Life In My Nest

I did it . . .

2012-01-20T10:44:00.001-06:00

I had been eyeing a crocheted bag for a while online. I had seen it on several sites and even “pinned” a couple of them. I just had to try making one.

Even though I do crochet, I found a stash of granny squares for sale on eBay for much less than I could have made them -- $6.00 (with shipping) for 49 of them. (The bag only took 17.) I joined them together, used that shape to cut out a lining, added some pockets, a magnetic snap, stitched on the handles and here she is . . .

It’s a much larger bag than I usually carry, but I love the wintery look of it

My version -- $8.00; online over $100.00!
I have enough to make two more so just may put them on Etsy.

I just love Mother Nature . . .

2011-12-10T14:51:00.001-06:00

For about a month we have been “babysitting” for Mother Nature. I discovered this horrible looking caterpillar on my Meyer Lemon tree one day and, after, researching it on the internet, learned that it is called “bird dropping caterpillar” (and I’m sure you can see why).

I became so fascinated that I put it in a jar with some lemon leaves and watched it grow. After about a week and a half I found two more of these creatures and added them to the jar with a stick.

About 2 weeks later they started going into the next stage and eventually looked like this:
(this picture is taken up against my husband’s t-shirt)

Can you see them? The two things that look like little branches on the left side. There were actually three of them on the stick.

Finally, last Saturday night, we came home to find that the first one had emerged and was trying to fly around in the jar – stick and all.

I didn’t want him/her to die so I put it outside on a table on the porch and it remained there, without moving for several days. I kept checking on it because it wasn’t moving. The weather was changing so I brought it in and put it in the guest bathroom (which is hardly used) and closed the door. (I put water and some hummingbird nectar in there, but it never ate.) Well, here it is a week later and he/she has become a pet.

I have been reading up on these Black Swallowtail butterflies and learned that they don’t migrate and if they reach adulthood when the weather is turning cold, they will hibernate. So, as much as I hated to do it, I put him/her outside today on the lemon tree where I discovered it. Even going outside in the wind, it stayed on my finger and I had to pry it off to put it on the lemon leaf.

I miss him/her already!!

Count your blessings . . .

2011-11-24T08:21:00.001-06:00

Enjoy your food, family and football today and please don’t forget to give thanks!

Where does the time go?

2011-11-16T14:26:00.001-06:00

So much to do . . . too little time!

And here I am playing with old broken jewelry.
I decided to make some jewelry out of vintage and other pieces of jewelry and parts. There is actually quite a bit of this out there on ebay.

Today I listed two pieces.

A necklace with an owl, a locket, button cover, flower, heart and broken and random earrings

and a bracelet that has a pendant that says “pretty is as pretty does”, earrings, locket, button cover, key and beads.

You have to like “junky” to like these, but they are right up my alley! Hope they sell because I have lots more parts where these came from!

A transformation . . .

2011-10-05T09:39:00.001-05:00

This . . .

Used to be this . . .

(Sorry I couldn’t get it in the house and dress it up, but just couldn’t do it. :-(

I bought this old stereo cabinet for $10 at a garage sale.
It is very heavy – solid wood. The “guts” and back had been removed. My husband put a new floor in it and a back on it. I replaced the shredded fabric with wire. The top was stained darker and the rest was painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Country Grey with a waxed finish.

I think now it is a perfect storage piece or even could be used for the DVR/speakers for a TV. It is going in the parking lot sale this weekend. What do you think – how much should I ask for it?

My first chalk paint project

2011-09-30T16:32:00.001-05:00

I finally got around to buying Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to redo some furniture that I am going to sell in a “parking lot sale” next week.

Here is the first table I did.

Before:

After:

I painted it with Chateau Grey on the top and legs and Country Grey on the front and sides. I have got to say that this is the easiest painting I have done (and I’ve done a lot). I love the fact that I didn’t have a lot of preliminary work to do. I finished the piece with dark wax – probably the hardest part of the project!

I have four more pieces I am working on for the sale which I’ll share later. One of them is turning out really cool – it’s was an old stereo cabinet in its former life and now it will be a great storage/console table.

In rememberance . . .

2011-09-11T04:20:00.001-05:00

Ten years . . . we are older, but are we wiser?

All of our lives were changed in some way by this terribly tragic event. We must remember those who were lost and their loved ones and those that survived and have been changed forever.

I made yet another bag . . .

2011-09-10T18:56:00.002-05:00

Okay, I like to sew and I have a thing about the “specifications” of my purse.
It can only have one handle, must have several inside and at least one outside pocket, can’t be too big – you get the picture. So I am always on the hunt for a new purse pattern.

I came across one and thought it looked interesting. I made one out of some (boring) fabric I had just to see what modifications I should make. I added some inches to the bag and the handle and I liked it.

I found some fabric that I knew would make it a lot cuter and here it is. First of all I’ll show you how simple the pattern is. This is the whole bag (well, at least one side).

Here it is with an outside pocket that I added (pattern didn’t call for one). I really wanted to match the design on this side, but didn’t have enough fabric. I figured it is so busy anyway, who would notice. ;=)

It has inside pockets that go all the way around.

So, to close the bag, you slip the long handle through the short side. I added about 6” to the pattern so I could carry it on my shoulder.

Here is a link to the pattern:

http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/quarterlychallenge/APQ_QtrlyChal3.pdf

Ahhhhhhhhhh . . .

2011-08-29T08:44:00.001-05:00

It may not be much, but it is RAIN!!! Yes rain, splashing down the tulip downspout off the porch. I swear I can almost hear a sigh of relief from the grass and shrubs. Just look at the color of the grass on the other side of the deck. Will we ever recover from this drought and heat?!

If only we could relieve some of those folks in the northeast of their flood water, we could all be happier.

