{appreciate the day}

 hello.
How are you doing this evening??

Me...I am just plain content and happy:)
It was a lovely spring weekend here and I was able to spend the weekend doing everything I love the most!

Tinkering in the studio....
Snapping a few photographs....
Getting my hands dirty planting flowers...
and opening the pool!

I know...crazy...opening the pool in March in Indiana!
I don't care...it makes me happy! And sometimes....you just have to do what makes you happy regardless of what people might think:)

If you aren't lucky enough to see flowering dogwoods in all their glory....then I  might feel a little sorry for you:)

They are just the sweetest little charming flowers!

I get so excited when I see our little Dogwood Tree in the front yard starting to open.

Simple things really are the best!!

I snapped a few photographs of it's sweet little blossoms...some straight on and some at random angles!

You know what....sometimes things look better when you look at them from a different angle!

Such a metaphor for life:)

If you aren't happy with the way something might be going for you....change it.....or look at from a different angle:)

Spring really is just such a time for renewal of your soul.

Fresh air just does my spirit good:)

I don't need very much in life....

but a little time in nature...

some vino....

time spent with friends....

and a few other simple things!

it really is the simplest of things that can mean so much!

Just walking around my yard looking at the beauty unfold before my eyes makes me realize that even through the darkest of January days.....spring is sure to follow!

It's the cycle of life....

I'm convinced that...if we didn't know January...we wouldn't appreciate the sweet spring blossoms the way we Midwesterns do...

But if someone gave me a beach house in Florida...well.....i'm sure i'd appreciate not having to survive a below freezing January just fine:)

It's amazing the transformation that occurs once the weather warms...

and even without flowers to grace my patio...it still looks like a pretty happy place:)

It's not fancy...but it's all me!!!

I found these sweet little cushions at The Christmas Tree Shoppe!

I thought they were just so happy and just the right amount of sprucing to get my chairs through a couple more summers:)

I'd love to own a fabulous teak set......but.....for now i'll just continue to appreciate my little wrought iron chairs:)

L.C. was very happy to see the pool open....

She's a summer girl through and through!

I think with her arthritis winter is just hard on her:(

She's such a sweet soulful dog.

The kind of dog that can tell you intentions within 1 minute of meeting you.

I love that about her.

She doesn't need you....but if she likes you .....well then:)

 Hopefully soon i'll be building a cute little wood table to replace this one...I thought i'd get to it this weekend...but had to many irons in the fire and had to exercise a little patience....something that is not easy for me:)

Since it's not technically planting season yet...I thought i'd make a little happiness with some faux daisies!

Yep...just the right amount of happiness for the patio!!

thank goodness for pansies! I did get around to planting just a few!

I tell you...they are just the happiest flowers!

I like to think they are smiling right at me:)

Oh and I did start some zinnia seeds!! I sure hope they grow and bloom this summer!

We'll see....i've never hand very good luck with starting seeds!

But at least I try, right:)

I hope you were able to get out and just enjoy the simple things in life this weekend!!!!

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams."
~Ashley Smith

{Midwestern Spring}

Hello there!
How are you on this lovely Sunday morning!?!?!

I have to tell you that the weather is simply picture perfect this morning!

I am happily spending the morning...coffee in hand on the front porch:)


If you're not from the Midwest....let me tell you....there is nothing like a Midwestern Spring.

It's like all of a sudden everything springs to life.
One day it's snowing and miserable. The next day there is so much beauty to take in....it's overwhelming.

 And those April showers do really lead to May flowers.

I am so overwhelmed by the beauty of a Midwestern Spring...it's purely intoxicating to my soul.

 To spend time really looking at all the beauty around you.....really is priceless:)

You know what else I love about a Midwestern Spring....
Frantic trips to the garden nurseries!
I love planning out all that I will grow in the season ahead and hoping that most of it doesn't die:)

 I really love spending my afternoon traipsing from garden center to garden center......just hoping to find that perfect plant!

 Well and how could one not love spending a leisurely morning just watching the beauty of life unfold in all of nature's creatures.
That's what we do from our tiny little front porch:)

 And the frogs are slowly making their way back to my pond! I could sit and watch the frogs all day long:)

 Most mornings....I take a little nature walk to see what new activity is happening around our little piece of nature.
New plant growth...new flowers blooming....bird activity.

I am so thankful to be the kind of person that really enjoys the simple things in life.

