Happy Anniversary to US, Back Yard Notes & Getting Ready for Easter

LOTS of pictures today - so please be patient!

TODAY is my hubby and my Happy Anniversary!  We've been especially busy lately and today won't be an exception.  However, he's spent a lot of time (suspiciously) trying to hide the fact he's making phone calls.  I don't know what he has in store, but I do know this - it will probably take place this weekend.

We changed one of our shop booths into a more outdoorsy-looking theme.  I removed the hearts from the arrangements that didn't sell for Valentine's Day and replaced them with colorfully decorated eggs.  There are so many other pictures that will be loading today so I'll show you only this one.  You can see part of our concrete menagerie that we're selling.  A vintage panther is crouched at the door when you enter this area.

This morning, I peeked out the back door (as I always do) to see what was going on back there.  Birds have been building their nests and flowers have been popping up everywhere, so I always get to see something new this time of year.

When I looked toward my biggest flower garden, I noticed that something was dangling from the duplex birdhouse over there.  I slipped on my husband's shoes so I could go outside and get a closer look.  (I guess I really need to get some comfy shoes for outdoors that I can just slip on and off without having to lace them.  Trouble is, they can't be backless because I would slide out of them on this hillside.)  Anyway, here's what I saw!  I think that probably a troublemaking bird (bluejay, mocking bird, etc.) decided to destroy the nest that one of the songbirds had started making.  Hubby said he thinks that one of the songbirds had started pulling out the old nest from last year to build anew.  This is one of those disagreements that won't be solved without calling in the Birdy CSIs.  In other words, we'll never know.

I then proceeded to walk around the patio to see what colors we have going.  It looks like a yellow scheme for now.  A lot of our daffodils are blooming and will continue to do so for at least another couple weeks.

Doesn't this little reader look serene sitting there ?  She has a real secret, though.  She has a splitting headache.    See that hole in the top of her head?  Probably the result of a rock thrown from the mower last year.   Oh - I almost forgot to show you this:   

These were all full yesterday from the raking and pulling of weeds I did from just PART of the big garden.  If I get a chance to go outside today, they'll all be full again very soon.   

This is the whiskey barrel that Mr. and Mrs. Whittle live in.  We bought them several years ago.  In fact, they were the first garden statuary we purchased together.  (Someone, please start humming a verse of "Memories" in the background...")  It won't be long before the iris that surrounds them will be in full beauty.  This shot is immediately in back of our patio.  You probably recognize tulip leaves; the fuzzy-fern looking leaves belong to Oriental poppies.  (These poppies are grown from a root versus seed.) If you look toward the bottom of the picture, you'll see weeds that need pulling.  So, don't look there.   

This is a picture of my hubby's hand holding an old button and pennies.  He was working on this old door he found for the shop and happened to see some change hidden behind the keyhole.  It excites him to find money, even if it is just pennies.  There was one wheat penny in there.  He worked really hard for this 18¢.  Did you stuff pennies in strange places when you were a kid?  I did.  I wonder if the back steps at the house I grew up in have ever been replaced.  Because I KNOW of at least one silver dime that exists down deep in one of the cracks.

And, lastly, I've been playing around - oops, I mean, working - getting ready for the Easter bunny.  Here's a hang tag I made:

...and a paper egg...

...another fabric egg...

...and a styrofoam egg that looks like a real egg, painted.

There's more, but that's probably more than enough pictures for one post.  Take care and have a tremendously blessed day!

Birds, Ornaments, Christmas and Dollar Tree

     Happy Saturday to you!  

     Besides taking care of routine things - around here, that means balancing check books online, feeding the parrots, picking up prescriptions, running the sweeper, making the bed, cleaning the kitchen - I've been rummaging through my studio, pulling out various supplies that can be used for Christmas ornaments.

    I left my "red" stage behind toward the end of summer (meaning, just a few short weeks ago) and am quickly regaining entry back into my "pink" stage.  This means that at least one of my tables downstairs is barely visible through all the pink ribbons, feathers, glitters, fabrics, etc.  It's a pink frenzy that could possibly be mistaken for a misguided former Mary Kay Cosmetics consultants' mad laboratory.  

     As you know, I'm really, really trying to not purchase additional arts and crafts supplies.  You also know that there are some exceptions to my rules.  In fact, there are probably more exceptions than rules.  Anyway, I'm low on little craft birds so it was absolutely necessary to visit Dollar Tree yesterday.  I found  cards with three white craft birds (doves, maybe?) on them!  Okay, granted, they were not the quality that you can pick up at, say, Michael's or Hobby Lobby.  But, if you douse them with a bit of white glue and sprinkle generously cover them with glitter, they're pretty cute.  

     Part of my stored stash includes a bunch of little (2-3") wreaths that I decided would make cute nice round swings for said birdies.  Here is what they are looking like so far:  

  You really can't tell from the pictures, but some of the birds remain white, covered with (none other than) white sugary glitter, while others are pink from (you guessed it) pink sugary glitter.

