Spring

After a long (long!) winter, there's been some reprieve in St. John's this week. Greg and I enjoyed the most beautiful pink and gold sunset last evening (viewed from the corner window in our soon-to-be nursery!) and meandered throughout Churchill Park (stopping for dinner) and along Rennies River Trail tonight. I feel refreshed and revitalized. Isn't it funny how spring can be so therapeutic (even when it is still quite chilly outside)? Image of Rennies River by Peatkau.

Jars

Arrangements similar to those of this surprise picnic wedding must make an appearance at a to-be-determined backyard soiree at our home this summer. Summer bbqs and backyard parties, complete with fruity punch, blue cheese hamburgers and Italian smokies topped high with honey mustard and basil ketchup, make me excited! Images via 100 Layer Cake.

Birdfeeder

Though St. John's experienced a massive snowstorm on Friday, today the earth thawed, the streets ran wild with water, and the snow receded from our stoop. It's only February, but talk of the clocks moving ahead, crocuses peeking their heads from the muddy earth, and lighter jackets has me excited for spring and summer. This fantastic birdfeeder only intensifies the excitement I experience when thinking of sparrows, and blue jays, and robins flying from our lilac tree to our maple tree to our cherry tree. Birdfeeder available from DWR.

Sparkler

I'm loving sparklers right now. They remind me of summer and BBQ hot dogs and spotlight! Image via A Fish.

Update: Greg is confused by the term spotlight. Apparently kids didn't play hide-and-go-seek at night with a flashlight on Vancouver Island.

Autumn

October offered a string of rainstorms. Thankfully, November has ushered in a string of crisp, warm days. While they certainly won't last, I've cherished every moment, including the delicious cheesy black pepper pasta Greg and I experimented with this evening (minus the sink full of dishes we faced afterwards). Images via This is Glamorous.

Coat

It's fall. I already have an overflowing closet of fall-appropriate jackets. But I love this golden coat. Image via J Crew.

Boxes

I love window boxes and I've really enjoyed improving the back garden at our new home. Fifty seven paving stones, forty bags of weeds, fifteen plants purchased on the cheap from summer's end sales and more than ten full days of work later, the garden looks presentable. I'm saving my pennies for a bbq, table and chairs, and solar lanterns to make the site an entertaining destination next summer. Friends near and far, please pencil in our event on Regatta evening 2010; we're looking forward to hosting a cook up, complete with mojitos, smokies and a viewing of the championship race at the lake. Here's to planning ahead!

This fall's edition of Canadian Gardening arrived in our mail box late last week and has tempted me with the most festive, autumnal window box. Complete with tiger striped miniature pumpkins, small flowering cabbages (which I've also used in planters in our backyard), tasmin tiger spurge, sprayed black branches and black scallop bugleweed, these window dressings look spooky and are a perfect 'welcome mat' for fall breezes. These window boxes expand my thinking on fall planting beyond mustard and pink mums, orange cotoneaster berries and red burning bushes.

As our street is framed with towering maples and chestnuts, the falling red, yellow and orange leaves would be nicely accessorized with this window box. For more fall container planting inspiration, see here.

Tropical

Now this is what I call a room with a view! 

The tail end of tropical storm Danny yesterday, combined with this blog on Desire to Inspire, make me think a tropical getaway this winter may need to be arranged. True story: Neither Greg or I have ever been on a real tropical (read: Caribbean) vacation (though Greg did travel to Hawaii as a child and I sunned on the beaches of the South of France as an undergraduate).  A week in St. Marteen or the Turks and Cacos sounds like the perfect prescription for winters like this. 

Sunsets

I have a confession: I have never stayed up all night to watch the sun rise. I know it is a quintessential adolescent thing to do; movies are chocked full of scenes of youth partying all night, watching the sun rise from a hill top and then sneaking in the back door to hopefully avoid tipping the parents off that you didn't come home the night before.

I am certainly not rebellious. I have however, taken early morning flights (think 5 am departure times to attend conferences and travel to visit friends) and have seen the sun rise while on a plane. Given my sleep and work schedule though, it seems more realistic to pencil in plans to watch the sun set rather than rise.

