Button Heaven . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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

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

Have a blessed day!!!

Check out this giveaway . . .

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

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 . . .

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”.

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

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 . . .

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 . . .

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

 

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

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

to you and all of your family. 

May you have many

Lemons – finally!

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

Hope its Spooktacular!!!

 

Shopping with your husband

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