Well, hello.

It seems like our peonies jumped out overnight. Don't they look happy?

It's crazy to think how long we've had them now (since we took them from our last house's garden...and had originally planted them about seven years ago). It reminds me of the house plant Husband and I bought at Lowe's back when we were in college... and we STILL have it in our living room. If that plant were a person, IT would be headed off to college at this point.

Yesterday little guy and I ventured out with some clippers to pluck a few blooms for inside, when a giant spider crawled out from between some petals and stared at us. So, I decided it wasn't terribly urgent. Maybe Husband will do the honors (including the insect-check) before we bring them in. They sure smell good, though.

And yes, the hoses do frequently still get left strewn across the walkway by Husband. Good thing they are so pretty.

Spring is here!

 

Happy first day of spring. I love the feel of this space ... I want to go grab some giant branches this instant! And my peonies are already poking up out of the ground which is always such a great thing.

(image credit unknown)

Modern Cottage birthday

Over the Labor Day weekend, the little guy turned one so we threw him a bash in the front yard. Fortunately lots of his friends were in town for the holiday so it was a great crowd up on the porch and spilling into the lawn. We kept things simple and pretty with the only real 'theme' being about those relaxing final days of summer...

The food was simple: Fresh squeezed lemonade, delicious turkey sandwiches made by a local shop,  fruit skewers, peanut butter sandwiches (no crusts, of course), and a quinoa salad with tomato and cucumber. Oh, and for dessert: cupcakes!

And we couldn't resist these when we noticed them in the beer aisle... the light blue label was perfect. Good thing they tasted good, too.

Party favors included adorable handmade paper pinwheels found on Etsy, balloons tied with cotton cording, and white beach balls. We figured the little ones would need something to entertain themselves during the party, and thought the beach balls would fit the venue perfectly. It was hilarious to watch the kiddos walk up the front steps, immediately catch sight of the balls scattered across the lawn, and make a beeline toward them to begin gleefully kicking them around the yard.

All in all it was a fantastic party and the little man had a blast!

(Lovely photography by Kristine)

Vintage summer



I am totally obsessed with the camera on my new phone and all the filters that come with it. Particularly the vintage filter. There actually three versions: vintage, vintage warm, and vintage cold. I'm in heaven. Which ever I use (I think my fave is the regular "vintage") produces really beautiful, artistic, and almost magical photos. This past Friday was the first day in many, many days (weeks? months?) we were able to take some time to hit the park with the little guy and just be (we also had him in swim lessons last month - the best!). Here's hoping you're enjoying many magical moments this summer!

Modern Cottage picnic

It's been ages since we went on a picnic, but this past Mother's Day, we did just that! It was a gorgeous sunny day and so nice to just relax on a blanket by the lake with some yummy snacks.

It got me wanting to have more picnic afternoons, and these items would be so perfect...

From top: Martha Stewart melamine dishware, waterproof blanket from Etsy, cooler and flatware from Crate and Barrel, and a tasty-looking turkey caprese sandwich recipe also from Martha. Now I just need to hunt down a great beach umbrella!

Sun faded beauties

We're all about white here at Modern Cottage ... particularly with flowers. But one of our three prized peonies starts out blooming almost hot pink. I chose it because I wanted an orangey color to contrast the the two white varieties (and didn't realize it would be quite so pink at first). The flowers don't actually go from pink to orange until they are almost ready to fall off the stem. However, I have to say I think these peonies look their best when they're at maximum "bloomage" :) They look relaxed and sun-faded, like they've enjoyed the perfect summer: lazy days at the beach, bare feet in the grass, savory al fresco dinners off the grill... (if flowers could enjoy these things, that is). It's  not really possible of course - A, they're flowers, and B, we've only had a couple days of summery weather so far. But maybe it's the promise they hold for a summer like this to come. I know, I know, I am a bit obsessed with the peonies. I don't talk to them or anything. But they really do make me happy! Plus there's just something extra pleasing about bringing fresh flowers from your own garden indoors to enjoy.

