Saturday, April 25, 2009

Bonjour le Printemps!


I'm in the pink and I've made up my mind. I am going to go all pink this year in our gardens and window boxes. Last year, I had a case of the blues; rich hues of lavender, morning glories, forget-me-knots and Endless Summer hydrangeas gave us daily pleasure. But this year, my inspiration for pink comes from a photo of a darling little tea shop in... you guessed it...


Carmel-by-the-Sea. However, I am very partial to blue...especially the deep azur of my delphiniums the rabbits ate down to a nub two years ago,


and the deep blue of hydrangea flower boxes outside of a posh antique shop near the lakes.


But it's time for a change. Like the little cottages in Carmel that attract shutterbugs,

and the timeless cottages of the Cotswolds in England,

So too does a little dwelling with enormous appeal as well as a roomier cottage here in our city needs a lift from the stillness of a harsh mid-west winter.


So pink happens to be the color of choice this year to put winter to rest,

and to accompany the lush green of moss and thyme,


So the first weekend of May I'm off to one of our many Farmers' Markets to pick out my palate of pinks to adorn our windows and to add a brush stroke of color to wash away a long mid-west winter


and usher in the transforming magic of Spring.


I would like to thank Tristan from Enchanted Revelry for brightening my weekends with his stylish Pink Saturday posts. Please visit him at tristanrobin.blogspot.com for a dose of happiness; you will be tickled pink! Look at the magical book I won from one of his give-aways! It was surely a wish come true for me! Thanks Tristan et bon weekend tout le monde!

33 comments:

Cynthia said...

Hello Anita, thank you immensely for the tour of these quaint cottages. I adore the little, pink
tea house. My favorites are the
rounded golden color cottage and
the white cottage. The color of
the flowers are amazing. And that
tree with feathery pink leaves/
flowers is stunning.

P.S. That silver tray is a gem!

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
savvycityfarmer said...

girl...you certainly have a way of gettin i to my soul...

I'm speechless

LOVE LOVE LOVE your new "dress"

The Victorian Parlor said...

I can't wait to see your pink garden! I change my porch and garden decor each year too. Last year I did mostly pinks and whites. This year we are adding more reds and golds along with the pinks and whites. In the backyard we have mostly perennials with a rainbow of colors.

Happy planting!

Blessings,

Kim

Anonymous said...

Hello Anita, oh my I love all the cottage photos and that pink tea shop, well, you know I love it!!!!! I have not had a lot of time for looking at blogs lately and my computer is in the shop, but I will see you thursday evening!!!!
Julie

A Bit of the Blarney said...

I have to say that this was a delightful visit. You are a wonderful tour guide. Have a grand day! Cathy

Rosemary said...

So I was leaving you the best message, and my computer went crazy.
I have to write it all again, so anyway your photos are great, that book is so cute, I want to get one.
I did have the best time at the barn sale, wish you had been there too. Is that you in the picture? Very cute!!
I think a pink garden would be wonderful!!
So I got it all in again. This is what I had written before.
Thanks for visiting me and the nice comments.
Chat soon,
Rosemary

Queen Of The Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries said...

What an utterly enchanting visit Anita...and a delicious little tea house there to boot...looking forward to seeing your pink transformation...have fun with it all!!!

Fete et Fleur said...

Pink will look beautiful! I can't wait to see how it looks.

Hugs!
Nancy

Marie said...

Look forward to seeing the photos. I'm certain it'll be beautiful.

Your cousin.

KeKe said...

Lucky you!!-Carmel looks like heaven on earth to me!!

Jacque said...

Congratulations on the win! I LOVE your crown candleholder..good luck with your PINK garden. It will be gorgeous.

Bonnie said...

Hi Anita! I love the quaint cottages and I absolutely adore the pink tea room. Do you remember the name of it--just in case I ever visit!

The weather in SD is crazy, one day 98 and the next 65. We can't wait for summer to kick in, of course then we'll be complaining it's too hot!

Whenever you get to the book is fine. I think grading homework is more important!

Enjoy your day!

Robin said...

So glad to have found your blog! It is delightful :-)

Barb said...

