Peonies, a puppy and an old key

I'm convinced one of the best things about June is the arrival of peonies. Maybe it's the best thing; watching their buds slowly open and noting the few overeager petals peeking through before the rest of the bloom is ready. Then... hello blossom! Everyone is happy to see them: humans, bumblebees and butterflies alike.

There was only a short window to be out enjoying the sunshine today. The pup and I ventured out through intermittent rain showers to play and laze around the yard. She and I are good friends, but she had a bad case of missing my brother today. The poor thing gets so sad when he's not at home. She's sly, though, and knows how to work a tummy rub out of me. And I can't resist petting those soft, velvety ears.

It was also a good day for a quick little D.I.Y. session. I have a small collection of old desk and skeleton keys and decided to put one of the neglected rusty ones to good use. All I needed was some emery cloth from the hardware store and velvet ribbon from the craft store and a new necklace was born. Oddly enough, all of my old keys seem to end up as necklaces. Is that too much of a good thing? Nah!

May Your Days Be Merry and Bright

These are some ornaments my mother and I made recently. After seeing them on display while out shopping one day she came home with little stars, little bells, a bundle of raffia, and a plan to recreate them. They are currently hanging from a small tree with white lights atop my Mum's dresser. In addition to our "big" tree, we also put up one or two small trees here & there. In fact, there was one year when every room in the house had a tree in it!


Ever since we purchased these little reindeer they have been some of my favorite decorations. I just find them to be so sweet. Mum actually didn't have them out yet, so I had to rummage through a box of decorations out in the garage so they could make their appearance.

And here I am today:Cardigan: H&M
Scarf: Marshall's
Corduroys: thrifted, J.Crew

The corduroys I am wearing are one of my favorite thrift store purchases. The color is what initially drew me to them. They appear to be almost a rusty-burgundy. The color reminds me of Tuscany. Rich, earthy, beautiful. Aside from that, they fit perfectly. I was almost certain when I pulled them off the rack that there would be a problem with the the size. To my surprise, the inside tag read "petite." Oh happy day!

Here is the scarf detail.