at The Weathered Door!

This is a great bed-to-bench transformation from Crafty in Canada!

Terry from Forever Decorating gave her metal ice cream parlor chairs the look of vintage grain sacks!

Laura from The Turquoise Home shared her Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins - definitely a winning flavor combination!

And this sunflower chalkboard from Pricillas just makes me smile!

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up and linked back!
If you've been featured, feel free to grab a cute little button from the sidebar!

 

And don't forget that you can also share your garden and outdoor related projects all month long at our August Garden Party! 

 

Now on to this week's party...

 

*Link up your furniture makeovers, DIY projects, home decor, crafts, recipes, thrifty finds, etc... We want to see whatever is inspiring you at the moment!

 

*A link back would be appreciated, especially if you'd like to be considered for a feature.

 

*And we'd love to have you follow along with us!

We'll be back next Tuesday with features and a brand new party!