Hi Anita,

Stunning photo's! Many congrats on your win. What fun you will have with that book.

Pink sounds perfect. I can't wait to see everything in bloom.

Happy Monday.

hugs to you my friend,
Barb

Anonymous said...

Good evening Anita, Pink is such a lovely color. I love all of the little cottages you posted. They are amazing. So beautiful! I enjoyed your post.

The Dutchess said...

Hello Dearest...this was a wonderful post...I would LOVE to see the pink garden..it would be like a place from the land of Oz...Lets follow the yellowbrick road..of to see your garden..dressed in pink..We do have to take Miss Moussie with us because pink is her favorite collor ...She is always asking me to put more flowers in our garden..our garden is more like a little forest!With big trees,a pond,and in the front of the house a little brook..Gustave's fishing spot!
Love from all of us ...stay warm and stay happy:))

Unknown said...

Hi Anita,
I love cottages, I always dreamed of living in a cottage by the sea. I love Carmel and the cottages are there are such a storybook. your home is too, and I love how the garden flows down the hill and onto the other side of the sidewalk. Your cozy home is brilliant with curb appeal.

Karen

Edie Marie's Attic said...

Bonjour ma belle!

What a beautiful post mon amie! You transported me to a lovely place with all your wonderful photos and words. Oh to live in a little darling cottage like those... or yours!!
Your prize looks so perfect for you! Congrats on winning it!!

Bisous, Sherry

Coleen said...

ohhhh...I am in cottage heaven!!! I just have to go vist Carmel by the sea......I may never leave!!!
Heart Hugs,
Coleen

Fifi Flowers said...

Love your collection of cottages!

LissyLou said...

Stunning pictures/beautiful places

Deborah said...

Oh so lucky to win Lisa's book!!! I just adore her. And Tristan. And Carmel. We vacationed there one summer, the last summer before the children came along...I fell madly in love with that little town. But a bit too chilly for me! So I work ever so hard to make my desert abode look like Carmel**blows kisses** Deborah

Kirsten Steen said...

What a perfectly lovely site! I've just become a follower and added you to my list of favs! Can't wait to come back and read some more. Must catch up on your beautiful posts!
Kirsten

Grace said...

Thank you for your kind words on my newest blog! I look forward to seeing pictures of your soft pink garden...how very romantic!

Barb said...

Hi Anita,

I wanted to just thank you for always remembering my son. It means so much. You are a true lady in every sense of the word.

love ya,
Barb

RobinfromCA said...

Mmmm, of course I'm loving the photos of my favorite Carmel cottages! But the others you photographed are also so lovely. I look forward to seeing what you do with the pink in your garden this year!

Please check out my blog where I've left an award for you!

http://weareflyingnow.blogspot.com
Robin@Miscellaneous Thoughts

Tracie~MyPetiteMaison said...

Bonjour Anita!
I've been to that tea shop in Carmel. Brings back many happy memories of days by the sea. Can't wait to see your pink garden. Have a blast at the farmer's market. I can't wait for ours to start in a couple of weeks here. Ooh, love that antique shop and that chair!
Bonne journée
xo~Tracie

Tracie~MyPetiteMaison said...

Bonjour, mon amie!
It's the Tea Rose Collection. Would love to meet you there.
Heure pour le thé!
xo~Tracie

FrenchGardenHouse said...

Anita!!! Sigh, what a beautiful, beautiful post. Just the kind of pick~me~up I need, knee deep in cupcakes and all that is babyshower.:)

xo Lidy

Unknown said...

Hi Anita!
What a charming and beautiful post! I just love Carmel it's been many, many years since I've been.
A Pink garden sounds heavenly, I can't wait to see pics of it!

I am so happy that you found my blog because it led me here to you! I am enchanted and you have a new fan here! Every post is amazing. Thank you!
xoxo
Judith~

Boubou said...

Bonjour ! first time i come across your blog , so im gonna visit now :) well if you wanna bes inspired by one of my collages or just dream, come and visit my blog :)
a bientot!
Boubouteatime xx

Boubou said...

ps : your blog is such a world !