Hello Summer!

At one point today, I looked at the temperature - 90 degrees - and thought - ye, it's stinking hot and I love it! Bring it on!!!! Last summer it rained all but one week through July and August. If today is an indication of what is to come, I'm in!

This image is from Notebook.com and I loaded it, just because. Isn't it lovely??? White windows with loads of greenery on the other side/Blue pots filled with Hydrangeas and Passion Flower. Ahhh.

So here I sit in my clean, organized, clutter-free home (it's for sale) feeling a bit like a guest in my own home. Aside from working on a crochet top for my knitwear site joanneyordanou.com, I have started a little project with my new camera. Did I mention splurging for a Canon EOS Rebel XSI? I lerve it! While fixing up the house for selling, I needed 5 pictures to go in an ikea frame that I quickly bought to fill a dead space above Lucy's bed. I thought postcards or some such thing. Instead, my handy-dandy Rebel and I got together and made these for the frame:

As I thought more about the (possible) move and my garden, which is looking lovelier by the day, I thought about the plants I should take with me. First on the list is my growing collection of Hostas. I thought I must remember their names and make name stakes for them. I had so much fun doing the photos above that I thought I would make a Hosta poster size collage print of what I have; labeled, so I wouldn't forget. I took pictures and looked online. Do you know how many Hosta varieties there are???? I got through the A's and B's and then called my friend Linda. She would either know or remember (as she was likely with me when I bought them). Here is what we have come up with and I invite anyone to correct me if I've got it wrong (these pictures will be arranged 5 across and 7 down for printing and may be replaced as I go along):
If you are interested in using any of these photos on your blog, please do so, but be kind enough to credit and link my site. Any other uses or inquires can be emailed to me at joanne.yordanou@rogers.com

A 1 4 the Money:

Antioch:

Bright Lights:

Francis Williams:

Great Expectations:

Francis Williams:

Blue Umbrella:

Sum and Substance:

Aachen: (something finds this tasty!)

My House is up for sale!!!!!

Forgive the lack of posts; I have been otherwise consumed with readying the house for sale. You don't realize all the little things that "go on the list" over the years. A little advice: don't put them off! Our little list grew and grew. After all that, I had forgotten to put back the switch plate on my front door switches!!! At the first Agent's Open House!!!! Not cool. But this weekend is the first public open house. The list will be completed for once in the 17 years we have been here. We have promised ourselves, never again to let our to do list grow lie that. But, of course, the next house will be flipped so it has to be finished.
Without further ado, here are the photos from the listing:
MLS Listing #9539467

Note to self: RECOVER FURNITURE!!!!!

Have I mentioned I'm moving????

Lou and I were going to invest in a house to fix up and either rent or sell. As it turns out, we have seen plenty of properties that extend our finances. After 17 years in our home, raising two kids, we are selling it!!!!! Agh!!!!
Once you make that decision, contact an agent, you are on a (self-imposed) deadline to get the house ready for putting on the market at the perfect Spring time. That involved drywall, paint and a list loaded with niggly little things on the inside and a whole lotta work in the yard, which we all have each Spring.

So here's a couple pics of what the outside was shaping up to be:

AND THEN...

Lou mentions the dandelions and I say, "Don't worry, I'm going to dig them out." Which is a pretty clear thing to say,don't you think? A week before we are supposed to list the house, with a mile long list of things to do around the house, my husband (noticed how he has lost his first name as I describe this) says to me "I took care of the dandelions with RoundUp". I am thinking he must mean on the Front stone patio, where I notice we had one or two weeds, because of course he wouldn't use RoundUp on the grass!!!!!!

Imagine mini crop circles everywhere. One yard of topsoil and 30 rolls of grass later - 2 days of continuous hard work to fix this problem and still 6 areas to fix, so need more rolls of grass. The agent's photographers arrives in 2 days. Can you see me pulling out my hair?

Top Picks from May Mags

I hide magazines. I hide my addiction to buying them from my husband and my daughter. I am a magaholic! I am also quickly becoming an ezine-holic. I LOVE to pour over the glossy pics of the oh-so-fabulous interiors of these next four. I don't discriminate from foreign mags - I love them too - but rarely buy them as regular as monthly. These fab four are my constant friends on the tray of my Living Room ottoman. I thought you may like to see what caught my eye in the May issues:

Traditional Home

The two stories above are by Amy Elbert, Senior Architectural Editor at Trad Home.

Elle Decor

I can't very well scan the whole magazine, so I will say that the Open-Minded story caught my interest enough to read it late at night. It is Alice Cottrell's 700 sq ft apartment reno in Dallas. She says there are no doors. The custom sofa is 16 ft long. How cute is the Cole & Son damask wallpaper that her walk-in closet hides behind?

Michael S. Smith's New York penthouse is so interesting - a treat for the eyes!

I really have to stop myself here, because there is so much to see (as always), but do pick up the issue before it's too late. Well worth it! It's the one with Ellen Pompeo on the cover.

House Beautiful

Two caught my eye here. This first one is from the cover story on Melissa Warner's LA apartment. Not at all my style, but I enjoy hers and really good advice (this is the mag's "Big Advice" issue). Her style icon is Jackie O and has her black & white photos in her closet (below).

The other interview I enjoyed was Dan Marty's about his L.A. home. I would love to attend one of his parties! the bedroom was the most interesting for me, but all of his rooms are worth the price of this issue.

Style At Home

What I like about Style at Home is it offer some fabulous ideas and how-tos for the average home owner. They also have a great website full of advice an ideas, like this pic. This wallpaper is amazing (by Monsoon):

Each issue has so much, not just this 178 page issue. The Yellow pages for decor after the 178 pages is so handy!

In no particular order....

... things that tickle me:

via Mark Burstyn

via Citified Blog

Southern Accents via From The Right Bank

via Heartful Art

via Cath Kidston

via The Late Afternoon

My knitwear design site via Joanne Yordanou

via Citified Blog

Joanne Yordanou