The Tulips Kept Doing Their Thing
I know I said this about the April tulips, but May's were something else entirely. The front bed went absolutely wild - pinks, peaches, oranges, deep purples, all going off at the same time. I stood out front every morning just soaking them in. I can't tell you how many compliments I got about them. (Not that I'm beaming with pride or anything...)
The Cottage Garden Vision Takes Shape
While the tulips were putting on their show, I was already thinking about what comes next. I had this image in my head for months: a layered, slightly wild, fairy tale cottage-style garden. Foxgloves and ferns and things that look like they just decided to grow there on their own.
May was the month I really started making it real.
There were a LOT of nursery trips. (Wasco Nursery had made so much money from me! ) I came home with carloads of plants and spread them across the mulch in their little black nursery pots. Then I spent an embarrassing amount of time moving them around before committing to a single hole. I can only image what the neighbors across the street were thinking while watching me walk back and forth and stare at the pots for days.
And then I met the foxglove.
I don't know how I've gone this long without growing foxgloves. That golden hour photo doesn't even do them justice! Those tall spires with the little spotted bells, glowing in the late afternoon light right in my own front yard. I am officially obsessed. There will absolutely be more of them next year. This is not a question.
The Peacock is Finished!
I finished it!! Finally!
This peacock painting is officially done. I started it shortly after we moved in last year. My friend (who is also my neighbor!) was starting to decorate her home office and mentioned that she was considering a peacock theme and I had the idea to paint this for her. I was hoping it would be finished by her birthday last year but… well… good things take time, amirite? I'm proud of this one though. I love the gold details, the feathers and the expression on his little face. He turned out exactly the way I hoped he would!
Last Day of First Grade
First grade flew by so fast! He learned math, how to read, digraphs, and how to spell. His favorite subject is math. His favorite food is now mac and cheese. This summer he's most excited to play with his friends, help me in the garden, and learn to ride his two-wheel bike.
Our First Kane County Cougars Game
Going to the Kane County Cougars game was a first for Isaac and I. We went with his Scouts pack. I didn't know what to expect - minor league baseball with a pack of kids felt like it could go either way. To be honest, I was not really excited for this event.
BUT! We all had a great time! I’m going to throw out a really controversial statement here: It was more fun than going to Wrigley to watch the Chicago Cubs. There, I said it. The fireworks at the end were the highlight, obviously. I think Isaac enjoyed that (and the hotdog) the most.
We will be back.
Book Club Continues to Be a Highlight I Did Not See Coming
When we moved here, I did not expect "neighborhood book club" to become one of my favorite parts of the month. And yet here we are!
May’s book club was the largest gathering yet - 20 of us gathered around chatting, eating, and having fun. "We read Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall , but let's be honest, it's never really about the book. I keep saying this is one of the unexpected gifts of moving here, and I mean it every time. Good books. Good neighbors. Good times.
I Built an App
Okay…So….This one requires a little context.
For a long time, I had this idea in my head for a little app. There used to be a really cute website called calming manatee that just had adorable manatee images with cute affirmations overlayed on top of the image. I always thought that would be a fun app. One evening I wondered if someone had ever turned the idea into an app. They hadn't. So...I built one.
Meet Calming Manatee. You summon a manatee (or shake your phone), and one appears with a little affirmation and an even littler backstory. This is Marveline. She once visited a warm-water spring in Florida and decided to stay for three months. She has excellent boundaries.
I built it! It's a real app and It lives on the internet (though it’s not in the app store YET!)
May was full in the best way. Gardens and paintings and foxgloves and books and manatees and a kid who finished first grade and wants to help me garden this summer. Not bad for a smallish month!
