(Ryan took this photo at Wildseed Farms.)
This week, we adjusted to Ryan’s new job and his travel schedule. The boys and I did pretty well, I think, despite two trips to the doctor (one for Rhys and one for me), and we’re looking forward to a quiet weekend. Here are a few things that caught my eye this week.
I ordered a new bag, and I’m fascinated by how it’s made.
A new British fashion show featuring Naomi Campbell.
A new exhibition featuring the unusual works of Balthus.
Heartbreaking photos of an eviction here in Austin.
Bad Lip Reading takes on Game of Thrones.
And a weird lawsuit involving Torchy’s Tacos.
Have a wonderful weekend!
My mother was an only child, and my sisters and I were extremely close to our maternal grandmother. I always thought we were so lucky that we didn’t have to share her with cousins, and we got her all to ourselves. She spoiled us on a regular basis, and I think she influenced our styles, too, in different ways.
Nonnie passed away when I was a freshman in college, and when I moved to Austin and rented my first apartment, I was fortunate to inherit lots of her furniture. At the time, I thought it was pretty, if dated. But as my sense of style matured and I furnished my own home, I realized how classic her pieces are, and how blessed I am to have them with me. Nonnie knew Ryan, but she didn’t get to meet my boys, and I like that we are surrounded by the same pieces she had in her house while my mother was growing up.
When we redid our kitchen and flooring, I spruced up our front room, which holds a lot of my grandmother’s furniture, and I added some modern touches to make it my own. But her style is so similar to mine that her things fit right in, and they hold such special memories.
(Nonnie’s pink, green, and yellow striped chair and ottoman.)
Nonnie kept these pieces in her formal living room, and when my sisters and I spent the night, we would play charades and other games there all day long. I would pretend her living room was my apartment, and make believe I was a glamorous actress or someone obviously very famous to own such beautiful and elegant furnishings. The truth is that my grandparents worked very hard and didn’t have much, but they bought what they could afford and cared for it lovingly, eventually passing things down to my mother, my sisters, and me.
(My grandmother’s floral couch.)
(A detail of the couch, with the same pillows she used.)
Now everything is in my house, and I escape to the front room when I want to relax with a book or talk on the phone in peace and quiet. As soon as I sit on her couch, I’m flooded with memories of my childhood. I’m protective of her furniture, and I don’t like the boys to jump or play on it, yet I love that they can enjoy the pieces as much as I did.
(I inherited all of these pieces, aside from the bookshelf, from my grandmother.)
I have lots of my grandmother’s possessions, like her china and even some pieces of clothing, but I see and use her furniture every day, and it’s such a wonderful way to remember her.
(My prettiest hanging geranium.)
Our summer was hot, but not the hottest we’ve experienced, and my outdoor plants did pretty well. I have a heavy hand when it comes to watering, and I probably spoil my plants too much. I did notice that most of my hardiest plants, those that are perfect for the Texas heat, didn’t bloom during the summer months. But now that we’ve had a substantial amount of rain and the weather is cooling down, I’m seeing new blooms almost daily.
(Lantana finally blooming.)
Lantana is great for xeriscaping, and I should really find a place to plant mine in the ground. It would probably take off and not look so scraggly, but these pots sit outside my back door, and I love seeing them as I walk by. They also help to disguise that plain old fence, and I’ve asked Ryan if he might build a little above-ground garden there on the concrete porch. I’m dreaming of filling it with rich soil and plenty of drought-resistant plants, since that spot gets full sun in the afternoons.
(I love these pretty buds.)
Here’s a closeup of a lantana bud, and though these plants are quite common in Central Texas, I never get tired of their beautiful blooms.
(Potted petunias?)
I bought two of these large pots last spring, and though they sit next to each other, only one has thrived. I think they are petunias, but please correct me if I’m wrong. I really want to fill my backyard with plants, like my mom has done, but it’s a slow process and I have two little boys who need more tending than I can give my pots these days. I’m attempting to grow avocados from pits, because even if they never produce fruit, they are pretty plants to have around. And how cool would it be to raise them from seeds?
(Crown of Thorns from Wildseed Farms.)
This is my newest addition, a Crown of Thorns plant from Wildseed Farms. I knew nothing about it except that it was pretty and hardy, but when I brought it home and did some research, I discovered that it is full of thorns (I guess that was obvious!) and also poisonous. I’ll have to watch the boys around it, because they like to pick my flowers and bring them to me. A sweet, but heartbreaking, gesture.
I think we’re in for a wet, mild winter, and I’m hoping my little garden will hold up.
