Tag Archives: flowers

Jul19

Backyard Beauty

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Backyard Beauty

Hi hi everyone and a happy Thursday to all of you! If you follow my page, then you know that my beloved dad, CHARLES, is a gardening extraordinaire. He can literally make something grow out of nothing, and every year the splendor in our front and back yards multiples tenfold from his hard work and amazing talent.

Not only does my dad boast two green thumbs, but he has also gotten quite good at using his camera and enjoys taking pictures of his handy work and the wildlife that basks in its glory. I love featuring talent on my page, and it’s even more special when something so beautiful comes from a family member or close friend. So, without further ado, take a look at some Backyard Beauty compliments of my dad:

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It always touches me so deeply when my dad wants to share one of the photos that he was proud of taking with me, and it makes me even more proud to show them off to all of you! I love you, dad! Your talent knows no bounds! ❤

What is your favorite picture from above? Who else has green thumbs that they’re proud of? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul13

A Summer Bouquet

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A Summer Bouquet

Hey hey everyone and TGIF! I hope that you all have had a fabulous week and are looking forward to a fun weekend ahead. Us Mushenheims are a plant loving people. My mom’s mom and my dad have the greenest thumbs of literally anyone I know, and they can make something grow out of nothing. It really is amazing.

Because of my dad’s talent, our front and back yards are simply overflowing with beauty. From flowers and greenery to herbs and veggies, we have a little bit of everything and can appreciate it from any window that we look out of in our home. Our supply of flowers grown by my dad never seems to run low, and almost every week he will arrange a lovely summer bouquet for the kitchen table – like the one below:

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For as long as I can remember, my dad has always been a master flower arranger, whether it be with bouquets from the garden or store. He seems to know exactly which bloom should be placed where and every arrangement turns into a work of art. The wild flower bouquet seen above is a particularly inspired one and it’s so lovely that I just had to share it with all of you!

What is your favorite flower? Who else has a green thumb? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun14

Sweet Birthday Surprises

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Sweet Birthday Surprises

Hi everyone! My 24th birthday was exactly one week ago as of today. I still have yet to write a birthday haul post because of late arriving gifts from my siblings, but I did receive some really sweet surprises from my parents on my big day. Take a look:

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When I woke up on my big day, I was surprised with a freshly picked bouquet from my dad’s garden. I don’t know what the vibrant purple flowers are, but they sure are pretty! And then, even though I told my mom no birthday cake, she brought home a vanilla torte with a layer of strawberry filling that was to die for. I’m really not a huge fan of any type of cake, but this one with the white chocolate shavings and buttercream frosting was the exception! So delicious!

Flowers and cake might be the norm on one’s birthday, but being treated to such beautiful surprises never gets old! I had a wonderful birthday filled with my favorite people, food, and PRESENTS!! 😀

How do you like to celebrate a loved one’s birthday? What is your favorite thing to gift someone with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May31

Gift Ideas For Your Best Friend’s Milestone Birthday

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Gift Ideas For Your Best Friend’s Milestone Birthday

You and your best friend have been close for many years and you have never celebrated a birthday without being by each other’s sides. Reaching those milestones together has been a ton of fun and you can’t wait for her big birthday to approach. You are always giving the best gifts to each other and this year will be no exception. You want to make sure that she has one to remember and that means going bigger and better than ever before. Grab some inspiration from here and light up her eyes with glee as soon as she receives her perfect present:

Beautifully Blooming:

A bunch of bright and beautiful flowers are bound to brighten up anybody’s day, especially when they are turning a year older. Make their day even better by organizing a flower delivery straight to their home or workplace. In the personal message you could include a special clue about what their evening ahead might entail. You can choose from an array of colors, species, and sizes too, so make sure you pick their favorite. From lovely lilies to perfect poppies you are bound to bring a smile to their face.

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 So pretty!

