DAHLIAS, A 70th, A 95th, A PAINTED HOUSE AND BEGONIAS

So once again we're here to play catch up.  If your summer has been anything like mine than you will excuse my tardiness at getting things out to you.  So here's where we will begin.  A garden….

My Dahlias went off again.  The Roses, the Succulents…all of it, beautiful…oh, and the Begonias!!  But let's just start with the Dahlias...

This is ten inches across!!

Next we have a 70th Birthday for my dear friend Harold…yes, he had dancing girls…the band was rockin, the pool was green but the volley ball game marched on….we had a perfect day!

And biggest of all…Julius Schneider turned 95!!  Family from Colorado, San Diego, Elks Grove and Santa Clara…all here at the house…horseshoes, old friends, food, beer, cake...fun, fun, fun!

Three Brothers Together!

The Birthday Boy!

preview of house paint…look how all the colors
stand out around it…yay!

Now comes House…in case you didn't notice in one of the above photos..I'm painting the house…all by hand…yes, by hand.  I'm doing a washed out terra cotta and changing the green windows to black, keeping the dark grey/green casings, only because the wood beneath is pine or I would have striped them all and left them raw wood…bummer on that because the raw wood is what really made the French feeling even more authentic (there's some in the railings and the bottom sash of the windows)..although it saves me time in work.  The black with the dark gr/grey really lend to the old French look, keeping it out of the Mediterranean feel…it looks brighter in these photos, it's really not so saturated in color, very subtle and soothing, definitely not so orange.  It will take me a year to finish, but who cares, I'll just work my way around the house till it's done.  You can see the faded grey stucco on the upper level for reference…BIG change…we're so excited!  It makes all the green plants and colors of the flowers just pop!  And I took down the big long drapes in the living room, I needed a change…more importantly I needed the light to come in.  I  decided to hang some vintage lace table clothes that I dyed, again, keeping with the old French feel…it's lovely.

Can't wait to paint this ceiling some day…so bright!

And last but not least…the Begonias…Damn, they're simply magnificent!!

Actually, this background of the house color looks
more accurate color wise.  Everything just shows
up against it…it's awesome!

So hope your summer isn't breezing by too quickly and you're enjoying your time with your family and friends...we are.  Mucho love to all my besties!!  xo juner