Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen

SHADES OF ROSES AND BRUSSEL SPROUTS

             The garden once again becomes my muse, my playground, the happy place for snap, snap, snapping photos. Day by day the magical changes astonish me. 

Yesterday, there was a rose or two on this bush...today, there is a bouquet! 

A new crop (crop?) of Irises are gracing the front yard garden. This little group is one that I wait for every year... I just can't help being awed by the audacity of this bloom! It is the perfect shade of pink, fancy to a fault, and a show stopper.

Shades of green and lavender in the backyard veggie patch are filling in nicely. Funny enough, the chive flowers are a lovely shade of purple, as are the sage flowers and yet, the lavender in the upper left corner has no purple on it yet at all.

The deep, sagey green color of this brussel sprout plant is hard to ignore...each leaf reaching out as far as possible. There is something so appealing about the cabbage family...not necessarily in taste but certainly in the garden.

Leaving you with this hopeful shade of romaine green...it is a bright, happy promise of the crayola shades of summer...something more to look forward to.

♥, Susan 

THE GOOD STUFF

            Marking off another happy milestone this weekend, our daughter in the middle, the feisty kid with the big brown eyes, has graduated from college.

 

With a BA in health services, she enters a new chapter in her life and we are so proud.

            Starting out at a very early hour on Friday morning, we made our way up from New Jersey to Vermont. 

There is a moment when we cross from upstate New York into Vermont...where the verdant mountains come into view...and the air becomes fresh and clear...like a filmy curtain has opened, and this is the view. The Spring time view where every leaf on the deciduous trees vibrate with chlorophyll. The feeling is awe inspiring...it makes me giddy. We are once again in the mountainous playground that we have grown to love!

This time though, it was particularly special.... 

A proud Mom and Dad and Grad!

 

An equally proud big sister!!

And once again, a visit to Vermont is but a memory...we were back home at the Jersey Shore before we knew it .

♥, Susan

ONCE UPON A TIME

              Once upon a time, there lived a family with three little children. The mom and the dad enjoyed, very much reading stories to those children, at night before they went to sleep. One day, they learned of an author, who's books were a delight to read, as much for the parent as for the child. Each child had a favorite book from this author.

The oldest child, a daughter loved Really Rosie...I may have loved it more. Not only would we read the book, but we would happily sing the songs that Carole King made famous...Chicken Soup with Rice, Alligators All Around, and One Was Johnny.

Complete and utter joy went into the reading of these stories.

The second, or child in the middle had a different favorite book...

Where the Wild Things Are...she loved this story so much that she dressed as Max for Halloween one year! Yes, she too will miss this author.

The third, and youngest child had one book that he actually taught himself to read at the age of two by memorizing the words on the page.

In The Night Kitchen was not only his favorite, but mine as well. It was such a relief to enjoy a little fantasy while reading these stories that stoked my children's imaginations. 

With a grateful heart, I bid adieu to Maurice Sendak...I hope he knew how much his writing touched our lives.

♥, Susan

CALGO GARDENS...PART TWO AND THE TOWN IS BEING PAINTED PINK

           Like the calendar, there is so much going on this week that I just don't know where to turn first. Town wide yard sales, stake-in day at the community garden, a food festival and so much more! 

           As promised, I would like to take you inside of the Calgo Gardens gift barn.  You know a place has made an impression when you are still thinking about it a week later. 

Like Alice, falling down the rabbit hole, stepping into this space is a bit of an other-worldly experience. 

If you like color, this is your place...if you like hand crafted items this is also your place, and if you like a whimsical or artistic touch to your decorating, then this is most definitely your place!

From floor to ceiling there is so much to see. The blown glass will literally blow you away. I could have spent hours and a great deal of money in this shop. The photo above shows how diverse their offerings are. A hand made belly harp, meant to be played to the pregnant mothers belly makes such a sweet melody. The textiles, mixed in with the driftwood, mixed in with the glass is striking. 

The chandeliers were awe inspiring, and I have to say that I had trouble deciding which light fixture I liked best. 

This completely out there bit of whimsy caught my attention with its vintage garden feel, it is just a gorgeous showpiece.

This metallic floral orb is what really got me excited. Hanging from the very high ceiling in the farm house, I could not stop staring at it. I am such a Magpie!!

Every piece of pottery was beautiful and interesting, and this gorgeous work of art really spoke to me. The inside of the pottery bowl is filled with a crackled glass that seems crystallized and so lovely to look at. 

From window to window and door to door, the artistic eyes of Penny and Mark Estomin shine everywhere. The inside being just as exciting as the outside.

