Lazy W Marie

Carpeing all the diems in semi-rural Oklahoma...xoxo

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Archives for 2015

garden tour sneak peek

I spent today with about 75 of our local Master Gardeners, touring a total of eight private gardens around the metro area. We saw formal gardens, cottage gardens, thick and ornamental gardens with every possible inch filled with plant material, spacious, fresh air lawns and rose gardens, a tranquil and stately shade garden, a feng shui garden, and a delightfully eclectic handicap-accessible garden. And everything in between. Friends, I am in the most delicious state of overload this evening. I took right at 400 photos and plenty of notes in order to share each of these gorgeous spaces with you in detail; but tonight I’ll give you a little teaser.

(You can check my Instagram for the photos I posted live throughout our tour.)

 

Michele Kraft's garden somehow exudes both casual hospitality and absolute elegance. Formal and free spirited, both.
Michele Kraft’s garden somehow exudes both casual hospitality and absolute elegance. Formal and free spirited, both.
See what I mean?
See what I mean?

 

Margaret Biggs has created a pollinators' paradise.
Margaret Biggs has created a pollinators’ paradise.
I was so happy to meet her! I had a thousand questions and would have kept her to myself asking them but my Mom would be ashamed of my bad manners. : )
I was so happy to meet her! I had a thousand questions and would have kept her to myself asking them but my Mom would be ashamed of my bad manners. : )
The Will Rogers Gardens are more colorful than ever, friends. I was left speechless.
The Will Rogers Gardens are more colorful than ever, friends. I was left speechless.
And they are really good at planting in great masses. The visual impact! Such a great takeaway.
And they are really good at planting in great masses. The visual impact! Such a great takeaway.
Look at this clever planter by Jackie Pogue! I am pretty sure it's a metal fire pit. Every single one of her containers was stunning.
Look at this clever planter by Jackie Pogue! I am pretty sure it’s a metal fire pit. Every single one of her containers was stunning.
Sue Moore taught us some essentials about feng shui, and her colorful shady borders really got my imagination going.
Sue Moore taught us some essentials about feng shui, and her colorful shady borders really got my imagination going.
Freddie Booth's cacti and succulent collection is impressive!
Freddie Booth’s cacti and succulent collection is impressive!
And his garden's artsy, creative atmosphere is just about the funnest thing ever.
And his garden’s artsy, creative atmosphere is just about the funnest thing ever.
Every little inch of Elizabeth Richard's historic-neighborhood shade garden was immaculate. Soothing. So beautiful.
Every little inch of Elizabeth Richard’s historic-neighborhood shade garden was immaculate. Soothing. So beautiful.
It's possible I was partial to her oak leaf hydrangeas..xoxo
It’s possible I was partial to her oak leaf hydrangeas..xoxo

 

Karen Filley's expansive, overflowing, and well tended garden cannot ever be translated by my lame cell phone pics. I am plotting a strategy to see if she will allow me more time with a proper camera to really explore her space. You guys, it's drop dead gorgeous.
Karen Filley’s expansive, overflowing, and well tended garden cannot ever be translated by my lame cell phone pics. I am plotting a strategy to see if she will allow me more time with a proper camera to really explore her space. You guys, it’s drop dead gorgeous.
Don't you just automatically love people who use planters like this? And she has seating everywhere. I mean, if there is a piece of shade, it has an attractive chair waiting. Everywhere.
Don’t you just automatically love people who use planters like this? And she has seating everywhere. I mean, if there is a piece of shade, it has an attractive chair waiting. Everywhere.

 

Okay that will have to do for a little teaser. I mean it when I say that each garden is truly beautiful. Each has its own personality, just like the gardeners. Each has its own place in this world, just like the gardeners. And each left a deep impression on me too. I am reeling from the impact, pleasantly buzzing with inspiration.

See you soon.

XOXO

 

two decades

Today she turns twenty. My doe eyed baby girl, the artist and music connoisseur, the horse lover, the speaker of hard things, the innocent who has learned to heal herself and gather her own magic. An unbelievable pair of decades has passed since I first held her, though I had seen her face before that in my dreams.

joc studio newborn pic

joc age 4 christmas

joc

She has grown from a tiny, grasping little girl who hated to be separated from me into a confident young woman ready and excited to explore the world in ever widening adventures.