    Every time I think of pink birds I always think of the beautiful flamingo.  That's a lie.  Every time I think of pink birds, I always think of those pink plastic flamingos that were used to grace so many lawns years ago.  Then, I'm reminded of a time my guy friend and his buddy partied a little too much (which wasn't unusual for them back then) and set out on a plastic pink flamingo trek. I have no idea how many lawns they hit that night.  I can only imagine what those little old ladies had to think when they looked out onto their lawns the next morning to find their beloved plastic birds in what I will call compromising positions.

    See what happens when you get older?  Your mind involuntarily wanders to years and years (and more years) before and you remember things from then with a much crisper memory than the one you use to recall the things from the day before.  Not that I'm all that old, of course.  My BFF, Janet, refers to herself as being in the "Youth of her Old Age".  Maybe I'll start referring to myself as being in the younger years of my aging process.

        Okay, back to ornament making.  

     Being a bird person, I'd love to find a new and fresh way of using these birds in ornaments.  Any ideas?  I mean as cute as they are, birds on top of birdhouses, looking out of birdhouse holes, swinging in wreaths, and perched on shoulders have been done zillions of times.  Are there other ways to use them?  And no, don't say "Sure, in a stew..." - maybe we should have some kind of a contest.

    Which reminds me - I still haven't come up with this month's Giftaway package but everyone who comments on any of my October posts will be entered.

Oh - I almost forgot.  I have a dozen clear glass Christmas balls (bought at least five years ago), minus two that I broke, and am drawing total blanks - we're talking absolutely no brain activity here - on what to do with them.  I started these:

but I feel like I'm looking at vanilla gone bad.  Halp!

Hoping to come back tomorrow with Giftaway news...

A New Do, More Pillows and More Babies!

As I sit here typing today's entry, I am much happier than my husband is. Why? One word - haircut. What is it about men, that they almost always prefer that their wives or girlfriends have long(ish) hair? Before I left yesterday for my appointment he insisted on taking a picture of me. It was like, "Let me have something to remember what you looked like before this terrible, irreversible atrocity is done..." LOL. Men! Anyway, here is his "before" picture and here is the after

It feels so much better to be able to lean forward and perform closeup tasks (like thread a sewing machine or paint tiny details on a piece) without my hair falling forward. But it feels great to not have to worry about a sweaty mass of it falling into my eyes while I'm outside in the garden or hand sanding delicate detail on an antique chair.

And still another new do: I've switched pictures around (again) on my banner. Yep, I'm still playing!

It's time for another reminder! Don't forget that tomorrow is the last day for entering this month's Giftaway. The name drawing is Monday! For any of you who may be new to this blog, all you have to do to qualify is leave a comment! I have a monthly Giftaway so make sure you return again with another comment!

When I gave the tip on stuffing pillow corners the other day, I failed to show you the reverse side of the pillow I was working on: This is just the cutest toile. Don't you just love these sketches of happy kids?

I finished this one, too - here's the front and back.

The vintage button in the middle is shaped like a little flower. I'm working on some door pillows now for the holidays. You know that at least one will end up in a Giftaway!

Finally, I had to share this picture that Hubby snapped this morning: (Snap on the photo and you can see the open mouthed baby!)

This birdhouse is above our smokehouse shed. We don't know how many babies are in the nest; it's too high to peer into. We do know that this particular duplex birdhouse is probably the busiest that we've had this year. Both upper and lower units have been occupied all year and we've watched at least five different families of babies learn to fly the short distance from each "doorway" to a nearby Maple tree.