Happy Holidays:

Celebrating a milestone birthday can bring a sense of panic to anybody, so why not whisk them away and allow them to forget about their troubles? Choose their favorite holiday destination and book them a lovely trip away so that they can truly relax and celebrate their birthday. Whether they’d love an Australian adventure down under or a sun soaked beach holiday in Spain, book their tickets and join them for the trip of their lives!

Picture Perfect:

A picture is always going to be one of the most personal gifts that you can give to somebody. You could create your very own collage book filled with memories of your friendship. Allow them to travel back in time and smile to themselves as they flick through the personalized scrapbook that you created just for them.

Excellent Experiences:

Instead of a physical gift, you could take your friend on a day out to celebrate their birthday. There are so many experience days to choose from, no matter what your favorite activity is. You could go for a wine tasting afternoon at a fancy bar or take a trip to the theater and meet the cast at the end of the show. Think carefully about what your friend would really like to do and make it happen for her; you will never forget the huge smile on her face when she realizes what you’re doing together.

Whether your friend believes flowers are fabulous or a holiday would make her happy, be sure to go with her individual preferences. No matter what the milestone is, make sure it is one for her to remember forever. You might find that a combination of these gifts would make the ideal offering, so don’t be afraid to go all out and choose a few. Her birthday is going to be unforgettable, so splurge on something special and share the happiness on her big day.

May21

Lovely Lavender

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Lovely Lavender

Howdy! Despite 75% of the weather that Ohio experienced this spring being crappy, the flowers and greenery have all been magnificent. One of the crowning jewels of our yard, and something that my dad is particularly proud of, is his lavender bush. CHARLES planted his lavender when it was just a tiny sprig years ago. And, this year, it really is at its biggest and most beautiful. Take a look:

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Our ginormous lavender bush, that looks more like a tree now, stands by our back deck and envelopes it in a simply gorgeous aroma. It provides the perfect amount of shade from the hot sun to make reading on the deck more pleasant, and it makes sitting underneath its blossoms feel like you are in your own secret garden.

It’s so crazy how something that was barely a foot high a handful of years ago erupted into such a magnificent focal point in our garden. This lavender bush/tree really showcases my dad’s green thumb and it makes me proud to have it as a main feature in our yard.

Is anyone currently preparing a flower or vegetable garden? What are you growing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May16

Mother’s Day Bouquets

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Mother’s Day Bouquets

Hi everyone and happy late Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful moms, pet moms, and soon to be moms out there! You are all amazing and thank you for everything that you do – especially my mom! 😉 As a flower loving family, beautiful bouquets were the only way to go this Mother’s Day. Check out these gorgeous blooms and let’s discuss:

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The lavender bouquet seen first is compliments of my dad. He created his gift fresh from the lavender bush (Or tree?!) that he planted in our backyard. They smell divine and the pale purple color is spectacular. My dad planted his lavender when it was just a tiny sprig and now it is a huge, blossoming tree. It looks awesome and will definitely supply us with more bouquets all summer long.

The day lilies and vase are compliments of yours truly. My mom loves lilies and so I thought that they were the perfect flower for her gift from me. I love the dazzling orange and it looks striking against the Air Force blue vase. The butterfly and dragonfly adorned vessel was the last of its kind at the store and I can see why! I think that it is so pretty and I knew that it was something that my mom would love because the simple country style decor is her favorite. And, of course I was right!

We had a wonderful Mother’s Day celebration at my place and I hope that all of you did, too! How did you celebrate Mother’s Day? What is your favorite thing about your mom? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May10

Flowers & Frogs

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Flowers & Frogs

Howdy! The weather in Ohio has been absolutely perfect for hiking and just hanging out in the great outdoors. It is the type of weather where you have the windows open, eat food from the grill, and have bouquets of spring flowers on the table, like these lovely pink and yellow tulips:

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So, the above is the flowers part of this post, because who doesn’t love to see a lovely bouquet sitting on the kitchen table? But, what about the frogs?! Well, since the weather has been awesome, I’ve been able to go on a fair share of hikes this week. They were all great, but my favorite was the one I went on on Sunday at the Nature Realm in good ol’ Fairlawn, Ohio.