I miss holding her in my lap! xoxo
I sure miss holding her in my lap! xoxo

Last year at this time we had just begun our reunion. A deep, much needed healing started just as she turned nineteen, and the months that followed brought one surprise after another, plus such an outpouring of love and grace. I wrote for her 19 wishes for that birthday, and looking back I am amazed to see how many of those wishes, prayers really, have already been answered and started to come to fruition. Her life is showing the fruits of faith and love in beautiful, mysterious ways. For this we are so thankful.

This past year she has learned a lot about herself, I think, and about work and life and money, stuff both practical and eternal. She has learned more about people, human nature, romance, and lasting family bonds. She struck out and spent some time working in the mountains, her own special version of paradise, and I was so lucky to go visit her there for five amazing, unforgettable days. Seeing her eyes light up and watching her leap and bound through the ancient boulders and wild sage… It made my heart deeply, wildly happy.

On Trail Ridge Road, June 2015.
On Trail Ridge Road, June 2015.

joc hikejoc justin on old man peak

joc horse colorado

That collection of moments with her in the mountains held the dual charm of bonding us more tightly and helping me let go a little bit, for her sake. I’ll write more soon about what things I have learned as a mother over the course of this year of explosive growth. But today is her day.

This year, Jocelyn, I continue to pray those same nineteen wishes over your life, plus one very special unspoken hope. I expect to see things unfold for you more and more. God is moving on your behalf in so many ways, seen and unseen, and life is full of surprises. We are so proud of you, of your heart, of what you have faced and what you have accomplished. So happy for your strong internal compass and instincts. So thankful for your love.

Life is beautiful, just like you are, and this is only the beginning.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea
XOXOXOXO

 

prepare: nighttime routines

Hey, happy Labor Day, happy Monday! How are you doing?

My days of the week and hours of those days are all a bit off right now. We have been partying and celebrating life’s various milestones like crazy people, happy crazy people, and of course a ton of work comes along with all this much joy. So Handsome and I are EX-HAUS-TED. In the best possible ways.

Handsome turns 40!
Handsome turns 40!
Kate & Dillon say their vows with friends and family to witness...xoxo
Kate & Dillon say their vows with friends and family to witness…xoxo
Our beautiful girl visits Oklahoma and, quite against my wishes, turns 20 and leaves again, haha. ; )
Our beautiful girl visits Oklahoma and, quite against my wishes, turns 20 and leaves again, haha. ; )

Tomorrow we will more or less go back to normal work routines, so tonight I will spend a few minutes preparing for that. You know, just twenty or thirty minutes rounding things up and setting them in order so that bright and early tomorrow morning we can hit the ground running. Literally, in my case. : )

This happens to be great timing to reflect on how I prepare for the coming new week, because my local wordish friends at Oklahoma Women Bloggers are asking exactly that question. Click here for a link up of everyone’s answers.

Our evening routine is pretty simple, and Handsome and I have fallen into a gentle cooperation that wraps it all up in less than half an hour. These little rituals set us up for a smooth and stimulating sunrise.

  • Dishes rinsed and in the dish washer, kitchen clean, wiped down, sink scrubbed and dried, kitchen floor swept. I call this whole process “zipping” as in, “Oh I’ll just zip this up, only take a minute.”
  • Trash from the kitchen and two main bathrooms bagged up and taken outside. Smells are a big deal to me. This is why during this half hour nighttime work I usually burn a fragrant candle. I love waking up and entering a nice-smelling downstairs.
  • Dirty laundry collected from around the house (there’s never much when it’s just us two), sometimes a full load started at night so it can then dry in the early morning hours when electricity is cheap.
  • Downstairs basically tidied up. Not clean, just neat looking, throw pillows not crazy looking, so that the first thing we see at 6 a.m. tomorrow is not chaos but a peaceful, welcoming living room flooded with sunlight.
  • Pacino tucked into bed, which at this time of year means his large cage is rolled indoors.
  • Geese and chickens shepherded into their coop and yard. Speaking of shepherding, Klaus is getting really good at helping with this! He bites less and less and is learning how to run in overlapping, opposing curves to funnel the birds where they belong.
  • Coffee machine is filled with exactly 7.2 scoops of dark ground coffee plus a full carafe of cold water, and the automatic brew timer is set. I kinda have to do this in an exact way or I have to start all over. I make sure a mason jar filled with whole coffee beans is stocked with teaspoons and set out a couple of our favorite mugs. Waking up to perfect coffee with a comfortable, attractive spot near the window is pretty luxurious.
  • Before we walk upstairs and toward our end of the house, we say good night to Klaus and kiss him into his crate. I mean, sometimes he sleeps with us, but he is growing by leaps and bounds, so he takes up so much room. So much.
  • Change out of the day’s clothes and make sure I have some running gear ready for the morning.
  • Wash my face, brush my teeth, maybe do a few yoga poses or nighttime stretches. Lamp. Ceiling fan. So much romance.

coffee station

 

Thinking of the particulars of our routine begs the question why? Why do this and that and everything? Well, the simple answer is to make life better. To make it more beautiful and us healthier and more comfortable.

