peonies in december

did anyone else know that peonies grew in december?? I was shocked when I saw them in whole foods this week. I mean, one of the main reasons I got married in the month of may was so that I could a carry a bouquet full of peonies (ok, not really the main reason, but it was a big plus). I was so delighted to see them & snatched up a handful for the house ($10 for five!). they go perfectly with my non red & green christmas colors around the house this year. 

aqua mason jars: diy

I've had a crush on these vintage aqua mason jars for years, but every time I see them in antiques stores, they are always expensive. I really wanted to use them for robert's birthday party, so I figured I'd just try to make them myself. I found this tutorial online & followed the steps exactly, using the same turquoise vitrea paint & paint thinner. there were still some streaks, even after baking, but you don't notice them at all once the jars are filled with water & flowers. a pretty cheap + easy substitute, don't you think?

spring in the yard

the weather is finally warming up here in florida (yes, it has actually been really chilly the last few months!). a few weekends ago we did a bunch of yard work. we planted some plants, flowers & dug up an ugly old palm & replaced it with a new tree. I love spring!

{our new japanese magnolia tree}

{the first sight of blueberries on our blueberry bush}

{hydrangeas}

the getty center

last year while visiting robert in la (we all know who I was really there to see), I had some free time alone, so I made a visit to the getty center. this place is gorgeous. the weather was beautiful & everything was in full bloom. the whole time, I kept thinking I wish we could have gotten married here! for anyone making a visit to los angeles, I'd highly recommend a few hours at the getty center. 

flowers

robert surprised me & picked out these gorgeous flowers for me at our local flower shop. flowers for no reason are the best!

traditional anniversary gifts

every year on may 20th I give robert the traditional anniversary gift for our year (1=paper, 2=cotton, 3=leather, etc). well year 4 is flowers, so I decided to give my best shot at making a manly bouquet (if that's even possible?). it turned out nice; robert said this was the first time he'd ever been given flowers. 

in return, he sent me the most beautiful, fragrant flowers I have ever seen. pinkish-white peonies... our wedding flower (big props to a husband who can remember what flowers his bride was carrying on the wedding day!). and then mister smarty-pants also gave me flowered linen placemats (linen is the "modern" gift for year four) from this very cool artist. yea. he's good.

{rosemary, liatris & lysimachia}

{peonies}

{sets of flowered linen placemats from natsumi nishizumi}

blooming

everything in our yard is blooming & it makes me smile.

{african iris}

{hibiscus}