Labor day weekend was just that

We spent the last two days laboring outside in our backyard. It was hot out and a ton of work but we had a blast working together and rewarded ourselves with a great looking backyard and some treats afterward.

Here is a photo of the right side fence in back from a couple months ago. We took the pool cover out in June, I painted (almost) the whole fence last week, we ripped out the weeds and gnarly rose bushes, and this weekend we dug and dug and planted 4 fairly mature 10 foot queen palms and 5 flax plants.


After! You can't see the flax plants in this shot as they are quite small at the moment. They should grow pretty quickly and add a good amout of color.





We plan to line the edge of the plant bed and the lawn with natural sandstone rocks.




After our 2 days of manual labor we felt like a treat or two. I whipped up a couple Piña Coladas as we were wrapping up the job site and took a dip in our pool. I may have even hung out in the hammock for a minute.


Then!! We went crazy and made these outrageously delish burgers. On fresh organic brioche buns, with organic beef, tomatoes, lettuce, avo, grilled onions and pickle. They were so fresh and decadent, no need for a side. They were a couple of monsters, just what we needed as we worked up quite an appetite.

Panna cotta

Yum! I made a new dessert for Rory's dads birthday. Rory and I have had it before at one of our favorite restaurants, but I have never made it. It's quite good. If you have never had it before its a faintly vanilla flavored cream custard. Its made with gelatin and no eggs at all, so all you taste is the delicious cream. I served it with a homemade caramel sauce that was epic, and a chocolate ganache sauce.

Here is the Birthday boy's plate!

Finished an oil

I finally had the time to finish an oil painting I had stopped working on months ago. It was about 90% done and then the Master bathroom renovation got in the way.
I am happy with it, but not thrilled. I think I need to work on my paintings with full concentration to be really satisfied with my work. I tend to speed through them sometimes and it shows up in the quality. (I am typically quite hard on my art.)
So here it is! You be the critic.

Look what's new in our home

Thanks to Domestic Ease and their great giveaway of $500 worth of gift cards for Pottery Barn.
We now have two of these beautiful and large bed side lamps in our master bedroom. The color goes perfectly with the cedar green linen pillows that I made months ago, and the size just fits the space.
They are the Brookshire Ceramic table lamps with the large burlap shade instead of the linen one that comes with and shown advertised. I think I fell in love with the shade when seeing these gorgeous mercury glass lamps with them on. The ceramic style goes with our decor, and I know I could have never talked Rory into anything silver, so these were a easy and great choice for us both.


Here is the before shot with the thrift store lamps I picked up when we first moved in.



Thanks again to all at Domestic Ease for being so generous and best of all having a fabulous website!



I spent the rest of the winnings on some great new kitchen items I posted about here.