The flowerbed I’m going to have to weed tonight, like it or not!

Have I ever mentioned that I really, really, really don’t enjoy gardening? Yet I love having pretty flowers in my yard. I have got to force myself to weed out these horrible nettles or thistles, whatever they are, out of the bed I worked so hard to plant and my cousin worked so hard to clear out and weed a few weeks ago. If I don’t keep up my garden, I should be living in a condo not a home. So off I go with a whiskey and lemonade, a blanket to sit on, ugly gardening gloves and a bucket to carry the yard waste to my bin in. Not a bad way to spend my sunny Labor Day afternoon and early evening, I suppose!

QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:

• Is school starting for your kids tomorrow? Prepare a special dinner, help them pick out what they’re wearing, make their lunch etc.
• Make meal plans for the week ahead.
• Is everyone sleeping on clean sheets tonight?
• Clean one drawer, one shelf, or two door shelves in your fridge and freezer today. Doing this makes sure your fridge and freezer both get completely cleaned out every 4-6 weeks (depending on how many shelves you have).

TODAY’S PROJECT: Flowerbed Weeding

Some dahlias that miraculously have survived the summer in my neglected garden

I have to suck it up and go tend my poor flowerbeds. I bet I can get the whole thing done in just half an hour. The sooner I start, the sooner it will be over and I can curl up and watch Houdini on the History channel!

LOVELY BLOGS: The Fashionable Hostess

Amanda’s styling tips for home, wardrobe, and babies. Recent posts include September Beauty Essentials, a post on strawberry water, a project for making DIY champagne party favors, and how to host a champagne celebration. The photography here is gorgeous!

http://www.fashionablehostess.com/

LOVELY BLOGS: Silver Screen Suppers

I usually only review one blog per Lovely Living post. But I don’t want to neglect mentioning this awesome blog that specializes in Hollywood-themed parties and vintage celebrity recipes. They’re currently blogging about Vincent Price’s Pepitas a la Curry, Jane Wyatt’s beer bread, and the Louella Parsons cocktail. It’s refreshing not to have anything from modern trampy young celebrities here, focusing instead on old Hollywood glamour!

http://www.silverscreensuppers.com/

LOVELY FOOD: Ben & Jerry’s New Cores Flavors

I refuse to stop eating ice cream just because summer is ending and the weather is a teensy bit chillier! I’m excited to try the new Cores flavors from Ben & Jerry’s. The deal is, down the center of the pint, there’s a core of fudge, caramel or raspberry jam. I wonder if it’s tasty, or if the texture is weird. One way to find out!

Cores, at Ben & Jerry’s

LOVELY HOME: Hidden Passageway

Wouldn’t you love to have a secret hidden passageway leading to a tiny room in your home that nobody else knows about? Creating Home Engineering specializes in things such as this for people who can afford it. I can’t, so I’ll just have to make do with my not-very-secret storage space under my stairway. Anyway, browsing the gallery is pretty fun.

http://hiddenpassageway.com/

LOVELY KIDS: Jane Austen Paper Dolls

I think I need a set of these! I’m not ashamed to be an adult cutting out and playing with paper dolls. Especially when they’re based on my two favorite Jane Austen novels, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I have this categorized under Kids, but I don’t think actual children (most likely not having heard of or read these books) would care to play with them, with the old fashioned costumes and characters they’ve never heard of.

Jane Austen Paper Dolls, on Amazon

LOVELY KITCHEN: Coffee Pod Ferris Wheel

I don’t use coffee pods – heck, I don’t even drink coffee – but I couldn’t resist sharing this adorable storage device. So amusing! It definitely would be allowed to take up space on my kitchen counter if I used coffee pods regularly.

Coffee Pod Ferris Wheel, at Pottery Barn

LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:

Acting French (The Atlantic)

Blackberry Rose Gin and Tonic (The Picky Pantry)

How Not to Make a Peach Pie (A Cake Bakes in Brooklyn)

When Labor Day Meant Something (The Atlantic)

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Waffles (Zen & Spice)