free as a bird...or a fish

and i could not be happier...one of the main things i want to try and do this weekend is sit outside, quietly on my balcony and birdwatch. i haven't done enough of that this summer, and i'm missing it. my birds aren't lucky enough to have this bird cafe, but i think they're okay with the very basic pedestal style one...at least until they get a load of this cafe. i understand why dictators keep their subjects uneducated.

and how about this fish hotel? i don't know, the animal kingdom is seeming pretty good right now...cafes, hotels...the second i see a squirrel on a yacht, i'm done.

have a good weekend.

time out(side)

 

i've always felt like a special place outside is so important to my mental health. it's huge to me to be able to sit somewhere quiet and enjoy a breeze, a cool drink and watch the trees sway. it's a bonus if there are birds and flowers and a windchime.

over the years, mitchell and i have lived in places with abundant outdoor space and places with less, but i've learned that even when you don't have a lot, it's what you do with it that counts. i'm totally inspired by these pictures which show different ideas with all kinds of spaces...some large, some small, some with everything perfectly matching and coordinated and others that look like they came together at a moment's notice, from the necessity of having somewhere lovely to be.

do you have a place to be outside? if you don't, could you throw one together this weekend? i bet you could do it without spending a dime...

images from here, here and here

here birdies!

how totally special is this hummingbird feeder? is it not the most festive you've ever seen? i'm smitten. last summer, i saw a hummingbird in the flesh for the first time, so this year i mixed up some sugar water with red food coloring, and although i haven't seen any yet, the red red red sugar water is diminishing one tiny sip at a time...

how fun would this hummingbird chandelier be in a spot that gets plenty of sunlight to make it sparkle and shine? it would also be a showstopping gift to a new homeowner or a summer hostess which means a plum spot at the beach or a return invitation.

here birdies!!

a trail of green

the garden pieces from crate and barrel make me want to go to a nursery and pick out lush looking trailing plants. well luckily, i am going to a nursery! here is where i'll be saturday afternoon, celebrating my birthday with my whole family. i'll breathe in some fresh nursery air for you!

i don't know if i'm committing to flowers this year...last year, they were more pressure than they were enjoyment. i think i might just stick with the green stuff. but i'll certainly enjoy looking at the colorful bounty and helping my parents make their floral choices.

for my balcony, i'm thinking sweet potato vines (above) because i love their limey, lush look. and another favorite -- the vinca vine (below). they grow a million miles a day and they always look healthy.

and i might add in some coleus and spikes for good measure.

i miss my old balcony (A LOT), but i'm getting to know my new one. what's nice about having only one outdoor space on the small-ish side is that i can create an impactful, abundant look without having to buy too much. as i've learned in recent years, creating a lovely, living outdoor space can get very pricy (and very addictive).

here are some of my favorite pictures of the balcony of our last apartment, and i'm looking forward to creating something special in our new one too.

i need the little space i create to be a good one - its where i like to begin and end most days when the weather is nice, and it's a refuge of the loveliest kind, because it's not closed between four walls, but instead is out in the world surrounded by trees and birds and the freshest of air.

do you have an outdoor refuge?

top two photos from www.crateandbarrel.com, sweet potato vine photo from www.laikipiawest.org, vinca and coleous photos from www.flickr.com, all other photos original