Peony Love

This past week both of my peony shrubs started blooming.  Normally I'm camping when they start blooming and tend to miss most of it.  This year with our crazy, cold spring bloom time is later - - which worked out wonderfully for me.

I gathered a bucketful from the garden and arranged them for the dinning room table. 

I'm using what I think is a wine holder that I found at the thrift store.  I loved it's rustic, chunky flair and hoped it would work to hold informal bouquets of flowers from my garden. 

I had hoped to use mason jars to hole the flowers but I quickly found out they were to large.  Instead I used pretty etched drinking glasses which worked perfectly.

To fill in between the peonies I cut some Lady's Mantel blooms to tuck in here and there.

I'm loving the pink and lime green mix.  

Oh how I wish peonies bloomed all year round.  

They are just such a pretty flower and they smell so amazing.

I'm hoping for a couple more bucketful's before they finish blooming for the season.

Hope you all enjoy your day,

Robin

Flea Market Finds

You may remember one of the highlights in taking a camping trip to Hayward, Wisconsin is our yearly stop at their amazing Flea Market.  It's held every Monday from Memorial Day until Labor Day and I look forward to it all year long.

I always find amazing items and the prices are very good.  This year it didn't seem like I purchased much but every single item was a personal "score" for me.

Normally, I like tuck my finds into existing displays around my house but my poor neglected garden is calling out for attention.  Instead, I grouped everything together on my coffee table for a quick photo shoot in order to share with you my finds and then get myself out into the garden.

As you can see, I found some great items.  

Including this adorable set of cow salt and pepper shakers!

Normally I'd pass up items like these since I feel they are a little too cutesy for me.

But I couldn't for some reason walk away from this set.

Black enamel ware is always welcomed in my home along with mason jars.  I was so happy to find such a large one.

I adore vintage postcards and every once in a while I come across one that makes me gasp - - like this one.

A set of ten mini, red book quickly jumped into my market bag.

I pasted up a similar set last year and regretted it.

Always on the look out for embroidered linen, I was pleased to find two new items to add to my collection.

I can never pass up a pretty white plate either!

It seems it was the year of "mini's" this year at the flea market.  I picked up a handful of delightful items that I adore.  Two mini bird flashcards, two packages of white buttons, a milk cap with a delightful red cow (will look wonderful in my kitchen) and finally a vintage photo of a farmhouse to add to my collection.

I forgot to take photos of the items I bought for outside.   Two metal buckets, a vintage garden rake and a pretty blue pulley.

So you see, the Hayward Flea Market never disappoints.

Have a wonderful day,

Robin

Our Camping Adventure

Good Morning!

The family and I are finally back from our first big camping adventure of the season and it was AMAZING!

We had quite the camping caravan with three campers either pulling ATV's or a trailer full of kayaks - - it was a  sight when we pulled into the campground I'm sure but that's ok.  Along with my family, my mom, dad and brother along with my sister and her family joined our camping kick-off in Hayward, WI.

We had perfect weather the whole time.  Not too hot, not too cold with only one morning of light rain.

We packed as much as possible into each and every day it was hard to stay awake around the campfire each evening to enjoy it.  We biked, swam, shopped, kayaked, ATV'd and had plenty of "catching up time".

The one activity we enjoy the most and look forward to all year long is ATV'ing.  The trails in the area are amazing and seem endless.  Sometime we go on short hour rides and other times we'll pack a lunch and head out for a long four hour ride.

For  those of you who are unfamiliar with ATV'ing here's a quick review of one of our short rides.

First, you hop on one of these . . . 

With your trusty map in hand. . . 

And follow the signs . . . 

Down trails like these . . . 

Through mile after mile of forest . . . 

Along the way you're sure to find something interesting to look at like a deer and sometimes a bear or two.

Most of the time it's things like this . . . 

Or this . . . 

And much to my delight, sometimes we pass a farmers field filled with adorable cows . . . 

Mom and I are always on the look out for pretty flowers and such like these gorgeous ferns...

And of course wildflowers are everywhere . . . 

Every once in a while we'll come across a bridge . . . 

We always have to stop and check out the stream running underneath it.  This year we were surprised by a deer taking a drink from the stream.  It watched us a while and then walked off.  The kids thought that was pretty cool ... me too!

Here's what that day's ATV caravan looked.  We had a total of five ATV's out that day.

So there you have it.  

Now you know all about how we tend to like to ATV.  It truly is a wonderful way to spend a few hours.  The stress of  daily life melts away with each mile you travel into the woods.

Wish I could do it every day!

I'm looking forward to catching up with all of you.  I promise to start posting on a regular basis again next week. 

Until then,

Robin

Let Summer Begin!!!!

Whew!!!!

We made it through another school year by the skin of our teeth and now we're ready to . . .

CELEBRATE!

What better way to start the summer season off right than with a week long camping trip!!!

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There will be a lot of this . . . 

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and this . . . .

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Hopefully if it's warm enough for some of this . . . 

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A whole lot of this . . . .

Followed by some of this. . . 

And then to refuel for the next day a little of this . . . 


Of course the day won't be complete without a little of this while we try to keep our eyes open around the fire at night. . . 


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Hope you all have a wonderful week.

I'll be back after our adventure!

Robin