The Nature Realm rules. They have paved walking trails and actual hiking trails, along with the most lovely flower and herb garden, ponds full of fish and turtles, and an indoor center where you can watch Ohio wildlife from a window and see cool reptiles in their enclosures. While exploring the flower and herb garden, I was lucky enough to spot two little froggies hanging out among the lily pads in a pond. It was a fun game trying to spot the frogs camouflaged in all of the green, and here they are:

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Ahhhh! They are so cute I can’t even stand it! 😀

Spring time always teaches me about appreciating the little things – freshly cut flowers from the store, playing I Spy with frogs in a pond, and going for a walk with a light jacket on. It almost makes the drawn out winter worth it! 😉

Who else has been enjoying hikes now that the sun is out? What type of wildlife do you have in your area? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May9

April Showers Brought May Flowers

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April Showers Brought May Flowers

Helloooo! May is probably one of my favorite months of the year, because I love spring weather and seeing all of the flowers in bloom. The crummy cold of April with the occasional snowfall and a lot of rain definitely brought us a glorious May in Ohio. The weather has been warm, the sun has been out, and the flowers peppering the neighborhood yards are beautiful and vibrant. Like the following floral delights at chez moi:

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Both the front and back yard of my home are always overflowing with small wonders once the weather gets warm. Lovely tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils seem to be everywhere you look on ground. Meanwhile, if you tilt your head to the sky, you can see the tenants in one of our many birdhouses flying to and fro.

My favorite part of the yard, though, is our weeping cherry tree that seems to get more magnificent every year. I love being able to see the paper thin, pale pink blooms every day when I make my way to work as they sway in a gentle breeze. It is definitely the crown jewel of our front yard and it makes me happy every time I see the tree standing tall in its glory or even just a tiny petal floating in the air as the flowers begin to shed.

Which kinds of flowers are growing in your yard? What is spring weather like where you are located? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May1

Bouquet Beauty

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Bouquet Beauty

Heyyy everyone and happy Mayday! With another lovely month of spring upon us, it only seems right to plaster lifewithlilred’s walls with a floral frenzy. It’s hard not to see a huge field of flowers, a lone rose, or a freshly picked bouquet and not smile. That’s basically how I’ve been feeling for the last few days since my hopeless romantic dad gifted my mom with this here bunch of flowers:

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Seeing this bright pink delight every time I walk into the kitchen is always a treat. Seeing the blooms of daffodils, crocuses, and hyacinths all over the neighborhood is always a treat. And, spending another month with my beloved readers here on lifewithlilred is the best treat of all!

Happy May! ❤

What is your favorite month of the year? Are you doing anything special in the month of May? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr30

Dandelion Days

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Dandelion Days

Hi everyone and happy Monday! From as early as I can remember, I have always loved dandelions. Apparently, I used to spend countless hours in my youth squatted in the yard and plucking dandelion bouquets for my parents and grandparents. I also had many a temper tantrum when my parents wouldn’t stop the car at random fields to let me go dandelion crazy. But, that’s neither here nor there. And now, twenty years later, I still take delight in seeing the yellow blooms sprouting up in my neighborhood.

A weed and an inconvenience to some has always been viewed as a treasure to me. As soon as the dandelions begin invading the yards and fields in my neck of the woods, I know that spring is here. And, when the tiny yellow petals fall away, a puff of new seeds will come back that are perfect for making a wish on.

While walking through the neighborhood, I saw the perfect little lineup of dandies poking out of one of the driveways, and it brought me so much pleasure that I had to stop and snap a picture.

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It doesn’t take much to make me happy, but it sure is hard not to smile at the yellow pops of color scattered throughout the grass. 🙂

What was one of your favorite activities to do as a child? Who else was a fellow dandelion picker? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah