June is Bustin' Out All Over!
Hello!!
I mean, seriously! June is Bustin’ Out All Over here — the roses have been blooming for a few days (early) and are overlapping with the peonies and the gardens are positively humming with bees and bugs of every kind. It’s glorious!
As I suspected, we did not even come close to finishing the ORC. Oh, well! Someday that laundry room will look grand, but for now I have too much gardening and too many other projects happening all at once.
Here’s the June project list:
New Deck: this is a BIG one! The demolition of our old concrete patio is done, and we have started to put in the footings. I’m so excited about this project! It’s the last big piece in our backyard master plan, and it’s going to be fabulous. This project is sponsored by Tanzite, a Canadian stone decking company, and we are anxiously awaiting delivery of our materials.
To follow along: updates in Instagram stories several times per week, and I’ll have other content coming, too.
Waterwise Lawns: have you watched Rebecca McMackin’s TedTalk about lawns and native plantings? If you haven’t, do! It’s wonderful. My favorite quote in her talk: “Lawns should be area rugs, not wall-to-wall carpet.” I could not agree more! And we are taking on what is left of a lawn in both our front and back yards this month. It’s a little insane, frankly, but I can’t wait to show you how this will unfold. We will use two different approaches — both waterwise and both DIY. More on that to come, too. This is a partnership with my friends at High Country Gardens, too.
To follow along: updates in Instagram stories once we start the work, and I’ll have a big blog post and video guide when it is all done.
Phew! If we get through all of this in one piece, It will be quite the accomplishment! But it’s going to be a good month of progress, completion, and change!
As always, I have a monthly checklist for you, too! Here’s your June Gardening Checklist! And please do me a favor: every like and subscribe really helps a small account like mine. Will you please click the link, like and subscribe? That would mean the world to me!
I welcome questions and queries, and I’m so thankful for your ongoing love and support! Happy spring!!
Love,
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
That's a Wrap!
Two Mid Modern bathroom renovations — finally done!
We have had one bathroom or another under construction for 19 months, and it is DONE! And so ends another One Room Challenge. Check out both rooms here!
The Primary Bathroom:
Primary Bathroom
The Big Reveal is finally here!
And here’s the Guest Bathroom:
Guest Bathroom
A little Palm Springs here in Colorado
Two bathrooms with lots of color and fun! Enjoy!
Cheers!
Angela
Happy June!
Happy Pride Month! All are welcome in this garden!
June is busting out all over! We have had such a rainy, pleasant spring so far. It’s been perfect for planting, and I haven’t even filled the Stock Tank pool yet — it has been too cool!
I have been soooo busy! First of all: if you missed it, the One Room Challenge is over, and our Guest Bathroom is done — flamingos and all! Be sure to check out the final reveal here:
In addition, we have had some HUGE gardening projects underway. I mean HUGE. I will be revealing all soon, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, thinking about your own Stock Tank Pool this year? DO IT! We love ours, and I have a how-to guide to get you started.
And be sure to check out my guide to peat-free gardening. Keeping peat out of our gardens is a small but important step toward being more eco-friendly gardeners. Questions? Be sure to let me know!
As always, daily updates on my projects can be found on Instagram and in my Instagram stories. I would love to see you there, too!
Happy June!
Cheers!
Angela
The One Room Challenge
If you have been following along, the One Room Challenge is occupying a LOT of our time these days as we scurry to finish one bathroom — possibly two.
If you aren’t already signed up for my weekly updates, be sure to do that!
Not only do we have this bathroom renovation happening, but I’ve also planted a brand new orchard! And we are working on finishing the Shade House, and there’s a HUGE new project coming soon that I can’t wait to share.
If you want all of the day-to-day news and updates, follow along on Instagram where I post more current updates — particularly in my stories.
Ok. Back to it! But Happy May Day!
Cheers!
Angela
How to Choose the RIGHT Roses!
Plus a great discount at Heirloom Roses!
In our first house in Sacramento we had a tiny yard dominated by a 200 year old oak tree. And in the middle of that tiny yard, a tiny rose bush emerged. I suspect it was a grocery store rose thrown out by the previous owners — maybe even a cutting. I don’t know. But it grew. And it grew. It was planted in a terrible spot, so I moved it. In fact, over the years, I moved it to three different locations. But that rose loved our yard. It grew from a tiny little sprig into a giant bush that clambered over the fence — and might even still be there. The thing is: roses have a reputation for being fussy, but they really aren’t.
It’s truly a matter of choosing the right plant for the right place!
I love roses, and I have a new post all about choosing the RIGHT rose for your yard. AND, in case you needed more inspiration, I also have a great discount for you from Heirloom Roses — my FAVORITE place to order roses!
Use the code MODERNMAMA10 for $10 off any purchase of $50 or more. Good from 3/13- 3/18!
So be sure to check out the new guide to choosing the right roses, and then pop over to place an order for yourself! Spring is coming, friends! I promise!
XOXO
Angela
Welcome Fall!
a late September update from Mid Modern Mama
Friends, here we are in that wobbly part as summer ends and fall begins. It’s been such a busy few weeks. I’m sure that’s true for you, too! I’ve been doing a lot of gardening, preparing new content and ideas for the coming months, and we just launched our 7th One Room Challenge project, too!
