taking our sweet time...smell the roses

or tulips, in this case.

so remember a while ago, i had the little dots of green starting to come up through the snow outside my front door?

well they've grown so big and tall now, and they're such a pleasure to walk by each morning and come home to each night. they open up so wide they look like they might drop. and then they do drop.

so it's occurred to me that the best way to really enjoy them is to let them open as wide as looks tenable outside and then snip them to enjoy inside. it only takes a minute and then you have fresh flowers (for free!) inside your home or to give as a lovely token to a hostess or friend. i loved this whole idea last summer too. it's a very barefoot contessa moment.

look around your home and see what looks ripe for cutting, because sooner than later, these early spring blooms go away. we have to get all the enjoyment we can out of them!

these grape hyacinths have bathroom bud vases written all over them!