The 100+ degree weather is supposed be come to an end this week. Thank you Lord . . . and we’ll take all the rain we can get!

I can only imagine . . .

2011-08-03T08:57:00.001-05:00

what this would feel like again.

I promise to never, ever say I am tired of the snow (if we ever get it again).

Last night when my husband came home at 9:00 p.m., it was still 100 degrees! Will someone please close the oven door?!

I wish I could share . . .

2011-07-12T20:33:00.001-05:00

I have given away bags and bags of tomatoes.

I have
frozen them;
made fried green tomatoes;
pickled green tomatoes;
tomatoes and okra;
gazpacho;
cucumber and tomato salads
and lots of tomato sandwiches.

And now I have a tree full of figs and don’t really know what to do with them -- I can’t even find anyone who really likes them. Last night I made a small batch of fig preserves to see if we would like that and that recipe may be a winner. If so, I’ll probably be giving jars of fig preserves to everyone I know.

In spite of the horrible heat wave, the garden has been good to us this year.
Wish I could share some of our bounty with you!

Button Heaven . . .

2011-06-25T14:45:00.001-05:00

Have you ever had a day when you just couldn’t get up enough energy to do anything constructive? I actually hate those days because I feel worthless. Well, that’s me today. My husband left early to do some work at church and I just went from watching TV to watering some plants to laying down . . . well, you get the picture.

Then, he came home!!! He had stopped at an estate sale and brought me a “present”. A big vase full of buttons. I LOVE buttons . . . any buttons. . . but especially old buttons like these. Instant energy.

It doesn’t take much to make me happy. ;-)

Gotta go – I have buttons to sort!!

Our garden overfloweth . . .

2011-06-09T09:27:00.003-05:00

I have a love-hate relationship with this time of year. . .

My husband loves to plant a garden and I do love the vegetables, but why, oh why, do they all have to come at the same time! I have made 10 loaves of zucchini bread, 5 casseroles (in the freezer), sliced zucchini for soup later and froze bags of shredded zucchini for more bread.

Now, here come the cucumbers! I really must find an easy pickle recipe before they take over my kitchen.

I am about to start frying green tomatoes because there are so many on the vine that if they all start ripening at the same time I will have to give them away. (I don’t mind sharing our bounty, but I LOVE tomatoes.)

And figs – I don’t even want to go there. Our tree is heavy with half-ripe figs and we don’t even like them. Now those, I would happily give to a new home.

We do love this zucchini bread recipe though so I thought I’d share it. It makes 2 loves and freezes well.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 tsp. each baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt
3 cups flour
3 cups grated zucchini
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray two 5 x 8 loaf pans with cooking spray. Beat together eggs, sugar and oil. Sift together baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and flour. Mix flour mixture together with egg mixture and add zucchini, vanilla, coconut (and nuts). Mix well. Bake for 1 hour.
(I mix all of this by hand.)

A new life for an old piece . . .

2011-05-02T10:03:00.001-05:00

Several years ago I bought this chest of drawers at an auction.
It had been in a fire, but only had smoke damage. I’m in the mood to change things up a bit at home and get rid of things, but I needed more storage in our little TV room so I decided to tackle this chest.

Evidently the two bottom drawers had been somewhere else at the time of the fire and the chest had already been painted white.

Buttons and a plate had been on the furniture at the time of the fire.

So, I cleaned it well (but it was still dark gray) and painted it with Valspar “oops” paint that had a primer in it and was just a neutral color. Happily, it only took one coat to cover.

A la Miss Mustard Seed, I had hoped to distress it and use a brown finishing wax. I am definitely not in her league so I couldn’t bring myself to pay the price for the waxes I found (almost $20). (Some day I will because I really like a waxed finish on furniture.)

Many years ago I did a similar treatment with brown shoe polish so I decided to go the frugal route and use that again. I used a neutral wax on top for more protection. I didn’t get the great look that she does and I wasn’t able to distress it because the black was showing through when I sanded, but I am satisfied with the result. I might add a little more of the brown after I paint and decorate this room. Right now, the wall and chest are very similar in color. I’ll update this after I check a few other projects off my list!!

A close up . . .

A wonderful Easter celebration . . .

2011-04-24T18:40:00.001-05:00

Praise the Lord!

Today we had Easter services at the land where our new church is being built. We had hoped to be in the new building for today’s services, but it wasn’t complete enough to meet inside. So the plans were to all bring chairs and worship outside. We held our breaths, prayed and took a leap of faith that the weather would hold out. Our weather has been terribly windy lately and there were storms last night, but this morning it was just a little overcast with a nice breeze.

We started going to this church two years ago when the average attendance was 50. When we began the building process a few months ago there were usually a little over 100 every Sunday. Today, believe it or not, there were 400 celebrating this wonderful Easter!!!

The sun came out during the service and it was a truly glorious day, in every respect.

As I said – Praise the Lord!
I hope you, too, had a wonderful day with your family.

Here comes Peter Cottontail . . .

2011-04-22T15:25:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago we had a new family of cottontail rabbits born in our pasture under a garden cart. I have lots of families born in my herb garden every year, but we have never found a nest in the pasture.

Those mama rabbits really know how to build a “nursery” – she digs out a little hole, lines it with her fur and covers it with grass. My husband discovered the nest by accident and covered it back up with the cart. After checking on it every few days, he saw that they had all left. All except one who keeps hanging around the barn.

The baby is not afraid of my husband and will let him get right up to it and pick it up. He wears a glove in the hopes that the mama rabbit won’t abandon it (if she is even still around).

So here is a quick picture I took of the little guy/girl – only about 3” long. I almost think it wants to be a pet rather than a wild rabbit.

Texas Mountain Laurel

2011-03-23T13:47:00.001-05:00

Here are a few pics of my lovely Texas Mountain Laurel.
Mine still looks like a little shrub, but hopefully some day it will be a tree.

