Hello Sunshine

Good morning, Sunshine!  Beccra over at TrueBlog! recognized me with a Sunshine Award.  Thank you, Beccra!  Beccra is an Australian transplanted temporarily to Louisiana.  Please check out her fun blog where she writes about "all things woolmerhof" -- recipes, travel, family -- and signs each post "Peach out ya'll."   

Luckily, as the recipient of a Sunshine Award, I don't have to make a public speech or anything, but there are still conditions.  The first one is not a hardship at all.  I get to recognize a few blogs that I admire and love to read.  I recognized some of my favorite blogs back in January with a Versatile Blogger Award, so I am spreading the joy to some newer favorites this time.


Here are three really creative, fun blogs that I try not to miss.  Please take a look.  I bet you'll like them as much as I do.

Flowers in the Window -- Even though Maggie lives in rainy England, her blog brings sunshine to my day with each new post.  Maggie is so fun and so talented!  She lives in Gloucestershire, so I love it when she takes her readers along on her walks.  She also quilts, crochets, collects vintage, and has an adorable dog named Spencer.  I especially look forward to her Sunday series, Spencer's Sunday Hats.

House of Hawthornes --  Pam is a fellow Midwesterner, an Ohio gal who loves auctions, garage sales, and shares her vintage finds with her readers.  She also throws in some gardening, pets, and life in general.  She has a fun sense of humor and a great eye.  Her photos are fabulous and you'll have fun reading, too!

The Polka Dot Petticoat -- The Polka Dot Petticoat almost always brings a shot of bright color with each post.  Who knew life in Alaska was so colorful?  Polka Dot (sorry, don't know her real name) is a fearless decorator -- who else do you know with a clementine orange bathroom? -- who also shares some of the beautiful Alaska scenery.  This blog is sure to brighten your day!

Looks a little like the sun, right?

The other obligation for a Sunshine Award winner is to answer the following questions.  So now you are going to know some pointless things about me that you never even thought to ask.

Favorite Color?  Well, that depends what day it is and what we're talking about.  I used to say blue was my favorite, but I have moved on.    I have painted a lot of our walls a soft green because it is so easy to live with, but I love the yellow of the outside of our house.  And one of my favorite color combinations is pink and orange.  I have an argyle sweater those colors and LOVE it.

Favorite Animal?  Easy,

Alfie

Favorite Number?  Do people have favorite numbers?  I guess 13 because I was born on a Friday the 13th.  Bad luck for my mom maybe, but supposedly that makes it a lucky day for me.

Favorite Non-Alcoholic Drink?  Another easy one: Diet Coke.  I have an addiction.

Facebook or Twitter?  Facebook.  I don't even understand Twitter.  Tweets -- what is that about?

Passion?  No single passion.  I like lots of things kind of equally -- knitting, crochet, gardening, cooking.  I guess I'm still looking for a real, all-consuming passion.

Giving or receiving?  Who is going to say "receiving"?  I mean really?  But I actually really do prefer to give.  I am more excited on the kids' birthdays for them to open their gifts than I ever am on my own.

Favorite pattern?  Um . . .

Favorite day of the week?  Friday, especially Friday night.  There's the (frequently disappointed) hope that the weekend will bring something fun.

Favorite flower?  Could you pick a favorite child?  Pansies are a long-time favorite, but I also like lilies for their endless variety, and I LOVE peonies and big fat windblown cabbage roses.

Here's hoping your day is filled with sunshine!

Two sunbathers in my yard this morning.

No Need to Gild these Lilies

One of my husband's favorite expressions is "gilding the lily," so much so that it has become something of a joke in our family.  To gild the lily, of course, is to add something to an item that is already perfect.  Did you know the expression arises from a misquotation of a Shakespeare play?

Therefore, to be possessed with double pomp,
To guard a title that was rich before,
To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,
To throw a perfume on the violet,
To smooth the ice, or add another hue
Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light
To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,
Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.
-- Salisbury in The Life and Death of King John, IV ii

double orange daylily

I really kind of like the original expression -- "to paint the lily"  -- but there's no going against all these years of misquotation.

The lilies in our yard this summer need neither gilding nor painting.  While maybe not perfect, many of our lilies are in glorious bloom right now.  There is always a period when the Asiatics and the daylilies are in bloom at the same time, a time of vibrant color in our garden.

I love lilies; they are so carefree.  The only problem I have with them is that almost all of my Asiatic lilies must be staked.  My yellow trumpets and pale peach lilies, for example, are giants, reaching four to five feet tall.  Even the shorter ones need to be staked though, as the weight of the blossoms will cause them to topple.  The only other work is entirely self-induced.  I deadhead my daylilies every single day.  Am I the only one crazy enough to do this?  I have old-fashioned varieties, so it does not encourage further blooming.  I just don't like the sight of the wilting blossoms.

I thought I would share with you some of the lilies in our yard.  If I showed one of each variety, this post would be much too long. This is less than half of the lily varieties we have.  (What can I say? I'm a nut for lilies.)  I wish I could tell you the names, but I have no idea. Many of them were hand-me-downs.

Linking to:

Bunny Jean's Decor and More Bunny Hop Party