nooks and crannies

...for the creativity of birds.  to me, this is a really unlikely spot for a nest, but some bird must have seen things very differently.  our landlord offered to spray it down before we moved in, but backtracked when she saw the look of horror on my face.  i've never actually seen a bird in this little nook and cranny, but i've seen some feathers.  i'm happy that our rafters are pulling double duty as cozy nests.

side note for you readers:  i was standing on a chair to get this photo when i noticed a hummingbird taking a drink at the feeder just outside the photo frame.  the hummingbird noticed me at the same time, and scared the bananas out of me by flying waaaaaaay too close to my head.  i'm lucky not to have face planted off the chair. 

the things i do for my blog. 

i'm blushing

...for well loved cosmetics.  blush and i have a love hate relationship, thanks to some clown cheek incidents when i was younger.  and by when i was younger, i mean last year.  i was skeptical of this blush that came in my birchbox last summer, and it lived in the depths of my makeup bag for many moons.  it's called staniac, and it's a blush/ lip tint combo that i fell in love with once i actually tried it.  imho, it's better than the nars orgasm blush that everyone and her mother raves about.  even though i only received the sample size, i made it last for as long as i could. sadly, i'm to a point where i can't quite eek out that last little bit from the bottom. 

and i can't in good conscience order the full size until i use up my two other blushes that i stopped using when i found this one.  #firstworldproblems

lilly of the garden

...for our landlords.  after our last prettysurehewasstonedallthetime landlord cheated us out of our security deposit refund, i was very nervous about signing the lease on our house.  i'm pleased to say i've had nothing but positive experiences with our current lady, including her great taste in gardening.  little by little, i've discovered fun plant and flower surprises in our backyard.  husband found this callalily hiding the other day and pointed it out.  these are some of my favorite flowers, and i even tried to use them in my wedding bouquets {tried being the operative word here... these guys are expensive}.  i associate these flowers with calm and peace, and they are my little moment of calm in the backyard.

little moment of calm sprinkled throughout many more little moments of ridiculousness, that is.  such is life.

uf(hbf)o's

...for happy hour.  we received this hummingbird feeder from my uncle as a christmas gift last year and finally put it up last weekend.  to be fair, four months is pretty quick on the using a gift time ladder for me.  i've got giftcards older than my fifth graders.  not being a nature enjoying girl, i wasn't sure if any birds would even see it in our backyard, much less want to drink.

i'm happy to say i was so, so wrong.

the first few days, i'd watch in awe as one bird at a time would fly up and enjoy.  sometimes, two or three hummingbirds hang out drinking together.  it makes my heart happy.

although, if we're being honest, the mixture is sugar syrup.  you could cover my arm in it, and i'd be all about it.  #birdjealousy