The pretty purple blooms have a distinct grape fragrance and then turn to seed pods. I have actually gotten some of the seeds to germinate, but the plant died after I planted it. I think I’ll try again. It is a little bit of a project, but if anyone wants to try it, I’ll be glad to send you a seed or two.

A branch . . .

a close up . . .

seed pods . . .

my dream!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

2011-03-17T11:06:00.001-05:00

Have a blessed day!!!

Check out this giveaway . . .

2011-02-20T17:01:00.001-06:00

Paula at Castle and Cottage Signs was inspired by a Pottery Barn photo and created (in her most talented fashion) a plant holder that she is going to give away. Go here to check out her blog and comment to be included.

You could win one of these with the text of your choice.

P.S. Over a year ago I was one of her winners. See that plant holder in the bottom row, second from left, she made me a sign that says that. Here it is –- I LOVE it.

GOOD LUCK!!

HaPpY VaLeNtInE’s DaY

2011-02-14T07:00:00.001-06:00

Recently I was at a flea market and just couldn’t resist buying this old postcard of a “fluffy” little girl . . . a little more to love!!

Spread a little sunshine today!

No excuses . . .

2011-02-04T16:25:00.001-06:00

The weather is still crazy here – woke up to 6” of snow this morning.
(I won’t bore you. I know you have all seen snow, but here’s my proof!)

But I’ve decided that the best part of being “trapped” inside for four days is that I am really getting a lot done. Not being tempted to get in the car
and go is a good thing – who knew!

I am cleaning and reorganizing my computer room and thought I’d show you the computer desk my husband fashioned out of a dining room piece 15 years ago when we got our first computer.

It looks like this outside . . .

It had two sections with a divider in the middle. He took the doors off, the shelves and divider out, and hinged the doors and attached them to each side. The drawer on the left was removed and he took the drawer front off and fixed it so that it would fit in place by itself. He made little stands for the monitor and printer so that we had a little storage underneath them. There is a shelf that I attach to the front of the right drawer for the mouse. The keyboard is on a pull out shelf where the drawer used to be.

And it looks like this inside . . .

Isn’t he talented?

Where I “create”.

2011-02-02T17:01:00.001-06:00

I have been working on this sewing/craft room redo for way too long now. The holidays made me stop and turn it into a Christmas package wrapping center and now I am finally semi-finished so thought I’d share.

I had a table where I kept my sewing machine and serger and a separate desk for my embroidery machine. Sold the desk on craigslist, bought an enamel-top table at a garage sale, and put it in the corner for the embroidery machine. I added a skirt around them so I could ~~hide~~ store stuff underneath. I left the end open and have a roll out cart where I keep my Cricut machine.

I made the covers for the two machines out of oil cloth. (My plan was to make one for the embroidery machine too, but I decided the one that came with it looked pretty good!)

I made the valance, step stool and lampshade out of the cute sewing-themed fabric I found at Hobby Lobby. Also made some little pouches that are hanging on the IKEA rod behind the machines.

I already had the red dresser in there and added a bookcase to the top for all of my ribbon and other scrapbooking supplies.

This project encouraged me to get rid of a lot of fabric that was never going to be used and I reorganized the two closets in the room.

Now, I really want to paint the room, but that will just have to wait until I get busy with some other projects I have in mind. I have two cute tall chairs to recover that can be used at the gate leg work table.

Brrr . . . again

2011-02-01T10:11:00.001-06:00

What is up?! The forecast says that we are supposed to have the coldest weather in 15 years this week. Okay, I know the northeast has had a really bad winter, but, y’all, this is TEXAS!
It rained last night before it froze and started sleeting. This isn’t snow!
Now the wind is blowing fiercely and, with the wind chill, it was
2 degrees this morning. Come on Old Man Winter, give us a break!

Spring can’t get here fast enough for me.

Another look . . .

2011-01-21T12:01:00.001-06:00

This fabric is going somewhere in my current project. Loved it so much, but I don’t know exactly where I am going to use it.

Stay tuned . . .

A Little Peek . . .

2011-01-15T10:21:00.001-06:00

Here’s a preview of what I’ve been up to. Maybe throwing this tease out there will make me get on the ball and finish this project.

Just maybe . . . .

A New Year’s Gift

2010-12-31T14:32:00.001-06:00

At midnight you will be given a New Year’s gift – 8,760 hours to spend however you choose in 2011. Please use them wisely because you can never get them back.

Enjoy your family and friends, be kind to everyone and everything and live your dream.

I pray for God’s blessings on all of you. . .

Happy New Year!!!

Christmas Food

2010-12-22T19:10:00.001-06:00

What food says “Christmas” for you?

Our Italian family tradition was ravioli made by my grandmother and then later by my mother and her sisters. Thirty years ago when my husband went home with me for Christmas before we were married, he kept looking around for the turkey! No turkey there! He wasn’t even sure what ravioli was. Boy, have I changed him!

We had antipasto, then the ravioli, then the meat and vegetable course and then, of course, dessert. I also remember the “grown-ups” having wine and roasted chestnuts (I draw the line at the chestnuts).

So, I decided that it was time to try my hand at my grandmother’s recipe for ravioli and today . . . I DID IT!!

Here they are drying before freezing and I will cook them on Christmas Day.

This is a little bittersweet because my mother wasn’t here to see the torch passed to me. (I definitely felt her smiling down on me.)

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T04:58:00.001-06:00

to you and all of your family.

May you have many

Lemons – finally!

2010-11-19T14:17:00.001-06:00

I showed you my little Meyer Lemon tree in June, with blooms and small lemons. Well, who knew that it would take this long for them to finally be edible LEMONS?! I got a dozen off this container tree. I used the first one in my tea and ate half of it like an orange (in fact, it is a cross between a mandarin orange and lemon) and now I’m wondering . . . lemon pie, lemon bars, lemonade, lemon cake, maybe lemon chicken.

