Happy mid week! Sharing where my cute rattan vases landed that I picked up when we visited Magnolia in Texas. LOVE them and aren’t these eucalyptus leaf stems pretty for spring/summer!? I’m so excited about them too! They came in a set of 14 stems (exactly what I’m showing here) and they were easy to style because they bend any way you want them to go. A fun mix of eucalyptus leaves and different white flowers.
I tried these same stems in a few modern round vases and also loved them so they will be fun to style different ways. They are making my kitchen feel happy. :)
This faux hydrangea bouquet is another beautiful option! I had these on display for the wedding shower. I love both of these sets because you don’t have to be skilled at arranging flowers. They come with various stems that all work together so you just set them all in a vase and ta-da! A beautiful arrangement.
I hope you all had a nice Easter weekend! Ellie has been dog sitting our friend’s dogs so we’ve been joining her for lots of walks.
So fun spending more time with her this week!
We love soaking up time with the dogs too. We’ve never been able to get a dog because of Ad’s allergies/asthma (destined for a life full of reptiles!) so we’ve semi adopted this crew. :)
Ad was home for a few days over Easter too! We had such a nice weekend with all 5 of us together. Lots of time outside walking and swimming, take out for dinner and movie nights. Monday hit and the girls went back to school and I had one of my not so fun transition days. I always struggle the day after the girls head back to college or the day after we leave them. I just feel bummed and in such a funk all day. Then the next day I get back in my routine and I’m fine! But the transition days.. they have been hard for me this year. I’ve learned to plan on a sad day and give myself some grace. I let myself not be as productive as I usually am. I let myself feel sad and I always go on a walk. I turn on Harry Potter a lot when I’m home. Random I know but the sounds/music from that series is comforting to me for some reason. Just having it on in the background is nice so the house doesn’t feel as quiet! I usually organize a drawer or something and just spend a day sorting out the feelings that come with change and missing my kids.
I mentioned my not so fun transition days on IG stories Monday and so many of you reached out who have older kids and also struggle with the transition of them coming and going. It was so nice hearing from so many of you! At least we aren’t alone in these feelings. There is always comfort in that! It reminded me of an older blog post I wrote years ago talking about this very thing with kids growing up. (Kaui and Thoughts on Parenting) A good post to read if you’re in the thick of the busy and often hard years of raising kids! Have a tissue close. :) And if you’re in a season of change or anything hard know that you aren’t alone and I’m sending a hug.
Also try turning on Harry Potter. Just trust me on this! Number 4 is my personal favorite but they all work.
Also don’t tell Kenny I told you to do that. He is SO tired of coming home to that series.. ha.
My roses are blooming and along with hearing from so many of you on IG they really cheered me up.
I love this time of year when they start showing off!
More pics I snapped Monday of the backyard. I’m a huge fan of white, yellow and purple flowers in case you haven’t noticed. :)
They make me happy.
So does chatting about life and flowers on the blog with all of you.
Thanks for being here.
:)
Hugs to you, Erin! I know how you feel.You are doing a great job, mama! Allowing yourself to feel the feels is so healthy! Your backyard is gorgeous and how fun you get to borrow dogs to love on and then give back! They sure are cute. I hope you have a good rest of your week. xo
Thank you so much Jeanne! You are the sweetest.. sending all the hugs back! xo
I have been reading your blog for years but not sure I’ve really commented on any of them. The part about the transition day hit home. It’s a hard one. I love how you give yourself permission to be sad yet find something to bring peace and comfort. Your blog makes me laugh, touches my heart sometimes and I just wanted to say thank you. :)
Diane! Such a kind comment. You made my day! Thank you for reaching out and telling me that.. it means a lot. Thank you for always being here. :) Wishing you a beautiful spring! xo
I know exactly how you feel. I always have a transition day and my heart hurts when my four oldest leave. Grateful I have two kids left at home (9th and 8th graders). My oldest daughter is serving in the Air Force in Anchorage, AK (graduated from Air Force Academy). Second daughter serving in Air Force stationed in Mississippi (graduated from West Point then cross commissioned into the Air Force to become a pilot). Third daughter a senior at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. My oldest son is at Iowa State and is in the Iowa Air Force National Guard (also in pilot training) and loves college so much so he is never home! I have loved your blog for years…you do an amazing job!
Susanne! Oh my word! Your kids are doing amazing things! Do you have family in the Air Force? Love that they all went that direction! The best part is hearing that your son is so happy he’s never home. It’s hard but it’s what we want right!? Nothing like seeing them thrive! But yes.. the transitions are rough. Sending a hug each time you have to go through it! Thank you for your sweet words about my blog.. so grateful you are here. :) xo
Hi Erin,
I’m a longtime reader. :) I love your waterfall/water feature. We are considering one for our backyard. Do you have any advice and/or would you recommend it?
Thanks! Jen
Hi Jen! Thank you for sticking with me so long! ;) We have absolutely loved ours! It was originally going to be smaller and then took on a life of its own.. ha. If you have the space for one I would definitely recommend it! It’s beautiful and we love listening to the water running. Just find someone good to install it. The company we worked with was so great and helped me with the design too. I’m happy to share their info it you’re local?
What a beautiful backyard you have! I love seeing how you decorate it. Thanks for sharing. Shameless plug for dogs…get an Australian Labradoodle! They are hypoallergenic and many people with allergies get this kind of dog. Now, some people say they can’t have one because of the saliva, but that seems to be rare. My youngest also has asthma and allergies and we got an ALD six years ago and he’s had NO issues! We have a friend that has one and before we got ours (we did a ton of research on the breed and breeders), we had her bring him to our house to see how he did around him and he was perfectly fine. So, if you ever reconsider, give them a look. Our girl is now six and an absolute LOVE!
Happy Wednesday!
Thank you so much Leah! We are in that minority and she can’t handle the saliva. :( But I’m still going to look into it! She has been taking allergy shots that are helping with some of the foods she can’t eat so we are hoping one day she’ll be able to tolerate dogs better too. Thank you for sharing this info! xo
Ugh Erin, hard relate! Both my girls are away at university and you described the empty feelings when they leave again so well.
Something that helps me is reading Gretchen Rubin’s musings on her Open Door, a reframing of the Empty Nest.
Big hugs from Downunder,
Julie xx
Thank you so much Julie! I’m looking up Gretchen immediately! And sending all the hugs right back. xx
Erin, It’s hard when our babies leave us!! Giving outrself grace to feel all the “feels” is such a gift to ourselves. And…I always have Harry Potter playing, too!! Goblet of Fire is one of my favorites! Like you said…It’s nice to know we aren’t alone! Love reading your blog!!
Oh thank you so much Stephanie! Your kind words made my day. It’s nice to know we aren’t alone with these feelings! Also nice to know I’m not the only one with Goblet of Fire on repeat.. ha! :) Sending a hug!!
HiErin, loved seeing your outdoor area, it’s beautiful. Family of allergies here and appears my daughter can’t be near dogs. Last week, my brother brought his 2 dogs and after my daughter was near them (no patting etc.) she became itchy and her eye swelled. It was the only thing we could think of that caused it.
Rita I bet it was the dogs! Dog allergies can be common and that’s exactly what happens to Ad too. She also has asthma and it can make it hard for her to breathe. I know a lot of people have had luck with hypoallergenic dogs, but they are still a no go for Ad. I hope it’s minor for your daughter!