how does your garden grow?

..with shasta daisies, wild roses, yellow and white yaros, feverfew, foxglove, and all sorts of pretty maids all in a row. elmwood's kitchen might have one of the best landscape views ever imagined. crotched mountain in the background, an algae-coated lake in the main, and a sweeping garden in the foreground. like a yummy layer cake of nature! 

but oh my, the flowers. they popped up in the most unsuspecting places the entire week...

a handpicked wild yellow and white bouquet courtesy of the (not-so) secret gardener, amy merrick. 

the beginnings of a pink and girly bouquet for amy's frilly gal pals.

woke up to this sweet little fawn sneakily eating elmwood's flowers!

the lilac room. we had the pansy room at lakemont, so this made me smile real big!

hello petunias!

the adorable francesca's rose dress, the most precious vintage number. amy is an amazing gift giver!

the box of birthday treasures from miss francesca to miss amy. an endless amount of treats!

if only new york had a few more buds for the plucking! i guess it is a pretty sweet deal to have a pal workin' for an extra, extra extraordinary florist in the nearby area.

red, white and china blue...

happy(belated) birthday america. i wish i could have baked you a cake with 233 sparklers stuck in it.

yer a grand ole' flag. 

i think i need to commission katie runnels to make me her version of this wreath! oh i loves it.

always coca cola. a gift for my sweet man who i left to fend for himself in park slope for the week!

the elmwood kitchen pots and pans. cherry, cheery, and downright precious. 

mollie little peppermint flowers. found in the town of peterborough.

the elmwood collection of blue and white china nestled in a gorgeous porcelain sink. and a pretty charming dish rack to boot!

a selection of blue cobalt glass bottles. amy swears i can find loads at bottle beach. sign me up, pretty please!

ooh boy do i love me some new england. i saw connecticut, massachusetts, new hampshire, and vermont- and all in four days! charming. elegant yet rustic. clean and green. but also very red, white, and blue! momma branch would be so proud! miss merrick was yay close to being a fourth of july baby, which makes sense because she is quite the firecracker! she is what literary heroines are made of. jo march and anne shirley ain't got nothin' on this lady!

and away we go...

source: amy's bday last year at central park.

today i have the pleasure of accompanying the birthday girl, miss amy elizabeth merrick and her sweet parents to elmwood. this family home is legendary. from the photos it looks like a historic estate perfectly frozen in time. spinning wheels, antique stoves, attics filled with scrapbooks and botanical specimens. i can't wait! my husband made me promise not to buy any more "old junk".

sure honey, i promise...

the sweetest thing...

source: grey sky morning

brown boxes. the screech of packing tape. beads of sweat in my eyes. sticky skin. bursting bubble wrap and the crinkle of newspaper. 

the sweetest reward... enjoying strawberries and chocolate with my husband after the last round of moving boxes for the day. 

wake up tomorrow. and repeat.

why i love my new landlords...

ed and i brought over a load of books to our new apartment and thought for a moment we had moved into a bed and breakfast. we opened our door to a beautiful vase of roses sitting on our kitchen table. we thought it stopped there, but no! more roses in the bedroom! a little corner in the kitchen with helpful moving tools( twine, tape, pens, and notecards)! a bathroom with a new bar of soap, toilet paper, and a shower curtain( in case we hadn't unpacked ours). and the best part...

a fridge stocked with cheese, crackers, fancy chocolate and strawberries, and champagne and orange juice!!!! i have never heard of anything like this happening before! i nearly fell over in awe! 

it is so rare to find landlords in new york who genuinely take pride and ownership into their apartments. who have a wood shop in the basement to work on renovating and restoring the cabinets, sinks, bathtubs, and light fixtures. who can list the good traits of their tenants without hesitation. who want to make moving in and out as seamless as possible. who love what they do. 

and that is why i am smitten with our new landlords.

home sweet home...

source: amanda jean

and it is so very sweet! thank y'all for any good thoughts or wishes that were sent our way. i wish i could jump up and down and hug everyone! we will sign the lease for our new apartment tomorrow and i am so happy i can't even stand it!!!!

also, of note...at the end of july i will be organizing a long overdue garage sale. wish i could keep it all, but alas. it is time to say farewell to some of my treasures. and hello park slope!

truer words have never been spoken...

"i just can't stop loving you"...