I relish sunsets. As Edmonton is quite far north, the sun hasn't been setting until after 9 pm lately. Last night, my mom and I caught a stunning sunset that washed the high rises of downtown in a flaming orange light. The sky was streaked with pinks, reds and oranges. The skyscrapers looked something like this:

Photo via Eyebex.

I am making myself a promise to pay more attention to sunsets. They're a beautiful facet of life on the prairie. I would love to watch a sunset over the glacier in Banff National Park at Glacier View Inn or on a hot air balloon. Sunsets will have to make up for the fact that I still haven't seen the Northern Lights.

Anthropologie

Anthropologie is opening its second Canadian store in Edmonton soon. The retailer carries some of the items I'm still hoping to buy for summer - a portable bbq for evening cookouts at Government House Park, a new bathing suit to wear on a weekend trip to Sylvan Lake and coloured flats to punch up my black skirt wardrobe. I think this suit is fantastic.

Fans

Warmth has come to Edmonton. Our patio doors have been open all morning, and aside from some serious buzzing coming from the hospital next door, the day is lovely. This morning's edition of the Edmonton Journal included a booklet on things to do around Edmonton this summer. Needing no further motivation, Greg and I are preparing to head north a little to buy hostas at the large greenhouses outside the city and check out the town of Morinville.

With a slight (emphasis on slight) sun kissed look on my cheeks, I'm excited to announce the arrival of spring to Alberta. The season of fans propped in windows (for those of us without air conditioning in our shoebox apartments) has arrived. Speaking of fans, isn't the one above delightful? Image via Design to Inspire.

Spring

I feel confident to proclaim that spring has arrived in Edmonton. The weather forecast no longer suggests temperatures below zero. There's talk of light snow tomorrow, but I'm ignoring it. I'm choosing to focus on the fact that I have been wearing light jackets all week. How glorious it is to rid oneself of the confines of a drab down parka!

In honour of the season, here are some beautiful photographs from Kari Herer to celebrate the newness and sense of renewal spring brings. For me, spring conjures up images of vibrant Dutch tulip fields, fuzzy yellow chicks, crocuses poking their heads up from muddy lawns and pasty exposed knees below flouncy floral skirts. Right now is the time when there's promise that summer is around the corner. Spring is a farewell celebration to the arctic dessert that is Edmonton from December to March.

Spring means cleaning, removing snow tires, filing taxes and weeding unkempt flowerbeds. There are herbs to plant, bulbs to water, and soon lawns to cut. I enjoy reacquainting myself with the outdoors after hibernating inside with artificial heating during the winter.

Spring is also a great time to think about what you want in your life. It is a fun time to look ahead to the hazy days of summer and the harvest moons of fall.

I'm a spring baby so perhaps that explains why I associate the season with newness and beginnings. Spring, you've been a long time coming and I'm happy to see that you've finally arrived. I'll be celebrating your warmer temperatures and sunny evenings tonight at the Sugar Bowl.

Garden

Last fall I mapped out a patio garden on my computer. On the first day of spring, my mind drifts back to those plans and thinking about putting them in action. My brainstormed ideas include:

Tall teak bar stools to ensure a view over the concrete railings and to create a place to sip lemonade, eat popsicles and munch on Foodie inspired sandwiches. This pick is from Authenteak.

Plantings of...

Hostas

Ferns and Other Succulents

A rhododendron in a planter to add soft texture.

A snowhill hydrangea for fullness.

Honeysuckle on a trellis for height.

Pictures via Hostas Direct, Shed Style, Hmptuition, and Honeysucklecott.

Hunter

After wading in puddles in my parking garage last night, it seems I've little choice but to purchase a pair of Hunters. Spring is (almost) here!

Update: These boots are quite unfortunate. I tried on a pair yesterday only to be let down that the boots get higher as the foot size gets bigger. As such, my size cuts me off at the knee. Apparently the boots were trying to tell me that my calves are too short for my foot size. Ah well, I'm on to seek other boot options...