Speaking of the outside, a few things I would like to return for, and was especially taken by would be the climbing hydrangea. Something new and different to add to our gardens.

And bringing you back to the gardens at home, the pink peonies have put on quite a show this year...the biggest and the pinkest blooms that I have ever seen. The town of Red Bank New Jersey will once again be "Painting the town Pink" this week, and I hope to have some amazing pink pictures for you to peruse next week.

Linking this post to How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday,  The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays, Little Red House for Mosaic Monday, Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday, and Smiling Sally for Blue Monday.

♥, Susan

DECORATING THE GARDENS

                        When very good friends send emails to me that say "check this out", I usually pay attention. My friend Christine, of Shutters fame... the woman who has possibly the best taste in the world when it comes to decorating, sent me this simple cryptic message. There were addresses to 3 nurseries fairly close by. Being a most perfect day, cloudy with chance of drizzle (perfect for me...if you know me), and my husband having the day off, we hopped in the car for an adventure.

I am taking you along to visit one of these nurseries...Calgo Gardens, a most amazing place. If possible, it is both incredibly whimsical and extremely tranquil.

Because the owners, Penny and Mark Estomin were so gracious as to allow me to take pictures, I have this great opportunity to share some of their ideas with you.

The living wreaths are just beautiful, and something that I am going to want to include on one of the porches of our house. I was so taken by them until I saw this potting shed...

and the concept of a living roof blew me away! I fell madly in love with not only the idea, but the shed itself. All of the color, and the path leading to it, and those pots hanging on the walls...simply fantastic!

The only reason that I didn't bring home any of the statuary was because I couldn't make up my mind. I love, love, love the planter that is half a head, and have a spot in mind for it, and I am still on the hunt for a Buddha which I am hoping the one in the upper right hand photo is still there when I go back... I believe he is "the one" for me.

The granite benches and tables made me want to linger. Can you imagine sitting on one of these to take in the beautiful gardens?

I fell for this vignette of the chairs, glass topped table and outdoor chandelier above. This is in front of their rebuilt farm house, which I was lucky enough to have seen inside and I will have pictures for you to see in another post.

This is another porch, and there were so many details that took my breath away...like the carved pillars...

 it seemed that where ever there was an opportunity for an artistic detail, it was not ignored. 

Be it a birdhouse topped swing, or a front porch with pillars based in the most fabulous mosaics. This is not a place you want to stop by for a moment, but an hours worthy spot to be sure not to miss anything.

Even this antique wash tub that will look amazing with something growing in it...ferns maybe? I had to include it for Brenda of Cozy Little House blog because she knows the decorative value of a vintage tub.

Not only were there pots in every shade you could possibly want, but I also really liked the granite pillar showing N,S,E and W. 

I have come away from my experience at Calgo Gardens with a new sense of wonder and awe. There are so many wonderful ideas that I would like to emulate...

and so many things that I would like to look at again. The pictures that I have shown today, are just a few from the porches and outside. There will be another post including pictures of the inside of the farmhouse, and then there is a gift shop...a very large and very unique gift shop. You have to come back to see those pictures because I guarantee that you will be amazed...I was!!

This post is being linked to The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays, Scenic Sundays, Little Red House for Mosaic Mondays, Smiling Sally for Blue Monday, and Between Naps on the porch for Metamorphosis Monday.

♥, Susan

 

PEONIES POP AND PINK ELEPHANTS IN THE GARDEN

            Every now and then something very unexpected happens... like finding a pink elephant when you are at the nursery looking for new bushes and such...

Too cute to be ignored!

In the front yard garden at home, our peonies, looking very much like pink tutued  ballerina's right now, have popped.

Like most Springtime blooms, they don't last very long, but what a treat it is to see them again...coming up, year after year.

This post is being linked to How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday.

♥, Susan

TREASURE HUNTING ...ON THE YARD SALE TRAIL

            Yard sale season officially begins mid-April...this is mid-April. The season of my favorite sport...yard sailing has officially begun!!!  The weekend started out with a town-wide yard sale that was only a few towns away. We drove up and down the streets, where I met an old friend at one of the sales who I haven't seen in many years. Short of picking up 3 paperback novels and updated information about af-ore mentioned friend and her family, I was unimpressed with the yard sales. We had one stop left to make...an estate sale.

            Turned out, this was the house 

Not very large, however, I thought it would be perfect for a Pink Saturday post...I had no idea.