There are about 6 new ones on the tree about the size of a pea and some blooms. This weekend I will be putting the tree in a new pot and into the greenhouse for the winter. Maybe by spring we’ll be eating lemons again!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2010-10-31T12:54:00.001-05:00

Hope its Spooktacular!!!

Shopping with your husband

2010-10-30T11:06:00.001-05:00

is like hunting with the Game Warden.

Saw that on a T-shirt yesterday when my husband and I were at Canton First Monday Trade Days. I guess we could both relate to that one. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed spending it with him, but well . . . you know what I mean!

My first stop (always) was at LaurieAnna's Vintage Home. As usual, it was magnificent. It’s a must see if you are ever there. Left there happy and sparkling with glitter.

There is always next time (when I will definitely make it a “girls” trip). Love ya, honey. x o x o x o

There are only 9 Saturdays

2010-10-18T13:44:00.002-05:00

before Christmas!

I heard this yesterday and I had a little anxiety attack! How can that be true? Wasn’t it just Valentine’s Day?

Even the flowers

2010-10-16T10:53:00.001-05:00

are lovin’ this weather!

Peace . . .

2010-10-15T17:34:00.001-05:00

Wishing you a peaceful and relaxing weekend.

The sights, the sounds, the smells . . .

2010-10-03T14:00:00.002-05:00

It’s the great State Fair of Texas!!!

Meet Big Tex.

A longhorn. . .

Lunchtime for some little piglets. . .

a little petting zoo . . .

my husband fed a baby llama . . .

We rode the Texas Star - $6.00 each to go one time around!

Do you see me on this. No, I don’t think so – you couldn’t pay me enough!

We didn’t win anything, but I’m sure it’s only because we didn’t try.

Had to have a Fletcher’s corny dog – a State Fair tradition. (Tastes better than this picture looks.)

This is a butter sculpture depicting the rivals, University of Texas and Oklahoma University, who always play during the fair. These were larger than life sized sculptures.

Really large carved pumpkins.

Jumped in “our” car, and away we went.

We had fun, the weather was beautiful, we spent a ridiculous amount of money, but we will surely go back next year!

Please stay tuned . . .

2010-09-20T14:30:00.002-05:00

Oh my gosh! I thought I would change up the look of my blog a little and now here it is many hours later and I cannot get it right. So, next time you visit, there is no telling what it will look like. Please come back . . . .

A little camouflage . . .

2010-09-19T19:19:00.001-05:00

I’ve always been bothered by the fact that our electrical outlet for the dryer is above the dryer in plain sight. My husband did that on purpose when we built the house for easy access. (Really, what was he thinking?!)

I’ve tried various ways to try to hide it, but here is my latest. On my visit to IKEA the other day I saw this wire cable “system” that looked like a clothesline. They had children’s drawings hanging from it over a desk.

It seems like I saw somebody do something like this and a light bulb went off!
“We” put it up today and I hung some linens on it. My eyesore is gone at last!

I Love IKEA

2010-09-17T09:20:00.001-05:00

You just never know what you will find there. Besides the great storage options, I love their textiles.

I saw a really cute pillow in one of the display rooms and headed right to the textile department where the tag said it was located. Looked and looked (and then finally asked) and the girl had no idea what I was talking about. Headed back upstairs to get a better look and, as you know if you have shopped there, it is nothing short of a maze. Low and behold, it was made using their fabric and some of these cute little crocheted “flowers”. It was a combination of a red and white checked fabric and a ruffle in a coordinating fabric and a few of these on there.

They are about 4” across with endless possibilities. I think they would even look cute hanging on a cottage Christmas tree. But, I have that pillow stuck in my head. The best thing is that they were $4.99 for all five – so, who knows, I may be back for more!

(Darn, I should have bought the fabric when I was there, so I guess I will be going back.)

Pecan Pie

2010-09-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

PECAN PIE

1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
dash salt
1 heaping cup of chopped pecans
pecan halves for top decoration (optional)

Combine all ingredients and pour into unbaked pie shell. Decorate with pecans, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.

(I have recently learned a little tip. If you have an instant read thermometer, check the center of the pie after baking the suggested time. The pie is done when the center reads 200 degrees.)

Come on down and we’ll save you a piece – but you better hurry!

Rabbits’ Foot Fern

2010-09-12T13:46:00.001-05:00

This may be hard to believe but this fern is at least 25 YEARS old! I know for certain that it has been in this spot in my kitchen as long as we have been in this house. I have a vague recollection of it before we moved here and I am trying to find a picture that will confirm it, but 25 YEARS old for sure.

Now, my problem. It started out in a plastic (I think) pot that I put in a wicker container. Unfortunately as it really started growing, all the little “feet” were sticking through the wicker. Well, now it is all one thing – wicker, “feet” and fern as one. What do I do? The bottom of the wicker has rotted out, the plant is still growing, but I’d love to fix it. No telling how well it would be doing if it weren’t a tangled mess.

Maybe I better leave well enough alone. I’ll keep you posted.

Have a sunny weekend. . .

2010-09-11T12:54:00.001-05:00

I went out to the barn today and saw that some sunflowers
had been lucky enough to have been missed by the tractor! So, I thought they needed to be in a place of honor in the kitchen for us to enjoy.
Texas has the best ~~weeds~~ wildflowers!!

Have a great weekend.

Cheesy Okra Fritters

2010-09-06T13:37:00.002-05:00

I tried a new recipe today and I think it is a great alternative to plain ol’ fried okra. Hope you like it too.

