Showing posts with label my garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label my garden. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Summer at the Lake

 Summer at the Lake

Sharing some pics of our summer at our lakehouse cottage....

Spending Time on the Water!
As always, swimming is the best way to stay cool!
Our dogs love the boat rides!! (Blankets mandatory.)
Family gatherings
 Swimming and kayaking 
 Hubby kayaking on the lake.

Enjoying campfires and food!
S'mores, of course
Fresh strawberries for dessert!

 Projects
 i made a new sign for our porch/entrance. 
Hubby is a BIG rock collector...this year he added these giant rocks as landscape around our yard lighthouse.
 Hubby built a new table for our pontoon boat!
I love how he customized the cup-holders to hold our favorite cups.
Gardening is a favorite pastime.
 Our back patio and pergola.
 Our Wisteria had lots of blooms!
 Many annuals in our baskets and pots.
 My mini-fairy garden...with a camping/fishing theme.
 My mini-flag says it all!


“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” 
Linking over to these blog parties:
Friday Linkup @ Whatever, It's All Good
Wake Up Wednesday @ Sew Crafty Angel
A Morning Cup of Joe @ The Cottage Market
Freedom Friday @ My Turn for Us
Flaunt It Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring 
Creativity Unleashed @ Shaken Together Life
Creative Collection Link Party @ Classy Clutter, and Blooming Homestead

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Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Spring is Here (I Hope)

It's been awhile since I have written here at Cairn Cottage
Even though we had a pretty mild winter, spring seems to come very slowly to me. For weeks we have flip-flopped from cold/snow to sunny, warm days!

This week before Easter Sunday, I finally got some spring decor out and put together this planter. 

Tea for Two: A couple of fairies drink some tea...
I found this teapot house at Meijer. As a "tea stuff" collector, it gave me inspiration for how to use some miniature tea items in the theme.

My miniature teapot and teacup ornaments fit in perfectly...

I planted some Viola in a children's teacup, as well as surrounding the scenery.


I'm hoping the "SPRING" wood sign gets everyone in the mood for the season!!

What kinds of things are you doing to get into the "Spring" mood? Planting flowers? Doing spring cleaning? Displaying spring decor?

 Hopefully, Spring is here to stay!!
“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” 
Linking over to these blog parties:
Creative Collection Link Party @ Blooming Homestead     
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Thursday, August 11, 2016

Favorite Summer Activities

Hello, Cairn Cottage Friends! 
I hope you have been enjoying your summer. I can't believe that it's mid-August already! Summer seems to fly by way too fast for my liking! I know for some of you, it's back to school time for your kids already. My hubby and I were just talking about the days when our kids were in school and getting them ready and that we were glad to not have to think about that anymore, as empty-nesters. 
The heat in the Midwest has limited some of our activities, like fishing and outdoor projects. But even with the very hot and humid weather, I would prefer a few more months of this over the snow and freezing temps! 
 I definitely made due...like sitting on my air-conditioned 4-season porch and surfing the internet...
...sipping on (hot or iced) tea. I had to share this cute frog tea set that I got recently at an antique mall. Isn't he the cutest thing?
Fishing on hot, humid days required some interesting maneuvers, like floating on an air mattress while throwing a line out. But we have caught LOTS of fish this year (actually we have already beat our record for number of fish caught in a summer - over 600 bluegill, perch, bass, catfish, Northern Pike, and crappie!!!), which we have filled our freezer with for the coming year!
 I attended the local fair with my mom also, an annual activity we do together. Boy, was it ever a very hot day!!!
We saw the animals...my favorite are the llamas! :)
And there was a really cool live butterfly exhibit that allowed us to walk through a tent with many butterflies in it.

 My uncle, who is a very talented wood-carver, entered this piece in the fair and won grand champion!! Way to go, uncle Max!! 
 Our vegetable garden continues to provide many veggies for us. From my green beans (that have provided several gallon ziploc bags of beans for us to freeze for the winter)...
(Just for comparison, check out a picture of the beans back in June.)
...to my hubby's pepper and tomato plants!


 My flowers have done exceptionally well in the heat, as well!



Needless to say, summer at Cairn Cottage has been good!
I know it won't be long till Autumn will be here and it makes me sad to think summer will soon be over. I definitely am taking advantage of every hot summer day. Actually, I think I will go take a dip in the lake this afternoon! 
Hope you enjoy the rest of your summer, too!!
   Ann 
“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” 
Linking over to these blog parties:
The Scoop @ Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings
Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House
Inspiration Monday Party @ I Should Be Mopping the Floor
The Inspiration Board Link Party @ Homework
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Tuesdays With a Twist @  Stone Cottage Adventures 
Clever Chicks Blog Hop @ The Chicken Chick
Wake Up Wednesday @ Sew Crafty Angel
A Morning Cup of Joe @ The Cottage Market
Freedom Friday @ My Turn for Us
Flaunt It Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring 
Creativity Unleashed @ Shaken Together Life
Creative Collection Link Party @ Classy Clutter, and Blooming Homestead     
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Thursday, June 16, 2016

An Unusual Summer

Hello Cairn Cottage friends!
Well the summer of 2016 has been a unique and unusual one, so far! We have been busy doing some outside gardening and enjoying our flower displays...
~ one of my lilies in full bloom.(Another lily will soon also bloom.)
  ~ a new cactus planter 
~ my fairy garden, turned into a fishing bear lighthouse...
 ~ my annual display of Alyssum (so many blooms and a intoxicating fragrance!)
 ~ my orange marigolds are so bright!!

and other projects.
~ The green bean boxes we built in the spring are doing great with our pole beans. My hubby strung a trellis for them to climb, as well.
 
We also recently built a pergola on our front patio. We did some rearranging of the stone wall surrounding it and hope to add an arched trellis. The pergola also has a cover that can be used for extra shade, but we didn't have it up in this photo.
 To anchor the pergola, we have flower planters at the base of each post. My petunias seem to love their new pots.

We also have enjoyed early summer fishing...
The first year we lived here, we caught literally hundreds of fish right off our pier. Then, for a few years after that, we only caught a couple of fish off the pier. This year, we again have been catching them right off the pier. It's a good thing, as we had been having boat engine problems and had to take it in to get worked on. Now, our boat is back and we have been getting back out on the lake more. 
~ fishing from our pier
~ A day fishing with my hubby and mom.
 This Gar washed up to our shoreline. It had apparently been hit by a boat propeller and didn't survive. We have not seen Gars in our lake before and this one was especially big(42 inches)!!
Swimming on a hot, humid afternoon
Relaxing with my doggies by the lake.
 They definitely love the laid-back lake life!!
An evening campfire by the water...
A brief video...

 The summertime here at Cairn Cottage is always a favorite time for us. It has been an unusual few months, with so much rain here, followed by hot and humid temps. The fish and our flowers seem to thrive in the different weather conditions, though. I have to say, I have enjoyed it too!!
Hope you are enjoying your summer, too!!
   Ann 
“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” 
Linking over to these blog parties:
The Scoop @ Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings
Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House
Inspiration Monday Party @ I Should Be Mopping the Floor
The Inspiration Board Link Party @ Homework
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Tuesdays With a Twist @  Stone Cottage Adventures 
Be Inspired Party @ Elizabeth & Co
Clever Chicks Blog Hop @ The Chicken Chick
Wake Up Wednesday @ Sew Crafty Angel
A Morning Cup of Joe @ The Cottage Market
Freedom Friday @ My Turn for Us
Flaunt It Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring 
Creativity Unleashed @ Shaken Together Life
Creative Collection Link Party @ Classy Clutter, and Blooming Homestead     
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