Keeping Cool With Backyard Blues!!!

Since the weather is changing to a nice summery warmth my mind is going to my backyard.  I truly love my backyard, but as with any area in one’s home it can always use a little sprucing up.

I keep a file of backyard inspiration images that attracted my attention for various reasons. As I have told you before the back of my home is painted a different color than the front. The front of my home is soft yellow, white with small amounts of black. In the backyard I used cool greens and blue. I wanted a cooling down effect with our hot summer temperatures. 

Let me show you some of the images that are inspiring me right now.


So cool and crisp looking. Notice the boxed pillow frame in the stripe.  I am going to remember this as a fun look for pillows inside or outside.



White wicker looks so crisp with the addition of the cobalt blue stripe.




I like how this long narrow space was divided into two sitting areas. If this had cobalt blue pillows I think it would have such a lush cool affect.

Candlelight always makes everything look inviting to me.  If you add stripes to the mix it becomes perfection. In all of these pictures I am visualizing my blues and greens in place of the colors that are pictured.

Love,love,love this door. I am going to try and figure out how to incorporate it on my fence gate in the backyard. Maybe cobalt blue and white stripes. How fun would that be?

I know, I know this is not an outside area, but their is so much inspiration for me in this picture. I love the large  almost monogram looking print on the back of the chairs. 

The black legs of the chairs and the black table reminded me of all the old black wrought iron gates in my backyard leaning against the cool green walls. You see there are lots of places to get inspiration for the outdoor spaces in your home.



This is perfection to me. I just purchased some cobalt/navy cushions with off white cord welting for my white wicker. The addition of ferns and flowers in all blue and white give a wonderfully cool look for the hot summer days.

The two lamps on the console table are amazing. Oh how I would love a lamp out back, I am working on that idea. I am also going to add a couple of blue and white porcelain pieces with my cobalt and green pots. I love it when an idea starts to come together after being in my brain for so long.



I loved this image for the use of boxwoods and water features. I have to have water features in my yard. I do have a pool so that is a feature in of itself. 

We have connected a fountain to the pool that floats in the middle and adds a nice ambiance when there is no swimming going on. 

A couple of other elements in this image that I love is the lantern and the overhang on the door. I also like the outdoor shutters. I have shutters that my honey made for me to go with the window box.

Source: georgicapond.blogspot.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

I think this image sums up the look I love for my own backyard. Crisp white wicker with sharp tailored cobalt blue cushions trimmed in white.
The blue and white garden stool makes a great side table. I would prefer a white canvas Market umbrella. For some reason I like the basic natural canvas umbrellas more than color.

Source: stylist.co.uk via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

I am in love with this!! The sound of the water going into the pool would be so relaxing. I love the texture the wood brings to the area. Don’t you just want to jump into this pool?!

Source: sarahrichardsondesign.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

A couple of things that I really like in this picture beside the amazing view. Notice the band of color and pattern at the base of the chaise? Fun idea with a beach towel, You could change the atmosphere by what towel you used.  I also like the towels on pegs by the door and a large wicker basket to hold the towels right by the door. Since I have a pool this would work nicely for me.

Source: room-galleries.myhomeideas.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

This looks like a perfect setup to me. I love everything about this space. The canvas market umbrella mixed with the cobalt cushions on all the furniture is just what I love. In this image the addition of the black metal lanterns is a nice touch. I have some black wrought iron pieces in my backyard also and I really love the look they add.

I don’t know about you all, but I feel much cooler after looking at all these images of beautiful outdoor areas with touches of blue.
If it is hot where you are living I hope you can enjoy the weather and keep cool.

“Enjoy the Process” Of:

Making your summer environment feel cooler with the use of color.

Kathysue

A Blogger’s Point of View!

In a post this  last week I posed the question:

“Would You Continuing blogging if nobody ever left a comment?” It seemed to hit a cord with quite a few people and I received quite a few comments (76), creating a great dialogue.( If you missed this post you can read it HERE!)

I read over the comments several times to get a pulse on what was being said by my readers. If you would like to know what your fellow blogger's point of views are, this post is for YOU!! What you are about to read is what I discovered ……….

The Yes’s Vs. The No’s:

There were quite a few bloggers that said they would continue blogging if they did not get comments.  The No’s had about a half dozen more votes saying they would NOT continue blogging if they did not get any comments.

The Relationships in blogging:

One of the themes in many of the comments was the  relationships that are formed because of blogging, and commenting. This has turned out to be a very pleasant surprise in my own blogging life. I can not tell you how many wonderful readers I now consider, as one of my friends. One commenter reminded me that if she had not commented on my blog that she and I would have never become friends. I can say that about so many. So if you are not commenting or responding to your comments You are really missing out on one of the highlights of blogging.

