Bloomsplotion

So I promised an update when I can no longer rid myself of dirty hands/body (and with OFF mosquito spray always handy...) and here we are! Mid-Juneish has found me with more love than ever for all my blooms, cacti and succulents!

Now if only I could stop. I am obsessed. My succulents have multiplied themselves cutely in my big horse trough and my grasses (next to the trough) are slowly slowly filling out (they'll be tall and about 3' wide), I've found good temporary spaces for my cactus to greet me home, and I've been sawing my heart away on my herb planters!

Lots of learning for me. People said Nashville was full of clay dirt and bedrock to hinder a determined gardener...and they were spot on. At least in my yard. So, plenty of my ideas (take herb planters) have re-routed and been flipped around (literally). I have more plans to fill much of my yard with pretty rocks to home my cacti and put a stop to my crappy grass growth. Also on the list: expand fence! Within the month I'll have my whole backyard re-fenced off for more playtime for the pup and the shed (see previous post)!

Ahhhh this feels like home :) Click the pics for biggies

Spring Shedding

Spring is almost over and I've been dealing with my fair share of shedding (have 3 furries). I think it's about time I show them whats up and start my own shed!

My buddy handyman (and amazing designer) Michael Borum and I are getting ready to hammer and nail and screw our little hearts out on my first backyard adventure. I'm building a shed! Well...more of an outdoor hang area with an area to store my machines/tools/and other gnarly things that have accumulated in one of my 3 bedrooms. We're going salvage, baby. I've gotten so lucky to have an awesome salvage yard right behind my house, so we'll find as many beams + windows + doors + whatever we can get our hands on to keep costs low and keep it feelin right.

Check out my layout! The hang/studio area is in the front with cool slide-out barn doors to keep it open (and let critters in, of course) and the 3rd bedroom storage will make its way to the back. A West facing roof window will make sunset oh-so-perty :) You can come play if you'd like. Bring fancy beer + I'll bring the love.

Click the pic for a biggie.

My little bitty

I've been loving and dreaming of my own area to plant for years and years now. Finally(!) I get to start! Here are the beginnings... Lots 'o succulents, lavender, grasses and sunflowers are loving on the sun as much as I have been lately. I'll be sure to update when the flowers bloom big and when the dirt finds itself a new home under my fingernails forever and ever.

More Succulove Here

Born Country

Big realization/confession to make. I am succumbing to my love for country music. I've always admitted love for the old stuff like Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, but I am coming out with my adoration for the new(ish) stuff as well. Right here. Right now.

I blame my iPhone.

The iPhone was supposed to replace all the CDs that were taking over my car and broken phone. Too lazy to pick out music before driving for 5 minutes, I let the radio entertain me. First found a hip hop station (another guilty pleasure) which was fun and nice, but after hearing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" 50 times, I searched for anything else. Then from somewhere really sweet came the song "Waitin' on a Woman" by someone I'm too embarassed to mention (okayitsbradpaisley-andthevideoissuperdupercheesysoiwontevenbotherlinkingtoit). The song's about two dudes who meet at the mall on a bench, waiting for their ladies. The older man starts telling the story of his life with his wife and how he's always waiting for her, but how he doesn't mind 'waiting on a woman'. Then I heard "Chattahoochee" and "Love Without End" and I was in. Again. Like I was in 1990 when I took country line dancing lessons to "Boot Scootin' Boogie".

In my defense it isn't really the music to these songs that I think is so brilliant. It's the stories they tell. They're such good storytellers! And the stories are easy to pick up...no digging or analyzing or abstraction...it is what it is and thats what it is. Which is really nice sometimes.

So there you are. I'm clean. Well, I also know the dance to "Soulja Boy". That's it though. For real. I still like other stuff, too. I'm just diversifying!

My New Theme Song

In case you are actually interested, here are some real good ones:
Collin Raye - Love, Me
Trisha Yearwood - She's in Love with the Boy
Alan Jackson - Chattahoochee
George Strait - Love Without End, Amen

Beat Cream

In Cleveland Park, our Ice Cream Trucks rock da beat. Not sure if it's supposed to be bass or gospel-y clap sounding - but it's new to me. And I think it's kind of pretty.

I just cut down 3 big weed-trees that had been weaving themselves into a shotty falling down chain-link fence. The blisters aren't yet visible, but I can feel them already. The brush lays where I left it for now. I don't have one more ounce of energy to move it.

I think I'll take a nap in the sun and wait for another babababass ice cream truck to wake me.

Boys + Miss Tara Party

After a walk to Cleveland Park with Miss Elizabeth and the neighborhood boys, my chalkboard wall is now devirginized!

Equally or maybe more exciting was my dance-off with the boys afterward to Lil Wayne and doin' the Stanky Legg and Get Silly. My moves is fresssshhhh.

Photos from Gettin' Silly

Da Turdy Point Buck

Dear Wisconsin,
Can you believe 100% of Southerners haven't heard "Da Turdy Point Buck"? Though this might be somewhat embarrassing and an exaggeration of our culture...it's pretty darn hilarious. And gives me back-up when I claim "my accent isn't that bad!!"

Southerners, Westerners, Easterners, and Wisconsin (because you can never hear this song too many times!) take a listen, seriously.