August 20, 2010

our wee tree

A few weeks ago we bought our very first tree(And by first tree, I mean the first tree we ever picked out and bought by our ourselves. Our front yard has 2 trees that came with the house and the back yard has 1 potted tree given us by John's dad). Whew, glad I got all that off my chest.

A little while ago, our awesome Black&Decker toaster oven bit the dust. I'm sure you are wondering "what on earth does a toaster oven have to do with a tree?" Trust me. It has everything in the world to do with a tree.

John and I were at our wits end trying to find a replacement toaster oven. The newer models operate on a dial/timer system that take for-e-ver to cook your toast(This does not bode well for 4 hungry catepillers each morning). So we decided that we would have to settle for a regular(but quicker) toaster, rather than a toaster oven.

He wanted the cheaper white one on sale at Target for $17.99.

I wanted the cute retro silver one for $29.99.

And none of us would budge.

We decided to shop for a small tree instead. We had been scoping out trees for some time and kept coming back to the beautiful Olive tree: small-ish, stylish, ornamental, multi-trunk. Yep, it fit the bill for what we were looking for as our very FIRST tree to nestle in the little raised corner in our backyard.

John found a baby Olive tree(I'm using the term tree loosely here) at Lowes for just $25. He thought it would be the perfect baby tree to raise up and train with our family.

It was small alright. Seriously it was as skinny as my pinkie. It looked more like a weed than a tree. It was too piddly for words. After waiting 7 years for a tree, I wanted something with a little more of a bang. But the bigger Olive trees were just too costly. "I would rather have no tree at all", I declared.

So back to square one.

No toaster.

No tree.

John decided it was time to negotiate. "I'll let you pick the toaster if you let me choose the tree" he said.

Hm. Interesting proposition.

As I reached my hand out to shake his hand to seal the deal, I had a vivid flashback to my lavender Nordstrom sweater set and a certain PC computer.

"Not so quick", I said, quickly retracting my hand so as not to seal this fishy deal.

Oh no. Not this time. I learned my lesson.

Way back in college, John and I were debating over our new computer purchase. I wanted a Mac, he wanted a PC. And I have no idea who initiated what transpired next, but before I knew it, we made a deal: If John let me buy the lavender Nordstrom sweater set, he got to pick the computer. And in one fell swoop, I sold my vote for the sweater set. A decision I came to regret each time I sat at our {not so} lovely new PC.

You don't think I would forget to show you my hot sweater set, did you? Not a chance! I dug it out of my archives just for your viewing.

We are in Vegas. My sister Jessica, baby Tacy and my mom. With my favorite lavender sweater set(I think the dragon in the background brings out the color of my sweater nicely, don't you think?). And we are not, under any circumstances going to mock my highlights...

Flash forward to the present. I am older and wiser and by golly I was NOT going to sell my vote this time. We bought the ugly white toaster that John wanted(which I now love, btw).

And I'm sure you are dying to know what tree we JOINTLY decided on. You've suffered enough at my ramblings, so I will torture you no longer...Here she is folks!

The Brazilian pepper tree!


She is so cute and actually bears some resemblance to a tree! We are so very excited.



Nestled in her little corner.


And can you believe all the neighbors' trees in the background, trying to steal the thunder from my baby tree? So rude, I know!

And while we are in the backyard, come look at our completed trellis!


John and my dad started building this trellis a while ago and John finally finished it.


John really wanted to grow something to climb the trellis and brought home these orange trumpet vines the same day he picked up our tree.

Our lone orange trumpet, making it's grand debut.


Photos of our little babies together. Grow, grow, little ones!

18 comments:

  1. hahaha,,,,funny post!!

    I'm IN LOVE with those orange ones..wowzers!

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  2. Whew. So glad you didn't get the olive tree! We had one in our first house. Drove to Porterville to get it from a developer who was digging up an orchard for a housing development. It was beautiful. Huge. We loved it. Until the next year when it produced, you guesses it, OLIVES! Ugh. Can you imagine the mess that two little boys can make with green staining olives? Yeah, I guess you can. Anyway owning an olive tree is like having a pet in heat. If you don't take preventative measures you're going to have offspring. Oh, your pepper tree will produce lovely little pink berries, but that's okay. I used to travel all over town to "borrow" them from other peoples trees. They make beautiful floral arrangements!

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  3. those little ones will grow up big and beautiful like everything else you grow in that house! :)

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  4. I love this story :) And your tree! Can't wait to see it grow!

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  5. listen. i had that sweater set from nordy's in blue.

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  6. HA! you are so dang funny. that sweater set WAS pretty awesome. i mean, good trade there, davi :) good job on the tree, too. way to hold your ground. who needs a silver toaster anyways? i had the privilege of seeing it in person & i agree..perfect fit!

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  7. Oh, pretty, pretty, pretty! I love the tree, and the trellis, and the flowers! Our backyard is still a bit wild and will hopefully get a lovely lawn in the spring, so in the meantime I shall look at the pics of your backyard, and dream. I really do love your baby tree! :)

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  8. great pick! the tree looks great, especially in that lighting!!

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  9. Your backyard is beautiful! Your tree will be big before you know it. I love your sweater set. You looked really pretty in it!

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  10. Arg, I double posted! I hate when that happens.

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  11. hahah!! I loved reading this story, you are too funny. And you know what? That sweater set was totally HOT!I had to laugh to myself when I read "And we are not, under any circumstances going to mock my highlights..." :D too funny, but I remember being so jealous of everyone's blonde highlights back in the day! So you were obviously cool.

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  12. I think that was the funniest tree story I've ever read. :)

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  13. very cute! you and john are a great team! what great decisions you make TOGETHER!! :) love your beautiful backyard!

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  14. yay for baby trees, new toasters, and grown-out highlights!

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  15. you drive a hard bargain there, missy. I mean, that's quite the sweater set! Such negotiations! you're too funny. :)

    I'm so excited for you and your little tree! and your trellis is just beautiful! I would love one of those. I think I've asked before, but is your hubby for hire?? ;)

    your backyard is just as charming as the rest of your home.

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  16. Oh Davi I LOVE it! Your backyard is making BIG strides! This summer was the summer of backyard growth for all wasn't it?!

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  17. Awesome :) I too made a regrettable trade when I sold my antique type writer to Jessica for a Snicker Bar. Talk about candy-obsessed...

    Anyhow, awesome post! I cracked up! I looked closely at the orange flower and thought I saw Aphids, but can't be sure. Might want to protect such a pretty flower!

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