One reader wrote:

my blog is a bit of a chat with my like minded friends

Many loved the fact that blogging has allowed them to be in touch with like-minded people that never seem to get tired of talking about design and decorating. I know I can seem to talk about design for hours, but not all of my friends share my exuberance on the subject. In blog land that is exactly what we spend our time talking and writing about…. Design!!

Competition:
Along with some relationships there involves competition. This seemed to bother quite a few of the commenter's. To many, it felt like back in the day of our high school years. One blogger that is new to the blogging world wrote this:

It seems that overwhelmingly blogging is a positive experience so far, and I have met some wonderful girls through it. But I do hear the other side of blogging, ie the nasty side, which saddens me that it exists, but I guess in a competitive world it would be naive of me to think it doesn't. I just know that I love beautiful things, whether it be interiors, decorating, a recipe, a flower, a special moment in a life, my children's laughter, a funny moment. All the things that make our life a little less ordinary and a bit more special. There is so much beauty and talent in the world and I think there are more than enough people out there to embrace and share it. I hope we can all try to be generous, be kind spirited, be heartfelt, be genuine, be bigger than you are and be yourself. Hopefully that keeps us on the path of positivity, of embracing the good in people and what they are trying to achieve.
I think she has very good insight for being new to the blogging world, and I totally agree with what she has said.


Blog For YOU!!!:
 There were so many bloggers that left comments stating that they blog for themselves as a creative outlet and also as a journal to keep records of the projects and adventures they experience. I even had one commenter that said ………..

I started my blog because I didn't have anyone to talk to about what I loved (design). So for a long time, and I mean LONG TIME, I didn't have any readers or comments. But at the time I didn't think about that much since I didn't know what blogging really was anyway.
Now that people do know me and I do get comments, I kind of feel pressured to update my blog. If I don't will my readers still be there? If I say this will they like it? Will I offend someone? Those are some of the questions I feel now when it comes to blogging. When I really think about it, I felt better when there was no pressure to blogging. I'm probably the only one who feels this "pressure", but at any rate it's there and I feel a little weighed down by it.
So to answer your question, would I continue to blog if I didn't have comments? Yes, and frankly I think I'll be a lot better at it!

Blog etiquette:
 The overwhelming consensus on blog etiquette was…… If someone comments on your blog, try to reply back. At least make a visit to their blog. 
One person wrote…….
I do take the time to comment always, especially when a post speaks to me and I think we should all do that. When we don't it's like going to someone's home and leaving without saying thank you or good bye

After reading this I felt it was a very good point, and a good way to look at the issue of commenting.
It was also mentioned in the comments that you have to give comments in order to receive comments. Sounds very much like… Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!!!


Time Commitment:
Among many bloggers time commitment came up as an issue. Many said they did not have the time to comment back to all that leave comments on their blogs. I can totally understand that for the larger blogs that have a large amount  of daily comments it would be virtually impossible to keep up with responding to each comment.

 
Followers Vs. Commenters:
I was a bit surprised at how many bloggers said they are more interested in seeing followers added than the comments. I personally love a good comment. It is the one and only way I, as a blog author, can know if I am reaching my readers. 

Getting Followers with Giveaways: 
The majority of commenter's said they did not like to gain followers by offering giveaways. I was a bit surprised by this since this  seems to be a common practice in blog land. One reader wrote this:

I've been blogging for 20 months and have designed my blog to be beautiful and inspiring to me as I look back at it (I truly enjoy browsing my own blog; why put stuff out there if you wouldn't even go back to look at it?); but I also hope it inspires others or I wouldn't make all of my photos and thoughts public. If someone is inspired, a comment is very much enjoyed, but I don't blog for comments, followers or stats. I don't track any of that because it would make me a slave to my blog. And I've never loved the concept of attaching giveaways to "become a follower." Why not just give?  


 The Quality of Comments Vs. The Quantity:
Most blog authors seemed to want genuine heartfelt comments vs. large quantities of comments that say very little. Here is what one reader said very simply and to the point….
It is a good question Kathysue. And my answer is probably not. I do love that I've documented my shopping insanity *winks* But that said, I'd much rather have 4 or 5 "conversation" comments with real kindreds than 100 "oh that's so cute"

To the point and simply put, and I think we all know exactly what she is talking about. Here is what another blogger had to say:

I will say I'd rather one genuine comment than dozens of impersonal, obligatory ones. And I also realize I can't leave dozens of genuine comments a day, so I focus on blogs where a realtionship has developed. Comments have been very relational in my experience. I've made a few really neat friends through them. An unexpected blessing of blogging for sure!