Cheesy Okra Fritters

1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup flour
2 cups coarsely chopped okra
1/2 small onion, diced
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup shredded cheese
1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)
salt and pepper

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. In a large bowl, combine the flour, okra, onion and cayenne and toss to coat. In a smaller bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk together. Add the buttermilk mixture to the okra, stirring to combine. Add the cheese and stir again until fully incorporated. Salt and pepper conservatively.

Working in batches, drop batter in small mounds into the oil. (I used a small ice cream scoop.) Using a spatula, gently press each mound until slightly flattened. Fry the fritters until golden, about 4 minutes per side, flipping once. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

(I made 15 with this recipe.)

Keep on truckin’

2010-08-18T16:06:00.001-05:00

Sad day at our house today

2010-08-17T18:14:00.001-05:00

Our sweet little parakeet, Pete, passed away during the night last night. We were shocked – he was a little quiet yesterday, but nothing to indicate something so drastic. We had him for 3-1/2 years and he was such a delight. He talked like crazy, greeted us daily with “Good Morning” , and just kept us entertained. He will be sorely missed . . .

Some like it hot . . .

2010-08-06T14:48:00.001-05:00

and I guess it’s a good thing! It would be a drab world if there weren’t some flowers that didn’t care that it is 100++++ degrees.

Fall can’t get here fast enough for me, but these little brown-eyed Susans in my garden are happy just like it is – HOT.

Best decision I ever made

2010-08-01T13:15:00.001-05:00

was to marry my husband. Today is our 29th anniversary. I can’t imagine life without him – he is a real sweetheart.

(Hope he is prepared because I expect something BIG for our next anniversary!)

Home Sweet Home

2010-07-29T20:08:00.001-05:00

There is nothing like it.

We just returned from a nice vacation with a friend from high school and her husband. They live near Atlanta, Georgia and every couple of years we plan a trip together. This time we met in Tennessee and stayed in this cabin for a few days . . .

overlooking this river that had lots of entertaining wildlife around it.

Then we moved on to Cherokee, North Carolina where we stayed here

overlooking the Smoky Mountains.

We took a day trip to the Biltmore house in Asheville and it is truly awesome. Unfortunately, it rained while we were there and I wasn’t able to get any pictures. It is a must see if you have never been – a 250 room house built in the late 1800’s and they say it is the largest home in America.

I tried to remember why in the world we planned a vacation in July and was reminded by my husband that it was because we wanted to see the drama “Unto These Hills” in Cherokee and it is only performed from June through August. The play was absolutely worth it and we learned a lot about the Cherokee history, but I was hoping for some mountain cool air on this vacation. That didn’t happen. Oh well, there is always next time and it will definitely be in the spring or fall!

Ouch!!!

2010-07-16T09:30:00.001-05:00

Yikes!!

I fell down about half a flight of stairs yesterday. Oh so sore today!

I feel very lucky that I didn’t break anything and that the entire fall was on my butt and not my head (I have lots more padding there), but we are leaving in about 4 days for a looooooooong car trip. Think I’ll go see my doctor to see if he can give me something to make sitting a little easier. When I think how much worse it could have been, I feel better.

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T07:41:00.001-05:00

Well said! Have a safe and happy holiday. Celebrate America.

Blackberries

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from the garden. I think I see a cobbler in our future!

Could I turn this

2010-06-26T11:05:00.001-05:00

little 8 x 10 playhouse which is currently listed for “FREE” on craigslist (and not too far from me)

into something like this?

This morning I saw this post on Garden Antqs Vintage blog and the timing is perfect. I had just come across the craigslist item and asked my husband if we could get it. For some time I have been looking for a “free” shed or something that could be converted into a little cottage to be put at at the end of my herb garden.

The article which was done by the New York Times on this little cottage and the owner is really fascinating. You must read it – my husband must read it! (Her blog is My Shabby Streamside Studio and it is a joy to look at, too.

Of course, hubby dismissed my silly idea because he said this was so “rotten” it would fall apart when he tried to move it. So just what is he trying to say?! Is that a problem?

Oh well, I can dream. Doesn’t everything start that way anyway?

Hydrangeas

2010-06-24T07:14:00.001-05:00

My hydrangea blooms are turning a beautiful color as they age on the bush. When they were fresh and a bright pink, I cut some and tried the glycerin method of drying – didn’t work for me.

Now, I would love to dry them in this stage, but hate to keep experimenting. Anyone out there with firsthand knowledge of a surefire way to dry these beauties? Help………. If it works, I’ll send some to you!

Mucho Macho

2010-06-23T08:10:00.001-05:00

ferns, that is. I have several of these Macho Ferns and I just love them!! I have two that I have kept over the winter (for two years) in my little greenhouse. They don’t come out of “hibernation” quite this pretty, but still macho in my book!

I missed my Daddy today . . .

2010-06-20T19:33:00.001-05:00

My sweet Daddy passed away 35 years ago at the young age of 54. I miss him so much even to this day. I hope you were able to spend your day with your father, grandfather and/or the father of your children. Cherish your precious time with them.

In this picture taken in 1949 I was standing on Daddy’s shoe – shoes that no one could ever fill.

Lemon Tree very pretty . . .

2010-06-07T09:15:00.001-05:00

I’ve got little lemons and blooms still coming on. This is a Meyer Lemon tree which is in a container. I’ll have to put it in the greenhouse over the winter, but so far it is very happy in our Texas heat – happier than I am right now!

Can’t invite you over for lemonade or lemon bars any time soon, but maybe someday I’ll share.

A truckload of daisies . . .

2010-06-03T08:43:00.001-05:00

On the road again

2010-05-24T18:06:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share some of the beauty of Big Bend National Park in Texas with you.

My husband has wanted to go there for some time and I finally decided that it was not fair for me to always get to pick our destination for vacations! If I could be dropped in the middle of the park, it would be a place I would want to go often. It was really beautiful. However, it is 650 miles from home so I don’t think we will be doing that again any time soon. The distance is not the only problem – most of it is desolate, desert-like, without even a tree to get behind for “you-know-what”.

