Summer Solstice and a French pot

I've been having problems with my neck lately and I have been advised to not spend as much time on my computer as I do ... and to take frequent breaks. So this week I took two nice long breaks and went outside and worked in the yard a bit. It is such wonderful therapy for me to get outside in the beautiful sunshine and garden. Even if all I am doing is cleaning up. Which is mostly what I did. A lot of trimming, raking, and sweeping. I worked like a dog ... even sawed down a tree really big bush.

Ahhh... do you see all those healthy aphids? My next task ... put a little soapy water on them to save the roses.

After it was all cleaned up, I met a client at HomeGoods to look at a few things for her house and while I was there I could not help but notice a beautiful green pot. In the clearance aisle. Yeah, it had my name on it. 

I have no idea why it was on clearance. It was originally $200 marked down to $100 and then on clearance for $45. It has a tiny little spot where the glaze is gone - about the size of a pea. Nothing I can't fix with a green marker and a little clear nail polish if I wanted to. And to make it even better, I used a belated birthday gift card from a friend. Thank you M!

This morning I planted a few plants inside. It is the perfect happy little exclamation point to celebrate all my hard work. And to mark the Summer Solstice. 

 

 I hope you are enjoying this longest day of the year today :)

Outside in?

I had to laugh this morning as I was covered in dirt and sweat planting flowers in my client's yard. When I started my design company ten years ago and named it Inside Out Design, the inside out represented my desire to start working inside the closets and cupboards (organizing) and then moving out to the rest of the house. As I wrote in my blog profile, it didn't actually end up that way. In actuality, most of the time I finish the decorating of the house long before I start the organizational process with a client, if even at all. Maybe I should change my name to Outside In Design!

But today, as I was finishing up the getting-ready-for-summer and the party this weekend for my client I thought how inside out was so perfectly applicable for my day today. Because instead of working on the inside of the house as I normally do, I was working on their outside (the yards). Your following this, right?

I didn't really do too much. I found these fabulous black glazed pots (I love the unique shape) and filled them with the most beautiful (and large) white Hydrangeas for some drama on the back steps. And then just went around the front and back and tucked in some color where it was needed. 

Speaking of flowers, the gorgeous bouquet that my client sent me last week was made by Joe Platt formally of Rainbows Flower Shop who still makes arrangements out of his house. I was so glad to hear that and even more excited to see him standing at my door last week with that gorgeous bouquet. If you live anywhere near the Long Beach area you should keep him in mind if you ever need a bouquet. He told me that he loves doing what he did for me and small events. Nothing huge. 

His number is: 562.598.8040. If you call him, tell him Sherri sent you!

The bouquet was gorgeous and held up nicely until I left the house all closed up and the heat came in and the tulips and some of the hydrangeas were not happy. I rescued what I could and put them in a smaller vase. It is still gorgeous!

I am linking up with "Flowers in the House" at  Small But Charming here.