Easter egg experiment

We realized late last night we had forgotten the Easter egg dye at the store earlier. And, of course everyone was sold out (we had hoped to get something all-natural). So, we took to the internet thinking there must be some homemade methods using foods and what not and found tons of ideas. We went with a few recipes from Better Homes and Gardens in the end:

We got yellow eggs using tumeric; blue eggs using red cabbage; and gorgeous green eggs by mixing a separate dish with part of the yellow/tumeric mixture and part of the blue/cabbage mixture (it turned an odd dark orange in the dish, but the eggs still dyed green). They all came out a little different, some with spots, some pale and uniform.

I was certain the cabbage dye was going to turn the eggs purple, but indeed they dried blue!

I think they are stunningly beautiful (as far as Easter eggs go :) and now we are super excited to color eggs this way each year.

And here is the little pail our guy used for his first ever egg hunt... (assisted by Dad, of course :)

Happy Easter!

Hello, hydrangeas!

Our fabulous hydrangeas are in full swing now (you may recall how they looked a few months ago in this post). They just go more and more crazy each summer! As you can see, they are getting a little up close and personal with our outdoor table, but I am not sure what to do about it just yet...they're so pretty.

And this I couldn't resist... my favorite calendar's July illustration is identical to our happy-go-lucky hydrangeas. Love it.

Sun! Sun! Sun!

We got just a hint of sun last week and I felt I had to get it on film (er...memory card?) or else we might have started to wonder if it even happened at all. I read somewhere recently that exercise has a similar impact on a person's mood as anti-depressants which is funny because I often think "exercise is cheaper than therapy!" given how it can ease stress and make a person instantly more chipper. Well, sun, let me tell you.... for us Seattle folk it is like the happiest mood-boosting phenomenon ever. Particularly when it pops out in the midst of a soggy, grey, dreary spring like we're experiencing now. So, until things improve (the 10-day forecasts are so sad) we will simply look back upon these glorious photos and remember that summer will be here soon :)

Spring in progress

I always get excited when I see our peonies start to sprout from the ground, where they've been hibernating all winter totally incognito under the mulch. (Yes, we took all three of our prized peonies with us when we moved to the new house :). The once deep burgundy shoots are now in the midst of transforming into giant green stems that will soon boast lush, delicious-smelling blooms.

We also have a soft spot for pear trees (this is a Capital Pear and is ornamental, so no actual fruit). It too is on the verge of sprouting cheerful white blossoms which come before the tree starts producing its leaves.

And of course, we can't wait to see our masses of hydrangeas in full show again - they bloom with reckless abandon which is quite pleasing. It's a relatively new variation of the popular Annabelle hydrangea, called Incrediball. The name speaks to the sturdy stems (no droopy blooms, hooray!) and giant, bountiful mopheads it produces. This paired with the fact that the mopheads bloom green to white had us at hello. The perfect Modern Cottage hydrangea!

We were looking forward to capturing our floral friends on a lovely, sunny, spring day, but it's been soggy and overcast for days now - boo. But we are hopeful the sun will be out again soon, and maybe then we'll do a progress report :)

Spring is here...

They were singing like crazy on Saturday when it was gorgeous and sunny! Today, not so much... hopefully more sunny days are lining up for us!

Until then, this cheerful silkscreen print by Anthony Burrill might do the trick. We find the clean graphics in graduated shades of green quite appealing.

Welcome spring!

Ahh, Summer...

You may have wondered, what exactly is the Modern Cottage way of life? It's about enjoying the simple things…remembering what is most important and living accordingly. It’s an impromptu game of badminton on a huge back lawn with sunlight filtering through the trees (and a combination kid/dog cheering squad – the kids are keeping score as well, you'll notice). It’s also about beauty and function and the best things in life: laughing out loud with family and friends, eating delicious food, exploring new and interesting places, and always returning to a fabulous ‘home base’ where you are surrounded by colors, objects, textiles, and design which genuinely make you feel at peace, at home, at ease, or more simply: happy. What better environment in which to share all those ordinary, day-to-day moments which add up to a well-lived life? Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July holiday.

Spring is here! Dress up your porches and patios

Springtime always puts us in good spirits. The sun comes out (well, sometimes - we are in Seattle after all) and our favorite trees and shrubs begin to transform from bare twigs to green-leafed and flowering things of beauty. What do we also love about spring? All the fabulous new spring and summer product, including these planters from CB2 - a modern shape in cottage-friendly corrugated steel.