There is only one place in the park to stay (besides campgrounds) and you must make reservations well in advance. There is no television., air conditioning, or telephones and forget cell phone service. (But it really was pretty . . . .)

This is the view from our room.

They have not had rain here in a while, but our last day there, it rained for about 20 minutes, then hailed for a few minutes and then cleared up. As the sun was going down, I was fascinated with the clouds. I have never seen anything like this.

My sweet husband said I could plan the rest of the trip, but it didn’t go too well. We headed to Fredericksburg (which I love), but arrived too late to shop. There was only an hour left before the stores started closing and, the next day was Sunday and most of them don’t open. I guess the good thing is that it saved me some money. We did go to the Wildseed Farms which is a fabulous place and bought some plants and a pound of wildflower seeds to sow in our yard near the road for next spring. 1,500 miles later, home sweet home. Tired but happy.

Now, where are we going next? My pick!

My sentiment exactly . . .

2010-05-07T11:56:00.001-05:00

Got this cute sign today at a garage sale.

That’s where I want to be – how about you?

My bottle tree in full “bloom”

2010-05-03T13:16:00.001-05:00

Whew, now I can quit drinking!!

Just kidding, I had lots of “donations” from friends. Thanks all – now you can quit drinking!

Beautiful day to garden

2010-04-26T11:52:00.001-05:00

I’m working outside for a while today. The weather is perfect and everything is blooming.

Here are some Johnny Jump Ups that I forget about every year – until they “jump up”. They are planted around a potted rose bush.

This is a planter that sits on the deck rail. Look what I spotted when I took this picture . . . ladybug at the bottom.

Think I’ll sit a spell and look at the beauty around me. Hope you have a wonderful day – I am!!

A little pile of junk . . .

2010-04-25T17:51:00.001-05:00

My latest garage sale finds . . .

Galvanized display shelves, old metal laundry container, aluminum pitcher, (lopsided, large) camera, large locker basket, very heavy bird feeder and 10 vintage appetizer trays. To put things in perspective, the aluminum pitcher is 9-1/2” tall. The camera can be straightened and then would make a great display piece. All for $10. Now, what to do with it?! I must quit shopping!

The original “hunt and peck”

2010-04-21T12:50:00.001-05:00

Birds at the typewriter . . .

Oh, happy day . . .

2010-04-16T20:10:00.001-05:00

I love it when my roses all start blooming. It just makes my day to walk around the yard and look at them! The new bushes I bought in Tyler recently are planted and have lots of new flowers and buds on them, so I just had to cut some. Love, love, love them!!! Isn’t that dark purple one fantastic?!

A little road trip . . .

2010-04-11T18:29:00.001-05:00

This week my husband and I decided to hit the road and see some of the pretty scenery in East Texas – just a couple of hours from home. So, we went to the

We were waiting until we heard from a friend who lives in Tyler that the azaleas were finally opening. Our unusual winter weather had them off schedule! We saw some beautiful flowers, lovely gardens and gorgeous dogwood trees then shopped for a few rose bushes for my garden. Here is some of what we saw.

And my roses – not on the same bush; I just propped them up together. The purple one is named Ebb Tide and the apricot is Easy Does it.

I also got another one called Dolly Parton. I’ll leave it up to your imagination as to why! When it blooms, I’ll show you. . .

Wishing you

2010-04-04T04:11:00.000-05:00

a Joyful and Happy

Hope you are spending it with those you love.

A New Look

2010-03-29T11:14:00.001-05:00

Several months ago I asked my (welder) husband if he would fix one of my antique iron beds so that we could use it with our queen size mattress. It is a bed that I bought at an estate sale years ago and used it in a guest room for a while. You can see another one in my guest room here. When I had a booth in an antique mall I sold lots of iron beds and my hubby would adjust the length of the rails.

I had to eliminate my large Euro sham pillows because they covered too much of the pretty headboard. Here is the result . . . and I love it!

Thanksgiving??

2010-03-27T18:38:00.001-05:00

My husband has been on a dessert kick lately and has polished off (by himself, I might add) a pecan pie, peach pie and apricot cake in the last three weeks.

Yesterday he requested another pie – pumpkin. I said “what?” He thought it sounded good, so here it is. (You know the recipe – the one from the Libby’s can.)

My house smells like Thanksgiving and that’s okay with me! I always have lots to be thankful for so this a gentle reminder. How about you? I hope you are thankful too.

I have been “missing in action” lately, but that is another story. I’ll fill you in some other time.

Ohhhhhhh . . .

2010-03-03T11:35:00.002-06:00

I so w the blue sky and fluffy clouds!! It feels like Spring may be around the corner. The purple martin house is ready for the little guys to fly in.

Pillow Talk

2010-02-26T10:26:00.001-06:00

Recently I found myself in a neighborhood where I don’t normally go – not that far from me, but just not my normal stompin’ ground. I went in Pottery Barn <<drool>>. I knew I wouldn’t come out without buying something. Actually, as soon as I walked in the door, they were putting out these pillows that screamed at me. Bird, embroidered, colorful – need I say more! They have lots of bird-themed items now so I knew I better leave quickly!

I remembered that IKEA was nearby and I hadn’t been there in a long time – only once since they opened -- so I headed in that direction. As many of you probably know, the store is huge, packed and very organized. If you don’t know what you are doing though, you wind up walking the whole thing almost twice just to get out! (I’m sure there is a method to their madness because in the process of trying to get out, look what I found . . .

Two more pillows – embroidered, colorful. And, I didn’t even know I needed pillows. Happy accidents for sure!

P.S. I think I need another one in front of these. . .

Good morning sunshine . . .

