Ordinary Women Creating beautiful Homes & Garden's ~ Robin

Meet Robin Rae, my momma! She lives in small small small town USA and is a part time working mother. I was visiting her recently in our hometown and couldn't believe how beautiful her gardens were getting. It's funny because that same weekend we were looking for something inside and come across a photo of her back patio when she first bought that house 6 years ago. You will totally be as impressed as I was, with the before and after. She has worked very hard on her yard, garden and patio. So, I sat down with her and asked her about her secrets to gardening and creating such a beautiful space.

Mom's patio when she bought the house.

Mom's Patio Now!

She said that her niche for gardening evolved over time, plus it's kind of in her blood. I'm guessing it must have skipped a generation for the first time in 150 years with me. Or maybe I just got a lot to learn. Mom has also been in garden club for the past 8 years. Being in garden club taught her a lot too and also helped her build her flower and plant knowledge. And you can't beat a group of women splitting and trading plants just for fun! I didn't know this but she even took a few botany classes in college. Something that may have also added to her credentials in gardening is her devotion to the show  Victory Garden's on PBS.

As we were looking through her garden I asked her if she had a theme for design of her gardens. She said, "Recycled and repurposed." She said that she is cheap and her garden's are "a result of  her creativity that comes out on  a limited budget." Many of her garden furniture, knick knacks and even plants where going to be tosses! To be honest I agree, some of my most creative space designs came out of the desperation of making a space look grand with almost no recourses. I just wonder if she could have made her yard look this great even with unlimited fund? Because true creativity comes when things don't quit fit together.



My grandma grew up spending a majority of her day in the gardens and taught my mom the importance of pruning and fertilizing. And has learned a lot from her mom but has gain lots of her own advice from being in the dirt herself. She says,  good trick for beautiful  flower pots which she has 21, is to completely clean out the dirt every two years. Having good soil full of nutrients is the trick to getting the results you wants. She also advices that if your water is going straight through the pot, she recommends that you scratch the top to make sure the water isn't following an oil trail and gets everywhere in the pot. She also rotates her pots throughout the summer to get where they grow the best and look the best.

Originally,  when she first bought the house her plans for her back yard and patio was to completely enclose it with a privacy fence. What a shame that would have been! Today, her garden are absolutely relaxing even though she lives in town. She designed it with the senses in mind. In the morning when she has her coffee and devotional, she can hear the sound of her fountain dripping water, the beautiful sights of her colorful annuals, the smell of morning dew on her bushes and the feel of the morning sun rising in perfect harmony with her patio. Maybe a place few of us have to enjoy daily and a place her confesses she may take for granted sometimes.

.She say, "Money doesn't have to be an priority in making your garden beautiful."

Ordinary Women Creating Beautiful Homes~Annette

Meet Annette Williamson, she is a retiree from Findlay, Ohio. Her and her husband gave up their apple farm house for a condo in town. Their new place is 1781 sq. ft. that is cozy and casual. Annette is an ordinary women that has in my option created a beautiful home!  She has no idea where her knack for decorating comes form. She has no design backgrounds and isn't a fan of art but has decorated most everyone home she knows, including her two daughters, her mother and a number of her girlfriends. She said if she could she would, "make decorating her job."

She describes her style as "rustic country."  Her home is full of warm colors, checker patterns and antiques. Some of the staples to her style included crafty accessories, wooden sayings and color! These staples are the things that bring out the pieces she loves most about her spaces. She said, "the extra homey things" are what makes her feel comfortable in spaces, she likes full rooms (not cluttered but full). Her favorite room in her house is her great room but her favorite room she decorated is her guest bathroom.

She really has enjoyed creating her home and loves that all of her furniture has a story. It was very fascinating hearing her talk about several pieces and how much they meant to her; including an old window from their barn in the country that her husband mirrored for her as a gift; an antique table that she put on her bucket list and got early in her marriage; and also a very old truck she uses as a coffee table that was carried on horse and buggy, it holds her pictures. I asked her, "if their was a fire, what piece of furniture would you grab?" She said that trunk with her photos but would still have a hard time choosing.

Annette told me that a lot of the times she falls asleep thinking about rearranging something. She told me several times how much she loves it, the challenge, the excitement and the change.  When her kids were young she would put them to bed and start arranging! She is always switching and has at least something moved every week. I asked her where she shops when she decorates her home, she responded with many answers, "garage sales, flee markets, craft shows and a homestead store called enchanted forest." One of my favorite things she purchased was several old shutters that she cleverly transformed into a privacy fence. I was very impressed with Annette's style and home.

I had a great time walking through Annette's home with her and I hope Annette has inspired you!