 Well most of the time that is:)
I am also thankful to be an overly motivated person that has a list of projects a mile long.
And well.....a Midwestern spring is the perfect to get busy accomplishing things:)
this will be a cute little "cobblestone" path leading to the backyard when we're finished:)

I love how the sunshine and warm air brings out a renewed creative spirit in my soul.

My mind just starts spinning with ideas and plans.

Here's a tiny sampling of the new Simple Daisy designs i've been tinkering with in the studio.

I love the mixture of the raw, natural brass against the aqua blue:)

But more importantly....what do you think???



And the sweetest little Chickadee familhy took up residence in the birdhouse I made last year:)

I have spent hours just watching them make this house their home!

And I can't wait to see their baby chickadees pop their little heads out very soon.

 So much to be happy for in any spring....but I think there is even more of an appreciative spirit from the people that are blessed to enjoy a Midwestern spring!

I know I sure am appreciative to see so much beauty after a long...cold...winter:)

 What are you appreciative on this beautiful Sunday morning?!?!?!

"Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you'll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it."
Ralph Marston

Thank you for taking time out of your busy days to stop by Simple Daisy. I truly appreciate each and every one of you! You make my heart sing:) Happy Sunday!

{patio inspiration}

Hello.

Happy Mother's Day Sunday!

I don't know about you but i've been springing back to life again.

I love the beach and I love the ocean.

but there is nothing like a midwestern spring.

It's like a complete renewal of one's soul and spirit each and every spring.

People flock and I mean flock to the local garden centers hoping to make their spaces full of life:)

I made my way to the garden center.

This year....Ivy geraniums caught my eye.

Geraniums always make me think nostalgic thoughts. Thoughts of my childhood when my grandma first showed me the world of gardening.

My love of gardening has never ended!

Remember when we {and I say we, lightly. Really it was my husband and our good friends} build this deck last summer.

It has been, hands down, the best thing we've done to our home.
It's become my super happy space!

I can't wait until the grapes grow over the arbor....in about....20 years:)


and someday we'll add a lovely stone fireplace and pizza oven.....but for today i'll just enjoy the happy space:)
It doesn't look out over a lake or the ocean. But it still makes me more than happy!

We also added the cute little picket fence this year! It was just a yucky chain link! Can't wait until the black eyed susans take over that little space!

Yes...even Ruby likes the deck! She likes to hang out there and dream of chasing squirrels.

I like to sit there and enjoy my glass of vino:)

L.C. likes it too.
but since she's getting older and has arthritis I usually bring out some pillows for her to lay on!

 See how happy the geraniums look!! The flag...the geraniums....all of it...pure happiness to me!

Up next....planting the garden!
Hopefully Ruby doesn't eat all my veggies this year:)

Ruby and L.C. say....have yourself a fabulous Mother's Day!!!!!

{the Deck}

Good Monday Morning to you!!!
And just like that we have a deck:) :)
Amazing what you can accomplish in a weekend! Oh....Ok....I admit...I had nothing to do with this project except the idea:)
We borrowed a brother and a husband and Friday night they set the main posts.......

So lucky to have such strong friends and family:) :)

I don't think i've ever seen such hard workers before!

Everyone came over early Saturday morning and worked the whole entire day!

While the guys were working .... here's what L.C. & Ruby were doing.........


maxin' & chillaxin'

I have to admit......that's what my friend and I were doing on Saturday....

I did feel a little guilty....since you know I usually have my hand in ....if i'm not totally doing it myself....everything that goes on around here.

But I tried to lift one of those darn boards and I couldn't do it! I know my limits.

But here's what I could lift.....

No....it's not wine:)

It's Sprite Zero...fresh mint...fresh lime.....and a little bit of vodka!

I worked on saving calories on Saturday....heeehee:)

It was actually pretty good!!! Not as good as vino....but i'll take it!

Here I am supervisingg.....
Notice....no one was looking at me!!!

I think they did their best to try and ignore us all day long!

So we just focused on having fun!

Thanks Michelle for letting us borrow your husband for the whole entire weekend:)

I am amazed at how fast it came together....

and just like that we have ourselves a happy little deck with an arbor!! It looks just like the one we have over the hoot tub:) Can't wait until it fades like that one!

I couldn't be any happier! Our pool area was just so crunched up and now we have more room!

I still have to work my magic on the space.....but I think it looks pretty good!!! We still have to put the railing up......but

What do you think???

Here's some of the plans I have to get working on.....

I just love it!!!!!! I can't wait to see it with the grape vines growing all over it:)

Not too bad for a weekend!!!! I think the guys should be pretty darn proud of their handiwork!

Hope you had a productive happy weekend:) :)

“Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people” Nido Qubein