2010-02-17T08:15:00.001-06:00

It just warms my soul. I can take any cold temperature if the sun is shining. Looks like we might have several days of sunnier and a little warmer weather. Praise God!

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

2010-02-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

Be sweet to your sweetie . . . and have a happy day!

Can’t do anything about it, so

2010-02-12T13:23:00.001-06:00

What a difference a day makes!

2010-02-11T17:13:00.001-06:00

I’m so sorry that I complained about the weather yesterday. Look what we woke up to this morning!

And this is the garden that I showed you in my previous post where herbs and daffodils were coming up.

People in Texas say, “If you don’t like the weather here, just wait a minute.” How true!

I must admit that it is pretty and really exciting for the kids, but I think I’ll just stay inside, look out my window and have another cup of hot chocolate!

The good news is that it will be gone in a day or two. All I can say to all of you sweet people in the northeast is “Bless Your Hearts”! I don’t know how you do it . . .

Please be true . . .

2010-02-10T11:32:00.000-06:00

Could it be that Spring is near? I hate to be cranky about the cold weather that we are having when so many people are covered in snow, but, really, this is Texas! Today I noticed that some brave souls are peeking out in my garden. Are they fed up with it too?

I have a frozen birdbath -- and daffodils and herbs nearby trying their best to ignore it.

I can’t wait to be able to join them in the garden! Okay, now a little sunshine would help too. Guess I just better go shopping – there is nothing to do here . . .

Rearrangement

2010-02-06T13:25:00.003-06:00

My silhouettes were bugging me! I just hung them as my collection grew and they were just too randomly scattered. So today, it went from this. . .

to this. . .

and I feel much better. This is much more "orderly". (They look a little crooked from this angle, but I promise they are not!) The frames were garage sale finds – not too special, but I didn’t care -- I was really just going for size. They both have a red border in them, but I think after I look at it a while that I will paint the frames black and maybe leave the red. Better?

Button, button . . .

2010-01-23T20:55:00.003-06:00

I love buttons! I am a sucker for a bag of buttons at an estate sale or garage sale. Some day I’m sure I’ll find a real purpose for all of them. This weekend I came across a fairly large bag and they were really dirty.

So, they got washed . . .

sorted . . .

and put in jars with the rest of my “collection.”

Thrift Store Find

2010-01-20T21:03:00.001-06:00

Don’t you just love thrift stores? I have to check my favorites whenever I am in the area and today I found this lily pad plate. This picture does not do it justice.

I found it online for $42.00 – I paid $3.75. Now, do I love it enough to keep it or should I try to sell it on eBay? Keep it . . . sell it . . .keep it . . .sell it? I just don’t know. I’ll have to sleep on it.

A Lovely Giveaway

2010-01-18T10:16:00.001-06:00

from Castle & Cottage Signs. Go over there and comment to be in line for this hand painted sign. Paula is also selling one on eBay with the proceeds to go to Save the Children to help in the relief efforts in Haiti. Bless her!!

Pomegranate Wine

2010-01-13T20:26:00.002-06:00

Today I was drawn to the wine section of the grocery store in the hope of finding a nice (hopefully blue!) bottle for my bottle tree (see my last post). I came across this and the bottle wasn’t so special, but I had to buy it because I had never seen pomegranate wine before. Have you? It is pretty darn good!

Then I “googled it and found out that pomegranate wine has 3 times more antioxidants than red wine. I think I might have found a good excuse to drink wine . . .

My Bottle Tree

2010-01-11T17:33:00.001-06:00

I have been wanting a bottle tree for some time and my husband surprised me a few weeks ago by making one. We finally got it “planted” in the middle of my herb garden. I almost hate to show it to you now because everything is so dead in the yard, but this will give us something to compare it to in spring when it has a better background and more “blooms” on it. I have encouraged all of my wine drinking friends to save bottles for me and I’d really appreciate it if they would choose their wine by the color of the bottle – blue, please! (Since I’m not a big wine drinker that makes as much sense to me as any method.)

If you don’t know the folk lore of the bottle tree, it is a southern tradition, brought from Africa by the slaves. Legend has it that evil spirits in the yard are trapped in the bottles at night, keeping them from the house, and the heat of the sun kills them during the day. Evil spirits are not something I am afraid of, but I just love bottle trees! Okay, everyone, start drinking (or I’d be happy with vinegar or any long-necked bottle.)

Am I blind?!

2010-01-05T20:19:00.002-06:00

I bought this cute little hooked rug for my cherry laundry room yesterday. The colors were perfect and I thought it was a real find (at Marshall’s) for $9.99. This morning as I was leaving, I got a real surprise and the laugh of the day – where is the “i” in cherries? How come I didn’t even notice it? Also, the first “r" looks like a “p”. Well, you know what, I still love it and now I will have a reason to smile every time I walk through my laundry room! (My hubby offered to “fix” it for me with a marker – I declined!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2010-01-01T10:43:00.001-06:00

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. May 2010 live up to your expectations! (Are you a resolution maker? I am . . .) My resolution this year is to read at least a book a month.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2009-12-25T08:02:00.001-06:00

FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS!

We hope you have a blessed day with loved ones and remember the reason for the season!

My little Christmas gift

2009-12-18T17:09:00.001-06:00

to the girls I work with. I got each of them a Christmas pin, but then I had to make it more complicated by making a card to put it on. So, 18 cards later, I am finished with that project. It was fun, I must admit.

I’m getting close . . .

2009-12-16T10:02:00.001-06:00

are you?

I just have a few hours of shopping left to do today and some more wrapping. Then, I can just stay home and finish up a couple of little embroidery projects. When I saw this in print, it doesn’t look so simple, but I’ll have it all done by the weekend. How about you? I hope you will have time to breathe before the Big Day.