Upholstery Tutorial, cont'd - and various ramblings

The verdict is still out on my motorcycle decision. Okay, it's true that it may not be the best utility vehicle for carrying groceries. In fact, it may not be a sensible purchase for me to make. But, you know, sometimes you just want to make a decision to get something just because it's fun. Yes, I could get hurt on one. Yes, I could get killed. Let's see, when I die, would I rather wilt away from some debilitating illness or from having my body smeared all over the road while having fun on a motorcycle? Hmmmm...(weighing the decision with imaginary weights in each hand...) I think I might have to choose the latter. A friend of mine used to brag that her grandfather died from having a heart attack on the dance floor. He was in his late 70's. A couple years later, her grandmother died the same way. It gave Donna some peace knowing that they left this world having fun, enjoying what they loved doing. It probably didn't give a lot of peace to the dancers around them, though. The polls are still open, Folks! Scroll to the upper right hand side of this blog and cast your vote. You can do it anonymously, you know. It's not necessary to sign in, etc. I'd like to know what you think. We have a new family of babies in our garden birdhouse. This particular birdhouse doesn't allow access by raising a door or roof, so I have to try and get shots by poking my camera lens through the little bird hole. (Can you see the one little open-beaked guy?) I can see three little open-mouthed beaks when I peer inside but can't get as good a look using my camera. And, just to let you know, I'm working on the upholstering tutorial. If you've started deconstructing your chair, let me stress how important it is to completely strip out all the old stuffing. Chances are, unless you personally bought the piece new, you don't know it's history. You don't know how clean or careful the previous owners were. Just presume that someone or something, whether an animal, baby, or drunken uncle, peed on the cushion. Between this last admonishment and that of the creepy, crawly things you were previously warned about, I'm thinking 'Nuff said. And, in case you have stripped the frame bare, you can now prepare the frame. Whether it's metal or wood, cleanse it with a mild detergent. Slowly run the tips of your fingers along the frame to make sure there are no splinters, staple ends, etc. sticking out. Again, make sure you do this slowly. Doing this in a fast motion will only assure that your fingers will make contact with something sharp and rip your skin from the bone. (Jeez, I'm being graphic today. I'm not meaning to gross you out, although what I'm typing is the truth.) Anyway, if you do happen to find such an area, either sand it smooth or pound it smooth. Do whatever you need to do to fix the protrusion and assure it doesn't ruin someone's pantyhose or puncture someone's skin. If you are going to paint or stain the item, this is now the time to start your preparation. If you have broken corners, cracked veneer, etc., grab your wood putty or bondox, push it into place and let it thoroughly dry before sanding and painting/staining it. Let me forewarn you that, if you plan on spray painting, you'll need to first prime the wood or metal with a base paint. I've had major problems lately with spray paint bubbling on the second coat. This is regardless of the outside or indoor temperature, humidity, etc. As a result, I've been priming the surface then applying a thorough coat of spray paint in a manner that won't require a second coat. NEXT in the upholstery tutorial: Dressing and stuffing the chair BTW, I did end up painting over the roses on the red lawn chair and, while I was at it, painted the base of the lamp-plant stand. ANOTHER REMINDER: Leave a comment to get entered in the June Giftaway!!!

The Un-lazy Days of Spring and my Country Cottage Garden

Several people have been asking me what I've been doing lately and why they haven't heard from me. I've told them I've been pulling weeds and working on my flower gardens. They look at me like, "Okay, and what have you been doing the other 23 hours of your day?" Maybe these pix will help. Our yard is just under an acre, much of which is my flower gardens. My largest garden is a little over 400 square feet. This is what I call the "main" entrance. Two days ago I decided to add a little paved pathway, thus the bricks. I started working on the pathway late yesterday afternoon. Then the rains came! (We really needed the rain, by the way!) Yes, I know the door is crooked. That's the nice thing about a cottage garden. Nothing is truly a mistake. :-) This pic below was taken from inside the garden, just on the other side of the entrance. The mailbox holds small garden tools, gloves, tissues, etc. The dark rectangle next to it is a duplex birdhouse. It's shaded by the sagging overhead trellis (yes, there was a time that it was actually straight). House wrens didn't take long to move in - less than 48 hours after it was hung! Here are some more shots inside the large garden: white dianthus Several snapdragons for added spots of color! My favorite color - yellow! Annual volunteers always surprise me. Behind the little bench is my makeshift grape arbor. Looks like we'll have grapes this year! The trellis directly behind the bench will soon be filled with sweet peas. I picked up an old baby crib at an auction. It was missing pieces but I decided the short ends would make a cute partial fence and the longer sides would serve as great handrails for this hillside (did you notice all this is on a hill?) garden. A white basket of red hot lantana is hanging from the "fence". Notice all the large paver type blocks? I'm enlarging a little seating area in my shade garden. You'll see it later. The pic to the left was taken from the back of the garden looking inward. Some of the plants you are seeing include Oriental poppies, lillies, irises, gladiolas, large hibiscus, and a lot of zinnia seedlings. My husband found a large broken fountain while dumpster diving last year. Bless his heart, he lugged the heavy thing home and this year I decided the large bottom would make a dandy community bird bath. River rocks added to the water will help prevent our feathered friends from drowning. Other pieces of the fountain are being used throughout our property. In the distance is an old bird cage added for visual interest. Behind it is a large concrete garden angel overlooking day lillies and iris that my mother-in-law gave me about a year before she died. They are heirloom plants that came from her mother's garden. Finally, a rickety old bed was made into what is now a rickety old bench. It will later be reenforced and straightened. This garden is usually much more green and colorful but a late frost killed many buds (including most of our apple and peach crops) and water from a hose just is no substitute for good nutritious spring rains. Below is proof that I truly have been pulling weeds! (Why do they flourish while the plants we want to survive are stiff and brown??) This pile is about three feet deep and five feet wide. It represents only a fraction of what I've done so far this year; much has already been picked up by the trash collector as a burn ban is in existence for our county. Okay, so much for the large garden. I have several smaller gardens scattered throughout the property. The photograph shows a corner of our rear patio garden. Look closely and you'll see a sleeping cherub being serenaded by a harp playing angel. If you want to see more pix of the large garden and of the smaller gardens, click here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?&mode=fromsite&collid=55195301210.586930313110.1181132715642&conn_speed=1