I am almost ready for fall to come, but my garden is so lovely right now, and I’m just reveling in the beauty of dahlias and salvia, zinnias and cosmos and sunflowers. We haven’t had our first frost yet, but I know it is coming soon.
As you are moving from one season to the next, I have some project ideas and news for you!
Gardening
I created a new tutorial for our super-cheap steel barrel planters which I have used all over our backyard. For us, these cost less than $7 each to make, and they are a great size for all kinds of plants. We also spent a lot of time this summer creating shade in our backyard, and I have a guide with 9 different ideas — as well as a peek into one of our current projects, our Shade House which I LOVE!
Seasons Change
If you are ready to bring fall into your home, I also have a variety of fall projects which will help transition into the new season. And if the front of your home could use a transition, I have some easy and inexpensive ideas to dress up your home this fall.
I hope you are all doing well!
Cheers!
Angela
Before & Afters and Valentine's Day Ideas
Valentine’s projects, before and afters, and more!
Happy February! We had a delicious snowstorm yesterday, and it is brilliantly blue with more than a foot of snow now. Gorgeous!
A mid-storm shot from yesterday. The raised beds are fully buried in snow. So thankful for the moisture!
And today in the brilliant, cold Colorado sun. These little trees continue to delight!
I left our Christmas decorations up longer than ever this year, but they are all put away at last. And OMG! Remember our Mudroom Makeover last summer? Well, all that work made putting Christmas away SO EASY! It took less than two hours to undo it all, and it all had a dedicated place to go, too. I was a little shocked, actually. I knew it would be better, but I hadn’t realized how much better! Amazing!
If you are new around here (Hey! Welcome!), here’s a little before and after so you can see what I’m talking about:
All of that good storage and organization made putting away the Christmas decorations so much easier! This transformation was part of the Mudroom Makeover. Check out the whole thing here!
If you are organizing at your home right now, or even just thinking about it, I have tons of organizing ideas here.
A Little Before & After
Speaking of Before and Afters! I am in the midst of a little renovation project that is now more than 6 months in the making. But we are close! When we redid the Mudroom, I found two amazing doors at an architectural salvage yard. They are midcentury — taken out of a church. I love them! You can see one of them in the Mudroom Makeover reveal. Well, the other is our new front door. And a new front door meant that everything else around it looked even shabbier than it had before. So… the light fixtures were replaced (after months of waiting for delivery), new house numbers are on order, and here’s the big excitement: the mailbox! Seriously. It doesn’t take much to make me happy!
It’s not new! It’s the same old mailbox which is probably original to our home. There are several other houses in the neighborhood with the same mailbox, so I suspect it was one of the options when these homes were built. It’s lovely — heavy steel with great functionality. But it had been painted several times and was rather sad looking. So I took it to a local shop where they sandblasted the old finishes and rust spots away. Then they powder-coated it in a cherry red. I added a simple chrome handle, and now it’s the as shiny and cool as… well, maybe not a Maserati, but perhaps a vintage Fiat?
Just wait until it is all together! For very little money, we are finally bringing some big changes to the front of our house, and I can’t wait to show you how it has all come together. Just a few finishing touches to go!
Valentine’s Day Ideas
But here we are on the cusp of Galentine’s Day and Valentine’s Day! I have lots of fun DIY ideas and gift ideas, too, for Valentine’s Day including two new budget-friendly gift guides: one for kids and one for anyone. And don’t forget to check out the Galentine’s Day cards, too. I love Galentine’s Day, and these are fun and easy to make, too!
Wherever you are, I hope you are warm and safe and healthy! Happy weekend!
XOXO
Angela
Happy January!
A January update from Angela
My nasturtiums are living their best life in The Greenhouse!
Happy January, friends! I hope you are well and are enjoying some good, winter weather! We have had some really good snow here in Colorado — much needed! And it is finally cold, snuggly, build-a-fire weather which we have missed!
If you are still working on your thank you notes from the holidays — or need some help getting started — check out my guide to writing a fabulous thank you note! I’m still working on mine. I’m not perfect, but I certainly make a good effort!
Perhaps you are feeling a need to get back to planning or journaling — or even to make a start.
I have some guides and ideas for planning and journaling — processes which I see working together, but many people do one or the other as a practice. Check out the resources below for ideas, tips, and some of my favorites, too.
And if you are working on some simple home improvement — reorganizing, decluttering, or repurposing, I have some thoughts and ideas for you. I’ve done it all and hopefully learned a bit along the way. Hopefully these ideas will help you, too!
Lastly, Valentine’s Day is just a month away! Eek! If you are starting to think about Valentine’s projects and crafts, decorations, or gifts, check out my Valentine’s Day guide for ideas.
If you are on Instagram, be sure to check out my 2021 highlight reels. 2021 was a great year for projects, and it was fun to go back and chronicle them all!
And, if you missed my earlier announcement, I am taking two classes this year which I’m sure will spur all kinds of interesting conversations. First, I am taking Wanderlust, a year-long art journaling class. It’s really my first introduction to painting techniques and tools. I am just thrilled about everything we are learning so far and look forward to my Friday lessons.
Additionally, I am beginning the Colorado Master Gardener program this week! I am thrilled to embark upon this adventure in learning and volunteer work. More on that at a later date!
What adventures await you this year? Always learning; always growing.
Lots of love!
Angela