When Handsome and I were first married I read a thick book, cover to cover, that details just about every aspect of modern home keeping. It was both encyclopedic and poetic, but I cannot remember the title now. Anyway, the author used the word “demoralizing” a lot, in reference to everything you want to avoid in your home keeping routines. For example, and I am paraphrasing here but obviously it made a big impression on me: “There is nothing more demoralizing at the end of a long, hard day than crawling into a dirty, rumpled, unkempt bed.” Do you agree? I agree. And I would say the same thing about walking on a dirty floor, trying to enjoy that first cup of morning coffee in a messy, sticky kitchen, or using into a stinky bathroom when you’re just trying to get clean yourself.

Anyway.

These routines are soothing. They are mechanical to me now and totally peaceful, conducive to a deep sleep and a smooth tomorrow. They are small investments of time and energy that yield big, wonderful rewards, especially when I perform them with a conscious sense of gratitude for what they accomplish. Especially when I move just slowly enough to press the details into my skin.

What are your evening routines like? How do you prepare for tomorrow?

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings,
turn routine jobs into joy,
and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
~William Arthur Ward
XOXOXOXO

 

 

wedding vibrations on saturday morning

Friends, the wedding was so magical. I’ll write more about it later, but for now… You know how I love to wake up the morning after we’ve hosted a special event and feel how the farm has absorbed all that energy? Soak up the residual loving vibrations? Well, no surprise, a wedding leaves an exceptional loving vibration that I was very happy to soak up this morning.

Handsome and I woke up a bit sore and weary, but in the happiest way, you know? A truly pleasant exhaustion, the kind that can only come from having swam for a few days solid in a deep ocean of love and laughter. We slept until an unheard of 7:36 a.m. and looked outside to see lots of wedding and reception details still gracing the farm. I thought I’d share some photos form my walkabout and let you enjoy the echo with me.

In the dining room I found this basket filled with serving supplies and a bouquet of extra flowers someone gathered late last night.
In the dining room I found this basket filled with random but scrupulously cleaned serving supplies and a bouquet of extra flowers someone gathered late last night.
I love how the front yard looked and felt with this trio of white wedding tents. Filtered light, a focused place to gather, all super inviting.
I love how the front yard looked and felt with this trio of white wedding tents. Filtered light, a focused place to gather, all super inviting.

Taking the tents down this morning was much easier than putting them up yesterday. I am sure the gusting winds Friday brought had something to do with that, ha!
Taking the tents down this morning was much easier than putting them up yesterday. I am sure the gusting winds Friday brought had something to do with that, ha!

This big, beautiful pile of laundry is my collection of different white lace tablecloths. Each one is from someone different or from a special event. None of them match, but they worked great for the reception. And this iron bench, an anniversary gift from Handsome recently, happens to be where the bride and groom sat under the stars to open their gifts...xoxo
This big, beautiful pile of laundry is my collection of different white lace tablecloths. Each one is from someone different or from a special event. None of them match, but they worked great for the reception. And this iron bench, an anniversary gift from Handsome recently, happens to be where the bride and groom sat under the stars to open their gifts…xoxo
 