Reader Statistics VS. Comments:
Many blog authors said they were fine with fewer comments as long as they knew people were reading their blog. They said they could tell people were reading according to their stats. I have noticed that approximately 5% or less of the people that are actually reading will comment on the average. 

I would like to finish off this post with a comment from a non-blogger, but an avid reader of blogs. I remember seeing her around blog land before I ever ventured into writing my own blog. I always enjoyed reading her feed back on other’s blog post, and I actually assumed she was a blog author, but she is not.

This particular lady is the type of reader that keeps me writing!!! This is what she had to say:
** HI. MY NAME IS LINDA, AND I AM NON-BLOGGER...
... BUUUT, may I make a comment "ANYWAY"???...
IMHO, blogger or not, leaving a comment is the only way to THANK YOU (all) for taking the time to do what you do so generously, and so well... I enjoy soooo many now tho, that I have cut down to leaving a comment just occasionally, OR, when I really L*O*V*E one/it truly "hits home" with me...
I rather believe it's like HAND-WRITING a THANK YOU NOTE~~~ someone did something nice for me, & I should thank them. "It's the right thing to do" my Mom would say...
A FEW times I've actually RECEIVED lovely notes from BLOGGERS, and I must be honest and admit, I was flattered~~~ their schedules must be hectic, & I know you all keep up with one another, so yes, I was honestly touched... and YES, I have some VERY SPECIAL "FRIENDSHIPS" with just a few bloggers, & they mean alot to me!!!
Again, as one who "can't" write a blog (altho I studied Journalism for 3 years mannnnny years ago, I can BARELY do "THIS" on a COMPUTER, let alone do ANYTHING with that fancy "iPhone 4" my husband "surprised me with, just to TRY to get me to "catch up"!), may I say:
*** THANK YOU ALL!!! ***
Warmest blessings to you, & your families who don't "mind" your being "gone" a few hours a day!!! It I*S APPRECIATED!!!

Although she is not a blog author, she gets it!! Don’t you think?

I for one am going to continue……..

“Enjoying the Process” Of: 

Writing blog post for my readers!

I can only hope you will continue to enjoy reading my blog.

Sincerely,

Kathysue

MY DAD

My Dad! I can hardly think of him without getting big tears in my eyes. He is no longer with us and he died at a very young age (47). The tears I shed are sometimes for sadness but other times for joy.

He was a man among men as far as I was concerned. We were raised to pretty much think he could walk on water. I actually thought I was going to marry him until I turned 10yrs old and I found out that was not done. On my actual wedding day after he walked me down the aisle he sat down and took out his hanky and boo-hooed, my Mom had to console him.

 

I wish the pictures were in color, he had the most amazing sparkly blue eyes.

I remember how hard my Dad worked and what a wonderful provider he was for his family. What I remember above all was how much he loved his family. Daddy spoke with his eyes, they could laugh without making a sound. I would love to watch my Dad look at my Mom and her looking at him. Not a word was spoken but you knew without a doubt how much they loved each other that gives a child so much security to see how their parents love each other and boy did mine love each other.

My Dad made me feel loved and protected. I knew Daddy would fix it if anything would go wrong. I knew I was beautiful in his eyes.

 

He put a penny in my shoe and helped me with my garter.

I remember when my oldest son had his daughter (who is the most precious little girl alive) I watched as he leaned over the isolette and he bowed his head. I asked him later was he praying and he told me , “I am a blessed man, I was thanking God!" I knew that he was going to love his little girl just like my Dad loved me.

I told my son that day, You know you will be her first mirror. She will see herself through your eyes. Now how did I know that? Because I saw myself through my Dads eyes. I knew I was worth loving because he showed me. So when it came time to choose a husband I knew without a doubt that I had I met the right one. We have been married over forty years now. I fell in love with him when I was only sixteen yrs old so I have loved him for 43 years.

So you see because my Dad loved me like no one else could and took such wonderful care of me. I have learned to expect the best and in my opinion I got the best in the man that I have been married to for 40 years.

I guess in my heart I will always be Daddy’s little girl, I kind of like that even though he is no longer here to give me hugs he is with me in spirit and his love will be with me forever. That is what I call a wonderful example of a Dad!!

 "Enjoy the Process" Of:

Telling the Dad's in your life know how special they are to YOU!!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's in My Life!!

Kathysue