Inside the house I found 

quite a bit of pink furniture...beautiful pink furniture, and very high end. That sofa is upholstered in silk that has pleated folds in it very much like Fortuny fabric. I headed toward the bedrooms because it was still pretty crowded and found multiple walk-in closets filled with...

the most stunning vintage clothing, linens, furs and shoes. And, most of the clothing was pink.

and so were the shoes! These closets were beautifully organized and decorated.

The night gowns were for the most part pink, although I was starting to see bits of blue peeping through.

When I came upon this gold lame and lace brocade set, I realized that most of the clothing was custom made.

The fabrics used, and the fur coats were so stunning...

they were all so beautiful, feminine, luxurious, and I felt grateful for having this opportunity to see a very unique personality emerge in such an unexpected way. Estate sales often show a little bit of the former owners character, but at this sale, the lady of the house clearly loved being a female. She was not shy about her love of the color pink either. The mink stole in the previous mosaic had a price of 90.00 on it. While I was editing the pictures that I took, I kept thinking that it would make a beautiful pillow for the sofa. Have you ever seen a mink pillow before? Do you think it can be done? Being a person who doesn't necessarily condone using animals for their fur, would it be wrong to re-purpose a mink stole? I may have to go back to that house this morning and see if it is still there.

 

There was also a large collection of dolls up for sale, and an adorable collection of Piano Babies.

Even much of the handmade doll clothes was pink. Much of the linens were pink and some of the bed linens were very high end. 

I couldn't help but wonder if the man of the house insisted that the set of blue towels were slipped in for him. I wondered if he loved pink as much as his wife did.

 

I hope that you enjoyed seeing pictures from a most extraordinary collection. It honestly was a pleasure to walk around this house filled with the most unique decor. It reminded me that one of the pleasures in life is taking the opportunity to do things on your own terms and in your own way. The little pink house was a true work of art. 

This post is being linked to The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays, Little Red House for Mosaic Monday, Smiling Sally for Blue Monday (there are little snippets of blue), and Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday.

♥, Susan

 
 

LITTLE PINK HOUSE

             In this little pink house by the Jersey Shore, across the street from a ball-field, on a busy street...

 

I found the most amazing treasures. And I will be so happy to take you inside...but you will have to come back for my next post. I promise that it will be worth it!

Linking this post to How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday.

♥, Susan

NOTE CARDS AND POST CARDS

            Last month, Vee, a blogger who writes A Haven For Vee had a link party with the theme of note cards. Ever since, I have considered many of my photos and thought that some would make interesting note or post cards. Well, Vee is having another link party for the month of April, and what better way to celebrate Springtime than with a post of floral note cards!

The banana magnolia gives us a most unique flower that only lasts for a few days and then it morphs into a big floppy mess. It is at the very beginning of the season that it looks this way.

             The single bloom pictures are the ones that have captured my interest like this perfect lilac.

This daffodil is also a specimen of Springtime.

I have a feeling that there will be many garden shots coming from this blog in the near future. Being someone who is fascinated by the flower gardens as well as the vegetable gardens, I am hoping to spend plenty of time in the gardens with my camera. 

Leaving you with the sky view of our Cherry Blossom tree, I am off to see what everyone else has been taking pictures of.

♥, Susan

 

A PERFECT SKY BLUE BACKGROUND

               Against the most beautiful shade of blue, the outside world has come alive.

In the form of a perfect bloom on the banana magnolia tree.

Dogwood and cherry blossoms are awake once again

and the azaleas from both the front garden and the backyard gardens are showing the prettiest shades of pink.

In a nod to the "roots" of our town and the peninsula that we live on, the azaleas and other blossoming trees are a bit of history. Before there were houses built in this area there was a very large nursery owned first by the Hance family and then sold to J.T. Lovett. You can find the most remarkable specimen trees on some of the estates around here, but it is the smaller specimens that often catch my eye. Knowing that they have been here for more than a hundred years. 

In a house where restoration projects never seem to take a vacation, my husband is enlarging our backyard veggie garden today. We have been kicking around this idea for a while.

The horseradish plants which are growing in the lower right picture of the mosaic will take over that entire corner in another month. The lettuce plants are perfect for salads right now, and the brussel-sprouts hopefully will hold their own in the corner. The asparagus are pretty much done for the season.

Like an outdoor room, the entire garden will need to be "decorated".

A gift of gladiola bulbs will add lots of color around the yard.With flowers trimming the outsides of the fences and maybe some garden statuary...I would still like to include a buddha in there somewhere. Now there is plenty of space for the tomatoes, peppers, cukes, green-beans and all other forms of vegetable that we will be planting. Stay tuned for what is coming up in our garden next.

This post is being linked to Little Red House for Mosaic Monday, Smiling Sally for Blue Monday, and Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday.

♥, Susan