We purchased and planted most of our summer garden on Mother’s Day and are looking forward to some delicious garden goodies over the summer months! We are growing some of our annual favorites, but always pick out some new and different varieties to try as well. Here’s what’s growing in our summer garden this year: basil, oregano, thyme, mint, parsley, chives, shallots, strawberries, a variety of peppers (jalapeño, habanero, etc.) and tomatoes (Green Zebra, Mr. Stripey, Black Krim, and Chello), red leaf lettuce, kale, marigolds, nasturtium, dianthus, lavender, and ketchup and mustard roses. We’ll be adding coleus and maybe a few other things to pots in the coming weeks too. We also planted a few hanging baskets and pots with pretty, trailing plants like sweet potato vine, etc. Happy gardening!

We enjoyed a few days in lovely Boston, MA – a.k.a. “Beantown”! There were so many interesting sites to see – here are a few we made a point to stop at: SoWa Open Market, Freedom Trail, Boston Common and Public Garden, Bunker Hill Monument, The Mapparium, ICA, Harpoon and Sam Adams breweries, Fenway Park, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Walking through and past all the historic neighborhoods and sites was a treat, and the weather was beautiful too; it’s a very walkable city, which is always a pleasure, and we found ourselves equally happy just roaming around the neighborhoods and getting a feel for the place. You can view additional photos and videos from our trip here.

EMU and UM have had their commencement ceremonies, the weather has FINALLY warmed, and we’ve had some windy, rainy days here in A2; the forsythia and hellebore are blooming in our yard, and while my lilacs are usually on their way out by now they are just starting to form flower buds and I’m looking forward to their intoxicating smell and beautiful color soon to come! We’re looking forward to a Kentucky Derby Party on Saturday (also Cinco de Mayo), among other fun celebrations, and a little bit of travel soon too. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I’m already planning out our garden beds and what we’ll want to plant for our summer garden in my mind. We’ve been enjoying more outside time with Maddy and nice walks in and around the area… Did I mention that it’s been a very long, cold winter? So happy to have the spring again!

Maddy is unaware of the concept of personal space when it comes to us and it’s both adorable and often times hilarious…

It’s been a busy month already for me, and it’s only mid-April! We enjoyed a quiet Easter weekend at home, complete with chocolate bunny as is tradition for me, and just two days later I celebrated my birthday which included a delicious birthday cake. Speaking of sweets, those Girl Scout cookies seem to be everywhere I go lately and are oh so hard to resist…

This past week I enjoyed a quick trip (less than 48 hours!) for work to Dallas, TX where I was happy to connect with my Mom and a few dear family and friends in the area while I had a few moments to spare; I wish I’d have had longer to visit, but it was a wonderful trip for the time I had there. We’ve had such a long winter here (it was snowing when I boarded my plane for Dallas this week) so the 70+ degree temps and sunshine were especially appreciated when I got to Texas! I was happy to return to warmer weather in Michigan and seem to have brought the Texas spring weather with me – at least for a couple days. Maybe spring is finally sprung here in Michigan…maybe? You can view photos from my trip to Dallas here.

Happy #NationalPuppyDay to you!!! Sandy, the wonderful woman who fostered, loved, and cared for our dog Maddy before we adopted her through Great Lakes Border Collie Rescue, was kind enough to share the above photo with us of Maddy as a young pup – my heart melts for those spots and those big ears! We are so lucky to share our lives with the amazing rescue dog that Maddy is, and before her with Melody (who was also a rescue dog), and we are looking forward to participating in this years HSHV Walk & Wag on May 19th and showing our support for the amazing work that our local Humane Society does.

“A dog is the only thing on this earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” – Josh Billings

We enjoyed an exciting weekend of March Madness watching (this shot and this dunk – wow!) and a fun St. Patrick’s Day last Saturday; we cheered on the Red Raiders with a Guinness in hand and are thrilled to see them advance to the Sweet 16! We were sure to wear our green (even Maddy)…and red and black (Wreck ‘Em!)…and we enjoyed a delicious, homemade, holiday-appropriate meal of Bangers and Mash with Irish Cheddar and Irish Soda Bread. By some miracle, my bracket isn’t completely busted yet and I’m holding out hope that the final game will be a matchup between Texas Tech and Michigan…anything can happen! This makes me laugh.

Much to my disbelief, somehow it’s March 1st today and it is definitely coming “in like a lion”; while it was 60 degrees here earlier this week, today we’re under a winter weather advisory with up to 6 inches of snow possible. I can only hope this means that March will be going “out like a lamb” and have treated myself to some lovely spring things from my local flower shop; I happily trudged through the slushy, snowy mess with some cheery daffodils in a pretty new pot this afternoon to soothe my frazzled winter nerves. Another thing I have to lift my spirits is my sweet, adorable Maddy – just look at this face below! And in 19 days it will officially be spring!

This Valentine’s Day I was hit with a stomach bug – yuck; however, we made the best of it and stayed home beside our cozy fire and enjoyed watching It Happened One Night (1934) (which, while old, was new to me), exchanged cards, and Ryan gave me a beautiful bouquet of roses (pictured above). Maddy was sure to let me know she loves me too with a few nose nibbles (this is NOT the most flattering angle for me, but she’s so sweet and I had to share); you’ve got to appreciate that puppy love! I hope your Valentine’s Day was filled with love and happy memories.

Ryan and I never watch NFL games, except of course once a year during the Super Bowl; we aren’t fans of any particular NFL team either, so it’s kind of nice to be a neutral party where that’s concerned. I have to say that this year’s game was quite enjoyable and, in my opinion, Justin Timberlake did not disappoint with the halftime show…I mean, that thing he does with the mic stand (I don’t care if it was tied down, it’s still the coolest) – wow! And then, of course, there are all the clever commercials; this one and this one (I’m a sucker for Dirty Dancing) were a few of my favorites this year. Honestly, for me, the highlight of my Super Bowl Sunday is watching the Puppy Bowl; I had fun creating my own Puppy Bowl trading cards (here and here) and I believe this year’s dogs were all rescues from different natural disaster zones which makes it even more heart-warming. Maddy seemed to enjoy watching too; here’s her pre-game warm up.

With a winter weather advisory in effect and 3-5 inches of snow accumulation possible here today, these sweet, pink blooms and this adorable pup make my home feel even cozier and all the more inviting. Also, I love that Maddy has a habit of crossing her legs when she’s laying down – she’s my little lady. I’m looking forward to heading home this evening and enjoying a hot bowl of Butternut Squash & Poblano Chili with Toasted Pepitas & Charred Lime for dinner, likely curled up by the fire with a movie on. The Breakfast Club just happened to be on last night so we watched it of course; maybe another John Hughes movie – Pretty in Pink, anyone?