Pecan Pie Muffins

2009-12-09T19:26:00.002-06:00

I love recipes that don’t require a lot of “equipment”. For this one, all you need is the bowl, a few measuring cups and a spoon (and, of course, the muffin tins).

Melt the butter in the bowl that you will mix everything in and then just add all of the ingredients. If you have three mini-muffin tin pans, you can do them all at once and, from start to finish, you have 3 dozen little muffins in less than 25 minutes.

PECAN PIE MUFFINS

2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup of finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients with a wooden spoon. Pour into greased muffin tins, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 3 dozen mini muffins.

I would try to get a better picture of the baked muffins, but they are gone already!!

Back in the saddle again . . .

2009-12-07T10:25:00.001-06:00

Well, ladies, while I have been here physically lately, I have been emotionally distracted. I have had several weeks of mammograms and a biopsy and am thrilled to say everything was okay. I decorated for Christmas half-heartedly because, while I knew in my heart everything would be fine, I couldn’t help but play out the other scenario in my mind. I am faithful about my mammograms and I hope you all are too – and let’s pray that the government doesn’t get in the way of our getting them young and yearly. Now I am decorated and ready to let the holidays begin!!!

My Sign Arrived!

2009-12-05T21:44:00.001-06:00

Several weeks ago I won the giveaway from Paula at Castle and Cottage Signs. She paints beautiful signs in many styles and I received a custom-made sign as her gift. After deciding what I wanted on the sign, she sent me pictures of several versions on different boards, with different lettering styles and the final product suits me and my house perfectly. See what you think . . .

I can’t wait until I need to send someone a special gift and I can work with her again. (She also has a blog and an etsy shop. – check them out.) I’ve told Paula this in our emails, but I want to say again – Thank you and I love, love, love it!!!

Still in awe . . .

2009-12-05T08:06:00.001-06:00

It’s been 60 years since this picture was taken of me with Santa and I still love to look at him!

Christmas Decorating – Part 2

2009-11-30T19:47:00.001-06:00

Today – the tree. Before . . .

and after . . .

It has birds, nests, snowy branches, berries and silver and gold poinsettias.

Another project tomorrow.

Christmas Decorating – Part 1

2009-11-28T17:16:00.002-06:00

I just accomplished the first part of my decorating – my Christmas village. I enjoy it so much that I could really leave it up all winter. So, it’s usually the first thing up and the last thing put away. Tomorrow – the tree!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

2009-11-25T09:13:00.001-06:00

Count your blessings, but don’t eat too much!! Enjoy your day with family, friends -- and football.

Another Frilly Dilly Bag

2009-11-24T20:42:00.003-06:00

I promised a friend of mine that I would make her one of these purses for her birthday. I made one earlier this summer and you can see it here. We went together to pick out the fabric and, yes, that’s the Pink Panther you see in there! It will be a belated gift for her, but I just had to get it done before the holidays or it would have been a New Year’s gift . . .

My Butter Pats

2009-11-23T13:56:00.002-06:00

Sometimes you wonder why you collect what you do and then you look at it and you remember. I have been collecting butter pats (I have 45) for years and they are in a desk/curio in my upstairs hall – not really where I can enjoy them. But, I love them just the same.

Brrrr – it’s cold outside!

2009-11-16T17:50:00.001-06:00

We may have a light freeze tonight so I had to put all of my plants in the greenhouse and I cut the last of my zinnias and one gerber daisy. I don’t think I’m ready for this! I so hope the sun will be shining tomorrow . . .

Yipeeeeeee!!!

2009-11-14T16:11:00.001-06:00

to Paula at Castle and Cottage Signs!!! I won the giveaway -- a $40.00 gift certificate! Oh my gosh, what do I want?! I am so excited – this is my first win in “blogland”. You know I’ll be anxious to show you my sign here when I get it. Oh, I can hardly sit still . . .

A Day to Honor

2009-11-11T13:52:00.002-06:00

all of our veterans for their unselfish service to our country. Two of them are very special to me . . .

my husband (Army, 1962) . . .

and my father (Army Air Force, 1943).

It is my belief that If ever there was a time that we should pray for our country and those ensuring our freedom, it is now.

Okay, I’m a copycat!!

2009-11-09T11:34:00.002-06:00

I’ve been wanting to do this ever since I saw it on the Cherry Hill Cottage blog. Then Tina showed the idea again when she recently gave us a tour of her friend Monica’s beautiful cottage. (She said she got the idea from Monica!) Well, my hubby went deer hunting this weekend so I thought this was a good chance to figure it out and not have to listen to “how many holes are you going to put in the wall?”. Tina said she is going to blog about how to do it, but I couldn’t wait – I might be making some adjustments after she lets us in on the secrets.

My living room sofa is a vintage style print of brown and red floral so my plates have mostly those colors. It was a little challenging, but not too hard. I let a day go by and then asked my husband if he noticed anything. He said “Only those plates on the wall – how many holes did you have to put in?” Boy, do I know him!

So, what do you think?

Here’s my sofa (from the back). . .

I’m sharing news about a giveaway!!!

2009-11-07T18:12:00.001-06:00

Paula of Castle and Cottage is having a blog giveaway. All you have to do is go to her beautiful blog, become a follower and comment on your favorite color for Christmas decorating.

She makes beautiful signs and the winner will receive a $40 gift certificate to her etsy shop. Check out the sign she made for Tina of Cherry Hill Cottage.

And, here’s a bonus, if you have a blog, mention it there and then let her know and you will get a second entry in the giveaway. Don’t be late – Saturday, November 14 by noon is the deadline.

Sweet Little Napkin Rings

2009-11-04T21:14:00.001-06:00

Aren’t these the cutest napkin rings? I bought them at an estate sale years ago just because I loved looking at them. I had almost forgotten about them, but had to move everything from my dining room this week to have the wood floor refinished and came across these. They are wooden and made in Germany. They make me smile . . .