More colorful flowers! Last in the evening, someone gathered these all together with some coiled up extension cords, and I think they look great with my weird little turquoise utility cart and vintage rocker.
More colorful flowers! Late last night, someone gathered these all together with some coiled up extension cords, and I think they look great with my weird little turquoise utility cart and vintage rocker. I groove it.
This scrappy little hippified hula-hoop chandy was dancing gently in the morning sun. Still feeling the wedding music vibes.
This scrappy little hippified hula-hoop chandy was dancing gently in the morning sun. Still feeling the wedding music vibes.
Zeke kept cheerful vigil over the geese and chickens, who were not invited to the wedding because they poop too much and sometimes attack people. You can see, Zeke loves all the crepe paper as much as I do. Which is more than how much my husband does.
Zeke kept cheerful vigil over the geese and chickens, who were not invited to the wedding because they poop too much and sometimes attack people. You can see clearly that Zeke loves all the crepe paper streamers as much as I do. Which is more than how much my husband does.
The bridal swing and doilies tree turned out pretty fun. This morning the bachelors were all investigating it. But what really set it all off was a hanging lantern craft that Kate did herself. So pretty at night! I hope those photos turn out. And yes, I am leaving this all up exactly as it is.
The bridal swing and doilies tree turned out pretty fun. This morning the bachelors were all investigating it. But what really set it all off was a hanging lantern craft that Kate did herself. So pretty at night! I hope those photos turn out. And yes, I am leaving this all up exactly as it is.
The bride designed some white cotton swags with twinkle lights to dress up the barn. It was the intended pass-through for guests to make their way downhill to the ceremony. It turned out gorgeous! And although it's all dismantled now, I am already planning to put it back up soon. Really, really pretty, especially toward sunset.
The bride also designed some white cotton swags with twinkle lights to dress up the barn. It was the intended pass-through for guests to make their way downhill to the ceremony. It turned out gorgeous! And although it’s all dismantled now, I am already planning to put it back up soon. Really, really pretty, especially toward sunset.
"Wedding Meadow" was outstanding last night. Wildflowers, a decent amount of shade and breeze, deep green forest, and all the special personal touches the bride and groom put on everything. Just beautiful. Overnight, of course, the aisle paper curled up in the wind, but you can still see the archway and rose petals left behind. I can't wait to tell you more about the actual ceremony.
“Wedding Meadow” was outstanding last night. Wildflowers, a decent amount of shade and breeze, deep green forest, and all the special personal touches the bride and groom put on everything. Just beautiful. Overnight, of course, the aisle paper curled up in the wind, but you can still see the archway and rose petals left behind. I can’t wait to tell you more about the actual ceremony. Hint: Led Zeppelin and the Beatles.
Their unity sand table. The words of a ritual like this get me so hard. The request for all the parents to join together to support the new couple, to bind their energies and love as a new family. Just, wow. It got me last night hard...xoxo
Their unity sand table. The words of a ritual like this get me so hard. The request for all the parents to join together to support the new couple, to bind their energies and love as a new family. Just, wow. It got me last night so hard…xoxo
Most everything is packed up now, ready to head out and become part of the huge bank of happy memories we've all made.
Most everything is packed up now, ready to head out and become part of the huge bank of happy memories we’ve all made.

I cannot overstate how sweet and appreciative, how hard working and loving the bride and groom were throughout this process. And Handsome and I made a thousand fun memories with the parents, too! My husband and the bride’s Dad, Steve, are distant cousins but grew up together, so this was much more like a brothers-and-niece situation. I loved it. I loved every single minute, and I cannot believe it’s suddenly over.

More soon. Now, some rest.

Happy Labor Day weekend friends!
xoxoxoxo

 

 

 

 

would you rather…

Life is full of choices and also full of contrast and opposite extremes. The ways we polarize ourselves as a society are endlessly fascinating to me, if a little exhausting at times. Democrat or Republican? Conservative or Liberal? Crispy or Grilled? Coffee or Tea? Which camp are you in? Who are you allowed to be friends with, and whose rants must you avoid for your own sense of calm and maybe the health of your relationships? As political season heats up, things will only get dicier.

Or at least more confusing. I think the VMA’s confirmed that much. Kanye was definitely joking, right?

Well, friends, tonight I am feeling particularly knitted to my people, especially well loved and wildly loving, so let’s explore some fun but perhaps less divisive territory.

Will you play along? Just tell me a few things. Would you rather…

… eat fried eggs or an omelette?

eggs

… have pizza delivered or make it yourself? What toppings?

… run on the treadmill or outside? Or, no thanks?

run shadow

… wear sweaters or tank tops?

… ball cap or cowboy hat?

hat

… play hostess or be a guest?

… read paper-and-ink books or electronic devices?

… fly to your destination or drive?

… vacation in the mountains or on a beach?

paradise

… renovate an old house or build a new one?

… have cats or dogs? Or llamas? Or, heaven forbid, a parrot?

… plant a new garden in virgin soil or give a face lift to an old, overgrown one?

… enjoy a bouquet of florist roses or wildflowers?

… bake cookies or brownies? Are you a milk dunker?

brownies

… Atari or Play Station 4?

… accomplish one errand per day or do them all at once?

… take off work for a three day weekend, on Friday or Monday?

… decorate for Halloween or Christmas?

… drive a classic car or an new, exotic one?

t a

… Three Stooges or Lewis Black for comedic entertainment? Or Mitch Hedburg?

Okay. Now spill your guts! Tell me everything you dare.

Variety is the Spice of Life, after all
XOXOXOXO