I thought so…
At the end of this past week, Nigel and I were busily planting plants and trees. Well, I was planting plants, and our oldest was planting trees. We visited a local garden center where I found the tree of my dreams. Or, maybe I should say trees. It was a clump of white birch trees. There were four gorgeous trunks with the bark I just knew would peel off into large sheets. It soared high into the air above my head (what doesn’t), and it was calling my name. It was not calling Nigel’s. Or, more truthfully, its price tag was not. On top of its hefty price tag, the tree would have had to be hauled to the backyard via some kind of mechanical contraption. That would have added to the price as well as torn up our pathetic yard to the north.
Not to be…
Honestly, as I looked at that clump of trees and lovingly ran my hand up and down one of the trunks, I knew it was not to be. There would be no picnics under its branches, no parchment upon which to write haikus to the glory of a summer day, and no shade from its graceful limbs. That tree was just too big for our backyard. In the end, Nigel found another tree at a different retailer. I will grow to love it, I’m sure. But, it has some mighty big shoes to fill. But, I did convince the cheapskate Nigel to hang some Boston ferns on the back porch. They looked quite happy to be there.
Planting season…
We live in Planting Zones 5b and 6a. That means I can’t plant any vegetable seedlings in the ground until after April 30th when the last frost is expected. I don’t plant vegetables in the ground so I didn’t really worry about that. I checked the weather for the remainder of the month and into May. Everything looked fine and dandy. The neighbors’ daffodils and creeping phlox are all in bloom. Even some of the hostas are poking their little nibs out of the ground. I thought I was safe so I planted some plants…not seeds because I just don’t have the space for that.
Wrong…
Sunday was a bit of a blustery day. If you’re one of my readers in the UK, you know exactly the kind of day I mean. It was a good one to snuggle in and do nothing…which is pretty much what I did. I wasn’t too concerned about any of my plants, but I did worry a bit about the ferns as it was supposed to get really windy. Imagine my horror and surprise when it snowed this morning! Yes, my friends, we had highs in the 80s (26.7C) last week, and today (Monday), we had snow! I had already placed the ferns in the garage, but the other plants will have to fare for themselves. I am hopeful their nice new mulch beds will keep them warm enough. We just have to get to Wednesday when it will be in the high 70s (21C) again.
My outfit…
This is traditionally the time when layers are appropriate. But, after several warm days, I thought spring had bypassed us once again, and we had moved right on into summer. Today’s outfit centers around this cotton/rayon blend floral print sweater from Talbots. I had a reward about to expire as well as a credit balance so I bought this quite a few weeks ago. Actually, I had completely forgotten about it. I decided to wear my new favorite jeans and toyed with the idea of tucking the sweater in. Alison, of Wardrobe Oxygen, revised and published a really good post about how to tuck your shirt if you aren’t blessed with a flat stomach. But, when I tucked this sweater so much of the print was lost. And, because it’s no longer that warm, I added the completer piece, a cardigan from J Jill.
The Lewk!
I know, I know! You’ve seen these sandals just a bit ago! I need the extra height they give when I wear these jeans. Add to that the comfort level, and you’ve got a winning pair of sandals! I decided to pull the greens out of my sweater with my earrings and bracelet. Do you remember when the leather earrings were all the rage? These are leather (I think), and I got them from Etsy many years ago. The bracelet is from the gift shop at Newfields. I seem to be going in spurts with the amount of jewelry I wear. Lately, I’ve been on a minimalist kick…hahaha! Minimalist is not a word one usually uses to describe me.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I have to laugh because the post I linked the jeans and the sandals to (same post) was titled “Spring is Just around the Corner!” I think it was probably warmer that day then it was when we took the photos for this post! As I look at the photos, I’m trying to figure out how I could zhuzh it up a bit. There’s got to be something, right? So, can we talk? How is the weather where you are? Do you tuck your shirts in (flat belly or round)? What do you do if the pattern on your shirt gets lost? Please leave a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise I do respond within a day or two. I’m not sure if you are receiving email confirmations of that or not. I don’t seem to be receiving any from other blogs unless they use Disqus.
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Gerben is busy with the solar panels, so he hasn’t got time to do the garden yet. Oh well, it is still pretty cold and rainy here, no weather to sit outside. I don’t think I understand your area thing, where you can’t plant anything. I’m off to the gym now, so it probably will start raining in a few minutes, lol. Have a great day.
Oh, solar panels? Have I missed something on your blog? You have an amazing garden, Nancy! It’s like something I dream of! We live in a condominium community where, basically, our yard is common area and is maintained by the neighborhood (mowing, fertilizing, etc). We “own” only about 3 feet out from the house. We can do anything we want with that. It’s taking some getting used to after having a very large yard not that many years ago. My husband loves it, though.
Thanks, Nancy, for visiting!
