Saturday, March 31, 2012

Hippity ~ Hoppity

The following post is a repost from last year, it is one of my favorites and I hope that you enjoy seeing it again too.

Here comes an Easter bunny family hippity hopping through the cabbage patch on the shelf under the kitchen window. They are loaded down with pretty eggs to leave on Easter morning...I wonder where will they will hide them...? Oh! I see some under the cabbage leaves and some peeking out of flower pots. And just around the corner is another bunny friend to help. Lots of eggs still to go; what a big job
























I originally made the wreath in the window for the front door, but this year I put it in the kitchen. The bunnies were purchased a few years back at Costco; I think they are adorable. The cabbages are from my local 99 Cent Store. All of the little bunny eggs were from JoAnne's and the flower plates in the back were from Bombay Company ( boy, do I miss their store) Hope that you have a  'Hippity-Hoppity' day


The post has been linked to: http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/, http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/, , http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://www.the36thavenue.com/, http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Garden Jewels



A few weeks ago in my gardening group we were asked to bring in containers of succulents for a succulent show. Since I always think of succulents as the jewels of the garden I thought it would be very apropos to arrange some in a jewelry box: this is the result.



I lined the box with plastic, put in a little six-pac plant container filled with potting soil and inserted the succulent cuttings. They need very little water and will soon begin to root.




Just to add a bit more interest I added some old fragments of costume jewelry.
In a few weeks I will plant the rooted cutting out here in the garden, meanwhile I am enjoying their beauty indoors.


Thank you for visiting, I hope that you have some jewels to brighten up your day, even if they aren't real...and try some succulents indoors...they are great in terrariums too.

This post has been linked to: http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/, http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/, http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Slipper Chair ~

This little slipper chair belonged to my Mother. It was always in her bedroom and as a very small child I remember playing dress-up with some of her old gowns and teetering around the house in a pair of her high-heeled shoes dragging trains of fabric behind me.


Now the chair has come to me and last week I placed it in my dressing room. It has been reupholstered many times but is now the perfect pale pink, watered taffeta, to fit in perfectly.


It is called a slipper chair because it is very low to the ground, the perfect place for a lady to sit when putting on or taking off her shoes.


I am dedicating this post to my Mother, an amazing and wonderful women and always the loveliest in the room.


It is so nice to have something that brings back memories of childhood and the nostalgic thoughts of loving parents. I hope you have something like this too.

Thank you for visiting.

This post has been linked to: http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/
, http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/, http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/
                 

Saturday, March 17, 2012


It rained today so I won't be using this watering can, I also won't be able to work out in the garden as the rain is supposed to continue through the entire weekend. Wonderful ~ but frustrating because there is so much to do outside this time of year.




So.. I decided to take a little time and experiment with making some changes to the blog. One of the things I have wanted to do for a while is add a decorative background. I was finally able to find one that I liked, and figure out how to install it; I also changed the font. I am not sure if I like the results and after wrestling around with the Blogger template I am completely exhausted but I can easily change everything back and it is kind of fun.

Thank you for visiting. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!


 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Le Printemps ~

My daughter recently did a very cute blog post on chalkboards that included a great video; you can see it here: http://loveandlifeatleadora.blogspot.com. My poor chalkboard has been sitting naked since the holidays and her post  inspired me to write something on it. Just to add another element I decided to get some colored chalk and experiment. One thing about chalkboards is that you can be fearless...it is so easily changed!





What better to write then: Le Printemps est ici

Spring in here!

 I used Pixlar again to edit this photo...I am really having fun with it.

Thank you for visiting I hope you get some colored chalk and have a 'Spring-like' day.


This post has been linked to: http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/


Saturday, March 10, 2012

Playing with Pansies ~

Since the anticipated demise of Picnik I have been trying to develop my skills using Photoshop. I have found it challenging but hope that if I can just keep plugging away I will eventually master it; I just wish that the program was a bit more 'user-friendly'. Meanwhile, I have been experimenting with some of the other on line editors. I had lots of fun on Pixlr Express with this photo that I took a while back of  pansies on the window ledge in my entry hall.


 Pixlr Express has some really good features: easy-peasy to use, some great filters, quick transfers to browser and fun techniques, including a great focal feature and tons of frames and borders. If you haven't tried it out I encourage you to do so.

With this next picture I just clicked on Pixlr Vintage Effects. I really don't think I would use this very often, but once in a while just to mix things up it will be fun...after all isn't that what blogging is all about.



Pretty wild don't you think?

Thank you for stopping by to visit, I hope you have a 'picture perfect' day.

This post has been linked to: http://throughaphotographerseyes.blogspot.com/, http://blueberrycraftandhobbytime.blogspot.com/, http://my3boybarians.com/
,

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

I Would Like to Recommend ~

I love reading books about cooking and food; I find it all very fascinating. So when I saw this book at my local library I immediately checked it out and I am so happy that I did because it is excellent.



The author, Kathleen Flinn is a graduate of the esteemed Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris and currently resides in the Pacific Northwest.


The premise of the book, sparked one day in a supermarket when she saw a stranger filling her shopping cart with containers of processed food, was to bring together a small group of volunteers of different ages and backgrounds who for various reasons were intimidated by cooking  and provide them with lesson on basic fundamentals, such as: knife skills, wise purchasing, nutrition, and meal planning using fresh, healthy ingredients. I have been cooking for many years and I have the basics pretty well down but I learned so many new ways at looking at food,  how we purchase it, and even more important how we waste it. This book offers information for cooks of every level and it is also a fun, well written, read.



I was pleased to find that  Kathleen Flinn also has a blog, you can find it at: http://kathleenflinn.com/blog/
Right now she is featuring a yummy recipe on making scones.
Bon Appetite!

This post has been linked to: http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/


Saturday, March 3, 2012

The Beautiful Lady Banks



Every year when the branches on the trees are still bare and the bulbs are in the midst of blooming it happens...the beautiful Lady Banks rose blooms. Sometimes, like this year, she catches me completely unaware; I went outside to put something in the shed and this glory greeted me...


 


I really don't know how old this rose is, it was here decades ago when we bought the house and now covers the entire arbor and spans at least 30 feet ~ that is with rigorous pruning every year. This is not a timid plant but my such a lovely one! Another signal to me that Spring is definitely here.


Thank you for visiting, I hope you have a lovely surprise in your day.

This post has been linked to: http://maleviksrosentradgard.blogspot.com/