I love the mix of this pretty blue cardigan and the floral tee! The tree you loved sounds perfect. Have a great day Marsha!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! I would have loved to have that tree, but it truly was too big for our backyard. It would look wonderful in our front yard, but we already have a tree there with no room for another. I suggested moving the front tree to the back, but Mike thought that would kill it.
Oh no! And I thought our weather was crazy. I hope the plants survive. On the plus side that outfit it super cute.
Thanks, Joanne! The plants seem to be ok so far. Sometimes, you have to wait a bit to see if there’s any damage.
Love the floral sweater, and it’s short enough that it doesn’t at all need to be tucked. The “to tuck or not to tuck” question is a tricky one. I have given up on the full tuck but a side tuck or front tuck sometimes works well. But I admit to wearing things untucked frequently, even when it might look more proportional tucked in some way!
Thanks, Sally! I was trying to do a full tuck to force myself out of my comfort zone, but it wasn’t meant to be! And, honestly, tucking your shirt is a real pain!
I enjoyed your telling the story of the tree that was not to be! Ha!! Crazy weather for you all for sure, hot one day and snow the next. I do wish it would be cooler here for at least a few weeks, I am not ready for the heat and humidity.
This cardigan is such a pretty color on you and it looks so well made!
xo,
Kellyann
Oh, Kellyann! It was a beautiful tree and reminded me of the ones we had when we lived in NE Indiana. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer and then lots of roller coaster temps in the following days. Remember that commercial about Mother Nature and margarine, I think? This reminds me so much of that!
I would love to get this cardigan in more colors if they were colors I liked. The other colors aren’t really any I need!
Thanks, Kellyann!
I love that you are wearing wide jeans Marsha. They really are trendy denim and I’m growing to love them more and more.
Our growing season is so different down here, but since I’m not much of a flower/tree person, it doesn’t affect me much, haha.
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
As a fix-it girl, you asked about zhuzhing up the look. I think the proportions are great, so the only thing I could think about would be color. Maybe a brighter cardigan or at least print so you had some print mixing.
Also a colorful pair of sandals or shoes might be the ticket. Don’t get me wrong, those tan ones are versatile, but not so zhuzh worthy!!
Thanks, Jodie! These jeans remind me so much of the jeans I wore in high school! I love them and all wide leg jeans/pants. I will look for a printed cardigan because I might have one or two!!! The only problem with colorful sandals is I don’t have many that are high enough…maybe I need to go shopping!!!
Your weather sounds a tad confused Marsha! Your outfit is lovely, that cardigan is a nice soft hue and suits you 🙂
Confused is a good way to put it, Debbie! I imagine we will go straight to summer temps before long and skip over spring altogether!
Thanks so much, Debbie. I’ve been avoiding pastels too much as my coloring has changed over the years. But, this one was just such a pretty color!
We have glorious weather here in Portugal at the moment, Marsha. The skies are blue and the sun is very warm…unless the wind blows and then it can be a bit chilly. Evenings are still too chilly to sit out but it won’t be long until it’s too hot lol. I couldn’t believe it when you said you’d actually had some snow! Crikey!!
As for tucking in t-shirts, I’ve taken to do the ‘part tuck’ or whatever it’s called! I like it when just one bit at the front is tucked (preferably slightly to the side) and then it hangs out at the back. I don’t usually worry too much if the print is hidden a bit. I like that you’ve added the cardigan. I like to wear a cardigan over a floral tee…not sure why. I just think it makes it very feminine and pretty!
Big hugs
Suzy xx
Oh, go ahead and rub it it, Suzy! I would love to go to Portugal! It sounds wonderful…especially the blue skies! It’s not all that unusual to have some snow in April and May, but it stinks after having several weeks of springlike days!
I think I just don’t have enough “real estate” between my boobs and the top of my pants for the tuck to look right. I just need to experiment, I guess! I do like wearing a cardigan over things unless it’s too warm!
Thanks, Suzy!!!
Real estate!!! he he he that made me laugh, Marsha!!
LOL
Suzy xx
I had to go back to see what I wrote! It’s the truth, though!
Lovely outfit dear…:-)
Beauty and Fashion/Glamansion/Rampdiary
Thanks so much, Rashmi!
You have me wanting to plant! I miss having flowers in my front planters! But I try to wait until May, too. I am just too busy to cover them if there is a frost! Better to make sure! I can’t wait to see your garden!
I don’t have many places to plant so it’s easy to cover them if I need to. I haven’t gotten very far in my planting. I’m still in the planning stages for my containers. I’m going to be waiting for a bit before planting too many more perennials.
Thanks, Laura, for visiting!
Marsha, your posts always make me giggle. I love this fun spring inspired outfit! Perfect for our non-spring spring weather! I am so ready to wear my maxi dresses with bare legs and bare feet, but we still have frost in the mornings! Ugh. You look fabulous as always, my friend!
Shelbee
Thanks, Shelbee! I’m glad you got some giggles! I always hope my readers get my humor! We had some frost last week, but this weeks is just rainy and cold. It feels more like November than May!